Good teams invariable make their own luck and apart from a poor three days at Taunton Vale this group made an enormous amount of it! Throughout the season one, two or more of the squad played critical parts in converting difficult situations into winning positions thus creating their two outright victories. It was at fourteen minutes to eleven on the third day that their luck started to run out. This was the moment Jack Moore was hit on the helmet. It had perhaps started earlier as for the first time this season Worcestershire seconds did not have a fixture and our visitors were able to field their strongest side for the only time in 2018! Sandford Cricket Club is a very special place to play cricket and the seventeens cherish their biennial visits. We received a very warm welcome from Bill Matten and all those who make this such a vibrant club. Devon won the toss and batted. They were confronted by a plethora of  Worcester players with second team experience including George Gibbs' old friend from Attenborough.

Left armer Riecko Parker Cole opened up down the hill and his increase in pace over the past two years created a fair amount of interest amongst the spectators. It was their other opening bowler, Matt Davis, who made the initial breakthrough. Abraham Kopparambil faced all twelve opening deliveries and was out on the last ball of the second over with one bye on the board. He was caught behind, Sam Read was also caught by Hardwick but off Parker Cole. It was a hat trick of catches for the keeper when he held the captain, Jamie Khan, off Davis with Devon in real trouble on twenty-nine for three off ten overs. Enter Jack Moore, who was about to embark on perhaps his most memorable innings, to date, in his cricketing career. After two balls, on the same score, he lost Ben Sapiecha and it was clear this was an impressive opening attack. The first change bowlers were no slouches either as the visitors put Devon under the cosh. Onley-Gregson fell leg before to the excellent Ul Hassan and Devon were five down having scored sixty-two. The Heathcoat all-rounder booked a net with his batting coach and by the second innings he had ironed out a possible set up problem. Jack Moore had contributed twenty-five and looked to be on top of the bowling working them consistently through mid wicket to keep the score board turning over. Sam Taylor batted for twenty-one minutes whilst twenty-three runs were added but he was caught off the fifth seamer Clark. Elliot Adams and Moore took Devon up to lunch after thirty-two overs scoring one hundred and twelve runs.  Roast Chicken and fruit salad but off the sixth ball of the first post lunch over Adams tried an adventurous pull and skied to Bragg to give him a second catch and Marshall his one first innings wicket. Devon were seven down and had scored one hundred and seventeen runs. Devon's luck changed as the last three wickets all put on meaningful partnerships. Tea was taken with Devon six runs short of the fourth batting point with Moore and Tom Simmons building a new record tenth wicket partnership. Before then first under 16s Moore and Medlock added sixty-one off ninety-nine deliveries.  They achieved the side's first batting point. At the start of the game Devon needed a minimum of eight points to take second place in Division 4a. As their early batting folded it seemed extremely unlikely that these points would be achieved in first innings points. Each side has its unsung heroes, normally unassuming individuals who make quiet contributions throughout a game. Paignton's Luke Medlock is such an individual and it is hoped, with next year in mind, in his remaining Devon games this season he makes the most of the experience he has gained with the seventeens and he fully blossoms. He scored twenty-four of the partnership and Moore thirty-six taking him eight short of a maiden century. The pair batted sensibly and the fight back had begun. Ed Middleton helped add another forty-nine critical runs getting his side within twenty-three runs of a third point. Jack Moore had reached his first hundred with a four in the fifty-third over. He had batted for four minutes under three hours and faced one hundred and eleven balls. Without exaggeration he was batting supremely, undoubtedly in the mythical zone, a masterpiece of an innings but Devon and in particular Tom Simmons had not yet finished. The pair took in tea and then in the fifteen post tea overs gained the fourth batting point and took Devon into a position where they could declare. Moore reached his one fifty in the sixty-ninth over with another four. Three hundred was passed in the seventy-second over and Tom Simmons reached his fifty in the eighty-first over also with a four. Moore gave his only chance, a return catch, in the one nineties and with a two he became the third highest youth batsman in the eighty-fourth and final over. Link to the scorecard below to fully understand the quality and depth of this innings, very much amongst the very best. Simmons was unbeaten on fifty-six with six fours and in one hundred and three minutes and his contribution had been immense. Jamie Khan called his side in at twenty-four minutes past five. The last pair had added one hundred and forty-five in ninety-one minutes off one hundred and sixty-seven balls creating a new tenth wicket record partnership beating Yau and Chappell's one hundred and seventeen at Bristol University in 2005. The side's three hundred and seventy-two was the joint eleventh highest score by the seventeens.

