The signs were not great for tableproppers Plympton after they were dismissed for 129 in the 28th of their 50 overs.
Sandford slumped from 47 for nine to 60 for four on the chase, then fell apart as 91 for four became 111 for nine.
Last pair Joe Hopkins and Matt Jeacock nursed Sandford over the line with seven balls left in the match.
It was a notable victory for Sandford as it took them back to the top of the division they won last season. Bradninch & Kentisbeare, who were out in front, dropped down to second after losing to Heathcoat.
From Plympton’s perspective their survival hopes are practical nil now. They are 43 points away from safety at the wrong end of the table with 100 left to play for. Relegation could be just two more defeats away…
Alex Carr and extras were the joint top scorers for Plympton with 29. Elliot Hamiton (14), Craig Miles (19) and Oliver Goulder (15) all got in without going on.
The greatest stand of the Plympton innings was just 25, which was between Carr and Callum Williams, which tells its own story.
Jeacock (3-26) took the first three Pympton wickets to fall, Harrison Jones (3-35) had two in the middle and Aryan Lakra (3-14) applied the finishing touches.
Openers Adam Small (25) and former Cornwood batter Ciaran Gray (16) got Sandford up and running, but a middle-order slump engineered by Hamilton (4-31) and Craig Donohue (2-16) slowed Sandford’s progress.
James Theedom (21) took the running total to 91 for five, only for the jitters to set in again as Goulder (2-20) and James Carr (1-19) picked up wickets.
Hopkins (14no) and Jeacock (9no) had time on their side and flat-batted their way to victory through a 11-over endurance test that featured just 14 scoring shots and no boundaries at all.
CORNWOOD have fallen further down the Premier Division table to fifth after suffering an eight-wicket defeat at Sidmouth.
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