CORNWOOD 2nd XI look like missing out on promotion from the C Division West again after going down by six wickets in the first-against-second clash with Ashburton.

Robin Dart’s men went into the game four points ahead of Ashburton at the top of the table. They had been top for 16 weeks and that is the only spot that matters with just the one promotion place.

Ashburton are the new leaders and their 11-point lead makes them favourites to go up. Cornwood need to beat third-placed Teignmouth & Shaldon and hope Ashburton lose to Ipplepen 2nd XI this weekend to avoid coming up short yet again.

It’s “not over till it's over but now it's out of our hands and we need a favour,” said Cornwood skipper Dart.

“We'll look to end the season with a win and see what happens.”

Cornwood found the new-ball bowling of Charlie Towers (0-19 off 9) hard to get away and lost wickets at the other end to Jack Warren (4-43).

Bits and pieces from Harry Woolway (27), Sam Griffiths (22) and Will Sharp (29) were as good as it got for Cornwood in a running total of 110 for seven.

Matt Churchill (2-28) and Steve Edmonds (3-19) kept the lower-order batters under lock and key in an eventual tally of 142 all out.

Ashburton’s reply was an altogether different affair. Only skipper Lloyd White missed out during a 27-over dash to victory.

Edmonds opened with 63, George Yabsley added 28 and the not-outers were Churchill (17) and Nick Martin (19).

Reflecting on the game, Dart said: “We battled hard to get something on the board but then didn't get the cricket luck we needed to defend a low total.

“A few early wickets could have changed things. But that's cricket, and we were second best on the day.

“I have got a lot of respect for Ashburton; they are a good side and have been on some run of results over the last nine weeks.”

Elsewhere, a middle-order batting failure was largely responsible for Cornwood’s 83-run home defeat by Paignton.

Paignton’s batters played their shots to reach 242 all out in the 41st of their 50 overs. Neil Hancock – 73 off 42 balls – played more than most.

Cornwood were 125 for four approaching the halfway stage. Ben Privett (58) and Ben Beaumont (24) supplying the runs.

The trouble started when skipper Elliott Staddon (25) was sixth out on 141. Five wickets fell for just 18 runs scored as the Wood tumbled to 159 all out.

Paignton’s Aya Gqamana took his wicket tally for the season to 54 – a new record for the Premier Division in the 10-overs-a-bowler era that started in 2012. Sidmouth’s Dan Babula (46) set the previous record in 2014.

The Medlock brothers – Rory (2-33) and Luke (2-6) had two wickets each.

Hancock wasn’t the only Paignton batter to get among the runs. Luke Medlock opened with 36 and shared a stand of 80 with the former Devon captain. Other chip-ins came from Gqamana (26) and Mark Gilmour (31).

Privett, fit to bowl again after an injury, topped the Cornwood bowling stats with four for 41. Staddon had three for 69. Going for 23 in two overs bowling to Gilmour and Rory Medlock skewed his figures.

“The better team won on the day with some good performances by Hancock and Gqamana,” said Staddon.

He added, “We didn't think 240 was a high chase with a short boundary on one side.”