Devon Cricket Board - Bradley and Booker see Lions to victory

Bradley and Booker see Lions to victory

DEVON Lions beat Devon by three wickets in a 50-over friendly at Sidmouth yesterday.
Devon opener Rob Holman top scored with 49, but only county captain Chris Bradley with 26 joined him in reaching double figures in a disappointing total of 115 all out.
Five batters failed to score a run between them.
Opener James Toms was unlucky to be run out without scoring when Holman called him for a third and Matt Cooke’s throw beat him to the stumps.
Luke Bess was out next ball - lbw to Mark Orchard – as Devon dipped to 17 for two.
Liam Lewis was in and out for one, but the real trouble was yet to come.
Devon lost three wickets on 56 in the space of 14 balls as Sandy Allen, Jack Dart and Matt Golding all fell to Will Murray.
Sidmouth skipper Murray with four for 12 in seven overs was easily the pick of the Lions bowlers.
Inevitably, the Devon management will look at Murray as a possible replacement for Ryan Bougourd, who has not played in either warm-up match due to injury.
Trevor Anning didn’t last long – Murray hit his stumps as well – and at 58 for seven Devon were in a mess.
Skipper Chris Bradley got his head down with Holman in a modest stand of 27 for the eighth wicket which helped make the score a bit more respectable.
Holman, who faced 114 balls and hit seven boundaries, was one short of a hard-earned half-century when he pushed forward to off-spinner Harry Booker and was grabbed in the slips by Peter Bradley.
Chris Bradley was last man out for 26 – stumped coming out to spank Booker through the off-side.
Booker (2-18) and Matt Butterworth (2-15) backed up Murray in the wicket-taking business.
The Lions found run scoring every bit as hard and were in big trouble chasing after slumping from 71 for four to 77 for seven.
Among the casualties was Rhys Davis, who clubbed Chris Bradley for a couple of sixes in a quickfire 27.
Peter Bradley, who arrived at 18 for two after James Burke and David Lye had gone cheaply, stayed calm while wickets had been falling at the other end and steered Devon home with an unbeaten 28.
Harrry Booker followed a handy spell of bowling with 17 not out in a stand of 39 unbroken with Peter Bradley to take the Lions over the line with 13 overs to spare.
Devon 115 (R J Holman 49, C Bradley 26; W B R Murray 4-12), Devon Lions 116-7 (P Bradley 28no; C Bradley 3-46). Devon Lions bt Devon by 3 wkts.

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