YELVERTON moved smartly out of the D West relegation places with a 40-run win over bottom side Babbacombe.

An added bonus for Yelverton was fellow strugglers Torquay & Kingskerswell 2nd XI suffering a 202-run pasting by Hatherleigh 2nd XI, which dropped them back into the bottom two.

But with just 16 points between Kenn (149pts), Barton (140), Yelverton (140) and Torquay & Kingskerswell (133) in the scrap to stay up, the situation can change in a hurry.

And as Yelverton still have Kenn and Barton to play, there are 40-pointers coming up.

Skipper David Ackford burst through 500 league runs for the season with a top score of 83 for Yelverton in their 45-over total of 266 for nine.

Opener Ackford was sixth out on 249, having put on 60 with Mike Lemmings (44), 58 with Matt Smale (40) and 86 with Lee Foskett (34).

Ben Passmore (3-65) and Henry Stubbs (3-47) were Babbacombe’s leading wicket takers. Dom Passmore (2-39) offered little to hit.

Babbacombe set off in hot pursuit with openers Dan Western (56) and Rob Redding (82) making a 114-run dent in the deficit.

When Seb Loram (26) was second out on 173, it looked like game on. Losing four wickets for seven runs – Redding among them – was the end of the hunt for Babbacombe.

Smale opened his account with Redding’s wicket and finished with five for 22 as Babbacombe nosedived to 226 all out. Hadleigh Scott-Kirk (3-38) also got in on the act.

Ackford’s own impressive form – eight innings, seven scores between 52-102, an average in the high 80s – is one reason why Yelverton aren’t stuck in the bottom two.

The captain said there is more to it than just his input.

“Our batting department has come up trumps in the last couple of weeks,” said Ackford.

“I've anchored the innings and the other lads have had good 30s and 40s.”

On Yelverton’s prospects, Ackford said: “The last six games will be cup finals for us – and I'm sure the opposing teams will feel the same!

“If we can play smart, sensible cricket we have a great chance of staying up.”

HATHERLEIGH 2nd XI underlined their promotion credentials in the D Division West by handing out a 202-run hiding to Torquay & Kingskerswell 2nd XI.

In the logjam at the top of the D West table, Hatherleigh (167pts) are hard on the heels of joint leaders Plymouth 2nd XI and Chagford, who are just four points ahead.

Henry D’Alberti-Nicholson whacked 61 off 34 balls as Hatherleigh went full steam ahead to 130 for five. That was just the start of T&K’s woes.

Jack Probert (52no) shored up one end while Luke Westacott clattered 70 off 35 deliveries towards a final product of 283 for seven.

Towkir Chowdhury (2-24) suffered the least of the T&K bowlers.

Torquay & Kingskerswell were roughed up by Carl Downes (4-23) while the ball was new and did not fare much better against Cameron Rowlands (3-16) once the shine had gone.

Skipper Vivek Kulkarni was T&K’s top scorer in an all-out total of 81.

These two worlds will collide on Saturday as Yelverton host Hatherleigh in a fixture which is equally as important but for very different reasons.