In last year’s report we considered the number of players who actually made it through from Tens and Elevens to Seventeens. Perhaps more disconcerting this year is the number of players who do not make it through from the South Africa Development tour to this age group. If the squads for 2012/2013 are considered, only nine of the twenty-six tourists (thirty-four percent) were in contention for selection this year. The really disappointing element was that five players, all of whom would probably have held down a regular place, were not actually available for selection. When this is taken into consideration the 2014 Under Seventeen season can be considered a success. After a difficult start the team turned their results around to finish in a respectable position in both competitions. The success was created by a unit who all tried to make important contributions with a number of Under Fifteens fulfilling central roles.

Devon’s season opened at May half-term with what is now becoming an annual fixture against the South and West Fifteens The brilliant 2013 summer weather started with the corresponding match but the expectancy levels for this game diminished by the hour, as an initially showery forecast rapidly changed into something far worse over the preceding four days. The BBC Weather radar gave us very little chance of starting this fixture let alone completing it. After heavy overnight rain a hearty fried breakfast was enjoyed at Woodbury and drizzle accompanied us on the drive to the ground. On arriving at Exmouth it was obvious Sandy Allen and his team had the pitch and run ups well protected and fortunately the drizzle relented. Sandy and Exmouth were outstanding all day and the game somehow started on time. The South and West captain called correctly and Devon were in the field, which would have been their preference. Ben Green and Hugo Whitlock had bowled out their visitors last year in sixteen overs. This year the South and West saw off Green, who opened from the pavilion end, he bowled three overs conceding seventeen runs including four wides. At the sea end Whitlock had given away ten runs. Dan Goodey, making his Under 17 debut, took over from Green conceding only two runs off his first over. Three balls into the eighth over Whitlock struck with Powell taking his first caught behind of the season to remove Gareth. Twenty-one balls later the South and West were 31-2, when in the eleventh over Goodey struck, bowling the other opener Samuel. The score had advanced to 45 when for the second time Goodey sent a stump flying, this time bowling Morris. The visitors were scoring at fours. An hour into the game Devon’s Under 17 rugby international, Ollie Dawe, entered the fray replacing the Abbotskerswell opening bowler. It was somewhat disconcerting later to learn that Whitlock was experimenting with his bowling, using a recently remodelled action, and he had not considered advising our coach. The captain took over from Goodey whose figures were the impressive 7-0-26-2, which compared well to Whitlock who completed his first seven overs taking 1-30. After twenty overs the Under 15s were 87-2 with a likely final product of around 250. Bess and Dawe kept the run rate under control for the next nine overs conceding less than three and a half. It was noticeable that the South were working their singles and in fact throughout their innings thirty-five percent of the runs that came off their bats were ones. This was assisted as Devon gifted overthrows. It came to light that our visitors had been at Loughborough the previous day and the hard work they had put in on this important aspect of the game proved to be very beneficial. Devon did not respond well to this tactic and in general the fielding did not reach the standard required at this level. The West’s excellent running reinforced the importance of putting a fielding side under pressure and the effect it has on sides. It was evident in this game that much work would be needed over the summer to reach the intensity required with an improvement in awareness vital. In fairness the standard did improve but this group were not the most naturally gifted. The side could and should have squeezed the batters more. Toby Codd took over from Ollie Dawe in the thirtieth over with his opponents on 117. Despite being a captain of an adult side at his club, before this spell the Under 16 off spinner had at this point of the summer not yet bowled ten overs, in what had been a wet period. He bowled well in tandem with his captain and Codd took the next wicket with a peach of a delivery. In the thirty-second over he bowled the South’s captain Organ for 43. At the final drinks break the South were 142-4 with SKY’s latest tool – Wasp now predicting a score around 230. After the next over the captain withdrew himself from the attack to give John Kerridge his first county bowl in his adopted county. He had made his Devon debut in 2013 on the Under 16s Midland Tour. The leg spinner bowled tidily and watched, in the forty-second over, top scorer Palmer run out for 54 with Sargent gaining his first Fantasy Points of the summer. It became 177-6 when the similarly sounding Herridge tried to sweep Kerridge and was bowled. Bess ran out Allen to leave the South & West 211-7 with thirteen balls remaining. Wasp was floundering as nine balls later the non striker deflected the ball to bowler Green to complete the third run out of the innings. The final wicket to fall was taken by Green who had Trenouth caught by Kerridge at mid-off. The Somerset batsman keeper had opened his account with a perfectly executed Buttler scoop. Devon would need 225 to win at a rate of four and half. Their over rate had been a disappointing 16.85 and the importance of getting this up to an acceptable rate was explained. The T Hut provided our first Lasagne of the summer and set a very high standard for the rest of the season.

Devon batted in the best conditions of the day and the groundsman’s radar indicated that it was now highly likely that the game would be completed. Matt Skeemer and Harvey Sargent put on 77 which was, somewhat disappointingly, to be the highest opening partnership of the summer. Over the summer our openers averaged 27.5 which is not sufficient as a sound foundation is an essential ingredient in a teams success. On this occasion, as was often the case, they appeared in very little difficulty but in the seventeenth over Sargent chipped a return catch. He had played his role well and has to play a major part in his two remaining years at this age group. For a first year his average of over 36 was really encouraging. Vice captain Matt Skeemer was now two runs past his fifty and at drinks the message to the opener from Matt Cooke was to bat through for an undefeated 120. Dan Powell and Skeemer took Devon up to three figures when in the twentieth over Skeemer fell again in the sixties. He was bowled by Belcher having faced sixty-six balls and he had batted for eight minutes over the hour. He hit seven fours and two sixes. Although he reached the eighties on two occasions Matt did not have the pleasure of the experience of raising his bat when he had reached three figures in 2014 It will happen, hopefully sooner rather than later but Matt’s contribution over the summer as one of the side’s senior professionals was an exceptional one . Ben Green batted for fifteen minutes and was the second Devon batter to chip this time to the covers. Fortunately the now Exeter and Heathcoat pairing of Powell and Bess batted exquisitely putting on an unbroken 109 off one hundred and thirty-two balls in sixty-eight minutes. Powell reached his fifty off sixty-three balls and ended up on eighty-four (five fours, two sixes) and the captain scored an equally valuable 35 with two fours. This was the first of three century partnerships over the summer and the captain featured in all three. Football completed the proceedings with Matt Cooke’s first debrief. Areas to work on, including reducing extras, were agreed but all should have been reasonably satisfied with this warm up for the summer. The ground was left with large spots of rain that increased in intensity. It had been remarkable that a game had taken place and that was really down to the work of the host club who had been extraordinary.

The weather forecast for our one day game at the County Ground Taunton predicted some very unwanted shades of green over Somerset’s county town. Jonathan Mears and the West contingent were passed in the mini-bus on the A38 and the team left the services early. There was a definite build up in cloud as the side advanced North to play for the first time since 1996 at the County Ground. That was the only year the Greenbook was actually blue! On that occasion Boase, Johnstone, Lye and Williams had scored 254-4 off fifty overs to impress a Somerset Director of Cricket now living in retirement in Dartmouth. Somerset reached 191 all out in reply. That side went on to beat Warwickshire in an historic two day quarter final at Exmouth only to lose to Sussex on the same ground in the semi-final. In 2014 the warm ups were interrupted twice by showers as the radar's largest green spot turned gold. However there was encouraging news that the sheets were being removed and play would start at 12.19pm. At least the side would have an opportunity of playing at Taunton, however brief. Somerset inserted their near neighbours and took their first wicket in the second over - Sargent caught behind - Devon 5-1. Three balls later 5-2 as Skeemer was adjudged caught behind leg side off Tomkins. The normally placid all rounder actually raised both eye brows. It was unfortunate it was an Indian summer as the DRS hot spot would not have indicated any contact. The dismissal and response was featured on the season's DVD. Dan Powell and Dominic Bess then batted fluently, showing the benefit of knowing each other’s game, taking Devon up to 58 off twelve overs when the gold spot arrived. An early lunch was taken, Somerset were hopeful of getting back on but it then just rained and rained. The mighty Blotter cleared the sheets of surface water but the game was eventually abandoned. Somerset had been incredible helpful in making all the arrangements and allowing us the chance of playing at Taunton. We made our biennial trip to the Blorenge House, the screen timings ruled out a film, the offer of ten pin bowling was only taken up by three so cancelled and an already very tired looking team took a nap. Navigated by TOMTOM we again returned to the Anchor, the route taken provided the new bus driver with an initiation test and his ability to drive in narrow lanes. Mears passed the test and we returned on proper roads. The food was reasonable, Brazil were five down at half time and the eight hours message was passed on for the first time in 2014.

