Thompson and Allen guide Lions to victory

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JOE Thompson cracked a brisk half-century and Dan Pyle wasn’t far behind as Devon Lions eased to a five-wicket win over a Somerset Development XI at Paignton yesterday.

Somerset were bowled out for 204 in the last of their 50 overs – Finlay Trenouth top scoring with 47 – click here for match video

Devon had Somerset on the ropes at 109 for six with Trenouth back in the hutch, but lacked the spin options on a turning track to finish them off early.Quickfire - Joe Thompson

Opening batsman Reid Mawdsley showed another side to his game with nine tidy overs of off-spin that earned figures of two for 37.

Archie Dunning (38) and Bradley Curry (34) showed some lower-order resistnce to get the score past 200. Their stand of 49 denied Devon the early lunch they had anticipated.

Opening bowler Hugo Whitlock was brought back to finish the job and dispatched Curry and Ed Eminson in the space of three balls to close the innings.

Whitlock (2-14), Jamie Drew (2-36), Dan Goodey (2-30) and Thompson (0-38 off 10) all made the right impression with the ball.

Lions skipper Dan Wolf, captaining the side on his home ground, opened up and was dismissed caught behind by the first ball he faced.

Having had a first-baller playing for the full county side against Dorset seven days earlier, Wolf may be wondering what the cricket gods have against him.

Losing Wolf cheaply was the only real setback the Lions suffered knocking off the runs.

Tom Ansell (24) and Matt Skeemer (25) knocked up 46 for the second wicket, then left-hander Pyle joined Ansell to add another 48 after Skeemer went.

Pyle was on 34 when Ansell spun out by Dunning and went on to reach 46 off 54 balls before fell lbw.

Jamie Drew came and went for 18, which left Torquay team-mates George Allen and Thompson to close out the game.

It took them just 10 overs to rattle off the 75 needed to win – Thompson leading the way with some aggressive hitting.

Louis Shaw went for 34 in two overs as Thompson raced to 50 off 36 balls, hitting him for six to reach his half-century.

Thompson finished undefeated on 56 and Allen was 18 not out when the Lions romped home.

Tim Western, the Lions director of cricket, said Devon got the result they wanted virtually the way they wanted it.

“Our seamers bowled well and we backed them up with excellent ground fielding to keep Somerset to 204 when par was probably closer to 240,” said Western.

“Another spinner may have been handy as the pitch was turning, but we had Reid who bowled really well on it.

“We couldn’t have asked for the batting to go much better. Dan Pyle was aggressive, which is the way he plays best, and Joe Thompson didn’t won it in a hurry at the end.”

Somerset 204 (F R Trenouth 47, A J Dunning 38, B Curry 34; H M Whitlock 2-14, J K Drew 2-36, D J Goodey 2-20, R A Mawdsley 2-37), Devon 205-5 (J E Thompson 56no, D R Pyle 46, M P Skeemer 25; A J Dunning 2-32). Devon bt Somerset by 5 wkts.