DEVON’S game against King’s College, Taunton was a more successful affair than last year's venture into the Independent Schools terrain despite losing by five wickets.
Thanks to two conscientious and sensible umpires the game was completed, albeit reduced by 20 overs.
Devon’s main objective had been to utilise this opportunity to look at players for the forthcoming three-day programme but for a number of reasons the objective was not achieved.
However the chance was given to three players who had not been involved in the one-day campaign and one or two Devonians playing for the home side.
It rained off and on almost all day with an interesting effect on the pink balls, another first of this experimental Under 17 programme. Rudolph called correctly and Devon again batted.
Lunch was a moveable feast and would interrupt the innings as indeed did the rain but no overs were lost.
Harvey Sargent and Noah Wright provided the side with the ideal platform with the side’s first century partnership of the summer.
The decision had been made for the rest of the one day season that the batsmen would go back to basics and for the short term throw out the game plans and do what the players do individually well.
It is important when we start the three-day section that we have the confidence to bat all of the way down the order and achieve large totals.
The home side’s attack provided the batsmen with the challenge needed and both openers made good use of their time at the crease. They put on 118 in 96 minutes off 164 balls.
Noah Wright was the first batsman out giving a young Devonian, Will Oxland, his first wicket.
The openers were about to put their foot down on the accelerator. Devon had another seventy-eight balls to try and double this total.
Against them were the moist conditions but in fact in similar conditions our opponents in their innings scored a lot more boundaries, at this stage of the Devon innings it was boundaries that were needed. The inconvenience of the lunch break came twelve balls later.
After the break it was vital that Devon accelerated. In fact they only scored fifty-one runs off sixty-six post lunch balls.
Our one-day finishing has not been a strength this summer. In achieving their final total Devon lost four more wickets.
Tom Andrew scored 14 off 17, giving Oxland his second wicket. The young spinner finished with figures of 5-0-11-2.
James Bovey, on his first county appearance of the summer, was the side’s fifth run out of the summer.
Harvey Sargent was the next batsman to fall seven short of his first county century of 2016. The captain Billy Rudolph provided Kazi Szymanski his wicket.
Kazi has been returning to full fitness after a nasty long-term injury and is now available for Devon’s three-day cricket.
Ben Phillips in what sadly may be his penultimate Devon appearance was his normal, pugnacious self but Devon were below par on 185 at the end of their 40 overs. Devon hit fourteen fours and a six.
Devon fielded in almost identical conditions as their hosts and also had to watch a large opening partnership as Kings captain Byrom and Somerset’s spinner Harrison put on one hundred and forty-seven in ninety-five minutes off one hundred and fifty-five balls.
Both batsmen gave chances one a dolly that even the scorer thought she would have taken! Probably this should be tested later.
It was believed that this was Harrison's maiden school 50 and he had his eyes firmly set on three figures. Once again Harry Ward changed the tempo of the game as the College appeared to be galloping to a ten wicket victory.
Ward first caught and bowled Harrison for 83 and as the coach expressed it was good to see the batsman real disappointment at not reaching three figures.
Devon spinners then removed the renowned King’s middle order, to their obvious disappointed.
Matt Petherbridge held the catch to remove Exeter’s Luciano Machado for a second-ball duck, three balls later the sides outstanding outfielder Jack Gibbs held his first exceptional catch, he then took out his second College first team colleague their outstanding captain Byrom with another brilliant effort, Ward enticed Pitman to sky a catch to the keeper.
The home side had fallen from 147-0 to 175-5 off twenty-four balls. All of course too late but it had shown that if Devon had scored thirty more runs and taken the early chances it might have been a more competitive game.
Kings won by five wickets with 54 balls unused – a pretty comprehensive win with a fundamental difference being the runs scored in boundaries Devon sixty-two, Kings one hundred and four.
Ward took 4-51 and Petherbridge 1-42.
