We have been exceedingly fortunate in not experiencing long trips in the mini-bus so far this year. Last year we seemed to be stuck in traffic at every opportunity. However we were not so lucky this time the journey up to Coventry was awful. Two players were caught up in traffic which delayed our departure by forty-five minutes and it did not get any easier. What should have a three hour journey turned in five plus. We still have to get to Staffordshire so the meet time for that game was brought forward by an hour. We reached the Ibis in Coventry, previously visited two years ago, late and had an exceedingly quick turnaround as we were booked in at seven at The Royal Oak which proved to be a wise choice. Normally opportunities are given to potential 2017 squad members from the under fourteen and fifteens over the last two weeks of the summer. However this year the fifteens had got through to the national quarter finals and the fourteens were down to their barest eleven for their game with Gwent so this was not possible. A thumb fracture reduced our resources even further so we left with under 14s Will Oxland and George Gibbs who not only enabled us to honour our fixture but both played important parts, one even entering the records section of the Green Book.
We nearly found the Coventry and North Warwick Ground but had to repeat the 360 degree turn in the shopping precinct and the ground looked as good as ever. The Club itself are now in the second division and the Groundsman a former playing colleague of Sandy's at Leamington was as delightful as ever but had not wanted us playing at the ground!! Gibbs won the toss and batted. Ashley Causey and Leon Horn opened with Horn falling first. From 6-1 Causey and Jamie Khan doubled the score when Causey was caught. Once again Jamie Khan changed the impetus of his sides innings with a blistering counter attacking innings and in the company of Jamie Lathwell the pair put on one hundred and forty-seven for the third wicket. Left hander Lathwell was no slouch as they exchanged blow for blow. They faced one hundred and fifty-five balls in eighty-five minutes - an exceptional partnership with the benefit of a right and left hand combination. Lathwell went first when a maiden county hundred looked a reasonable bet but he was bowled for a seventy-six ball sixty-five, including thirty-eight in boundaries - outstanding. However both Jamie's need to understand when going so well they need to be at the crease to get their side into winning positions. The second Jamie did that as he watched Williams caught and bowled in the twenty-ninth over to leave Devon on one hundred and sixty-nine for four with one hundred and twenty-two balls remaining. In theory a score of around three hundred was possible. Devon's final total was in fact fifty-nine short as the lower order, apart from Ben Abrahams, failed to reach double figures. The major blow was the loss of Khan as he charged Hussain five short of his second hundred of the summer to be stumped by Burke. He had faced just one hundred and five balls hitting eleven fours and a six. Ben Abrahams reached twenty-four off fifty-one balls but Devon were two short of even their initial target of two fifty.
Devon appeared to have this game under controll as after thirty-four overs they had Coventry on one hundred and fifteen for seven. Gibbs took the first two, both high quality slip catches by Ashley Causey - they are likely to be a vital combination. Causey took the third but was also receiving medical attention as a nail was severely damaged and subsequently a small fracture was found. Perhaps Ashley does not fully understand what a key player he is to the side - an outstanding fielder, more than adequate seamer and potentially a match winning batsman. In addition he is more cricket astute than perhaps he knows. He was unable to bat against Nottinghamshire and not risked against Staffordshire. It is really hoped that he blossoms in both the one and three day game in 2017. Adam Creasey took his first county wicket caught behind by Tom Oxland. Causey with a catch from Williams took the fifth - 73-5 and like buses Creasey took his second and third wickets caught and bowled and bowled! However the eighth wicket put on one hundred a four taking Coventry to within twenty-nine of a win that had seemed unlikely at half past four. The pair batted well, the unbeaten Toor - outstandingly on his home ground. He was unbeaten on one hundred and thirty-five but Barnard's twenty-six had been equally vital. Causey removed the latter caught by Horn but Toor and Reidy took the Midland side home. Creasey finished with figures of 3-44 off ten. The side left for Beeston for an hour's journey which was fairly easy.
