The Under 18s polished off the much vaunted Western Juniors in good time enabling the party to leave for the long trip down to Hertfordshire on time. The journey was broken by a pleasant meal at the Fox where it was worth waiting for the chocolate puddings and it gave old and new an opportunity of getting to know one another. Due to various circumstances, it was a much changed squad that travelled under a new coach, Joe Smith, and new captain, Sam Smith. Indeed only four - Thompson, Bess, Smith and Gilmour - had played under 17s cricket before. When eventually found, after TOTOM had navigated us around a couple of residential estates, the Travel Lodge was of the new variety with built in breakfast bar and very hot rooms that were also noisy rooms from the nearby A10. Haileybury College had been the venue for James Gibson’s under 16s victory over Warwickshire to win the national title, but unfortunately remembering how to access the playing fields had been lost in time. The toss went as expected, an exuberant home side and a disappointed set of visitors. The Hertfordshire openers Keenleyside and Pettet put on 80 in eighteen overs with little mishap apart from a very confident lbw appeal in Hickey’s first over. On 80 the captain bowled Pettet and the home side slowed up against Smith and Metters, taking another ten overs to reach 98 when Bess held an outstanding diving forward slip catch off Metters to send back Keenleyside. Thompson had ensured a more than satisfactory over rate as lunch was taken after 41 overs with the score standing at 114-2. Devon had got themselves back into the game. After lunch Hertfordshire scored at 1.65 an over up to 61 overs with the score 147-4. Anthony was Debenham’s first under 17 wicket when he was caught by Ingham and Simmons his second as he caught and bowled him. At 180 Metters had taken his second wicket thanks to his reliable slip fielder to remove the opposition's captain, Small, and Southgate fell at 193 when Smith caught him off Gilmour. Tea was taken after 79 overs and the score had increased to 212-6. The opportunity to put in some more overs before the tea break was not taken as the rate slowed and in hindsight this was critical later in the day as it would have put the home side under more pressure when they were chasing their final batting bonus point. From tea to close of play Devon bowled another 35 overs picking up their seventh wicket at 281 when Metters caught Weston off his captain. Herts reached 300 off the fourth ball of the hundred and second over. Devon was showing signs of tiredness and a couple of uncharacteristic misfields had assisted their hosts in picking up the fourth bonus points. The relevance of bonus points for and against cannot be over stressed and is a message that has got to get through to the new players. Devon bowled 115 overs in the day as Herts finished on 346-7 with their batters Nolan, Weston and Stewart taking the game away from their opponents. The cool down included the first walk out, presumable the player had heard of the strikes due to be held the next day and the pre ordered meals at the Coach and Horses were adequate if nothing special, particularly as they were also out of the Jaffa pudding.

Another hot and noisy night but the second day started in sunshine, one of our spies had heard the target was 380 in the seven remaining overs (4.86), our target was the two wickets needed for the fourth bowling point, unfortunately both sides were content as Herts reached 375 and Debenham –Thompson ran out the top scorer,Nolan, for a match winning 68, Thompson was unlucky on a stumping shout, and Gilmour gave Metters his third wicket. Any score over 350 is a big ask batting second and normally a draw is the result or a straight loss on first innings. Devon gave it a go but were all out for 301 with seven of the final seventeen in the last hour unused.  Thompson went early as he was trapped leg before on 14 having contributed eleven, Bess and Randerson took the score up to 27 when Bess was bowled by a good one and thought turned to how to get the message of drawing without appearing to having totally lost confidence. The message was not relayed as the Heathcoat pair of Smith and Randerson demonstrated the confidence needed to run well as they put on an excellent 125 for the third wicket. If Devon were to take first innings, a hundred was needed from someone. It was Smith who went first for a cameo 47, cameo might seem a bit harsh but he needs to score hundreds at four, something he frustratingly did the following weekend for his club. His East Devon team mate disappointingly fell six runs later, thirty-three runs short of the century needed. He had batted for over two hours facing 99 balls and again looked a useful acquisition to the squad. It is really essential however that wickets do not fall in pairs, as Devon fell from 152-2 to 158-4, the old maxim of add two wickets on to the score had again come true. Metters and Hickey added twenty when the umpire responded to the fifth appeal from the home side to give Hickey out leg before. The very impressive William Gater and Metters took the score up to 233 putting on 55 when Metters was bowled by Southgate six short of his fifty. The two G’s Gater and Gilmour took Devon past their third and final batting point and Gater past his maiden under 17 fifty on debut when he was bowled. It was now looking as though the fourth batting point would not be picked up as Debenham was bowled at 283 and Gilmour looked very unlucky to be adjudged leg before on 286. Fortunately Luke Tuckett and Alex Carr had other ideas as the 300 was passed in the eighty-eighth over, the scoring rate had been perfect for the chase, unfortunately the wickets lost being the problem. Carr was twice out in the next over and Luke Tuckett left unbeaten for a twenty seven ball 10. The last wicket partnership of fifteen had ensured a most valuable eighth point for Devon.