Some of the lethargy in the group from the previous day still appeared visible on the second. This was really frustrating but unsurprising when their personal programmes were studied. The worst case was nine straight days of cricket which would now be extended by another three days! It is hoped that the message had now been spelt out and had been taken on board. There was a lack of understanding of why there is a need to have individual programmes in place and the necessity for rest away from the cricket field. It was overcast for the warm up and the verdict of the ground staff was to field first as the pitch was green. However disaster struck before the exchange of team sheets as keeper batsman Dan Powell complained of a bad back and would be unable to take on his full responsibilities. There was only one decision to be made, despite Dan believing he could bat, it was essential we got in an extra body. Under sixteen Josh Cann answered the call brilliantly and was somehow at the ground by eleven. By then Devon had been inserted and started a really disappointing batting performance, their worst two day effort of the summer. The pitch was not a problem, it did not misbehave throughout the game. Matt Skeemer and Harvey Sargent renewed their partnership and all seemed to be going to plan. They had put on 36 in nearly eleven overs when Skeemer was caught behind off Redup. This was the third successive caught behind over two day’s play for the openers. The second wicket fell on the same score as twelve balls later an identical dismissal sent Dan Pyle to the pavilion. The captain joined his former club team mate and they advanced the score by 45 runs but four overs before lunch Sargent departed for the side’s highest individual score. He had contributed forty-five of the 81 runs on the board. He was leg before to Harrison. It got quickly worse as the captain fell bowled by Thomas for 16. He had batted for a minute under the hour. Dan Wolf then was out four balls before lunch. Reid Mawdsley and Toby Codd took their side to the interval perilously poised on 86-5 off thirty overs. If nothing else, this collapse clearly demonstrated the importance of batting for intervals and putting on a partnership of at least ten. Such a contribution invariably indirectly indicates some stability. Devon never recovered the situation. Second over after lunch our number eight Ollie Dawe was at the crease having replaced Codd. The partnership that followed was the only bright spot of the day for the visitors. Reid Mawdsley had added some real maturity to his game over the winter and the Exmouth seamer put on fifty off only forty-five balls. Dawe had clearly shown his intent hitting his first ball way over the deep mid wicket rope with an imperious shot. From 91-6 Devon advanced to 141 before Dawe’s attractive knock came to an end. He had hit two sixes and three fours. At lunch Devon were looking for some batsmen to score thirties Ollie nearly achieved this feat falling one sort. The pair had demonstrated what could be achieved, actually putting some pressure on the home side but alas it was all too late. Josh Cann fell on the same score being the side’s second leg before candidate. Dan Goodey and Mawdsley achieved the side’s solitary batting point but two runs later Goodey was out. Ten were added for the last wicket with John Kerridge again demonstrating that he is not an eleven. He was bowled by Thomas to be the off spinner’s seventh victim with figures of 13.3-1-48-7. It would be fair to report that his opponents had greatly assisted in these fine bowling figures. Mawdsley had batted beautifully being undefeated on thirty-six having batted for seventy minutes, he faced sixty-two balls of which three crossed the boundary. The tenth wicket fell at seventeen minutes to three providing Devon with two opportunities to put the home side under pressure, before and after tea. A huge early concerted spontaneous appeal for leg before was declined and the much needed breakthrough did not materialise. Somerset reached tea at 40-0 off thirteen overs. The home side’s front and back pads were rapped on a number of occasions and two catches were not taken. Somerset lost their first wicket in the twentieth over with a score of 54, when at last an appeal was upheld as Bess had Harrison leg before. Devon took their second wicket in the thirty-seventh over when the Under 16 pairing of Cann and Goodey combined to take another joint wicket. Stumps were drawn on time with Somerset just twenty-one runs behind with eight wickets intact. The real concern was that left hander, Underwood, looked in total control of the situation. The evening team discussion was led by the players who got most things that had gone wrong right. Incredibly the Anchor had run out of steaks, one would have thought in view of the consumption the previous night they might have gone out for more supplies! The World Cup proved that even host countries can have off days but Devon needed a major turnaround on the second day particularly in their body language!

Wednesday provided the best weather of the three days in Taunton as the day's play starting slowly as Somerset set about obtaining full batting points. They received confirmation from Lords that they could bat all day, if they wished, but one wondered what was Plan A apart from getting to 300 quickly and then rolling Devon over. Devon were a much improved side despite an early miss in the slip cordon. Having for the past three years had the best slippers in Devon's history, this was a second reality check. The need for a fit twelfth man was reinforced as the day progressed as six complaints were reported and ultimately it was necessary for Dan Powell to make up the numbers in the field. However Devon kept to their task manfully. There had been a stiff breeze the previous day which had made it difficult for bowlers but this had now increased on the second day to the much stronger natural element of a strong wind. It actually took Somerset ten overs to secure their ten points with Goodey and Bess bowling well in tandem. Devon secured two wickets in this session. On 228 Dan Wolf at point held an excellent catch off Matt Skeemer to remove the outstanding Underwood, eight runs short of his personal three figures - Somerset 228-3. As the scorer had pointed out overnight the Cornwood all rounder had dismissed him in 2013. Next over the new ball was taken and within thirty two balls a fourth wicket fell. Second slip Skeemer held a smart catch off Dawe to revive hopes for the summer’s close to the wicket catching. Lunch was taken with Somerset three short of the third batting point and a minimum of sixty-seven overs left in the day. When three hundred was reached Devon prepared themselves for a post lunch onslaught and a declaration. The side bowled and fielded well and Skeemer took his second wicket when he bowled Preston. The home side did not seem in any great hurry as they picked up their final point in their one hundred and first over. The anticipated declaration did not take place which reduced the number of overs Devon would have to bat. In fact the delayed declaration also assisted Devon in picking up a third bowling point as Wolf bowled MacGill and Cann held a smart catch standing up to the captain. The home side continued to bat and when one hundred and sixty-nine ahead declared. The visitors would have to bat a minimum of forty-seven overs to avoid a possible rare outright loss. The game plan was agreed and to the credit of the top order was achieved. Skeemer was dominant in an opening partnership of forty-one which took in tea, scoring thirty-eight. His partner Sargent was the perfect foil. Skeemer fell in the second over after the interval, allowing the normally attacking Dan Pyle to demonstrate his defensive technique. The Under 16 pairing had occupied the crease for six minutes under an hour facing twenty-two overs when Pyle was caught. He did go on to demonstrate at Sixteens a real aptitude for the two day game. Devon were now 64-2 and entering the final hour of a minimum of seventeen overs. The arrival of the captain had a major impact on his side’s innings. He went through the gears and with Harvey Sargent batted beautifully, putting on an unbroken one hundred and eight off one hundred and five balls and at the same time picking up two batting points. This was the best third wicket partnership of the summer, lamentably the next best was fifty-one runs less in the side’s final innings of the summer. Devon's Plan B was to pad up Ollie Dawe should an additional batting point be in range. Devon finished three runs ahead. Both batsmen completed personal half centuries - the captain finished on 67 (11 fours and a six) and Sargent 52 off 150 balls and in the same number of minutes - an outstanding contribution. Although at one time it did look as if the Sidmouth opener would not reach a personal fifty as his captain took a single off the last ball of the penultimate over. Sargent was then on 45. However he immediately got back on strike, took a four to third man and a two enabled the Under Fifteen to raise his bat. The senior players had been asked at the beginning of the day to ensure that they left having made some obvious progress, this they had most certainly achieved.

