DAY THREE – TUESDAY, JULY 25

DEVON are odds-on favourites to win the Western Division title for the third time in four years after making it four wins in the trot this season with a three-wicket win over Shropshire at Bridgnorth.

   Mathematically it isn't over yet as a host of clubs, Wiltshire, Dorset and Cornwall the best placed of them, could still overhaul Devon if the leaders suffer a dramatic loss of form.

   With 48 points to play for in their last two games, Devon are 26 ahead of second-placed Dorset and 34 ahead of Wiltshire, who are sitting down in third place.

   The magic number for Devon is 117 points and beating Cornwall on it's own isn't quite enough. But if Dorset or Wiltshire don't win their next games against, Oxfordshire and Berkshire respectively, a draw at St Austell will do it for Devon.

   But a win over Cornwall at St Austell in two weeks time will knock the Duchy out of the running and, almost certainly, leave Wiltshire too far behind to catch up.

   By the time Devon play Wales at Exmouth in the middle of next month, there could be nothing left to play for.

   Skipper Bob Dawson described Devon's performance in the game as their best since coming from behind to beat Wales at Pontyprydd two years go, a win that set them up to lift the divisional crown.

   Although Devon dominated long spells in the match, Shropshire refused to roll over and claimed the odd session win to keep the game interesting. As Dawson accurately said afterwards: “It was a great game of Minor Counties cricket.”

   Shropshire added 14 to their overnight score of 263 for eight before Devon finally saw the back of opener Jonno Whitney, who had moved from 153 not out to 164 when Trevor Anning dynamited his middle stump.

   Last pair Anthony O'Connor and Mark Robinson hung around to make another 42 between them – mostly from Robinson who reached 29 with four fours and a six off Andy Procter that sailed high over long-on.

   Robinson's cameo ended when Ian Bishop stooped to take a low catch off the bowling off Richard Foan in the covers.

   Devon's target was 262 to win in a minimum of 85 overs and openers Chris Mole and Foan made an 88-run dent in it by the break

   The opening stand had reached 109 when Shropshire claimed a breakthrough – Mole falling caught at slip to Rob Foster for 56.

   Foan departed in the next over in the same manner for 47, but to spinner Tim Mason instead. When Neil Bettis was pouched up at silly mid-off pushing forward to Foster, Devon were 131 for three and still had plenty of work to do to win the game.

   The lion's share of it was done by Dawson and Neil Hancock, whose partnership of 60 took the total up to 191 for four. Hancock was on 30 when he played-on to Robinson.

   Just when it seemed Devon had the game wrapped up, Shropshire struck twice to remove Sandy Allen caught and bowled then Rob Woodman, who pulled a short ball straight to the fielder at mid-wicket.

   With the target down to 16 to win, Dawson hit Rob Foster for two fours in a row then looped the next ball straight back to him off the leading edge of his bat.

   The last eight needed to win was knocked off by a boundary each from Rob Newman and Anning with more than 40 minutes play left before the game went into the mandatory last 17 overs.

   Shropshire 291 (E J Foster 83, R J Foster 68no, T H C Hancock 38, M A Tilt 43; A J Procter 5-101, R J Foan 2-30) & 319 (J D Whitney 164no, E J Foster 40; A J Procter 3-121,R J Newman 2-34), Devon 349 (R J Woodman 76, C M Mole 72, T S Anning 57, N C Bettis 36, R I Dawson 34; T J Mason 4-106, J D Whitney 3-52) & 263-7 (C M Mole 56, R I Dawson 76, R J Foan 47, N D Hancock 30; R J Foster 5-56). Devon (24pts) bt Shropshire (7) by 3 wkts.

DAY TWO - MONDAY, JULY 24

TABLE-topping Devon are on course for a fourth straight win in the Western Division having dominated almost all of day two of the game against Shropshire at Bridgnorth.

   Trevor Anning and Rob Woodman both hit half centuries as Devon put a shaky first hour behind them to reach 349 all out in their first innings – a lead of 58.

   Jonno Whitney struck an unbeaten 145 for Shropshire when they batted again, but only co-opener Ed Foster with 40 gave any worthwhile support as the Salopians laboured to 263 for eight at last night's close to lead by 205 going into the last day.

   Woodman and Rob Newman had two wickets each while Andy Procter bowled 26 overs straight through to claim three for 101.

   Devon are in a no-lose situation from here on in as the weather isn't going to save Shropshire – and they won't be able to bat long enough on the third and final day today to save themselves.

   Wrapping up a fourth win, which ought to be a formality sometime between lunch and tea-time today, will make Devon odds on to claim their third Western Division title in four seasons and earn a crack at the East Division winners in September's play-off game, which will be at Exmouth.

   Devon , 159 for four overnight, made a hesitant start as three wickets went down in the first 12 overs of the day.

   Paignton's Neil Hancock, who can't seem to reproduce his club form for Devon , was first out when he left a ball from Jonno Whitney and was out lbw for two.

