Ottery St Mary went down by two wickets in their Tolchards Devon League B Division basement battle with Thorverton.

Both sides went into the match looking for their first win of the season.

Thorverton won the toss and, with rain around, they asked Ottery to bat first.

Dan Flower and Dan Jeacock launched the Ottery batting effort, but Jeacock was dismissed without troubling the scorers, leaving the Otters 2-1.

Further early wickets fell with Alex Clements (7), Jody Clements (2) and Dan Flower (27) all back in the Thorverton pavilion with only 41 runs on the board. It got worse with Richard Jackman dismissed for two leaving the score 44-5.

However, Harry Conway joined Joe Hnekus and the young batsmen began to rebuild the innings, taking the total past the 100 mark before Conway fell for a splendid 28 with the total on 111 (Nelson strikes again!).

The seventh wicket was that of Henkus for a terrific six boundary 43, with the total then 119-7.

Jack Malden chipped in with 18 before he was the eighth man down and skipper Harrison was trapped leg before for one before Tom Jeacock became the final wicket when he was out for six. Henry Mutter was the not out batsman on 18, with Ottery all out for 159.

When the home team began the run chase, Jack Malden was given the new ball duties with skipper Will Harrison from the opposite end and Malden made the early breakthrough thanks to a catch held by Alex Clements.

Richard Jackson held a catch off Tom Jeacock before another Jeacock wicket, this time courtesy of a Joe Henkus catch reduced the Thors to 58-3.

It was then 72-4 with Henry Muter holding a catch off the bowling of Daniel Jeacock.

However, the fifth wicket yielded a precious 45 runs before it as claimed by another Henkus catch, this time off skipper Henkus.

The next pair took their team to within seven runs of victory when Ottery struck for a sixth time with Joe Henkus holding his third catch, with Daniel Jeacock the successful bowler.

The Otters were suddenly given hope as Henry Mutter claimed two wickets in quick succession, but it was all too late in the day and Thorverton got home with two wickets left and just six balls of the contest remaining.

In terms of the Ottery bowling, Tom Jeacock (2-30 from seven overs), Daniel Jeacock (2-42 from nine) and Henry Mutter (2-5 from 1.5 overs), each bagged a brace of wickets, whilst Jody Clements send down a full shift of nine overs and conceded just 23 runs.

Ottery remain rooted to the foot of the table having lost all six matches they have faced this season so far.

On Saturday they entertain fifth-placed Abbotskerswell.