ABBOTSKERSEWELL player-coach Toby Codd acknowledged the perilous state his bottom-of-the-table side are in after a hefty 130-run defeat by B Division leaders Plymstock.

Plymstock set Abbots 272 to win, then bowled them out for 141 with more than nine overs to spare.

Said Codd: “We know it's all about survival now and we have to put things right very quickly.

“There are two games until the turn so a chance for two wins to change the outlook going into the second half.”

Opener James Nicholls batted from start to finish for Plymstock for 94 not out in their total of 271 for five.

Nicholls and Connor Porter (46) put on 132 for starters, which was topped up by a 33-ball half-century for skipper Mitch.

Abbots found wickets hard to come by, although Ed Smout-Cooper (2-21) and Charlie Hill (2-45) fared better than most.

Abbots lost opener Hill to ball one from Robbie Cunningham but recovered substantially thanks to the efforts of Richard Harmer (22), skipper Smout-Cooper (51) and Codd (24). At 98 for two then 105 for three, it was still game on.

The match was won and lost in the time Abbots coughed up six wickets for 10 runs, slithering to 115 for nine.

“We were outplayed by the better team on the day,” said Codd.

“We didn't get it right with the ball and faced an uphill task chasing 272.”

Elsewhere, Bovey Tracey 2nd XI had Bideford under the cosh but were unable to kill them off and went on to lose by four wickets.

Skipper Dan Green knew where the ‘blame’ lay for losing and was honest enough to say so.

“We knew we needed to score more than 200 to make it competitive, but 187 gave us a chance,” said Green.

“The difference on the day was Bideford’s opening bowler Josh King.”