By Conrad Sutcliffe

BUDLEIGH Salterton's Ian Bishop and Sandford's Trevor Anning bagged three wickets each as Devon made embarrassingly easy work of beating a Warwickshire Invitation XI by 145 runs at Bicton College.

   Devon were desperate for match practice ahead of the match with Essex in the C&G Trophy at Exmouth and moved the game from soggy Budleigh to nearby Bicton to make sure of some time in the middle.

   Devon had their 49 overs of batting time and used it to make 183 for seven in testing conditions.

   But the second innings was something of a non-event as Bishop, Anning and Neil Hancock bowled the Invitation XI out for a paltry 38 with more than 15 overs to come

Hancock did the early damage with three wickets in his first nine balls, then Anning ripped out the middle order, including former Warwickshire captain Neil Smith for a third-ball duck.

   What Hancock and Anning started Bishop finished off by mopping up the last three batsmen with the minimum of fuss.

   Warwickshire only sent out 10 batsmen as Neil Salter was injured while fielding. Opener David Hawkes carried his bat for 18; seven of his team-mates didn't manage a run between them!

Opener Matt Hunt top scored for Devon with 35, which came off 64 balls and included three fours and two sixes from successive hits, and put on 63 for the first wicket with David Lye (28).

   Skipper Bob Dawson was next best on 33 before he got a ball that slowed up as it came off the pitch to him and he spooned a catch back to bowler Neeraj Prahbu.

   Sandy Allen, the Warwickshire U19s' player of the year last season who has joined Budleigh Salterton and Devon this term, was unbeaten on 16 in Devon's total of 183 for seven.

   Devon 183-7 (M Hunt 35, R Dawson 33, R Foan 28; N Prahbu 3-21), Warwickshire Academy XI 38 (I Bishop 3-9, T Anning 3-1, N Hancock 3-10). Devon bt Warwickshire by 145 runs.