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Sunday,
June 3
DEVON
are through to the last four of the Minor Counties KO
Cup by the skin of their teeth after beating Cornwall
at Instow by seven wickets in the final round of west
Group matches.
Devon were level pegged with Wales on five
points at the top of the table going into the final
round of matches – and as Wales defeated Dorset
by three wickets it was down to run rate who went through.
And, by 0.08 of a run, Devon will be playing Cheshire
away in next month's semi-final with the prize of a
trip to Lord's in
August waiting for the winners. It doesn't get much
closer than 0.08 of a run.
Skipper Tom Sharp top scored for Cornwall with 46 in
their total of 191 for five which always looked below
par when put up alongside Devon's batting line-up.
Cornwall started hesitantly in the face of a lively
opening spell from Devon paceman Ian Bishop, who had
Matt Robins caught at slip then conjured up a ball that
was just too good for Carl Gazzard and bowled him
Sharp, in at 20 for one after Robins was dismissed,
kept Bishop out for the rest of that spell and with
Gary Thomas for company put on 40 for the third wicket.
Scoring runs proved hard work for Cornwall as Devon's
bowlers kept it tight for over after over.
Thomas looked like he wanted to play his shots –
the flashing blade outside the off-stump was a bit of
a giveaway to his intentions – but only made 13
before snicking a ball from Trevor Anning through to
Devon keeper Sandy Allen.
Sharp and Alex Smeeth couldn't raise the tempo either
and as in 10 overs together in mid-innings they only
added 35.
Sharp, who faced 107 balls and only acquired three boundaries,
hit out and got out when he swung at Andy Procter and
was caught in the run down at long-off by Chris Mole.
Going into the last 10 overs Cornwall needed some runs
from somewhere and got them from Smeeth and Chris Hunkin.
Hunkin didn't hang about – he was not out 45 with
two fours and two sixes – while Smeeth made 38
before Mole ran him out with a little help from Neil
Hancock.
Cornwall racked up 75 in the last 10 overs – Neil
Hancock and Bob Dawson both getting a bit of stick at
the end – but the odds on anything other than
a Devon win looked remote at that stage.
Mole and Dawson gave Cornwall's opening bowlers a roughing
up early on – after 10 overs Devon were 50 without
loss – and there was only going to be one winner
after that.
Dawson blazed away to reach 78 off 71 balls in a stand
of 146 with Mole for the first wicket that set the tone
of the chase.
Cornwall spinner Michael Munday, who is on Somerset's
staff, went for 22 in one over while Dawson was going
at full steam ahead. The Devon captain reached his half
century with the second of his three sixes in that over.
The partnership ended when Dawson tried to smash Hunkin
down the ground, looking to add to his tally of five
sixes and four fours, and was caught at tight mid-on
by Thomas.
Hancock came and went for 14 – Hunkin had him
caught behind –then Mole fell for 69 with victory
virtually in sight.
When Mole flicked a full-length ball to Sharp at mid-wicket
the target was down to 10 to win, which David Court
and David Lye duly chalked off.
Hunkin, with three for 29 was Cornwall's most effective
bowler. Munday, who changed ends after his mauling by
Dawson to get away from the short boundary behind him,
was the most expensive with none for 64 from eight overs.
Cornwall 191-5 (T G Sharp 46, C A Hunkin 45;
I E Bishop 2-9), Devon 192-3 (R I Dawson 78, C M Mole
69; C A Hunkin 3-29).
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