BUDLEIGH Salterton’s promotion chances were blasted out of the water when they crashed to an 80-run defeat at Hatherleigh.

Budleigh were on course for a last-day showdown with promotion rivals Paignton for the runners-up spot in the division behind champs elect Bradninch.

At least that would have been the outcome had Budleigh won at Holsworthy Road, but not anymore.

Paignton’s win over Chudleigh put them 19 points ahead of Budleigh with 20 to play for in the final round of fixtures.

Unless Paignton are bowled out for less than 50 and lose by 10 wickets, they are going up whatever the result at Ottermouth this Saturday.

Budleigh probably thought they had done the difficult bit after holding Hatherleigh to 156 for seven in their 50 overs.

Skipper Mark Lake top scored for the home side with 27, and that was after Matt Thomas (24), Gareth Tidball (24) and Chris Jelley (20) had been and gone.

Budleigh’s bowling line up of Somerset’s Max Waller (2-24), Aussie Matt Junk (2-23) and former Devon pair Trevor Anning (1-22) and Andy Procter (1-23) was a bit too miserly for Hatherleigh to get after.

Budleigh lost Junk in the second over – Rob Fishleigh (2-15) obliging – but reached 32 for two without too many mishaps.

Losing Waller (24) lbw to Lake (2-23) was the start of Budleigh’s demise.

Ben Phillips went to Fishleigh in the next over, then surviving opener Eliot Rice departed to Lake for 23.

With the front four gone for 46 on the board it was downhill all the way to 76 all out.

Thomas (3-16) took care of the middle order then Jack Cherrington (3-4) whipped out the tail.

Victory kept Hatherleigh clear of the bottom two, although the 11-point margin leaves them in limbo,

“We are nearly there now but until it's 100 per cent done we can't take anything for granted,” said Lake.

“it was a really good performance, professional in the field on a dry wicket and we took our chances when they came.”