CONRAD SUTCLIFFE AT BOUHTON HALL CC
MATT Skeemer turned in a career best bowling performance in the 34-run win over Cheshire that turned Devon from relegation worriers into potential champions!
If Devon defeat Herefordshire at Sidmouth in their final game starting this Sunday, they could win the Western Division One title. They need Cheshire to defeat Oxfordshire as well.
The other side of the coin is that Herefordshire will be playing for survival and if they win and Cheshire win too, relegation remains a danger for Devon.
Seamer Skeemer took six Cheshire wickets at a cost of 41 runs as Devon bowled their way to victory on the third and final day of a rain-hit game at Chester Boughton Hall CC.
Devon made 423 for nine in their first innings – James Horler (165) leading the way with ample support from Ben Privett and Elliot Hamilton (both 43) Ben Beaumont (38) – then reduced Cheshire to 19 for three at the end of day one.
Bad weather meant not a ball was bowled on day two, which left Devon captain Jamie Stephens and opposite number David Wainwright to come to an ‘arrangement’ that made day three worthwhile for both teams.
Cheshire thrashed 54 runs in four overs to reach 73 for three, helped on their way by a couple of overs from very occasional bowler Horler, then promptly declared and, by ‘arrangement’ had around 100 overs batting time to make 351 to win.
Skeemer, whose previous Devon best was four for 21 against Shropshire at Sidmouth in 2021, already had three wickets logged when Stephens brought him back for a second spell. Three for at a combined cost of 17 runs slowed Cheshire’s hoped-for dash for victory after tea.
An Alex Money century helped revive Cheshire from 114 for six to 246 for six as the chase warmed up. Money reached three figures by lofting Skeemer for six. Skeemer pinned him lbw next ball.
Chris Sanders, caught low down at slip by Beaumont, and Steve Green were Skeemer scalps two balls apart in the same over as Cheshire dipped to 268 for nine. Game over… surely?
Wainwright, the former Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire all-rounder, had forgotten to pack the white flag in his kit bag and kept going with last man Sam Grant more than propping-up the other end.
A tenth-wicket stand of 48 between Wainwright (67no off 149 balls) and Grant (25) chipped away at the leeway and there was some relief in the Devon camp when Grant snicked a high catch to Stephens in the slips.
Looking back on his best bowling performance since making his Devon debut in 2019, Skeemer said: “There was just enough movement off the pitch so it was all about just trying to bowl as many balls as I could that would hit the stumps – and thankfully it worked.
“After the way we played over the two days we definitely deserved a positive result so I'm just happy to have contributed and set-up what should be an exciting game against Herefordshire.”
Dave Tall, the Devon CCC director of cricket, said the way the team won the game was more evidence a young group of players is learning all the time.
“At this level of cricket virtually everyone in the team can bat so just because the opposition are six or seven down and a long way away does not mean the game is won,” said Tall.
“The real positive for me was that when Cheshire started to get closer we did not panic and did not flap, but kept our discipline, waited for chances to come along and got our reward for being patient.”
Picking out individuals when so many contributed in major ways to this win is an invidious pastime, but Tall said he had to mention the parts played by Skeemer and Horler.
“To win games like this you need someone to stand-up and put in a special performance,” said Tall.
“In what was an exceptional team effort we had two superb performances from James and Matt.”
Full match scorecard