Interestingly Devon still had to bowl twenty overs before close of play. Worcestershire opened with Callum Lea, and Leicestershire's, former first class umpire, Ray Julian's grandson, Dan Holland. Tom Simmons made early inroads when he trapped Lea in front in the sixth over and had Clarke brilliantly caught by the diving Adams in the ninth. Holland and the Worcestershire captain Zain Ul Hassan took the visitors from eighteen for two to close of play on fifty-one with five bowlers having been employed. Rain was to interrupt the second day but it started on time and went on until twelve minutes past seven with sixteen overs lost. Worcestershire's third wicket added fifty-five in all, twenty-seven in the morning when Read had the dangerous Ul Hassan exceptional well caught at slip by Ed Middleton. Read struck again twenty-two balls later when the second overnight batsman, Holland, was magnificently stumped by Taylor. Holland had scored forty-one. Worcestershire were now seventy-eight for four and Devon were again taking wickets. Unfortunately the fifth wicket pairing of Hinkley and Clark put on their sides highest partnership of the innings - ninety. They took in lunch, lasagne, ice cream, fruit and meringue with one hundred and sixty-eight  runs now scored. Devon were now bowling dot balls and with the eleventh post lunch ball Hinckley was well held by Onley-Gregson off Sam Woodcock with no further addition to the score. A second wicket fell on one hundred and sixty-eight when Clark was another smart slip catch from Middleton again off Read. The remaining three Development fixtures will be utilised to find a slip fielder for Read's 2019 season. With rain predicted for the post lunch session this had been a vital twelve minutes but the rain came in some force and two hours were lost. An early tea was taken as Chris Theedom with help from Sandford and Barnstaple and Pilton got the ground ready for play. Sam Read bowled the former Nottinghamshire all-rounder Parker Cole in the seventy-fourth over and Devon were in the driving seat with Worcestershire now seven down three short of a second batting point. Indeed it got better as one run later Ed Middleton added to his growlng list of catches catching keeper Hardwick off his own bowling. The visitors were still two short of two hundred runs. Disappointingly the eighth wicket pairing achieved the third point as they put on forty-one in just over half an hour. They faced five bowlers as Khan rang the changes and it was the Taylor / Adams combination that removed Bragg and gained Devon their vital eighth point to overtake Hampshire in the table. Twelve balls later Elliot Adams took his second wicket with Tom Simmons completing a very competent team catching performance with seven dismissals plus a stumping. Worcestershire were one hundred and twenty-six runs behind which all in all and considering the start was an excellent turnaround. However in deteriorating light Devon had yet to negotiate fifteen tricky overs.

Parker Cole bowled Read and Davis repeated his first innings dismissal of Kopparambil as Devon were reduced to twenty-nine for two at close. An earlier start was agreed for the final day and in overcast and decent bowling conditions Parker Cole with the first ball, a full delivery, of the day uprooted two of Ben Sapiecha stumps, very reminiscent of Lewis Gregory in 2008.  Devon's luck ran out when with the sixth ball of the fourth over of the morning Moore mistimed a pull and was hit on the front of the helmet by Parker Cole. Sandy Allen under took the now statutory ECB Science and Medicine concussion procedure and after a change of helmets and a drink which took over seven minutes play resumed with Moore still at the crease. It would appear that concussion breaks have now to be added to the list of warnings, along with the infamous drinks break, as Jamie Khan, who had been leaving the ball perfectly up until then snicked off first ball and Devon were again in trouble on forty-two for four. New batsman James Onley-Gregson, now reverting to his original set up, looked back to his best. Jack Moore appeared to be in no trouble again in the zone batting beautifully. However after fifteen balls that had yielded thirteen runs he came off not feeling a hundred per cent. His departure was applauded by friend and foe - who might well have been relieved to see him depart! This sparked a loss of  five quick wickets as Devon fell from fifty-five for four to eighty-nine for nine in fourteen overs. Onley-Gregson stayed firm and he was joined again by Moore at ten minutes past twelve. The cloud cover had lasted an hour and the sky was now clear and batting conditions were perfect. Moore continued where he had left off hitting Tomson for three successive fours and scoring an additional twenty runs off eight balls as he was simply creaming it. In the long term he may need to learn how to keep a bowler on as Tomson's replacement removed Onley-Gregson when he tried to cut the spinner to be caught behind for an invaluable thirty-seven. Moore in his two visits had scored thirty-three runs to complete a match aggregate of two hundred and thirty-three without being dismissed, most certainly a major assist to an individual's  season's average. Devon had scored only one hundred and fifteen in thirty-eight overs - Devon's fourth lowest two/three day under 17 score. Worcestershire needed two hundred and forty-runs in a minimum of eighty-two overs - just under threes. In reality Devon needed to take ten wickets to make it a record breaking three outright wins in a season. Their cause was not helped in that both their opening bowlers had reported strains and although Simmons bowled six overs  the strength of the home attack was substantially reduced by their absence.

The Worcestershire openers got through the six pre lunch overs (pork, pastry top and crumble and custard) scoring three. Sam Read's third ball trapped Holland in front. This was in the eighteenth over and Worcestershire had advanced to thirty-three. Forty-two balls later Ed Middleton removed Lea caught by Sam Woodcock. Xavier Clark was joined by his captain and the oppositions key batter and they took their team up to tea when four balls before the interval the Taylor/Adams combination entered the CAG scorebook for the very last time removing Clark. After thirty-six overs Worcestershire were one hundred and twenty-eight for three. Onley-Gregson took a decent catch to give Luke Medlock a deserved wicket taking out Hinkley and three balls later Moore bowled Clark. At one hundred and forty-seven for five Devon were possible back in the game. UI Hassan was however showing real resolution unbeaten on thirty-nine. Devon then missed a slip chance and a leg side decision was not given which could have removed both batsmen and Parker Cole and UI Hussan took Worcestershire home. Devon did not make it easy but the batsmen were in command as the final hour was reached. The visitors captain completed a match winning century and Parker Cole was unbeaten on thirty-five. Apart from a spectacular performance from Moore Devon had gererally batted poorly and the visitors seam attack was impressive so the result was fair. It was interesting to note that Worcestershire first innings was twenty-one balls longer than the home side but twenty-seven minutes shorter and their second innings thirty-three overs longer but in time only twenty-eight minutes shorter than Devon's.

So ended Devon's third season of playing three day cricket and again CAG had provided their players with the opportunity of playing the longer format which can only help develop these young players who all responded well. Jamie Khan will be disappointed with his shortage of runs but should be more than satisfied with how he led the squad. Undoubtedly if you can keep a team together throughout a programme they develop better and it was unfortunate that ultimately enforced changes had to be made to this group. For the third successive season Devon ended up as runners up of their division after a long run of coming third since their last divisional win in 2010. In itself an achievement.

Scorecard