Devon Cricket Board - Omnibuses, Animals and Records come two by two

Omnibuses, Animals and Records come two by two

The last day of the summer started as brightly as any of the two thousand and fifteen season but Midlands Today forecaster Shefali Oza still predicted prolonged rain at three. The side undertook the shortest journey of the summer to arrive at the pretty Corley Cricket Club ground in minutes., This club is one not previously visited by coach, scorer or manager in their time in the Midlands. This was our first game against the Coventry Cricket Boards Under 19s. Their side had a number of players we had met previously in playing Warwickshire Under 16s. Our players completed an energetic warm up and if this group has some shortcomings in the main it most certainly is not lack of a desire to work and improve. Sargent made it two on the trot and he was padded up in no time. Only four batsmen actually reached the crease as more batting records, some very recent, fell. Ashley Causey, who had impressed with his remarkable knowledge on the 2005 Ashes, was caught off the last ball of the third over with Devon on eight. The captain and Tom Andrew took Devon up to seventy, not without some mishap and a big appeal for a caught behind off an inside edge. In the sixteenth over Tom Andrew tried to pull Arumaithas, whose length throughout his two spells was back of one, to Checklin at mid wicket for a thirty-five ball twenty-nine. Adam Lyth played a similar shot in the final Test and received a similar response to that received by Tom from the commentary team. Although Lyth did not look closely at his Gunn and Moore. Sargent and Noah Wright then monopolised the next two hours seven minutes as they faced two hundred and twenty-two balls in putting on an unbeaten two hundred and eighty-six. Only ten days earlier the highest under 16 partnership of one hundred and ninety-three compiled in 1990 by Gosling and Muggleton had been broken by Billy Rudolph and Joe Hagan-Burt. The 2015 pair had put on two hundred and eighteen against Somerset. However as with buses these records seem to come in twos and now Sargent and Wright enter the record books for the best partnership. In turn the previous best third wicket partnership of 174 against Oxfordshire in 2006 by James Fletcher and Robbie Debenham was eclipsed. The current pair were in complete control of the situation and from ball one the previous day Harvey Sargent was demonstrating a new positive intent. His one hundred and eighty-nine also passed Richard Baggs previous highest individual under sixteen score of 132 against Dorset. A record that had stood for twenty-four years. The teams 356 broke the previous highest one day score of 327-6 against the Isle of Wight in 2004. The individual statics were Sargent 189* one sixty-five balls, one eighty-six minutes, thirty-three fours, eighty-six dots and a strike rate of 114.55. Wright 105* ninety-four balls, one twenty-seven minutes, fifteen fours, two sixes, forty-nine dots and a strike rate of 111.70. The strike rate comparison clearly indicates Sargents new approach. Wrights innings and his knocks against Haberdashers and Staffordshire clearly demonstrated what an asset he can be.

Lunch was taken at eleven minutes past two and with the unchanging weather forecast the lunch interval was shortened. The players had hot dogs and were in the field thirty-minutes later with it beginning to spit. Joe Hagan-Burt and Ben Phillips picked up their final Fantasy Points of the summer in the seventh over -33-1, large spots turned into drizzle when Christian Cabburn knocked back Naylor's off stump and broke it. Fifty-eight for two off the first ball of the twelve over. The shortage of spare stumps caused a delay as the bowler gave an opposition batsman throw downs with the match ball! The rain got heavier and despite a valiant attempt from the umpires at ten to four the players came off not to return. Coventry were 84-2 off fourteen overs scoring at sixes when seven and a half was required. Devon had employed three bowlers and by five fifteen were on their way to Evesham to avoid motorway rush hour traffic. A reasonable return trip with the M5 not a major problem. Gordano Services was visited for the last time of the summer with Pizza the most popular choice although Harry Ramsden, not of Plymouth, had his first visitor - most certainly one for the future. Exeter was reached at a rare sociable hour and the summer was over.

Scorecard

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