It was hoped that some important lessons had been learnt from the first game of the summer. The second was approached with some real expectancy as we were back, after a short break, at one of our favourite grounds, Sandford. We also had our top five batsmen all available together for potentially, and in fact, the only week in the summer with Dan Powell now fit and Ben Green not needed elsewhere. However Reid Mawdsley had been called in for an unprogrammed operation and he was missed in a number of ways. After some useful performances for Plymouth’s first team, Joe Hagan-Burt responded to the call and two tactical changes were made to the side that had played Somerset. This provided opportunities for the inform Jamie Drew and Matthew Petherbridge but meant there was no place for Hugo Whitlock or John Kerridge. The first day started overcast but brightened up as the game progressed. Wales called correctly and Devon were again in the field. Ollie Dawe struck in his first over having Thornton caught behind by the still reluctant keeper, Dan Powell. Dawe took his second wicket with the fifth ball of his third over when he had Thorpe-Yon leg before. The batter was to have a nightmare three days in Devon falling in an identical fashion every time he batted! Green completed his first spell of seven overs, having conceded twenty-six runs. His partner Dawe had conceded the same number of runs at the end of his spell. The captain made his first changes maintaining the same letter at each end Dan Goodey took over from Green and Jamie Drew relieving Dawe. After twenty overs Wales had started to recover the situation reaching eighty-five. Four overs later Drew took his side’s third wicket with Joe Hagan-Burt confidently taking the catch. Honours were even at lunch with Wales 137-3. Pork in cider with pastry crust was enjoyed along with crumble and ice cream. If it had been an honourable draw in the first session, Devon took the second. In the next thirty-three overs they took the remaining seven wickets conceding just 89 runs. Third over after lunch Ben Green took a neat catch off the captain with three runs having been added. The skipper took the next wicket having Brown really well caught by Skeemer at short leg. Matt had only just taken up the position and thereafter throughout the summer gave an excellent demonstration of fielding in this very difficult position that has probably not been bettered in youth cricket. He looked a most accomplished fielder in this role and his presence right through the summer and his superb hand eye co-ordination put the opposition under huge pressure. Two overs later he took his second exceptional catch to remove Roberts who had been at the crease for over two hours – a massive breakthrough. Roberts was the visitor’s top scorer with fifty-nine valuable runs. Wales were now 154-6 and on the same score left armer spinner Matt Petherbridge took his first wicket at this level. In a twenty over debut spell he was bowling exceptionally well and he started converting his pressure into wickets as he first bowled Pearce and twenty runs later had Carey well held by Goodey in the deep. Mills, who was to make an even greater impression later in the week, and their keeper, Ansell, then put on a critical forty-eight off one hundred and two balls. This was the partnership that enabled the visitors to take the vital ten first innings points. Devon finally removed Ansell when he was bowled by the captain and without addition Green took a wicket when Wolf caught Mills. Devon would need 226 for a first innings win and had six overs to face before tea. Sargent was out in the second over with two on the board. A visit to Crediton, well two, had been needed to replace an opponents iPad charger damaged by one of our four legged supporters. The shopper returned to watch the first over after tea and witness Powell bowled by the same bowler on the back foot from one that kept low. From 7-2 Matt Skeemer and Ben Green advanced to nineteen when the England Under 17 all rounder was caught behind. The fourth wicket fell in the seventeenth over when the skipper was leg before to Thomas, 58-4, and then Dan Wolf was bowled by Thomas in the twentieth over. The second Under 15 debutant, Joe Hagan-Burt, joined his West Devon colleague and the pair added twenty-eight runs before Hagan-Burt was caught for a fighting ten. Ollie Dawe’s wrist had been operated on the previous week and he had a hospital check up the following morning which would mean he would be missing for at least the first thirty-minutes of the second day. He was sent in, a calculated gamble, in the hope that he might be able to change the tempo of the innings. He scored a six ball four and his dismissal exposed Toby Codd to potentially thirty-six balls before close of play. The partnership took up thirty-three of these balls but on the third ball of the final over Codd was exasperatingly caught in the leg trap. Devon finished the first day one hundred and twelve runs behind with two wickets remaining. Matt Skeemer had shown the application needed at this level and was unbeaten eight runs past his fifty.

All summer the BBC six to ten day advance weather forecast had favoured the light rain shower symbol. It then tended to become more accurate and, although Wednesday had at one time predicted light showers, it had now changed to light cloud. However Bee’s Spotlight Breakfast forecast now indicated light showers at nine and so she proved to be right. They eased away and the day became bright and hot. Devon’s first target was to avoid the follow on, then get a batting point and see where we were with regard time and potential. The first objective was achieved in the seventh over as Jamie Drew provided the staunch support that Skeemer deserved. The first batting point was reached in the twelfth over and as the two batters seemed in complete control Plan B was brought into operation and we would see how close we could get to their score. Unfortunately eight runs later Skeemer’s superb innings came to an end. He was first missed at slip but in the same over was caught behind for an exceptional 87. He hit eleven fours and a six, batted for over three hours and faced one hundred and sixty-one balls. He was to have one further opportunity to get into three figures, something he really deserved. Jamie Drew and he had put on a really important forty-four off eighty-three deliveries with the Heathcoat all rounder making an equally important contribution. The side then turned to Plan C and a decision would have to be made as to whether they should continue batting or start trying to take wickets. Dan Goodey and Drew batted for a minute under the hour as a second batting point was approached. It did not arrive as Goodey was caught for a very useful 23 leaving Drew unbeaten, having scored one run less. The final product of 192 was much better than could have been anticipated at close of play the previous night but in reality was a poor batting performance. Skeemer, Drew and Goodey had demonstrated the tenacity that two day cricket often requires. Devon, hoping for a wicket or two before lunch in the seven overs available, opened with the captain and Green. The wicket did not materialise but the lasagne, strawberries, ice cream and meringue, not all together, were thoroughly enjoyed.

The first wicket to fall fell in the second over after the interval, Green holding Thornton at slip off Dawe, now back from his check up, 37-1. Seventy-two runs later it was 109-2 as Voke was leg before to Bess for forty-three and on an identical score Thorpe–Yon was out on Nelson to provide Devon with a bowling point. Forty-six were added for the fourth wicket as the seamers were rested for Sidmouth next day. Bess bowled Roberts on 157 and ten runs later their captain Carlson was leg before to Petherbridge. The final wicket to fall was Pearce caught at short leg as the ball hit Skeemer and he caught the rebound. Brown went on to be unbeaten on sixty-six and keeper Ansell not out on fifty-six as the pair put on a hundred for the seventh wicket. Both Bess and Petherbridge completed their twenty-five overs, the latter with a side strain. Codd and Sargent also bowled and the game came a conclusion at five thirty after Devon had failed to pick up a third bowling point. These had been two difficult and thought provoking days but it been good to be back at Sandford.

On the website, the headline for the one day game with Wales reads – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. In reality this game was the lowest point of the summer - a disaster! However it started so well - the feel of the day at the Fortfield just seemed right, gorgeous weather with blue skies and shimmering sea, high activity by the ground team and a good warm up led by Matt Cooke on his home ground. The only contentious elements were a delayed start to 11.00am as Wales had timed their preparation for this time and a view from a senior player that we should bat second. It did not matter as a fifth toss in succession was lost and Devon, who had fielded for nearly four hours the previous afternoon at Sandford, were back out in the field in intense heat. Devon then produced their best cricket to date of the summer in a scintillating display that reduced their visitors to 87-8 within twenty overs. The quality of the cricket during these ninety-two minutes shocked their opponents and excited a more than reasonable crowd. Ben Green struck in the fifth over when Voke pulled him straight down Harvey Sargent’s throat. Three balls later Ollie Dawe struck trapping Thorpe-Yon in front for the third time in three days – 33-2. Six runs later Jamie Drew held the first fine catch of the innings. Ansell pulled Green and was brilliantly caught by Jamie on the rope. In six balls, Ben Green, had conceded six runs and a wide and taken three wickets as he then bowled Carlson. In the twelfth over Toby Codd took full advantage of confusion between the two batters to run out Roberts. If Wales were not down and out they were now on the ropes being 58-5. The captain, Dominic Bess, then took two truly staggering catches at slip. He dived to pick up first Pearce off Dan Goodey and then James off Jamie Drew. These catches were simply brilliant and, if the side were not on a high before, they most certainly were now as Wales were 69-7 off sixteen. The Heathcoat pair of Jamie Drew and Dan Powell took the eighth wicket when the keeper took a smart stumping. There was total disbelief around the ground and our opponents were considering an early departure. However Devon then totally lost their way as Carey crashed and Mills blocked. The pair put on exactly one hundred off only one hundred and fourteen balls in a minute under an hour. Carey’s fifty came up off forty-four balls and in all he hit twelve fours and three sixes before he became over ambitious to give Green a fourth wicket, when Dan Wolf held a regulation but very important catch a few yards in from the rope.. His innings had been a perfect example of how to counter attack, He took on the Devon skipper and seamers Drew, Skeemer, Green and Wolf to total eighty-four. He had a perfect partner in Mills, who batted initially at the non striker’s end and then played straight without being over ambitious when at the striker’s end. His contribution to the partnership of twenty-three was absolutely essential, Devon, not for the first time, need to learn how to respond to such a situation and pressurise the lesser batter. It actually got worse as the final pairing put on an unbeaten sixty-three off seventy-three balls in only thirty-nine minutes. The silence for the final eleven overs both on the field and in the ground said so much as to how much the home side had lost their way by allowing the last two pairings to score more runs than Devon could subsequently muster as a team. Mills completed a personal fifty and number eleven, Jones, an unbeaten twenty-eight in forty-three minutes as Devon appeared to be just going through the motions, The home team had fallen from ecstasy to total depression as perhaps never previously experienced. It had actually coincided with a change in ball! An important lesson for all the Devon players was to actually experience this awful feeling! Sidmouth provided a variety of deserts and spaghetti bolognaise.

