Jim Parker reports on the 2022 season:

It was obvious from the word 'go' that this group of lads were missing one, vital thing. CONFIDENCE.

As a group who had  been virtually all together for the past two to three years they had hardly one a game.

We discussed targets both as a team and as individuals.

They were simple and clear-cut - as a team our aim was to win every game; as individuals we had to turn our 20s and 30s into 50s and our 60s and 70s into centuries with the bat and our two-'fors' into five-'fors' with the ball..

It was also obvious that the team relied on one or two of the more accomplished players to score the runs and take the wickets. Another one of our hugely important goals was for everybody to be playing as a team with everybody taking part and contributing.

Another huge goal? To enjoy playing!

The squad had become used to losing and you could see that during the winter training sessions and first couple of warm-up games. 

But slowly but surely the confidence began to grow. Players were taking more responsibility as a team and were performing in their own right as individuals, not waiting for others to perform and do it for them.

Our first win was against Wiltshire. That was quickly followed by another against Somerset. Could we make it a hat-trick against top-of-the-table Wales?

We got so agonisingly close but let them off the hook when we should have been driving home across the winning line.

It was hugely disappointing but showed how far we had come in such a short space of time.

We beat the Isle of Wight as expected but struggled to recover from the defeat in Wales which could have been game-changing.

But on the plus side, players were developing their own games - big congratulations to Zak Vukusic and Joe Gillett who scored their maiden county tons with Gillett also bagging first Devon five-wicket haul.

Hopefully, by the end of the summer every player knew what his role in the team was. Now, as a new season and trip to South Africa beckons, the secret is to deliver.

To do that, the squad still has work to do, most importantly having CONFIDENCE in their own ability.

PS - A big thanks and round of applause to team coach Lewis Fountain!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Vukusic celebrates his maiden century.The main season began with a warm-up game against Cornwall at Abbotskerswell and what a game it turned out to be for Zach Vukusic!

The visitors were bowled out for 221 in the last of their 40 overs, with Vukusic returning figures of 4-28 from six overs. Matt Whalley also chipped in with 2-33.

Devon got off to the worst possible start, losing openers Tom Rintoul and Jack Martin with just a couple of runs on the board.

There were a couple of mini-partnerships but none substantial, so Vukusic decided to take matters into his own hands. Hitting big booming shots to all corners of the ground, he went on to smash his maiden century for the county. His 102 came from just 55 balls and included 12 fours and five sixes.

Vukusic and Alfie Mason put on almost 60 for the seventh wicket, but other than that it was only Whalley (19) who really troubled the scorers as Devon were skilled out for just 178 in the 31st over.

SCOREBOARD

Cornwall 221 (Vukusic 4-28, Whalley 2-33), Devon 178 (Vukusic 102, Whalley 19).

Cornwall won by 43 runs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

We travelled to Dorchester for our next and final warm-up game against Dorset. It was a game we had a great chance of winning to give the squad some much-needed confidence with the ECB Championship games coming up.

Dorset batted first and were bowled out for 221 after 45 overs. Devon's wickets were shared between Whalley (2-20) Elijah Pyne (2-37) and Luke Thomas (2-44).

Devon's top order failed to fire again. There was some hope when Whalley and Vukusic came together and put on 93 for the fifth wicket. Both went on to score half centuries with Whalley undefeated on 52. But Devon finished just 19 runs short with three wickets still in hand.

SCOREBOARD

Dorset 221 (Whalley 2-20, Pyne 2-37, Thomas 2-44), Devon 202-7(Vukusic 50, Whalley 52no).

Dorset won by 19 runs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Next, we took on Gloucester in our first ECB Championship game at Exmouth. It wasn't the start we were hoping for.

Devon got off to a great start after the visitors opted to bat first, claiming their first scalp with just eight runs on the board.

But Gloucester managed to forge some crucial partnerships and finished on 269-9 from their 45 overs.

Joe Gillett (2-55), Whalley (2-49) and Vukusic (2-34) were the main wicket-takers.

The total was always going to be a tall order.  Rintoul and fellow opener Matt Mattravers put on 37 for the first wicket.

