CONRAD SUTCLIFFE REPORTING

DEVON’S team management have been focusing on how and why games are won and lost ahead of the National Counties Championship opener against Berkshire at Instow.

Dave Tall, the county club’s director of cricket, has prioritised getting the error count down as key to winning matches.

James Horler, Devon’s white-ball captain who is skippering the side in the absence of red-ball counterpart Jamie Stephens, says batting time is crucial to winning three-day games.

The rationale behind what looks like a scientific approach to winning matches comes from Devon’s experiences last season, when they won the Western Division title for the first time in a decade.

When Tall says Devon want to go all the way this time – they crashed to defeat against Buckinghamshire in the East-versus-West play-off game last season – the evidence suggests he means it.

“We set out to try and win every game we play and our aim this season is to go one better than last year, when we lost in the final,” said Tall.

“Three-day cricket is nine sessions – and you cannot afford to lose any of them. 

“The one game was lost last season was against Oxfordshire – and that was because of a bad first session on the first day. 

“A bad hour can be enough: you can lose the initiative or the advantage and not get it back.”

Horler’s focus is on the first innings element and something teams can do to take a vice-like grip on games.

“If you bat all 90 overs in the first innings almost always you win the game,” said Horler.

“When you have 450 or more on the board you are in a dominant position and just don’t lose.”

Seamer Matt Skeemer, whose six-wicket haul bowled Devon to victory over Cheshire last season, is unavailable due to work commitments.

New to the 12 are batters Charlie Sharland and Lawrence Walker, together with spin bowler Jack Ford.

Batter Ben Beaumont, a key member of the Devon side that won the NCA Western Division last season, is fit after injury and returns to the match-day squad. He averaged nearly 40 and his 77 not out in the win over Herefordshire at Sidmouth helped clinch the win that landed the title.

Tall said Beaumont’s return after missing the last two games in the 50-over NCA Trophy is a big plus.

“Chasing or setting a total in three-day cricket you need to bat down to number nine – and having an extra batter can be useful,” said Tall.

“Berkshire will play positively – as we took the Western title off them last year they will have a point to make – and we need to more than match them.”

Devon: J D Horler, M W Thompson, C J Haggett, C M Sharland, E H Hamilton, B A Beaumont, L S Walker, S O Read, B H Privett, M B Shepherd, K B Szymanski, J A W Ford.

Berkshire: R D Lewis, J M Connell, E D Woods, C P Dunnett, D J Lincoln (Wargrave), R J Lewis, D MO’Driscoll, J A J Rishton, T L Greatwood, T G Sturgess, A Searle, S F Daniel.

Umpires: J Wheeler, B Radia.