CHRIS Mole and Bob Dawson both hit centuries as Devon made it clear they intend mounting a vigorous defence of the Minor Counties Championship title they won last year by launching the new campaign with a bang.
Mole rifled 106 and Dawson went on reach 117 as Devon clobbered Cheshire's attack for a total of 405 for nine on the first day of the game against Cheshire at Boughton Hall on the outskirts of Chester,
Devon went into the game without three talismanic figures from the side that won the title last year – leading run getter Neil Hancock and spin bowling duo Andy Procter and Arwyn Jones.
Any worries the side wouldn't function properly without three key figures were dispelled with bat and then ball as Devon made early inroads in the 17 overs bowling time left last night to leave Cheshire 58 for two.
Devon lost opener Richard Foan cheaply when he swivelled to flick pacer Chris Finegan away and succeeded in getting a touch on the ball through to keeper Matt Dawson – no relation to the Devon captain
Neil Bettis was also caught behind, he fell for a dozen to Adam Syddall, but any hopes Cheshire might have had of pressing home the advantage soon faded as Mole and Dawson cut loose in a stand worth 124 for the third wicket.
Mole, dropped at slip before getting off the mark, was on 83 not out at lunch and went on to reach his third Devon century shortly after the interval. He made Cheshire pay for putting him down by going on to reach 106 off 148 balls with 19 boundaries, the 18 th of which had taken him to three figures.
Finegan dispatched Mole lbw with the score on 207 for three, not that it made much difference to the tempo Devon batted out.
David Court came out and swatted a bright and breezy 54 off 57 balls, staring the way he meant to go on by belting Nathan Dumelow's first two balls at him for sixes.
Dawson was quite happy to let Court get on with it at one end while he moved sedately towards his 11 th Minor Counties century for Devon and within sight of 5,000 runs in the competition.
By the time Dawson was out for 117 – Court having already gone lbw to Ben Spendlove – he had reached 4,959 and had moved past Freddie Carroll (4,921) and up to eighth in the all-time list of Devon run makers.
One more century will give Dawson the same number as Nick Gaywood (12), who played from 1981-98. Nick Folland's all-time record of 20 tons (1981-2001) looks safe for a little longer yet.
Losing Dawson and Court made precious little difference to the scoring rate as Trevor Anning took the job on of marshalling the tail-enders.
Four fours and a six later Anning was on 40 not out in Devon's 90-over total of 405 for nine.
Devon got an hour's bowling in before last night's close and picked up their first scalp after just two balls when Cheshire skipper Andy Hall was caught in the ring by Mole off Ian Bishop.
Spendlove, the former Derbyshire all-rounder went in the same way to the same combination with the score on 48.
Devon 405-99 (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)