Devon Cricket Board - DCBYA U14s 2011 National Finals Report

Devon Cricket Board Youth Association Under 14s
ECB CC National Finals 2011

Sponsors of Devon Youth Cricket

Mini bus collected at 8.30am. Nip to Homebase for a tarpaulin, rope etc as really not sure which parents are going to be able to help take the kit. Why did I worry I should have realised the team would pull together! Still picking up players at 11.45am and don’t leave the Devon until about 12.00 noon. Good banter on the way and regular phone calls tell us if the road ahead is clear. Stop for lunch at Michael Wood and stop again just before Kettering. Arrive late but safely and spend 20 mins trying to find where in Oakham the dining room we need is. We drove past it twice.

Rooms all sorted; Todd, Skeems and I conspired that Jack Thomas would have the single room! He was not happy!! Evening meal, then the Organisers’ team talk on what is going to happen, H & S, Code of Conduct, behaviour etc. We have been playing all season and had absolutely no problems. Perhaps that is a problem we should be? We walk to Wilson field to see where we will play Staffordshire. Nice ground, slight slope, slightly exposed and a super pavilion. We walk back and join the other 3 teams on the out field practicing - our’s doesn’t go well. Too relax and it only gets better when it is almost dark the others have gone in and we are practicing slip catching! Dangerous.

Team talk, fines and then bed. It is quiet quite quickly as the players realise the importance of the next day. Up early and first in the breakfast queue. Another chat on how things are going to pan out, match managers introduced etc. Off to Wilson field and we set up. Warm up goes okay but could be better. We lose the toss and Staffs decide to bat. Excellent. Where is Sue - fine -only ball she has missed all season - we did start 5 mins early though! It is overcast and there looks to be rain coming.

Jack and Ollie open, Jack up the hill and into the wind. Ollie strikes in his second over, the first of his three wickets - all bowled; look what happens if you pitch it up and bowl at the stumps - it was swinging too! He then bowled Staff’s captain in the 10^th over - 47-2. Jack Thomas meanwhile, as did everyone bowling up the hill into the wind, struggled slightly; even dependable Matt Skeemer who took the third wicket. 48-3, LBW Skeemer. That became 49-4 in the 13^th over, which became 52-5 when Ben Green, our U13 debutant, in his first over for the U14s, took a wicket, LBW. The drizzle which had been falling for a little while then turned to rain and after a discussion lunch was taken early with a hope that play would resume at 1.45pm. We started early as it had cleared up and Ben then took the next 3 wickets two bowled and one caught down the leg side
brilliantly one handed diving by Jack Maunder. Staffs 82-8 in the 26^th over. Green was unlucky not to get his fifth wicket in the 24^th over, Bessy taking off and getting two hands to a very sharp chance in the slips, but it didn’t stick. Get your head up Bessy - forget it. Ollie Dawe was then brought back and he bowled the number 10, again pitched up and at the stumps. 86-9. All the time Ball, who was the one dropped, was batting very sensibly and with the number 11 Hassell they ran quick singles, and hit the odd boundary and gradually accumulated runs. Before you knew it Staffs had somehow got to 152-9 off their 45 overs, a score which they really should not have got, certainly 35 more than they should have. Devon didn’t really field that well and there were unusually 35 extras including 21 wides. Heavy fines tonight then.

The job was very much only half done. We knew Staffs had one good seamer and lots of spinners and they opened with one and used 4. We made a slow but sure start when in the 15^th over Skeems, who had again unusually this season played second fiddle to Marcus, was caught. The drinks break or was it some friendly sledging, resulted in Jack Maunder losing Marcus for 33, who got a bottom edge to a spinner and was caught behind. 41-2. Maunder and Dan Powell then batted beautifully and put on the match winning partnership of 50. Quote the Staff’s management “you played our spinners better than anyone else has this season”; however it came to an end and I missed it - just as well. As I walked back into the long room, not that one, Adam greeted me with “you don’t wish to know” and there coming towards me was Jack Maunder, muttering apologies! You are right I didn’t want to know, a reverse sweep, missed it and whoops bowled. Oh dear! Powelly then nicked behind, 122-4. Henry and Seb Ansley then put on 14 before Gates is run out, why? Bessy also gets run out, again needlessly, before Seb and Greeny coolly see Devon home with 3 overs to spare. Devon win by 4 wickets but didn’t we make hard work of it - again!! Ecstatic celebrations follow as we are in the Final…against Lancashire who have beaten Norfolk.

Pack the kit bags, off to tea at 6.35pm, then put our kit bags in the main pavilion. Fines, chats and chips at 9.00pm then swimming. Enjoy it.

