Matthew Golding followed up his top score the previous day with another vital forty as Devon lost wickets at regular intervals. Joe Abbot was out on the sixth delivery of the innings leg before playing across the line, his opening partner Max Curtis, had faced fourteen when Haggaty bowled him and the West of England captain lasted twenty-two balls before he was caught. Devon were now in trouble on 19-3 off twelve overs, with still another one hundred and eleven needed, Josh Mailling dug in and put on with Golding the highest partnership of the innings. They took Devon up to forty-nine when Mailling’s patience came to end, edging Haggaty to MacManus for an important fifty-four ball thirteen. Golding had contributed twenty runs at this stage – the twenty-ninth over. Overs and time were not a concern it would simply be a battle to get in front. At 102-9 this looked decidedly unlikely Davies and Golding put on fourteen in twenty minutes, Eaves and Golding eighteen in a similar time frame and Yates and Golding put on thirteen in one minute under a quarter of an hour. Charlie Miles decided that attack was the best approach hitting a boundary but was bowled by Gibson after facing eight balls. Hampshire took the vital wicket of Golding at one hundred and two when he was caught by Gibson off King. He had been the master of restraint and had fought and fought for his side facing one hundred and twenty-one balls, hitting five fours and batting for twenty minutes short of three hours. Defeat on first innings and a potential outright loss were in most peoples thoughts with Paul Heard and Jack Richardson at the crease. They in fact very nearly achieved a minor miracle batting for forty-four minutes, facing eighty-five balls and taking the score up to equal their opponents. Both had looked in complete control of the situation and now it seemed inevitable that Devon would like first innings points. The image remains in the mind even to this day, Heard squirted the ball, charged and there was even a scream from the stand in scorer to get back and he was run out. Although a disappointing end product this rear guard action had been pretty impressive and the side had shown some character. Hampshire faced thirty balls from Heard and Mailling and scored one run off the third delivery of the third over. The doctor had been revisited, more drugs and the Harvester again resuscitated the troops.

The logistical problem of three vehicles and only two fit drivers was resolved thanks to the Board’s Chairman, Jim Wood, who exceptionally kindly responded to the SOS and joined us around lunchtime. The third day at the Rose Bowl turned into another nerve racking affair. Even a visit from our Performance Consultant failed to relieve the tension. Hampshire batted until 2.50pm, utilising fifty-two of the day’s quota of one hundred and two overs, leaving Devon to have to survive fifty. The Hampshire openers put on 64, the second wicket fell one run past the hundred and the third wicket at one hundred and six. Max Curtis caught and bowled both George and Marriott and Pavi Mawalage had Halson caught by Wyatt-Haines. Gibson was making good his rare low score the previous day but was fourth out for sixty-eight, caught behind by Davies off Pavi with Hampshire on one hundred and thirteen after thirty-two overs. Hampshire then set about building a decent lead in order to declare. They scored one hundred and twenty-one off twenty-four overs with Ryan Scott not out fifty-six. Devon employed nine bowlers with Matt Golding picking up a couple of wickets, Charlie Miles bowled Green and Max Curtis took a third wicket with a catch from Mailling. His final figures were 3-50 off fourteen. For the second day Devon would now have to show some resilience and character. It was noticeable on the first day that Wood, who had taken four wickets, had gained success with the short pitched ball. So, as expected, the home side’s strategy was to bowl short. This was the first time that such a form of attack had been so concerted. One only has to watch the excellent documentary – Fire in Babylon – to appreciate how successful this form of attack has been! To check on fair play our coach ended up at square leg. This line of attack was very successful as all of the seven wickets to fall were caught and the majority with the batsman fending off the ball. Devon were reduced to 52-5 after twenty-five overs with Matt King now the most successful bowler taking 3-21 off fourteen. Rhys Davies and Craig Eves put on forty-seven for the sixth wicket but more importantly taking up one hundred and five balls and fifty-eight minutes. Davies played a most uncharacteristic innings but most certainly one for the side in scoring seven of the partnership off fifty-five balls. The captain was playing a masterful innings combining defence with attack. The pair had made a draw a real possibility and, with potentially only ten overs left in the day, Davies dogged innings came to an end with the score on ninety-nine. Although nine runs later Yates was bounced out, there were then probably only twenty-four balls left with three wickets remaining. Eighteen balls later at ten past six the game was concluded, with Eaves unbeaten on forty-eight (seventy-eight balls; eighty-six minutes and equally importantly five fours and two sixes) and the impressive Paul Heard not out one. The scorer and dogs had been retrieved from the Elizabeth House who had been exceptionally helpful to the invalid throughout our stay, Matt Wood sped off to Nottinghamshire but not before he had congratulated the players on what was to be the best all round performance of the summer and the highest points return of thirteen. We thanked, for the last time, Hampshire’s amazingly co-operative scorer and were on our way home with heads held high.