Allen (pictured) and Ashworth given chance to translate league form into Lions runs

George Allen - one of the in-form batsmen given a chance to impress in the Devon Lions

Scorecard

LIONS tangle with Bears on Sunday when Devon host Warwickshire at Torquay.

Devon’s Lions Development XI are in action against Warwickshire Bears Academy in the annual 50-over friendly.

Warwickshire have won the last two meetings between the sides by six wickets – and the two before that by eight and 10 wickets!

Tim Western, the Lions’ director of coaching, knows it will be the toughest game of the season and a good test of how well the county development programme is working.

Sunday’s game a chance for the Devon selectors to check out some form players – and check up on the progress of previous Lions.

Paignton captain Richard Ashworth’s 357 runs at an average of 59.50 make him a must-see player.

Torquay’s George Allen – 433 at 72.16 – falls into the same category as Ashworth.

Exmouth’s Dan Pyle gets the call to see if he is over the groin strain that has ruled him out of Devon’s last two Minor Counties Championship games.

Devon Lions v Warwickshire: R J Foan (Sandford), J W Y L Yau, G B Allen (both Torquay), M P Skeemer (Cornwood), D J Wolf, R Ashworth (both Paignton), T R J Codd (Bovey Tracey), H J Kerton, D J Goodey (both Plymouth), J E Thompson, M J Petherbridge (both Torquay), D J Pyle (Exeter), J O Hagan-Burt (Plymouth).

THE LIONS went down by seven wickets to South African tourists Waterkloof High School at Paignton in a 50-over game.

Devon were all out for 146 in the 43rd over, fading after an encouraging start.

Openers Tom Ansell (23) and Richard Foan (27) put on 43 and with Reid Mawdsley (26) chipping in, Devon reached 117 for four.

Losing Mawdsley and Toby Codd in the same over from Tristan du Plessis was the beginning of the end for the Lions.

Six wickets went for 29 runs with Will Christophers (13) the only one to offer much resistance as the spinners ran through the middle and lower order.

Skipper Eben Botha (2-25) posed the first round of problems, then Simeon du Bruyn (4-17) and du Plessis (3-25) picked up the wickets.

The tourists had the runs knocked off inside 32 overs – skipper Botha leading with 59.

An opening stand of 95 with Ludvig Kaestner (38) made the result a formality.

Both openers fell to Codd, whose two for 32 from 10 overs was the best return by a Lions bowler. Reuben Forrester (0-8 off 4) showed well on his debut.

Spinner Matt Petherbridge recovered from going for 18 in his first over to bowl nine more for 36 runs.

Devon 146 (R J Foan 27, R A Mawdsley 26, T P P Ansell 23; S du Bruyn 4-17, T du Plessis 3-25), Waterkloof HS 147-3 (E Botha 59, L Kaestner 38; T R J Codd 2-32). Waterkloof HS bt Devon Lions by 7 wkts.