JACK Dart’s 96 in a losing cause wasn’t the only bright spot for Devon in the aftermath of an eight-wicket defeat by Cheshire.
Cheshire needed 120 to win batting fourth on day three at Alderley Edge and knocked off the target inside 23 overs.
Just taking the game into a third day was a plus point for Devon, who were teetering on the brink of losing inside two days or by an innings at different times in the match.
When you are bowled out for 113 in 28 overs on day one – admittedly a day disrupted by rain – there is a lot to do to get back into the match.
Cheshire could rightly claim they won most of the sessions from day one onwards, but not all of them.
Team boss Keith Donohue told the Devon players he wanted go see some ‘dog’ in them, and by and large the message got home.
The first target was not losing inside two days, which seemed a possibility when Devon were 98 for four second time round and 71 runs short of making Cheshire bat again.
Dart and Zak Bess (57) dug Devon out of that hole with a stand of 97 for the sixth wicket and banished the threat of losing by an innings too.
Devon have not lost a three-day game by an innings since the format was introduced in 2001 and the team management will have been pleased to avoid that unwanted landmark.
Donohue said he was sad Dart missed out on a ton after more than three hours at the crease, but his 96 was a highlight in its own right.
He added: “More than once during this game we dragged ourselves back into it, either batting, bowling or fielding.
“We got six of theirs out before lunch on the second day and that was the start of something for us.
“Jamie Stephens (4-74) bowled a lot of overs well and his stats in his first two games are showing he has a lot of potential.
“We ran out of steam a bit after lunch on the second day and their lower order batted really well to get up to 283.
“Our fielding was awesome considering we were out there for 70-odd overs on 30-degree heat for a lot of it.
“When you are 98 for four and even 130 for five as we were in the second innings, getting the 170 to make Cheshire bat again was a challenge.
“We have not been great at sticking at it at times this season, but
Jack and Zak did and got their rewards.
“The most pleasing aspect was we showed some dog and not only battled back into the game but made Cheshire work hard to beat us by keeping them out there.”
On Dart’s missed opportunity to make a ton, Donohue said: “The last man has just come in, Jack is on 88 and thinks to himself he needs to get a move on.
“The previous ball he had run down the track and hit for six into the tennis courts.
“The next ball was a bit innocuous really, but it bowled him round his legs.”
Devon now have a ten-day break before tackling Oxfordshire at Exeter.
Devon 113 (J J Bess 25, Z G G Bess 20, J W Y L Yau 21; D J Lamb 2-34, W T Owen 3-37, M Tully 4-34) & 289 (M H Curtis 96, Z G G Bess 57; J J Williams 5-75, D J Lamb 3-98), Cheshire 283 (D J Lamb 66, W T Owen 60, J J Williams 54, H F Dearden 34; J A Stephens 4-74, M C Golding 3-57) & 123-2 (H F Dearden 35, R P Jones 38no). Cheshire (23pts) bt Devon (4) by 8 wkts.
