Devon Cricket Board - Bess blast not enough

Bess blast not enough

FRIDAY, MAY 20

A BRILLIANT knock of 59 by Zac Bess wasn’t quite enough as Devon Lions lost by one run in last night’s Twenty20 challenge match against Oxford University at Budleigh Salterton.

The Students made 124 for seven, which looked in serious jeopardy when Devonn were 83 for three on the chase with five overs to go in the David Shepherd Foundation fund-raiser.

Sidmouth left-handerBess had just reached his half century with a one-bounce four through long-on, which skidded through a tabletop adorned with bottles of win for the raffle with predictable results.

The next ball went over the pavilion and at that stage Devon were clear favourites.

Losing Bess to a catch at long-on didn’t seem to matter too much while 15-year-pld Sam Wyatt-Haines was out there. The Bovey Tracey youngster had been the junior partner while he and Bess put on 35 in a hurry and he carried on regardless.

Wyatt-Haines made 15 as Devon got to the last over needed seven to win and came up two runs short.

Opener Sam Agarval top scored for the Student side with a bright and breezy 35 off 29 balls.

Agaval hit two sixes – the only ones of the innings – although he was lucky to get away with one of them which went through Harry Booker’s fingertips out on the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Twenty-20 cricket is all about crash-bang-wallop from the batsmen and gymnastics in the field by the bowling side.

While the batting didn’t quite live up to expectations, Liam Lewis went for 16 whien Agaral was in full cry and that was it, some of Devon’s fielding certainly sparkled.

Champagne moment of the evening came in second half of the University innings when batsman Charlie Walker went to cut and was brilliantly caught one-handed in the gully by Barton’s Adam Parker.

Both Bess brothers – captain Josh and Zak – took difficult catches on the move.

Agarwal never looked like getting out until he did, somewhat unluckily smashing a Harry Booker full toss out to Barney Huxtable in the country.

As is almost inevitable in 20-over cricket the haste to score runs can lead to the sort of confusion that has both batsmen at the same end. Tom Bryan was the one who had to go.

Scott Barlow had figures of two for 14 from two miserly spells, but was out-bowled by schoolboy Booker, who took three for 13 in four overs – great figures for a spin bowler.

Lewis was on the wrong end of some lust blows in both his spells, but had the final word by uprooting Andy Scott’s middle stump with the last ball of the innings.

Oxford University 124-8 (S S Agarwal 35,D C Pascoe 19no; H Booker 3-13), Devon 123-6 (Z Bess 59, B Huxtable 18). Oxford bt Devon by 1 run.

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