MONDAY, JUNE 11 2007
DEVON captain Bob Dawson is glad he's not in opposite number Andy Hall's shoes after a bizarre second day of the game against Cheshire at Boughton Hall.
Cheshire, 58 for two overnight, were bowled out in their first innings for 223 and trailed Devon by 172 going into the second set of knocks.
Seamer Adam Syddall shot through Devon's front line batting to claim six wickets for 39 runs –and performed the hat-trick while he was at it – as the defending Minor Counties Champions were shot out for just 118.
Without Chris Mole's battling 62 it could have been a lot worse for Devon, whose led by 290 going into the last innings of the match.
Devon finished on a high by nipping out Cheshire nightwatchman Tom Young for a duck in the final over last night and ended the day 286 runs ahead.
Said Dawson: “We aren't where I would like to be at this stage of the match, but we aren't in a huge amount of trouble either thanks to our big first-innings lead.
“It's been an interesting day to say the least with 19 wickets falling for less than 300 runs and part of that is down to the pitch.
“Cheshire have to bat on it last and given what has happened today they won't be relishing the prospect. Only a fool would say Cheshire can't win it, but I would rather be in our position with runs on the board than needing runs to win.”
Cheshire, 347 behind overnight, scraped together 233 all out in their second innings, thanks largely to a gutsy sixth wicket stand of 135 between James Duffy and Matt Dawson that rescued them from a nervous 88 for five.
Once Trevor Anning trapped Duffey lbw for 72, followed by Adam Gribble having Dawson caught at slip for 55, Cheshire collapsed in a heap.
Cheshire's last five wickets went down for just 10 runs in barely eight overs as Anning (2-44) and debutant Gribble (3-46) ran through the tail-enders.
Devon went in a second time looking for quick runs towards a 300-plus first-innings lead – and time to bowl Cheshire out on the third and final day to win the match.
Instead, Devon slumped to 22 for five at tea with four wickets falling in just nine balls, which included that hat-trick by Syddall.
Devon lost Richard Foan early, caught behind in single figures off Chris Finegan, but the real problems were waiting around the corner.
Syddal cleaned out Neil Bettis at the end of his an over, then Dawson went first ball in the next to Finegan, who rapped him on the pads and got the answer he was looking for.
Syddall began his next over by having David Court caught behind and completed his hat-trick by snaring David Lye lbw with his next ball.
Devon had gone from 20 for one to 22 for five in those nine balls in a spooky repeat of the last meeting between the two sides back in 2005 at Bovey Tracey. That was the last time an opposition bowler performed the hat-trick against Devon: Cheshire's David Pennant ripping out Dawson, Chris Mole and the now-retired Andy Pugh to leave that Devon side 25 for five at the time.
Opener Mole, who watched the carnage going on from the other end, held Devon together after a fashion by batting through for his 62. He was last man out, bowled by Finegan (3-27), Having wrung another 86 runs out of the last four men to come in and join him. They may yet prove crucial runs.
Cheshire skipper Hall was taking no chances last night and sent in tail-ender Young to open up, knowing if a wicket fell that would be close of play. It proved a canny move as Tom Allin found the edge and Devon keeper Sandy Allen took the catch
Devon 405-9 (R I Dawson 117, C M Mole 106, D G Court 54, T S Anning 40no; B N Spendlove 2-36, M R Dumelow 2-100, D N Woods 2-74, T C Young 2-63) & 118 (C M Mole 62; A J Syddall 6-39, C C Finegan 3-27), Cheshire 233 (J A Duffy 72, M R Dawson 55; I E Bishop 4-46, A J Gribble 3-46) & 4-0. Bonus points: Devon 8, Cheshire 6.