HEATHCOAT are back up to third in the Premier Division after winning by 21 runs at Plymouth.
Heathcoat were reeling at 30 for three after running into problems against new-ball pair Sam Stein (2-47) and Joe Hagan-Burt, but recovered to reach 235 for eight.
Skipper Peter Randerson (65) and Jack Dart (68no) put on 95 for the fourth wicket to get Heathcoat on the move again.
Faizan Riaz broke the partnership when he trapped Randerson lbw, but the runs kept coming with Jamie Drew chipping in 24 towards a stand of 55 with Dart.
Paceman James Burke returned for a second spell in the final 10 overs and picked up three wickets to slow Heathcoat down.
Heathcoat only scored 34 runs in the final six overs, which looked like a result from Plymouth’s standpoint.
Plymouth lost opener James Toms sooner rather than later – in and out for nine – but made steady progress to 122 for two as Burke (56) and Riaz (69) put on 122.
Riaz went first, caught behind off Jackson Thompson, then Burke was snared by Christian Cabburn. Plymouth needed 99 to win off 25 overs with seven wickets intact when Burke departed.
Dan Robotham (20) and Hagan-Burt (21) got Plymouth into a good position at 192 for five with more than seven overs to go. Then it went wrong.
Robotham, Tom Hughes and skipper Jon Varcoe all fell in the space of 10 balls as Plymouth subsided to 198 for eight.
Thirty-eight to win off five overs proved too many for nine, ten jack as Plymouth finished on 215 for nine.
There were two wickets each for Malcolm Cloete, Thompson and Jamie Drew.
Winning captain Randerson said: “It was a tough match and could have gone either way.
“The wicket wasn't easy to bat on and other than Burke and Riaz batting was hard. They were at a completely different level and we would have chased 350 had they kept batting.
“Once we got Burke and Riaz out though it was game on!
“We bowled brilliantly and fielded excellently.”
Heathcoat are at home to North Devon this Saturday.
Defeat dropped Plymouth into the bottom two, behind Bradninch who beat Hatherleigh to move ahead of them.
Plymouth captain Varcoe said the frustration for him was getting into potentially winning positions then letting them slip away.
“Again we set the game up and put ourselves in a great position but couldn't close it out,” said Varcoe.
“We have to be more positive with the bat and back ourselves as individuals to win the game for the team.”
