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A perfect summers afternoon was the ideal backdrop to showcase the Devon Youth Foundation and they certainly took the opportunity as all that is best in cricket in Devon was on display. The day was the result of superb preparation, hard work and brilliant co-operation between the Foundation and the magnificent host club Bovey Tracey.
The players were greeted by a full ground with hundreds of children, boys and girls, enjoying a KWIK cricket competition. Palm FM’s Ben Moseby was entertaining a substantial crowd, the bars were filling, the hog roasting and Barnie was practicing his signature. Will Gater won the toss and batted but Huxtable decided it was time for some throw downs and Thompson was taking guard by the time he actually got his pads on! Somerset and England’s Andy Caddick opened from the Pavilion End and Huxtable brought Moseby Junior into action with a four off the last ball through the slips, Devon were five for nought. The Bradninch captain, Ross Acton, from the Marquee End went for three and it was a sedate start to the Devon innings. With the score on sixteen Roy Orbison made his first appearance when in the fourth over Huxtable gave Tim Ward a catch off Acton. Barnie went off to satisfy the autograph hunters and Devon were 22-1 off four. Matt Thompson was playing some delightful drives and at the end of the ninth Devon were scoring at sixes. With one stalwart, Keith Donohue, having now replaced another Caddick – both masters of their profession Thompson was brilliantly caught by Keith Brown, reminiscent of Alex in his prime. Only five were added for the third wicket when Golding slipped and was run out. Devon were now at the half way stage and the SKY graphic would have a predicted score of 110. This would have disappointed the Kingsbridge under 13s so it was time for lift off. A full charge did not take place. Captain Gater played a couple of trademark shots still travelling the vast distance they did when he was fifteen. He did not get stumped but having displayed his immense talent he was Ross Acton’s first brilliant catch of the day in front of the pavilion off Devon’s Head Coach Julian Wyatt. Devon were now 112-5 with three to go. Charlie Morris, in new colours, watched Sam Wyatt-Haines try the reverse and miss and the EPP leader took another, bringing both father and son Moseby into action. Morris fell at the last giving Acton his second catch, equally as good, off the Chepstow bound Nick Folland – he will be a huge loss to the county. Kidd was sent in to clear the ropes, he found Matt Wood and Cameron Grainger watched George Benton take two off the last ball. The game plan had been to pressurise the fielders – Devon took 33 singles and faced 50 dot balls. Hopefully this was just some slightly edgy rather than naïve batting and most certainly 30 short. The second part of the game plan was to give them nothing in the field, time would tell.
Matt Wood, who will be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks in the company of his opponents was taking a liking to the leg side boundaries, watched Adam Dibble well caught by Cameron Grainger off Kidd. The Foundation’s Captain Keith Brown joined Devon’s Level IV coach and helped put on 46 off 38 balls. North Devon’s Max Curtis returned to the county scene 349 days after his serious shoulder injury. One wonders what sort of season the seventeen’s would have had in 2010 if he had been fit, it had been a pretty impressive one without him! He lured the Level VI forward for a simple caught and bowled. Wood had faced 20 balls scoring at two a ball, a reasonable strike rate. Curtis then bowled the Plymouth captain Callum Whittaker and watched Barnie Huxtable catch Nick Folland off Connor Bryan. Curtis completed his spell with a second first class victim in trapping Keith Brown in front. The nineteen’s were now reasonably well placed with half their opposition out for 76 and only seven overs left. It got better before it got worse Paignton's George Benton did his second team chances no harm by bowling the Queens Park captain Tim Ward, he then had Andy Caddick brilliantly stumped by Exeter’s Cameron Grainger and three runs past the one hundred Grainger did it again this time off Bryan in taking out Julian Wyatt. All looked Rosie some of the fielding, particularly Wyatt-Haines on the boundary had been exceptional, some of it not so good and one misfield critical. With an old fox in Keith Donohue at the crease with the current Bradninch captain there was still a game to be won. It is hoped that among his cluster of A level A*s Gater has not got maths. As one of the more economical bowlers he should have bowled the eighteenth and twentieth overs but got it wrong. The Foundation needed fifteen off twelve balls, Gater conceded five, ten now needed off six. Ross Acton completed his application for Man of the Match picking up with Donohue, who had a very successful net the previous day with Plympton twos, two leg byes, a two and a four leaving the scores level with one ball left. Acton played a perfect straight drive, did not bother to run, gloves off, handshakes all round.
An excellent advertisement for cricket in Devon. It is probable that Matt Wood will add a white board to his coaching aids list as he was not happy with some of the angles. |
