TUESDAY, MAY 26
DEVON went down by 31 runs to Warwickshire at Exmouth in a Twenty20 challenge match that seldom reached any great heights.
Devon's bowling and fielding was out of the top drawer to limit Warwickshire to 168 for eight – Trevor Anning, James Neesham and Neil Hancock all keeping the score down with tidy spells. There was a distinct lack of the crash-bang-wallop cricket these games are supposed be about.
It was a gettable total for Devon, but they never got nearer it after dipping to 19 for three in reply with quick-scoring dangerman Hancock in and out for four.
Lewis Gregory had his leg-stump removed second ball, Sandy Allen was caught at full stretch by a diving Tony Frost and Hancock hit out and got out to a catch at deep mid-on.
Farhaan Behardien and James Neesham – two overseas guests helping Devon strengthen the side – played some cracking shots to give a surprisingly sparse crowd something to clap about.
But with both out in a running total of 81 for six with eight overs to go – and David Lye bowled sweeping Black Caps spinner Jeetan Patel for 15 - any meaningful prospect of a run chase was over.
James Burke (pictured) batted through until the final over to make a top score of 33 in Devon's total of 137 all out. Patel finished with three for 27 and Frost took two for three in five balls at the end.
Warwickshire started briskly with 15 off the first over bowled by Ian Bishop, largely scored by Trott.
Opener Neil Carter was dropped first ball at point by Lewis Gregory, Jonathan Trott pinched the strike and hit three fours in a row, which appeared to set the tone for the match.
Warwickshire failed to live up to that early promise though as the big overs supporters turn out to see in Twenty20 cricket seldom materialised.
Carter went in the second over, caught at cover driving Anning, who had Ian Westwood in his next over courtesy of a sprawling catch at point by South African Behardian.
Only two sixes were hit in the Warwickshire innings – and the first of those didn't arrive until the 12 th over when Trott picked up a Burke delivery off his pads and deposited it over the long-leg boundary.
Ant Botha, Warwickshire's South African Kolpak player who turned out for Budleigh Salterton as a youngster, hit the only other six in the next over when he launched Burke over long-on.
There was a time while Trott and Botha were batting together when it seemed some fireworks were just around the corner.
Trott started to hit a few boundaries, enough to reach his 50 in 24 balls, then Botha decided he was going to go after Scott Barlow. Twice he whipped the Sidmouth seamer away for four, but going for a third he miss-hit the ball to extra-cove r where Anning was waiting.
Warwickshire had wickets in hand going into the later stages, so they could afford to take the odd risk.
Trott went having a bash at Burke, Chris Woakes was caught on the line swinging at Barlow, who also bowled Keith Barker first ball.
Two run outs in the last over – the hapless Richard Johnson didn't even face a ball - saw Warwickshire finish their innings on a low note.
Devon have a T20 date with Somerset at Exmouth this Sunday (3pm).
Warwickshire 168-8 (I J Trott 56, A G Botha 39;T S Anning 2-12, S Barlow 2-32), Devon 137 (J E Burke 33, F Behardien 22; J S Patel 3-27, T J Frost 2-3, K H D Barker 2-24). Warwickshire bt Devon by 31 runs.
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