After last years frantic rush to reach Kidderminster for a noon start it was decided this year to travel up the day before. Even this logical decision created some unexpected problems. Nine were present at the Services but the Countess Weir off spinner was missing. Text and phone calls via Birmingham revealed he was at MOTO but without a phone. Search parties were unsuccessful in locating him and his brother and the critical decision was made to travel North one short. We picked up two more of the party at Tiverton and had a really slow journey up to Bromsgrove. The traffic was particularly heavy around Weston-super-Mare and Bristol who were hosting their annual balloon festival. We were meeting the Chudleigh opening bowler at Bristol and he was kept waiting longer than had been anticipated. He made up for the inconvenience later in the day! The off spinner’s family agreed to get Parminda to Barnt Green the following day. A convivial evening meal was followed by the Olympics closing ceremony and some unexpected inconvenience to room 112.

  Next day it was an early departure to Morrison’s for breakfast and a short drive to the 2011 Birmingham League Premier Champions ground. We received a very warm welcome and for the first time in the summer playing three of our under fifteens. Parminda had been at the ground since 8.30am and Devon had a full complement. The pre match preparation revealed some concerning catching deficiencies as Sam Wyatt-Haines won the toss and batted. Debutant Matt Skeemer, who with the other fifteens had been robbed of a debut at Cornwall by the rain, opened up with Tom Richardson. They put on thirty-nine in eleven overs when Skeemer was caught second ball of the twelfth. Harrison-Hooton quickly followed utilising his favourite dab to be caught. Devon was now two short of fifty off ninety-four balls. Richardson and his captain took Devon to lunch with one hundred and twenty-six off twenty-nine overs. A par score. Their partnership of eighty-eight off one hundred balls was the best of the day and it was Wyatt-Haines first out in the second over after the interval. There was a rain break at five to two with one hundred and forty-one runs scored. The break lasted almost fifty minutes. Annoyingly Richardson was run out third ball after the break and Devon were again under pressure with four down for one hundred and forty-two.  Higgs who had scored off his first ball and then faced twenty-two dots and new batsman Jack Maunder failed to complete the minimum partnership of ten by four when Higgs was out. Maunder was under additional pressure being under surveillance by Nottinghamshire then watched Declan Lines leave and pad away a googly from Williams. It was now left to two fifteens as Maunder was joined by Dan Powell, shortly off to Chicago, and the pair put on sixty-four in twenty-six overs. They took in tea with the score four past a potential second batting point. Once again the interval broke the concentration and for the second time in the day a settled batter was run out fourteenth ball into the final session of the day. He had scored a vital forty but Devon now fell away from 211-6 to 253 all out. Ollie Sale scored twelve, Luke Ansell two and Powell was the second batter of the day to fall three short of fifty as he was caught and bowled by Williams. The sixteens captain had played against Devon the previous week and Darren had taken 4-49 with his leg spin and as Lines found out wrong’uns. There were twenty-two overs left in the day and Holmes and Sale impressed everyone with a sustained spell of pace. After twelve overs Worcestershire was 23-0. The captain, Skeemer and Singh all had a bowl but Worcestershire were now comfortably placed on 55-0 at close.

   Eight hours sleep were enjoyed by all, Morrisons were now expecting us and provided a very smooth service. Sale took his first wicket in the fourth over of the morning knocking back Austin’s off stump. Three had been added and the second wicket added twenty off forty-six balls. It nearly all then went Devon’s way. Sale repeated his previous dismissal removing Tromaines. Parminda now came into his own with excellent support from North Devon’s Chinaman Luke Austin. Worcestershire were 78-1 and then 112-7. Parmida’s first victim was caught Higgs, his second leg before, his third brilliantly caught at slip by the captain, he then bowled Mann. His figures at this stage were 4-21 off nine. Ansell took the vital wicket of Ahmed another splendid catch at slip by Wyatt-Haines. The second excellent Barnt Green lunch was taken at 131-7. The eight wicket pairing were the only thorn in Devons side. Indeed Patel and Warwick batted for another eleven overs when Richardson caught Patel off the first ball of Singh’s twentieth over, Singh took his sixth wicket with his next ball gaining his second leg before. Ansell finished of Worcestershire by bowling Warwick. Singh had completed a career best 6-57 off twenty-one overs. This was the tenth best return by an under sixteen. Sale had taken 2-32 and Ansell 2-19 off 9.2 overs.

  It was now up to Devon to set up a win by extending their lead of seventy-three to a figure that would appeal to their opponents to chase. This was not achieved and at close the home side were looking to realize a first by bowling out an opposition for a second time. Opportunities were initially given to those who had not shone in the first innings and only Skeemer and Sale took the chance offered. Devon lost Harrison-Hooton with twenty-one scored off six, Lines fell LBW to Williams for a second time but played a shot, Higgs scored one more in the second innings and Wyatt-Haines forty-seven less. Maunder took his total for the two days to forty-eight and Richardson did not bother Total Scorer. It was Sale and Powell, for the second time that built up some respectability putting on seventy-eight for the eighth wicket, two short of a record dating back to 2000. Sale was caught on forty-five, Luke Ansell was caught for one and Singh faced five balls being undefeated with Powell on forty six. He had scored ninety-two for once out. Devon had a lead of 226. Skemmer had made a useful thirty. Points wise Devon would have returned home with eighteen which would be very useful if they can be achieved in 2013.

  Barnt Green, who have close connections with Andy Flowers were exceptional hosts and it was interesting to pick up the latest news and gossip with our Worcestershire friends and old acquaintances. It says much about what is being provided by the Devon Cricket Board for their young players that our matches are proving to be magnetic for first class academy directors