Isle of Wight Looking Better |
Exmouth defied the weather forecast of humid, cloud conditions and put on another perfect summers day for the Inter County Fixture against the Isle of Wight. After the disappointment of the week before, when the side did not compete against Haberdashers the chemistry was nearly back to normal and the side again looked a county squad. There were a number of quality performances that combined to score just three runs short of the record under 16 total and to dismiss the Island for the fourth lowest score to date. Apart from some personal county bests and one of the most rapid of county hundreds this was not otherwise a record breaking performance but one that restored confidence and asked a number of questions about combinations of players and how the team ethos was affected.
Eliot Acton won the toss and batted, the openers James Fletcher (78) and Ollie Pyne put on 47 in seventeen overs and provided the platform for later events when Pyne was caught. Ninety-two were added for the second wicket with some of the best batting of the season. James Parkin, fresh from his sortie into the legal profession, was in positive mode and gave an indication of how important he should be to side. His fifty came off 42 balls and included much of his own individual stroke play. His partner, Fletcher had passed his own personal fifty, and looked in the frame of mind to convert it to a hundred as he was asked to bat through. With 119 balls remaining Devon then lost two in four and fell from 139-1 to 141-3 as Jayerjay sent back Parkin and Sam Smith. Both are key batters and more will be expected from both. The mentality of scoring county hundreds is a vital one to learn particularly with 2007 in mind. It did appear that the under 17 opener James Fletcher had it as he passed his county best and in the company of Tom Whittle put on a further 53. However at 194 Fletcher was out, caught, after facing 117 balls for an outstanding innings, the only real disappointment the twenty-two runs he did not score. He fully understands his role in the side and played it to perfection. It is hoped he will convert the next opportunity into a hundred. Whittle's innings was interesting and showed how to build one! He scored nine off his first ten balls playing himself in and then 100 off the next 49. A maiden county ton, a brilliant one and one that will only help in his confidence at seventeen’s and in his future cricket. A couple had to die on their swards to ensure he reached the three figures but will forgive him if in the long run he builds on this milestone. The captain, Eliot Acton, and Whittle put on 32 in 21 when a misunderstanding resulted in the captain on a slow walk back into the shade. Nineteen off sixteen with Andy Buzza looking for a confidence boosting knock when he became the first sacrificial lamb as he ensured he was run out not his partner.
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