|
It did not need the invitation to apply for the random ballot for the Strictly 8 Launch Show to decide on the headline for the Midland Tour report. Indeed if the report is extended to the preceding and following Friday’s it sums up perfectly the final week of the 2010 DCBYA summer. Just one days play out of a potential six brought back memories of the nightmare summer of 2009. Indeed they flooded back with the three days in Cardiff the lowest wettest point. This was a tragic end to the summer for players and management but the players were stoical. The twenty-ones had key games against Cornwall and Wiltshire lost and the tour was to set up the sixteen’s with the ethos that will be a vital part of their 2011. The five days together also give a huge clue to compatibility, balance, desire and commitment. The selection for the tour was more difficult than first anticipated subsequently compounded further with the news of school tours to Barbados, Ski Lanka and South Africa in 2011 which threw a spanner or two into the long term preparation of the group. The sixteen’s availability over this summer had, in the main, been excellent but it will be even more critical in the selection process for the 2011 squad when continuity is vital.
The relevance of weather forecasts has been increasing put in doubt over recent summers and for the trip up to the Midlands it initially appeared as if one days play would be lost! The radar changed regularly with a worrying increase in the green/gold bands. Sunday was bright; another 2010 min-bus with a reasonable limiter, Craig Overton enhanced his reputation never to be seen again, there was a long delay between junctions 6-8 which seemed to clear immediately we reached the third junction and Leamington Spa was reached well behind schedule. The Anchor had changed their layout but still provided fine food. It was very obvious that not all was right with Pavi who was decidedly unwell. A golden rule that young cricketers fail to fully comprehend is that if you are carrying an injury or are unwell in advance of a game, particularly one hundreds of miles from home you should alert your organiser. The situation can then be assessed and contingency plans made but to turn up far from being 100% creates huge demands on your colleagues and will seriously affect the performance of the side. In this case Pavi was on his way back home on Tuesday with Devon having just eleven fit players in what is now clearly a twelve a side game. His father travelled almost all day on Tuesday to get him home but a phone call on Saturday or Sunday, however late, would have resolved the situation to everyone’s benefit. It was raining at 1.30am; the green/gold was in full flow at 4,30am. The gates to the ground were ominously closed. All was covered but there appeared little chance of play before lunch, but if there was further rain…………. During one of the dry spells this summer an ECBCA meeting had been arranged at the ground post lunch which complicated the situation for the minibus driver. Ten pin bowling was the choice; it transpired that the Leamington alley would not open until midday so the Ford Transit set up more in hope than real expectancy to try Coventry. The coach’s navigation skills hopefully will improve when he starts to drive but even with the help of a postman he only got us to a car park with silent policemen. It was decided to cut losses and thanks to the ECBCA vice chairman’s navigation Leamington was reached. Fortunately an hour early the bowling alley had opened. The Overton’s and Yates were the lane winners and lunch taken accompanied by a monsoon – day over. The players had to wait whilst the development of the CA over the next four years was discussed. The squad were impeccable, very patient. The min-bus set off to Kings Heath, new lines considered, a potential new playing shirt not received very favourably. Longer shorts and a smart sweat shirt to replace the outdated shell suit tops agreed. The sun was now out for the return journey, it had been agreed to start at 10.30am on Tuesday and planned to get in a sixty over game. The powers that be had brought forward results Thursday to results Tuesday so much could happen on the following day. The Holiday Inn was left on time, the gates at the ground still shut but activity indicated there would be some play. Arrangements were made for Pavi to return to Plymouth and early conversations indicated satisfaction for the hard work put in over the years. All did not seem right in the home camp as numbers seemed down. An important toss was won and Devon took the field in baggy caps which looked better on the field than off. Warwickshire were 8-2 after six overs both caught at second slip by Jamie Overton bowled Craig Overton, Roberts off his first ball and Sale with his fifteenth, numbers were improving for the home side as their third wicket fell on 24 when Best, who had taken Staffordshire for a ton, was caught behind by the ever reliable Rhys Davis who has fitted into the side like his gauntlets. The bowler was Jamie Overton but it was his brother who was in action when the next wicket fell at 29 -4, an unusual Chaplin miss field let in Eaves for a direct hit to run out Burnett. On the same score Zaman was a bowled J.Overton. The sixth wicket fell at 50 when George Yates bowled Findley. Twenty-two runs later, in the twenty-sixth over, Pasi, who had originally been bowling too short pitched one up to trap Shoab (a mega A* candidate) leg before. Klapper who was the second A* star was his partner but he fell on 91 caught Golding bowled J.Overton. Lunch was taken after thirty-nine overs with the score on room 101. Post lunch Devon had a poor fourteen overs dropping two catches one at slip and the second at mid on with the score on 115. Cloud was building up and closing in but in the fifty-fourth over Golding removed Harrision off the other brother. Purcher did not play a shot second ball George went up and gained the decision – the target 2.16.
