The Under 19 2013 Season

 

Played

7

Won

2

Lost

3

Tied

1

Abandoned

1

 

Friendly
v Exeter University at Exeter C.C. – Match Tied
EXETER UNIVERSITY	207-3
DEVON	207	(J.Mailling 30, S.Wyatt-Haines 50)
v Newcastle Cavaliers at Torquay C.C. – Devon won by 8 wickets
NEWCASTLE CAVALIERS	138	(H.Kerton 4-28)
DEVON	139-2	(J.Mailling 81*)
v Cornwall at Callington C.C.– Devon won by 3 runs
DEVON	209-9	(J.Mailling 66)
CORNWALL	214-9	(P.Heard 5-28)
v Wiltshire at Swindon C.C.– Match Abandoned Devon lost on run rate
WILTSHIRE	317-2
DEVON	156-6	(M.Harrison-Hooton 46, B.Stein 44)
v Dorset at Wimborne C.C.– Devon lost by 8 wickets
DEVON	186-9	(R.Rickard 56*)
DORSET	188-2
v Wiltshire at Exmouth C.C.– Devon lost by 8 wickets
DEVON	229	(J.Mailling 111, J.Dart 46)
WILTSHIRE	233-2
v Cornwall at Torquay C.C.– Match Abandoned
CORNWALL	208	(J.Popham 3-21)
DEVON	181-8	(J.Dart 70, J.Popham 45)

 

The 2013 Squad

J.Mailling, (captain), C.Ashworth, J.Dart, D.Bess, R.Davies, C.Eaves, M.Golding, M.Harrison-Hooton, P.Heard, O.Higgs, H.Kerton, D.Lines, J.Maunder, R.Mawdsley, N.Osborn, J.Popham, D.Powell, R.Rickard, O.Sale, B.Searle, M.Skeemer, B.Stein, J.Stephens, S.Wyatt-Haines, H.Whitlock, G.Yates.

The season began with our second fixture against Exeter University at a very cold and blustery Exeter Cricket Club. The University won the toss and elected to bat. Devon opened the bowling with Ollie Sale and Craig Eaves and restricted the home side to thirty-three off the first ten overs, it could have been better for Devon had a chance been taken at slip and a couple of sloppy misfields did not help. Curtis and Leith batted patiently for the University and frustrated Devon until, in the twenty third over, a mix up between to the two batsmen resulted in Leith being run out for forty six. Dominic Bess was then introduced to the attack and bowled an excellent spell into the wind, conceding only twenty-five runs from his ten overs and picking up the wicket of Laidman for seven, caught by wicket keeper, Dan Powell. Meanwhile Curtis, after his early let off, moved on to his fifty. The son of Tim Curtis, a former Worcestershire batsman, he was eventually out caught behind off George Yates for seventy four. In the last ten overs, with wickets in hand, Exeter tried to accelerate but good bowling by Yates and Sale at the end of the innings restricted the University to 207 off their fifty overs. Devon stuck to their task well in difficult conditions but was disappointed to have conceded forty one extras.

Devon experienced the worst possible start, losing both Declan Lines and Eaves; both bowled by the University captain, Barr, and slipped to eight for two. Devon’s captain, Josh Mailling, watching from the other end, was then joined by last years Under Seventeens’ player of the year, Sam Wyatt-Haines, to set about rebuilding the innings. After being dropped first ball from a rising delivery from Barr, Wyatt-Haines then proceeded to play with fluency, driving consecutive fours and taking thirteen of Barr’s sixth over. Mailling looked very composed, pulling and clipping the ball off his legs until he was lbw to Leith for thirty, trying to work the ball into the leg side. The partnership was worth fifty-five and the wicket brought Dan Powell to the crease. Devon continued to work the ball around and maintained a run rate of 3.5 an over but, with the partnership on twenty-six, Powell was also out leg before, being hit on the foot from an in swinging yorker by Prowse. Ollie Sale joined Wyatt Haines, who pulled Prowse for six to bring up his fifty off seventy-two balls. He then tried to repeat the shot and was caught at deep square leg off Barton. Devon continued to chip away at the target but, when Sale was out for twenty-two, Devon was struggling at 149 for 7. Needing six an over off the last ten, enter Hallam Kerton, who, in partnership with Bess and then Paul Heard, took the game down to Devon needing ten off the last two overs. Kerton was bowled off the first ball of the penultimate over for an entertaining twenty-seven off twenty nine deliveries. Jamie Stephens joined Heard needing ten off eleven balls and they nudged and nicked their way towards their objective. Needing one run off the last two balls, it appeared Devon had done all the hard work but the confusion in trying to scamper the winning run resulted in Heard being run out for eleven leaving the match tied. Great credit must go to both sides for providing such an entertaining and competitive game in brutally cold conditions. As always huge appreciation must also go to Exeter Cricket Club who, as ever, were fantastic hosts and produced a great pitch for the first week of April. Heard left the game with a growing reputation of being a tie specialist, as this had been the second time in three years when his own run out has resulted in a tie!

