It was fourth time lucky for the twenty-ones who did not even travel on their mini-tour to Dorset and the Isle of Wight or their home game to play Cornwall at Instow in this awful summer. Axminster phoned at 7.30pm to confirm, despite heavy overnight rain that the game would go ahead. The internet radar forecast was near perfect as showers reached Axminster at 12.30pm and had left the area by 3.00pm. There were three heavy but brief showers one just before the early start time of 12.45pm, and two in the Wiltshire innings the second at 1.44pm which resulted in the players coming off for 17 minutes resulting in a loss of an over to each side. Nick Watkin won the toss and from that moment the home side were in the driving seat as the home bowlers put on an outstanding spell of seam bowling in good bowling conditions. Senior Minor County matches had robbed both sides of players with Wiltshire fielding four under 17s who would be playing Devon at Exmouth later in the week. One, Pearce, dug in being fourth out at 29 after being earlier caught by debutant Andy Kingdon off a Barlow no ball. Barlow had already trapped the visitors skipper on the back foot in front on 4, Porter dismissed Rowson in similar fashion six runs later, the Barton seamer then had last years under 17 captain, Kelly, caught by Bess on 26 as batting looked very difficult. Pearce gave Parker his wicket as he was held by Bowser. Under 15 Pittman was looking good and holding up a now rampant Devon attack. He immediately lost Young again on 29 when he was splendidly stumped down the leg side to give Ross Acton his first wicket in a remarkable spell. One run later he had Tom Bowler trapped leg before. Another six runs were added when Acton picked up his third and final and Wiltshire’s fourth leg before. Acton bowled his seven overs conceding just one run. Barlow and Porter retuned to the attack and the visitors were perilously placed 45-8 when Tim Piper held another neat slip catch to remove Adams off Porter. Pittman and Earl (18) then shared in the one meaningful partnership of the innings as they put on 33. Watkin turned to Josh Bess. who the previous day had taken 5-11 in the Senior Cup tie with Plympton, to wind up the innings in his seven ball spell he took 2-3 aided by another sharp slip catch to remove Pittman for an excellent 60 ball 28 –he had batted ten minutes over the hour and then he enticed Earl to pull to Seb Benton. Wiltshire were all out in 128 minutes facing 37.1 overs for their 89. For the third day running the in form Porter had a three wicket return.

Devon had to face a tricky 36 minutes before tea when they lost their Captain on 12 but navigated the period with a couple of other mishaps when Bess offered a couple of difficult chances. It was plain sailing after tea with the weather more akin to summer as Seb Benton and Bess put on 79. Both hit four fours reached an undefeated 32 Bess batting for 105 minutes facing 93 balls,  Benton 81 minutes , 65 balls.

It had been worth the wait as a thoroughly first class performance was completed. It is hoped that their remaining four games will escape the 2007 weather