TORQUAY pressed their case for a prompt return to the Premier Division when they won at Bideford by seven wickets.

Bideford were bowled out for 178 with more than four overs to go – opener Tom Brend top scoring on 53.

Captain George Allen took Torquay in sight of victory with a fluent 53 before he was third and last out.

Torquay and Cornwood are joint top of the table on 58 points from three games played. That will change this Saturday as Torquay and Paignton meet on the Recreation Ground and they can’t both win.

Bideford had problems before they started as veteran opener James Ford was injured in the warm-up and had to bat a No.11

Brend – eight fours and a six – got Bideford up to 103 for three before he was removed by Jack Richardson.

Skipper Paul Heard (42) shared a stand of 68 for the third wicket with Brend, which was Bideford’s best of the game.

Other than Jamie Lathwell – 29 off 24 balls – Bideford’s batters found it hard going against Torquay’s bowlers.

Tom Drake (4-32) was the pick of the bowlers, aided and abetted by Ben Passenger and Mitch Pugh with two each.

Torquay batted in partnerships all the way through, seldom giving Bideford any encouragement.

Matt McCann put on 42 with Josh Hunt and 65 with skipper Allen. 

Allen and Pugh added 33 more. Pugh (39) and Drake (9no) knocked off the last 39 required.

Winning captain Allen felt his side were in control from first ball to last, helped by an impressive array of bowling.

He added: “Our bowlers were brilliant!”

 “The last two games have been on spin-friendly pitches so Tom Drake hadn't ready had a chance.

“It's great having the option of 80 overs of bowling in 50-over game.

“Josh hunt and Matt McCann set the innings up again and took all the pressure off myself, Mitch and Tom Drake so we could be really positive.”

Heard, whose side have now lost two in a row, didn’t feel his side were outplayed as far as it appeared.

"Although it was a seven-wicket loss, we competed in 80 per cent of the game so we need to carry on the basics and wins will come,” said Heard.

“We made the fatal error of not batting our overs and were 50 runs light. 

“Our bowlers had very little luck at the start but once we removed the openers, George Allen and Mitchell Pugh looked very assured and batted us out the game.”

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