Devon Cricket Board - Devon through to last eight in KO Cup

Devon through to last eight in KO Cup

SUNDAY, MAY 29

DEVON are heading for the knockout stages of the Minor Counties KO Cup after beating Cornwall by 41 runs at Bovey Tracey.

Opener James Burke cracked 78 and there were useful contributions from Rob Woodman (37), Neil Bettis (29) and Bob Dawson (42) in Devon’s total of 271 for seven.

Cornwall got behind the clock on the chase and at the 25-over mark were 123 for two.

Former Somerset star Keith Parsons (43) kept Cornwall in the hunt and as long as he stayed in the game was winnable.

With 13 overs to go Scott Barlow had Parsons caught behind at 185 for five - and when he went so did Cornwall’s chances.

Wickets tumbled to local favourite Chris Bradley (pictured), who took four for 34 on his home ground, and Trevor Anning (3-26) as the bottom half of the order vanished.

Anthony Angove flogged 45 off 42 balls at the end, but the damage had been done while Cornwall were losing four off the last five wickets for 11 runs and the were all out for 230 in the 46th over.

Victory guarantees Devon a place in the last eight of the competition, which is just two wins away from the final at Lord’s.

Devon can’t finish outside the top two in their pool and if they win away to Buckinghamshire next Saturday they will be guaranteed home advantage in the quarter-finals.

Devon raced to73 without loss in the first 11 overs as openers Woodman and Burke played their shots with no regard for the consequences.

Cornish hands were on hips more than once as Woodman and Burke snicked balls through the slip cordon. Woodman’s luck ran out when he got a touch to Sam Hockin and Gavin Edwards took a tumbling catch.

Bettis was in and out for 29 as Devon pressed on to 134 for two at the midway point. Bettis went in the over after the break, prodding a catch back to bowler Tom Sharp.

Burke, who was brutal on anything slanted into his legs, kept going until the score reached 169 when he couldn’t resist a loose delivery from Libby and wafted a catch to Dan Davis at point.

Burke stroked eight fours, mostly off Hocking, and two sixs off Davis and will know there was a hundred there for the taking.

Devon kept going hard with former captain Bob Dawson leading the way. There were partnerships of 28 with Josh Bess and 29 with David Lye (21).

Dawson looked on course for an 11th one-day 50 for Devon – and potentially a few more - when he hoisted Matt Robins high over the long-on boundary for six.

The next ball was short and Dawson smashed it away towards the mid-wicket boundary, where Davis took a great catch on the run.

Sandy Allen, acting captain in the injury absence of skipper Neil Hancock, finished unbeaten on 13 and there was a quick dozen from Ian Bishop in the dash for runs at the end.

Devon added 73 for the loss of just three wickets in the final 10 overs, whi ch ultimately put the game beyond Cornwall’s reach.

Devon 271-7 (J E Burke 78, R I Dawson 42, R J Wooodman 37, N C Bettis 29; D F Davis 2-40, K J Snell 2-39), Cornwall 230 (D J Roberts 42, K A Parsons 43, A D Angove 45; C Bradley 4-34, T S Anning 3-26). Devon (2pts) bt Cornwall (0) by 41 runs.

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