DEVON are the Minor Counties champions for the first time since 2006 after routing Cambridgeshire by 169 runs in the final at March Town.

The Eastern Division winners bowled out Devon for 195 in their second innings, leaving them a target of 242 to win in around 90 overs.

Plymouth College old boy James Burke (32) was among the runs for Devon, taking his tally for the season to 451 at an average of more than 40. No one in the side has better figures.

Cambridgeshire slumped from 21 for none to 27 for three after an early going over from Trevor Anning and Josh Bess.

Devon thought they had Cambridgeshire 30 for four when Jon Atkinson was given out lbw to Craig Overton, but the umpires changed their decision after protests from the batsman that he hit the ball first.

It proved a decision on Atkinson's part that backfired on Cambridgeshire.

"We were pretty pumped up anyway with a match to win and that incident really fired our players up," said Devon skipper Chris Bradley.

"Our bowlers were merciless after that and bowled as well as they have all season.

"Josh Bess did the damage early on, Trevor Anning got two big ones after lunch and Scott Barlow finished them off.

"I was surprised how easily they crumbled, but I think they knew at lunch the writing was on the wall and they had nothing left to play for."

Cambridgeshire were 59 for five at lunch and collapsed like a pack of cards to 72 all out.

It was Devon's eighth Minor Counties title and puts them within one of Buckinghamshire, who hold the all-time record with nine.

Overnight (day three): Devon 228 (RJ Woodman 67, DF Lye 49, MW Thompson 33no; PM McMahon 5-53) & 195 (JJ Bess 54no, JE Burke 32, RJ Woodman 28, MW Thompson 26; T Mees 4-31, PJ McMahon 3-54, LR Bruce 3-73), Cambridgeshire 182 (NJ Ferraby 72, AG Burton 41; C Overton 3-21, DF Lye 2-19, TS Anning 2-32) & 72 (TS Anning 3-7, S Barlow 3-4, JJ Bess 2-39).

Devon bt Cambridgeshire by 169 runs.