Devon Cricket Board - Burke ton eases Devon into last eight

Burke ton eases Devon into last eight

JAMES Burke hit a maiden Unicorns Trophy century as Devon beat Wales by 52 runs to reach the last eight of the competition.
Burke, dual registered with Somerset, made 109 as Devon posted 274 for nine in their 50 overs.
Wales lost their way mid-innings and a target of 76 to win from the final 10 overs with two wickets left was too tough.
What Devon’s don’t know is who they will play in the last eight – or where for that matter.
Wiltshire and Devon are deadlocked on six points each at the top of the qualifying pool, but Devon have finished their games a week before everyone else.
If Wiltshire complete a clean sweep against Wales at Warminster on Sunday, they will have home advantage in the last eight, against either Cambridge or Suffolk.
A Wales win will mean getting out the pocket calculators to determine who has the best net run rate.
Devon’s short straw is they will have to travel to either Cambridge or Suffolk on a Sunday, not that director of cricket Keith Donohue is too bothered.
“The important thing is to be in the quarter-finals – if we have to travel then so be it,” said Donohue.
“Had we beaten Wiltshire in our first game it would not be an issue anyway.
“Since then we have done our best to make amends and after this round of games our net run rate is better than Wiltshire’s.
“Home or away I am not bothered. The main thing is we are there.”
Burke (pictured) went in at 54 for two after Devon has just lost in-form Liam Lewis for 38 in a classic case of six and out.
Lewis smashed Dewi Penrhyn Jones for six on to the scorebox roof, then riffled the next ball within reach of the bowler.
Burke batted through the innings, sharing stands of 66 with Josh Bess (28), 36 with David Lye (24) and 33 with Gary Chappell (16).
Bess was caught behind, Lye fell lbw and Chappell was caught on the boundary trying to move the score along.
Burke was doing a pretty good job of moving it along from his end. He went from 50-100 in 39 balls as Devon notched 84 runs in the last 10 overs.
It was Burke’s first one-day century for Devon, beating his previous personal best of 84 against Cornwall at Redruth in 2012.
Wales went of smartly – openers Nye Norman and Dion Holden put in 45 in the first nine overs – but were slowed by losing Norman and Greg Holmes in successive balls to Scott Barlow.
Holden and Callum Reid fell to the spinners and when Jamie Lawlor chipped Lye to Barlow at mid-wicket Wales were 114 for five with 30 overs gone.
Former Glamorgan pro Darren Thomas remained a threat though – and showed why by hitting four fours in a hurry.
Top-scorer Tom Baker was run out for 48 when Thomas drove Chappell, who deflected the ball on to the stumps with Baker out of his ground.
Thomas didn’t last much longer – Bess bowled him for 26 off 19 balls – and with Chappell (3-23) teasing out a couple of tail-enders Wales meandered to a close at 222 for nine.
“Burkie will get the headlines for a hundred and he deserves a few for batting so well,” said Donohue.
“But it was a good, all-round team effort against a strong team we had to work hard to beat.”

DCB Ltd, University of Exeter Sports Hall, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QN Company Registration Number: 7024773