Devon Cricket Board - DCBYA U14s 2015 Dorset Match Report

Dorset Pitch 1 Sherbourne School Sunday 28^th June 2015

Nick and I arrived at 9.30AM, we left early to take our time getting there, to find the grounds man about to take the covers off. It had rained steadily all the way up but the forecast suggested it should not be raining and the sun would come out during the afternoon. The covers came off and it rained! The forecast changed about 10.00AM to heavy rain clearing about 11.30!

Everybody arrived including the opposition and we agreed a delayed start until 12.00 Noon and that slipped back to 12.30PM as it continued to rain. We managed to warm up, much better lads more intensity and better quality, which we needed as the weather was causing some doubt. The start was confirmed for 12.30PM, we lost the toss and were put in on a pitch which had been used several times but was firm. As it turned out it was good to bat first on that track but the weather had suggested batting second - so both sides miss read the situation!

Deggy and Carps opened and last ball of the 1st over Carps followed one and guided it to the keeper. Not a great start. With the ball swinging, keeping low one end and sticking in the track the other batting was not easy but Saps and Deggy stuck about their task, helped by extras and the odd 4 ball and they took the score onto 48 in the 13^th over when Saps miss hit one and was caught. All the hard work undone Saps- what a shame. Tayls joined Deggy and again batted with confidence. They ran well until in the 25^th over and with the score on 88, Tayls was slightly surprisingly bowled. Locky and Deggy, Deggy now batting purposefully and in one over chipping the spinner over mid on and then next ball slog sweeping him for 4, put on 39 when Deggy (44) miss timed a sweep top edged and was caught. With runs needed Byron is promoted and as often happens it doesn’t work and he didn’t quite make the contact he normally does and was caught at square leg. Jonty (39) again promoted to get runs however comes up with that fantastic little cameo that is required, great bat Jonty and with Locky they put on 50 in 7 over when Jonty is caught and bowled. Was this innings the difference between 170 about parr and 200 which was above parr? I think so. Thank you Jonty good knock. Shortly afterwards Locky(31) holes out and Gregors and George see out the remaining deliveries and Devon finish on 198-7. Worth another 25-30 as the outfield was lush and quite large in places?

It was out best batting performance because of the pitch and weather conditions. We approached it correctly, players played to their strengths batted around Deggy, we generally ran well and we built impetus towards the end of our innings. It was a pity Elliott started to feel ill.

After a long walk and tea there was energy about the lads and they were keen to get in the field. With Elliott still recovering someone had to bowl up the hill and George took the new ball with Kers who opened. As we are now used too Kers got his first over wicket Woody taking the catch at mid on. Dorset 3-1. In the 8^th over with the score on 18 George gets his first County wicket when Locky took the catch running in from the covers. Graham and Currie then went about rebuilding Dorset’s innings, playing cautiously but taking singles and putting away the odd bad ball when Graham decided to take on the Knowles throw and lost! Bryon on the boundary raced in picked up one handed and threw flat over the stumps for Tayls to whip the bails off. Brilliant! 47-3 in the 17^th. Broad and Currie put on 34 before that man Knowles again catches Currie off Gregors. Dorset haven’t learnt their lesson though and Bowles decides to take on Byron for a second run and comes second. Know I have been doing this job for a long time, some say too long and the U14s have had some good fielders, very good fielders and one or two big arms. Burkey comes to mind, currently doing well for Surrey, had the arm but the difference with Bryon is his ability to pick up one handed on the run and throw flat. His left handed pick up, spin and throw over the top the stumps would not have been out of place in First Class cricket. Really outstanding! Dorset 90-6 in the 27^th over and the game had changed. Gregors then bowls Khan the new Sidmouth recruit, 95-7. Sam Carpenter gets his first bowl of the season and drops onto a good length. He gets the next wicket stumped Tayls, when Holmes charges. At drinks it’s 97-7 and the goal to bowl Dorset out as quickly as possibly. Give Sam another over then bring on Jonty and Elliott, who is back on the field feeling a lot better. Jonty’s over was interesting and included Deggy, those tennis ball catching drills worked Deggy, diving and taking a sharp catch behind square to dismiss Broad, who had batted well. In what is to be Carps last over so Elliott can get a bowl, he bowls Baugniet. 109-9. Carps well done I know how much these overs will mean. Saps replaced Jonty, Nick says I don’t see Elliott bowling the next over and he’s right when Saps removes Haynes leg peg first ball. Dorset 112 all out in the 32^nd over.

Quite a clinical display on a difficult weather day lads; you should be rightly proud of how much you have individually and as a Team improved. Enjoy the result and bottle the feeling. See what can be achieved if you listen, learn and work hard. Don’t get carried away though, there will be tough challenges to come. On the hard work point lads, bowlers there are too many wides so go and get some quality practice in. Keep the spirit going, enjoy your cricket and let’s see what we can achieve together. Have a good week off.

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