Three miles from the ground it was dry at dawn but at 7.00am it was pouring and depressingly dark. So much for the forecasted isolated light showers up until 10.00am! The tension was compounded by an intermittent phone signal. Fortunately neither the phone nor email sparked to life and despite driving through puddles on entering Helston Cricket Club, at 9.15am, the rain had ceased for an hour and the club were working hard on the ground. More importantly they had advised Matt Cooke that they were optimistic of a prompt start and most encouragingly really wanted the game to go ahead. A wonderful attitude from a Club who had only recently taken on the fixture and simply could not do too much for us all – they were outstanding hosts. The warm ups commenced, there was a small damp patch on the pitch which delayed the start by 30 minutes and the captain, Dan Pyle, won his first toss, at last one that calls tails, and Devon were in the field. Dan Goodey and Tallen Burns opened up. Goodey went for two first ball but keeper Josh Cann did the business on the fifth ball catching Ben James. The pairing repeated the dismissal off the same ball of Goodey’s second over- Cornwall 2-2. The third wicket pairing put on 39 when in the nineteenth over the second opener Rob Leathley was well caught in the gulley by Will Thompson off Bradley Causey. After a very difficult period recovering from a nasty injury it was good to see Thompson back in Devon colours but he has obviously grown over the period he has been away from the game! Causey had replaced Goodey whilst Toby Codd had taken over from Burns. Codd bowled a tidy spell and finished with 0-23 off nine overs. From 41-3 it became 64-4 when Under 15 Matthew Petherbridge, fresh from his four wickets in the Isle of Wight, took his first under 16 wicket. With the ninth ball he bowled Skewes for 27. At the other end Plymouth College’s Tom Dinnis was compiling the highest individual Cornwall contribution. Devon lost control for a short time as they conceded 48 off five overs, which the majority came from one end. Cornwall was now 126-4 but one run later Petherbridge took his second wicket bowling McKenna for 31. The fifth wicket had added 63 off 65 balls. Burns took his first wicket in the forty-fourth over with Goodey taking a neat catch in the deep to remove the dangerous Dinnis. Cornwall now had thirty-eight balls to post a defendable total. The reamaining batsman added twenty-two and the home side reached 162. Goodey and Petherbridge completed their full quota of overs and both took three wickets Goodey 3-20 and Petherbridge 3-27. The final wickets to fall were completed with Goodey bowling Walker, Sargent taking a catch off the Cornwood spin bowler and Burns took his second wicket bowling Paul. Devon had taken nine wickets and would have to score at 3.24 an over. Overall this had been a reasonable performance in the field with Cann performing well behind the stumps and the captain setting a very good standard in a number of areas. Tea was excellent and the sun was now out providing the best batting conditions of the day.

Harvey Sargent and Toby Codd opened the batting with the coach predicting a partnership of at least seventy. The home opening bowlers looked useful but the openers weathered the new ball with only one mishap when Codd was dropped in the fourth over. They put on seventy-seven in seventeen point three overs. Codd was the dominant partner passing his fifty and looking in good form. Sargent has a defined role this summer for both the sixteens and seventeens and he nearly completed it perfectly. His only lapse was to run out his partner. They had discussed putting pressure on the fielders but to hit it direct to a player and then run was more akin to the Thurlestone KWIK cricket team. Codd had no chance and there is a rumour his smile left his face for the first time in years. He had scored 57 off seventy-three balls hitting nine fours. The pair looked in little difficulty after the effect of the new ball had worn off. The captain joined Sargent, he played some neat shots off his legs, played the shot of the day - a straight six into the sight screen and then got out. The second wicket put on twenty-seven and this wicket as often is the case sparked a mini collapse. Pyle was bowled by Skewes for eighteen, Two wickets fell on 106 (no minimum ten partnerships there) Wolf gave the solitary slip Dinnis catching practice and he took it. It was not a fairy tale return for Will Thompson as he was trapped in front by a quicker ball to be the second non contributor with the bat of the innings. When the openers were in full control it had looked as if Noah Wright would, apart from his fine fielding, not be making a meaningful contribution to the game. How wrong had the last four quick wickets proved this thought to be! The Paignton batsman looked very comfortable at the crease with good shot selection off both the front and back feet. However when he and Harvey Sargent had taken their side to within three runs of victory Wright ran himself out. This was incredibly frustrating. It gave Josh Cann the opportunity to get on the scorecard and for Sargent to complete the winning run. The Sidmouth opener had batted through being undefeated seven short of what would have been successive fifties at this level. Job well done by him and the side who had sixty-five balls to spare. Five of this team now go on to be involved in the under seventeen ECB programme. It is anticipated, in the short term, only to return occasionally. This will give others an opportunity to stake a claim for a permanent place this and next year. Having taken local advise on the best way home we got stuck in a horrendous jam and eventually lost patience and went home the way we had originally intended. This had been a good day at the office with new coach Matt Cooke fitting in well and the good news we should have a lap top for the next game. It had been really interesting to learn how Total Cricket Scorer had been missed. The players all promised to complete the National Playing Survey.
Scorecard