RELEGATION worriers Bovey Tracey showed they don’t intend to go down without a fight with a one-wicket win over Exmouth.

Pete Bradley, Bovey’s mid-season replacement as captain, keeps insisting it’s not over yet for his side, who have proved him right with back-to-back wins over Plympton and now Exmouth.

Sandford away this Saturday will be a stiffer test for Bovey, although opposite number Jackson Thompson will probably be more worried about the outcome than opposite number Bradley.

Jason Niemand (25) and James Horler (68) got Exmouth up to 109 for three, but the middle order failed to kick-on the way skipper Fin Marks hoped.

Cam Kidd (20), Pete Turnbull (19no) and Lawrence Greenway (23) were the best of the rest in a total of 195 for eight.

No one bowled better than Ollie Clifford-Bourne (4-26), although Rob Pryke (1-30) and Sam Harvey (1-24) were not far behind.

Bovey’s run chase was a meandering affair that got there via 112 for three, 153 for six the 183 for eight and 190 for nine.

Opener Musa Twala (51) pointed Bovey in the right direction, Tom Andrew (32) and Seb Ansley (28) revived fortunes mid-innings and a combination of Rob Pryke (12), Chris Yabsley (4no) and last man Ollie Clifford-Bourne (4no) got them over the line.

Ollie Dawe (4-35) claimed top-end wickets. Turnbull (3-45) applied pressure down the order.

Marks was realistic in his observations at the end of the game.

Pete Bradley, the Bovey Tracey captain, said a win over a top-three team proved his second-from-bottom side cannot be written-off.

“We have lost three or four of those games this season so it nice to get over the line in one,” said Bradley.

“A change of mindset and plans since the halfway stage has helped free up the boys to play positively and with a smile on our faces.

“We are not so worried about the outcome, more about the ride.

“It also helps when we have a pretty much full-strength bowling line up. We are able to build pressure and force mistakes.

“With the bat we have better intent. Now we are looking to score runs, rather than looking to survive.

“Two tough games coming up – Sandford (top), Exeter (3rd) – and we will enjoy them.”

Bovey are 32 points clear of rock-bottom Plympton whilst the gap from them to eighth-placed Paignton is just 10 points, a perfectly surmountable total.

Above Paignton 1st XI in the Premier Division are then Heathcoat and Sidmouth, sitting on 156 and 142 points respectively with neither having to look over their shoulder just yet.