HATHERLEIGH are hanging-on to their Premier Division status by their fingernails after a 60-run defeat by Sidmouth in the basement battle.

Only two points separated the sides going into the penultimate round of fixtures this season and one of them will be going down with doomed Plymouth.

And the odds are now stacked against Hatherleigh, who are 14 points shy of safety with one game to go. The only way they stay up is to win at North Devon and hope Sidmouth lose heavily at Plymouth.

Mark Lake, the Hatherleigh captain, is philosophical about his side’s prospects.

‘It’s a tall order but funny things happen in cricket,’ said Lake.

Anthony Griffiths showed why he had been recalled from captaining the second team to open the batting by hitting a pivotal 76 in Sidmouth’s total of 218 all out.

Griffiths was at one end during stands that took Sidmouth to 185 for six before he was spun out by Charlie Presswell (3-53).

Luke Bess (60) and Josh Bess, who made 17 on a rare re-appearance for Sidmouth, both chipped in alongside Griffiths. Charlie Miles made a rapid 21 in the later overs.

Sean Letheren, Mark Lake and Eddie Jones all bowled tidily for Hatherleigh at less than four runs an over.

Ruben Forrester (4-33) followed his four for 43 against Heathcoat seven days earlier with four more wickets.

Josh Bess nipped out Ryan Quick early on, but there were no alarm bells jangling in the home camp as the Jones (32) and Rob Cockwill (55) took the pursuit to 122 for three. Then it all went pear-shaped.

Five Hatherleigh wickets fell for nine runs scored. If Will Murray (2-16) did not get them, Charlie Miles did! The former Devon off-spinner was on a hat-trick once and took two wickets in four balls in another over on the way to taking five for 42.

Last pair Forrester and Letheren delayed the inevitable long enough to get Hatherleigh up to 158 all out.