In the bleak mid winter Devon was invited to take a side to Torquay to play against the Newcastle Cavaliers from New South Wales. The Australian side undertook an extensive nineteen fixture tour over thirty seven days, playing five games in Devon before moving on to play in Somerset, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and London. The party wound up the tour with a day at the Lords Test before flying back to Sydney via Dubai. Devon selected an Under 18 side and the captain Josh Mailling won the toss and elected to field. The home side’s opening attack of Popham and Heard made it very difficult for their antipodean opponents. Popham took the first wicket when, with his tenth delivery, he found the edge of the bat of the Australians’ captain, Arms, and keeper Jack Maunder did the rest. The second wicket to fall was in the twelfth over after Hugo Whitlock had taken over from Paul Heard. The bowler deviated Bench’s drive on to the non-striker’s end stumps to run out the unlucky Moore. Twenty-two were added for the third wicket taking Newcastle up to forty-nine when in the eighteenth over Maunder took his second catch, this time off Whitlock to remove Sutton. Two wickets fell with the score on fifty, with Wyatt-Haines taking the first of two slip catches, this one to remove keeper Bench off Whitlock, and Kerton then bowled Summers. The visitors score had only advanced by five when Kerton hit Dwyer’s stumps. The seventh wicket fell at sixty-three when one of Devon’s best ever first slips took his second catch, giving Kerton his third wicket. Newcastle’s Wallace and Sharp put on their side’s best partnership of the day – fifty-five off eighty-nine balls in ten minutes under the hour. Off spinners Stephens and Bess were introduced into the attack but a wicket didn’t fall until Mailling reintroduced Paul Heard. Top scorer, Wallace, tried to pull Heard’s first ball and the ball went up and up but when it came down the bowler was under it and hung on to it – 118-8 off 38.1 overs. Twenty runs were added by the last two wickets – nineteen by Sharpe and Brown, Hallam Kerton hitting the stumps for the third time to remove Sharp and finish with the impressive figures of 4-28 off eight. Heard took the final wicket when he bowled Coulson. Extras totalled sixteen and Newcastle ended on one hundred and thirty-eight off forty-five overs overs. Torquay’s spread was splendid and much enjoyed by our visitors, who commented on the outstanding catering they had enjoyed in Devon.

Billy Searle and the captain opened after the interval but Searle, after contributing eleven, was bowled with the score on twenty. Mailling started to flex his muscles and, in a partnership of seventy-two in the company of Ollie Higgs, took the score up to ninety-two. Mailling was in tremendous form sailing through the dangerous twenties and he reached his fifty in the eighth over with the first of his five sixes. He had only faced twenty-one balls. He went on to lose another four balls in the adjacent gardens! Equally reassuring was the performance of Ollie Higgs. With forty-seven still needed Higgs departed and the question being asked was “Would Mailling at last reach three figures in Devon colours?” The coach was undertaking the maths but it became academic as Mailling’s new partner, Sam Wyatt-Haines, was in an equally aggressive mood. In the eighteenth over Wyatt-Haines joined in the attempt to lose as many balls as possible, as he struck two sixes and won the game with a two off the fifth ball. Mailling was unbeaten on eighty-one off forty-eight balls in an innings that lasted sixty-six minutes. Wyatt-Haines contributed twenty-six off twenty. This was a useful opener for both the Nineteens and Seventeens as their seasons proper would start shortly. Torquay were superb hosts and praised highly by our opponents who had, despite the result, enjoyed the occasion. This was Maunder’s last game for Devon in 2013 and it is to be hoped that it was not his final ever appearance.

For a number of years the weather has intervened, stopping the Devon Under 19s travelling down to play Cornwall’s Development squad in the Duchy. Not so in 2013 when the game was played on an ideal summer’s day. The side travelled to Callington for the first time since 2001, when James Toms scored ninety-one in a match winning partnership with Nat Price for the Seventeens. Devon was taking on a mature Cornwall side and on winning the toss Josh Mailling decided to bat. He lost Ryan Rickard after two minutes when he was caught by May off Sharpe. Rhys Davies, who made such an impact in the full county side in 2013, joined Mailling for what was to be his final appearance at Nineteens. The pair had put on thirty-six when Davies was leg before. Mailling was again in top form and confirmed his talent. With Sam Wyatt-Haines the score was taken up to sixty-six before Wyatt-Haines played a most uncharacteristic shot and was caught. Mailling was now past his own danger area and past his fifty, sharing in the best partnership of the innings with Powell. The captain contributed thirty-one of the forty scored. He was out at the half-way stage with the score six past the hundred and much work still be to done. Powell and Searle took Devon up to Nelson when Powell was Cornwall’s fourth catch of the innings. Reid Mawdsley entered in a very determined frame of mind, sharing in a stand of sixteen. At 127-6 Devon was in some difficulty. Fortunately the Under Sixteens’ Matt Skeemer and Reid Mawdsley put on thirty-eight and then Mawdsley and Hallam Kerton contributed another important thirty-nine. Both fell in their twenties trying to accelerate. It was left to the North Devon duo of Jack Popham and Paul Heard to put on a vital last wicket partnership of twenty-one which included eleven off the last over. Devon’s total was considered below par and an enormous effort would be needed to defend it.

