The under 17s started their season with a near perfect performance, the only blemish being the lack of faith by the Manager when he recommended that batting points would be a guaranteed return against a possible outright. As it transpired patently the wrong advice as the extra 28 overs would probably have ensured an outright. It is hoped that these additional five points are not critical at the end of the campaign. On one of two thousand and sevens better summer days Eliot Acton won the toss and went with the majority and batted. Vice captain Andrew Buzza local knowledge of the Exmouth track and its initial help to the seamers discounted along with that of an Exmouth colleague. The new opening combination of the under 16 James Burke and Luke Bess set off with the simply instruction of batting to lunch. This major objective they achieved with little difficulty. They put on 93 in the two hour spell just 27 runs short of their actual target – perfect batting. The interval did bring a wicket as Bess chipped the sixth ball after lunch in to the safe hands of Webb nine runs short of a fifty; he had batted four minutes over the two hours, hit five fours and faced one hundred and twenty-six deliveries. This was the highest partnership of the innings but the second pairing challenged it being only five runs behind as they took the score up to 181 after 62 overs. Burke had been joined by one of the major successes of 2006 – Gareth Tidball and they took the side up to nineteen short of the second bonus point. James Burke lost the opportunity of scoring the first ton of the year. when he gave Webb his second catch of the innings but this time it was off his own bowling as he succumbed for a most impressive debut 89 (195 balls; 180 minutes). He scored forty in fours and cleared the ropes once- a first rate performance from the West of England all rounder. However as lunch had done earlier the tea interval saw the end of Tidball who had also been batting exceptionally well; reaching his second successive under 17 fifty and it was hoped that he would take this golden opportunity to reach three figures for the first time for the county. However second ball after the break with the score on 242 Tidball departed in his favourite manner for a one hundred and sixteen minute 67. With Robbie Debenham, fresh from three days with the county squad which included a tumbling diving catch, the pair had put on 61 in just 46 minutes as the tempo was gradually increased. The batsman had done everything asked of them as Devon was now in the ideal position to turn the screw. Twenty-three were added for the fourth when Debenham was run out going for a difficult second. Tom Whittle had been his partner and he was embarking on perhaps his best county knock. The second debutant Mark Gilmour was given the simple but not easy to execute instruction to accelerate. The result a scintillating forty-six ball partnership of 77 that took up less than half an hour. Gilmour looked totally at home in the environment and had been scoring useful cameos week in week out in the Premier. In as a hard hitting leg spinning all-rounder he ticked all the boxes in this game – indeed all three new players made major contributions entirely justifying their selection. Gilmour took just 24 balls to reach 40 he hit only eighteen in boundaries and in tandem with Whittle took the score to well past the fourth bonus point. At 342 with overs left in the day it was just a case of reaching a declaration score of around 360. Whits was caressing the ball with his normal impeccable style. Smith and Buzza were sent in to help on the ones but he dominated being seventh out hitting 6, 4, 4 out in the final over when Acton called them in. Whittle’s 71 came off only 59 balls, his fifty at a run a ball – imperious. A couple of wickets by close of play would have been useful; Mark Orchard got them with his first two deliveries caught behind by the juggler and leg before. On his hat trick ball he was so excited he dropped it on his run up. He made it 3 when he bowled Bullen His progress this summer at his club has been marked and he was well supported at the sea end by a fiery Adam Dibble who included a peach of a bouncer and James Burke as Wiltshire were reduced to 32-3 at close. With Porter on twenty20 duty the side put on a very poor game of football which was only memorable for a tackle on one Exmouth team mate by another that would have made a yesteryear Hunter or Harris cringe. Perhaps he should not have donned the bib.

 The second day initially reverted to 2007 with an oppressive cloud covering but fortunately not the promised rain. The first objective was to break the overnight partnership which had put on 21 and included Wiltshire’s brightest batting prospect fourteen year old Qureshi who has not the greatest reputation for judging a run. Another 17 were added in sufficient time to visit Barclays when the obstinate Young played the ball though second slip and took off only for first slip, Robbie Debenham, to chase and run him out with a direct hit as the non striker had not moved a muscle. Enter Pittman who had looked the part when he had top scored for the twenty-ones three days earlier, would there now be the inevitable partnership. From the visitors point of view alas not as perhaps the run out had unsettled the youngster and he played his first false stroke edging Evenden to Debenham at slip. Conditions were ideal for Shane Evenden who was bowling to his full potential his pressure bowling had been a contribution to the run out. The home side with two exceptions then started to hold their catches as Acton was now turning a different screw, Dorgan gave Dibble his first wicket at this level caught by Bess, Pittman – Evenden's second caught by Tidball, Earl Shane’s third and Gilmour’s first catch, Dibble then wound up proceeding with Buzza’s catch and a bowled. This was outstanding seam bowling by one of the best units seen at this level for a number of years maybe since the Court, Bryant, Knapman days and they reached the National 17 final at Canterbury. This is when the fiasco at Dorset last year entered the sub conscious and Eliot was incorrectly advised to chase some guaranteed batting points and then have fifty overs to bowl them out again – big error.

The climatic conditions were improving and the first objective was to bat to lunch. Bess received a mixed message from management and a player and took the wrong line and was immediately caught at cover. It is hoped he will follow the right advice next time. Gareth Tidball had been dropped down the order to allow the others to charge was immediately summoned to put his whites on in case some sensible batting was needed but fortunately the Exmouth pair of Burke and Debenham took the side into lunch on 11 after four overs. The pair then went on to complete the first century partnership of the summer putting on 115 in 138 balls. Burke was showing he could now bat to any order was caught for 64 which included two big sixes and six fours. It now went wrong as two more wickets fell on 115 as two of the first innings success in Gilmour and Whittle went in five balls. This perhaps should have been the time to count Devon’s losses and have another go at Wiltshire as it took another five overs to pick up the second batting point as Debenham 64* (104 balls; 71 minutes 6 fours), Buzza and Acton took their side up to 150 with 50 overs left in the day. Acton declared for the second time in twenty-four hours and the spinners would have to play a key role in ensuring a point was not lost for a sub-standard over rate and take ten quick wickets. Young and Pierce batted for two minutes under the hour putting on 55 when Buzza bowled Young. Gilmour then took his first under 17 wicket bowling Pearce one run and two balls later. Pittman and Sawyer added 20 when Pittman lost patience with Gilmour and spooned one up to Tom Whittle. It was now 76-3 with 105 balls left. Wiltshire secured their first batting point of the game when immediately Sawyer became Buzza’s second bowled victim, to encourage the all rounder that perhaps there is a key role in the side for him. Qureshi was now ensconced and again looking the oppositions best batter and he held it all together this time without a run out hanging over his head. He and Pittman had been the major reservations in not putting them back in and at least we got 50% of it right. Dibble was too quick and extracted too much bounce for Bullen and helped Buzza on his quest for the best catching return in a season. Orchard completed the wicket taking that he had started the previous night and Wiltshire were 135-6 at close. It is anticipated that the four wickets could have been taken in the 28 overs sacrificed for batting points. Jack Porter, now back from his unsuccessful foray to the Twenty20 cricket scene, led an eventful game of VolleyRugby.. Overall it had been first class and put Devon in top place in the table one point ahead of Buckinghamshire whose spinners had proved too much for Berkshire. Essex had been given a close game by Oxfordshire who are Devon’s next opponents at Sandford. Season on.