BEN Beaumont’s undefeated 66 was one of very few bright spots for the Devon management in a 198-run defeat at the hands of Oxfordshire.
Devon went into the third and final day of the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship game on the County Ground in Exeter battling to avoid defeat.
Oxfordshire had set Devon 387 to win in 50 minutes at the end of day two and three sessions on day three – and Devon were 53 for two by close of play.
Making 334 to win with openers James Horler and Elliot Hamilton already out was always going to be a tall order, but saving the game was possible – especially with rain expected to disrupt play.
Batting out for a draw looked increasingly unlikely as Devon stumbled to 94 for seven under pressure from Oxfordshire spinners Max Mannering (3-54) and George Tait (4-58).
Oxfordshire’s hopes of an early finished were thwarted by Beaumont and skipper Jamie Stephens, who kept Oxfordshire at bay either side of lunch.
Tait ended a stand of 65 when he trapped Stevens lbw and from then on it was downhill all the way to 188 all out.
Dave Tall, the Devon team’s director of cricket, admitted he was ‘clutching at straws’ to find anything positive to say about the last day, other than to praise Beaumont’s application under pressure.
“Ben was the only one of our batsmen to properly deal with Oxfordshire’s spinners and never looked in trouble against them,” said Tall.
“He used his feet well to come out to the spinners, or go back in his crease, and by doing that he increased the number of scoring options he had. It was good to watch.”
Looking back on all three days of the game, Tall said one thing that stood out were the consequences of a poor start.
“We have learned that one bad session can kill you and Oxfordshire probably had the game won before lunch on the first day,” said Tall, who was referring to Devon’s bowlers routinely going for five an over and failing to put pressure on the opposition for long.
“Oxfordshire batted and bowled well, but it felt at times that we allowed them to, which made their job easier.
“We played Berkshire in our first game and drew that one. They were a stronger side than Oxfordshire, but we did not play as well. Had we done so the outcome might have been different.”
James Horler top scored with 54 in Devon’s first-innings total of 166 all out, which left them 125 runs behind. Zack Lion-Cachet scored his second century of the match in Oxfordshire’s second-time-round total of 261 for eight for a lead of 366. Plympton pace bowler Ben Privett finished on a high with two wickets in his last over for a three-for-54 return.
Devon, who sit at the bottom of the Western Division One table, won’t dwell long on the game as attention now switches to the away game against Cheshire at Chester starting on Sunday.
