- South Dartmoor back to winning ways in cups
- Tom Allin tournament raised more than £5,000 for air ambulance
- Taverners kit bag delivered to Sri Lankan youngsters
- Devon trying to contact the class of 56
- Paceman Tshepo running in Virgin London Marathon
- Five Devon women in Western Storm squad for Kia Super League
- Registration night for all ages at Topsham on Monday
- Lots pouring in for auction at Allin Memorial tournament
- Thames Valley Gentlemen Cricket Club
- Bradninch add Argentinian flavour to Devon League
- Ipplepen youth registration night on Friday
- Final call for Groundsmans first seminar this year
- Devon League official tackling London Marathon for charity
- Bovey on familiar territory in Aaron Printers Cup
- Brockman Cup - Cup Kings lie in wait for holders
- Shepherd Trust helps Kingsbridge build for sustainable future
- DCL - Umpire Appointments 2016 (May 7th - July 2nd)
- Long standing records beaten
- North Devon see off Paignton chase
Looking towards the pavilion at Corsham
DEVON kept their slender hopes alive of winning the Minor Counties Western Division title with a 118-run win over Wiltshire at Corsham yesterday.
Wiltshire, 51 for three overnight, made it all the way to 375 all out chasing an improbable target of 494 to win and for a while looked like hanging on for a draw.
Tim Morton’s stubborn knock of 167 from 192 balls occupied three and half hours batting time and as long as he was there Devon had their work cut out.
A stand of 171 between Morton and Owen Alsop for the seventh wicket frustrated Devon from well before lunch until shortly before tea.
Getting Alsop out – caught in the slips by Bob Dawson off Scott Barlow for 44 – was the beginning of the end for Wiltshire and both sides knew it.
Victory means Devon have won three from for so far, which leaves them 20 points behind leaders Berkshire in the six-match competition.
Although they won Devon dropped four points on Berkshire by failing to earn any first innings batting points in a total of 119 all out.
Had Devon batted second not first things could have worked out differently. Batting conditions weren’t favourable on day one and Devon had the worst of them.
The bonus point issue worries director of cricket Roger Newman, who said: “We aren’t getting any 24-point maximums at all and game by game are falling behind Berkshire.
“Our last game of the season is Berkshire at Sidmouth and that could have been our chance to get ahead of them.
“Unless we get all 24 off Shropshire at Exmouth in our next game, I can see us getting to Sidmouth so far behind that we can’t catch Berkshire whatever we do.
“It may be too late this season, but it is something we can work on for next year.”
Wiltshire gave it everything they had to deny Devon with Henry Langford (41), Joe Breet (34) and Alsop all playing supporting roles.
Devon’s fielding stood up well under the pressure of being out there for 92 overs – and there could have been another 25 to go had it gone the distance.
Scott Barlow (3-57) and Chris Bradley (2-69) were real workhorses and Bradley deserved to take the final wicket to win it.
Trevor Anning got through a tremendous workload in the second innings – three for 87 in 26 overs – and his two wickets at the end of day two when Wiltshire went back in nipped any prospect of a home win in the bud.
Devon 119 (R J Holman 20, D F Lye 27, T S Anning 26; T Afridi 5-34, P J Robbins 2-18) & 474 (D F Lye 104, N D Hancock 84, J E Burke 65, S Barlow 50, R J Holman 45; S R Warner 5-102, T Afridi 3-124), Wiltshire 100 (E R Kilbee 36; N D Hancock 3-22, S Barlow 3-25, C Bradley 2-22) & 375 (T I Morton 167, H J Langford 41, J J Breet 34, O J Alsop 44; T S Anning 3-87, S Barlow 3-51). Devon (20pts) bt Wiltshire (4) by 118 runs.