Day One | Day Two | Day Three
Scorecard

DEVON enter day four of the Cluberly Championship play-off game against Buckinghamshire fully focussed on ending their long wait for a trophy.

It’s 12 years since Devon won anything at all in National Counties cricket – that was the 50-over Unicorns KO Trophy in 2014 – and three more since the Championship win over Cambridge back in  2011. Keeper-batter Matt Thompson is the only member of either side still turning out.

Three up and down days on the West Bromwich Dartmouth ground on the Staffordshire-Warwickshire border have Bucks 56 for three overnight with 200 still needed to win. 

The other side of the coin is Devon have three full-sessions to take the seven wickets they need to stop Bucks retaining the title they won in the same fixture last year.

The game has swung this way then that for nine sessions with both sides seemingly on top, only for roles to be reversed.

Tim Western,  Devon CCC’s performance director, said the team won’t be distracted from the challenge ahead.

“We go into the final day knowing exactly what is required,” said Western.

“It has been an engrossing final between the best two teams in the country in the longer and purist format of the game. 

“The group is calm, connected and fully aware of the challenge on the last day. If we stay in our reverie, are positive and disciplined, we give ourselves a strong chance of bringing the trophy back to Devon.”

Devon may have a slight edge having taken three wickets in last night’s final session – one each for Callum Harvey and George Daldorph, plus a run out. Western is cautious yet optimistic going into the last day,

““The pitch is now old with in excess of 300 overs bowled,” said Western. “It has dried out, is unpredictable and clearly deteriorating. That makes batting harder and harder.

Buckinghamshire still need 200 runs, so we are confident in the position we have earned, but we are not getting ahead of ourselves.

“We have taken three of the ten wickets we need, and again our catching has top notch, which is vital when chances can come from anywhere on a surface like this.

Devon were made to graft to extend their overnight 127 for two all out to 244 all out

Day three started with Devon’s day on centurion Sam Elstone sent back lbw by Ed Bragg’s first ball.

Conner Haddow, the Bucks skipper, bowled unchanged from one end while Bragg, Tom Weymes and Matt Pardoe kept things tight at the other end which meant that Devon’s progress was cautious.

James Horler and Seb Linnitt got them through to lunch without further mishap but Horler departed early in the afternoon session when he nibbled Bragg to wicketkeeper George Harvey.

Haddow then got turn and bounce to snare Ben Privett at slip and James Matravers then sliced a drive to Bragg at point.

Weymes ended Linnitt’s obdurate innings of 28 when Pardoe snaffled a catch at gully and Harvey gave Haddow his tenth wicket of the match when he popped a return catch.

Thompson produced an aggressive cameo of 21 before he was bowled by Pardoe and Haddow, who took 16 wickets in Buckinghamshire’s 19-run victory over Devon in last year’s final, wrapped things up when Sam Read top-edged to slip.

Connor finished with innings figures of six for 96 and a match analysis of 11 for 199 from exactly 79 overs bowled.

Devon gave slow left-armer Harvey the new ball but it was seamer Daldorph who made the early breakthrough when he had Archie Dodds well taken by Matt Whalley in the slips.

Bill Dodds and Aaryan Sawant added 36 and seemed to be going along nicely when Sawant was run out at the non-striker’s end. 

Dodds almost made it through to the close but he departed in the final over when Elstone held a low catch off Harvey to leave Buckinghamshire needing 200 more with seven wickets intact.