OLD boy Lee Baker sent Tavistock spinning towards the Premier Division bottom two with a five-wicket haul in Cornwood’s dramatic six-run win over the Moorlanders at the Ring.

Shaun Daymond, also a spinner, had already bagged four wickets to help dismiss Cornwood for a modest 125. Ahmad Hasan (2-21) made life hard for the Wood with the new ball.

Mohsin Khan made 50 and George Thompson 21, which did not leave much from the rest once 24 extras are taken out. Thompson was injured while batting, which forced him to retire hurt.

Baker went one better than former clubmate Daymond with five for 29 as Tavistock stumbled from 52 for one to 77 for five then 88 for seven in reply. Elliott Staddon chipped in with two wickets.

Tavistock still had a chance while opener Elliot Hamilton remained in post, but Baker left them 102 for eight when he trapped him lbw for 52.

Billy Barriball (11no) still had the firepower to win it for Tavistock, but he had to combine stealing the strike with taking runs when available … no easy task.

Khan and Matt Skeemer took a wicket each – Daymond and James McGahey respectively – to consign Tavistock to 119 all out.

Matt Skeemer, the Cornwood skipper, said: “On a day where really not a lot went right, we came away very happy to get a win.

“It was a bad toss to lose on a really tough deck, then to lose George to nasty injury when he was going well made things worse.

“We felt 125 could be enough if we bowled and fielded well on that wicket and, thankfully, we did. Lee Bakerwas again brilliant and far too good at times.

“When we hit the stumps but the bails didn’t come off when Tavistock needed less than 10 to win we could easily have thought ‘this just isn’t our day’. But we got there.”

Sean Cleave, the Tavistock captain, said after dismissing Cornwood cheaply it was a ‘tough result to take’.

“I thought we were excellent with the ball and bowled Cornwood out for an achievable total,” said Cleave, who was a watcher not a player due to an injury.

“We know the area that’s costing us games, but the positives are there.”

“We’ve been competitive and aren’t losing by big margins, which shows me we’re not far away.”

Cleave said Baker’s five-wicket analysis was ‘no surprise’ then added: “I’ve played a lot of cricket with Lee over the years and he’s a master of his craft.”

Defeat sent Tavistock down to second from bottom, which they share with Hatherleigh. Sidmouth are propping up the table.

“We’ll keep working hard, stay together, and trust that the results will come. There’s still a long way to go.”