Honiton defeated league leaders Woodbury and NSC 1st XI in a gripping match that saw a remarkable comeback.

Honiton, who were the hosts of the game, chose to field after winning the toss, following a minor weather disruption due to a short-lived rain shower.

Bowling duo, Adam Holmes and Brandon Knight got off to a good start, removing Woodbury's top-order batsmen cheaply.

Knight claimed an early wicket, followed by Holmes, putting the visiting side on the back foot.

Despite this, Woodbury batsmen Moretta and Jarvis staged a recovery, gradually easing the scoreboard.

The home side, in an attempt to disrupt momentum, introduced bowlers Dan Hooper and Will Smith.

This move was soon vindicated as Hooper bowled Jarvis out for 27, followed by claiming another wicket shortly after.

Smith too was successful, nabbing the pivotal wicket of the settled opening batsman.

The duo were able to exert considerable pressure on the opposition with further impressive bowling.

Team Woodbury, beset with difficulty, found themselves in a daunting position at 89-7.

However, a spirited resistance from batsmen Chouhan and Pearce led to a steady rebuilding phase.

Despite this, Alan Ostler claimed another wicket for the home side, putting them back on top.

Just when Honiton seemed poised to end the innings under 150, batsmen Brealy and Chouhan amassed quick runs, taking the score to 198 all out.

Commencing their chase, Honiton started brightly with significant contributions from Dave Haysom and Andy Canniford.

The second wicket fell at 35 runs, following an exceptional catch by Chouhan.

Subsequent knocks from additional batsmen, including a 30 from Holmes, left the team on a knife-edge at 172-7, with 27 runs still required.

A collective sigh of relief was heard as Hooper joined Groves on the pitch, with the pair guiding their team to victory with composed batting.

Both players ended unbeaten with 78 and 12 runs respectively, leading Honiton to a much-needed win.

Throughout the match, both Hooper and Smith showed exceptional bowling prowess, with Hooper finishing with brilliant figures of 4-27, and Smith ending on 1-25.

Other standout performances included Knight finishing on 2-32, Ostler 2-39 and Holmes 1-39.

In closing comments, the Honiton team expressed gratitude to Andrew Lapping for umpiring and Adrian for organising the BBQ.

Their win against Woodbury and NSC 1st XI, a higher-ranking side, will give them much-needed confidence as they advance into the latter half of the season.