Devon Under 17s
2002 Season 's Report
Played 4 Won 0 Lost 1 Drawn 0 Won on First Innings 1 Lost on First Innings 1 Abandoned 1
v CORNWALL at Exmouth C.C. – Devon won on first innings
CORNWALL 262 all out (A.Williams 4-32), Devon 301-7 dec (N.Watkin 117, W.Grainger 38, I.Sutton 44)
v SOMERSET at the Millfield School - Devon lost on first innings
SOMERSET 380-7 dec, DEVON 276 all out (C.Doutch 92*) and 76-2 (W.Grainger 33*)
v HAMPSHIRE at Exmouth C.C. - Devon lost by 143 runs
DEVON 67 all out and139 all out (M.Bettiss 31)
HAMPSHIRE 349-9 (C.Doutch 4-44, L.Loveridge 3-99)
v DORSET at Weymouth C.C. – Match Abandoned as a draw
DEVON 202 all out (A.Williams 65, R.Tucker 61)
DORSET 15-0
The 2002 Squad A.Williams (Captain), S.Rowe (vice captain) M.Bettiss, T.Bowring, J.Carr, C.Doutch, J.Fraser, W.Grainger, C.Jenn, L.Loveridge, C.Miles, A.Parker, I.Sutton, R.Tucker, N.Watkin.
The 2002 season proved to be one of the more disappointing years, when, as a unit, we failed to achieve success. The season started off most encouragingly when we beat Cornwall on first innings at Exmouth. Our visitors won the toss and were well very well placed at 236-4 but lost their last five wickets for 26 runs! Opener Jamie Hine, who had played a game for the Devon under 16s the previous season, scored 43. The captain Aaron Williams played a key role with the ball taking his four wickets in 19 overs and his side looked very competent in the field. Nick Watkin’s maiden county hundred was the feature of Devon’s reply. The under 16 captain showed all the attributes needed for the two day game as he batted 296 minutes and faced 276 balls in his brilliant innings. He was fifth out after he had taken his side past the Cornwall total and decided on a different and not so successful approach to batting. He featured in two century partnerships, putting on 105 for the second wicket with club colleague Will Grainger (38 - 120 minutes, 114 balls) and 101 with Seaton’s Ian Sutton who scored his 44 off 100 balls and in 103 minutes. The home side declared when it had achieved full batting points after useful contributions from Rowe, Bettiss and Parker. Debutant Calum Doutch was undefeated on 8. The runs might have personally been more beneficial in the next game! Devon left Exmouth with reasonable expectations for the season.
The next match was against Somerset at Millfield School, where Devon got off to the best of starts with a Stephen Rowe wicket maiden. However it was down hill from then on as Timms and Hildreth put on 197 for the second wicket. Both batsmen scored hundreds of the highest quality and the run rate of over four an over put the home side in a very strong position. Devon was in trouble from the start losing early wickets and being reduced to 92-6 after 43 overs. However an exceptional record breaking seventh wicket partnership of 132 between Bettiss (168 minutes, 172 balls, 10 fours) and Calum Doutch, playing in only his second county game recovered the situation. Doutch batted for 180 minutes facing 172 balls hitting 12 fours. At 224-6 after 88 overs it appeared that Devon would avoid the follow on. This was not to be as we lost our last four wickets for 52 runs in 17 overs and failed by five runs. Doutch deserved a hundred but the Sidmouth all rounder was left high and dry on 92 (12 fours). He had made a fine impression which resulted in an under 19 appearance later in the season. On batting a second time Will Grainger scored a 41-ball 33 and Devon finished 28 runs adrift with 8 wickets in hand.
Our return to Exmouth was not a happy experience, as on an initially wet track Devon suffered a humiliating experience at the hands of a strong Hampshire side. Their fine bowling attack took only 30 overs to bowl us out for a County record low score of 67. Hampshire then batted on and on and on to finally declare after 125 overs and then proceeded to roll us over for a second time. Leon Loveridge and Calum Doutch bowled well and Marc Bettiss and Chris Jenn put up some resistance with the bat. However it was only a tenth wicket stand of 42, off ten overs, between Jenn (23) and Loveridge (12) that made our second innings score vaguely respectable. A very disappointing performance.
Our final game at Weymouth was ruined when rain affected both days play with only 15 balls bowled on the second day. It did give Sandford’s Richard Tucker the opportunity of showing us what we had been missing with a fine county maiden half century in an innings that lasted 95 minutes and in which he faced 98 balls. The captain Aaron Williams also batted well in his 148 minutes at the crease, facing 134 balls for a season’s best, as he held the side together. The remaining batting was disappointing and the final score did not look competitive. Rain arrived to coincide with our dismissal and then curtailed the first day’s play so we embarked early to our new hotel as the accommodation the previous night had made Faulty Towers appear a 5 star establishment. On the second day, with a mid day flight to catch to the Channel Isles, the Dorset openers started to fire off all barrels, we dropped a simple catch and the rain came to end the day’s and the season’s misery.
We record our normal huge thanks to our outstanding host club Exmouth, the Devon Umpires Society for the continued high service they provide, coach David Gibson, in his last season, David Court for filling in at Weymouth, did Gibbo know something we did not! The parents, players and assistant manager, Elizabeth Webb.
The D.H.Watkins Trophy for the Young Cricketer of the Year was awarded to Aaron Williams for his contributions on the field, with bat and ball, and also off the field in what was a difficult and disappointing season.