DAY TWO - AUGUST 7

TREVOR Anning and Matt Webb had eight wickets between them as Devon bowled Cornwall out for 268 to take control of the Minor Counties Championship game at St Austell.

   Devon already have all eight batting and bowling bonus points in the bag, which means they will win the Western Division title with a game to spare if they beat Cornwall in this match.

   With a day to go it's Devon who look the likely winners as they are 376 runs ahead when their 153-run first innings lead is factored in and could have 102 overs to bowl Cornwall out for the second time in the match if they declare overnight.

   Cornwall can't be written off as easy meat just yet. They were faced with a huge target of 432 to win in their last game against Wales and only gave up the chase at 377 for nine

   If Cornwall can't win they won't want to lose and Devon can expect bowling them out again to develop into a war of attrition. As the saying goes, there's plenty of cricket left in this game yet, not that Devon are under any real pressure.

   Dorset, the only county left who can catch Devon, have struggled for two days of their game against Oxfordshire and will have their work cut out not to lose. If that's the outcome, Devon can draw with Cornwall and claim their third divisional title in four years.

   Sandford paceman Anning bagged five wickets in an innings for the second time this season for Devon – the first was against Berkshire at Newbury – four of them before lunch to rip the heart out of Cornwall's middle order.

   Opener Neil Curnow went with eight added to the overnight score of 70 for one – Chris Mole taking a catch in the cordon – then Anning followed up with Anthony Penberthy leg before wicket and Cornwall captain Tom Sharp courtesy of a low catch at slip by David Court.

   Andy Procter got in on the act by bowling Gary Thomas and by lunch, taken at 206 for six, Chris Hunkin was in and out for two after Sidmouth speedster Webb opened his account with a catch behind.

   Cornwall's only notable stand of the entire innings was one of 70 between Ben Price and Matt Robins that pushed the score along from 162 for six, when Hunkin went, to 232 for seven.

   Anning broke the partnership when he trapped Robins in front and completed his five-wicket haul by removing Gavin Edwards.

   Price, who was on 55 when Robins got out, reaslied he had to get on with it if he was going to make a century. He motored from 50 to 91 in 31 balls before being dismissed.

   A leg-stump half-volley from Webb should have been a gift for Price, but he drilled it straight to Neil Bettis at mid-wicket and was gone. Webb wrapped up the Cornwall innings by having last man Lee Caddy caught behind at full-stretch by keeper Sandy Allen.

   Devon had to re-jig their opening pair as Richard Foan pulled out of the game overnight due to a death in the family. Allen, who opens for club side Budleigh Salterton, went out with Mole and the pair put on 41 for the first wicket. Allen's innings ended on 21 when he skipped out to flick Hunkin through mid-wicket and was bowled.

   Mole, suffering from a foot injury sustained while batting on the first day, got up to 40 then perished when he edged Sharp to Penberthy at slip.

   The last man out was Neil Bettis, who was caught halfway back the boundary having a crash at spinner Jamie Hands.

   Devon captain Bob Dawson got off the mark by hitting hands for six into the trees behind long-on which set the tone for the final stand of the day between him and Neil Hancock. Both batsmen reached half-centuries in a stand of 107 unbroken in the last 20 overs that took Devon to 223 for three.

   Devon 421-9 (N D Hancock 155, A W P Allen 100, D G Court 67, R I Dawson 31; A Hunkin 3-77, T G Sharp 3-85, J M Hands 2-96) and 223-3 (R I Dawson 55no, N D Hancock 52no, C M Mole 40, N C Bettis 40), Cornwall 268 (T G Sharp 51, B P Price 91, A L Penberthy 28; T S Anning 5-56, M J Webb 3-41).

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