THORVERTON can banish their relegation worries once and for all this Saturday when they face South Devon in a real basement battle.

Thors are one place clear of the drop slots on 186 points with two games to stay out of the bottom three.

Last time out Thors won o run rate at Dartington & Totnes in a rain-affected game.

South Devon are 24 points behind Thorverton in the third relegation place after their win at Ottery St Mary last time out.

With 40 points to play for the sums are simple for Thorverton captain Dave Baldock.

“If we win we are safe and even if we lose we are still ahead of South Devon with a game to go,” said Baldock.

“All the pressure is on them as they can’t afford to lose. We don’t want to lose but we don’t have the same pressure South Devon have to win.”

Baldock is a former South Devon colt and 1^st XI regular who switched to Thorverton when he moved to mid-Devon from Newton Abbot.

He would rather it wasn’t his home town club he had to beat, but there is no room for favours.

He added: “We are where we are because we had an appalling first half of the season and all I am concerned about is making sure we are safe.”

Ed Verrall top scored for D&T with 117 in a total of 184 all out. Adrienne Morrison and James Stirling had two wickets each.

Morrison (44) and Baldock (20no) took Thorverton to 92 for four when rain stopped play. As the par score was 85 at that stage they won it on run rate.

DON’T write-off South Devon just yet in the scrap going on at the bottom of the B Division.

Dartington & Totnes are already down and Braunton skipper Jon Baglow ran up the white flag after his side were routed by promotion-chasing Plymstock.

Three go down in the B Division and if things stay the way they are that’s going to be South Devon.

The other side in relegation danger is Thorverton, who are 23 points clear of South Devon with two games to go.

One of those games just happens to be Thorverton against South Devon at Station Road this Saturday.

South Devon can’t get ahead of Thorverton by winning, but they can take the fight to stay up down to the last round.

Thorverton play Tavistock on the last day while South Devon are at home to Shobrooke Park.

It’s a tall order for South Devon, but they do have ‘previous’ where Houdini Acts are concerned. They were in the bottom three this time last year, but beat Braunton on the last day to stay up.

There is plenty of life left in the Newton Abbot side, as Ottery St Mary discovered last time out.

South Devon, on the end of 400 runs against Plymstock seven days earlier,  responded b smashing 297 for three against Ottery St Mary en-route to a 42-run win in a rain-affected game.

After Mark Andrews (71) and David Knowles (29) had given South Devon a start, Divan Marais flogged an unbeaten 142. Jonty Parsons chipped in with 36.

A rain break meant Ottery needed 205 to win in 34 overs – stiff but gettable.

No one made more than Will Reed (38) then Jody Clements (32) on the chase as Ottery were bowled out for 162.

Wicket-taking was shared round with two each for skipper Jon Martin, Joe Kitto, Knowles, Jimmy Allen and Richard Beaumont.