CONRAD SUTCLIFFE AT THE COUNTY GROUND

FOUR wickets each for Matt Whalley and Sam Read put the skids under Buckinghamshire and sent Devon through to the finals day of the Dojo Twenty20 Cup.

In a change to this year’s format the four group winners earned the right to host a Super 12s event and with it an automatic place in the quarter-finals.

Devon, winners in Group Three, picked Exeter to host their Super12s day, where qualifiers Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire contested an eliminator earlier the same day. Bucks went through by three wickets in a low-scoring affair.

Devon booked their place in their first finals day since 2018 by beating Buckinghamshire by 86 runs. They progress to finals day on the Getty Family Ground at Wormsley on August 30, where the two semi-finals and final will be played.

Devon have been drawn against Berkshire in their semi-final, Staffordshire will meet Bedfordshire in the other one.

Devon’s victory in the quarter-final came after a spectacular collapse by Buckinghamshire who slumped from 59 for three to 63 for eight in the space of 15 balls.

Spinners Whalley (4-23) and Read (3-16) throttled Buckinghamshire’s pursuit of a target of 179 and they were eventually dismissed for 92.

Devon’s total of 178 for seven was very much a team effort with six batters – Ben Privett, Dan Pyle, Seb Linnitt, Rhys Davies, Cameron Kidd and Callum Harvey – making twenties but no-one reaching 30.

Tim Western, Devon CCC’s performance director, said the margin and manner of victory showed how the side is improving all the time.

“We controlled the game from start to finish in front of our supporters with contributions right through the side,” said Western.

“Ben Privett (24) and Day Pyle (22) were explosive right from the start of the match and that undoubtedly showed Bucks the challenge that we were going to give. 

“To score 178 on that wicket was outstanding and was always going to be a challenge to chase.

“Our quartet of spinners bowled well with Sam Read and Matt Whalley picking up four wickets each.

“Matt continues to grow into a top-quality all-rounder at this level and still at only 18 years old. He has experienced players to learn from and keeps delivering.

“Matt has this ability to change the momentum of the game back to Devon. He took the big wickets of Dodds and Lincoln. Both wickets were through flight and lateral movement. 

“Progressing to finals day at Wormsley is a brilliant achievement, but it’s also a reflection of the work the players have put in over the whole campaign and the winter.

“The players cannot wait to take this momentum through to end of August and test themselves against the best in the country in this format.”

Devon are no strangers to the Getty Ground at Wormsley, where they first played way back in 1996 against Holland in a NatWest Trophy warm-up match. 

Since then Devon have been back three times. They won the 50-over cup at there in 2015 against Oxfordshire and had a double date in 2018 when they lost the 50-over final to Cheshire and the T20 semi-final to Berkshire in the space of 48 hours.