It was good to see Ted Ashman at the ground, having made good progress following his serious heart attack. SKY Sports had enabled Devon to watch the large last wicket partnership by the Australians in the first test at Trent Bridge. This brought back some memories of last year’s under 17s game at Taunton. The Cornwall openers put on fifty-eight and the home side seemed to be cruising when Paul Heard took the first of his important wickets, bowling Cornwall’s first team keeper, Williams. Heard, who was bowling one of his best ever county spells, then took out Purchase and Cocking to leave the Cornish on eighty-five after twenty-seven overs as he and Jamie Stephens pegged Cornwall back. Another partnership of fifty-eight was put on by Turpin and Smith as Cornwall reached one hundred and forty-three. Devon had taken their first four wickets off either the penultimate or final ball of an over and Davies stumped Turpin off Stephens’s final ball of his last over. Disappointingly Devon was not taking their chances and this was inevitable putting them under more pressure. May and Smith added twenty-six before Ryan Rickard took his first wicket. The slow left armers bowling was playing a vital role and his figures of 2-26 off eight played a critical part in the ultimate victory. Skeemer, who had dropped one earlier, held on to Smith. Cornwall now needed forty-one runs off forty-nine balls with five wickets remaining. Devon appeared to be out of it but the players had other ideas as they eased themselves back into the game. Rickard bowled Lombard; Heard took his fourth and fifth wickets, bowling Ridd and having top scorer, Smith, caught at long off by Kerton. Off the last over of the innings Cornwall needed to score thirteen but Searle then bowled Sharp and the final pair failed by just three runs in an absorbing game of cricket.

The two long distance away games were combined to form a mini tour taking in the Wiltshire and Dorset fixtures. Devon returned to the Swindon Ground after another lengthy gap, having to navigate the infamous roundabout system and successfully losing the scorer at the first. It was another perfect hot summer’s day but play was eventually brought to an early conclusion by a torrential thunder storm with a level of noise and lightning to frighten the bravest. Paul Heard took over the captaincy and experienced a baptism of fire not just from the lightning! He first lost a vital toss but, in his second over and Wiltshire’s third, he trapped De Souza in front with his fourth delivery. The second wicket pairing of Cullen and the Wiltshire captain, Mynott, then set about taking revenge for the onslaught they received at Axminster in 2012. Over the next two hundred and forty-five balls they scored two hundred and thirty-seven runs. The batsman built up the pressure on the bowlers and this was only partially relieved when Cullen was caught behind by Mawdsley off Jack Popham with the score on two hundred and forty-nine. The home side put on another sixty-seven off the remaining forty-five balls with their captain unbeaten on one hundred and fifty. A rate of nearly six and a half was always going to be a challenge and Devon never actually got close to it, scoring at just over four. Ryan Rickard departed in the first over off the tenth delivery, with Devon having benefited by four wides. Under Seventeen’s Macaulay Harrison-Hooton and Ollie Higgs put on forty-one before Higgs was bowled by Foley in the twelfth over. Wyatt-Haines was caught by Sore off Miles in the seventeenth over for a similar score as his room mate – fifteen. Devon was now 63-3 but Harrison-Hooton and Ben Stein put on forty for the fourth wicket before the Filleigh batsman was out four short of his fifty. Stein and Declan Lines then put on Devon’s highest partnership of the game. Stein fell in the thirty-fifth over with Devon still needing another one hundred and seventy-two off ninety-two balls. Lines went next over and thirteen balls later the heavens opened. It was also Swindon’s youth night and the thunder and lightning added drama to the occasion as the children ran for cover and safety. Unsurprisingly the game was called off with Devon well beaten.