   Nightwatchman Ian Bishop was next to depart when he went to pull spinner Tim Mason and was well caught low down at mid-wicket by Rob Foster.

   Then at 189 Devon went seven wickets down after losing Sandy Allen lbw to ex-Worcestershire seamer Duncan Catterall for 17.

   Devon trailed by 101 at that stage with three wickets in hand and needed something special from the bottom half of the order. Woodman and Anning came up trumps by making 121 before lunch.

   Woodman led with 76 and along the way smacked left-arm spinner Mark Robinson out of the attack with five fours in an over.

   Anning was still there at the break, fast approaching his 50. Woodman went in the over before lunch wafting at an innocuous ball from Whitney that keeper Matt Tilt did well to catch at full stretch.

   Anning soldiered on to reach 57 and could have had a few more had he not tried to smash a Mason full-toss back over the bowler's head and found Rob Foster five yards in from the long-on boundary.

   Last pair Procter and Rob Newman fiddled another 25, most of then notched by Procter who was Mason's fourth victim when he tried to hit him for another six and stung Foster's hands out at mid-wicket.

   Highlights of Devon 's fielding display in the searing heat were two slip catches by Hancock – one which hit his upstretched right hand and bounced down into his left, the other a difficult take at bootlace height in the penultimate over of the day.

   Shropshire 291 (E J Foster 83, R J Foster 68no, T H C Hancock 38, M A Tilt 43; A J Procter 5-101, R J Foan 2-30), Devon 349 (R J Woodman 76, C M Mole 72, T S Anning 57, N C Bettis 36, R I Dawson 34; T J Mason 4-106, J D Whitney 3-52).

DAY ONE - SUNDAY, JULY 23

ANDY Procter's golden summer continued with yet another five-wicket haul as Devon finished the first day of their game against Shropshire on top, although not quite as far in front as they might would have hoped.

   Procter's wicket-taking prowess has been one of the reasons why Devon have shot to the top of the Western Division table and stayed there this season – and his form shows no signs of abating.

   At a baking hot Bridgnorth, where temperatures hit the high 80s during the midday sun, Budleigh Salterton spinner Procter took five for 101 as Shropshire were finally bowled out for 291.

   It was Procter's fourth five-wicket haul of the season so far and came hard on the heels of his 12 for 143 in the match at Torquay two week ago when Herefordshire were beaten by six wickets.

   Looking at a glorious batting pitch before start of play, Devon skipper Bob Dawson probably would have settled for keeping Shropshire below 300 in their first innings.

   However, there will have been a tinge of disappointment in the visitors' dressing room last night as Shropshire were hanging on at 137 for six at lunch, but fought back after the interval as the tail wagged in some style.

   Devon attacked from the word go after being put in the field by new Shropshire skipper Tim Hancock, a former Gloucestershire team-mate Dawson's, and were rewarded with two early wickets.

   Opener Jonno Whitney was caught at slip by Robbie Newman off Trevor Anning playing with his bat too far away from his body, then Chris Martin went to work Ian Bishop round the corner and was picked up at short fine-leg by Bettis.

   Tim Hancock hit eight fours in a brisk 38 that steadied the Shropshire ship, but when Newman bowled him at 103 for four the wickets started to tumble again.

   Tim Mason pushed forward and was out lbw to Andy Procter, then Duncan Catterall was caught behind when Procter snicked his edge.

   There was still time in the last over before lunch for Dawson to scoop up another catch at slip to send back Mark Downes and give Procter his third wicket of the session.

   Foster and Matt Tilt took the score on to 162, followed by Rob Foster replacing his brother at the fall of the seventh wicket when Procter had him caught at slip by Neil Hancock. If Devon thought they would soon have their feet up in the dressing room, they quickly had to revise their thoughts.

   Tilt went on to make 43 off 69 balls with seven boundaries and put on 64 for the eighth wicket with Rob Foster.

   Richard Foan spun out Tilt and followed up six runs later by having Anthony O'Connor caught at slip. But last pair Rob Foster and Mark Robinson put on another 59 before Procter bowled Robinson for a respectable 20.

   Rob Foster finished unbeaten on 68 from 107 balls, mostly scored the hard way as he only hit six boundaries.

   At close of play Devon were 159 for four, a deficit of 132, with opener Foan the only batter to miss out completely.

   Neil Bettis made 36 in a stand of 69 with Chris Mole, who went on to make 72 before getting out leg-before in the penultimate over of the day to spinner Tim Mason.

   Dawson went two balls later in the next over from Jonno Whitney, who got some bounce and just flicked the top of the stumps with Dawson shaping the play him through mid-wicket.

   Shropshire 291 (E J Foster 83, R J Foster 68no, T H C Hancock 38, M A Tilt 43; A J Procter 5-101, R J Foan 2-30), Devon 159-4 (C M Mole 72, N C Bettis 36, R I Dawson 34).