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TUESDAY, AUGUST 19

DEVON'S season came to a disappointing end as they crashed to a 153-run defeat against Shropshire in a rain-ruined game at Instow.

   Rivals skippers Bob Dawson and Jamie Ralph tried to salvage something from the wreckage of a washed-out day two by agreeing a double forfeit to set up a Devon run-chase.

   Devon didn't get the chance to make inroads into Shropshire's first-innings total of 348 for nine as rain stopped them going out in the final session on Sunday. After both sides forfeited an innings, 349 to win was the target facing Dawson's men in a minimum of 94 overs.

   When Devon were 111 for one on the chase with Sandy Allen 64 not out and James Hudson on his way to a half-century as well, an interesting finish looked on the cards.

   In the space of 11 balls from Shropshire spinner Andy Gray, the game turned away from Devon as they slumped to 116 for five.

   Grey virtually defeated Devon on his own as he claimed eight wickets for 59 runs – seven of them one after the other.

   Devon's problems started when Allen was caught in the deep and gathered pace when Dawson came and went for a single.

   David Court was caught off bat and pad on the edge of the cut strip by Rob Foster from Gray's next ball, leaving David Lye to prevent the hat-trick.

   Lye survived, but only until Gray's next over when he nicked one to John Maunders at slip. His was the fourth wicket to fall in 11 balls.

   Hudson did his best to stop the rot by shutting up shop at one end and attempting to play for the draw.

   Gray, the Western Austrlia-born former Yorkshire and Derbyshire all-rounder, who didn't quite made it in the First Class game, worked through the rest of the middle and lower order to leave Devon 173 for eight in the over before tea.

   His fifth victim was Josh Bess, who gave Foster more catching work at short leg. Trevor Anning went next to a Thomason catch in the deep, followed three balls later by Rob Newman, who was snared lbw.

   With tea just five balls away, Hudson couldn't resist having a swish at returning paceman   Jack Shantry, but instead of clearing the sea wall on the ‘links' ground at Instow found Taylor patrolling at long-leg and was out for 64.

   Devon's hopes of winning had long since gone, probably when skipper Dawson and Court got out in successive balls to Gray, and when Hudson went any hope of salvaging the draw went with him.

   Last pair Ian Bishop and David Burke kept Shropshire waiting for their win a little longer than the visitors would have liked, given the long drive home ahead of them.

   After seven overs of delaying tactics, Bishop opened up to hit Gray for a couple of sixes and when he went for a third over the bowler's head, Thomason was waiting.

   All in all a disappointing season in the Minor Counties Championship for Devon, whose highs all came in the Knock Out Cup, which they won at Lord's two weeks ago when they defeated Berkshire.

   Devon failed to win a game in three-day action and are destined to finish third from bottom, their lowest placing since 1981, when they propped up the table without a win to their name.

   The spectre of the wooden spoon was hanging over Devon going into this match, but they managed to avoid it. Bottom Hereford could have overhauled Devon had they defeated Wales at Colwall, but that game was abandoned following no play on the second and third days.

   Shropshire 348-9 (R J Foster 67, A Rehman 158no; I E Bishop 4-82, R J Newman 3-47), Devon 195 (A P W Allen 64, J M Hudson 64, I E Bishop 27; A K D Grey 8-59). Shropshire (20pts) bt Devon (4) by 153 runs.

  

  

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