TAVISTOCK dropped back into the A Division bottom two after suffering a nine-wicket pasting at the hands of Torquay & Kingskerswell.

Tavistock were all out for 199 with two overs to go, which was a disappointing total considering they had been 162-4 with 11 overs to go.

Torquay & Kingskerswell lost one wicket at 163 and went on to win the game with nearly three overs to spare. The man out for 63 was veteran opener Tim Western. Surviving opener Chris Kelmere was on 104 not out when Nathan Roux (14no) hit the winning run.

Defeat put Tavistock 11 points shy of safety with just Abbotskerswell below them in the latest table.

Charlie Barriball, the Tavistock captain, said it was not hard to see where the game went wrong.

“After a great start and great foundation set by the top order, to be bowled out for 199 is where the game was lost by us.

“We are coming up to the second half of the season and really need to turn it around as we find ourselves in a spot we really didn't expect to be in.”

Ryan Burke (48) and Rhys Davies (46) scored the bulk of Tavistock’s runs while the going was good.

Billy Barriball and Will Scott-Munden chipped in 19 each and Dimuth Sandaruan (15), Charlie Barriball (13), Jack Smyly (12) and Richard Edlmann all reached double figures.

Spin was king for Torquay & Kingskerswell with four wickets for left-armer Harry Baxendale (4-21) and two each for Kelmere and 16-year-old debutant Ethan Kulkarni.

Elsewhere, Bridestowe lost to Thorverton by five wickets in a low-scoring affair at Millaton.

Bridestowe, who were without run-laden Billy Searle for the first time in three weeks, were all out for 76 in the 24th over.

Ben Slaviero (5-15) and Jacob Broom (1-23) got into the top order as Bridestowe dipped to 16 for four.

Ethan Guest made 28 and skipper Tallan Burns 10 to get the running total up to 54 for five.

Slaviero’s return to the attack, couple with the introduction of Dan Robbins (3-15) resulted in Bridestowe’s last five wickets tumbling for 22 runs.

Thorverton knocked-off the runs with more than 17 overs to spare, although it was a straightforward task.

Openers Robbins and Pitt had both gone in a progressive total of two for two and when Mickey Wilkinson (11) was third out on 27 there remained work to do.

Brendan Coetzee (29) took Thorverton in sight of victory, helped along the way by Harry Choules (16).

Bridestowe bowlers Ethan Guest (3-19), Tallan Burns (0-12), Craig Penberthy (1-14) and Shaquan Glasgow (1-11) made Thorverton work for their runs.

In the wake of the result, Burns said that “Ethan bowled well once again” and “Credit to Thorverton, who deserved the points.”