Whalley (25) and Vukuvic (39) put on 54 for the fifth wicket and there was a spirited comeback from tail-enders Alex Shutt (26) and Marco Bell (20) at the end but Devon were eventually dismissed for 203.

SCOREBOARD

Gloucester 269-9 (Gillett 2-55, Whalley 2-49, Vukusic 2-34), Devon 203 (Mattravers 22, Whalley 25, Vukusic 39, Shutt 26, Bell 20).

Gloucester won by 66 runs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Another tough game followed against Berkshire at Topsham.

The fragility of the Devon batting was exposed once again. It was also left to Vukusic to lead the way. He notched up 62 at a run-a-ball and there was some support from Joel Kopparambil lower down the order but the home county's total of 166 was never going to be enough.

Berkshire coasted to victory for the loss of four wickets in the 35th over.

SCOREBOARD

Devon 166 (Vukusic 62), Berkshire 171-4.

Berkshire won by six wickets.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Off to Purton CC, a game with Wiltshire and victory at last!

This time Devon's runs were shared around in a great all-round team performance. 

Mattravers (22), Jack Martin (28), Henry Squire (20), Joe Gillett (36) and Elijah Pyne (21) all contributed to a Devon total of 187-9 from their 45 overs.

Vukusic returned figures of 3-25 from six Gillett (2-19) and Whalley (2-15) also did the damage as the visitors were bowled out for 122 in the 39th over to give Devon a morale-boosting victory.

SCOREBOARD

Devon 187 (Mattravers 22, Martin 28, Squire, 20, Gillett 36, Pyne 21), Wiltshire 122 (Vukusic 3-25, Gillett 2-19, Whalley 2-15).

Devon won by 65 runs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Somerset elected to bat first in our next ECB game at Dartington and it was a decision they were soon living to regret.

Spinners Whalley (3-11 from 8) and Thomas (3-14 from 7) led the way with the ball for Devon with Gillett also finishing with 2-15 as the visitors were bundled out on a challenging track for just 95 in the 33rd over.

Devon got off to a shaky start and were 38-3. But Whalley (17no) and Vukusic (32no) saw the home county home with a game-winning fourth wicket partnership of almost 60. Devon won in the 28th over with seven wickets to spare in a convincing win.

SCOREBOARD

Somerset 95 (Whalley 3-11, Thomas 3-14, Gillett 2-15), Devon 96-3 (Vukusic 32no, Whalley 17no).

Devon won by seven wickets.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The team watch on in Wales.It was off to top-of-the-table Wales and Sudbrook CC next. Could there be a shock in store?

Devon elected to bat first. Opener Martin hit 41 and there were contributions all the way down the batting order - Whalley (34), Squire (29) and Gillett (22) - as the visitors tallied 198-8 from their 45 overs. It could and should have been more.

Gillett tore into Wales with a fantastic spell of quick bowling and finished with figures of 5-30 from his nine overs. Pyne also ended with 2-28.

Devon had the league leaders on the ropes but could not deliver that knockout punch.

Wales were teetering on 97-5 and then 97-6. But they battled over the finishing line with just four balls to go and eight wickets down in a thrilling and frustrating encounter.

Devon had come so close!

SCOREBOARD

Devon 198-8 (Martin 41, Whalley 34, Squire 29, Gillett 22) Wales 202-8 (Gillett 5-30, Pyne 2-28).

Wales won by two wickets.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Next up was a trip to Werrington CC and a championship encounter with Cornwall.

Devon elected to bat but were soon in trouble, losing four early wickets.

Whalley (42) and Vukusic (18) steadied the ship with a 52 fourth-wicket partnership.

Then Henry Squire completed a hard-fought half-century and with Gillett (35) helped steer Devon to a total of 218-8.

Would that be enough? 

Devon had the hosts wobbling on 26-3 with Gillett taking three early wickets.  But an undefeated ton from Cornish opener Haley and a couple of crucial partnerships saw Cornwall eventually ease home in the 42nd over for the loss of just five wickets.

SCOREBOARD

Devon 218-8 (Whalley 42, Squire 55no, Gillett (35). Cornwall 219-5 (Gillett 3-42).

Cornwall won by five wickets.

_______________________________________________________________________________

A tough trip to Hampshire followed.

Their 240-run first-innings total was always going to be a challenge for Devon.

