Devon Cricket Board - Herefordshire rain-off drops Devon to third

Herefordshire rain-off drops Devon to third

DEVON’S Minor Counties Championship game against Herefordshire at Sidmouth came to a soggy end when the match was quietly abandoned at lunch time on Tuesday.

Rain prevented any play on Sunday and limited the teams to a session and a half on Monday.

Hopes were high of getting some play in yesterday and, maybe, manufacturing some sort of one-innings game.

Overnight rain got in under the covers at the Fortfield, saturating the batting strip and the bowlers’ run ups.

Umpires Chris Jones and Mike Dobbs scrapped plans for a 10.30 start and came to the inevitable conclusion to call it a day following a second inspection at lunchtime, followed by a long chat with captains Chris Bradley and Chris Boroughs.

Herefordshire were 142 for eight when play stopped on Monday. There were two wickets each for Devon bowlers Ryan Bougourd and Peter Bradley.

Devon picked up seven points from their third successive rain-affected match this season.

So far this season Devon could have played 27 sessions of cricket over nine days. They have managed four full sessions and three half sessions – and have yet to play on two consecutive days in any of their matches!

Three games into the season Devon have beaten Wales in a one-innings game and been rained off against Cornwall and Herefordshire a long way away from a result.

Roger Newman, Devon’s director of cricket, said the 10-point deficit could be wiped out with 72 to play for.

He added: “In an Olympic year I would draw a parallel between our position and that of a runner in a long-distance race.

“You don’t want to hit the front too soon and get burned out before the end – and you don’t want to be lagging so far behind you can’t catch-up.

“Halfway through the season we are in an ideal position to launch our own assault in the games left to play.”

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