Devon now needed five an over and the top five to set a platform. At the half way stage they were 54-8 the game lost and the Greenbook being discreetly thumbed in the scorebox for records of the worst kind. A tired Matt Skeemer pulled his fourth ball and was taken at mid wicket, 0-1, and Sargent played a similar shot, 17-2. Wales were now employing two mid wickets - Ben Green found one of them, 27-3, then the captain slashed at Brown to be caught behind 29-4. Dan Powell was applying himself at one end as did Dan Wolf, when he joined the Heathcoat keeper, but he fell in the eighteenth over bowled by Pike. Debutant Under 15 captain, Billy Rudolph, was trapped in front, 41-6, Powell was out in a similar manner to the other top order batsmen and was caught, 44-7, Toby Codd gave Brown the charge to be stumped, 54-8. This brought Ollie Dawe to the crease to join Jamie Drew, whose batting over the summer become an equally important ingredient in his contribution to the side. The pair got their heads down and put on twenty-four at a run a minute off forty-four balls. In the process the scorer could tick off the 64 against Dorset in 1993 and the 67 against Hampshire in 2002. Drew was out in the thirty-second over, playing across the line to be leg before. The final pairing of Dawe and Dan Goodey actually ticked off the remaining five Greenbook totals under 120, as they applied themselves against a softer ball and put on sixty-three in forty-six minutes off eighty-seven balls. Ollie Dawe played his natural game, including some shots more appropriate to the grass at Wimbledon, got hit and hit back (with his bat) and scored a maiden county fifty. We had to suffer the consequences of this fine innings for the remainder of the season!! He had already pointed out more than once that he will allow his actions to speak louder than his words. Goodey played his part, he did give a chance before Dawe was able to raise his bat but showed what sheer application can do. He did eventually succumb for a fifty ball eight leaving Dawe unbeaten on fifty-eight (forty-six balls, fifty-one minutes, ten fours and a six. This stand gave Devon some respectability, at least on paper and was twenty-nine runs higher than the second best tenth wicket stand of 2014. This had been achieved the previous day but it was still well short of Yau’s and Chappell record. If nothing else, this performance hopefully reduced the view that we should bat second particularly on a top deck. This game clearly demonstrated all the disadvantages of such a decision – in this case extend the time in the field to over eight hours in intense heat, it is always easier to recover difficult situations when setting rather than chasing and basically it is always easier to set than chase. Provided climatic conditions have not interfered Devon should always bat first but unfortunately you first have to win the toss, something that had not yet been achieved in 2014 up until then! This had been a really strange game with seventeen players contributing 165 runs and the remaining five scoring 226. The day ended with the normal hunt for car keys, phones and credit cards at what must be one of the most sociable clubs in Devon. With their members enjoying the delights of their bar and caterers, Sidmouth was a very happy place to play at and it was a pleasure to be back after a gap of nine years Unfortunately they still have a very busy fixture list and two day cricket seems a distant hope.

As we entered the second half of the summer it was evident that the side would have to turn around their fortunes and much to their eternal credit this is exactly what they did. The class is permanent, form is……………..cliché was eventually proved right!

We were again meeting the afternoon before our three days in Gloucestershire but as the meeting point was approached there was a very nasty build up of dark smoke emanating from Woodbury, our initial destination. The luggage van had been left at Rydon Farm and the closer we got real concern entered our thoughts. Fortunately what was a very serious fire, that subsequently took up many pages of newsprint, was at a scrap yard not that far from the farm. It would appear that fire watching had becoming a national Sunday pastime as it was really remarkable how many parked vehicles there were with spectators watching this most unfortunate state of affairs The lane to the farm was blocked by four by fours and our schedule slipped even further behind. We reached MOTO fifteen minutes late, further disaster as the ice cream freezer was on the blink and the assortment of ice creams much reduced! However our AA membership ensured a reasonable discount. The three vehicle convoy was on its way and good time was made to Bristol. All the basic rules had been broken in booking the Ibis as it was situated in the middle of this popular City. It was not a smooth arrival as we passed Brunel’s SS Great Britain to be told persistently by our navigation system that we had reached our destination. We had been taken into the middle of some type of music festival, fortunately marshalled by the local constabulary. We were quickly redirected but the two metre height restriction of the nearby car parks were of some concern for both van and mini-bus. The nine players present successfully unloaded and a seven o’clock departure time was agreed for dinner. It was a tedious journey to the Yeoman at Whitchurch to meet up with Mr Rudolph who had most kindly brought across the three Fifteens whose game we had briefly watched on entering the City. This was not to be one of the scorer’s better selections, her excuse was that no one else would take bookings on a Sunday night! The food was acceptable but the music was overbearing. Even penetrating an ear that normal needs artificial amplification. We returned to the car park that had no height restrictions and walked back to the hotel.

A reasonable self service breakfast with an al fresco option was followed by the five minute walk to the car park, which with perseverance was reduced to three minutes by the third day. We had passed some of the grounds of Clifton College the previous evening but TOMTOM took us an entirely different way and it confirmed the choice of hotel to be a wise one as the ground, even in rush hour conditions, was found it minutes. The College provided a spectacular back drop to play cricket but as seems traditional in Bristol it was totally resistant to dogs. After UN negotiations they were allowed in the score box and a local park was recommended. The previous weekend the ground had been flooded by storms and was very green. We had been warned that some remedial work had been undertaken on the square the previous winter and there would not be a great deal of bounce. At last the captain’s call of heads worked and Devon were batting. The importance of a decent opening partnership can never be overstressed, most certainly not in this report, and once again it sadly did not materialise. Off the fifth ball of the opening over Skeemer was out, having hit the first legal ball sublimely for four he was caught off a long hop .Matt was dismissed, caught, ten times in the summer. Dominic Bess had volunteered to go in at three and he and Harvey Sargent put on fifty-four off one hundred and seventeen balls. Somewhat surprisingly this was, until the one day game at Brislington, the highest second wicket partnership of the summer. The captain was the second wicket to fall, bowled by Lezar for thirty-five. The brought Under Fifteen captain, Billy Rudolph, to the crease and he with his colleague from the previous day, Harvey Sargent, took Devon to lunch three short of three figures. Lasagne was enjoyed particularly by our left arm spinner who outdid Oliver Twist and actually asked for more twice! Post lunch sessions can swing or damage games and in this knowledge the two Under Fifteens intended to get their heads down but in the third over after the break Rudolph’s innings came to a conclusion. He had batted just under the hour and faced sixty-three balls in compiling a most useful thirty-one. The East Devon pair had taken their side up to 104. The fourth wicket had added fourteen when Sargent over balanced trying to hit a wide leg side long hop and was stumped. Reid Mawdsley back from his operation but, with all the ancillary side effects from the anaesthetic, did not look his normal self and was soon bowled. Devon were now meandering at 125-5 off fifty-two overs and needed a change in tempo. Fortunately this came from the two Dans - Powell and Wolf. The Paignton all rounder had not been firing on all cylinders in 2014 but a pre lunch net session with the coach helped him turn the corner for the remainder of the summer. The sixth wicket pairing combined to put on the highest partnership of the game – eighty off one hundred and fifty-two balls in seventy minutes. They were together at tea with Devon past their first batting point on 188. Crustless sandwiches and the remnants of the fruit salad were enjoyed with increased optimism. Five runs past the second bonus point Powell was out. The all rounder has been struggling with his batting but there were signs in this important innings that he was on the way back. He was bowled by Bracey for forty-six off one hundred and six balls having batted for a minute under two hours. Jamie Drew joined Wolf who was now playing in his 2013 form and their partnership took Devon to within fifteen of the second batting point. Drew’s stubbornness was again essential but Wolf was caught by a remarkable catch at slip by Loud, a gifted Under Sixteen. The fielder actually bettered it in the one day game. Dan had batted for and faced an identical number of balls – one hundred and nine. He hit six fours in his important fifty-four. Unfortunately the lower order, apart from a stand of twenty-five with Toby Codd, did not stay around long enough to give Drew the support he deserved and his team needed. From 235-7 Devon fell away to 267 all out and at five thirty-two the instruction to don whites was given and seven minutes later they were out warming up. The batting side had faced ninety-seven overs and the umpires, who had been under observation by a local assessor of the ACO, were preparing calculations. A wicket or two was the objective before close but was not achieved as five overs conceded thirteen runs. It could have been six overs if our non batter had been more alert to the situation and quicker in retrieving the ball! This had been a difficult day for Devon who realistically had not posted sufficient runs. The team walked across from the Ibis to The Slug and Lettuce for a more relaxed and enjoyable meal made even more agreeable by their special Happy Monday night deal that we had been unaware of until sitting down.

