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DEVON captain Bob Dawson said a woeful first 20 overs cost his side any chance of beating Berkshire in the Minor Counties KO Trophy at Newbury last Sunday.

   Berkshire clattered along to 308 for four in their 50 overs with Hampshire cast-off Jono McLean making 148 all out.

   Devon were bowled out for 226 in reply, former Somerset and England paceman Richard Johnson taking the first three wickets to fall and finishing with four for 24.

   Defeat drops Devon down to third in their qualifying group behind Berkshire and Cornwall, who have won two games each to Devon's one. Devon have a game in hand on Cornwall though, whom they still have to play.

   Dawson is looking for a bounceback win against Herefordshire at Budleigh Salterton this Sunday to get the qualification bandwagon back on course. The top two in the group go into the knockout stages.

   "We didn't want to lose at Newbury, but it wasn't a calamity either," said Dawson.

   "Three wins from four games is a realistic target to qualify with and if we beat Herefordshire and Cornwall in our last two we are through.

   "What was disappointing was the way we lost as we put in one of the poorest performances I can remember in my five years as captain.

   "For the first 20 overs our bowlers bowled too many four balls - and we didn't help ourselves in the field by dropping half a dozen catches either.

   "Once we let Berkshire get going it was a hard job slowing them up, but I though we might just keep them to 280. To let them get past 300 was a blow."

   Dawson said having played so well in the previous match to skittle Wiltshire out for 1, and beat them by seven wickets, he wouldn't be making wholesale changes for the Herefordshire game.

   "Good players don't become bad ones overnight - and we showed how good we were against Wiltshire," said Dawson.

   "I look at this game as a blip, a bad day at the office if you like, and one we can get over by beating Herefordshire."

   Neil Bettis, the former Sandford batsman now with North Devon, came into the side as a late replacement for the unavailable Arul Suppiah and looks likely to stay in for the Herefordshire match after hitting 66.

   Definitely out against Herefordshire is wicketkeeper Sandy Allen, who has been claimed by the University of Exeter for a BUSA League game.

   Batsman Chris Mole will double up and keep wicket against Herefordshire, if he is over the shoulder injury that stopped him playing at Newbury.

    

  

 

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