Devon Cricket Board - DCBYA Under 14s Cornwall Match Report 2014

After a good journey, we had a slight detour because on auto pilot after collecting Wendy, Derek and Nick in Plympton, I decided to take the east bound slip road towards Exeter (!) we arrived at Grampound Road to warm greetings and to find the ground and new pavilion looking splendid. With plenty of time Nick sets up everything and the warm up goes far better. There is a good buzz and after speaking to the groundsman, with the pitch used but looking full of runs and the threat of rain diminishing we decide if we win the toss to bat. We lost the toss and were inserted- we thought that was a little strange.

Due to the weather, not playing Wales, Nick and I felt we might change the batting order slightly and so Lammers and Ash open. The score thanks partly to extras races to 20 off 3 with Ash square cutting for 4 and Tom playing lovely shots off his legs. Whilst we miss the odd single the running is positive, Ash particularly pushing and taking quick singles and it soon becomes 27 off 4 overs and then 34 off 5. The Cornwall openers perhaps helped us bowling an inconsistent line and length. Ash then pushes an open faced drive 2 and then cuts another boundary. First bowling change in the 6^th over and Lammers immediately hits 4 through wide fine leg and we temporarily lose the ball! Another bowling change and it soon becomes 50 off 7 overs. Although the fast outfield is making it difficult, Cornwall are unfortunately not helping themselves. On the side line Nick and I are wondering if Parks is the new Pethy as we have profound words of wisdom as there is a leg side wide and he says- “At least he is bowling to his field!” Lammers hits another super 4 and then Cornwall bring on the first of their spinners to take the pace off the ball. Ash hits a 4 square and Lammers also cuts a 4. We now have spinners on at both ends.

On the boundary singing breaks out- lads I think you need more practice, much more, before the BGT audition! Keep taking the singles lads and put the bad ball away and they do, helped by some miss fields and after 10 overs we have 73! Ash then plays tip and run using his late, very late cut beautifully; I would be careful over playing it Ash, before Cornwall plug the gap. 78 off 12. It’s a fantastic start and it gets batter as Lammers hits 4 through mid on. There are a couple of twos, I know it was hot but could they have been threes lads- hard taskmaster? 94 off 14 overs and Ash hits a trademark late cut and 4 more to Lammers. 100 up off 15 and its drinks. Straight afterwards Lammers bring up his well deserved consecutive 50. On the boundary there is lots of excited chat; lads we must hold it together and not get carried away. An over and a half later Lammers sweeps firmly to square leg and as he said “I thought it was 4 all the way”, but one of Cornwall’s taller fielders standing at square leg reaches up and sweetly catches the ball. 111-1 off 17 overs and Lammers has now been out with the score on 87 and 111! Good catch. The scoring slows down slightly, not a problem as we are ahead of our selves, but the singles dry up which is slightly unusual as Sam is good at rotating the strike and he mentions it later. A miss field 4 helps us but with Ash approaching his 50, I think he starts to play a little more carefully and to be honest it should not matter as we are123 off 23 overs and we should go on with wickets in hand and get a decent score. Not sure which of the parents sweep stacks will be right though! At 143-1 off 25 and Ash on 49 he eventually cuts one and brings up his 50. Bowling change and leggie on and the singles start to flow again. Ash uses his feet and cover drives 4. Drinks soon, the question do we with so many wickets in hand do what Wales did to us years ago and tee of early? Drinks arrive and with the spinners on, bowling better and taking the pace off the ball, we have scored 67-1 in 15 overs compared to 100 off the first 15. Ash remember your spikes next week!!

