The original objective of this game was to give the under 17s a run out before their competitive season started but following the changes in dates from the ECB and the Under 17 National Festival it suddenly became a problem! However thanks to the support of Jack Porter and a number of last year’s seventeen’s and this summer’s potential sixteen’s we were able to honour the fixture. The grapevine indicated that our opponents were particularly strong, confirmed by Sussex under 17s who they had beaten. Indeed Western Juniors arrived at Seaton unbeaten, having played five games in the South, Midlands, South West and won them all. They were due to meet Somerset IIs the following day. So the result was a major surprise as Devon outplayed their much vaunted opponents by bowling them out for 63 in just twenty-nine overs. Part time bowler Tom Whittle started the rot by trapping Downie leg before on 16, at the same score he caught the second opener off Joe Thompson, it was three down on the same score when Torquay’s Thompson caught and bowled Risdon for a duck. Two runs later it got worse for our Australian visitors when Whittle picked up his second leg before. Ten were added for the fifth wicket when the captain Eliot Acton started a remarkable spell of taking four wickets for eight runs. He first bowled Fitt, had Hutchinson leg before thirty runs later, and on the same score Henry Parkin caught the previous day’s centurion Radunavich first ball. On sixty Porter gave the captain his final wicket. Off spinner Andrew Buzza’s third ball prised out the stubborn Fraser who had batted for four minutes under the hour for 22 when he was bowled. Whittle who started it all completed the rout when he bowled last man Tognolini for a single to finish with figures of 3-13 off 7.4 overs. Barton's second team keeper, Steven Lewis, who was playing his first game for the county, did not concede a bye and received a good report from the watching under 17 keeper Matt Thompson.

 

Acton gave the sixteen’s a chance to demonstrate their batting skills but it was one of last summers leading batters, Gareth Tibdball, who was first to fall on the dreaded score of 16 indeed a fifth wicket in the match fell at the same score when Miles Lenygon was caught. Parkin and Dan Pickard doubled the score when Parkin was leg before. Whittle's batting did not match his bowling as he was bowled by Fitt for one, seventh ball. Fortunately North Devon’s Pickard was resolute and with Jack Porter took Devon home in twenty-five overs and six wickets in hand. A satisfactory result where once again Seaton looked after the county exceptionally well in all respects.