| Two excellent days were enjoyed at Heathcoat Cricket Club a ground where a transformation has taken place over the winter that has only been surpassed by Cinderella. Their new pavilion and facilities are truly exceptional and their ground is a joy to play at. Hopefully the weather will be kind for the three further days we are due at Tiverton this summer. Alan Swift was asked by Uplands College, a South African school his development squad play annually at fifteens in the Kruger. Their first team were touring Britain and asked if we could host them. This was an ideal opportunity for the sixteen’s with a little help from the seventeen’s to gain some two day experience against older opposition.
With the programmed Heathcoat under 13 game cancelled play started at 12.30pm with 97 overs programmed for the first day. The touring side won the toss and inserted Devon. Matt Skeemer, who is making a good impression in the Premier with Cornwood was the first to fall caught behind by Murray off Pyne-James. The score was seven and Ollie Higgs departed two balls later bowled by the same bowler for a duck. The best partnership of the match followed as Declan Lines and captain Billy Searle put on 87 off 173 balls. However in the last over before lunch the captain was leg before to Park. Mawdsley survived the five balls and the Drews provided a splendid lunch. Devon had scored 94-3 off thirty-overs. Lines who was on 43 was leg before on his first post interval delivery. This was a disappointment as the side were looking to Lines to bat another session have ably occupied the crease all morning. Devon’s hundred came up in the thirty-sixth over with another Sidmouth batter Dan Powell at the crease. He lasted another two overs when he was caught by Du Preez to give Pyne-James a third wicket. Mawdsley was batting confidently and he and West of England Under 15 Captain Ben Green put on 72 off one ball short of the hundred. Mawdsley was caught off the first ball of the fifty-fourth over to give Kolbe his one wicket of the innings. Green had contributed thirty-four and three of the four partnership with Seb Ansley who lasted just two balls when Park bowled. Ollie Dawe who had opened the previous day was caught first ball by the keeper. Devon were in some difficulty on 182-8. Fortunately Green and Jack Thomas took Devon past two hundred. Green completed his fifty in the sixtieth over off 67 balls in 77 minutes. Thomas who had contributed an important 22 fell with the score on 234 when Park had him caught by Jacobsz having shared in a partnership of 52. Green was left high and dry on 61 when two balls later Park picked up his fifth wicket when Jamie Drew was bowled. Devon had scored 234 off 62 overs. Tea was taken.
Ben Green opened with Hugo Whitlock and it was the Abbotskerswell seamer who took the first wicket in the third over bowling Jacobsz with eight on the magnificent electronic scoreboard. Uplands advanced by four when their captain Nepgen hit his own direct defending it off Whitlock. The tourists lost their third wicket in the fourteenth over when Powell held a stunning catch behind off Searle to remove Du Preez for one. Uplands were then 30-3. They lost two more wickets before close of play, Matt Skeemer caught the opener Mullin to give Drew a wicket on his home ground for 23 and Dawe caught Murray to send the keeper Murray back for 14. Time was called with Uplands 122 behind with five wickets remaining. It was another splendid day at Heathcoat and the College resumed with Bruce-Band and Park at the crease facing under 16s Ollie Dawe and Hugo Whitlock. They were untroubled for ten overs when Thomas who had replaced Whitlock had Brand-Band well caught at second slip by Ben Green. Uplands were four past the hundred and then twenty-three balls later the same combination struck to send back top order batsman Carlisle who was now fully recovered after not being able to bat on the first day for a duck. He was to prove to be a major problem later in the day adding a ton to his member of the Anatidae family of birds. The score was 122-7 and the final Uplands wickets fell for just two more runs. Thomas picked up his third wicket when he trapped Pyne-James with his next ball. Billy Searle then removed top scorer Park with an astonishing catch from Ollie Dae, the money was on the ball but Dawe took a tremendous catch, next ball with the batters crossing he bowled Whitfield. Devon had an hour before lunch to start builing a target.
Matt Skeemer and Declin Lines ut on 67 of sixteen overs but for the second successive daY Devon lost a wicket in the last over before the intival. Skeemer was leg beforfor 41. Higgs and Lines put on nineteen before Higgs departed caught behind. Billt Searle contributed two in a partnership of twenty-sevenand nine runs later Lines was the second leg before of the innings for 55. His fifty came off 160 balls in 84 minutes. Mawdsley was run out with the score on 138. Dan Powell and Seb Ansley took Devon up to 185 when Searle called his batters in. He had set Uplands 295 at approximately just under six an over. He was aiming to bowl his opponents out and tthey were equally posivite they would bat it out. This was achieved as they ended on 159-4 off 50 overs. Mullin batted 60 balls and minutes for his 13, after watching Whitlock bowl both Jacobsz and Nepgen without scoring but depated himself with the score on 24 having ben bowled by Searle. He had beenn joined by Carlise who with Du Preez put on 58 for the fourth wicket. On 82 Du Preez was Whitlocks third wicket caught behing by Mawdsley who was audition for the two day under 17 against Worcestershire. An early closeure was delayed to allow Carlise to reach three figures with Uplands on 159-4. Heathcoat confirmed that in the sun they are one of the premier venues in Devon | 
