The Under 18 one day home match against Gloucestershire was their first visit to Mount House School in Tavistock and our hosts could not have been more welcoming. It had rained overnight and it had been decided not to play on the original pitch. In overcast conditions, which were the predicted conditions for the day. Taylor Ingham-Hill, making his debut at captain, spun the coin correctly as Gloucestershire lost the toss. Both sides had experienced changes since the game at Thornbury the previous Sunday. The side’s fitness has been a major concern all summer with a number of players experiencing problems and this continued at Mount House with a bowler unable to contribute with the ball. In addition the County were playing at Redruth with two key batters selected to play in Cornwall one batted and the second was given the opportunity of absorbing the atmosphere of the National Counties Competition. We had already decided to look at other batting options and this was the ideal opportunity to look at Ashburton’s Jake Pascoe and keeper batsman Sammy-Broomhead who both made their debuts. Members of the Development Squad provide the eighteens squad with the depth required with the County selecting such young sides and some fixtures clashing. One of our main responsibilities is to ensure overload does not become a problem.
It was a much changed batting line up, which did not help the side’s mission to find the appropriate tempo for the summer. Apart from three partnerships over thirty with a highest of forty-three the batting unfortunately never got going which was not helped by three run outs and five batsmen out caught three trying unsuccessfully to clear the rope. Devon stuck at it and reached one hundred and seventy-one in the forty-ninth over. The game plan had changed as the innings progressed and the side failed by nine runs to reach their final objective. As it was this proved to be insufficient as the visitors reached their target with fifty-eight balls to spare and three wickets in hand. interestingly was the percentage of dot balls, which is a current concern, was not too disimilar 64% by Gloucestershire and 67% by the home side.
In reviewing the game there are obvious areas that Devon have to continue to work on which have all been a problem this summer. The white board spells out a message each game and when the ticks exceed the crosses the game is invariably won. Batters have to bat, thirties although useful very rarely win cricket matches, bowlers have to have the ability, when required to bowl dots and the fielding unit have to take the easier chances and the more difficult ones, although Charlie Ward's brilliant catch the previous Sunday has put the all-rounder out for the summer, and the unit has to be able to squeeze the opposition better. All most certainly attainable providing individuals continue to work at all aspects of the game.
On the plus side Harry Passenger again played a brilliant cameo innings, Lawrence Walker showed his versatility. Josh Farley took three wickets and Jack Ford removed the dangerous Trotman fifth ball. Gloucestershire had been affected by a COVID out break at an Independent school but Oliver Meadows batted through from the sixth ball of the game to give a demonstration of how to do it. He was outstanding scoring 84 off one hundred and eight balls. The next Under 18 game is at a beginning of a week when some players could have the opportunity of playing nine days on the trot so it looks like some common sense will be needed as the side approach their first three day game in a Pandemic.