Joe Abbott had a reputation of being a hard hitting batter in South Devon who also bowled who many considered should be playing county cricket. He has been proving the point all summer and hit six fours in his 52 ball 36. He saw his captain depart with 33 on the board off 31 and Harry Booker return to his large West Midland family. It was not the best of days for Harry - no wickets, no catches and no runs but his presence this summer at both sixteen’s and seventeen’s, until tiredness has recently kicked in. has been vital. It turned out to not be the worst of days as his call to his mother proved he was not as thick as he appears!!! The score was now 40, eighteen runs later Abbott’s concentration waned and he was bowled. It has been a good summer for Joe Abbott but next year’s cameos will not be enough and this should be the area to work on over the winter. The Overtons put on 40 off 25 with some outstanding stroke play and hitting. It was the type on onslaught that you enjoy watching when it is your side batting. Jamie’s 19 off 14 (three fours and a six) ended with the side 33 short and it was appropriate that Craig Overton and Matt Golding were undefeated when the final single was taken, Golding has averaged around 30 and Overton 60 plus but with insufficient innings to gain a place in the record books. In a full season he could easily have broken Neil Bettiss’ long standing record such was the quality of his batting. He struck 7 fours and a six in a 46 ball 53. Merrick Steward was the really unlucky member of the squad as apart from fielding fifty-five overs he was not asked to make a contribution but he did have his pads on. Greg Chaplin could have sympathised he had a similar experience in the first game. Devon reached their target in 27.3 overs scoring at 4.76. The ease the game was won against the same spinners who had appeared to be dangerous the previous week put into perspective the tired performance at Torquay. The Malawage family reached their half way point around 5.30 and Devon set off to enjoy Spaghetti Junction in the rush hour in very heavy drizzle, it does not get better than that. The Boathouse at Rushall was always a concern of the Travel Manager but we all had concerns when TomTom could not even find it. More basic navigation did find the pub but they were not expecting a party of 14, which was a relief. The manager at the Toby Carvery could not have been more helpful as he found space at 8.45pm – real relief. It seemed to go down as plates were cleared and seconds requested. It was still raining but contact had been made with Staffs and no concerns were raised.
Navigation was proving to be a problem as we toured some high quality cul-de-sacs, hair saloons, post vans but found no ground. A new post code resulted in major gas road excavations and a one system to give anyone nightmares. The corner pub was spotted by the mini-bus if not by the pilot, who was not to be seen again for over 40 minutes as she found her way back to the start of the roadworks. Penn Cricket Club was eventually found but it is difficult to remember such gloom and despondency on arrival at a cricket ground. It reminded one of a November 1960’s hockey ground of the old grass type! Still much grass evident but visibly damp and uninviting. There had been a late change to Penn from Walsall and it was obvious there was little chance of play that day, the next or……………..In Private Frasers words we were doomed. It felt rather Laurel & Hardyish “nice mess you've gotten into” If there was any chance of play the next day we had to be available to play Having got it wrong at Torquay we had to stay, added to the fact that families were not expecting the players back until the next day and the accommodation had been paid for in advance the decision was made to stay in Staffordshire. We were offered facilities in Wolverhampton and were in fact stung for the two hours cricket and football. Lunch was Kentucky buckets and a film taken in. It was all very democratic and the choice was Step Up 3 – Genre – Dance, Street, Urban – Starring – Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson and Adam Sevani – apparently the plot was - New York’s intense street dancing underground comes alive as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global A tight-knit group of street dancers find themselves pitted against the world’s best breakdancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever. Certainly it was a huge improvement on Cardiff and it was a surprise to learn that Fl Rida Club Can’t Handle Me was already on the iPod – Respect.
The M6 looked horrible so an arm was chanced and somehow the Travelodge was found unassisted, perhaps the moment of the summer after all the unfair abuse about directional sense. This time the group were all together at the Carvery, Greg Chaplin tried hard to out question his earlier candidate for the AHQotY and proved to be a worthy winner. His knowledge on R&B and Drake was very limited. Signs that Pavi may have made a bigger impression than he first had thought – the three subsequent days in bed and grieve from the scorer confirmed his success. No contact from Staffs a late leave of 10.00am agreed and we were on our way home. There had been many attempts at trying to be the ruler of the wavelengths, indeed the captain tried and sadly failed to make an impact on the return journey but the snatched 25 seconds of Drink with Me and even less of American Pie (one of the year’s poorer investments) ensures the 2010 Award goes to Craig Overton. It was a reasonable return trip, there was a nasty accident on the Tiverton roundabout and the Coach took over for the final stretch with a perfectly timed entry to the services. Axminster the next day was called off early, the mini-bus returned to base as opposed the airport, the overnighter at Woodbury cancelled and after ensuring all knew that we were not to play Wiltshire – is was straight to bed for 72 hours – you really made your mark in 2010 Pavi! A good year, a good group, 2011, despite the loss of potentially three players to under 17 cricket due to the tours, can be looked forward too as it already has been when the Old Mill finally recovered from the Pavi affect. Green Book due out in late November. Thank you everyone. |