Route two to the car park shaved a minute off personal bests only to be beaten on the return trip when access for the ongoing Bristol University Graduations enabled all records to be broken. The side appeared in good heart as they took to the field with the school clock chiming the hour. The Gloucestershire openers seemed in little trouble until off the seventieth ball of the morning Bracey slashed hard at Dawe and Wolf held an exceptional catch at second slip. Thirty-six for one, six balls later Dan Goodey struck trapping Hopkins in front. Lezar was joined by the home side’s captain and Bath batsman, Hankings, who had recently featured in The Cricketer. The pair put on fifty-six taking their side up to three minutes to lunch when the captain had a double strike. Wolf took another catch and the captain bowled Grieshaber first ball. The Gloucestershire wicket keeper batsman had been called up in June to make his LV County Championship debut against Glamorgan scoring ten against the Welsh. Lunch was taken with Gloucestershire 97-4. Large chicken breasts were served by the College catering team. Gloucestershire were one hundred and seventy-behind with six wickets in hand. Two partnerships in excess of fifty started to make them favourites for first innings points but the fielding side kept at it on another exceptionally hot day. The fifth wicket fell three runs after the first bonus batting point was acquired, as Petherbridge, making up for his misdemeanour the previous night, took the key wicket of Hankins, trapping him leg before for sixty. He and Loud had put on fifty-six in fifteen overs. This was on the fifth ball of the sixtieth over and our spinners were bowling a vital spell. Bess had regularly changed his bowlers looking for openings. Loud was proving to be a thorn as he and Slade put on their side’s best partnership of fifty-nine. The captain took the sixth wicket when he bowled Loud for sixty-eight. In his next and final over the Exeter all-rounder took his fourth wicket trapping Summerfield - 216-7. Tea was taken with Gloucestershire forty runs adrift, the game had the makings of a tense final session. The exceptionally fit Ollie Dawe, a quick bowler who seems, even in heat, to sustain his pace over his entire spell, took the eighth wicket with the second new ball. With Gloucestershire still needing thirty-six Dan Powell held a vital catch. Enter Shine with an old fashioned gait and a stance reminiscent of the old village blacksmith. First ball crashed though extra cover for four, next over he smacked Goodey’s second ball in an identical fashion and the heart fluttered. It was apparent he was not an orthodox blacksmith as his strength was on the off side as opposed to cow. The two seamers actually responded well to what could have been a critical ten minutes. He waved his bat with great velocity, faced thirty balls scored fifteen runs and then smote Dawe to long off with some force. Positioned in this very important position was the third youngest member of the team – Billy Rudolph. To his everlasting credit he never looked like dropping this match winning catch. He held it with great aplomb, in the context of the match a brilliant catch. One wicket remaining eleven needed, Devon celebrated the catch and were now scenting victory. Morris came to the wicket, Ellis added two to his total and it took Goodey two balls to bowl Morris. The coach had now experienced most of the emotions that go with the job and Devon then set about getting an eighteen point haul. This had been an outstanding team performance with everyone fighting for the cause, the captain, on his seventeenth birthday, again provided a critical return of 4-64 off his twenty-five overs but Dawe had taken three for thirty-seven off nineteen and the others had all bowled well. The fielding had needed to improve on the three previous games and had done so.

Devon lost five wickets in reaching the three figures needed, conceding two bonus points. This net one bonus point did not have make any difference to the final league placing as Gloucestershire ended up four points better off than us. Skeemer fell third ball, four and out, Bess scored seven which was also Powell’s contribution and Sargent hit twenty-one leaving Devon 41-4. Wolf and Rudolph steadied the ship when the Ottery man was caught Devon were 75-5. Wolf was just carrying on from his first innings performance and took Devon up to one hundred with an over to spare. Bess immediately declared with Wolf nine short of a second fifty and Mawdsley, who had given his partner the strike, on seven. The pair had scored twenty-five runs off eighteen balls. As a unit the team had built up the momentum in this game and it was unfortunate that their next ECB two day game was now three weeks away. The Slug and Lettuce did not have a full menu which for the second time on our travels this year did not go down well particularly when an administrator had sacrificed his Clifton College chicken breast for a much anticipated rack of ribs

We left the Ibis on time; the route to the car park now finely tuned but the journey to Brislington took us against the converging rush hour traffic through the City Centre. Not an easy exercise but all three vehicles completed the difficult part interspersed by a dozen or more set of lights and we all somehow found ourselves on the same route to our Sunday night pub. The van missed a sharp left thus giving the others some estate driving and we ended up at the wrong end of Ironmould Lane at a scrap yard having been reassured by a Gloucester player that we were at the right place. We turned around followed by the player who later admitted he had never been to the ground and after seeking directions from a football academy and five left turns found the right end of the Lane. The host club was most welcoming they were also hosting a Somerset/Wiltshire Under 12 game on their second pitch. It appears that Brislington has had allegiances in the past to both Gloucestershire and Somerset. Dominic Bess made it two correct calls in the week and Devon batted. They started well putting on twenty-four in five overs. However the batting hero from Sandford was again dismissed cheaply as he chipped a return catch. He had again struck a classical four. In intense heat Harvey Sargent and Dan Powell put on a season’s best - fifty-eight runs in forty minutes off sixty-five balls. Sargent was out in the fifteenth over to a truly exceptional catch by Loud. He dived full length to take it one handed, a catch of the season at any level. Sargent had scored twenty-seven off fifty balls with four fours. Powell who was now approaching his best form was joined by Dan Wolf who for the first time in the week did not make a major contribution but shared in a partnership of twenty-eight. After twenty overs Devon were 114-3. The next three pairings took the visitors up to 137-6 eleven balls into the second half of the innings. The fourth wicket to fall had been the keeper who was bowled for his side’s top score of fifty-six off fifty-nine balls. Although he had not batted on he had played most of his wristy trademark shots, hitting eight fours and a six. Eleven balls later Reid Mawdsley was back under the umbrella for two. Gloucestershire then took another important wicket when Hopkins caught the captain off the bowling of his opposite number. Devon now needed to regroup and utilise all their overs. This they nearly succeeded in achieving batting for all but eight balls. The key to this success was dogged determination by the later order again led by Jamie Drew. He and Billy Rudolph put on thirty-seven for the seventh wicket, of which the Ottery all rounder contributed twenty-two. William who had made a good impression over the three days helped provide the side, in his first year, with some common sense and balance. He was run out going for a second, he hesitated slightly but DRS might have been interesting! Ollie Dawe took three balls to hit a boundary, also ran a single but was back on the bench after a triple five (runs, balls and minutes). After forty overs Devon were one hundred and eighty-five for eight. Drew was looking totally at ease and pacing his innings perfectly but he was next out in the forty-seventh over when he was bowled by Currill for a fifty-seven ball forty-five. He had batted for four minutes over the hour and hit seven fours. His contribution had again been critical to his side’s ultimate success as was his partnership of fifty-five with Toby Codd whose involvement was also very important. The final pairing put on fourteen taking their side up to an acceptable return of 254. Dan Goodey played a couple of high pedigree shots in his five ball eleven. Codd was the last wicket to fall for a significant nineteen.

