Devon made their third visit to the Thornbury ground, just north of Bristol, for the third time in under a year during the current health crisis. The first two visits had not been too successful so this performance was more encouraging. On one of the better days of the 2021 summer Devon were buoyed by the presence of Sonny Baker whose attitude throughout the game was one of a true professional sportsman. He also set the new under 18 bowling record which in a period dominated by a pandemic was not difficult. The Under 18 competition is in its second year but its first was seriously curtailed by COVID-19.
Ben Privett was invited to lead the side but this would be his last appearance for some time. The home side won the toss and batted. Devon had been invited to put on a performance both individually and collectively and the bowled out their opponents inside forty-four overs. They kept taking wickets as Gloucestershire were reduced to 154-8. Devon did not help themselves as two orthodox catches were put down. It did help that Baker demonstrated why he is now so highly rated. In his first spell he bowled four overs taking two wickets for thirteen runs. Matt Jeacock should have taken two but the second catch was not taken (he had been called in at 9.00pm the previous night and continued to demonstrate what a decent cricketer he is) and Josh Farley removed the dangerous Trotman as Gloucestershire were reduced to 105-4. The fifth wicket fell at 118 and after twenty nine overs the home side were 149- 6 Baker had retuned taking three for 11. After resitance for the last two wickets when Jack Ford removed Brown and Baker took his sixth wicket helped by a stunning catch from Charlie Ward which resulted in a shoulder injury that ruled the fielder out for the season – tragic. Bakers figurers were 8.2-1-24-6 and by a mile the best bowling performance in an under 18 game by a Devonian. This could take years to be broken if at all. Apart from some suspect fielding this was a fine team performance.
Devon would have to reach their highest total of the summer to win and they did! They were 25-2 with Gray holding things together and the third wicket put on seventy-three in ten overs. The captain then started giving the boundary riders some line catching striking three sixes all within close proximity of a fielder. The home captain then designated Charlesworth to field in this area and at his first attempt he caught Privet. Devon had been going along at a good tempo but then eyes lit up and they were back under pressure. Two wickets fell on a hundred with Gray forfeiting a deserved fifty and Walker falling forty-nine runs short of one. Five down for one hundred runs and Devon were apparently really up against it. The sixth and seventh wicket partnerships added forty-six but at the demise of Hurst Devon were sixty-one short with one hundred and twenty balls remaining. Proper cricket was now needed and exceptionally Jack Ford and Baker provided it. A superb match winning partnership of fifty-eight in one ball under sixteen overs. It was a joy to watch as both clearly had game plans and went about the exercise with real coolness. However Gloucestershire put in a short leg and Baker having watch Privitt decided to give him catching practice. He had scored twenty-one off fifty-two had batted like a proper batsman and with Ford had changed the game. Farley needed to block the last fall of the forty-seventh over to allow Ford to straight drive Naish for six to complete one of the most deserved fifties of recent time. The shot was true contempt! He had batted for eighty minutes faced seventy balls hit seven fours and a six – brilliant. Elbows and fists were pumped and England had won one nil as the large gathering showed their appreciation to the two sides for a really good game of cricket.
