BRADNINCH clawed their way out of the bottom two in the Premier Division with a four-wicket win in a low-scoring affair against Bovey Tracey.

Ross Acton took four wickets for 40 runs, and there were two each for Eliot Acton and Joel Murphy, as Bovey were dismissed for 121 in the 36th of their 50 overs.

Any thoughts of that being the hard bit out of the way were soon disabused as Bradninch dipped from 71-2 to 93-6 in reply.

Man of the match Ross Acton stayed cool under pressure as Bovey sensed a way back into the game. Acton made 21 not out and saw the chase through with Joe Webb (eight not out) for company.

A Bradninch win means it is almost all change at the bottom of the table, although Sandford remain the basement side after drawing with North Devon.

Plymouth's drawn game with Budeigh Salterton drops them into the second relegation slot. Just a point ahead are Exeter, who played poorly against Torquay and paid the penalty in a seven-wicket defeat.

Bovey hadn't lost all season before going to Bradninch, the team who came up with them from the A Division for the current campaign.

Bradninch bowled straight – keeper Billy Wakeley pouched five catches behind the stumps – and their close catching was out of the top drawer.

Dan Hardy picked off a couple in the gully, significantly Somerset's Steffan Jones followed by Richard Longstreet.

Jones went for four – a big bonus for Bradninch – while Longstreet had come in at 60-6 after top scorer Ben Ayres (26) got out to Joel Murphy and was doing at sound job marshalling the tail.

Gupreet Singh (19) assisted Longstreet in his task and was still there at the close.

Bradninch appeared to be cruising at 41 without loss, then lost Gary Newall and Hardy one after the other to Chris Bradley. Newall was bowled and Hardy (31) caught at slip by Longstreet after keeper Ayres palmed the ball to him in the style of a soccer goalkeeper.

Pete Bradley then took three in a row as the jitters set in.

Tim Piper was bowled, Richard Foan was caught at slip by brother Chris Bradley and Jack Horton went lbw.

Jones then had Gary Chappell caught in the cordon by Longstreet and, at 93-6, it was game on gain.

Acton decided the best form of defence was attack and walloped 21 not out from 20 balls to dash Bovey's hopes once and for all.