Devon had fought back well and placed themselves in a reasonable position and their situation got even better. After four overs they had reduced their hosts to 13-3. Goodey struck first getting Bracey caught behind sixth ball. In the third over Powell repeated his involvement catching Lezar off Ollie Dawe and the top three were all back in the pavilion when Dawe trapped Hopkins leg before. The fourth wicket fell in the eleventh over when Goodey gained a leg before to remove Grieshaber. The home side was now in some difficulty on 53-4 still needing two hundred and one off two hundred and thirty-four balls with six wickets remaining. Now at the crease were their two key batsmen - Hankins and the impressive Loud. They added their side’s best partnership - forty-four - but the Devon spinners were exploiting a track that favoured their type of bowling. Both Petherbridge and Bess were regularly beating the bat. The Cornwood left arm spinner took out the Gloucestershire captain for the second time in the week when he bowled Hankins. Five runs later Loud was out, caught by Codd driving Petherbridge. One hundred and two for six became 102-7 when next ball Summerfield was caught at slip by the captain. Petherbridge was on a hat trick but with an over to determine how he would get it, he hatched a cunning plan. Deep thinker Petherbridge ensured he had a very able catcher, Billy Rudolph, on the rope and bowled a perfect full toss which Slade directed flawlessly like a tracer bullet down Rudolph's throat. However the Under 15 captain, incredibly selfishly, over stepped the line to convert a hat trick wicket into a six!!!!!! It was an exceptional effort which had nearly matched his catch the previous day. Ellis and Slade offered some resistance putting on forty before Toby Codd had the former leg before. This was in the thirty-third over and by the forty-second it was all over. Drew caught Slade off the captain and Dan Powell stumped Probert off Toby Codd. Devon had won by ninety runs due to another fine all round team performance, it had been a really been most encouraging.

We had an interesting return trip home. Getting onto the A4 proved more difficult than could be possibly imagined; indeed it took at least ten minutes for all three vehicles to join what was a continuous flow of south bound rush hour traffic. It was therefore impossible to follow one another in the normal convoy and all three vehicles took different routes! The quickest to Tiverton was the luggage van that went north disconcertingly by following signs to South Wales but reached the first drop off twenty minutes before the mini-bus and twenty-five before the scorer. All reached MOTO together and a very successful trip concluded by dropping off the van at the Airport, recalling the Thrifty years.

With now a two week break in the schedule it seemed sensible, at least it did at the time, to involve the Seventeens in the annual two day game with Surrey during the second gap week. The objective was to get the players back together and into two day mode ready for Hampshire. When the decision was made in December, it had not been known that the Fifteens would have a two game with Yorkshire earlier in the week. This fixture actually fell foul of the weather on the second day and not much energy was exerted. The decision, for a number of reasons, turned out to be mistake and the fixture has returned to the Sixteens in 2015. Throughout the pre-match discussions the word opportunity was used and undoubtedly the game was a series of lost opportunities. The biggest disappointment was that we did not take full advantage of an outstanding facility. North Devon, certainly in the weather presented for these two days’ play, is one of the best places, and not just in Devon, to play the game. We arrived in bright sunshine and high activity on the ground, no young cricketer could wish for more and here was a great opportunity to extend their education and display their skills. It was back to normal as the Surrey captain called correctly and Devon would face another day of toil in the field. The home side, although now a developmental one, had a core of experienced Under Seventeens who it was believed would recover any difficult situations. It was good to welcome back Hugo Whitlock and he opened up from the estuary end whilst local Under 15 Alex Hannam started his under 17 career from the pavilion end. Hannam struck first removing opener Beri in his fourth over with Dan Powell taking the catch. From seventeen for one Surrey had taken the score up to exactly three figures with a second wicket partnership of eighty-three when John Kerridge struck. The Plymouth leg spinner was another welcome return and showed with both bat and ball what he can offer. Dan Powell completed the stumping that dismissed the second opener, Boys. The Surrey captain, Jacks, was batting well and he had contributed fifty-five to the second wicket partnership. Eight runs later Kerridge struck again with a smart slip catch by the captain removing Jacks for fifty-nine. Devon bowled forty overs in the two hours before lunch and were well placed having taken three wickets and conceded 2.9 runs an over. Cottage pie and a variety of deserts went down well. We were also relieved to learn at lunch that umpire John Silver had suffered no ill effects from the worrying strike that had taken him off his feet at square leg into a collapsed state which had initially looked very serious.

Lunch might have gone down too well as the next two Surrey wickets added one hundred and sixteen runs. The visitors’ batsmen were looking very comfortable on an excellent track and it was an outstanding piece of fielding that took the fourth wicket. Bideford’s Alex Hannam ran out Trower with a magnificent, strong and direct hit from some distance. Surrey were now one hundred and fifty-eight for four in the fifty-sixth over. They had provided themselves with the ideal platform to post a large score. This is what they achieved without much difficulty. Tea was taken a hundred runs and three more wickets later. Toby Codd ran out Shoeff with a less spectacular but equally effective throw, Whitlock with his third ball with the new ball gave Powell his third victim. Post tea Surrey put their foot on the gas and in twenty one overs added another one hundred and seven runs. Skeemer bowled the keeper Smith for the Oval men's highest score – seventy-four and Bess had Meyer caught by Mawdsley. Although they had slowed up their over rate after tea, Devon had bowled one hundred and four overs by twenty-three minutes past five when Surrey declared having scored the second highest total by an opponent at this level. The home side now needed to start the second day with all ten wickets in hand, although John Kerridge, the ideal choice as watchman, was padded up with Toby Codd. Surrey bowled nine overs in the twenty-three minutes at their disposal and removed opener Charles Parkin with the sixteenth ball of the innings when Jafri knocked out a couple of his stumps. Devon were seventeen for one at close with both Sargent and Kerridge providing no serious concerns.

The second day was not as perfect as the first and this was not just the weather. In fact Devon’s batting was, on the whole, hugely disappointing. Surrey were now a seam bowler down as Jafri was deemed unfit to continue his spell and was sent to the score box! Harvey Sargent was their first wicket of the morning, bowled by Cluff for fifteen. Kerridge who was intending to enjoy his opportunity and appeared to be doing so then watched his travel partner Skeemer caught with his side on fifty-seven and already very much on the back foot. The Plymouth leg spinner was looking forward to a contest with his Surrey counterpart, Dahi, and fortunately agreed not to call each delivery at release! Kerridge had completed a SKY style Masterclass before start of play. Unfortunately the challenge only lasted three balls as Dahi’s stock ball found the night watchman’s edge and he was caught at slip. The batter was full of compliments for his opposite number. Kerridge had batted very sensibly, scoring thirty-five runs off fifty-two balls and hitting six fours. This wicket brought Powell to the wicket and realistically, if Devon were now going to get close, it would be up to the captain and keeper to put on a big partnership. They added just twenty-five runs in twenty minutes before the captain departed caught trying to work the ball. Devon had now lost five wickets and not yet reached three figures. They were immediately six wickets down as the left handed Reid Mawdsley shouldered arms to his first ball from the leg spinner to be bowled. Devon were now only ten minutes into the second hour of the day and in dire straits. Six minutes before lunch (far too many wickets had been lost this year just before an interval) Powell was out. He and Toby Codd had actually started to provide some respectability, if not hope, and put on the highest partnership of the innings – fifty-eight off ninety-two balls in forty-three minutes. This was the top seventh wicket partnership of the season. Codd was joined by Charlie Mitchell, the second of three players from Abottskerswell, surely the highest number in one county game from this popular South Devon Club. They batted through to lunch with Devon still needing one hundred and eleven runs to avoid the follow on. The first chilli con carne of the summer was served with an offer to the representative of the TCC to increase its heat. Surrey had been turning on the heat all morning.

The home side’s innings lasted another nine overs as they were all out in the forty-fifth over of the day, the fifty-fourth of the innings. Mitchell became increasingly frustrated in not getting off the mark and this self-imposed pressure perhaps did him more harm than good, as patience would have given him the opportunity to get his county career off the mark. He was caught having faced seventeen balls. Devon were eight down on one hundred and seventy-four. Hannam was the sixth and final Devon batsman to be dismissed caught, off the first ball of the fifty-second over. Enter Hugo Whitlock and as he walked out to the crease looking every inch a batsman. It later transpired that he and Codd had not actually shared many partnerships together and it immediately became clear in their running that they did not have a telepathic understanding. The pair put on fifteen runs of which the seamer contributed two. On the twentieth ball of the partnership Codd called Whitlock for a second, the Richard Huish student, who was ball watching, hesitated and his magnificent Tom Daley dive only resulted in a large laundry bill. Devon were all out for an extremely disappointing one hundred and ninety-one. Only John Kerridge and especially Toby Codd could be excused criticism for not taking the opportunity to do something very special. Codd was unbeaten on sixty-three (eighty-three minute, eighty-seven balls, eight fours), his fifty came off seventy six balls and he demonstrated the progress he has made this summer with his batting. However over the winter he will have to work tirelessly on keeping the ball down, as of his fourteen county dismissals, nine were caught. Surrey decided not to enforce the follow on, the decision was to save their bowlers and the remaining two hours twelve minutes was just net bowling for the Surrey batsmen. As one of our more successful batters suggested we had only ourselves to blame – however…… There were some positives, Hugo Whitlock looked like his old self and nipped out Boys and Jacks, both well caught at slip by the captain. Reid Mawdsley’s bowling looked at least respectable, removing the second opener with another catch from the captain and post-tea Charlie Mitchell was given an opportunity to keep, allowing Powell to demonstrate his leg spin as opposed to his seam mode and it took the final and fourth wicket. This gave Bess his fifth catch of the game. The captain had earlier taken the opportunity of refining his bouncer and leg spin. For the record Surrey reached one seventy-eight, Parkin’s groin strain deprived him of a bowl and hands were shaken at two minutes to five. North Devon could not have offered more, their hosting was superb. It was also good to meet up with some North Devon old boys and the delays on the M5 were successfully avoided. We awaited the storm of all storms, hurricane Big Bertha and she duly arrived the next weekend.

