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MONDAY,
MAY 29
All
Photos: D G Morgan/Cloud Cover
DEVON
can scent a victory in their Minor Counties Championship opener
against Dorset after a testing second day spent largely in
the field at windswept Bovey Tracey.
Having been bowled
out for a disappointing 226 in their first innings, the last
five wickets going down for 17 runs, Devon held Dorset to
185 for eight second time around.
Dorset did well to get that many on the board as two mini
collapses left them struggling at 78 for four and 139 for
seven following wicket-taking bursts from Rob Newman and Bob
Dawson. 
Newman had two in one over – Tom Webley and former Barton
big-hitter Darren Cowley – while skipper Dawson took two more
in four balls after trying himself as a partnership breaker.
The wicket that eluded both of
them – and every other bowler until Trevor Anning was brought
back in the last 20 minutes of the day – was that of Dorset
skipper Peter Deakin (pictured right while batting),
whose marathon half-century frustrated Devon for six minutes
short of five hours.
Anning finally pinged Deakin's middle and off-stumps (below)
when he was on 60 having seen off 15 changes of bowling by
opposite number Dawson in an attempt to get him out. 
Devon still have two more Dorset wickets to take, but should
have a sub-200 chase on the final day to win the match, which
is well within their range despite a patchy first innings
showing.
Devon, 154 for four overnight, will have been disappointed
not to pile up the bonus points as they failed to turn wickets
in hand into runs on the board.
Overnight pair Bob Dawson and Ian Bishop only added 10, after
a delayed start in the morning due to a shower, before Dorset
split them up.
Dawson, inches away from being caught the preceding ball,
came out to drive spinner Tom Hicks and hit the ball straight
back at him.
Hicks hadn't had a lot of luck on day one, just some tap from
Neil Hancock, but more than made up for it on day two with
three of the six wickets to fall as Devon were dismissed for
226.
Hicks had to wait a while for his next victim, press-on batter
David Court, who made 20 in a bright and breezy stand of 45
with nightwatchman Bishop.
Court was stumped and his departure at 209 was the first of
five wickets to fall for 17 runs as Devon squandered their
chance of all four batting bonus points.
Matt Metcalfe picked off two in an over – Dave Lye to a catch
at mid-on and Trevor Anning leg-before – then Bishop went
in an attempt to get some runs on the board before running
out of people to bat with.
He chanced his arm against Deakin's after nicking a ball wide
of the slips, but was run-out a long way short of completing
the second.
Hicks wrapped up the Devon innings by squirming one through
Newman's defence for figures of three for 34 in the session
and four for 69 in the innings.
Dorset 199 (P J Deakin 58, N JThurgood 41, D J Cowley 30,
T Webley 30; A J Procter 7-62) & 185-8 (P J Deakin 60,
G R Treagus 40; R I Dawson 2-9, R J Newman 2-33), Devon
226 (N D Hancock 73, R J Foan 30, R I Dawson 30, I E Bishop
28; T C Hicks 4-69).
First
day report
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