Lunch might have gone down too well as the next two Surrey wickets added one hundred and sixteen runs. The Surrey batsman were looking very comfortable on an excellent track and it was an outstanding piece of fielding that took the fourth wicket. Bidefords Alex Hannam ran out Trower with a magnificent strong direct hit from some distance. Surrey were now one hundred and fifty-eight for four in the fifty-sixth over. They had provided themselves with the ideal platform to post a large score. This is what they achieved. Tea was taken a hundred runs and three more wickets later. Toby Codd ran out Shoeff with a less spectacular but equally effective throw, Whitlock with his third ball with the new ball gave Powell his third victim. Post tea Surrey put their foot on the gas and in twenty one overs added another one hundred and seven. Skeemer bowled the keeper Smith for Surrey’s highest score – seventy-four and Bess had Meyer caught by Mawdsley. Although they had slowed up after tea Devon had bowled one hundred and four overs by twenty-three minutes past five. The home side now needed to start the second day with all ten wickets in hand although John Kerridge, the ideal choice as watchman, was padded up with Toby Codd. Surrey bowled nine overs in the twenty-three minutes at their disposal and removed opener Charles Parkin with the sixteenth ball of the innings when Jafri knocked out a couple of stumps. Devon were seventeen for one at close with both Sargent and Kerridge providing no concerns.

  The second day was not so perfect as the first and this was not just the weather. In fact Devon’s batting was on the whole very disappointing. Surrey were now a seam bowler down as Jafri was deemed unfit to continue his spell and was sent to the score box. Harvey Sargent was the first wicket of the morning bowled by Cluff for fifteen. Kerridge was intending to enjoy his opportunity and appeared to be doing so as he watched his travel partner Skeemer caught with Devon on fifty-seven and already on the back foot. The Plymouth leg spinner was looking forward to a contest with his Surrey counterpart, Dahi, and fortunately agreed not to call each delivery at release. Kerridge had completed a SKY style masterclass before start of play. Unfortunately the challenge only lasted three balls as Dahi stock ball found the night watchman’s edge to be caught at slip. The batter was full of complements for his opposite number. Kerridge had batted very sensibly scoring thirty-five runs off fifty-two balls hitting six fours. This wicket brought Powell to the wicket and realistically if Devon were now going to get close it would be up to the captain and keeper to put on a big partnership. They added just twenty-five in twenty minutes when the captain departed caught trying to work the ball. Devon had now lost five wickets and not yet reached three figures. They were immediately six wickets down as the left handed Reid Mawdsley left his first ball from the leg spinner to be bowled. Devon were now only ten minutes into the second hour of the day and out on their feet. Six minutes before lunch (how many wickets have been lost this summer just before an interval) Powell was out. He and Toby Codd had actually started to provide some respectability if not hope and put on the highest partnership of the innings – fifty-eight off ninety-two balls in forty-three minutes. Codd was joined by Charlie Mitchell, the second of three players from Abottskerswell, surely the highest number in one county game from this popular South Devon Club. They batted through to lunch with Devon still needing one hundred and eleven runs to avoid the follow on. The first chilli con carne of the summer with an offer to the representative of the TCC to increase its heat was served. Surrey had been turning on the heat all morning.

   Devon’s innings lasted another nine overs as they were all out in the forty-five over of the day, fifty-fourth of the innings. Mitchell became increasingly frustrated in not getting off the mark and this self imposed pressure perhaps did him more harm than good as patience would have given him the opportunity to score. He was caught having faced seventeen balls. Devon were seven down on one hundred and seventy-four. Hannam was the sixth and final Devon batsman to be dismissed caught off the first ball of the fifty-second over. Enter Hugo Whitlock looking every inch a batsman. It later transpired that he and Codd had not actually shared many partnerships and did not have a telepathic understanding. This was soon evident in their running. The pair put on fifteen runs which the seamer contributed two. On the twentieth ball of the partnership Codd called Whitlock for a second the Richard Huish student was ball watching hesitated and his magnificent Tom Daley dive only resulted in a large laundry bill. Devon were all out for an incredibly disappointing one hundred and ninety-one. Only John Kerridge and in particular Toby Codd could be excused criticism for not taking the opportunity to do something very special. Codd was unbeaten on sixty-three (eighty-three minute, eighty-seven balls, eight fours), his fifty came off seventy six balls and demonstrated the progress he has made this summer with his batting. Surrey decided not to enforce the follow on, the decision was to save their bowlers and the remaining two hours twelve minutes was just net bowling for the Surrey batsmen. As one of the more successful batters suggested Devon had only themselves to blame – however…… There were some positives, Hugo Whitlock looked like his old self and nipped out Boys and Jacks both well caught at slip by the captain. Reid Mawdsley looked at least respectable removing the second opener with another catch from the captain and post tea Charlie Mitchell was given an opportunity to keep alowing Powell to demonstrate his leg spin as opposed to seam mode took the final and fourth wicket. This gave Bess his fifth catch of the game and the captain took the opportunity of refining his bouncer and leg spin. For the record Surrey reached one seventy-eight, Parkin’s groin strain deprived him of a bowl and hands were shaken at two minutes to five.

   Our thanks to North Devon for their excellence, it was good to meet up with some North Devon old boys and the M5 was successfully avoided. We awaited Big Bertha.