Devon Cricket Board - Good start to the summer for the Under 17s

Both sides could take some encouragement from this annual fixture. It arrived in an incredibly busy week for the host club Exmouth who in addition to the normal club fixtures hosted the regional T20 Under 15 Girls tournament the previous day and three days later staged a new Minor Counties initiative in their regional T20 Competition - with Devon coming out as winners of both competitions. The ground was in top condition, the forecast good and Sandy Allen led his first pre match preparation for the summer. It was good to welcome back David Court to Devon, Courty is currently playing a leading part within the ECB as a Performance Manager. All went very well with the football competitive but more on that later. Daniel Pyle fresh from his league hundred the previous weekend won the toss and fielded. His decision proved to be right as the home side opening bowlers took early wickets, second ball Ward left a straight one from Goodey to be leg before 4-1, next over under 15s Kazi Szymanski's started badly with four wides, four dot balls and on his fifth legal ball bowled his South and West potential team mate Price - 8-2. With the first ball of his second over he bowled Bevon - 16-3. The fourth wicket paring of Malik and Matthews put on thirty-seven in thirty-three minutes off fifty-four deliveries when off the first ball of his last over Szymanski had Matthews caught behind by Sam Maunder for 20. The Torquay all-rounder's figures were an impressive 6-0-29-3 and would not have harmed his chances of going to the Bunbury Festival but would have been even more impressive if they had not included ten wides. Dan Goodies figures were 6-0-28-1. Toby Codd took over at the sea end and served up some full tosses in his first over going for ten before he reined in the batsman with the help of Charles FitzRoy who took over at the pavilion end. In Codd's fourth over he had Malik caught by Sargent for thirty-six. After twenty overs the South and West were 106-5. Gadd, who finished as the visitors highest scorer, had looked in good form and with Malik had put on the highest partnership of their innings fifty-two off fifty-eight minutes. Davies lasted seven balls before Codd trapped him in front - 113-6. FitzRoy limped out of the attack with his new boots winning the tussle with his toes. Matt Petherbridge joined the attach and the two spinners bowled their first spell of the summer together albeit a short one. Both have moved to Premier League Clubs this year and are being exposed to a higher level of batting week in week out. One over short of the half way stage Tom Lammonby held Gunning to give the off spinner his third wicket. The visitors were now in some difficulty on 115-7. The sides fourth under fifteen Tom Williams took over from Codd who had finished with figures of 7-0-37-3. The eighth wicket added twenty-two off thirty-nine balls with the sides two left arm spinners bowling economically. In the thirtieth over Petherbridge got the nod from the umpire trapping Eminson in front. Thirty-nine balls later Petherbridge had top scorer Gadd leg before two runs past his fifty. Dan Goodey returned to the attack in the fortieth over and with his third delivery bowled Ilyar leaving Devon a target of 162.

The home side openers were in a positive frame of mind scoring at better than a run a ball putting on seventy-five off seventy-two. In the eleventh over Sargent was bowled by Hadden for twenty. Tom Lammonby who went to the Bunbury Festival in 2014 a year early joined his captain and they advanced the home sides score to 121 when Pyle was bowled twenty short of his second hundred in the week. His timing had unsettled his opponents and he hit fourteen fours and a six in his seventy-two minutes at the crease. Dan Wolf another recent big centurion lasted twelve balls scoring at a run a ball. He was caught in the twentieth over with Devon twenty-two runs adrift. These were scored by Lammonby and Billy Rudolph who had reached the nineties the previous Saturday only to be caught behind three short of three figures. The Ottery all rounder gave a couple of early chances but helped Devon reach their first target off the final ball of their twenty-sixth over with the home side having scored at just over sixes. It was agreed that Devon would be set a revised target off the remaining twenty-four overs of 159. Tom Lammonby and Billy Rudolph batted beautifully together putting on a combined partnership of 156 off one hundred and thirty-five balls in sixteen minutes over the hour both passed fifty and Lammonby reached three figures in the forty-first over with Rudolph on fifty-five. Lammonby was caught in the forty-third over for 108. He had not done his chances of competing twice at the Bunbury Festival any harm. He had faced eighty-nine balls, Nelson struck in minutes and he hit fifteen fours and a six. The limping FitzRoy lasted five balls and after forty-four overs Devon were on 303-9 requiring eighteen off thirty-six balls. This was accomplished off another fourteen deliveries. Thompson flashed and missed a couple but contributed eight. Rudolph who is having one of those seasons was unbeaten on seventy-five. He batted for ninety minutes facing seventy four balls and hit the ball over the rope on eight occasions.

Overall a promising start and useful preparation for both sides for the summer. Hopefully the Devon under 15s enhanced their opportunities for both Devon and the West. The coach has however put in a post match bid for an Ottery St Mary midfielder who monopolised the midfield and put Allen's side under unnecessary pressure, the post match game eventually was decided by penalties.

Scorecard

Scorecard