Devon complete record chase
 
   The two day game with Somerset was played on the Taunton Vale second ground whilst Somerset Twos with Marcus Trescothick was involved on the main ground in what turned out to be a comfortable win against Essex. The last time we played on the ground, in 2009, Zack Bess routed Somerset on a wet one. Since then the players area has been rebuilt with all important electricity for the scorer and the pitch looked to be an excellent one. Somerset, having won the toss, had first use and had a very successful ninety-four overs scoring at over four an over to reach 393. This was the second highest two day score against Devon and their declaration gave their bowlers eight overs at Devon. The home side lost six wickets and had four decent partnerships and two lesser ones. The openers Clist and Wells put on forty-three in forty minutes when Phillips caught Clist off Hagan-Burt. Somerset reached three figures in their twenty-seventh over and in the next, seventeen minutes before lunch Rudolph introduced Yabesley into the attack. With his fourth ball he had Wells well caught behind by Phillips. The second wicket pairing Wells and captain Trenouth had put on fifty-eight in three minutes under the hour. Lunch was taken with thirty-three overs bowled, two wickets down and one hundred and eight on the board - honours even. Over a baked potatoes both sides were able to catch up with the havoc created by Broad at Trent Bridge. Australia were all out inside a session and England already batting. The third wicket partnership of Trenouth and Dunning put on a decisive one hundred and thirty-nine off two hundred and fifty-five balls. They took their side up to the last over before tea with two hundred and forty-on the board. With the fifth ball of the sixty-ninth over Bragg bowled Dunning for forty-eight. Dunning had a variable pre ball routine that was undertaken one hundred and thirty-two times and he had batted for one hundred and thirty-one minutes. In the second over after lunch Oli Reed trapped new batsman Young in front with nine runs added. The Somerset captain and Shaw added the second century stand of the innings posting one hundred and fifteen in six minutes over the hour off one hundred and eight balls. Somerset were now on three hundred and sixty-five when Bragg took his second wicket bowling Trenouth for one hundred and sixty-nine. This had been an excellent innings in two hundred and sixty-two minutes off two hundred and thirty-four balls. Devon now awaited the declaration taking one more wicket with Billy Rudolph catching Reed to give Bragg his third wicket (17-1-74-3). Shaw was unbeaten on 64. Devon would have a testing time for twenty-seven minutes. Ashley Causey hit his first ball for the under 16s down square legs throat to give them the worst possible start 0-1. Sargent fell in the sixth over caught behind 15-2 but Tom Andrew and Harry Ward reached close of play eight balls later without any further mishap on the same score.

   The second day was another bright one and batting conditions remained good - however a record run chase would be necessary if the side were to come out as winners on first innings. Devon progression lasted just thirty-four balls as Tom Andrews departed caught behind. He had battled for fifty-two minutes for his sixteen. Devon's fortunes started to change on the fall of this wicket as Harry Ward and Joe Hagan-Burt took their side from 35-3 to 107-4 as they added seventy-two vital runs. They batted well together facing one hundred and five balls for six minutes under the hour. Harry Ward's innings was a clear indication of what he can offer the side as a top order batsman. Until his demise he looked in no difficulty and realistically three figures were on the horizon. This innings would have shown him that he should expand his own personal batting expectations. He reached a county best but was then the keepers third victim. His sixty-one had taken eighty-five minutes and he faced ninety-three balls hitting eleven to the boundary. The captain joined Hagan-Burt and batted the thirteen overs up to the lunch interval. Devon had now reached one hundred and thirty-two still needing another two hundred and sixty-one runs with six wickets in hand and potentially sixty-five overs remaining. It was likely to be an interesting two sessions. Hagan-Burt and Billy Rudolph batted through until tea adding another one hundred and eighty runs. Both batsmen reached their personal hundreds, Hagan-Burt in the eighty-first and Rudolph in the eighty-third and last before tea. They had batted beautifully complementing each other superbly and their stand of two hundred and five had taken them past the previous best fourth wicket partnership and the highest ever under sixteen stand. This had been compiled in 1990 by Gosling and Muggleton and had been seven short of two hundred. The pair enjoyed tea in the knowledge that they still needed another eighty-two runs off at least twenty-seven overs - just over three an over. The pair set a new target for the sixteens in putting on two hundred and eighteen in one hundred and fifty-nine minutes off three hundred and thirty-one balls. Billy Rudolph was Reeds fourth catch off the fourteenth post tea delivery. His one hundred and three was another personal county best and had included twelve fours, the last took him up to three figures. He had faced one hundred and sixty-eight balls - he had most certainly lead from the front. Hagan-Burt contribution had also been immense but Devon were still not over the line and needed another sixty-nine runs. This was reduced by forty as Hagan-Burt and Phillips batted very sensibly but it was the Plymouth all-rounder who fell in the ninety-third over for another PB - one hundred and nineteen. This innings had taken over four hours, he had faced one hundred and sixty-eight balls and he scored one more four than his captain. His side still had a difficult thirty-two runs to secure a record breaking chase. Ben Phillips who has offered so much in various roles this summer departed ten runs later. It was left to Ed Bragg and Tom Williams to complete what was the biggest run chase in under 16 two day history. Both batted very sensibly and achieved their sides objective in seventeen minutes scoring the twenty-two runs off thirty-four balls. This was an exceptional all round performance with every member of the side making an important contribution.

 
 
 

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