Results day starts fair as we travel for our local game at Shanklin in high hopes. Mobiles are in full use as good news from Devon filters through. Fraser loses the toss and Devon are inserted. The first seven batsmen all get into double figures with Bess (caught again) Wilkinson, Fraser, Wrench and Knight all out in the twenties. Bowser falls eight short of a fifty but none of them batted on. If this had been the first match of the season a rocket is likely to have been ignited. Acton scores an undefeated 15, Chappell blasts – well a five ball four and eleventh man Porter looks like one as Devon are all out for 215 with an over to spare – simply not good enough or are they demob happy – though GCSE results are brilliant. The scorer advises if we need the vital bonus point we have to bowl Gloucester out for 161 or less.

Fantastic lunch – clean plates a clear guide and oh those sweets. Forty-two for the first wicket as two of the players who had played against the 17s at Bristol University show they do have some ability with the bat becomes 73-5 as Porter takes three, well he had to be in the side for his bowling, Allin and Chappell one apiece. Knight takes two and despite the sixth wicket partnership putting on 39 all is going well although it seems that everyone now wants to bowl. Chappell takes three more to finish on 4-34 off ten to complete his metamorphosis into an under 16 spin bowler. His two overs of seam at Exmouth seem years ago. Devon bowl out their opponents for 129 and pick up the vital bonus point and are now joint top with Derbyshire who had completed one more game and win. Yau rings his mate Waller to get details of the Somerset-Derby match and we learn that we have critically taken more wickets in our 2.33 games than the northern county – the weather forecast for Friday is horrendous.
                                
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