As we travelled, from Woodbury, up the M5 to Heathcoat it got darker and darker and it started to rain just before the Tiverton roundabout and continued until we entered the Knighthayes Estate. Jamie Drew had ensured the sheeting was down to protect the pitch from the best efforts that Bertha could offer but the pitch ends on the square were very wet. The weather forecast was a loop of heavy showers and bright periods and we were not let down. The Heathcoat ground team were mopping up at every opportunity but an early lunch was taken. The umpires advised the sides that they intended to start at three and it would be a thirty overs a side game. Another heavy shower put an end to this proposal and as the cover was removed for what was likely to be the last time, it was agreed that a T20 game would start as soon as possible. Realistically the side chosen for the original fifty over contest would not be ideal for the revised format and despite that same lone voice expressing a preference to chase rather than set, Devon needed to bat first. Dominick Bess’s coin tossing reverted to type and Devon were in the field at four minutes to four. Opener Goodwin took an immediate liking to the Devon attack, which fed his favoured leg side pick up, and he hit four fours and a six in the twenty-seven runs put on for the first wicket in three overs. Fortunately his partner, McCoy, was not so effective and he was the first wicket to fall when the every reliable Billy Rudolph took a catch off Ollie Dawe. Six runs later the established combination of Powell and Bess took another wicket with a neat stumping. The third wicket pairing put on thirty-two at less than a run a ball when Goodey bowled the Hampshire captain, Gorvin. At the half way stage Hampshire were seventy-six for three. Matt Petherbridge was now in the attack and bowling intelligently when his Under Fifteen captain took his second catch, this time off the left arm spinner to remove the dangerous Goodwin. He had scored fifty-eight off thirty-eight balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. Devon missed a couple of routine catches in the next period of play that would have helped put more pressure on their opponents. The fifth wicket added the highest partnership of the innings, thirty-seven off thirty-two balls. In the fifteenth over Toby Codd took his first wicket in a magical spell, when Bess took a step closer to the catching record with another neat slip catch. Codd’s next over went 1, w, w, 1, 1, w, wide, no ball (circle infringement) 1. The first dismissal was caught Sargent, second bowled and the third caught and bowled. This set Hampshire back and they entered their penultimate over on one hundred and thirty-five for eight. In Goodey’s final over Drew held a skier and four runs were added. Off the final ball of the twentieth over Powell stumped Thomson off the Abbot’s all-rounder for him to finish with figures of 3-0-22-5. Very impressive but all three spinners had contributed but you had to feel for the fourth one, John Kerridge, who, in this shortened game did not get an opportunity.

Devon needed to score one hundred and forty-three which at 7.15 an over would be some chase for what was a relatively inexperienced line up. A good start would be crucial and Matt Skeemer and Dan Powell provided it as they put on sixty-eight in thirty-one minutes off fifty-eight balls. Unfortunately Dan Powell was out off the last ball of the eighth over. Next over Devon lost another critical wicket when Bess was run out having faced only one delivery. The home side were virtually out of the contest as in a period of fourteen minutes and twenty-two balls they fell away to seventy-eight for five. Matt Skeemer holed out and five balls later Dawe was bowled and after four further deliveries Drew was also bowled. Devon now needed sixty-five off forty-seven balls, around eight an over which would have been difficult for an experienced pair of finishers. Harvey Sargent joined Reid Mawdsley and they batted very sensible. They watched a warning given under Generic Rule twelve and put on forty runs off thirty-four balls in twenty minutes of very intelligent cricket. Sargent was bowled in the seventeenth over to receive one of the most obnoxious and foul sends off witnessed at any level. The umpires intervened and offered a second warning. Even Toby Codd’s greatest fans, and there are many, would not suggest that his greatest strength is crossing the boundary rope on the full joined the very impressive Mawdsley. At the start of the nineteenth over two a ball was needed, Codd fell second ball and Billy Rudolph joined Mawdsley. Fifteen were needed off the last over and Devon scored two. Mawdsley was unbeaten on thirty-two off thirty-one balls, hitting four fours and laying a marker for the two day game. In reality the difference was not the dot balls, Devon bowled fifty-nine to Hampshire fifty-one, or fours, Devon hit ten to their opponents twelve, but it was five to one on sixes. Heathcoat had worked tirelessly to get a game in and the two umpires were brilliant in ensuring a game took place. Devon ended up thirteen runs short with perhaps the real difference being the quality of Hampshire’s fielding which was of a higher level.

We returned to the ground where the season had started in May for our final under 17 game of the summer – Exmouth. We were expecting some more great desserts and in this game we were treated to a very, very deserved, personal and special one. There were two changes to the side that beat Gloucestershire, Dan Wolf had taken an unplanned family holiday and was replaced by the Under Sixteens’ captain, Dan Pyle, up until this game the only centurion of the summer, and Jamie Drew’s back had not recovered from his withdrawal the previous week at Instow. This allowed John Kerridge to return to the team. Both Wolf and Drew had played important parts in the side’s change in fortune over the summer and would be missed. As with any final game for an age group the last match can be a poignant one and the desire is that they always leave county age group cricket with a successful and enjoyable performance. Although we had lost the unplanned T20 the previous day, much had been learnt about Hampshire's attitude and ability, particularly the former. Dominic Bess took his percentage of winning the toss up to 30% and Devon batted. The Under Fourteens had played in a rain affected game at Exmouth the previous day which had exposed our pitch and the openers would probably have to weather a difficult pre-lunch session. Vice captain, Matt Skeemer, and Harvey Sargent entered the affray on time with Petherbridge and Codd manning the numbers due to an electrical trip switch problem in the score box. Peter Langford kindly quickly resolved the scorer’s problem. The two batsmen were confronted by Murray and McCoy, the latter who had made a lasting impression on Sargent the previous day. The fifty was raised in the twelfth over, drinks were taken in the sixteenth over and Sargent on his first ball after the break was bowled by Evans. The openers had provided a reasonable start of sixty-six but ........... Dan Pyle and Skeemer took Devon to a lengthy rain break. The seventeenth over was commenced at noon and finished at twenty-eight minutes past one that also took in lunch, including apple pie and custard. However still in the seventeenth over Devon lost their second wicket when first ball back Pyle was caught behind without scoring. Devon was now sixty-seven for two. Skeemer, who was looking very impressive, and Dan Powell then added fifty-seven in forty-one minutes off sixty-seven balls. On a stroll around the boundary a comment was passed that in such situations you should always look at the score and add on two wickets to determine how things are progressing. So of course from 124-2 Devon stumbled to 125-4. The vice captain gave Newman the charge, the keeper gave him a chance to get back, Skeemer did not take it and the Cornwood all rounder was out for eighty-two. Most would take such a score but it was an all round disappointment that Matthew had not gone on to record a ton. He is a delightful self effacing character and a joy to work with, who so far has not been able to convert his huge contributions into milestones. It will happen and from afar they will be enjoyed. In this case he had helped set his side up, he had faced ninety-two balls hit ten fours and two sixes and had started to take the game away from Hampshire. Fourteen balls later another of the 2013 season’s key batsman ended their county age groups batting careers, as Dan Powell was caught and bowled for nineteen. Had a one day calculate the final score competition been run, the coach would have not been close as fortunately the captain and Reid Mawdsley got their heads down. They first had to come off for a second rain break, this one lasting one hundred minutes and taking in tea. In ninety-six minutes at the crease they batted beautifully putting on one hundred and twenty-one off one hundred and seventy-eight balls. They achieved two batting points and took their side within four runs of a third. This may not have been the highest fifth wicket partnership, that was achieved almost to the day the previous year at Llandysul, but it was one that helped set their team up to beat Hampshire. The confidence of the visitors was visible draining as the pair kept finding the gaps and boundaries. Therefore for a second time in the day there was real sadness when the partnership ended. The captain, who was not one hundred percent suffering a heavy cold and cough, was within three runs of his fifty when he gave leg spinner Fay the charge and played a cross batted swipe, that was presumable going to result in the ball crossing the straight boundary. The batsman missed it but not the keeper and Devon were five down on two hundred and forty-seven. Grandmother was not impressed! Mawdsley had contributed sixty-eight off one hundred and two balls and passed his previous highest county score of fifty-eight against Yorkshire in 2012. Enter Billy Rudolph, consolidation needed, right man right place. The pair gathered in the final two batting points putting on sixty-four in forty-two minutes off one hundred and seventy-eight balls. What had been a feature of the Devon batting performance was that they were not giving many chances, if they did they were out! With the extra hour now in place Rudolph was bowled in the seventy-sixth over. He had achieved most of his objectives including getting his partner to three figures. This had arrived in the seventy-third over with a leap of joy and a modest acknowledgment of what he had achieved. Ollie Dawe was his new partner and their brief was to get on with it. The fifty-five runs in twenty-three minutes most certainly achieved this target. The ball had been a subject of complaint for most of the Devon innings and it was therefore a surprise that a new one was not taken immediately it was available but was delayed for three overs. It did remove the Exeter Chiefs’ front row man for a vital thirty-two. Devon now wanted the option of the heavy roller on the second day and Toby Codd and Reid Mawdsley batted out the day, which was finally curtailed by another rain shower. Devon had scored three hundred and seventy-eight off eighty-seven overs, the fifth highest score by a Seventeens side. The response to Mawdsley’s century showed the esteem in which he is held, the reaction from Hampshire was outstanding and his and his team’s joy totally appropriate. It has not been the easiest seventeen years for Reid, he missed the Welsh game for yet another unplanned operation and has the pleasure of looking forward to another six and a half hour affair in the autumn. He has shone through it all and this individual success is richly deserved for his tenacity, not just on the cricket field,

