BOVEY Tracey's Peter Shepherd cracked a top score of 81 as Devon Over50s walloped Dorset by six wickets in a National Championship match at Dean Park, Bournemouth.    Dorset were one of the two side in the group to qualify for the final stages of the competition last year and therefore a keen contest was envisaged.

  Dean Park usually produces low scoring games and this game proved no exception. Dorset won the toss and elected to bat. After miserly spells of bowling from Jon Jenkins (Chagford) and Mike Lievesley (Barton), Dorset   were 45 without loss after 15 overs.  Spinners Francis Pyle (Shobrooke Park) and Stuart Lott (Sandford) kept the pressure on with tidy spells of their own. Pyle had one for 20 off seven overs while Lott had two for 32 from his nine.

   Former Dorset Minor Counties captain Barry Lewis ended up as top scorer for his side in a total of 175 for five from their 45 overs.

   With Shepherd blazing away, Devon raced to 72 without loss in the first 15 overs. Bob Macey (28) and Mike Canning (32no) wrapped up a second successive win for Devon. Skipper Julian Page (Exmouth) described it as Devon's best all-round performance of the season so far.

   Having crushed Wiltshire in their previous outing, Devon are set up nicely for a run of three matches which will make or break their qualification hopes out of the South West Pool and into the knockout stages.

   Devon play Somerset at Taunton Deane this Sunday, face the Isle of Wight at Sidmouth the following Tuesday (June 27) and are off to the Channel Islands the ensuing weekend (July 1).

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