It was an uneventful trip to the Island, despite a bladder problem intensified by an unscheduled train and an occupied industrial estate, followed by a successful new detour, through a housing estate, to avoid the Garlic Festival to find our new base at Sandown. The Inglewood made us feel immediately at home, the roast pork and banana split a success but the pier was not found until Monday night. An evening of drizzle included some pitch and put and an armed guard for that lost race horse Shergold, the side were all back at base, with the exception of the leg spinner, before curfew – a record. The drizzle got harder but there was no doubt that play would take place as the side arrived at Ryde the next morning. The golden rule for the Isle of Wight Festival is to win the first game, keep winning and pick up as many bonus points as possible. Otherwise it tends to be catch up for the remaining four days and that is precisely what happened when Devon fell one point short on Friday having lost on the first day to Buckinghamshire. The covers and water hogs of the previous year were obviously a one year wonder as the track bore a decidedly sodden appearance having, according to the neutral local umpire, been underwater the night before. The toss would be vital. In Luke Bess the side has an excellent captain who has perceptibly developed over the summer. He does, however, have one major long term weakness – he cannot win the toss. Unsuccessful efforts were made throughout the week to try and change this unfortunate trait but Bucks called correctly and we were inserted being immediately up against it. It really is very easy to make statements about pitches that are not up to test or Exmouth standard and games played against sides that are perceived to be not as strong as some but this really just demonstrates a lack of appreciation of what cricket is really all about – playing on diverse surfaces against sides of different abilities. It was essential that there were no comments with regard the pitch and that the Devon batters applied themselves on what was bound to be a difficult surface. Overall they did but the final score of 147-6 off fifty was perhaps thirty short, particularly with the sun shining and the outfield speeding up later in the day. Bess and James Burke put on 62 in 86 minutes when one over into the second half of the innings Bess was stumped trying to increase the tempo. Burke and Matt Thompson missed predicted score time, muffins, doughnuts and ice creams from nearby Tesco to put on a further 36 in 79 balls when Burke was caught. At 98-2 with 65 balls remaining discussions centred on how to accelerate the innings. Dibble’s performance against Worcestershire earned him the nod but both he and Sam Smith were back in the basement dressing rooms before long. Matt Thompson now had to give the strike to Chris Metters, who was timing the ball better than anyone. Thompson decided to take on the attack, not his current role in the side and was fifth out in the forty-eighth over. Metters, Mark Gilmour and Shane Evenden took Devon up to their final total. One area that this group has yet to master is picking up ones and turning ones into twos. Had this skill been exercised at Ryde and on other occasions during the summer it would have eased some pressure. It is something that must be improved if the big scores are to be achieved in 2008.

Buckinghamshire had beaten us on the same ground in 2006 chasing 191 and getting there with a ball to spare but had come second to Devon in the two day LV under 17 game this summer at Marlow. In 2006 they had won the Festival and with four players from their successful squad fancied their chances this year. Good sides take early wickets and Dibble took one in his third over when Gilmour caught Suter for 2. Suter had his pads on at Marlow for longer than the 16 minutes he batted at Ryde. The game was taken away from Devon by a 75 run partnership in 73 minutes although it did take up 142 balls. In the twenty-eighth over the Bucks captain Richards became Gilmour’s second victim this time off the Plymouth Civil Service left armer Jack Dent. Importantly for Bucks their opener Walker, who had scored over half the runs in the partnership, was beginning to bat with some freedom lofting the ball through mid wicket. The left hander, who was to score freely all week, had not until this game proved to be a thorn against Devon but he batted on for 154 minutes to be undefeated on 81. At 134 Shane Evenden had Webster caught at long on by Burke but that was the final wicket as the target was reached with seven wickets and 19 balls left.  At least Devon salvaged the bonus point.

All day James Burke had been eyeing up a tractor at the far end of the ground. He felt he could hit it on the full from the pavilion. The coach unwisely let his own ego have its way and a full blown throwing competition formed part of the cool down. Burke threw over the tractor; Dibble a reasonable second and the coach third amongst the 5 foot twos. The pier was found and despite the disappointment of the result and the laptop cable failing a reasonable first day of our twelfth visit to the Island.