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TUESDAY, JUNE 12 2007

DEVON were on the wrong end of a two-ton assault as their defence of the Minor Counties title won last season opened with a crushing nine-wicket defeat by Cheshire.

   Cheshire resumed their second innings on the third and final day at Boughton Hall on the outskirts of Chester needing 287 to win with nine wickets intact.

   Having seen 19 wickets fall on day two, when Devon were bowled out for 118 in their second innings having topped the 400 mark in their first, an interesting day's cricket seemed on the cards.

   Whatever demons there had been in the pitch though must have been exorcised overnight though as Devon's bowlers got little or no help at all on the last day.

   Surviving Cheshire opener Dan Leech went on to make an unbeaten 119, home captain Andy Hall cracked 162 not out and, with barely a sniff of a wicket between the six bowlers who had a go, the game was over before the tea table had been laid.

   Having won nine Championship games in a row, it was a rare defeat for Devon, whose record in the competition is second to none since Bob Dawson took over as captain in 2003.

   Under the Dawson regime Devon have only lost four times in 28 games and hadn't tasted defeated since the tail end of the 2005 season when they were beaten by Shropshire.

   The last time Devon lost to Cheshire was way back in 1998 when they triumphed by three wickets at Mount Wise in Plymouth.

   Dawson was in reflective mood last night as he contemplated this defeat, which even at this early stage is a blow to Devon retaining the title they won last year.

   In a six-game season there isn't much room for error, especially when you lose to one of the sides you consider to be among your main rivals.

   “Cheshire have got a good side this season and with players we didn't see like Ismail Dawood (ex-Yorkshire) and Chris Bassano (ex-Derbyshire) to come back they are only going to get stronger,” said Dawson.

   “We know from what we did last year that if you get off to a winning start it's hard for the other sides to catch you – and we are now in a position we wouldn't want to be.

   “You can look back at the game and say we were without Andy Procter, Arwyn Jones and Neil Hancock, who were big players last season and make a massive contribution when they play.

   “Yet we went out and scored 400 on the first day and bowled Cheshire out for 223, which showed we can play without them.

   “The game changed in the nine balls it took us on the second day to go from 20 for one to 22 for five. From then on we missed Hanks, Procs and Jonesy.

   “We could have done with Hanks in the middle order to shore things up – and the two spinners on the last day when we were trying to defend 290.

   “The game reminded me of what happened against Lincolnshire in the 2003 Championship play-off game when we were in control half way though, but were bowled out cheaply second time and lost the game because if it. Again there were a few poor shots that didn't need to be played at a time when we were struggling.

   “There were runs to be had if you batted sensibly – Chris Mole proved that with a good hundred in the first innings and 60 odd in the second when everyone else failed.

   “One of two of the batsmen need to think about how they got out in this game and make some adjustments in future.”

   Plus points for Devon were encouraging debuts by North Devon seamer Tom Allin and Exeter's former Bovey Tracey spinner Adam Gribble, who came in for Hancock and Procter respectively.

   Dawson said Allin will keep his place for the game against Wiltshire at Bovey Tracey in two weeks time. Gribble also has a great chance of playing in that game, especially as it is on a ground he knows intimately from 15 years experience there before moving to Exeter.

   One or two of the early order batsmen though will be sweating on their places if Hancock is back as someone will have to go to make room for him.

   Devon 405-9 (R I Dawson 117, C M Mole 106, D G Court 54, T S Anning 40no; B N Spendlove 2-36, M R Dumelow 2-100, D N Woods 2-74, T C Young 2-63) & 118 (C M Mole 62; A J Syddall 6-39, C C Finegan 3-27), Cheshire 233 (J A Duffy 72, M R Dawson 55; I E Bishop 4-46, A J Gribble 3-46) & 291-1 (D N Leeach 119no, A J Hall 162no). Cheshire (22pts) bt Devon (6) by 9 wkts.