PLYMOUTH are up to fourth in the Premier Division table after cruising to an eight-wicket win at Exmouth.
Exmouth’s batting barely revved at all as they were bundled out for 121 in the 37th over.
Sam Stein (3-39) knocked over both openers, then Adam Talbott (3-21) got into the middle order as Exmouth faded to 54 for five.
Dan Pyle stuck around to make a top score of 37, but support was thin on the ground.
Fahad Ali spun out Pyle and that left Dan Goodey and Faizan Riaz to account for the rest.
Plymouth moved Dan Robotham up the order to open and the ploy paid off as he batted through for an unbeaten 36.
Riaz got on with it at the other end – he made 53 in better than even time – and by the time he went the target was 13 to win. Robotham and Hal Kerton sealed an eight-wicket victory.
Riaz already has 743 league runs in the scorebook this season – two tons, five half-centuries – and is averaging closer to 70 than 60. With five games to go, he could break the magical 1,000-run barrier.
No batsman has passed 1,000 runs in a Premier summer since the season was trimmed from 22 to 18 games in 1999. Liam Lewis, Hancock and Riaz with 922 in 2017 have all got into the 900s.
The last player to reach four figures was North Devon’s Chris Rogers (1,273) in 1997 – and he went on to play 25 Tests for Australia. Other players to pass a thousand in a 22-game season were Brixham’s Andy Pugh (1992), and Exmouth’s Adrian Small in 1995.
Victory took Plymouth passed Exmouth into fourth place.
Plymouth probably won’t win the title this year, but they are looking far healthier than they did in late May when they were in the relegation places.
Skipper Jon Varcoe said: “Our seamers bowled the best they have all year with great control and accuracy.
“Once we bowled them out for 120 it was just a case of knocking them off with no fuss.”
Exmouth captain Bob Dawson didn’t mince his words after the game.
“We batted really poorly and had a stinker,” said Dawson.
“When we lost to Sidmouth and Heathcoat we played pretty well and could have won both games.
“There was nothing wrong with the wicket – a bit of movement, nothing else – and it wasn’t as if we were 30 for three and in bits.
“We just picked the wrong day to have a shocker.”
On Exmouth chances of winning the title now, Dawson said: “That’s us done now.
“We are 29 points behind Sidmouth and won’t be catching them.”
