HATHERLEIGH face another week at least in the Premier Division bottom two despite inflicting a four-wicket defeat on Bradninch & Kentisbeare.

The outgoing Premier champions were skittled for 122 with 15 overs to go – and only got that far thanks to bottom half runs from Tim Piper and Ankit Badwal.

Shrey Ghosh made a composed 57 not out to steer second-bottom Hatherleigh (150pts) to a win that keeps them in touch with Plymouth (156), the team they have to catch to get out of the relegation places.

As fellow strugglers Sidmouth and Plymouth both won as well, there is no change in the bottom three.

Hatherleigh keeper Niall Leahy won’t forget this game in a hurry. He claimed six catches and a run-out during the B&K innings.

“It was one of those days when everything came my way,” said Leahy. Definitely, the most dismissals I have ever been involved in.”

Only former Sidmouth keeper Matt Hewer has documented evidence of a similar day behind the stumps: seven catches against Bovey Tracey back in 2016.

Bradninch & Kentisbeare’s batters were routinely caught behind or in the slips as Jasper Presswell (4-24), Rob Fishleigh (2-37) and Charlie Presswell (2-18) worked through them. If Leahy did not get them, Gareth Tidball or Ghosh did.

Piper, in a 53 for six, made 37 and tail-ender Badwal (23) to make the final score less embarrassing.

Hatherleigh’s run chase wasn’t without its own issues. Muhammad Ismail (2-34) and Josh Farley (4-33) made sure of that.

Ghosh, in at 26 for one, batted through to the end with chip-ins from Leahy (14) and Charlie Presswell (13) helping things along.

Meanwhile, Hatherleigh 2nd XI gave Ipplepen a scare before going down to a one-wicket defeat in a harum-scarum finish.

Ipplepen have been top of the C Division West table all season and it will take an act of God to overturn their 52-point lead over Kingsbridge in what isn’t really a race any longer for the only promotion place out of the division.

Hatherleigh, in contrast, haven’t been out of the bottom two since week four and need to find 31 points somehow to get ahead of Paignton 2nd XI to reach safety. The odds on that happening are slim.

Opener Adam Quick top scored for Hatherleigh with 74 in their all-out total of 227 from the full 45 overs.

Quick, Zach Spears (23), Aiden Spinney (33) and Jack Probert (24) all helped the score along.

Three overs out Pens’ skipper Sam Wakeham chucked the ball to Mawgan Penrice, whose wicketless first three overs cost a modest 14 runs.

Penrice mopped up the lower order single-handedly with four wickets in 12 balls at a cost of 18 runs. Had a difficult running catch stuck in the fielder’s hands, he would have had a hat-trick. Three in four balls is not quite the same…

It looked like another routine assignment for Ipplepen when they were 206 for six with 16 overs remaining thanks to runs in the Tapley family laptop for Marcus Gadie (56), Jack Lewis (41) Jono Colgate (29) and a selection of bits and pieces.

A double strike by Quick (2-47) changed the complexion of the game as Sam Wakeham then Henry Alsop went three balls apart.

And when Charlie Bingham (3-56) – the missing element in Penrice’s hat-trick – knocked over George Tapley the Pens were 221 for eight.

Time wasn’t a problem – Pens had overs in hand – what they didn’t have was much batting to come.

Matt Beasant and Joe Parker got the target down to one to win before Parker got out. The next ball bowled was a wide, which won it for Ipplepen.