Staffordshire 152-9. O Dawe 9-1-25-3; B Green 9-2-19-4. M Skeemer 8-0-25-2. Devon 153-6. M Hoddinott 33, J Maunder 32 and D Powell 36. Devon won by 4 wickets.

Scorecard

ECB County Cup U14s Final

Everyone is up early, bags packed, rooms’ cleared, beds stripped and bags stored in the mini bus, first in the breakfast queue again. Lovely morning and it looks as if the weather will stay fine. The pre warm up goes well, music and everyone relaxed and enjoying themselves. The warm up goes well better than the day before. The toss is held at 10.00, the umpires, captains, managers and the match referee. Marcus wins the toss and we put Lancashire in.

The cookies are not eaten for the first time this season which tells its own storey! Apprehension – let’s face it some is good. As Jack Thomas had struggled the day before with a thigh strain, Ben Green opened with Ollie Dawe. We knew about Lancashire’s left handed opener and tried to set the field accordingly and not to give him any width. We didn’t get it right every ball and the score ticks along but there are no chances or half chances. After 20 mins the right hander clips Ollie just over Matt Skeemer’s head at point - half chance. There is another, this time the left hander at 11.01 and another at 11.11 but we do not take a wicket. After 15 overs and at the drinks break they are on 64-0. Not until the 28^th over with the score on 114 did Dominic strike Nocter miss timing a drive and Marcus taking a comfortable catch at mid off - it was in the air for while! 14 runs later he had Turner well caught against by Marcus diving at a shorter mid off. 128-2 off 34 overs. Devon’s problems were the wickets in hand and although Seb Ansley, who bowled very well, 2-33, including what turned out to be a well judged catch by Dan Powell in the deep and Ollie Dawe returned to take one (what a caught and bowled – if you had missed that it would have hurt!), Lancashire were always able to take the necessary risks to score runs and they ended up with 200-4 off their 45 overs. A good score but one, with our batting we should feel confident of being able to chase.

After lunch Marcus and Matt opened. Lancashire’s Parkinson, left arm over and Mahmood bowled with pace and made both Marcus and Matt play. Nothing was given away and the fielding was sharp very sharp from the first ball. Their captain moved the fieldl as he watched Marcus and Matt play and the bowlers bowled to their field. Marcus was the first to hit a boundary but Matt who has not been in quite the same form since he made his 77 against Wales, played over one from Parkinson and is bowled. 16-1. Jack M followed, an inside edge off a ball just short of a length that moved slightly and is caught behind. 25-2.

That became 32-3 when Dan Powell is very well caught behind down the leg side. With the pressure of the final and wickets falling Henry

Gater is then run out taking a second run which was in the circumstances not necessary. It was a terrific throw too. The scorers were in fear of their lives! Poor old Heners! 27-4. Marcus then got one from the slow left armer that turned and popped and got a faint edge behind. 54-5 That became 57-6 when Seb was given out caught in the slips when there was possibly some doubt off the other Parkinson brother, the leggie this time. Dom was then brilliantly caught by Parkinson off Parkinson, the leggie. 64-8. The writing was by now on the wall and it would take a terrific effort for our lower order to win the game from here, but let’s face it they have done it before, but not against Lancashire and in the Final. Jack Thomas is then bowled and Jack Brazier run out, I would like to see the replay Jack, as there was definitely some doubt. To cap it all Ben Green who has watched wickets fall the other end and played a couple of hansom shots, is then run out and its game over.

Lancashire are the champions and rightly so. They comprehensively out played us on the day. These things do happen. Whilst it may not feel like it at the moment, losing the Final is not the end of the world. If you want to play sport at this level, you have to get used to the bumps and bruises; learn and use them to your and the team’s benefit. It is actually just the start of a new journey, a new mountain to climb…

We are all very very disappointed, gutted, we lost the Final but it was a terrific achievement to get there in the first place and to be runners up to Lancashire is absolutely no disgrace. Be proud of what you and the Team achieved. Remember the 2011 season, winning our ECB CC Group and playing in the National Final. Wear your polo shirt with pride. Memories are better than dreams..

Lancashire 200-4. Bess 9-1-25-2. Ansley 7-0-33-2. Devon 78 all out.

Scorecard

Devon Under 14s Runners Up National ECB CC 2011

Our thanks to Oakham School for hosting the Finals, Aaron Campbell ECB, Ken Lake ESCA, Dominic, match referee, the umpires and all involved in making it such an enjoyable occassion. My sincere thanks to all the lads, parents, grand parents and families for all the help and support this season. Sue Ansley for scoring and Rebecca Hoddinott for her assistance with teas, match fees etc. Thank you everyone.

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