PLYMPTON inched a closer to A Division survival when they routed relegated Ipplepen by eight wickets.
Pens were bowled out for 116 in the 36th of their 50 overs – and only got that far thanks to a dogged 51 down the order from Sam Wakeham.
Plympton had reduced Pens to 42 for four when Wakeham went in – Imran Ali Pasha (4-33) and Matt Gregory (2-11) among the wickets – and lost Tom Cooper almost immediately.
Wakeham and Jack Wylie put on 31 for the sixth wicket – Wylie facing 22 balls without scoring a run before the returning Pasha had him lbw.
Wakeham was the last man out for Ipplepen having put on 28 before he went with tail-ender Paul Thomas, who made just two of them.
Pasha led the wicket taking, aided and abetted by Gregory, David Wrench and Hakeem Abdullah with a couple each.
Plympton skipper Dan Robotham was bowled by Thomas for seven just as the shine was fading from the new ball.
Josh Mailling (65) and David Ackford (23) moved Plympton to 105 for two, which was game over for all practical purposes.
Ipplepen are mathematically down now, but the jostling to avoid going with them continues.
Barton (154pts) dropped into the bottom two after losing at Paignton.
Hatherleigh’s win at Sandford keeps them nine points and a place clear of the drop spots.
Plympton are next up the table, 13 points clear of Barton.
Plympton have Chudleigh (H), a cruncher with Barton (A) and champs elect Bradninch (H) to play in the last three games.
Skipper Dan Robotham asked for more of the efficiently ruthless cricket that beat Lewdown by 10 wickets the previous week and got it ‘just as asked’.
He added: “Matt Gregory bowled a brilliant spell at the top with incredible consistency allowing me to set a 9-0 field and Imran was his usual, quality self.
“I was very happy with the fielding display, holding the majority of our catches with the job finished off well mainly thanks to Josh, who batted beautifully, well supported by dangerous Dave.”
Ipplepen captain Keith Wakeham said although the team is going down morale remains high in the camp.
He added: “Making three changes every week in an unforgiving division is not helpful.
“Plympton do not look like a relegation side but our batters could have posted a bigger total.
“Sam was at his brutal best, but we needed another score to be competitive.
“Bowling is still not disciplined enough and someone like Josh Mailling makes you pay.”
Ipplepen vsit Budleigh Salterton this Saturday looking for that elusive first win of the season. They would prefer not to follow the example set by South Devon in 2012 who, having won promotion the previous season, went down without winning a game.
