EXETER triumphed by 104 runs in the Inter-City battle against Plymouth to stay on the fringe of the Premier Division title race.

Alex Barrow hit Exeter’s best score of 96 and Dom Bess made 41 in Exeter’s tally of 303 for eight on the County Ground. 

Alfonso Thomas took four for 18 and Bess took two for 42 as Plymouth were bowled out for 199.

Exeter sit fourth in the table, 42 points behind leaders Sidmouth, whose won over third-placed Exmouth enhanced their title claims.

All of Exeter’s frontline batters got among the runs, starting with an opening stand of 63 between Blake Reed (23) and Rob Holman (39).

Sam Stein picked up both openers, but the runs kept coming as Barrow and Miles Lenygon (43) racked up 86 for the third wicket,.

Getting Lenygon out didn’t do much to slow the rate as Bess and Barrow stuck on  93 in 11 overs.

Barrow was run out by Joe Hagan-Burt four runs short of a ton.

Plymouth found runs hard to come by against Thomas in his first spell. Anthony Atkinson and Jamie Welsh were both out in a running total of eight for two.

Hagan-Burt (55) and Gardiner (61) put on 105 for the third wicket, but scoreboard pressure was mounting as Plymouth were getting into nine-an-over territory.

Ben Abrahams (3-34) dispatched James Toms (26), and quick-scoring Jake Luffman as Plymouth’s prospects faded.

The last four wickets went for 27 runs, Thomas returning to finish the job.

Losing captain Stein said the game was probably won and lost in the first half of the Exeter innings.

“We gave away a few too many runs with the ball in the first 25 overs, but I thought we did well to keep arguably the best batting side in the division to 300 in the full 50,” said Stein.

“We then started off losing two easy wickets, then rebuilt well with Hamish and Joe HB. 

“It's always going to be difficult when Alfonso is bowling as well. 

“There were definitely some good individual performances that we can take away from the game and move on to next weekend.”