CONRAD SUTCLIFFE AT BLUNDELL'S
Day One Report
Scorecard
DEVON, the reigning Western Division champions and leaders, are involved in an intriguing tussle with Berkshire at Blundell’s School.
Euan Woods’s eighth Championship century, and supporting fifties from Charlie Dunnett and Rhys Lewis, enabled Berkshire to declare on 348 for eight with a lead of just six.
It took a spectacular diving catch by Devon’s Sam Elstone to send back Woods, who had toiled for nearly four hours to reach 127
First innings declarations are rare in National Counties cricket, so rare umpires Rhys Callicott and Steve Lavis took the unusual decision to check by phone that competition regulations permitted it.
The declaration denied Devon the chance of a fourth bowling bonus point to stash with the four for batting earned on day one.
George Daldorph followed his five-wicket bag in Devon’s win over Oxfordshire with three for 59 from 20 gruelling overs. Woods and Dunnett were both in there.
Two Berkshire wickets in four balls for James Matravers slowed down the lower-order batting.
“George showed he is growing into his role as a frontline bowler for the team,” said Tim Western, Devon CCC’s performance director.
“He bowled with skill and continued to challenge the batters with lateral movement on what is a batter friendly surface. George was backed-up by James Matravers and the spinners, who were unlucky not to pick up more wickets.
“After a tough morning session, we were really pleased with how we fought back.
“The ground fielding and overall energy across the whole team was excellent and that helped restrict Berkshire to not build a significant first innings lead before their declaration.”
Devon ended the day 164 in front with one wicket down and Elstone (79 not out) and James Horler (50 no) having added 115 for the second wicket.
“We go into day three looking to exploit the good work of our top order in the evening session on day two,” said Western.
“Elliot Hamilton (35) and Elstone started well and Horler continued that positivity through to stumps with a second-wicket unbeaten partnership of 115.
We have said that our batters need to convert their starts into innings defining scores. There is no time like now for that.
Skipper Horler looks like facing a potentially tricky decision to make on a last-day declaration to force a result.
“Day three is interestingly poised after a positive start to our second innings,” said Western.
“We are confident that we can take the wickets of Berkshire's key batters who will undoubtedly chase whatever total we set.
“It will be a day of hard work, discipline and then seizing the key moments when they come.”
[O] OXFORDSHIRE routed Wiltshire inside two days in their NCCA Cluberly Championship Division One match at Corsham with captain Max Mannering taking career-best match figures.
Off-spinner Mannering, a former University of Exeter student and cricketer, followed up his best bowling an innings with five for 52 to finish with 11 for 69 in the match, the first time he had taken ten or more wickets in a Championship game.
Wiltshire, who trailed by 180 in the first innings, were dismissed for 166 and beaten by an innings and 14 runs inside five sessions. Wiltshire’s second innings was done and dusted inside 51 overs with the last four wickets going down for ten.
