Devon Cricket Board - Devon lead by 49 runs going into third day

Devon lead by 49 runs going into third day

CAMBRIDGESHIRE were 179 for eight and tralling Devon by 49 runs on first innings when bad light stopped play in the Minor Counties play off game at March Town CC last night, writes Conrad Sutcliffe.

Devon were all out for 228 after lunch - Rob Woodman top scoring on 67 - then got stuck into the Cambridgeshire batting after removing Alan Burton (41) and finally Nick Ferraby for a battling 72.

Cambridgeshire lost opener Peter Richer for eight on 20 when Trevor Anning trapped him lbw on the front foot.

After Josh Bess failed to make a breakthrough at the other end, skipper Chris Bradley turned to Craig Overton, who quickly accounted for Jon Atknson, also lbw.

Surviving opener Burton (41) was run out just before the break. Glen Goosen called him for a run that wasn't there to start with and Rob Woodman threw down the stumps from backward point.

Anning (2-24) struck again after the interval with a snap catch off his own bowling to remove Goosen for 12. That left Cambridgeshire 119 for four with a long final session ahead of them.

It must have seemed endless when Mike Pateman and Lewis Bruce were both bowled by Lye (pictured) in the space of four balls as Devon reduced the home side to 132 for six.

The impressive Ferraby batted on with Paul Summerskill to see Cambridgeshire reach 175 before two wickets went in successive balls.

Ferrraby shaped to drive Scott Barlow through the covers, which he had done superbly in the Budleigh seamer's previous over, only this time the ball jagged back and trapped him lbw.

In came Joe Barrs who hit a Barlow full-toss straight to Craig Overton at cover point and set off for a run regardless of the consequences. Summerskill never stood a chance of making it. The decision to end play 40 minutes early at least got Cambridgeshire off the hook until the morning.

Devon were all out for 228 shortly after lunch. They thought they had been dismissed for 222 when last man Chris Bradley was given out lbw to Lewis Bruce, only to receive a six-run bonus!

Cambridgeshire bowled their overs desperately slowly and it cost them six penalty runs for failing to keep up with the competition rate.

Devon, 93 for three overnight, moved to 103 without loss with Woodman (47no) inching closer to a half century. Woodman soon got there off 110 balls with nine fours.

Twelve overs into the morning session Devon were 121 for three with David Lye on an edgy 27 and Woodman up to 56.

When drinks were taken 18 overs into the session, Woodman had progressed to 67 and Lye was on 34.

The stand ended soon after the interval when Woodman lobbed a catch to mid-on, leaving Devon 140 for four. The new man in was Bess.

Lye was next to go, lbw to Joe Barrs for 49. Devon were 156 for five, then 161 for six after Bess was bowled by spinner Paul McMahon (3-30).

Seventh-wicket pair Overton and Matt Thompson were under orders to see Devon through to lunch without further incident. They didn't make it.

Overton only got as far as nine before he tried to sweep Lewis Bruce, but misconnected and was caught by Barrs at short-fine leg.

Trevor Anning went in with the score on 175 for seven with Scott Barlow and Chris Bradley to come.

Anning didn't make it to lunch either as he was dismissed lbw byMcMahon for four, one ball before the break. Thompson was eight not out in a total of 182 for eight.

Barlow as on and out for eight – caught on the boundary to give McMahon fifth wicket of the innings.

Thompson finished on 33 not out, having wrung another 61 runs out of the tail enders before Bradley went.

Devon 228 (R J Woodman 67, D F Lye 49, M W Thompson 33no, R I Dawson 27; P McMahon 5-53), Cambridgeshire 179-8 (A G Burton 41, G Goosen 72; T S Anning 2-33, D F Lye 2-19).

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