Devon Cricket Board - DCBYA U14s 2015 Wales Match Report

Wales 14^th June Thorverton CC

Small margins… they make a difference

On Tuesday I was concerned the match may not be on as the forecast was not great but as the week progressed I became more confident. Thursday evening Charlotte Walliker warned me Jonty may be unavailable and she kindly confirmed it early on Friday morning. A call was made to Elliott whose bowling in the week had impressed Nick and he took Jonty’s place. As forecast it rained and rained Friday afternoon. Saturday was brighter and Sunday looked good. A lunchtime email advised one of the umpires had changed.

Up early Sunday morning, car packed the night before and off to Thorverton. On arrival at 9.30AM Jock and Richard plus helpers were hard at it getting the pitch, pavilion and facilities ready for us. Most of the Welsh lads were already there and many of the Devon lads too. I’ll have to get up earlier- 6.00AM not 6.15AM!! The Welsh lads had taken the larger home changing room, come on Devon lads get your act together! The pitch prepared was naturally after the weather a little damp and green in places whilst the one from the day before was rock solid and golden brown. Jock kindly said we could play on the used one and we helped him move everything across. Thank you Jock - et al.

The warm up went well and Devon decided we should bat as the pitch might deteriorate as the day went on; we expected it to bounce and turn too. We won the toss and batted.

Deggy and Carps opened and Wales bowled well, particularly Jones who swung it and bowled good lines- the extra bounce also caused some concern. We hit the fielders quite a lot and I appreciate it is difficult in these circumstances to get it right, but perhaps we could have looked at a few more singles? In the 7^th over Deggy tried to pull Jones and miss skewed to mid wicket. We have talked about it again and the locker looks the best place at the moment James. Next over Carps miss skews to point it’s 40-2 and Saps and James Doble have to recover the situation. On the way Saps giving the slips/gulley catching practice as he did against Gwent, but he is dropped, again the locker for that shot Saps or hit it! In the 19^th over with 59 on the board the good work is undone as James chips to point again.. Next over Saps is brilliantly caught at mid on by Lee, and it was outstanding but we have just lost two wickets in two overs again!! Read the batting team goals lads!! 61-4 off 20 overs. Tayls and Gregors start to rebuilt, Gregors doing his best to run out Talys who dives and manages to get it but injures his shoulder. In the 26^th over he then is caught at point trying to hit over mid on. Bit of a theme going on we think. 75-5. Gregors and Bryon, with Bryon playing his unencumbered natural game once more take the score on to 98 in the 29^th over when last ball of the over Gregors chips the ball back to the bowler. 98-6. Partnerships lads.. Locky bats well and with Bryon we look like we might post 175 +; Bryon is dropped in the deep off a difficult chance when fate, and we could do with a little luck, he is run out backing up when Locky cracks the ball back and it hits the bowler and then the ball hits the stumps. Unusually this is the second time in two matches that this has happened, and Bryon has been on both ends of it. It’s a great pity though as Devon were just building some impetus. There are still plenty of overs left, 11 and we bat very deep so if we bat as batsmen not tail enders we should still get to that 175+ revised target. Elliott joins Locky but is soon out caught and Kersley who had missed out on a century the week before at his club and Locky take the score onto 165 in the 44^th over when Locky is well caught and then Kersley is out, run out, leaving George not out with 7 balls to go… would those unused deliveries and the 3 no balls due to 6 fielders on the leg side and the leg side wide, we played anything down the leg is a wide, make a difference? Time would tell.

After a very splendid tea, thank you parents and Carol for organising it, its team talk and a quick practice. We need to take all 10 wickets otherwise Wales will bat time and win. Fight hard, show some pride and character to the very end. Don’t give anything up, as every run saved will be precious. Go for that half chance, don’t watch them and be a hero. Tayls shoulder is too sore and so James Doble takes the gloves.

First ball from Kers, a swinging full toss and Thomas clips if off the middle and Woody or his mid drift holds onto the catch at mid wicket! What a start 0-1 but the rest of the over goes for 9! Gregors bowls a maiden and Kers finding more rhythm then bowls Evans top of off stump. Wow 13-2 off 3. That becomes 14-3 next over when Carps, great hands, takes a sharp catch in the slips off Gregors, having shelled a really difficult one off Kers the over before, to remove O’Leary. We must keep the pressure on and go for the jugular and its important that we get the next bowling changes right. Whilst it is helping the seamer given how the Wales spinners bowled, should Devon spinners come on now? Through Morgan and Lee, Wales gradually recover and take the pressure off themselves and exert it onto Devon. George and Locky have a bowl and a couple of really hard chances go bye. When the spinner do come on after the drinks break, 63-3, the scoring rate, helped by some outstanding fielding, does slow down and Woody gets his first County wicket bowling Evans in the 24^th over 93-4. At drinks in the 30^th, 115-4, its all about continuing to apply pressure, another wicket or two and you could change things, don’t give up, fight and make it happen but most of all believe, believe in yourselves. Saps and Elliott replace Deggy and Woody and immediate bowl good lines and Lee who scored predominantly through the covers helped by Smaile take the score on until in the 36^th over Tayls takes a catch off Saps at mid wicket - he’s fielding by now, not playing on his phone or texting Mia, to up the noise/ encouragement levels! 130-5. Incidentally James kept really well on his last minute debut behind the stumps. Both Elliott and Saps bowled really well in this pressure situation making it difficult for Wales and there was always that glimmer of hope that something might happen but we would need that bit of luck which seems to be missing at the moment. Kers and Gregors come back into the attack and Kers who has had a good day has Davies caught and then Lee is run out next over 162-7 in the 44^th. With three deliveries left, the match is over, Sissons whacks a four and it is game over- Wales have won by 3 wickets.

It has been a great game of cricket, yes we lost but there have again been some huge positives not least the Team’s attitude and commitment; the bowling and fielding which has been of a high standard and a significant improvement from last year- we do however have to reduce the number of wides!! You have set your standards here lads so.. Players are beginning to understand their roles, the team spirit is good but we do need to look at the batting and batting goals. Do we need to do an England and play with less fear? This doesn’t mean trying to tee off on every occasion but playing positive cricket, taking ever scabby run, accessing the situation and pitch quickly, partnerships, partnerships and more partnerships and addressing the batting goals. I'm repeating myself- age! Read them again before next Sunday!

So small margins do/ did make a difference, they usual do, as sport gets more challenging. Calm down Nick!

Listen and watch the Al Pacino “Inch by Inch” speach lads. We’re not in hell lads, far from it but just watch it..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyWXKeBsNk

My apologies for the language…

Thank you Thorverton CC, Jock, Richard et al for all you did once more for us, Nick and Tim the Umpires, Wendy and Derek for scoring and Carol and the parents/ guardians for the magnificent spread. See you at the festival Wales.

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