TAVISTOCK could be heading for their highest league finish in 40 years after beating Cornwood by eight wickets to effectively banish their Premier Division relegation worries once and for all.

Victory over the Wood – Joshua Dorne stroked an unbeaten century to get them there – took Tavistock up to fourth in the table.

You have to go back to 1986 for the last time Tavistock (7th) finished higher than eighth … and travel back to 1981 (2nd) then 1982 (3rd) for anything better than that!

The 27-point margin between Tavistock and second-bottom Sidmouth should ensure they don’t get dragged back into the relegation mire in what’s left of the season.

Cornwood appear destined for a mid-table finish as they have a 21-point safety net between them and the danger area.

Twenty-six was a significant figure for Cornwood as that’s what four of their batsmen made in a team total of 179 all out. Openers Charlie Finan and Mohsin Khan were followed by Chris Parker and Elliott Staddon into the 26 club. Noah Carlisle made 21.

Tom Clarke, Tavistock’s left-arm spinner, took five Cornwood wickets for 21 runs in 10 overs. James McGahey (3-47) chipped in.

Tavistock made a sluggish start –they were 10 for two with Elliot Hamilton and James White out – but that was just a teething problem.

Dorne (109no) and Rhys Davies (52no) knocked off the remainder while putting on 173 unbroken for the third wicket.

Sean Cleave, the Tavistock skipper, described it as: “Probably our best, all-round performance of the season,”

Cleave added: “Tom Clarke is getting better and better every game and again put in an outstanding performance to pick up his first five-wicket haul for Tavistock.

“Joshua Dorne then produced an outstanding century, backed-up with a proper knock from Rhys Davies, to see us home comfortably in the end.”

Getting promoted and staying promoted are two different things, as Tavistock discovered he last time they trod that path back in 2006, when they went straight back down. This time round they seem to have acquired a foothold.

Said Cleave: “The lads are learning and improving with every game we play, and it’s been great to see.

“We now look to finish the season as strongly as we can and make sure we are here next season.”

Meanwhile, Chagford routed Tavistock 2nd XI by eight wickets to confirm their promotion as D West champions.

While Chagford can think about C West cricket next season, Tavistock could do with one more win to be certain of staving off relegation.

Marc Lewis (40), Will Chappell (22) and Alert Manning (28) scored the bulk of the runs before Tavistock were bowled out for 143.

Jake Griffiths (3-20) edged ahead of Ben Lanyon (2-23) and Lucas Pedrochi (2-22) in the frontline bowling figures.

Chagford’s casualties during an 18.4-over pursuit were Pedrochi (9) and skipper Griffiths (26).

Opener Ricky Hopwood (70no) batted from start to early finish. James Wotton (10no) was in at the end.

Elsewhere in that division, Yelverton’s Matt Smale helped himself to a four-wicket haul to send Barton tumbling to a 109-run defeat.

Yelverton’s first-innings total of 267 for seven looked more than enough to secure a win, although relegation candidates Barton were in respectable territory at 104 for three at the start of the 20th over.

Harry Shelton had made 39 and Arunkrishna Radhakrishnan (30) for Barton before it all went wrong.

Smale had one over to warm-up then set about dismantling the Barton batting. He took four for 21 all in as the visitors plummeted to 158 all out. Michael Marais helped things aling with two wickets in the same time frame.

Earlier, Hadleigh Scott-Kirk (64) had top scored for Yelverton. Josh Stevenson opened with 41 and there were runs for Geoff Brain (40), Smale (21) and Harry Nankivell (25). Stands of 80 between Brain and Stevenson, and 68 between Scott-Kirk and Nankivell were the batting highpoints.

Barton bowlers Shelton (3-31) and Callum Crocker (1-30) were cheap to run.

Yelverton are headed for a mid-table finish. If Barton lose to champions Chagford this Saturday, they are almost certainly relegated.