Devon Cricket Board - Just Short

Even without the cricket the four days away in Hampshire were amongst the most difficult in the seventeens twenty-three years. A hold up on the A38 held up those travelling from the west by seventy-five minutes so we departed nearly ninety minutes late on perhaps the least enjoyable trip of them all. There were hold ups everywhere we left the A303 before Stonehenge but still got caught up in the monuments traffic. This could have been written in 1993 on the way to the Winchester Festival so it really is incomprehensible why this traffic problem has yet to be resolved. We eventually did get to the Hotel with a very quick turnaround as we were due at the Fleming Arms at 7.30pm. Tom Lammonby and Sam Maunder joined us from their Gloucestershire fixture (our real appreciation to Andy Maunder) and we were back on course. Monday opened to light rain which had an indirect affect on the players attitude who were late leaving - the coach is beginning to show another side to his normally very affable character. Leaving late we of course got held up on the M3 and fifteen minutes turned in to forty-five so although we had intended getting to the St Cross ground earlier than normal we were now late. The traffic barrier was raised and with some light rain in the air and overcast conditions it was still likely that the game would start on time. Dan Pyle adopted his wet weather call and inserted the opposition. Dan Goodey and Charles FitzRoy opened up and Goodey struck in the fifth over bowling Samuel - 15-1. In the seventh over Harvey Sargent caught the second opener Duggan of FitzRoy - 22-2. Goodwin joined Organ and it was Goodwin who had been the difference between the two sides in 2014 at Heathcoat in a game that had been reduced to a T20. He continued to look a class player, one who has played for Hampshire twos but he lost his partner Organ next over being the second home side batsman bowled by Goodey 23-3 and Devon were making the most of the conditions. In the twelfth over Hampshire were four down for forty when FitzRoy bowled McCoy. Hagan-Burt and Petherbridge joined the attack in the fifteenth and sixteenth overs. Goodwin was now employing his most effective pick up shot and had scored forty-three of the ninety-two runs on the board when Petherbridge struck removing Caldera in the twentieth over with Tom Lammonby taking the catch. At the half way stage Devon took their sixth wicket with Lammonby using his excellent awareness by throwing to the bowler Codd to run out Came. Hampshire were 104-6 with Goodwin now on fifty. FitzRoy now twisted his ankle which had a knock on effect for the two dayer. In the thirty-second over Maunder took another excellent catch off Petherbridge to send Hovey back 138-7. Joe Hagan-Burt now took the next two wickets including the important one of Goodwin with Dan Wolf taking the catch with the batsman eleven short of three figures. Hampshire had now accelerated to 184 off forty-two overs. Two balls later Hampshire were nine down on the same score with Maunder taking the catch. If the innings had been wound up now it would have been likely that Devon would have picked up the four points but the final pair added another thirty-three which was critical to the home sides success, Goodey game back to take the final wicket with Sargent taking his second catch. The final product of 217 off 48.1 should not have been achieved and was REALLY DISSAPOINTING. Lunch was burger, cheesecake and lemon meringue

Codd and Sargent opened the Sidmouth batsman was caught at slip off McCoy second ball. Not such a big send off from the captain this year but he had already wound up Dan Goodey. Nought for one became eight for two as Codd was out in the second over. The captain and Dan Wolf added sixty-eight excellent runs in forty-seven minutes off seventy-six balls and at 76-2 Devon were getting back into the game. Add on two wickets and Devon became 80-4 as first Wolf was caught off Organ. Wolf had scored forty off thirty-eight. Joe Hagan Burt lasted eleven balls before Organ struck again bowling the Plymouth all-rounder. Alarm bells sounding very loudly. Tom Lammonby joined Pyle and they put on one more run than the Wolf/Pyle partnership which started to relieve the pressure. In the thirty-third over with Devon on 149-5 the skiddy Caldera struck bowling Lammonby. Caldera's spell was to prove to be a very telling one. It was the captain to fall next to the same bowler caught by his counterpart McCoy. He had batted for one hundred and sixteen minutes facing ninety-nine balls scoring 69. He had helped recover his sides awkward situation but his side would have appreciated another twenty minutes. Devon's problems increased with the early dismissal of Will Thompson for one and Rudolph bowled in the forty-second over by Caldera. The ever confident Goodey lasted five balls and Devon appeared now totally out of the game needing thirty-one at a run a ball with no life lines. The fact that FitzRoy, who had been batting sensibly and under fifteen Sam Maunder got within four of a tie with two balls remaining was not only bad for the heart but outstanding cricket. FitzRoy was the senior batsman but Maunders support equally important. Devon needed ten off the last over. First ball Fitzroy lifted Devon's expectations by picking up Scriven and hitting him superbly though mid wicket for a four. A single was taken and then FitzRoy was caught for an almost match winning twenty-six off forty. Maunder and FitzRoy had added twenty-six. Sandy Allen opened the discussion and the players were aware themselves of where it had gone wrong. An easier trip back home, a return to the Fleming but major night time road works overloaded TOMTOM. We now knew what we were against.

Scorecard