This is the first game that the highlights of a CAG game can be watched in conjunction with the scorecard and report. This innovation is likely to increase across CAG cricket and eventually become the norm.
This match was a personal triumph for Ashburton’s opening batsman Jake Pascoe as he was involved in ensuring that four ticks were inserted on the coaches white board at the end of the game. A personal century, two century partnerships and as he was out with the score on 295 having ensured the original target score had been reached and surpassed. He took personal responsibility to the extreme. He was not involved in a run out not took a catch and fortunately his new seam bowling was not exposed to the streaming. Fortunately a number of other players made serious contributions to the game thus ensuring a win in the side’s first competitive game of the summer. We visited Clevedon Cricket Club for the first time and were well looked after in these difficult times. On a hot sunny day the warm up could only be considered average as the players adjusted to the high demands of Sandy Allen.
Jack Whittaker won the toss and batted and then sat back with his pads on for one hundred and seventy minutes and forty overs as the top three scored 285 runs. The game started with a twelve ball first over which set Devon up for their final total of 329 Being ultra critical it should have been a lot more as the middle order appeared confused as to how to finish the innings off. Devon are preparing for three summers of red and white ball cricket. Members of the Development squad will be involved in this summer’s 18s programme including their three day programme. A consistent batting order is a particular aim and the first three batsmen made claims. The batting was steady with the final product proving that setting targets can be achieved in a number of ways. The first wicket pairing of Pascoe and Zach Dunn added one hundred and twenty-two in eighteen overs. After batting for 80 minutes Zach Dunn was caught for sixty-four ball thirty-one, he had hit four fours. His partner was four runs past his fifty. The new batsman, Teddy Haffenden, was also from West Devon and combined with Pascoe to put on another one hundred and sixty five. The Development side has been in place since 2018 and the broke the second wicket partnership for the second wicket. Ben Privett and Elliot Hamilton held it previously against Haberdashers in 2018. The pair faced one hundred and thirty-five balls, Pascoe had reached 124 and Haffenden was nineteen short of three figures and wished he had access to a third umpire!. He batted for one hour twenty-nine minutes hit four of his seventy-one balls for four. Devon was well set and Pascoe in complete command eleven runs short of the highest score at this level. The game plan should have been his batting through giving freedom the middle order/ Sadly he fell fifteen balls later five runs short of equalling Abraham Kopparambil 135 which also against Somerset in 2018. The situation was that Devon had forty-two balls to get to Matt Jeacock’s projected 380. The think tank thought the Ottery seamer had been optimistic but the final product of 329 was a disappointment. Even going at sevens the side should have got close to 350. However a Development side had not scored, more than 250 in a 50 over game so the final product goes into the Green Book as a record. The captain reached twenty-three off thirty balls and no other batter got into double figures as Devon lost another four wickets. We will have a rethink on our approach to finishing but the side appreciated the fifty-seven extras.
Devon allowed Somerset to get off to a flyer as they reduced their target by forty-four runs after just four overs – game on. Whittaker introduced seamers James Tyler and Jeacock to slow the flow and they also started taking wickets. The caught Broomhead bowled Tyler combination proved very fruitful removing half the top six. Harry Passenger got involved and took an outstanding catch to remove a famous test captain’s son. Both bowlers were bowling decent lines and lengths which are likely to be very useful assets over the seasons to come. After a somewhat indifferent warm up the fielding was actually catching the eye (as well at the ball) as standards for their time together were set. Outstanding catching in all sorts of positions reflected well on the group and if this is a typical fielding performance the group have the potential to become one of Devon’s best. Two bowlers conceded over six an over whilst Passenger was the most inexpensive giving away just two and a half. Somerset were all out on double Nelson with nineteen balls left. The wickets were shared around Tyler three, Jeacock, Dos Santos and Passenger two each and Rory Medlock one.
