DORSET slumped to a dismal 84-run defeat against Devon in their opening ECB 38-County Competition match at Bovey Tracey yesterday, reports Phil Chard.

Stuart Rintoul won the toss and put Devon into bat, but the move backfired as they ran up 277 for seven in their allotted 48 overs after a wet track had delayed the start of the match by 90 minutes.

Dorset's reply never really got off the ground and they ambled to 193 for six in their 48 overs after being forced to give up the run-chase fairly early in the innings.

It means Devon shoot straight to the top of the qualifying group going into the second round of matches scheduled for Sunday, June 9, when Dorset host Somerset Board XI at Dean Park, Bournemouth.

A lightning fifth-wicket partnership of 107 in only 52 minutes by Gareth Townsend (54) and Andrew Pugh (72) won the match for Devon.

Dorset's bowlers had begun well when Andy Coleman's left arm medium pace saw Andrew Procter (10) dismissed with only 11 on the board.

Matt Mixer - on his senior Dorset bow - soon had David Lye (20) trapped leg before with his left arm seam leaving Devon on 55 for two. Sean Walbridge held a return catch from Robert Dawson (29) with Devon on 131 for four, but Townsend and Pugh then upped the anti as they rattled up boundary after boundary.

Townsend hammered one six and seven fours, while Pugh hit two sixes and seven fours and Jeremy Williams (43) continued the onslaught once Walbridge had sent Townsend back to the pavilion.

Steve Forshaw's right arm seam eventually dislodged Pugh and the Stalbridge player also bagged two late wickets in three balls to finish with figures of three for 59 in 10 overs.

Dorset openers Glyn Treagus (27) and Matt Swarbrick (12) put on 34 before Matthew Theedom's right arm fast medium flummoxed Swarbrick. Darren Cowley hit a quick-fire 31 before he went with the score on 66 for two and Tim Lamb - with five fours - stuck around to score an impressive 39.

Treagus fell to Procter's off breaks and Neil Thurgood and Rintoul went cheaply.

But Martin Miller (33 not out) and Mat Mixer (16 not out) shared an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 54 to give Dorset some respectability.