Devon Cricket Board - Hall steers League XI to victory

Hall steers League XI to victory

MONDAY, MAY2

DEVON lost by two wickets to a Devon League XI at Bovey Tracey in their final warm-up game before the season starts in earnest this Sunday with a game against Wiltshire in the Minor Counties Cup.

   Bob Dawson made a top score of 56, which came off 96 balls and included six fours and two sixes, in a Devon total of 170 all out.

   Devon started brightly with opener James Burke cracking a brisk 34 off 38 balls, but slowed against the spinners and were glad Dawson batted through until the fall of the ninth wicket.

   Only tail-ender Scott Barlow, who has rejoined Devon after flirting with Dorset during pre-season, reached a double-figure score in the bottom half of the order.

   Devon ran into trouble against left-arm spinner Jan Bothma, whose flight and guile slowed the run rate dramatically.

   South African Bothma bamboozled Nick Seager into a stumping, trapped Neil Hancock lbw then squirmed a delivery through Sandy Allen’s forward push.

   Figures of three for 17 off 10 overs – which included Dawson damaging a car parked outside the ground with a huge hit for six – had Devon labouring at 78 for five.

   Rob Gear kept the brake on Devon with eight overs of right-arm round stuff from the other end for just 18 runs.

   Dawson batted through until the fall of the ninth wicket, sharing a stand of 49 along the way with Trevor Anning.

   Heathcoat left-armer Sam Wadham came back for a second spell at the end, when he picked up three wickets for 15 runs, having been none for 28 from his first session.

   League opener Anthony Griffiths fell lbw in the first over to Anning, who followed up by having James Toms caught at slip three balls later.

   When Rob Gear flashed outside off-stump to Mike Wood and went caught behind, the League were 27 for three.

   The damage was rectified by Cornwood’s Jason Hall (41) and Barney Huxtable (16), who took the League to 111 for five.

   Huxtable was first out – unluckily stumped of a wide bowled by Matt Kidd – then Hall was also stumped giving Chris Bradley the charge.

   The League were back in front of the clock by then and sensible batting from Paignton’s Andy Kingdon (38) took them within sight of victory..

   Devon 170 (R I Dawson 56, J E Burke 34; J H Bothma 3-17), S J Wadham 3-43), Devon League XI 171-8 (J S B Hall 41; A G Kingdon 38; T S Anning 2-14, N D Hancock 2-19). Devon League bt Devon by 2 wkts.

DCB Ltd, University of Exeter Sports Hall, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QN Company Registration Number: 7024773