Wimbourne’s excellent new ground proved more difficult to find than had been anticipated, memories of Pershore in 2012, but was found after four circuits of the town centre and the Minster. Having lost its town centre ground for a superstore the club has astutely utilised a green field site opportunity nearby. Following the storm the previous night it was damp and overcast but play started on time. Devon was invited by their hosts to bat. Ben Stein and Macaulay Harrison-Hooton put on forty-three off fifty-three balls but were both out within three balls of each other, leaving Devon 44-2 off seven overs. Ryan Rickard and Sam Wyatt-Haines put on the best partnership of Devon’s day – forty-five off ninety-nine deliveries - but Wyatt-Haines was out with Devon eleven short of three figures. At the half-way stage Devon was still five short of a hundred and behind the desired rate. Mainly due to Ryan Rickard’s contribution, Devon scored another ninety-one runs over the final overs, losing six more wickets. Rickard was unbeaten on fifty-six, having batted for twelve minutes over two hours and facing one hundred and twenty-two balls. He put on thirty-two with Ollie Higgs, nineteen with Declan Lines, fourteen with Reid Mawdsley and nineteen with Hallam Kerton. Devon lost their eighth and ninth wickets in the forty-eighth over with one hundred and seventy-four on the smart scoreboard. Connor Ashworth, on his Devon batting debut, helped Rickard take Devon to one hundred and eighty-six. The home side took one hundred and ninety-three balls, losing two wickets, to reach their goal. The spinners Ashworth and Jamie Stephens removed the openers taking the two wickets that did fall. Although it had been a difficult forty-eight hours it had enabled the coach to pass on some really useful advice to a young squad.

It was another beautiful day at Exmouth, where the Plymouth players were picked up from the station, but the roll call revealed Devon to be one short and that in the critical position of the side’s keeper! Exmouth’s Sandy Allen exceptionally kindly agreed to fill the void. Josh Mailling won the toss and batted. Thanks to a maiden county hundred from the captain, who shared a fourth wicket partnership of one hundred and thirty-three with Jack Dart, Devon reached two hundred and twenty-nine, with the final wicket falling off the first ball of the last over. The only other partnership of any consequence was the thirty-four put on by Mailling and Ben Stein for the sixth wicket. Mailling was out on a personal Nelson, having faced one hundred and fifty-two balls and hitting fourteen fours and a six. Dart fell on forty-six, batting for ninety-six minutes and Stein scored a sixteen ball twenty-four. The only other score in double figures was the twenty-one extras, in another otherwise disappointing batting performance. In response Cullen scored his second hundred of the season against Devon, ably assisted by Reynolds in an unbroken partnership of one hundred and seventy-seven for the third wicket. Jamie Stephens took the two wickets that fell with successive balls. The first caught behind and the second caught and bowled.

It was most unfortunate that the success of the Seventeens in their one day competition resulted in the final Under 19 game of the summer clashing with the 17s trip to Maidstone to play the one day semi-final against Kent. Matthew Hunt and Matt Thompson kindly took on the game at very late notice and did well to eventually raise a side, which was deprived of the regular Under Seventeens. Thompson and Under 14 Neal Osborn, both from the hosting club Torquay, filled the last two places. Cornwall won the toss and batted and thanks to their late middle order reached two hundred and eight in thirty-eight overs. Jack Popham took three wickets for twenty-five, with the captain and Rickard both taking two each. In response Devon lost wickets at regular intervals losing five for ninety-three. Indeed they had been four down for forty-nine before Kerton and Dart nearly doubled the score putting on forty-four. The sixth wicket pairing of the two Jacks, Dart and Popham, put on sixty-five before Dart was out for an outstanding seventy which included six fours and a six. Without addition Heard was trapped in front leaving Devon on 158-7 needing another fifty. Having put on seventeen with Neal Osborn, Popham was out for an excellent forty-five. Six runs later it rained and shortly afterwards it was mutually agreed to call it a day without a conclusive result. Devon was twenty-seven short with two wickets in hand.

The highlight of an enjoyable season was the captain at last scoring a county ton, having got very close on a number of occasions. He was the outstanding player of the summer and was awarded the Peter Atkinson Cup. Our thanks go to Exmouth and Torquay, our more than competent DACO umpires, the scorer who was helped out at Exeter by Nick Evanson and Matt Wood, in what transpired to be his final season. We wish him every success in his new role in the East Midlands.

The 2013 season was the last for the Under Nineteens at least for the foreseeable future. It ends a very successful innovation dating back to its inception in the last quarter of the twentieth century, when it was originally run by the County Club. In 1998 the then new Board was invited to take over the responsibility for this age group which included eight summers of Under Twenty-ones cricket and it has been a thoroughly enjoyable sixteen years. Recently, with our opposition tending to field development teams, there is real logic in Devon now undertaking a similar programme under the title of the Lions. It is a real disappointment that Matt Wood will not be able to continue his work with the players as head coach of the Lions, he would have been outstanding. We wish the Lions every success in the future.