CORNWOOD are out of the bottom two in the Premier Division thanks to a 31-run win in the basement battle at Brixham.

Jackson Thompson top scored with 62 in Cornwood’s total of 186 all out. Spinner Matt Parsons picked up five Cornwood wickets for Brixham. Geoff Brittain’s ten overs for 31 runs slowed the visitors down too.

Brixham stumbled to 25 for four, struggled to 87 for eight then got up to 155 all out thanks to 86 by Mark Orchard.

Victory lifts Cornwood five points clear of the relegation places and ahead of Plymouth who lost to Exeter.

Mark Roca (29) and Thompson laid a platform for Cornwood by putting on 80, then Aaron Richards (23) and Thompson took the score to 112 for two.

Steve Lambert (25) and Thompson moved the score up to 152 for three, then Cornwood went into decline.

Parsons and Corné Dry (2-26), aided an abetted by Orchard (2-9) shot out the bottom half of the order rapid time.

Four wickets went for 12 runs – Thompson among them – and brief resistance from Robin Dart (12no) only delayed the inevitable.

Craig James, recalled to the Cornwood 1st XI after a stint in the 2nd XI, knocked over Brixham openers Jake Lawrence and Dry, then Shazad Ahmad took out Craig Eaves and Tim Robinson in a running total of 25 for four.

Orchard, batted through to the end, was last man out to Matt Butterworth.

Brixham’s best stand was the last one, which was worth 39 between Orchard and Parsons, who didn’t score a run.

Cornwood skipper Elliot Staddon said Orchard made t more of a game than looked likely.

“If it wasn't for Mark Orchard’s brilliant knock it might of been over sooner,” admitted Staddon.

 “It got a little bit nervy come the end but we did well to get over the line for a good win.”

Staddon said the opening bowlers took the strain out of the game for Cornwood with early wickets.

“We felt at the halfway point we had enough to go out there and defend and we started superbly,” he said.

“Shazad Ahmad and Craig James at the start of Brixham’s innings bowled superbly putting us on the front foot early.

“Jason hall backed up the openers taking steady wickets during the middle.”