Graft, inspiration and smiles all round!

v Cornwall at Plymouth Civil Service CC on Sunday 8th July, 2007

With their Dorset game washed out 6 days before, Devon were desperate to get this one played - and through the afternoon divine intervention threw the dark storm clouds mostly to the North and left this part of Plymouth virtually unscathed.

Cornwall won the toss and chose to field. Tom Mitcham and Freddie Gabbitass made a positive start rattling up to 19 off the first 5 overs. As the bowling got tighter the next 20 overs was all about graft - and there was a mixture of good and ill fortune for all the batters through this period. Mitcham was first to go, caught at slip as Mitchell got one to seam away. The next ball he brought one up the hill to nip out Cameron Grainger. (28-2). Gabbitass and Dom Bracher continued unscathed until the 15 over drinks break (45-2) but the thread was broken and Bracher was bowled in the next over (47-3). Barney Huxtable joined Gabbitass and for nine overs it was tough going. But Cornwall missed Huxtable twice in this period, and these were crucial to both sides. Gabbitass had started to throw off the shackles, but a shorter ball got big on him as he tried to pull and he fell to a regulation catch. At 70-4 in the 25th over things still looked rosy for the Cornish but George Stephenson arrived at the crease without a second glance at the state of the game. He and Huxtable took over, rotated the strike, hit boundaries when they were offered, ran well and just grasped the intiative. It was inspiring stuff, and the atmosphere on the team balcony really started to buzz. At 30 gone Devon were up to 107-4, on a roll and were scoring at will. Huxtable reached his 50 with Stephenson not far behind. Sadly he never reached that milestone as he was bowled off the spinner Hoban's last ball for a chanceless 45. The season's best partnership of 88 had put Devon well and truly in contention and skipper Zak Bess joined Huxtable and continued the assault. Huxtable finally fell to a runout on 61 in the 43rd over with the score on 189 but Bess, Sam DeFriend and finally Jake Crouch saw Devon up to 204-7 at the close - their highest innings total of the season by a long way. Bess finished his feisty knock unbeaten on 24. The tea break also saw a little rain fall but the covers had been put on and after a short delay, the Cornwall innings duly began.

Accuracy rewarded

Ryan Skinner and Jake Crouch opened up for Devon with an accurate and threatening first four overs with only 2 on the board. When Skinner was hit for 4 in the fifth over it was the first runs he'd conceded - but his reply was immediate as he bowled Cocking next ball (6-1). More tidy stuff ensued until the 10th over when Cameron Grainger capitalised on a calling mix-up and threw to the bowler's end to run Smith out (23-2). Zak Bess and Barney Huxtable came on at the change and after a brief respite for the batters Huxtable in particular really got fired up. His first victim was D Jenkin, snapped up at short extra cover by Tom Mitcham (35-3) and in his next over he cleaned out Moyle (37-4). Sam DeFriend held onto a stunner at second slip to give Huxtable his third victim and he finished his spell with Cornwall at 50-5 with only Hancock providing resistance. Seamer Jack Hughes and slow left armer Dan Winsor now joined the attack and after some early adjustments Hughes settled into a good rhythm - Winsor on the other hand was the perfect foil and showed us all why he has the best economy rate in the side. After starting with a maiden, next over up he floated one past the lunging Brooks for Grainger to complete a good stumping (62-6). In the next over Hughes bowled Mitchell with a beauty and Cornwall were on the ropes at 63-7.

The coup de grace!

Nicole Richards joined the unruffled Hancock and they enjoyed Cornwall's best partnership of 21. But ultimately Bess brought Huxtable back into the attack, which was an inspired choice. Coming down the hill now it took him an over to find some rhythm, but thereafter he was just too much for the Cornish tail. Richards who'd batted well gave Mitcham his second catch of the day, and Hoban was cleaned out next ball (84-9). Miller joined the ever-present Hancock, but Huxtable claimed him as victim number 6 when Dom Bracher held onto a fine effort at backward point to close the Cornwall innings at 92 all out.

This was the all round performance Devon had been waiting for, and the confidence was almost tangible as they put on a show in the field to match the excellent earlier batting. There were no surprises however as Barney Huxtable won the Man of the Match award.

Fielding

Runouts - Grainger 1

Catches -

Mitcham - 2

DeFriend, Bracher -1

Stumpings - Grainger 1

Devon won by 112 runs