BOVEY Tracey are out of the relegation places in the Tolchards DCL Premier Division for the first time this season after routing table-topping Sandford by 104 runs.

Bovey have no room for complacency though as they face third-placed Exeter this Saturday at the same time as Paignton visit Plympton.

Musa Twala top scored with 76 for Bovey Tracey in their 50-over total of 246 for eight.

A stand of 80 between Twala and Ed Foreman (24) underpinned Bovey’s early efforts. Twala added another 58 with Lewis Hammett (38) before Sandford skipper Jackson Thompson (2-50) spun him out. Ollie Clifford-Bourne clubbed 33 not out from 20 balls at the end.

Thompson, Jamie Palmer and Aryan Lakra all claimed a brace of Bovey wickets.

Sandford got to 108 for two thanks largely to Cirian Gray (38) and Lakra (35). Then it all went wrong as they collapsed to 142 all out under pressure from left-arm spinner Clifford-Bourne (3-18) and Jake Pascoe (3-10). The last four wickets tumbled for just two runs.

Pete Bradley, the Bovey captain, said it does not get much better defeating a ‘full-strength, top-of-the-table team’.

Bradley added: “Games are much easier to win when someone steps up at gets a 70 plus – and Musa has been doing that for the last few weeks.

“Positive knocks from Ed Foreman, Lewis Hammett and Sam Harvey were really important.

“Then we had the Olly Clifford-Bourne show: 33 not-out from 20 balls, which gave us a great total and huge momentum. Then three wickets for just 18 runs in nine overs.”

Meanwhile, Bovey Tracey 2nd XI’s league season could have a tricky ending following a five-wicket loss against Bideford that leaves them only 18 points clear of the B Division relegation zone.

Bovey took the scenic route to a 45-over total of 147 for nine, in which no one made more than opener Sam Russell, whose 28 included one monster six back over the head of Bideford bowler Julian Hayter. It went a long way up!

Wickets fell in clumps – two in the 40s, three between 68 and 72 – which made it difficult for Bovey to gain momentum.

Ewan Williams (1-21), Jack Ford (2-32), Jim Keates (1-14), Jody Brown (3-26) and Steve Bond (1-26) all kept the runs down when Bovey batted.

Braydon Pink (23), Joe Forey (24) and Ryan Jones (18no) combined to add 75 for the last five wickets.

Bovey’s bowlers, with the exception of seamer Pink (3-32), largely lacked the penetration to slow Bideford’s chase.

There were no big partnerships – 38 for the fourth wicket was as good as it got – but plenty of respectable chip-ins.

Ollie Hannam (22) and James Ford (26) got the ball rolling, Williams (24) kept the chase ticking over and Hayter (20no) and Alex Hannam (13no) wrapped it up in the 28th over.