SKIPPERS Rob Woodman and Matt Thompson teamed up to steer Devon to a five-wicket win over Oxfordshire at Wormsley in the one-day Unicorns KO Trophy.
Devon, uniquely among Minor Counties have a one-day captain in Woodman and a three-day skipper in Thompson.
It was the captains’ fifth-wicket stand of 110 that paved the way for Devon to win under leaden skies at Wormsley, the Getty family’s private ground not far from High Wycombe.
Thompson was out for 51 with two runs needed for victory. Woodman (pictured) had the winning boundary in his knock of 73 not out as Devon passed the 199 needed with three overs to spare.
After the disappointment of a 54-run loss to Cornwall in the first group game, Devon needed a win to avoid falling too far behind the frontrunners to make an impact.
Keith Donohue, Devon’s director of cricket, said it was hard to read too much into the defeat by a strong Cornwall side, other than his team played below themselves.
Donohue said the manner of the win over Oxfordshire was far more encouraging.
“In the field we were a lot more lively and this time we didn’t let the opposition get away from us when we had them on the spot, said Donohue.
“To only concede 60 runs in the last 15 overs was a pretty good effort by the bowlers, much better than we managed against Cornwall.
“It wasn’t the easiest wicket to bat on, batters never felt they were in, but we applied ourselves against the new ball and at 87 for four were in a reasonable position, but didn’t want to lose another wicket too soon.
“I thought Rob and Matt batted superbly to set it up for us.”
Oxfordshire were held to 198 for eight in their 50 overs – Jonny Cater top scoring on 34.
Runs were hard to come by for Devon at first with Oxfordshire’s ex-Sussex and Middlesex seamer Chad Keegan keeping it tight.
Johannesburg-born Keegan took one for 27 from 10 overs at the top of the order despite bowling with a suspected broken toe, sustained when he was hit on the foot while by batting,
To add insult to an obvious injury, Keegan was given out lbw to Ben Green.
Liam Lewis (25) and Dan Wolf (19) had been and gone in a running total of 87 for four when Woodman was joined by Thompson.
The two left-handers got stuck into the bowling in stand that set Devon on course for victory.
Thompson was dismissed with two runs needed to win when he chipped a catch to point.
Next man in Matt Golding poked his first ball into the covers to level the scores, leaving Woodman to run the final delivery of the over down to the third-man boundary to win the game.
Earlier, England U19 star Green and Gloucestershire Academy fast bowler Jack Popham has taken two wickets each as Devon did a pretty good containing job on Oxfordshire.
The best stand of the innings was one worth 43 for the fourth wicket between George Munsey (21) and Harry Stephens (22).
Leg-spinner Golding broke that stand when he had Munsey caught at deep-square leg.
Carter, Keeegan and Luke Ryan with 25 off 30 balls, helped Oxfordshire to something defendable.
Oxfordshire 198-8 (J A Cater 34, L C Ryan 25; J P Popham 2-36, B G F Green 2-42), Devon 202-5 (R J Woodman 73no, M W Thompson 51, L J Lewis 25). Devon (2pts) bt Oxfordshire (0) by 5 wkts.
