DEVON Under 18s recovered to take four points from their near neighbours Somerset in an excellent opening game at Taunton Vale. SCORECARD AND VIDEO highlights availabe.

The season started in a busy June half-term week for Devon Cricket at Taunton Vale with Devon somehow winning their game with Somerset.

This was the first time that a Devon Under 18 game had been recorded and analysed and the results (available above showed what a really useful initiative this is) Right up until the final stage of the Devon seemed to have blown it but somehow they turned the game around to win by 32 runs.

Joe Du'Gay won the toss and batted and debutant Ciaran Gray lead the way batting through to the thirty-ninth over with his sides score on 159. He was the sixth wicket to fall. He had contributed the side's top score of 68 off 117n balls and had kept the scoreboard ticking over.

In the twenty-ninth over Devon were 92-4 which had been very slow going and Devon were putting themselves under undue pressure. Fortunately the lower middle order got their heads down with stands of 61 and 39 The rest of the top order unfortunately offered little with 2, 3 and 4 not reaching double figures.

The lower middle order started to turn the tide with Lawrence Walker on debut contributing twenty-two off thirty-four, the new Adam Small, who has really developed over the winter, 35 off 26, Ben Privett twenty-five off thirty-two and Jack Ford fifteen off twenty-three tok Devon up to 200.

Sadly Devon lost their way over the final overs and there will have to be a revision on how the side should finish an innings. The final total of 206 was not considered anywhere near enough until Devon started taking wickets!!

Somerset, as is their approach, showed intent from ball one but Devon kept themselves in the game with some good bowling from Ward (2-35) and Presswell, playing his first game at this level, (3-26), Jeacock also on his debut conceding less than three an over and in need of a slip catcher.

Farley and Ford went for under 5s with Ward the only bowler to concede that figure. Devon’s fielding created two run outs and the spirit of the side forced this most unexpected win. A strange but very useful start to the summer. Devon dot balls totalled 184 (62%) and Somerset’s percentage was identical.