BOVEY Tracey skipper Seb Ansley has spelled out what his side must do to avoid being dragged into a relegation fight.

North Devon defeated Bovey by three-wickets last time out to send Ansley’s men into the Tolchards DCL A Division bottom two. Remain there and they go down.

Bovey were limited to 166 for eight in their 50 overs. When North Devon were 77 for six in reply in the 20th over it was anyone’s guess which way the game was going to go?

Ed Wilson and Jack Popham constructed a stand of 53 that got North Devon back on track. Popham (39no) saw it through in tandem with Henry McEndoo.

Losing means Bovey have been bypassed by Kilmington, who moved out of the bottom two with an edgy 10-run win over Bridestowe & Belstone.

It isn’t the first time this season Bovey have had opposition on the rack and failed to finish them off. Ansley hopes it will be the last.

“We have to be ruthless when we get down to the last three or four batsmen as not doing that that has been costly in a number of games,” said Ansley. “And, simply put, our top five or six need to score more runs so we set some totals.”

Bovey’s innings was a fractured affair with Jake Pascoe and Reuben Stanley making a pair of 25s in a running total of 87 for four. Skipper Seb Ansley (32) and got runs after that.

James Lake, jack Popham and McEndoo all had two wickets each for North Devon. Skipper Jack Moore (2.30) and Definate Mawadzi (1.90) gave nothing away for 10 overs each.

North Devon found runs hard to come by when the ball was new as Rob Pyrke (4-35) got stuck into them.

Wilson (26) and Popham used up 17 overs compiling their stand of 53, which swung the match North Devon’s way.

Weighing-up the afternoon’s events at Instow, Ansley said it was an improvement on the losing display against Ivybridge seven days earlier.

”Overall, a more positive performance to be a part of and the fight to push it all the way was heartening to see after last week,” said Ansley.

“It was a tough pitch to bat on with the ball moving about and their openers bowling well. But our target was to bat the 50 and we could build a score of some note from there.

“The potential difference could have been a chance we missed late on and maybe a decision, but it was more the 33 extras we bowled in a low-scoring affair.”

Meanwhile, Teignmouth & Shaldon rediscovered their winning touch with an emphatic 110-run verdict over C East relegation worriers Upottery.

The Riversiders were eager to erase the memory of an abject performance against Shobrook Park last time out. On that score it was mission accomplished.

An 80-run stand between Harrison Linnitt (35) and Will Greenwood (63) contributed to a running total of 138 for four when the latter got out. Morgan Couch made 53 towards the final tally of 228 all out.

Best of bowling stats for Upottery were supplied by Connor McCoy (3-29) and Robert Machin (3-47).

Despite losing three wickets to T&S seamer Liam Gardner (3-35) Upottery were still in contention at 100 for four. Matt Broom had made 38.

Oscar McCallum provoked a massive collapse to 118 all out with a four-wicket haul in his second spell that blew away the lower order. He took four for five in the space of two overs to finish with four for 22 overall.

If McCallum didn’t get them, Tyler Blackburn (2-20) did.