Devon Cricket Board - Devon cruise to first win in Minors Cup

Devon cruise to first win in Minors Cup

DEVON are off the mark in this season’s Minor Counties Cup thanks to a 66-run win over Cornwall at Redruth.
James Burke it a top score of 84 as Devon speeded up in the last 10 overs to reach 193 for four.

Runs were hard to come by at Trewirgie on a pre-used pitch that had seen service for a 2^nd XI league game the day before.

Officials arrived on the ground to discover the covers had blown off the track they planned to use overnight and rendered the pitch too wet to use.

Devon skipper Chris Bradley opted to bat first and set a total, rather than chase on what he thought would be a deteriorating pitch.

When Devon were 116 for three after 40 overs – pinned down by Tom Sharp (2-26) and Shakil Ahmed (0-19) for over after over – batting first didn’t seem the best option.

Burke, who batted at first-wicket down, started to play his shots once the spinners were bowled out and with Josh Bess shared in a stand of 126 for the fourth wicket.

Burke was dismissed in the penultimate over, having faced 139 balls and hit 11 fours. He was caught at extra –cover by Rob Harrison off Matt Robins.

Bess went on to reach his 50 in the final over and was 51 not out at the close.

Devon’s first casualty of the morning was Rob Holman, who was given out caught behind off the bowling of Sam Hockin.

Peter Bradley, an overnight replacement in a reshuffled batting order for the injured Matt Wood, made 28 before he got in a tangle trying to drive Sharp and was comprehensively bowled,

Sharp struck again next ball when he had David Lye lbw. Lye was playing despite sustaining a facial injury the day before batting against Torquay. He had to have seven stitches inserted.

Cornwall’s run chase was holed beyond repair during the 21-ball spell when four wickets fell for two runs.

Jake Libby had already fallen to Bess, who uprooted the Cornwall opener’s off-stump with the score on 11.

Neil Curnow, fresh from making a double hundred for St Just against Redruth in a league match 24 hours earlier, was in and out lbw to Trevor Anning for only one run added.

Taylor Williams and Robins got the score up to 22 without further loss. Then it all went pear-shaped.

Robins played down the wrong line to Trevor Anning and looked behind to see his off-stump flattened.

Seven balls later Davis chanced his arm against Matt Golding’s running a single and was well short when keeper Thompson flicked the bails off.

Williams went three deliveries later – caught behind having a swish at Anning.

Cornwall’s misery was just about complete when skipper Sharp was caught behind off Bess.

Cornwall had slumped from 22 for two to 24 for six and were out of the match for all practical purposes.

At that point Devon looked odds on to break a record low score against them sent in 2008 when they bowled Wiltshire out for 91 in the same competition.

Chris Hunkin batted through for an unbeaten 51 – he and Kelvin Snell (26) posted 78 for the seventh wicket – but there was no prospect of Cornwall knocking off the runs and both sides knew that a long way out.

Once Snell went – Lye uprooting his leg stump – it didn’t take long to knock over the tail-enders.

Devon skipper Bradley felt Cornwall were a better batting side than the scores suggested, but were guilty of being impatient.

‘The difference between us and them was the mature way we batted,” said Bradley.

“:It was a day for building innings and playing proper shots. The longer you batted the easier it became, or at least the less difficult it became.

“The partnership between James and Josh was easily the best we have put together in this competition this season. For once we were not 80 for five and chasing the game.

“I still had no idea if we had enough when we came off, but did know we needed a good start.

“Trevor Anning maintained the early season form he has been showing with a great first spell and Josh Bess backed him up superbly.

‘With the Cornish batting shot away it allowed myself and Gary Chappell to do what we always aim to do, keep it tight and strangle the opposition.

“Not winning was a monkey on our backs and I am glad we have shaken him off. Losing can become a habit and I didn’t want any carry over into the Championship season.”

Devon 193-4 (J E Burke 84, J J Bess 51no, P Bradley 28; T G Shap 2-26), Cornwall 127 (C A Hunkin 51no, K J Snell 26; T S Anning 3-20, J J Bess 2-10). Devon (2pts) bt Cornwall (0) by 66 runs.

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