Sidmouth can smell a chance of snatching the Francis Clark Devon League Premier Division title in the last month of the season after closing in on leaders Bovey Tracey with a 66-run win over Torquay.
Josh Bess scored his second ton of the week – he got one for Devon against Berkshire – with an 89-ball 103 in Sidmouth's total of 302 for two.
Torquay got to 236 for six before their overs expired, although they were out of the running for all practical purposes at 27 for three.
Tim Western (35), Joe Thompson (31) and Scott Baldry (32) played the supporting roles to Matt Hickey, who was stranded on 99 not out at the end.
Victory puts Sidmouth 26 points behind Bovey with five games to go – the next against Bovey Tracey next Saturday.
Sidmouth skipper Will Murray said his side's prospects hinge on beating Bovey this Saturday.
"It would help if we could play the same way we did against Torquay – runs on the board early when we batted and early wickets when we bowled," said Murray
"Torquay never looked like getting the target. It seemed all they were interested in was reaching 225 for all their batting points."
Bovey Tracey defeated Bradninch by seven wickets in a one-sided affair. Bovey had the runs knocked off inside 27 overs with the minimum of interference from the Bradninch bowlers. Peter Bradley (17), Lewis Hammett (16) and Ben Ayres (24) wiped out the first 71. Matt Golding struck twice for Bradninch.
Neil Hancock, with 41 off 35 balls including four fours and three sixes, saw Bovey through with Delon Mullins (16) in an unbroken stand of 57.
Plymouth won by 67 runs at Exmouth to move into the top half of the table for the first time this season.
Plymouth knocked up 242 for seven in their 50 overs – Chris Barr leading the way with 55 after opener Jake Lufffman kicked things off with 49.
Barney Huxtable top-scored for Exmouth with 44 in a total of 175 all out.
"From where we are now we can realistically think about finishing in the top five or top four," said Barr.
Heathcoat's ton-up captain Chris Small can see a way out of trouble for his basement side after they beat North Devon by 160 runs.
Small smashed an unbeaten century in Heathcoat's 239 for four, and with Paul Elliot taking five for 25, North Devon were bowled out for 69.
"If we can keep winning – two or ideally three games – we can get up the table," said Small.
Sandford slipped into serious relegation danger when they lost by 50 runs to fellow strugglers Budleigh Salteron.
Bob Dawson top-scored with 76 as Budleigh accumulated 187 for four in their 50 overs. Matt Plowman took three for 20 and there were two wickets each for Dawson and Lloyd Murrin as Sandford dipped out for 137.
Bovey Tracey won the first piece of silverware this season at Exmouth yesterday when they defeated Plymouth by nine runs in the final of the Ivor Dewdney's Devon Cup.
Bovey, four-wicket winners over Heathcoat in the semi-final played earlier in the day, made 136 for seven with Neil Hancock hitting 44.
Plymouth, who overcame Sidmouth by eight wickets in the morning semi-final, never quite recovered from an early four-wicket battering from Hancock (four for 13), despite Andy Birkett's battling 55, and were 127 all out with seven balls to go.
