Horler wants back-to-back wins for Devon

NOTHING less than back-to-back wins will do for Devon skipper Jamie Horler in tomorrow’s Twenty20 double-header against Herefordshire at Sandford (11am).

Four games into the qualifying stages Devon are lagging four points behind leaders Dorset with eight games to go.

Devon cannot get any points back off Dorset to narrow the gap as they have already played them and came away with just one point from a soggy encounter at Exmouth last time out.

Two wins against Herefordshire, who are propping up the Group Two table, will give Devon everything to play for against Cornwall in the final round of qualifiers. Two defeats will create a ‘favours-needed’ scenario from teams playing Dorset.

Horler hopes the fighting spirit that made life hard for Dorset in last Sunday’s six-wicket defeat at Exmouth in the one game played will be on show again, only this time with a different outcome.

“I hope we can build on the positive aspects from the Dorset game against Herefordshire,” said Horler.

“We will approach the games in the same way as any others and with the aim of coming away with all four points.”

One of the positives Horler took from the loss to Dorset was a stand of 34 between Ben Beaumont and Seb Ansley that rescued Devon from an unimpressive 53 for six.

Ansley is absent tomorrow, but Beaumont stays in the 12 and is eager to show some of the things he learned during the UK winter playing Grade cricket in Australia.

Six months in the harsh environment of Grade cricket with St George & District was a real learning curve for the 20-yearold allrounder.

“It is a different type of cricket which is more defensive than the one we play,” said Beaumont.

“In two-day cricket you build an innings and don’t want to give it away as you might not get to bat again for three weeks. It has made me value my wicket more.

“And being away for so long helped me grow-up a bit., both on and off the cricket field.”