TAVISTOCK put some distance between themselves and the A Division drop spots by handing out a 113-run thrashing to Plymstock.
Skipper Charlie Barriball nailed the Plymstock bowling for exactly a hundred not out in a total of 227 all out.
Barriball then bagged the man-of-the-match award with a three-wicket haul as Plymstock were bowled out for 114.
It was Tavistock’s second three-figure win in a row – Plymouth suffered the same fate seven days earlier – and put 17 points between them and Plymstock in the second relegation spot.
Tom Mitch (3-49) was Plymstock’s leading wicket-taker. Prince Masvuare (2-26) and Matt Whalley (2-26) both bowled canny 10-over spells.
Plymstock started indifferently – they were 17 for three after an early roughing-up from Charlie Barriball and James McGahey – but fought back through Whalley (28) and Hall Kerton (15).
Once Kerton went wickets fell regularly until Plymstock were nine down. Last man Ian Whalley (19) kept Tavistock out in the field a little longer than expected.
Barriball was aided and abetted bowling out Plymstock by James McGahey (3-15).
Barriball said his century was ‘long overdue’ and helped put Tavistock in a stronger position than they had anticipated.
“Having been stuck into bat we thought anything more than 150 would be a difficult chase for Plymstock so getting to 227 was a good result for us”, said Barriball.
Meanwhile, Hatherleigh were outgunned in both departments on the way to a seven-wicket defeat away to promotion-chasers Torquay & Kingskerswell.
Hatherleigh’s total of 153 all out at the Recreation Ground always looked below par -and so it turned out as T&K knocked it off with more than 15 overs to spare.
While T&K bolstered their promotion push with 20 points, Hatherleigh’s four-point return dropped them down to fourth from bottom with third-bottom Tavistock next up this weekend.
Hatherleigh got to 131 for four thanks to contributions from Rob Fishleigh (27), Greg Solkin (22) and Harry Arden (28).
Losing six wickets for 22 runs was a disaster for Hatherleigh, largely inflicted on them by Harry Baxendale (2-24), Rio Koyikkara (2-19) and Chris Kelmere (2-27).
Torquay & Kingskerswell’s run chase was anchored by veteran opener Tim Western, who batted through for 62 not out.
Kelmere (27) put on 62 with Western up top. After Nathan Roux and Harry Passenger went cheaply to Charlie Presswell (2-32), Sumukh Bharadwaj (30no) joined Western for the final push.
Rob Cockwill sounded this out as a necessary learning curve; “We are in a transition period and the lads coming in are gaining valuable experience that, hopefully, will benefit us in the future, and make them better cricketers.”
Going on to add, “Unfortunately, due to very poor availability at the moment, we are struggling to field a settled side.”