BOVEY Tracey captain Seb Ansley feels the relegation pressure on his side has eased significantly following a seven-wicket win over Ivybridge.

Back-to-back wins over doomed Thorverton and Ivybridge have put 32 points between Bovey and second-bottom Cullompton.

It would take an unlikely combination of results in the two games left to drag Bovey back into relegation orbit.

Said Ansley: “It makes things a little less tense with the final games coming up, but shows what a bit more consistency could do in such a tight division.

“Glad to be up into fifth now. Perhaps we can go a bit higher still?”

The Bridge were bowled out for 140, which Bovey knocked-off with more than 16 overs to go.

Adam Huxtable’s 35 was the top score in the Ivybridge innings. He went in at 84 for six and was ninth out on 137. Best of the rest with 23 was opener Harvey Johnson.

Harry Mount (4-14) and Pete Bradley (3-31) posed problems with the ball up and down the Ivybridge order. Seb Ansley (2-21) had former Bovey team-mate Abraham Kopparambil in his collection.

“Harry Mount changed things in our favour in his first two overs, albeit he was knackered after taking 16 balls to do it,” said Ansley

“Huxtable struck the ball well but after Mount got him too, alongside Pete Bradley bowling well again, we knew we had a low total to chase.”

Bovey lost wickets at 61, 78 and 107 on the way to a comfortable win. Opener Jake Pascoe (58no) was in at the end with Sam Taylor (17no). Mount wrapped-up an all-rounder’s performance with a run-a-ball 34 at the top.

“Jake did just what we wanted him to do to anchor the innings,” said Ansley. “Harry thought he'd top off his day with breaking the back of the chase early.”

Meanwhile, Bovey Tracey 2nd XI skipper Dan Green said it is hard to see how the team can avoid relegation from the B Division after they lost by four wickets to Plymstock.

Plymstock, who were 13 points ahead of Bovey going into the game, were the side to get ahead of in the first instance to leave relegation orbit.

In a reshuffled bottom five wins for Braunton and Plymstock have moved them closer to safety. Bovey now need to find 23 points from somewhere to get past Clyst St George.

Green has looked at the maths of Bovey’s position and come to a gloomy conclusion.

“Even if we get all 40 points from our last two games, it is practically done as Clyst only need 18,” said Green.

“Being positive, it has been tough being in a first-team division for so long. A break in the C West to reset and come back might be what we need?”

Bovey were the first 2nd XI to be promoted into the B Division in 2019 following the creation of an all-through league the previous season.

Bovey struggled to string together meaningful partnerships with the best of them the 24 put on by openers Max Topping and Sam Harvey (26).

Dean Topping (27) and Gethin Williams (23) were best of the rest in a total of 145 all out.

Two late wickets gave Plymstock’s Josh Hocken figures of three for 25. Billy Gibson, Fraser Cowen and Rob Cunningham all had two each.

Losing opener Max Castledene first ball to Gethin Williams, then Chester Oldfield two deliveries later, was not the start Plymstock wanted.

Surviving opener Chris Davies (45) saw off any danger of a collapse by taking the pursuit to 95 for four. Scott Mansfield (40no), aided and abetted by the middle order, finished the job.