CONRAD SUTCLIFFE REPORTING

Game one scorecard | Game two scorecard

DEVON defeated Cornwall when it mattered to clinch home advantage in the Dojo Twenty20 Cup Super12s knockout round.

Cornwall beat a subdued Devon side by 13 runs in part one of the Werrington double header in the final batch of qualifying matches in Group Four.

Although Devon and Cornwall had both secured qualification for the Super12s going into the final round of qualifying games, home advantage in the next round depended on topping the group.

And had Devon lost again in the second meeting of the day, they would have faced a trek to Berkshire for the knockout round instead.

Devon put lessons learned in game one into practice to beat Cornwall by a hefty 76-run margin second time around.

Seb Linnitt top scored with 79 – he hit the ground running by dispatching the first ball he faced from Ben Ellis for four – in a total of 163 for five.

Cornwall were bowled out for just 87 in reply. Pacer Ben Privett took four wickets and there were two each for spinners Matt Whalley and Harry Passenger.

Lawrence Walker, the Devon captain, described the win as ‘a thoroughly professional performance’.

Walker added: “That is the standard we expect from each other and it was very pleasing to get the result.

“Batting wise: we minimised dot balls in the second game. That allowed us to keep the scoreboard ticking and, along with the boundaries, that gave us a competitive total.

“Bowling wise. Key wickets up top put us in the driving seat.”

Devon already know Group Three runners-up Buckinghamshire will be one of the sides heading to Exeter on August 9 for the Super12s. The identity of the third team has not been released yet.

Buckinghamshire and the mystery team – competition officials will pick it based on the shortest distance to Exeter for one of the third-placed group qualifiers – will play-off in a morning match to decide who faces Devon for a place in the last four.

Captain Paul Smith (45) an Elliot Hooper (31) were Cornwall’s game-one top scorers in a team total of 166 for seven. There were two wickets each for debutant George Daldorph, Passenger and Cam Kidd, whose two-for-22 return trumped the rest.

Devon were never far behind the run rate, but keeping wickets in hand proved an issue. Whalley (23) and Walker (25no) had a go down the order, but tidy overs from Ben Ellis and Bryn Evans put them behind the clock and they ran out of time on 153 for nine.

Game two was a thoroughly different affair as Devon, led by Linnett, hurtled to 163 for five. He was involved in stands that added 148, aided and abetted by Passenger (24) and Walker (32).

Sandy Allen, the Devon coach, said: "We went back to looking to score off a high percentage of deliveries after too many dot balls in the first match.

"Seb laid the fountains with an outstanding knock. We were selective in our shot selection and ran well between the wickets."

Cornwall’s top order was gunned down by Devon pacer Ben Privett (4-25) and there was no way back after that.

Said Allen: "Ben and George Daldorph bowled really well with the new ball, hitting the top of the stumps regularly, and we backed that up in the field by taking all our catches."