Hatherleigh 2nd XI went down by just one wicket away to Chelston & Kingskerswell in a nail-gnawing encounter settled in classic style, writes Conrad Sutcliffe.

Hatherleigh recovered from losing openers Bob Heaman and Cameron Rowlands for ducks to make 185 all out.

Danny Forrester (60) and Zak Spears (49) led the Hatherleigh recovery with a stand of 103nyand bits and pieces from Nick Rogers (19) and Jamie Nielson gave the bowlers something to defend.

Nine bowlers trotted in for Chelston & Kingskerswell. Antony Thekkpalakal, who was the sixth change, ran through the bottom half of the order to take five wickets for three runs in 5.1 overs.

An 80-run stand between C&K openers Ollie McManus (28) and Thekkpalakal (40) seemed to put the home side in the driving seat. 

Cameron Rowlands took seven of the next eight wickets to fall – Thekkpalakal was the first after a couple of balls – as C&K veered from 101 for one to 119 for five them 168 for six to 175 for nine.

Mustavi Emdad (25) and Jacob Keany (30) staved off total embarrassment with a stand of 49, but losing four more wickets to Rowlands (7-28) for seven runs scored put the game back in the melting pot.

Last pair Rohan Anthony and Luke Glasson had overs in hand to find the 11 runs needed for victory – and Rowlands was bowled out.

Four from a no-ball swiped five off the target, which vanished altogether when Glasson biffed Oscar Moore for six.