Tuesday was a better day and a full match was achieved against the Buckinghamshire under 16 side who had four representatives playing and one, who was injured, who had played against the Devon under 17s twelve days earlier at Burnham on two of the month’s better days. Devon had seven so it would be interesting to see whether this was reflected in the result. It was indeed a close game, mainly due to yet another decent tenth wicket partnership that got our opponents within eight runs of our total. Devon were inserted on the same strip as the previous day and against a stronger side were made to fight for every run. It was a critical third wicket partnership that turned the game as first Luke Tuckett was caught in the sixth over with his side three short of twenty and Ryan Stevenson experienced one of his rare failures with the score moved on to twenty-six. Captain Hickey and vice captain Thompson put on 81 in six minutes over the hour and off 114 balls. Thompson was the first to fall in a combined under 17 dismissal as he was caught by Shiel of Wells for fifty one which included three sixes and three fours. Devon were now two overs into the second half of their innings and Will Gater fell eight balls later in a run a ball partnership. He then caused the first piece of pavilion damage since the Falklands, not the war, had to re-plaster their dressing room wall. The CSI team created some questions about bat trajectory but fortunately the matter did not end up in court. The fifth wicket put on the second highest partnership of the innings a meagre twenty-four which just confirmed the importance of the leader’s contribution. The captain departed after another important innings scoring one run more than his deputy. He had hit seven fours and one six. As the previous day the lower order did not contribute the volume of runs that most certainly will be needed in 2009. Henry Parkin was the only one to reach double figures as Steven Lewis was learning the hard facts of life about county cricket as he was stumped. The final total of 173 had been aided and abetted by a vital twenty-five extras (including five penalty runs) as it turned out importantly ten more than Devon conceded. One of the basic rules of cricket is to bat the overs and Devon discarded thirty-eight balls that would have put them in an invincible position if they had been utilised sensibly. It was poor cricket and created major concerns for next year.

Bucks were identically placed as their opponents with regard their total when they lost their third wicket but had taken an additional 50 balls Toby Ingham, who has impressed at both age groups all summer had Goss caught by Miles Lenygon and it was a run out that involved Alex Carr and the keeper that sent back the other opener Walters. Thanks to a neat catch from Tuckett Debenham took his first wicket on 107. By now Devon had wheels again as a replacement mini-bus had been shipped in from Portsmouth. The manager returned the driver to the floating bridge and was then unmercifully mocked for the remainder of the week over his limited knowledge of this means of transportation. From 107-3  Buckinghamshire fell away to 120-7 as Tom Field took three wickets and Jonathan Debenham took his second. Debenham had for the second day to contend with the short leg side boundary and persevered bravely.  It seemed all over but as Nottinghamshire were to find out later in their vital Forty40 with Sussex, you can never take anything for granted.  Devon seemed home and dry at 140-9 as JJ took his third and Field his fourth. It now became tight as the long handle and a short boundary came into play as twenty-five were added off just fifteen balls. Debenham did seem to take his natural goodwill to all men too far as he conceeded three sixes in his last over that did change the whole complexion of the game. Hickey then played his masterstroke bringing back Ryan Stevenson who with thirteen balls remaining bowled Hampton, who had crashed an eleven ball twenty-one, with the last ball of his first over. It was a nail biting end and in the process Devon dropped their only point of the week. Hickey is a very unobtrusive captain but is one of the more intelligent of the species and played this one just right, the spinners had put Devon into a commanding position and Stevenson carried out the coup de grace. Joe Smith came of age as he gave an outstanding debrief and much should have been learnt from this game. One of the weaknesses of this group is that they do not have a keen DJ, both Tuckett and Debenham provide a reasonable balance of music but both are reluctant to sit in the front of a mini-bus that would now allow gear changes to be undertaken. This was a good result despite some short comings in execution.