- South Dartmoor back to winning ways in cups
- Tom Allin tournament raised more than £5,000 for air ambulance
- Taverners kit bag delivered to Sri Lankan youngsters
- Devon trying to contact the class of 56
- Paceman Tshepo running in Virgin London Marathon
- Five Devon women in Western Storm squad for Kia Super League
- Registration night for all ages at Topsham on Monday
- Lots pouring in for auction at Allin Memorial tournament
- Thames Valley Gentlemen Cricket Club
- Bradninch add Argentinian flavour to Devon League
- Ipplepen youth registration night on Friday
- Final call for Groundsmans first seminar this year
- Devon League official tackling London Marathon for charity
- Bovey on familiar territory in Aaron Printers Cup
- Brockman Cup - Cup Kings lie in wait for holders
- Shepherd Trust helps Kingsbridge build for sustainable future
- DCL - Umpire Appointments 2016 (May 7th - July 2nd)
- Long standing records beaten
- North Devon see off Paignton chase
Looking towards the pavilion at Tring Park – the ground was donated to the club by members
of the Rothschild banking family who live nearby
SUNDAY, JUNE 5
DEVON completed the group stages of the Minor Counties KO Cup with a 43-run win over Buckinghamshire at Tring under the Duckworth-Lewis formula.
Buckinghamshire, who won the toss and decided to bat, were all out for 163 with more than seven overs to go.Devon, with one eye on the grey clouds overhead raced to 70 without loss in the first 14 overs after tea with Rob Woodman (44no) and James Burke (21no) getting stuck into the bowling.
Once the rain set in there was no going back, which meant checking the Duckworth-Lewis ready reckoner to decide the winner.
Devon needed 27 in 14 overs to win the match, so were declared winners by 43 runs as they were on 70.
Devon have got through the group stages without losing a match and as winners they will be at home in the quarter-finals. The Devon management should find out today which county they will be playing.
Roger Newman, Devon’s director of cricket, feels the team haven’t played at their best yet in any of the games, but seem to be improving as the tournament goes on.
With a Lord’s final waiting for the winners, peaking at the right time is everything and Devon seem to be doing that.
“The thing that impressed me was we bowled with a lot more control,” said Newman.
“Scott Barlow was back to his old self – no one bowls dot balls as consistently as he does – and Chris Bradley bowled a great spell.
“When Chris came on Bucks struggled against the change in pace and their decline started with him.
“At 110 for two we were looking down the barrel. It was a different story at 133 for eight.
“Because of the rain we didn’t get the batting practice we would have liked, but the two openers were going along great guns.
“James Burke is having new contract talks with Somerset this week and I would not be surprised if they offer him something. That’s good news for him, but not us if it means he can’t carry on playing.
Bucks Left-hander Matt Eyles made a patient 66, which was just as well for his side as there wasn’t a lot from the rest of the middle order.
Openers Hamza Taj (27) and Leigh Tomlinson (19) got Bucks away to a flying start, punishing anything over-pitched which Devon bowled at them.
Haj unfurled the drive once too often though against Ian Bishop and was caught off the edge by a tumbling Neil Hancock in the slips.
Trevor Anning claimed Tomlinson lbw, but Bucks regrouped with Eyles and Jamie Benning pushing on to 110 without mishap.
Benning’s demise – bowled by Bradley in the spinner’s second over – prompted a massive collapse that must have left Eyles at the other end wondering what was going on?Bucks’ running total of 110 for two deteriorated to 122 for six then 133 for eight, largely due to their own efforts.
Bobby Sher was stumped off Bradley then former University of Exeter student David Cranfield-Thompson was run-out by a tracer-shell return from Hancock in the covers.
The run-out bug spread to Jason Harrison, who chanced his arm against Rob Woodman’s and was nowhere near the crease when keeper Sandy Allen whipped the bails off.
Taking the pace off the ball by bringing David Lye into the attack encouraged two of the lower-order batsmen to come out swinging.
Sam Cherry was caught at long-on having a swipe, followed by Matt Watson picking out James Burke at mid-on,
By now Eyles was running out of people to bat with and thew caution to then wind as well.
Having deposited Ian Bishop for six into the car park earlier, he repeated the exercise when Josh Bess was brought back into the attack.
A couple of slashes later, Eyles wound himself up for another big hit, only for the ball to drop into the lap of Scott Barlow out at wide mid-wicket
Bess had the last word when last man Simon Stanway tried to run the ball off the edge down to third-man, which is an ambitious shot for a tail-ender at the best of times. Hancock took a routine catch at slip.
Buckinghamshire 163 (M H Eyles 66, H Tj 27; D F Lye 2-9, C Bradley 2-12, I Bishop 2-50), Devon 79-0 (R J Woodman 44no, J E Burke 21no). Rain stopped play. Devon bt Bucks by 43 runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method.