| Driving through Shiphay it was obvious that there had been a recent cloudburst. Arriving at the Recreational Ground the covers were in place and there was movement on the square. The covers were removed and the mower started and then from nowhere the heavens open. A number got soaked replacing the covers and Cornwall went off to find some lunch in Torquay. Communication was maintained by text and the umpires kept inspecting. A decision was made to reduce the overs to 35 a side and the game would start at 3.00pm. Joe Smith won a vital toss and inserted. There was tension in the air at the photo call, fortunately not experienced by the photographer at his next shoot with a Spice Girl, which deprived Joe Thompson of a permanent record of his game at home. Mark Gilmour caught and bowled under 17 Jake Libby with the final ball of his first over. Sam Smith caught Hughes off Elliott Acton’s twenty-third ball and after ten overs Cornwall were 32-2. The important wicket of captain Matt Rowe fell one run later when Chris Metters enticed him to put one into the safe hands of Joe Thompson in the deep. A year earlier Rowe had played one of the top innings at this age level by any opponent. It was 40-4 when Metters bowled the experienced Dan Davis and 49-5 when Chappell had the second Rowe leg before. Wickets continued to fall; next back in the pavilion was Roberts run out by the Buzza-Metters combination. What was marked in a decent fielding performance was the player’s awareness, they invariable choice the right end to throw too. It is accepted they have stronger arms but the actual decision making process was almost one hundred percent spot on and this puts immense pressure on the batsmen. Another important wicket fell at 73 when Smeeth, who has been a thorn in Devon’s side for what seems an interminable period, was bowled by Chappell for a thirty-one ball 19. Cornwall now had eleven overs left with three wickets in hand. Devon had been in total control but lost some of their grip on the game over this period. The reliable Andrew Buzza had problems with his direction and next over it was necessary to resort to the help of Nelson to take the eighth wicket when the second Davis was held by Hardy to give Gilmour his second wicket. Hardy, who had turned the game the previous year, had a less successful entry into the attack this year as Hockin lost a ball in his personal onslaught. The ninth wicket fell in the final over when the captain held Hockin to provide the Paignton seamer his third wicket. Devon would need to score just over fours which was their target over 50 overs in 2009.
Torquay continued to be perfect hosts with an excellent tea and the Devon openers made some inroads against a minor county bowling attack. Hardy was caught Rowe bowled Hockin , Thompson caught Hughes bowled Hockin 22 and Barnie Huxtable failed for the first time at this level to be Hockin’s third close to the wicket catch this time behind -49-3, 92 needed off twenty-two with batting to come. Seb Benton was making his first appearance for two years was batting with livewire Sam Smith and all seemed right in the world until Benton charged Rowe and despite the keeper giving him a chance to get back was stumped by some distance. Next over the captain became Smeeth’s first wicket caught behind. Although not fully fit, Smeeth was still able to cause problems and on 105 Sam followed in identical fashion. Fortunately that was that as Andrew Buzza and Gary Chappell put on the required 37. It was a combination of subtle shots and a bit of bash but it worked. A maiden was faced and the overs digit was wrong on the scoreboard indicating one less over than actually was available so the tension mounted in the pavilion. Two dots and then Chappell played a classical leg glance, game over. This had been another united performance that sets the summer up for the trip to St Austell in August. In difficult conditions Torquay, in particular Ian Western, had been outstanding. |
