CORNWOOD bowled their way to a 23-run win at North Devon that keeps them third in the Premier Division table with eight games to go.

The Wood’s total of 201 for seven in a rain-affected game reduced to 39 overs each looked under threat when North Devon were 137 for two in reply. Former Devon batters Dan Bowser and Jack Moore got the Instow outfit into a challenging position.

Losing three middle-order wickets for just eight runs scuppered North Devon’s prospects and they collapsed to 180 all out.

Thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis System, North Devon were actually chasing 204 to win, not that it made a great deal of difference in the final totting-up.

Matt Skeemer, who skippered Cornwood in the absence of Elliott Staddon, said the game was in the balance until Cornwood saw the back of Moore and Bowser.

“It's always tough trying to judge a good score when you know you could keep coming off for rain, but I felt 201 was a great effort,” said Skeemer.

“Things didn't go our way in the field initially – and Dan and Jack batted really nicely. But we knew if we broke their partnership we could really put some pressure on. Once we did that everyone bowled to their plans brilliantly, and we turned the game around.”

Skeemer was too modest to say so, but he broke the partnership by snaring Moore lbw and followed up in his next over by bowling Bowser.

Opener Ben Privett hit 60 for Cornwood but was eclipsed in the run-getting stats by Samarpit Josh, who made 70. The pair put on 90 for the second wicket.

Moore (3-40) was North Devon’s most successful bowler. James Tyson (3.13) was the most economical.

Bowser joined Moore first wicket down on at nine. They pushed the score along to 125 before Skeemer split them up.

Skeemer’s double strike was followed by Ben Beaumont dismissing dangerman Roshan Lakmal caught behind.

North Devon’s last five wickets tumbled for just 20 runs with Beaumont (4-33) doing most of the damage.

Cornwood 2nd XI may well have won the top-against-bottom clash in C West but Plymstock made the high-flyers work harder than expected.

By the time the Wood had knocked off 149 to win in the 19th over, they had lost six wickets in the process.

19 points was still a decent afternoon’s work for Robin Dart’s men (161pts) as it keeps them out in front of Ashburton (157) and Teignmouth & Shaldon (154) in the annual squabble for the single promotion place in the C Division West.

Plymstock’s runs came in two batches, the first a stand of 58 between openers Dave Ling (23) and Paul Birleson (28).

Batch two was a stand of 69 between Manum Chowdhury (33) and Beth Hall (22), the older sister of Plymstock’s exciting young prospect Archie Hall. Chris Hall, the patriarch of the cricket-loving family, was one not out in the final tally of 148 for seven.

Will Sharp (3-29) and Matt Puttock (2-4) took the bowling plaudits for Cornwood.

Cornwood’s response reached 38 for none without mishap, followed by losing three wickets in seven balls for no runs at all. Syed Ali (3-41) and Chris Hall did the damage. Sam Griffiths (53no) took control of the chase and wrapped up the win with help from Sharp (19).

Elsewhere, Cornwood 3rd XI dropped back from second to third in the E Division West following a four-wicket loss to Paignton 3rd XI.