You have more licence to play your shots- super shot to deep extra but do we look for two and then Ash creams one back and it hits Sam a mid drift- dropped chance? Next over Sam uses his feet and not quite timing it hits to wide mid off and is well caught.173-2 off 31. Enter Kazi with licence and he hits a 4 and then a single but an over later he chips to wide mid on. Not what we wanted two quick wickets; 180-3. We then have a nice lofted drive and a two, no “one short” Cooops criminal! Then a 4 through extra cover, top shot Coops! Ash’s very good innings then comes to an end on 71 as he tiredly chips to mid on and he disappoint trudges back to the pavilion. Soon after Coops tries to cut a ball too close to the body and is bowled. 224-6 off 42. Leon and Gibbo are batting, and Leon gets a leading edge and is caught and Gibbo who has sensibly consolidated is unfortunately caught off the glove. With his foot on the line Lathers is then stumped and AB and Parks see us through to 242-9 off 45 overs. A good score which if you had asked us if we would be happy with it at the start we would have said yes but we did rather loose our way! Should we have said anything to encourage the lads to go for it? In wonderful hindsight probably not and perhaps we should have encouraged the lads to be more cautious when a couple of wickets fell - so we must accept responsibility.

The tea is excellent; thank you Grampound Road tea ladies. So what are we going to do lads, bowl the right line and length, straight and make the batsmen play and no extras. Stop the singles and field out of our skins. Think where we scored the runs early third man and backward point. If someone doesn’t quite hit their straps after 2-3 overs then Sam has licence to change the bowling and take the pace off the ball as it is not so easy to score. 5 off the first over including an edged 4 through third man! More edges to the boundary! How many will it take before we put a fielder there? We are also bowling a 4 ball an over. First ball of the 5^th over however Kazi then hits the top of off stump- great delivery; two dots then a 4 and then Kazi bowls a fantastic slow ball and completely deceives Boland- bowled. 24-2. Matt then bowls a great over, pace lift and direction, did he glove it? Then a sharp slip chance off Kazi which perhaps did not quite carry. AB starts his diving master class, only bettered by TD, at mid wicket and in the covers. Did he miss one all afternoon? Brilliant. It has taken a little while but we are now bowling good areas and then Kazi has16 off an over- oh dear! First change after 10 overs and Yabbers is on to start his usual frugal spell. Lammers enthusiastically then over throws or should someone have backed up– it would have been a maiden! It’s 50-2 off 11. Have we let them have too many boundaries, 4 balls or edges? All the time the clouds have been building and we have a short rain break and we take drinks early. We regroup at drinks, 53-2 off 13. We resume and pressure mounts as Cornwall with our spinners on are more cautious- we must not bowl that release ball; 4 dots and we must make the next two balls dots too- concentrate everyone. There is a possible run out and Cornwall are now scoring more slowly. A risqué shot over square; the fielding is tight and then Willow bowls Orpe off stump, 68-3 off 18. A few overs later Leon comes on, 4 dots then 4 but he then bowls two maidens. Yabbers miserly but wicket less spell comes to an end and at 93-3 off 27 are Cornwall playing for a draw? AB comes on, his field right and shortly from mid wicket Yabbers swoops and makes it happen with a direct hit run out! 98-4. See all that practice does work. Nothing much then happens other than Gibbo, who has been on boundary patrol all afternoon, nearly has a run out. Should we change things round, give Lathers and others a bowl- do something different? In the 36^th over Leon has Jackson caught and bowled, 109-5. AB stops yet another- brilliant. Bone has quietly accumulated and he reaches his 50 before he starts to play more shots and is eventually out for a very good 74 well run out by Leon. Jamie eventually gets a chance but the Cornish batters now have nothing to loose and he unfortunately takes a little stick as does Kazi who has come back on. Parks replaces Jamie and bowls the right length and we finish with a comedy of errors, it could have been a run out either end but in the end somehow both batsmen survive! Cornwall finish on 181-6; Devon winning by 61 runs.

A very pleasing performance and a number of excellent individual achievements but stills scope for improvement. There will be more challenges ahead. Before next weekend don’t forget to check our match and your individual goals and see if you/ the team achieved them.

Thank you parents and relatives for your support; thank you Cornwall, Grampound Road CC and the umpires for a splendid day.

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