Devon Cricket Board - Devon U13's v Wiltshire 2011

Devon U13's v Wiltshire 2011

Devon U13's v Wiltshire 2011

"Wherever You Go, Always Take The Weather With You"

It seems the Weather Gods really do like this team. They conspire to put all concerned with getting games played through the mill before relenting. Sandford Cricket Club had been under water on Sunday. However Herculean effort by groundsman Colin Lever from early on Tuesday morning, meant he was confident that a game could be played, as long as the weather forecast was correct. On this basis the manager invited Wiltshire to travel if they were happy to risk the forecast.

On arrival at the ground the Wiltshire expert groundsman, weather forecaster and health & safety man confidently predicted there would be no play whatsoever. and bemoaned the wasted journey. The managers agreed to leave the decision to the umpires Searson & Salter who came, saw and decided that if the previous Saturday's wicket was used, a game could take place. With only an hours delay, the new pitch was prepared, sightscreens and boundaries moved and a 35 over game played. The groundsman was then able to have his breakfast and a well earned rest!

Devon won the toss and invited Wiltshire to bat. An early breakthrough for Ben Green saw the hosts reduced to 5-1. After 10 overs of tight pace bowling from Green and Ben Steer, the visitors were 31-1. Crucially however, they had not lost any further wickets. Captain Sam Arnold and Jake Goodwin had a partnership of 74 before Arnold was caught by Jake Reddick in Dan Wolf's first over. Hopes of further breakthroughs were dashed by U12 batter Will Wade who provided a lesson in rotating the strike, as he nudged and nurdled to allow his dominant partner punish the bad ball (of which there were too many). They put on 78 in 13 overs before Goodwin was run out by Jack West for a well crafted 94. We should all know where his strengths lie next season. We seemed determined to bowl to them!

The final total of 166 was challenging, but certainly achievable if we batted well. The game plan, as last week ,was to bat the 35 overs. This should get us close, and if we managed our rotation of the strike, punished the bad ball and built partnerships then we would win. So much for the theory. In practice we had a solid start with new openers Ben Steer (20) and Dan Hussey (8) getting the team a 30 run start. They then committed the cardinal sin of both getting out within an over of each other. Skipper Thompson and Reddick set about rebuilding and took the score to 70-2 at the half way stage and drinks. The score was soon 75-4 as Reddick(20) and Telford (0) were undone by the spin of Gordon. Rebuilding time again!!

Will Thompson was untroubled at one end, a welcome spell in the middle for this talented player whose season had not really got started. He was joined by Charlie Barriball who tried to get the strike to his partner wherever possible. The run rate was always tantalisingly high, and eventually the pressure of hitting boundaries against tight bowlling led to Barriball (22), Green (2) and Thompson(69) all perishing playing across the line. For the second time in a couple of days it was left to Dan Pyle to try and hit a boundary of the last ball of the game to bring an unlikely victory. A scrambled single and the vain hope of overthrows for a tie, meant a second close defeat, this time by 4 runs.

Many thanks to Sandford for getting a game on, and the Ashplant family for providing what I have to say was a magnificent tea! In the absence of coach Matt Cooke the team were well coached on the day by Darryn Mortimer and Simon Ashplant. Many thanks to them.

So now to the Festival. A week of wall to wall sunshine, fully fit cricketers and victory in close games. You read it first here!!!

Of course the day would not be complete without an injury to report. Dan Goodey withdrew with a stiff back, following his exertions against Somerset.

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