Tall aiming to bolster Devon batting for last two games

Jamie Baird, likely to stay in Devon

DEVON team chief Dave Tall intends to strengthen the side’s batting for the last two games of the season after an embarrassing innings defeat by Cheshire.

Finishing fifth or higher is the target this season to avoid being placed in the new Western Second Division next summer when Unicorns Cricket brings in promotion and relegation for the first time.

Dave TallDevon are the wrong side of the cut after three successive defeats, but are only seven points behind Cornwall, who are just the right side of the line.

Unless Devon can find a way of winning against Oxfordshire and Cornwall in their last two games, Second Division cricket beckons.

“A win and a draw ought to be enough, but what we can’t do is lose both games said Tall.

Skipper Alex Barrow, the former Somerset batsman, will be back for Oxfordshire at Sidmouth and Tall is checking the availability of proven run scorers Max Curtis, Matt Golding and Josh Mailling before naming his side. All three have had patchy availability this summer.

Jamie Baird, the 16-year-old Somerset academician did well enough behind the stumps and batting in the second innings to keep his place, probably  for the rst of the season.

Devon are where they are after losing by an innings and seven runs to Cheshire on day two of three at Alderley Edge.

Not for the first time this season Devon were undone by a dismal first innings. Cheshire bowled them out for just 85 and took a 220-run lead into the second phase.

Said Tall: “We were badly beaten because of our first innings and we have to find ways not to get bowled out so cheaply.

“The two things we seem to be struggling with are how to press home our advantage when we are on top, which we did not do against Herefordshire when we lost a game we should have won, and what to do when we are under the pump.

“We have to start showing more strength and resilience when the going gets tough to avoid being rolled over.”

Unfortunately, just like Herefordshire earlier in the season when we were bowled out for 89, our first-innings performance killed us.”