The one day game with Somerset was also a rare victim of the otherwise splendid summer of 2013 as heavy overnight rain was supplemented by more rain on the morning and an early decision was made to call off the game at Heathcoat. This was the second time in a year that we had lost a one day game at this splendid venue. Matt Skeemer and Dan Powell were now back from holiday and Ben Holmes made his first appearance of the summer as three changes were made to the side that beat Hampshire. The captain’s popularity dipped as he lost the toss and his side contemplated the real prospect on a long hot day in the field. This is exactly what took place. Importantly Devon bowled at an excellent over rate throughout another tiring day and they took Somerset to within seven overs of their full entitlement. This was an excellent achievement. It was a day when the fielding side had to grasp every opportunity and disappointingly after the high quality exhibited the previous week Devon had a sub-standard day in the field. They missed a run out opportunity in the fifteenth over and six chances of various difficulties were not taken during the remainder of the day. Devon old boy Will Sobczak was the first victim when in the twelfth over Ollie Dawe bowled him with Somerset on 23. Devon bowlers were again bowling well with fourteen of the thirty-six overs delivered before the interval being maidens. In the thirtieth over of the first session Devon took their second wicket as Connor Ashworth, with his fourth ball, bowled Underwood. Matthews and Rouse then took Somerset up to 70-2 at lunch – generally from Devon’s point of view very satisfactory.

  At tea Somerset had advanced to 241-3 scoring 171 runs in forty-one overs, Devon were bowling at 20.5 an hour. The home side took one wicket in the session when in sixty-eighth over Hoddinott bowled opener Matthews for 112 off two hundred and three balls. The third wicket pair had been batting with great confidence, striking the ball well and had put on 157 off 225 balls. This was the session when Devon’s catching was not up to its normal standard as four chances went begging. At this stage Somerset were scoring at just over three an over. The Somerset captain Rouse enjoyed an excellent Exmouth tea ten short of his hundred. With the first ball of the second post lunch over Ben Green held Stratton to give Ashworth his second wicket – 243-4. This brought keeper Godmon to the crease, those present at Taunton Vale last summer would have vivid memories of his undefeated 173. Somerset picked up their final batting point in the ninety-fifth over with their captain on 129 and Godmon on 19. Declarations are always difficult decisions but it was anticipated that with potentially 126 balls left in the day that Devon would be batting before close. They were not invited as Somerset decided to take the safe route and score another 85 runs for the loss of two more wickets. Hoddinott took out his second centurion of the day with another catch from Wyatt-Haines, who was now on target for the catching record. Rouse had batted for under three hours for his fluent 137. The fifth wicket had added 87. Godman reached his fifty in the one hundred and sixth over but fell to Hoddinott in the one hundred and eighth with Bess taking the catch. Devon missed another couple of chances during this session as unsurprisingly they began to tire. The visitors 350 had been reached in the one hundred and third over and there was still no sign of a declaration. Somerset were 388-6 at close.

   Next day Somerset utilised the heavy roller and batted on for another twenty-four balls to add nineteen runs. Devon would need to score at four and break all sorts of records including recording their second highest total. Devon now had to bat the 102 overs and skilfully this was accomplished reaching a very respectable 340-6 and sharing the points equally with their opponents. Devon sent out their third new opening partnership in as many games as Matt Skeemer and Macaurley Harrison-Hooten started to make some inroads into the very daunting target. They put on 50 off one hundred and one balls both contributing twenty-one runs. Half an hour before lunch and in the next over Harrison-Hooton was out. Hoddinott scored five off his first two balls as the two under sixteens took Devon up to lunch at 89-1. The home side were moving in the right direction. Unfortunately with just one run added and ten balls into the penultimate session Hoddinott was on his way back for 19. Skeemer had now reached 36 and the pair had contributed 40 more important runs. The third wicket put on 54 with Skeemer passing his own fifty in the forty-second over. Four overs later the fifty partnership was reached with Devon still needing 268 runs. Matthews Skeemer's major contribution came to an end after batting for 148 minutes facing the same number of balls he was caught by Rouse for 69 having hit nine fours. Dan Powell joined Wyatt-Haines and the two were to bat for just under two hours scoring 136 runs off 213 balls. The pair made batting looking simple and achieved the second, third and fourth batting points enjoying tea together with 213 on the board off sixty-nine overs. At tea Exmouth’s magnificent Groundsman, Dave Fouracre, who retired at the end of the summer received a presentation by Ted Ashman, on behalf of a very appreciative Youth Association. Powell who was a total revelation in 2013 was caught in the eighty-second over with Devon twenty short of their final batting point. It had been a tremendous performance by the pair in scoring the third highest fourth wicket partnership at seventeens. Now at a quarter to five with twenty overs still to be bowled it was critical that Devon continued the fight. Three balls later the heart started to advance towards the mouth as Ben Green was caught. Declan Lines and the captain gathered the final batting point. In the same over, the ninetieth, Sam Wyatt-Haines reached a richly deserved hundred. He had faced 155 balls hitting thirteen fours and a six. Lines was out in an identical manner to Green with Devon on 302. Devon were now into the final hour with a minimum of twelve overs to be bowled and the new ball available and subsequently taken. At drinks the captain had appeared to have agreed a sponsorship deal with a cardiologist consultant as he brought out all his various reverse sweeps. At the other end Dominic Bess, back after a very successful spell with Somerset twos, was proving that he is now most certainly a fully fledged all rounder. The pair put on an unbeaten 38 off seventy-one balls. This excellent team batting performance reinforced the great character in the side. From the captains personal point of view he must have derived great satisfaction in the way that he performed against our nearest first class county. He ended on 116 having held his side together for three and three quarter hours having faced one hundred and ninety-five balls and adding one more four after he reached three figures. This was his third and final century at seventeens. In all he has compiled six hundreds at sixteens and seventeens. This is a record that will take some time to be broken.