CORNWOOD kept their flickering promotion hopes alive with a 61-run win over Plymstock in the derby cash at Oak Park.

The Corns made 137 for seven in a game initially reduced to 33 overs a side due to rain – Steve Lambert getting his head down for a top score of 47.

Another rain break brought Plymstock’s target down to 125 to win from 31 overs – and they fell well short.

Shazad Ahmed took four wickets and there were three more for Adam Goodliffe as Plymstock dipped to 64 all out.

Cornwood still trail second-placed Sandford by 48 points – a sizeable gap with six games and 120 points to play for.

They are still in with a chance though, especially as Sandford still have to play Hatherleigh again and only one side can win.

Cornwood can do nothing about the deficit between them and the top two as they have finished with Sandford and Hatherleigh for the season.

“As I have said before all we can do is keep playing and see how close we can get,” said Duncan Boase, the director of Cricket at Cornwood.

“Lots can still happen in the games left – and as we saw at the weekend in a big county like Devon not everyone is rained off at the same time.

“Win like we did on Saturday and you can take big steps forward.

“We all know we are outsiders, but we still have a chance and will keep going.”

As for Plymstock it is looking increasingly hard for them to get out of the bottom two relegation places before it is too late.

Safety is 28 points away now and means getting ahead of Brixham and Plympton.

A win over fourth-bottom Lewdown this Saturday would be a step in the right direction.

Cornwood found early runs hard to find and were 30 for four after a going over from Rob Cunningham (3-26).

Lambert – 46 off 72 balls – and Matt Butterworth put together a stand of 58 that proved match turning.

Butterworth went first for 31, but Lambert soldiered on. He was last out on 128 having added another 40 with former skipper Jason Hall.

“They were important knocks from experienced players who weighed up the situation and knew what to do,” said Boase.

“Knowing what to do I one thing: having the application and attitude to do it is another. They did well.”

Bronte Bess (1-11 off eight) proved a handful for the batters.

 Plymstock got into trouble against Goodliffe (3-10) and Ahmed (4-17), who reduced them to 19 for five them on to 49 for eight.

Josh Sumner had been and gone for a top score of 18 by then. Skipper Scott Mansfield (10) was the only other batter in double figures.

Hall (2-0) and Matt Tamsett (1-6) spun out the stragglers with the minimum of fuss.