HATHERLEIGH shot clear of the Premier Division relegation spots by inflicting a six-wicket defeat on Plymouth.

Rob Cockwill’s side are now 20 points clear of second-bottom place, which is now occupied by Plymouth. The city side need to find 13 points to get past Tavistock and out of the bottom two.

Jasper Presswell (3-37) led Hatherleigh’s bowling effort as Plymouth were bowled out for 196. Emmerson Wood, Shrey Ghosh and Sean Letheren took two wickets each.

Plymouth’s problem was scoring runs quickly enough to set Hatherleigh a challenging total.

Jonty Rapulana made 39 against his former Hatherleigh team-mates – 74 balls, two fours – and skipper Teddy Haffenden used up 46 balls getting to 30.

Hal Kerton (32) and Dan Goodey (41) upped the pace approaching the last 10 overs, only for Wood to knock them over two balls apart.

“The lads were brilliant in the field, in tough conditions,” said Hatherleigh captain Cockwill.

“Restricting Plymouth to less than 200 was a brilliant effort.”

Hatherleigh wiped off the runs with more than 11 of their 50 overs unused.

Other than losing two wickets getting from 41 to 45, Hatherleigh’s chase was largely uneventful.

Ryan Quick and Niall Leahy opened with 21 and 19, Ghosh broke the back of the chase with 63 and Jasper Presswell (40) and Wood (33) were the not-outers.

Reflecting on the run chase, Cockwill said: “The two openers got us off to a decent start, but Jasper and Shrey did most of the heaving lifting in the chase.

“It was pleasing to see Jasper bat with great maturity in the situation.

“Shrey looked back to his best, finished off with some cultured hitting by Emmerson.

Hatherleigh can improve their situation even further this Saturday when Tavistock visit the Holsworthy Road ground.