Devon Cricket Board - Devon struggle for wickets after lunch

Devon struggle for wickets after lunch

DEVON struggled to make inroads in the Herefordshire batting between lunch and tea on the first day of the game at Colwall.

Herefordshire, 120 for four at lunch, moved on to 265 for five at tea with Ben Stebbings apparently heading for century.

Stebbings, the new Herefordshire skipper, moved on from 15 not out at lunch to 91 at tea.

It was a near-chanceless knock and the only time he hit the ball in the air was when he smashed leg-spinner Matt Golding for six.

Danny Cox was unbeaten on 41 when Devon’s players trooped off into the shade of the tea tent.

The only wicket to fall in the 41 overs between lunch and tea was Charlie Walker, who was at mid-on by Orchard off Anning.

Herefordshire needed a fightback after lunch as Devon had dominated the first session.

Josh Bess made the first breakthrough of the day when he had Nipesh Patel caught by a diving Mark Orchard in the covers.

Herefordshire’s 38 for one running total become 38 for two a couple of balls later when next man in Mike O’Shea had a swish and was caught by Orchard off a top edge.

Surviving opener Liam Gwynne was third to go before lunch: caught in the slips by Bess off Orchard for 22.

Bess turned to Bradley as lunchtime approached hoping he could spin his way to another breakthrough.

Bradley duly obliged in his third over by having Brad Wadlan caught low down in the covers by his Bovey Tracey team-mate Matt Golding.

Walker (39no) and Ben Stebbings (15no) saw Herefordshire through to the break without further mishap, apart from losing a ball in the hedge!

Tea: Herefordshire 256-5 (B R W Stebbings 91, D J M Cox 41).

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