Exmouth carry on chasing Bradninch & Kentisbeare at top | 'We made it more difficult than it needed to be, but it was a good win' – skipper Fin Marks (pictured)

Exmouth captain Fin Marks, who made runs on the chase in the win at Cornwood

EXMOUTH kept the pressure on leaders Bradninch & Kentisbeare at the top of the Premier table with a four-wicket win over Cornwood.

It was a win earned the hard way as the Wood put up quite a fight defending a meagre all-out total of 79.

Fin Marks, the Exmouth skipper, said: “We made it more difficult than it needed to be, but it was a good win.

“Although the pitch wasn't amazing, it was all poor shots and poor execution that cost us wickets.

“Our bowlers won us the game, as they have done the last few weeks.”

Cornwod Spinner Lee Baker – 44 and still going strong in the top flight –  added three more wickets to his tally for the season, taking him to 34 at few than 12 runs each. Only Paignton professional Aya Gqamana (47) and Exmouth’s Devon paceman George Greenway (35) have taken more.

Charlie Finan (29) and Samarpit Joshi (33) made the only double-digit scores in Cornwood’s total of 79 all out. Five batters did not manage a run between them!Homeward bound: Samarpit Joshi

Cornwood’s last five wickets tumbled for just six runs as Ben Higton (3-24) largely finished what Greenway (3-18) had started.

Exmouth made a woeful start of their own – openers James Horler and Louis Morison came and went for ducks – and were 11 for three when Matt Skeemer (2-26) ‘poled’ Dan Pyle.

Cam Kidd (25) and Fin Marks (27) put on 45, which left Greenway (9no) and former Devon captain Bob Dawson (11no) to tie-up the loose ends.

“It was good to have the senior man (Dawson) back to get us across the line,” said Marks.

Defeats by Bradninch & Kentisbeare, Sidmouth and now Exmouth have turned the Wood from a top-three side into a mid-table one.

Two of those losses came after being bowled out for less than a hundred, which is almost always a recipe for disaster in the top flight.

The bright spot for Cornwood captain Elliott Staddon is how hard his bowlers made it for Exmouth to knock-off 80 to win on the Maer Ground.

Said Staddon: “It has been a similar story to the last few weeks, with us just not getting the scores and letting ourselves down with the bat. 

“Hoping to find a bit more application over the next few weeks and end the last three weeks on a high.”

[O] CORNWOOD will be without Indian overseas player Samarpit Joshi for the last three games as he has returned home early.