Devon Cricket Board - Bess can't do it all alone

Bess can't do it all alone

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

CRAIG OVERTON and Alex Barrow both hit half centuries as Somerset 2^nd XI eased to a two-wicket win over Devon yesterday at Blundell’s School, Tiverton

   Josh Bess top scored for Devon with 64 off 71 balls in Devon’s total of 198 for nine.

   Devon’s total of looked a little on the light side, although just how short wasn’t apparent at the time.

   “Another 40 would have made it interesting, but we didn’t put the partnerships together to do that,” said Devon’s director of cricket Roger Newman.

   “Our best stand was just over 50 for the seventh wicket, which would have been fine had we been 150 for six at the start, not 115.”

   Bess was the middle-order rock Devon’s innings was founded on and saw them through from 75 for four to the penultimate over.

   Neil Bettis had made a steady 31 at the top of the order then fell to the third ball bowed by spinner Max Waller.

   Already out were Rob Holman - caught at slip fourth ball – and Rob Woodman for a run-a-ball 27.

   Bob Dawson came and went for a single – he pulled a short ball from Craig Meschede to mid-wicket - then Neil Hancock departed to a tumbling catch behind the stumps to give James Hayman a wicket.

   Bettis and Bess put in 28 for the fifth wicket, only for Max Waller to strike twice in quick succession to slow Devon’s fightback.

   Bettis went first then Matt Thompson was dismissed lbw after appearing to play down the wrong line to the Somerset leg-spinner.

   Devon needed some impetus if they intended setting a defendable total and got it thanks largely to Bess and Sandy Allen, who put on 51 for the seventh wicket.

   The stand took Devon to 166 for seven when it ended in Allen’s dismissal by Adam Dibble thanks to a sprawling catch at mid-on by Jamie Overton.

   Bess went until the last ball of the 49^th over when he picked out Gregory in the deep to give Dibble his third wicket.

   With Barrow leading the way with 79 off 67 balls, Somerset recovered from 28 for three to reach 121 for four.

   Bess was brought on after Will Murray and Chris Bradley had been mauled and took four balls to get Barrow caught behind. He would have had him sooner if Devon captain Neil Hancock had held on to a routine catch in the covers two balls earlier.

   Jamie Regan went in the next over from Bess – caught low down at point - and thereafter the Somerset chase slowed.

   Adam Dibble moved things along, but Bess had him caught down at long-leg for 22 off 21 balls.

   Overton, the Devon all-rounder on Academy terms with Somerset this season, concluded the chase with nine balls to spare when he hit Bess for four to bring up his half century.

   Devon 198-9 (N C Bettis 31, R G Woodmand 27, J J Bess 64, A P W Allen 23; A J Dibble 3-45), Somerset 2^nd XI 200-8 A W R Barrow 79, C Overton 51no; I E Bishop 3-23, J J Bess 3-43) Somerset bt Devon by 2 wkts.

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