CONRAD SUTCLIFFE REPORTING
ELLIOT Hamilton batted himself back into form with an unbeaten 82 in Devon’s ‘Showcase Game’ against Somerset at Bovey Tracey.
First Class counties have been playing neighbouring National County sides since 2021 as part of partnership agreements between the professional and recreational sides of the sport – and sometimes the minnows win!
On a rainy day that saw wins for Northumberland over Durham and Staffordshire against Leicestershire, Somerset were asked to improve on Devon’s 192 for four total, which was made in 27 overs. They did it with four wickets in hand and 16 balls to spare.
Devon team boss Dave Tall said before the match he was more concerned with performances than the result – and on that score he could not have been much happier.
Devon lost the toss and had to bat first in a rain-affected match reduced to 27 overs a side.
Max Finzel (pictured, above), who had a late call-up for the game when North Devon’s Jack Moore dropped out with a back injury, opened the innings with Hamilton and made 43 in a partnership worth 74.
Hamilton, whose league and Devon form has been sluggish recently, made 82 not out from 76 balls faced and enjoyed a further stand of 45 with Plympton club-mate Ben Privett (30) for the second wicket.
Hard-hitting left-hander James Rew clubbed 80 off 52 deliveries – 12 fours, one huge six into the car park – as Somerset made up for a slow start on the chase.
Somerset were two for six after a couple of overs having lost Andy Umeed to a comedy run-out of the ‘yes-no-sorry’ variety. Then Lewis Goldsworthy fell to smart catch by Fin Hill.
George Thomas consolidated for Somerset with a run-a-ball 27 then Rew, whose boundary-hitting timing had a Rolex quality about it, and skipper Sean Dickson (38) made victory inevitable during a stand of 54.
Rew was dismissed going for one big hit too many when he shaped to pull Devon seamer Kazi Szymanski and was well caught down at long-leg by Will Christophers. It wasn’t the end of a chanceless innings, but it was the end of an entertaining one. George Bartlett (19) and Josh Thomas (10) tidied up the loose ends.
Devon’s bowling was largely respectable with two wickets each for Kazi Szymanski and Privett. Only Ansley, whose first over cost 17 runs owing to harsh treatment from Dixon and Rew, really suffered under the lash.
Team chief Tall got exactly what he anticipated from the game, and an unexpected selection headache for the up-coming three-day game against Oxfordshire at Exeter.
“Overall no one could have asked much more from the game, which went ahead thanks to the tremendous amount of work mopping-up the ground by volunteers from Bovey Tracey,” said Tall.
“Elliot got some runs for Plympton in the league on Saturday, which I think helped him going into the Somerset match,” said Tall.
“There is no doubt Elliot is a fine batsman but, as with all sports, good players lose form from time to time.
“When the good times come back you enjoy them all the more because you have worked through the bad ones.”
Tall said that Finzel, who played age-group cricket for Sussex before moving to Devon, batted himself into contention for a place in the three-day side in the final month of the season.
“Max has been batting well for Cornwood and on the radar for a while,” said Tall. “This was the first chance to have a look at him and, what I would say, is that there is now a selection headache.”
Another pat on the back went to Devon’s white-ball skipper James Horler, whose introduction to team leadership this season has been plagued by weather-hit games.
“James captained the side really well and you can see he is getting better with every game,” said Tall.
