DEVON'S season took another soggy turn for the worse when the first day of the match against Wales at Exmouth ended before lunch.

Two of Devon's previous three games this season have been hard hit by the weather, which is one of the reasons why their Western Division title pretensions are slender to say the least.

Rain was forecast across the south west yesterday and it duly arrived on Exmouth seafront 25 overs into the match.

There wasn't much enthusiasm for playing through a heavy shower, which quickly turned into a deluge. Both sides dashed of, never to return.

It was hard to know exactly which side was on top at the time as Wales had reached 99 for five, which was a big improvement on 12 for four earlier in the day.

The obvious answer was that Devon were in charge, but the way Tom Maynard was batting perhaps the view was different in the Wales camp. Of the 99 on the board, Maynard had made 75.

Maynard, the son of former Glamorgan and England batsman Matthew Maynard, went in when Wales were two wickets down without a run on the board early in the second over.

Mike O'Shea was caught behind off Ian Bishop in the first over, then Rhodri Evans went lbw to Trevor Anning's first ball from the opposite end.

Maynard was just settling in when Anning had ex-England U19 star Ben Wright caught behind. That was eight for three.

Next to go was an unhappy Will Bragg, who was given out stumped off Anning when keeper Sandy Allen rolled the ball up to the stumps while the Welshman was out of his crease.

Words were said and fingers pointed as an unhappy Bragg trudged back up the hill towards the pavilion.

Wales went 17 runs until they lost their next wicket - Ryan Watkins leaving a gap between bat and body for Anning to get the ball through.

With half the side back in the pavilion for 29 runs on the board, it was definitely advantage Devon at that point.

Maynard was up for the scrap though and mixed solid defence with extravagant attack as he cruised to 50 and beyond. Oliver James was at the other end throughout an unbroken stand of 70. His contribution was just four.

Maynard likes to work the ball through the leg-side – favouring mid-wicket when he can – so Devon charitably fed his favourite shots. He reached is 50 with 44 in boundaries off 52 balls and when the rain arrived had faced 68 balls for his 75 and hit 64 of them in fours.

Anning finished with figures of four for 14 from 10 overs and Bishop had one for 47 from 11. Scott Barlow had a go from both ends, but got spanked both ways and was none for 33 from 4.1.

Wales 99-5 (T L Maynard 75; T S Anning 4-14) v Wales. Rain stopped play. Bonus points: Devon (2), Wales (0).