Devon Cricket Board - Reid gains his just deserts

We returned to the ground where the season had started in May for our final under 17 game of the summer – Exmouth. We were expecting some more great deserts and in this game we were treated to a very special personal one. There were two changes to the side that beat Gloucestershire Dan Wolf had taken an unplanned family holiday and was replaced by the under sixteens captain Dan Pyle, up until this game the only centurion of the summer, and Jamie Drew’s back had not recovered from his withdrawal the previous week at Instow. This allowed for John Kerridge to return to the team. Both Wolf and Drew had played important parts in the sides change in fortune over the summer and would be missed. As with any final game for an age group the last match can be a poignant one and the desire is that they always leave county age group cricket with a successful and enjoyable game. Although we had lost the unplanned T20 the previous day much had been learnt about the attitude and ability of our opponents – Hampshire. At last Dominic Bess won a toss and Devon batted. The under fourteens had played in a rain affected game at Exmouth the previous day exposing our pitch and the openers would probably have to weather a difficult pre lunch session. Vice captain Matt Skeemer and Harvey Sargent entered the affray on time with Petherbridge and Codd manning the numbers due to an electrical trip switch problem in the score box. Peter Langford kindly resolved the scorer’s problem. The openers were confronted by Murray and McCoy, the latter had made a lasting impression on Sargent the previous day. The fifty was raised in the twelfth over, Drinks were taken in the sixteenth over and Sargent on his first ball after the break was bowled by Evans. The openers had provided a reasonable start of sixty-six but ones of three figures are still the preferred option. Dan Pyle and Skeemer took Devon to a rain break. The seventeenth over was commenced at noon and finished at twenty-eight minutes past one that also took in lunch, including apple pie and custard. However still in the seventeenth over Devon lost their second wicket when first ball back Pyle was caught behind without scoring. Devon was now sixty-seven for two. Skeemer who was looking very impressive and Dan Powell then added fifty-seven in forty-one minutes off sixty-seven balls. On a stroll around the boundary a comment was made that in such situations you should always look at the score and add on two wickets to determine how things are progressing. So of course from 124-2 Devon stumbled to 125-4. The vice captain gave Newman the charge, the keeper gave him a chance to get back, Skeemer did not take it and the Cornwood all rounder was out for eighty-two. Most would take such a score but it was an all round disappointment that Matthew had not gone on to record a ton. He is a delightful self effacing character, a joy to work with who so far has not been able to convert his huge contributions into milestones. It will happen and from afar they will be enjoyed. In this case he had helped set his side up, he had faced ninety-two balls hit ten fours and two sixes and had started to take the game away from Hampshire. Fourteen balls later another of the 2013 seasons key batsman ended their county age groups batting careers as Dan Powell was caught and bowled for nineteen. Had a one day calculate the final score competition been run the coach would have not been close as fortunately the captain and Reid Mawdsley got their heads down. They first had to come off for a second rain break, this one lasted one hundred minutes taking in tea. In ninety-six minutes at the crease they batted beautifully putting on one hundred and twenty-one off one hundred and seventy-eight balls. They achieved two batting points and took their side within four runs of a third. This may not have been the highest fifth wicket partnership, that was achieved almost to the day a year ago at Llandysul, but it was one that helped set their team up to beat Hampshire. The confidence of the visitors was visible draining as the pair kept finding the gaps and boundaries.Therefore for a second time in the day there was real sadness when the partnership ended. The captain who was not one hundred percent resisting a heavy cold and cough but was within three runs of his fifty he gave leg spinner Fay the charge, played a cross batted swipe that was presumable going to result in the ball crossing the straight boundary missed it but not by the keeper and Devon were five down on two hundred and forty-seven. Mawdsley had contributed sixty-eight off one hundred and two balls and passed his previous highest county score of fifty-eight against Yorkshire in 2012, Enter Billy Rudolph, consolidation needed, right man right place. The pair gathered in the final two batting points putting on sixty-four in forty-two minutes off one hundred and seventy-eight balls. What had been a feature of the Devon batting performance was that they were not giving many chances if they did they were out! With the extra hour now in place Rudolph was bowled in the seventy-sixth over. He had achieved most of his objectives including getting his partner to three figures. This had arrived in the seventy-third over with a leap of joy and a modest acknowledgment of what he had achieved. Ollie Dawe was his new partner and their brief was to get on with it. The fifty-five runs in twenty-three minutes achieved this target. The ball had been a subject of complaint for most of the Devon innings it was therefore a surprise that a new one was not taken immediately but delayed for three overs. It did remove the Exeter Chiefs front row man for a vital thirty-two. Devon now wanted the option of the heavy roller on the second day and Toby Codd and Reid Mawdsley batted out the day which was finally curtailed by another rain shower, Devon had scored three hundred and seventy-eight off eighty-seven overs, the fifth highest score by a seventeens side. The response to Mawdsleys century was typical in the esteem he is held, the reaction from Hampshire was outstanding and his and his team’s joy totally appropriate. It has not been the easiest seventeen years, he missed the Welsh game for an unplanned operation and has the pleasure of looking forward to another six and a half hour affair in the autumn. He has shone through it all and this individual success is richly deserved for his tenacity, not just on the cricket field,

