HAT-trick skipper Matt Skeemer, Mohsin Khan and Lee Baker bowled Cornwood to an unlikely 35-run win over Premier Division title chasers Exmouth on the Maer.

It’s hard to win games when you have been bowled out more than 14 overs early for a modest 138, especially against a side that includes county batters James Horler, Cam Kid, Dan Pyle and the ever-dangerous Louis Morison.

But win Cornwood did with four wickets for skipper Skeemer, three for professional Khan and a couple for spinner Baker.

Exmouth were hoping to regain the position they held until Paignton took it off them seven days earlier. That didn’t happen. Instead, Exeter (150pts) knocked Paignton (142) off the top and down to second by beating them at Queen’s Park. Exmouth (141) slipped back one place to third.

And in what’s shaping up to be one of the closest title races for years, Sandford (129) and Cornwood (128) are very much in touch with the top three.

It could easily change again in this Saturday’s round of fixtures when Cornwood host Paignton and Exeter entertain Sandford.

Cornwood had problem putting partnerships together against testing bowling from Pete Turnbull (0-25) and Ed Butler (1-16).

In Cornwood’s running total of 101 for seven, Khan and Charlie Finan with 26 each had the best of the scores. Lawrence Greenway (3-42) was Exmouth’s leading wicket taker.

The greatest partnership of the Cornwood innings was the 28 added for the eighth wicket between Matt Butterworth (11) and Sam Griffiths (13). Crucial runs as it turned out.

Dan Pyle (3-2) broke the stand and needed just seven more balls to knock-over the stragglers.

Exmouth lost Butler, Horler and Morison getting to 16, which was hardly the start they wanted! Kidd (2) and Pyle (19) appeared to be repairing the damage largely done by Baker (2-36)

Khan (3-43), who had removed Horler lbw with his first ball to him, sent back Kidd the. Pyle to change the complexion of the chase.

Fin Marks, in at 65 for five, tried to keep the chase alive, but only Turnbull (10) joined in.

The end when it came was dramatic. Skeemer bowled Greenway, snared next man in Ollie Cave lbw and cleaned-out Elijah Pyne to perform the hat-trick on his way to figures of four for 22.

Skipper Skeemer played down his own role in the win, which included his first Premier Division hat-trick, and spread the credit around.

“Very happy with the result and the fight that the boys showed,” said Skeemer.

“We were well under par at the halfway point and pretty disappointed not to make the most of some good batting conditions.

“We are however proving we can be really hard to chase a score against.

“The spells from Mo Khan and Lee Baker up top were brilliant, combined with a quality run out from Adam Goodliffe.”

Meanwhile, Josh Goodliffe and Aviral Srivastava both racked-up 70-plus scores for Cornwood 2nd XI in a comfortable six-wicket win over struggling South Devon.

South Devon, who have yet to win a game in the C Division West this season, reached a solid total of 212 all out.

Wickets were spread around with two each for Srivastava, Jason Hall, Goodliffe and caretaker captain Alex Robinson.

Other than losing Ewan Grewal and Ayaan Chatterjee cheaply during the chase, Cornwood had no dramas to bypass, winning it in the 31st over.