v Wales at Newport C.C on Sunday 4th June, 2006

In bright, hot sunshine, Devon won the toss and chose to bat on a hard but slightly grassy wicket. There was a little movement with the new ball, but after a bright start, Luke Tuckett (6) was first to go, bowled by one that left him off the pitch. The best partnership of the innings between Lewis Gregory and Matt Hickey followed and although both batsmen were dropped off difficult chances they played with positive authority. At this stage Devon looked totally in charge as these two took the score to 77 in the eighteenth over. Hickey (36) was unfortunate in getting a shortish one from spinner Roberts that died on the pitch – he got a thick inside edge and played on. Henry Parkin (1) joined Gregory but looked out of sorts and was bowled by spinner Lloyd three balls after the drinks break. James Toland joined Gregory and the innings began to come to life again until on 115 in the 29th over when Lewis Gregory on 48 found midwicket with an uncharacteristic airborne shot and was caught. Toland continued to flourish with skipper Matt Thompson and took a particular liking to left-arm spinner, Scarr including one huge six over backward square. However, when Wales brought back Roberts to operate in tandem with Thomas, the two spinners began to put a serious brake on the Devon runrate. The next 10 overs only yielded 32 runs for the loss of Toland (40) and Miles Lenygon (4). Thompson, Hugh McDowell and Will Gater all threw the bat in the last 3 overs for 24 runs, and Devon closed on 191 for 7 off 45 overs which was about 30 runs light of a comfortable total.

Hickey and Tony Ingham opened up for Devon and whilst lively had some difficulty adjusting to what was by now a fairly gusty and awkward breeze. Success ensued in the 3rd over though when Hickey had Cleeve caught behind by Thompson. Enter danger man David Lloyd who wasted no time in attacking the bowling. It was a chancy strategy which should have ended in disaster when he edged a ball to gully. As it was the golden opportunity for Devon was missed and Lloyd went on to change the face of the game in almost double quick time. Ingham had success in the 8th over when Thomas top-edged a skier to keeper Thompson, but the Wales score had reached 39 – well ahead of the clock. Lloyd and Roberts continued to savage the seamers and reached 100 in the 17th over (Devon by comparison reached the same milestone in the 27th over). Bringing on spinners Miles Lenygon and J J Debenham began to put the brakes on and although Lenygon was struggling into the breeze he got Lloyd to top-edge a full toss into the gratefully safe hands of Hickey.  In his next over he snapped up Roberts to a Debenham catch and when Alex Carr bowled Hassan 4 balls after the drinks break Wales were 120-5 and it was “game on” once more.

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