SANDFORD warmed-up for the derby date with Bradninch by sending relegation worriers Plympton to a 35-run defeat.

Pat Rowe – and Australian teenager spending the summer holiday in Devon – smote a run-a-ball century for Sandford as they amassed 268 for eight in 50 overs.

Plympton had a go at knocking off the runs as Jeremy Williams (43) and Imran Ali Pasha (61) got them up to 180 for five.

Sandford got the brake on just in time as Plympton slowed to 233 all out.

Sandford’s total was constructed round big stands of 80 for the second wicket and 127 for the fourth.

Imran Pasha dispatched Sandford opener Adrian Small third ball, which brought Matt Hopkins in to join Russ Discombe, and allowed Small an afternoon in the car catching up on office paperwork!

Discombe made 32 – he was the first of four scalps for Craig Donohue – and left Hopkins behind at 80 for two.

Richard Foan was in and out for six  - Hakeem Abdullah had him caught behind – which brought Rowe in to join Hopkins.

There was little respite for the Plympton bowlers in the next 23 overs as Hopkins and Rowe plundered runs.

Hopkins made 89 off 127 balls with eight fours and a six. James Degg removed him to claim a wicket on his Plympton debut.

Rowe was out in the final over for 100 off 100 balls in 101 minutes, which included 12 fours and two sixes.

Donohue took three wickets in four balls in the final over.

David Ackford (29) and Christian Bunney (16) gave Plympton a start, which Williams (43) and Pasha (61) kept going.

Pasha, in at 79 for three, was the anchorman as the lead was chipped away.  A stand of 53 with Abdullah (20) kept Plympton interested.

Scoreboard pressure built as Plympton got behind the clock and when Pasha fell to Richard Foan at 227 for eight the chase was up.

Shaun Hawkins (2-23) nipped out the stragglers as Plympton were all out for 233 with more than three overs to go.