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Stonehenge and Devon Cricket have history and once again it sought its revenge for something in the distant past as once again the mini-bus was brought to a stop. Sunday is never a good day, to travel nor indeed is a Bank Holiday Friday as this was not to be the only major traffic jam of the summer. The delay was extended after a car decided to depart from the main thoroughfare into some trees. The scorer sorted out a short cut, there was a breakdown in communication and the turning missed. She had to rejoin us at the next roundabout. The Hotel offered good accommodation and we eat in but the service was as slow as the traffic hold up. Some difficult selection decisions had been made, last years bowler of the year had not been performing and was replaced by Connor Ashworth who forfeited his family holiday in Cornwall – wise decision. Ben Green came back from a very successful Bunbury in Durham having made SKY Sports news and named all rounder of the festival. Macauley Harrison-Hooton was recalled to keep. The game was played at St Cross, Symondiane a new venue for the seventeen’s delightfully situated on the outskirts of Winchester. An over head barrier was a first but successfully navigated and Woody met up with Jimmy Adams father. They had toured the West Indies with the West and played at Bunbury. The club had hosted the previous day a benefit game for Hampshire. The forecast was not good for the week and it rained during the warm ups but no time was lost. Hampshire won the toss and fielded. Hoddinott was leg before off the twenty-fifth ball with six on the board. Harrison-Hooton was enjoying his recall demonstrating a very positive intent. A rain break of eight minutes broke the batsmans concentration when on the penultimate ball of the eleventh over Higgs was bowled. The pair had put on 31 with Harrison-Hooton contributing twenty-four. He was taking the bowlers on, giving them the charge and generally testing hearts. More importantly on this occasion he was successful. With the captain ninety-eight were added for the third wicket. The hundred came up in the twenty-first over and Harrison-Hooton passed his fifty in the twenty-eighth. Next over he charged again but missed and was stumped for an eighty-six ball 53. This was an important contribution. Green replaced the left-hander and also played with real confidence and looked in prime form. The one-fifty and the captains personal fifty were reached in the thirty-third over. Wyatt-Haines was the third successive batsman to be out on the fifth ball as he was caught for his sides top score of 55. Devon were now on 167 with 91 balls remaining. The home side had been exceptionally generous with extras and this provided the third highest contribution of the innings -49 including thirty-eight wides. As in the last game with Worcestershire Devon’s lower middle order subsided going from 167-4 to 197 -9 with twenty-four balls remaining. Reid Maudsley was his normal positive self was joined by Connor Ashworth, who had demonstrated the previous week with the nineteen’s that he could hold a bat. The pair performed brilliant, indeed providing an undefeated partnership of 20 which as it transpired actually won the game for Devon. The final score of 217-9 was likely to be a difficult score to defend.
At lunch the coach found a local vet, Silas was despatched for a consultation and Total Cricket Scorer proved its worth. It proved initially a disappointing follow despite Ben Green taking a wicket with his fifteenth legal ball with Ashworth taking the first catch of the innings. Devon were to take nine catches and a run out clearly indicating how well they fielded. Webb and Soames then put on 88 in nine minute over the hour, the highest partnership of the innings. At 97 -1 Hampshire were well placed with one hundred and forty-eight balls to score one hundred and twenty runs. The captain then held his first catch to remove Webb off Ashworth. Soames was dominating the innings and was five short of his fifty. The third wicket scored 21 off 23 balls in ten minutes. Ashworth struck again with Ollie Dawe taking the catch. The Paignton’s off spinner had at this stage figures of 2-28 off six. Ashworth continued his good work with his reliable captain taking his second catch. Hampshire were now 124-4 with 113 balls left as Devon stated to turn the screw. Ashworth completed his spell with the figures of 10-2-45-3. He and Bess had made a telling contribution. Marcus Hoddinott replaced Ashworth and was to bowl through. Green with a second catch for Dawe made it 168-5 in the forty-first over –forty-nine needed off fifty-four. Soames was still there on 80. The seventh wicket fell in the forty-third over, a third for Green and Wyatt-Haines. Devon were now on top and the situation improved in the forty-third over when Ashworth held an excellent vital catch to eventually remove Soames and to give Hoddinott his first wicket. Next over Devon appeared home and dry when the Green / Wyatt Haines combination took the eighth wicket of the innings. Hampshire were now 183-8 needing thirty-five off thirty-two with only two wickets in tack. Life is never that easy as Caldere and Crane then proceeded to put on thirty off thirty-one balls. It was now very tense. Marcus Hoddinott was entrusted with the final over and bowled magnificently. Off the first ball he got the dangerous Caldere off strike, second ball the captain held Crane, his fourth catch of the innings – some winter research needed here- the batsman did not cross so number eleven Marston was on strike. Dot ball, scampered bye, heart in mouth time, three needed two balls. Marcus bowled another dot. The field was reset, three needed one ball, good contact was made along ground towards the sweeping Billy Searle with ground to cover, they ran two but Searle’s bullet throw was cleanly taken by keeper Harrison-Hooton. Devon the winners by one run. Magnificent, two out of two very much a new experience for the Devon’s under 17 one day side. The expected poor weather was building; it started to rain on the journey back to the Hotel and after a swim Devon reverted to the trusted Harvester chain with apparently no chance of playing the following day. |
