This was a very interesting twenty-six hours where very little went to plan. As Sandy Allen so succinctly summed up this was a wonderful opportunity for the Devon players to come to terms with what makes up a future first class cricketer. The Hampshire squad have been together for a number of years and have developed into a very formable unit one of the best teams we have faced at this level. They have conclusively won our Cup Group going on to play Middlesex. Late departures are always beset with problems and this was no different. Devon were staying overnight in Southampton, ten minutes drive from the original venue but with the change in ground to the most attractive East Woodhay Southampton was far from the ideal location. After falling out with our satellite navigation system when we were continually advised to turn around when possible thanks to Jack Moore the Ibis was found before midnight. It was a nine am leave for our fifty minute drive to a village near Newbury. Of course there was a Sunday morning diversion resulting in an abnormally early turn around when possible request and in many ways the day did not get much better. We did arrive on time to find a typical village ground with a KWIK cricket match in full flow, in fact two were completed before our game started. In a limited space Devon completed a decent warm up and the coach and captain were awaiting a vital piece on information about the makeup of the bowling attack. Jack Moore is heading for the top of the all time losers chart as he again lost the toss and unsurprisingly the home side batted. Potentially this looked like the best batting track this side are likely to play on this year. It would most certainly be a fill your boots day. One side did and the other most certainly did not. The coach was advised five minutes before the start that Devon would be a bowler short - no words are appropriate particularly as the Development Side newsletter had gone out the previous week with all injuries must be advised immediately. Some real brownie points were lost.
For the first hour Devon did not appear able to cope. It is very difficult to gauge different standards and individual talent but this Hampshire top order is up amongst the best - including Timms and Hildreth putting 197 on at Millfield in 2002 and Eoin Morgan's 150 at Sandford in 2004. Considering the quality of cricketer that has played in this competition that is a huge complement. Their multi-talented batsmen favoured form of currency was the four but there was also a brilliant lesson in working the ball into gaps playing some very SMART cricket. The two Toms - Prest and South look PROPER batsmen with a real knowledge of their own game, minimising risk by working within their own capabilities which are pretty impressive. Devon did not help their own cause, they took a wicket in the fifteenth over when umpire and captain disagreed on the number of fielders in the circle and South had a life. The bowling figures tell a fair story but ultimately Devon did take nine wickets. In the game there were fourteen batsmen dismissed caught, three stumped (all Devonians) and two run out. As the Hampshire innings progressed a truly unusual thought entered the mind - not will they score 400 - but every year we strive to be the best fielding side every produced by Devon but this year this group may well end up as the best ever fielding side. The pressure was mounting but the fielding got better and better and there is at most just one fielder who is not exceedingly good. Our young keeper Adam Small kept his seniors at it and you could not help being really impressed with Devon in the field. Perhaps three chances were not taken but if the ball went up and there was a fielder in the near vincety you really believed the catch would be taken. Our close to the wicket catching was not tested but there would appear to be no shortage of suitable candidates. We were visited by Reading based Aunt Jenny and to his great credit nephew was most communicative, indeed more than he is with us normally. We can list good to exceptional catches, held mainly on the rope by Privett, Beaumont (2), Moore, Medlock and Kidd a superb diving catch from keeper Small and two run outs by Woodcock. Read took three wickets for thirty-two more than he scored - he might have had a hat trick but the first chance was shelled. What can be taken from two thirds of this fielding performance was that it was exceptional and the attitude throughout was good both elements are important and gives a very positive reason for persevering with this group. What was disappointing was despite decent fielding Devon still went for over seven an over and the 354 was the highest score ever conceded by the seventeens in a fifty over game - the previous highest was the 302 on a postage stamp in Wales in 2015. It is hoped that the bowlers watched how the Hampshire bowlers applied their trade. The Coach has few simple requests, line, length bowl your best ball 95% of the time, top of off stump, LBW's. bowl to your field, dots, first and last ball, pressurise, get your specialist fielders in the right places - it's not rocket science. It really is vital by the time we return to Hampshire in August that we have a game plan in place to put on a better performance with the ball.
It was a pleasant chilli con carne and the batsmen were told just to bat on what was now confirmed as a track of the highest quality - a true road. We have played on some exceptional tracks over the years. Moseley, Reading, Cardiff and Taunton but this one was as good, add in shortish boundaries and a lightening outfield some personal bests could be posted. If it ever needed demonstrating that posting is easier than chasing (and they were under no instructions to chase) we will in future refer to the 23rd June 2019. We have a group of very competent stroke makers but not a group who can occupy the crease and milk. It is essential with the three day game two weeks away that we start thinking about - hundreds not thirties. The two day game with Gloucester will give us a clear guide if the Development squad have players with this mentality. Devon lost all ten wickets with seventeen overs unused - ten out on the charge caught or stumped. The first over gave a real clue to what was likely to happen. Scorers Grandson James Trood bowled six identical balls all within 8 cm on the pitch marker the batsman flashed at four and was caught on the sixth. The leave should be in every players shot repertoire if not an awful amount of time will be spent watching from the pavilion. Shot selection is so important and one rash thought is curtains at this level. On the bench our ambitions were in fact very limited bat the overs, enjoy the experience and at least three thirties. A score around 250 was thought achievable but not with a shot a ball mentality. To become a first class cricketer there is so much more needed than crash , bang and wallop! The coach was getting hotter under the collar as it started to drizzle but it was more disappointment in a group that we have real faith and equally important trust. It is essential that our thoughts are tuning to the three day format. Sam Read made one spectator very happy but it was fifty and out, most of the batsman eyes lit up and they gave simple chances. We had just two partnerships over forty, our run rate never got over five, Hampshire bowled four maidens to our zero but we conceded less extras. The time in Hampshire will have been exceedingly worthwhile if lessons are learnt. McDonalds served us well, if parking continued to be a problem and another record was broken at the Services one dating back to 2001.
