It was an inexperienced side that headed to Southampton without one selected member, under 15, Sam Wyatt-Haines, who was involved with the West on the Monday. He subsequently joined the team for the two day game. On arrival at the friendly Elizabeth House Hotel it was evident that not all was well with the scorer who immediately retired to her room and did not resurface, apart from visits to a local doctor, until Wednesday afternoon. The chaos her illness created only confirmed how much she has been taken for granted all these years. A visit to the Pizza parlour, opposite, provided some real confusion but eventually the scorer’s appetite was met with a single Hawaiian. Being a Sunday we had been unable to book in at our chosen hostelry, the Ham Farm, but we risked it anyway. They were full, as indeed was the car park, and after a minor rumpus with a female motorist the coach showed his full worth. He got onto his iPhone and took us into Southampton. He navigated us into a Frankie and Benny and it all worked out well with a well received meal. Next day car insurance policies were checked, named drivers added and we journeyed to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1998. It was impressive then but over the thirteen years has really grown and is now a very impressive stadium. The Nursery Ground also remains an attractive and pleasant venue and with the sun out, blue sky and excellent practice facilities the much awaited season was suddenly on us. The disappointing news was transmitted to the outstanding Hampshire scorer, Jan Trodd, that she would have to carry the scoring for the next three days and that she would have to work with a well meaning amateur. In truth she could not have been more helpful and made what could have been a difficult situation incredibly easy.

Craig Eaves won the toss for our one day 50 over game and batted. The Devon openers set off well as Max Curtis and Joe Abbott put on the highest opening partnership of the summer. The seventy-two was forty-one runs higher than the next best and over the season the failure to get reasonable starts created immense pressure. However in the sun a solid foundation was laid in twenty-three overs when Abbott, the 2010 batsman of the year, was caught behind off the home side’s captain, Haggaty, for what was a season’s best 33. Curtis and Golding added twenty-seven but one short of three figures Curtis was also caught by McManus, the second of the keeper’s four catches, this one was off Wood for thirty. Devon then lost three wickets in putting on another thirty runs. Josh Mailling fell in an identical fashion to Curtis on one hundred and five and one ball later Rhys Davies copied him. With the score on one hundred and twenty-nine and thirty-eight overs utilised the captain became Wood’s fourth wicket, caught Marriott. A push was now needed and Devon scored at over seven an over for the final twelve. Golding and George Yates put on thirty-five off forty-one balls before Matt Golding was next out, caught captain Haggaty, bowled Thew, for a sixty-one ball forty-five. Passi Mawalage hit two fours in his fourteen ball thirteen and Devon were still short of runs on 191-7. One run later debutant Charlie Miles ran himself out on the first ball of the penultimate over and Devon were now well below par at 192-8 with eleven balls left. George Yates had been batting splendidly and with Jack Richardson a further twenty-four were added, nineteen off the last over. Yates was undefeated on forty-seven (fifty-one balls, five fours and two sixes) and Richardson contributed three off six deliveries.

Hampshire won the game with the second ball of the forty-seventh over with opener Halson undefeated three short of a hundred. With Green he had put on eighty-five for the first wicket in twenty-two overs when Max Curtis drew Green forward for a caught and bowled. Forty-seven were added for the second wicket off forty-five balls before Marriott was deceived by Pavi to be bowled. The partnerships continued and Hampshire were fifty-five short when Paul Heard bowled Mills in the thirty-seventh over. Devon took their fourth and final wicket in the forty-fourth over when Charlie Miles took his first county wicket by bowling Scott. There had been some expensive spells but Heard, Curtis and Miles went for less than four an over. The scorer reported no improvement, despite her first visit to a doctor and tablets and she would rely on room service. The Harvester car park caused no problems with the locals and the side were in reasonably good heart. The arrival of Wyatt-Haines fortunately did not affect the confidence.