Local Sport

In out shake it all about

Reigning Minor County Cricket champions Devon CC completed a four wicket victory over Herefordshire yesterday, but they were made to work hard against a rugged opponent who fought back after being made to follow-on.

Devon CC recorded a magnificent campaign last year winning both the Minor Counties Western Division and the overall title by beating Eastern Division champions Buckinghamshire. Led by former Gloucestershire batsman Bobby Dawson and with a squad containing former Surrey bowler Ian Bishop, Devon are widely regarded as the strongest of the Minor Counties - and they showed their class in the first innings of this match by forcing Herefordshire to follow-on.

For those of you not familiar with the follow-on rule it's very simple. At the start of the match you have two sides, one out in the field and one put in to bat. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out to bat, and when he's out he comes back in and the next man goes in until he's out. Every time a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in comes out and goes in. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. The two umpires stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When both sides have been in and are all out, if the team who were in first have scored 200 more then the team who are now all out, then they must go straight back in. When both sides have been in and out twice, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.