Devon Cricket Board - Donohue makes no excuses for defeat

Donohue makes no excuses for defeat

THERE were no excuses from the Devon camp in the wake of yesterday’s one-wicket defeat by Oxfordshire at Bovey Tracey in the Minor Counties Cup.
Devon were all out for 167 with 10 balls of their 50 overs to go in their first group game – James Burke hitting a top score of 42 and David Lye chipping in with 37.
Lye looked in good nick from the start and hit three fours and two sixes during his 39-ball stay, one of which cleared the boundary and wide long-off and carried on over a 30-ft fence into the town swimming pool!
Having reached 111 for two with Burke, Lye and Rob Holman all contributing, Devon lost five wickets for 20 runs slumping to 131 for seven.
Matt Thompson hit a bright 27 before he was last out – one of three scalps for spinner Richard Kaufman (3-15) who combined with Ashley Blanchard (3-30) to rip out Devon’s middle order.
Oxfordshire started hesitantly – they were four for two after a double strike from Trevor Anning (pictured) and – and struggled to 72 for six in reply.
The man Devon couldn’t remove was opener Damian Shirazi, who was making his county comeback after a season out through injury.
Shirazi put together a stand of 60 with ex-Middlesex all-rounder Chad Keegan (36) that took Oxfordshire to 132 for seven.
Another burst of wicket taking – two for Anning and one for Chris Bradley (2-33) - had Oxfordshire nine wickets down needing 27 to win.
Blanchard kept an end going while Shirazi reduced the target, which became 16 to win off three overs then 12 off two.
Shirazi mowed Neil Hancock away for six over mid-wicket, took a single to leave five to win then watched from the non-striker’s end as Hancock slung five wides down the leg side.
It was a cracking game of cricket to watch and one that could have gone either way right to the last.
Keith Donohue, Devon’s director of cricket, said there were areas to improve on but nothing major.
“There were times in both inning batting and bowling when we lost our way a bit – but so did they,” said Donohue.
“When things were not going right we showed good spirit and unity to get back into the game and I was proud of that.
“It wouldn’t have taken much more to win the game – 189-190 possibly – and we didn’t quite do it.
“The way David Lye got his runs might have made some of our batters think conditions were easier than they were.
‘instead of going for 180-190 which was achievable, we started to think we might get 200-odd and came unstuck.”
Devon’s next group game is against Hertfordshire at Instow on May Bank Holiday Monday.
Devon 167 (J E Burke 42, D F Lye 37, M W Thomson 27, R J Holman 24; A R Blanchard 3-30, R I Kaufman 3-15), Oxfordshire 169-9 (D C Shirazi 74no, C B Keegan 36; T S Anning 4-14, C Bradley 2-33). Oxfordshire (2pts) by Devon (0) by 1 wkt.

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