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CORNWOOD are up to joint in the A Division after easing past Bradninch in more ways than one.

    Bradninch were in second place on Saturday morning before the Corns beat them by two wickets to move in front.

   On a day when no other games were played in the A Division, Cornwood moved level with leaders Bovey Tracey at the top of the table.

   Bradninch were restricted to total of 147for eight thanks to a superb display in the field by Cornwood.

   Cornwood held on to seven catches – the best a superb diving effort by David Tall at short extra-cover off the bowling of Dave Petherbridge to dismiss Tim Piper .

   On a wicket that began as damp but dried out, the slower pace of Petherbridge's bowling that did the bulk of the damage .

   Petherbridge took five for 37 as Bradninch struggled to put together any meaningful partnerships after the departure of the opening pair, Gary Newall and Dan Hardy in quick succession.

   Newall (21) and Hardy (27) put on 45 in 19 overs before Newall top-edged Kevin Willcock to fine-leg where Andy Bees was waiting to take a fine catch.

   Hardy fell ten runs later to an even more impressive take, this time at first slip by Willcock off Petherbridge.

   Ryan Butterworth, a centurion the previous week, didn't trouble the scorers on this occasion, chipping a catch to long-on barely half a dozen deliveries into his stay.

   When Piper fell to that stunning Tall catch, the home innings was in trouble at 62 for four with 26 overs gone.

   Aussie Adrian Ezquerro dug Bradninch out of the hole they had got into by batting through for an unbeaten 46

   After Joe Webb went cheaply at 95 for six, another scalp for Petherbridge, Ezquerro found a willing batting companion in skipper Joel Murphy.

   The pair negotiated Bradninch to a couple of batting points before Murphy was trapped lbw by Cornwood's Pakistani quick man Aizaz Cheeman,

   Murphy's departure, for 16 on 134 brought out young Eliot Acton, who was in and out against caught behind off Bees for a duck.

   Ezquerro batted out the final few overs with Nat Davey as the Bradninch innings meandered to a close.

   Early wickets were what Bradninch wanted, so dropped catches by Hardy and Webb did them no favours at all.

   Just as Cornwood were threatening to take the game by the scruff of the neck, Bradninch fought back. Cornwood's 71 for two, with Boase out for 16 and Scott Mansfield gone for 27, became 99 for six in a hurry.

   Martyn Cooksley was brilliantly run out from sideways on by Eliot Acton, Jason Hall nibbled at Paul Nott and was caught behind, Murphy (3-39) bowled Willcock and Ben Warren fell to a diving, one-handed return catch by bowler Murphy.

   Another wicket then would have spelled trouble for Cornwood, but they regrouped through Tall and Matt Butterworth.

   Tall went for 19 to Ross Acton, but Butteworth kept on going to reach 28 not out. His stand with Cheema (12) put Cornwood back on track and they won with two overs to spare.

   By the time Ezquerro threw down the stumps to run out Cheema the target was two to win and the game over as a contest.