The second day was delayed by rain for twenty-one minutes, the heavy roller was applied and the batsmen told not to get out first ball, as a declaration was imminent and certain on a fall of a wicket. The total rose to third place in the Green Book, advancing to three hundred and eighty-six off eighty-eight and a half overs, a rate of over four. Codd was again caught and Mawdsley left unbeaten on one hundred and thirty. This exceptional knock was the joint thirteenth highest score by a Devonian at this level. He had batted for one hundred and eighty-seven minutes, faced one hundred and seventy-two balls, hitting fifteen fours and a six. He had helped add two hundred and sixty-one runs of which he nearly scored half. Devon would, if necessary, bowl a minimum of one hundred overs but with a capability of a lot more. Some surprise therefore at a comment from the opposition that we could regret using up two of the days overs. The Hampshire openers put on twenty-six in eleven overs before Dawe had Goodwin caught by Matt Skeemer. This batsman had scored a rapid fifty in the game at Heathcoat. Lunch was taken after twenty-six overs with Bess and Petherbridge bowling and forty-two on the board. Devon had missed at least two other chances in taking one and it was again repeated at the interval that we needed to take all our opportunities. In fairness the standard of fielding throughout the day was much improved, as had been needed, and showed the progress made by a not naturally athletic fielding side. Apple pie was joined by treacle tart and custard! Six wickets were taken in the afternoon session for the addition of one hundred and eighty-eight runs. Devon bowled forty-five overs in the two hours. Bess bowled all four of his front line spinners but it was the captain and Matt Petherbridge who look the wickets. In the second over Powell stumped Arnold off Bess. Short leg Matt Skeemer took another first class catch in the thirty-second over to send the Hampshire captain back off Bess, Caldera was batting well as he has against Devon for a number of years. However opener Harris was now passed his fifty and despite opportunities to remove him was looking ominously settled. However the athletic Ollie Dawe, whose out fielding has been an important ingredient over the past two seasons, pouched another important catch to remove the opener and give Petherbridge his first wicket. Hampshire were ninety-four for four with sixty plus overs left at their disposal. Petherbridge struck again in the next over when, with his last ball, he trapped Thomson on the back foot to be given out with confidence at deep mid on! One hundred and three for five but Devon had to wait some time for their sixth, as McCoy was allowed to smash fifty-five off forty-two balls with a marked resistance to protect his two hitting zones as his wicket was purchased. Eventually the tide was stemmed and his fours converted to ones and with it his patience. He again went after the captain to be caught off a skyer at slip by Pyle. Hampshire had reached one hundred and eighty-two as a result of this partnership of seventy-nine in thirty-five minutes. The final wicket of the session was a fine catch by Powell to remove his Hampshire counterpart and give Petherbridge a third wicket. At tea both Petherbridge and Bess were nearing the end of their quota and Hampshire still one hundred and fifty-six short. Bess decided to bowl Skeemer and Codd for the nine overs before the new ball was due and his vice captain took the eighth wicket when he bowled Evans with his seventh delivery. The batsman, Evans, had been at the crease for forty-two minutes offering useful resistance with Caldera, who was now past his fifty, the pair putting on fifty-one runs. In Skeemer’s next over Kerridge collected some Fantasy Points when his throw ran out Murray – Hampshire two hundred and forty-nine for nine. The new ball was taken and with the first ball of the third over Ollie Dawe completed his CAG career by bowling Caldera for seventy-seven.

The side ended their time together on a high and deservedly so, they had stuck together to come out on top. A second innings was not undertaken as Hampshire wanted to get on their way, and as it fortunately transpired any additional bonus points would not have actually made any difference to the side’s final placing of third above both Somerset and Hampshire. After the poor start to the summer, the second half had gone very well. Critically both the senior and junior members of the squad all made important contributions. Because of the loss of key players, as touched upon at the start of this report, we were also indebted to three Under Fifteens - Harvey Sargent, Billy Rudolph and Matthew Petherbridge. Hopefully all three will be able to take this year’s experience on for two more summers as this year’s captain has done. Sargent played an important part but will now need to develop another gear for 2015 as he will be a mainstay of the batting and is likely to bowl more overs. Rudolph will offer batting, bowling and fielding options whereas Petherbridge, who had not been selected for the first two matches, bore the second largest workload after the captain, bowling over a hundred overs. His bowling was a revelation but he will have to work on his fielding over the winter. These three youngsters are chalk and cheese but have offered a great deal to the squad, filling important voids. We had the benefit of three spinners and in the last game four and their importance cannot be overstressed. Codd and Petherbridge are again available in 2015 and hopefully will be joined by a third. Ollie Dawe and Dan Goodey, supported by Jamie Drew and Matt Skeemer, provided a formidable seam attack. Overall Devon took ninety-three wickets at 3.63, a most acceptable return. We did not score enough hundreds, both personally or in partnerships. More of the thirteen partnerships over fifty should have been converted into three figures. The 3.81 runs an over was the fifth best return in twenty-two seasons and was not helped by the inclusion of the Surrey fixture. The top four batsmen in the averages were all Seventeens – Powell, Bess, Skeemer and Dawe. Reid Mawdsley was not dismissed sufficient times to get into the averages! They all batted well and in some instances exceptionally well but a side needs more than one batsman averaging over forty. Therefore in 2015 the Pyles, Codds, Rudolphs Wolfs and Sargents will have to set their personal goals much higher. Our reluctant keeper had another exceptional summer behind the stumps coming in with the fifth best return which would have been even better if he had been fit for Somerset. He shares with Dan Hardy the record number of stumpings in a summer. The captain was one catch short of sharing the catching record but overall this year’s side was not the best fielding unit we have had but it did have some exceptional individuals. Devon had thirty-three partnerships below ten and next year’s side must make it a target to reduce this number. Ollie Dawe, whose perseverance, diligence and hard work throughout the summer, was the turn to bowler and was the side’s Bowler of the Year. The choice of Batsman of the Year was much more difficult but the recipient, Reid Mawdsley, fully deserved the award particularly as his summer was unexpectedly interrupted mid season. Dom Bess was the Player of the Year for his all round contribution. Not as effervescent as in previous years, he and Dan Powell also had to negotiate changes in clubs which always adds  additional pressure. However he led the side well, bowled nearly two hundred overs, scored approaching three hundred runs and took nine catches – a huge personal contribution

The seconded Matthew Cooke played a very important part in the side’s development and filled a number of vital roles. He should be very pleased with his contribution. Jonathan + to our host clubs but I doubt if there was a county in the country who were served better than we were by Exmouth, Heathcoat, North Devon, Sandford and Sidmouth.