By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

A FOUR-wicket burst from Neil Hancock steered Devon towards an 86-run win over Cornwall at Budleigh Salterton in yesterday's inaugural battle for the South West Minor Counties Twenty20 Shield.

   Skipper Bob Dawson slammed 67 off 45 balls as Devon amassed143 for seven in the final of the three-match tournament.

   The opening-stand between Dawson and David Lye yielded 51 runs, of which Lye made only four!

Then Hancock single-handedly reduced Cornwall to 21 for four in reply to end the game as a contest long before they were bowled out for 57.

   After Hancock's softening up, aided by some sharp catching by Trevor Anning, Andy Procter (3-11) put Cornwall's middle order to sleep.

   Steffan Churcher chipped and chiseled 15 at No.8 for Cornwall before Anning (2-7) came back for a second spell and nipped him out.

   Dawson was later named Man of the Tournament, although Hancock with six wickets on the day might have had a claim as well. And so might left-hander Chris Mole, who top scored on 33 in the round-robin win over Dorset, then hit 30 more in a stand of 49 with his skipper for Devon's second wicket in the final.

   Devon bowled Dorset out for 78 in the first of the round-robin games en route to a comfortable six-wicket win with more than five of their 20 overs to spare.

   Dorset got just the start they didn't want when big-hitting Darren Cowley, a former Devon League player with Barton, was bowled second ball by Hancock.

   Glyn Tregus, also to Hancock, and Chris Park were the other men out by the time Dorset reached 12 for three in the fourth over as Devon turned the screw.

   Neil Thurgood (24) entered into the spirit of the occasion with a few lusty blows, but had no support to speak of and went at 41 for five – the second of Rob Newman's three wickets.

    Only Ben Lawes (14) reached double figures as Dorset failed miserably to set a competitive target.

   Devon lost Lye in the second over of their reply for one, but the next breakthrough didn't come until the score reached 47 when Matt Metcalf bowled Richard Foan for 15.

   Mole, who hit a brisk 33 off 25 balls, looked like seeing Devon through on his own but was Metcalf's second casualty with the target down to 10 to win. Hancock got those on his own in rapid 15 not out.  

Cornwall made Devon's win look positively pedestrian as they crushed Dorset by 10 wickets in the second of the round-robin games.

   Cowley dropped down the order to five and hammered a typically rumbustious 41 off 23 balls with five fours and two sixes as Dorset totted up108 for nine.

    Cornwall openers Ryan Driver and Neil Curnow legged it to victory in less than 14 overs – Driver smashing 10 fours and a six in his 56 not out while Curnow was a little more restrained making his 42 not out.

RESULTS

   Dorset 78 (N Thurgood 24, B Lawes 14; R Newman 3-9, N Hancock 2-16), Devon 82-4 (C Mole 33, R Foan 15; M Metcalf 3-13). Devon bt Dorset by 6 wkts.

   Dorset 108-9 (D Cowley 41, T Hicks 14no; D Bostock 3-27, C Hunkin 2-14, R Harrison 2-19), Cornwall 111-0 (R Driver 56no, N Curnow 42). Cornwall bt Dorset by 10 wkts.

FINAL

   Devon 143-7 (R Dawson 67, C Mole 30; C Hunkin 3-6, T Sharp 2-33), Cornwall 57 (S Churcher 15; N Hancock 4-10, A Procter 3-11, T Anning 2-7). Devon bt Cornwall by 86 runs.