Devon Cricket Board - Devon Complete Double

Considering the sixteens continued their unbeaten record for the summer their performance against Cornwall was generally very disappointing. This was an opportunity for them to display the attributes needed in the one day game before they start their run of four two day games. There was light rain at eight-thirty and the day started overcast and slightly oppressive but the weather improved throughout the day. Exmouth who are hosting Devon for four days out of six was, as normal, in perfect condition. The warm up had to be stopped because it was awful which was the first disappointment of the day. Overall throughout the day the level of the standards required were not reached, in some instances the group were way below expectations. The word concentration was used by several players which is totally unacceptable. At the completion of the game the players were clearly reminded what is required and talent, although important, is no longer the overriding factor if it is not harnessed to desire and commitment. In reality much was learnt about the players aptitude and attitude. We had visits from the Cricket Centre and Exeter College and learnt where we were going wrong this summer! Facebook might, at last, however have been mastered. Cornwall lost the toss and Devon batted. EPP's Harvey Sargent and Noah Wright opened in front of their mentor. After twenty-two minutes Devon were nineteen for two with both openers back in the pavilion. After his heady hundred Wright flashed second ball to be caught by Cornwall's promising under fourteen keeper Leathley off Sturgess. Devon 0-1, Sargent hit two fours, a three and a single and was caught by Gibson off Warne. The same bowler removed the captain ten balls later with Devon now 27-3 The keeper took his second catch. Tom Andrew and Michael Cooper then helped improve the situation with a partnership of fifty-six off eighty-five deliveries in three quarters of an hour. Both have reputations for being aggressive and one of the plus features this summer has been Andrew's ability to adopt to match situations and Cooper also demonstrated this important skill. The former has still much work to undertake on his fielding but has batted really well this summer. Rightly Cooper was annoyed to get out in the twenty-first over when he was bowled by Goldsworthy for a thirty-nine ball thirty. Half of his scoring shots were fours - 20. Phillips, whose batting this summer has been as important as anyone's, joined Andrew and the pair took Devon up to the half way stage on 100-4. Their partnership ended in the twenty-eighth over when Andrew's important contribution came to an end. He had reached the forties twice before this summer but this time reached fifty. He did not bat on, neither did Phillips which quite simply at this or any level is not what is needed. However Andrews's had seen the scoreboard climb from nought to one hundred and nine aided by his partnership of twenty-four with Phillips. He was Paull's first wicket but Gibson's second catch. Devon now needed to reach a defendable target. Bragg lasted six balls scored a single to take Devon up to Nelson and next ball was stumped by the young keeper. Phillips and Bunbury bound Kasi Szymanski then fortunately added the highest partnership of the day - sixty-three. They faced sixty-eight balls and batted for thirty-three minutes. The Torquay all-rounder fell in the forty-first over caught and bowled by Pascoe for twenty-four. Devon were now approaching two hundred being 174-8 Quite inexcusably Phillips half century was not acknowledged by the pavilion but his response was not that needed by his side he got himself out. There is a general need throughout the side to understand match situations and with Devon having forty-one balls remaining he needed to marshall the lower order to bat the overs and get past two hundred. Phillips had batted really well for six minutes over the hour, faced sixty-five balls for fifty. Devon were now in real difficulty 180-8 with Ward, Parker and Petherbridge now required to take Devon past two hundred. They failed by five runs but annoyingly Devon had not used nineteen deliveries. Really poor cricket. Harry Ward scored six, Matt Parker, who has blended in really well in this group, was unbeaten on four and Petherbridge now has an average and needs four more completed innings to get in the Greenbook as a batter.

Baked potatoes with various fillings and cheesecake and cream - the side advised it would be interesting as to how they would respond to this situation. They bowled their opponents out for one hundred and sixty-five with fifty being put on by the last wicket. The key wicket was always going to be captain Sturgess who is either close to the Minor County squad or has played for Cornwall. The openers put on thirty-two in thirty-seven minutes off fifty-seven balls. The elder Leathley was the first wicket to fall brilliantly caught one handed low on the ground by the diving Phillips. An exceptional catch. This brought Sturgess to the wicket. He faced sixteen balls in his eleven minutes at the crease with seven dots. He smote four fours and a six and has the ability to match his swagger. However the captain replaced Szymanski at the sea end and with his first ball removed his opposite number with Petherbridge taking the catch. Matt Petherbridge is one of the best fielders in this group and that perhaps says more about the others but by hard work and dedication he has improved immensely. The fielding and keeping was very much like the preverbal Curate's Egg which would indicate a general lack of concentration. However Devon were now very much in the driver's seat but failed to complete the coup de grâce. Wickets started to fall regularly, in Parkers sixth he had Gibson leg before, in his next over he had Harding caught behind and in his next the sides seventeenth he bowled Goldsworty. Rudolph took his second trapping Lombard in front Cornwall 105-6 off twenty-five. Petherbridge and Ward, who actually was involved in a miss-field, were now in the attack Ward had Pascoe leg before, Petherbridge bowled Paull. Off spinner Chris Yabsley took over at the Pavilion end from Petherbridge and with his third ball had Eva charging to be stumped by Phillips - 115-9 off thirty-four. The final wicket was taken in the forty-fifth over when Yabsley took his second trapping the outstanding prospect under 14 Leathley in front. Sloppy cricket is perhaps the most polite description of the last wicket partnership, the over rate dipped to an unacceptable level and this final phase of the game was as bad as the first the pre match preparation. Following the combined workshop day at Exmouth we should have a clear idea of next seasons under seventeens. Some will look back on this game as a missed opportunity to secure a place in advance of the two day programme that starts later in the month. Others will have missed an opportunity of forcing their way into the seventeens as circumstances will dictate some changes.

Football completed the day, Petherbridge was not allowed back on the tractor.

Scorecard