Tall glad to have Trego back for business end of the season

SidmouthC

DEVON team chief Dave Tall is glad to have Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego back on board for the crucial three-day game against Oxfordshire at Sidmouth.

Devon go into the Unicorns Championship game, which starts today, in jeopardy of missing the cut for next season’s new Western Division One.

The top five in the current Western Division of ten will form Division One with the rest going into Division Two.

Devon are eighth out of ten with two games left to go, but only eight points shy of a place in the top half. With 48 points to play for in the last two games, Devon could easily climb the table if they start winning.

And that is where Trego comes in, not that Tall expects him to win the game single-handed.

Peter TregoThe only game Devon have won this season was their Unicorns opener against Wales, which was the one and only time Trego has appeared in three-day action due to his commitments with Somerset.

Trego made a ton in the win over Wales, but it was what he brought to the dressing room as much as what he did on the field that impressed Tall.

“A problem Devon have had for a while is not knowing how to win games when on top of them, which I saw clearly in the one-day final we lost to Cheshire at Wormsley last year,” said Tall.

“There are times when we play naïve cricket and inevitably it costs us games when we do.

“We have a talented squad of players who want to win, but don’t always know how to.

“I discussed this with Peter at the start of the season and it was interesting that he weighed up the game against Wales on the first day, came to me and said ‘if we do X, Y and Z we can win this match’.

“It did not quite go according to plan, but we did most of the things we spoke about and had the ammunition to force the game.

“Peter brings all his years of experience into the dressing room and among that is the recognition of how you go about winning games. And that is why it is good to have him back.”

Oxfordshire are second in the latest table and look a good bet to qualify for the new Division One.

Gareth Andrew, the former Somerset all-rounder, joined Oxfordshire last season and has proved a handful for opposing team, especially with the ball. He has 18 wickets this season.

The leading run getter is Richard Kaufman who has 302 in the book this season at an average of 43.14.

Devon (from): A W R Barrow (Sidmouth). J W Baird (North Perrott), G B Allen, M Pugh (both Torquay), J E Burke (Plymouth), P D Trego (Weston), Z G G Bess, M W Hancock (both Sidmouth), D J Goodey (Bashley), H M Whitlock, T J R Codd (both Bovey Tracey), B A Beaumont (Cornwood).

Oxfordshire (from): H G K Smith, O J Price, R I Kaufman, G D L Sandbach, J A Carter, T M Cosford, O D Clarke, G M Andrew, M R Warner, R D R White, J D J Butcher, J O G Thomas.

Umpires: D Daniels, P J Sparshott.