Inter District Under 15 Reports Sunday 14th May 2006
East v North - Match Drawn
Ground records tumbled at Bicton Park as the East Devon Under 15s totalled an incredible 400 for six from their fifty overs in the final round of the Inter District competition, clinching the Buller Bowl in the process. The home side’s openers, Luke Bess (Sidmouth) and Sam Smith (Heathcote) set a new mark for the highest opening stand on the ground – their 236-run liaison erasing the previous day’s 202 during the Exeter III innings. The departure of Smith – well caught on the square leg ropes for a 98-ball 112 by Scott Tremain – didn’t undermine the pace of the run chase, and lightning contributions from Shane Evenden (34) and Adam Dibble (19) alongside Nick Horne’s more measured 18 allowed the East to take 144 from the final twelve overs of the innings. A single, flicked into the legside by Justin Williams, sent the hosts scrambling across the 400 mark, possibly the first time this score has been passed at Bicton Park. The North’s reply began steadily through Liam Murphy and Jack Hockin – who had earlier been the pick of the bowlers with 3/74 – and Henry McEndoo also began brightly as the visitors passed 100 with only two wickets down as Alex Beighton had Murphy caught behind by Smith, and Lloyd Murrin took a return catch off Will Barratt. However, the loss of McEndoo, caught at square leg by Alex Beighton off Shane Evenden, triggered a collapse. Adam Dibble rocked the visitors’ middle order with a spell of five overs, four maidens, one run and three wickets, clean bowling Oliver Dymond and Tremain, and enticing Alex Lewis-Ranwell to nick behind to Peter Randerson. As Mitchell Wood was cleaned up by Evenden and Hockin and Matt Dennis holed out off Williams’ off-spin, an outright victory was well within the East’s reach at 129/9. Nevertheless, the last-wicket pair of Matt Clarke and Alex Wilson-North begin to see off all that the East could throw at them, and as the mist closed in and the overs counted down, the prospect of a losing draw became ever more real. Neither the returns of Evenden or Dibble were enough to separate the two batsmen, Clark ending the innings unbeaten on 25, and Wilson-North 9* to ensure that the North's reward for not folding under the onslaught would be 11 points – four fewer than their hosts – from the fixture.
South v West - South won by 37 runs
The South were inserted by the West and their openers W.Shears (35) and Rob Shergold (43) replied with an opening partnership of 88 but this proved to be their one sibstantial partnership although 35 was put on for the third wicket with Mark Gilmour contributing 31. Apart from 20 from extras no one else reached double figures in the 142 in 40.3 overs. P.Abraham (4-29 in ten) and Tom Cross (5-23 off 8) created the major problems. In reply the west batted 36.4 overs in reaching their 107 with Harry Stephenson scoring 40 and Cross 17. The fourth wicket pairing put on 52. Chris Metters (4-11 off 9.4) finished the game off with an all bowled hat trick.