DAY THREE

PACE bowler Trevor Anning collected a career best of five for 14 as Devon breezed to an unlikely 197-run win over Berkshire at Newbury yesterday (June 27) to shoot past Cornwall and Wiltshire at the top of the Minor Counties Western Division table

   Having only had 46 overs play in the first two days – and none at all on Monday – it needed skippers Bob Dawson and Julian Wood to come to some arrangement between them to get the game back on.

   Dawson offered Berkshire a target of 350 in what became a one-innings match with around 80 overs left for the side batting last. Devon's problem was getting from 196 for five to the 350 mark quickly enough – and they had David Court and Rob Gear to thank for doing it.

   When Berkshire were 38 for four after 12 overs it was clear which way the game was going and by tea it was done and dusted.

   Devon were third behind Cornwall and Wiltshire, who played each other at Camborne and drew in the latest round of matches. Devon top the table on 42 points with Cheshire second on 33 and Cornwall third on 32.

   Court and Gear gave Devon the impetus they needed after a day and a half of enforced inactivity by smashing 87 after the resumption at run a ball rate.

   Court got on with it to make 58 off 54 balls and when he went Gear forged another 48-run partnership with Rob Woodman.

   Woodman's 35 off 20 balls ended when he was caught at square-leg after skying a delivery from Tom Lambert (3-93).

   Gear finished unbeaten on 61 when skipper Dawson called time on the Devon innings at 346 for nine.

   Berkshire lost opener Steve Tomlinson leg-before to Matt Webb then suffered a double strike from Anning who nipped out former Essex skipper Paul Prichard the same way then had Steve Naylor caught at slip by Dawson.

   Prichard wasn't too impressed by the umpire's interpretation of the lbw law and could be in trouble for his reaction as he sloped unhappily off.

   Wood went to the fourth ball after lunch, Anning plucking his middle stump out, and from then on only one side were going to win and it wasn't Berkshire.

   With two full sessions to take six wickets Devon could afford to set attacking fields and bide their time waiting for Berkshire to make mistakes.

   Will Chaloner and Matt Jones, son of ex-Glamorgan player Alan Jones, put on 39 without every looking comfortable. Both played and missed repeatedly and both had let-offs when catches went to ground.

   Chaloner fell to Dawson on 77 and Jones went in the next over when Andy Procter bagged him leg before.

   Mark Foster was a second victim for Procter when he pushed forward defensively and Neil Bettis took the catch at silly mid-off to leave Berkshire 85 for seven.

   Devon ran into resistance from Vishran Aeiri and Luke Beavan, who stuck around to add 57 in 12 overs by hitting the ball into the huge gaps in front of the bat.

   Once Aeiri thumped a chest-high catch to Procter at deep mid-on to give debutant Gear a wicket with his second ball in Minor Counties cricket, the end wasn't long coming.

   Anning was brought back into the attack to knock over the tail-enders and duly obliged by getting both of them in the space of five balls.

   Lambert was well caught at full stretch down the leg-side by keeper Chris Mole then last man Andy Parson had his woodwork rearranged by a ball that was too quick and too straight for him.

   Devon now have a two-week break before the face Herefordshire at Torquay in their next match.

    Devon 346-9 dec (R J Foan 56, C M Mole 35, N C Betts 50, D G Court 58, R T Gear 61no, R J Woodman 35; J R Wood 4-50), Berkshire 149 (V Aeiri 35, W H Chalanor 29; T Anning 5-14, A J Procter 2-36). Devon (20pts) bt Berkshire (4) by 197 runs.

DAY TWO

RIVAL skippers Bob Dawson and Julian Wood will attempt to salvage something from the wreckage of Devon's game against Berkshire at Newbury today (Tuesday).

   No play was possible before lunch at Falkland CC yesterday due to overnight rain and a downpour during the interval, which left puddles on the outfield, killed off any hopes of a late start.

   The umpires didn't bother to leave the pavilion for an inspection, not that it was necessary, to make a decision to abandon play for the day.

Having already lost more than 60 overs play on Sunday to three breaks for rain, it is going to take some connivance between the captains to get any sort of game on.

Devon captain Dawson said he and Wood had already talked it over and would give it a go – if the weather lets up.

“ Berkshire are keen to play and as we are at the top of the table so are we,” said Dawson .

“It's not an ideal situation, but if both sides forfeit an innings we can set them a total to go for, so at least we will play some cricket… if it stops raining.”

When play was abandoned on Sunday night at the end of the first day, Devon were 196 for five off 46 overs.

Sandford batsmen Richard Foan and Neil Bettis both made half-centuries between the showers and Chirs Mole hit 35.

Devon 196-5 (R J Foan 56, C M Mole 35, N C Bettis 50; J R Wood 3-28). Rain stopped play. Berkshire (2pts), Devon (1).

DAY TWO

THERE was a silver lining to the clouds that ruined the first day of Devon 's game against Berkshire at Newbury – it rained 10 minutes before England kicked off against Ecuador and didn't stop until after the final whistle.

Being able to watch the big match on the clubhouse television was about the only bright spot on a gloomy day all round for Devon when they resumed their Minor Counties programme after a month off.

Play was delayed for an hour in the morning due to showers and there were two length stoppages totalling more than two-and-half hours before bad light and a bit of drizzle brought an early end to proceedings.

It was a merciful release for players and spectators alike. Everyone had suffered enough by then and the thought of another soggy hour tacked on to make up for lost time held little attraction.

Highlights were few and far between for Devon , who probably would have preferred to call it a day before going out for the third time. They lost three wickets for 31 runs in the final, truncated session, handing what spoils there were for the day to Berkshire .

But with two full days to play, and the prospect of better weather, there is plenty of time for the game to unfold properly.

Openers Richard Foan and Chris Mole put up 73 either side of the first rain break with Foan going on to make 56 after losing Mole for 35.

Mole got a feint nick to a delivery from Tom Lambert that seamed away from him that gave keeper Mike Foster a regulation gloving.

Foan also went caught behind – former Hants staffman Julian Wood inducing the nick – having faced 68 balls and hit 10 boundaries during his stay.

That was the end of a 66-run partnership with Sandford clubmate Neil Bettis, who soldiered on to make a Devon best of 50 on his recall to the side after a two-year absence.

Skipper Bob Dawson came and went for nine – the Lambert/Foster combination acc ounting for him – followed by Bettis shaping to cut Wood and being caught at second slip.

Wood and Foster had the last word though when Hancock was Devon 's last man out for the day at 185. David Court and debutant Rob Gear saw Devon through to the close at 196 for five without further mishap.

Gear was one of two Championship debutants in the side. The other was Somerset 's dual-registered all-rounder Rob Woodman.

Sidmouth's Matt Webb is making his second Devon start eight years after his first as cover for the injured Ian Bishop.

Devon 196-5 (R J Foan 56, C M Mole 35, N C Bettis 50; J R Wood 3-28). Rain stopped play. Berkshire (2pts), Devon (1).