ack off Bess, Caldera was batting well as he has against Devon for a number of years. However opener Harris was now passed his fifty and despite opportunities to reThe second day was delayed by rain for twenty-one minutes, the heavy roller was applied the batsmen told not to get out first ball as a declaration was imminent and certain on a fall of a wicket. This sides total rose to third place advancing to three hundred and eighty-six off eighty-eight and a half overs a rate of over four. Codd was again caught and Mawdsley left unbeaten on one hundred and thirty. The joint thirteenth highest score by a Devonian at this level. He had batted for one hundred and eighty-seven minutes, faced one hundred and seventy-two balls hitting fifteen fours and a six. He had helped add two hundred and sixty-one runs which he had nearly scored half. Devon would, if necessary, bowl a minimum of one hundred overs but with a capability of a lot more. Some surprise therefore at the comment that we could regret using up two of the days overs. The Hampshire openers put on twenty-six in eleven overs when Dawe had Goodwin caught by Matt Skeemer, Goodwin had scored a rapid fifty in the game at Heathcoat. Lunch was taken after twenty-six overs with Bess and Petherbridge bowling with forty-two on the board. Devon had missed at least other two chances in taking one and it was again repeated that we needed to take all our opportunities. In fairness the standard of fielding throughout the day was much improved, as had been needed, and showed the progress made by a not naturally athletic fielding side. Apple pie was joined by treacle tart and custard! Six wickets were taken in the afternoon session for the addition of one hundred an eighty-eight runs. Devon bowled forty-five overs in the two hours. Bess bowled all four of his front line spinners but it was the captain and Matt Petherbridge that look the wickets. In the second over Powell stumped Arnold off Bess, Short leg Matt Skeemer took another first class catch in the thirty-second over to send the Hampshire captain bmove was looking ominously settled. However the athletic Ollie Dawe, who’s out fielding has been an important ingredient over the past two seasons, pouched another important catch to remove the opener and give Petherbridge his first wicket. Hampshire were ninety-four for four with sixty plus overs left at their disposal. Petherbridge struck again in next over with his last ball he trapped Thomson on the back foot to be given out with confidence at deep mid on! One hundred and three for five but Devon had to wait some time for their sixth as McCoy was allowed to smash fifty-five off forty-two balls with a marked resistance to protect his two hitting zones as his wicket was purchased. Eventually the tide was stemmed and his fours converted to ones and with it his patience. He again went after the captain to be caught off a skyer at slip by Pyle. Hampshire had reached one hundred and eighty-two as a result of this partnership of seventy-nine in thirty-five minutes. The final wicket of the session was a fine catch by Powell to remove his Hampshire counterpart to give Petherbridge a third wicket. At tea both Petherbridge and Bess were nearing the end of their quota and Hampshire still one hundred and fifty-six short. Bess decided to bowl Skeemer and Codd for the nine overs before the new ball was due and his vice captain took the eighth wicket when he bowled Evans with his seventh ball. The batsman, Evans, had been at the crease for forty-two minutes offering useful resistance with Caldera who was now past his fifty, the pair putting on fifty-one runs. In Skeemers next over Kerridge collected some Fantasy Points when his throw ran out Murray – Hampshire two hundred and forty-nine for nine. The new ball was taken and with the first ball of the third over Ollie Dawe completed his CAG career by bowling Caldera for seventy-seven.

The side ended their time together on a high and deservedly so, they stuck together to come out on top, A second innings was not undertaken as Hampshire wanted to get on their way, the importance of any additional points unknown as the Gloucester/Somerset result has still to be posted.

Scorecard