Stephenson and DeFriend lead the Recovery

Although torrential rain ensured that this two day game did not go the distance it was not the total disaster that the corresponding game was in 2008.  Exeter services were left in overcast conditions and the wind screen wipers were in use on the way down to Truro. The Saturday league match had not been started so the proposed track had been covered all week. All in all the County Ground, which had hosted the Cornwall/Somerset Twenty20 on Wednesday, looked playable. So it proved to be as Joe Smith put the side through an active warm up. In this summer of uncertain damp weather the toss was continuing to prove most vital. Devon lost it and was inserted. Despite the covering it would be a difficult first session. Devon reached lunch four down with 80 on the electronic scoreboard. Tom Mitcham scored eleven of the opening partnership of 19 when after forty minutes at the crease he was caught by Jenkin. Three runs later Richard Ashworth was caught behind off Lister, Cameron Grainger fell in identical fashion fifteen runs later. Zak Bess was batting well and with George Stephenson started to take the initiative from the home side. Stephenson was dropped on nine as lunch was approached with increasing confidence. In the last over before the break the captain was trapped leg before by the leg spinner Miller for a first class eighty-one ball 29. It was unfortunate he did not survive to the break as it is likely he would have capitalised on his patience in improving batting conditions after the break. The Plymouth College pairing of Stephenson and Alex Hill put on the best partnership of the day five short of the hundred. Unexpectedly, after facing 66 balls, Hill was bowled by Eggins for an excellent contribution of 30. He had been an important influence on the cavalier Stephenson who was sweetly timing the ball. The spinners wrong un did the business. Stephenson and Sam Defriend partnership of 54 virtually took the day away from Cornwall. Stephenson eventually surcombed for 105 in the fifthy-fith over with Devon now well placed at 228-6. Stephenson’s first fifty came off 58 balls and his hundred off 140. He batted in all 159 minutes hitting ten fours and although he had another life in the nineties it was a fine aggressive innings in difficult conditions. Defriend had been the ideal foil working the ball around particularly with an angled bat to 45 degrees either side of the stumps. Matthewman and DeFriend added 30 taking Devon past the two fifty. Matthewman struck a confident four but then perhaps over confident gave stand in keeper Chapman his one catch. It was now a case of getting the fourth batting point and this was achieved in the eighty-third over. After a hesitant start Matt Plowman was now providing solid support. A drink advised Defriend that a century was there for his taking. He was playing a chanceless innings and looked odds on to reach three figures. He had well and truly passed his previous county highest – 58 v Gwent 2008 – and it looked just a matter of time. Having faced 100 balls, batted for 104 minutes Sam missed a straight one and was bowled– shades of Chris Metters – Axminster 2007. He hit 8 fours and his fifty had taken 66 balls. Bess called Plowman in, he was undefeated on 13 and Devon had recovered well pacing their innings - 311-8 declared. Cornwall was 25-0 off 16 overs. With a little luck they could have been two down. The close allowed the final tense overs of the first test to be viewed. The Brookdale had been refurbished since the last visit by the nineteen’s and the Hawkins Arms at Probus gave us a private room and homely fare.

The summer weather of 2009 was proving to be no great improvement on recent summers as the original reasonable weather forecast was replaced with showers coming in at eleven with heavy thundery rain later in the day. There was no thunder, the rest was correct. An old sage at Truro considered the days play would not start – he was out by 90 minutes. Joe Smith concentrated on ground fielding and close catchers. There is still much room for improvement on the ground work although Stephenson and DeFriend looked competent under the lid after the tuition. Plowman opened up into a stiff breeze from the Cathedral end and Pav Mawalage from the top end. Pav took the only wicket to fall – a repeat of the previous night when Granger led a double appeal stumped or caught. He won the decision against the home side’s captain from the bowlers end umpire. Cocking batted on to a competent 56. Faced with an increasingly wet ball for the second time in five days the Devon attack struggled with Pas Mawalage causing most of the problems. There were economical if not threatening spells from the other seamers and Pav went for 1.7 off his ten overs. Twenty-three minutes before lunch the umpires called the players off and with increasingly unpleasant conditions the game was called off before 2.00pm. In torrential rain the minibus was loaded, Ashworth kept everyone entertained. The bus was retuned to Thrifty’s home base rather than the airport. A request for a Ford Transit was recorded. Sandford was visited – first impression was that they had not been subject to the Cornish monsoon - yet.
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