The game at Panteg Cricket Club in football parlance was a game of two half’s, Devon won the first but came second after tea. Thanks to Edward Thompson and the Combe Pafford School min-bus the side made the comfortable journey into Wales over the Severn inside two hours. They arrived to find a very well appointed ground with a delightful elevated pavilion, electronic score box and a vast flat playing area where the timber picket boundary fence restricts the ability to reduce the size of boundaries. The pitch was dead centre of a large square and the sun was starting to shine through. Unfortunately Devon arrived with some players carrying notifiable injures that had not been notified. This is a totally unacceptable situation and puts the rest of the side under pressure. If you are injured you should advise the manager immediately in order that the situation can be assessed. Matthew Hickey won the toss and batted. The openers Matt Thompson and Luke Tuckett put on 61 in four minutes over the hour off 109 balls at just under three an over. Tuckett did not go through with his shot and was caught and bowled and was the first Devon player to depart up the thirty-two steps just four short of John Buchan and the old Wembley. Ryan Stevenson joined Thompson and another 17 were added Thompson swept and was leg before. The under 15 captain Zak Bess came in at four to join Stevenson and make his under 16 debut. The pair put on 78 in four minutes under the hour off 98 balls of promising cricket. Five short of a fifty on debut Bess was caught having faced 64 balls and been at the crease for 56 minutes, he had hit six fours. Stevenson was on 42 when joined by his Dartington team mate and captain. These two bat very well together with Hickey’s influence very noticeable. They increased the score by 69 off eight overs. Stevenson’s fifty came off 90 balls but his second twenty-six runs came off only 19. This was his second successive half century. Hickey is a fine striker of the ball and has valuable ability to play the innings suitable for the occasion. He took just thirty-two balls to reach 42 striking two impressive sixes. He was caught trying to hit a third and Stevenson and Gater took the side up to tea at 236. Stevenson was undefeated on 76 and the side had scored at over eight for the last ten overs, there is still a need to learn how to pace an innings over fifty. Devon was confident of defending and Wales were not that optimistic of chasing, as a softer ball had replaced a harder one despatched by Hickey indicated.

They should not have concerned themselves as preparations were being made for a smart getaway as a ten wicket thrashing looked on the cards as Cleeve and Millichip put on 150 in thirty-five overs, Hickey had by then used his eight bowlers some had indicated a lack of match fitness and others a total lack of actual practice. It was one of the most disappointing spells of under 16 cricket and it would not have been a surprise if the openers had batted through. A wicket did fall at 168 when Gater held another catch he made look easy off the captain to remove Millichip for a 114 ball 55. Eighteen were put on for the third wicket when Lawlor was caught by Hickey to give Bess his first wicket. With Wales needing thirty-eight Bess took his second when he bowled Cleeve three short of a hundred. It had been an excellent innings taking 153 minutes and 133 balls. At last Devon put on some pressure and Wales started to wobble, Scarr was bowled by Carr at 215 and next ball Debenham brilliantly ran out Van Wyk with a direct side on hit. That was it as Wales reached their target with eight balls unused much closer that anticipated. They used the large boundaries well converting ones into twos and paced their innings; at least they had lost one more wicket than their visitors. In a fifty over game Devon gave their opponents a further 25 balls in wides and no balls as the umpires started to clamp down on the offside post tea, It was still a quick getaway but the designated Whimpy bar was closed to complete a disappointing day at the office.