The pick of the bowlers were Whalley and a miserly spell of 4-8 from nine impressive overs and Joel Kopparambil with 3-52 from his nine.

Rintoul (22) and Squire (42) put on 72 for the second wicket in the Devon run chase, but it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

There was a spirited fightback from Gillett (19) and Pyne (29) at the end but Devon finished well short on 188-8.

SCOREBOARD

Hampshire 240 (Whalley 4-8, Kopparambil 3-52). Devon 188-8 (Rintoul 22, Squire 42, Pyne 29).

Hampshire won by 52 runs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

We turned the Hampshire trip into a two-day mini-tour with a game on the Isle of Wight at Newclose CC the day after.

We came away with an expected, yet convincing, win.

Several batters got in and then got themselves out in the Devon total of 234. Rintoul (42), Squire (38), Alfie Mason (38), Mattravers (37) and Harvey Cronkshaw (30) all contributed.

Gillett (3-14) was the main wicket-taker as the Isle of Wight were skittled out for just 108 after 32 overs.

SCOREBOARD

Devon 234-7 (Rintoul 42, Squire 38, Mason 38, Mattravers 37, Cronkshaw 30). Isle of Wight 108 (Gillett 3-14).

Devon won by 126 runs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

A few key players were unavailable for our final championship game of the season which ended in a disappointing defeat at the hands of Dorset at Thorverton CC.

Devon opted to bat first but Rintoul's top score of 18 was about as good as it got as the home county were dismissed for just 112 after a poor batting performance.

Kopparambil took 2-29 but Dorset crossed the finishing line with six wickets in hand and after 34 overs

SCOREBOARD

Devon 112. Dorset 113-4 (Kopparambil 2-29).

Dorset won by six wickets.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Joe Gillett celebrates his maiden century.A planned two-day friendly against Somerset to round off the season was curtailed when day one was washed out.

But nobody was more glad with day two going ahead than Joe Gillett.

He racked up his maiden century for the county with an undefeated 108 which came from 91 balls and included no fewer than 14 fours and four sixes.

Squire also hit another half century and there were also contributions from Vukusic (41) and Pyne (38) in Devon's total of 275-6 declared.

Somerset finished on 177-7 from their 55 overs leaving Devon claiming a moral victory to finish off the season.

SCOREBOARD

First day abandoned.

Second day - Devon 275-6 (Gillett 108no, Squire 55, Vukusic 41,Pyne 38). Somerset 177-5.

Match drawn.

_______________________________________________________________________________

STATISTICS

ECB Championship
Played 9
Won 3
Lost 6
Overall Position 7th

Friendlies

Played 3
Drawn 1
Lost 2
Batting Average
Player Games Inns No Runs HS Avg
Tom Rintoul 10 10 0 112 42 11.20
Matt Mattravers 11 11 0 128 37 11.64
Harvey Cronkshaw 6 6 1 47 30no 9.40
Henry Squire 9 8 1 250 55no 35.71
Matt Whalley 12 12 2 228 52no 22.80
Zak Vukusic 9 9 1 353 102 44.13
Joe Gillett 11 10 1 257 108no 28.56
Elijah Pyne 9 8 2 101 38no 16.83
Alex Shutt 10 6 3 52 26 17.33
Joel Kopparamabil 7 4 0 32 13 8.00
Luke Thomas 11 3 3 5 5no 0.00
Marco Bell 10 5 2 41 20 13.67
Alfie Mason 9 8 2 82 38 13.67
Jack Martin 10 10 0 195 39 11.10
James Talbot 7 5 2 11 6 3.67

The top three batters were Zak Vukusic (44.13), Henry Squire (35.71) and Joe Gillett (28.56).

Bowling Averages
Player Overs Runs Wickets Average
James Talbot 20 133 1 133
Henry Squire 13.2 64 1 64
Matt Whalley 102 275 16 17.19
Zak Vukusic 38.1 199 12 16.58
Joe Gillett 79.2 282 20 14.10
Elijah Pyne 38 200 4 50
Alex Shutt 47.1 231 6 38.50
Joel Kopparambil 34 167 7 23.86
Luke Thomas 60 266 12 22.17
Marco Bell 37.5 185 5 37.00
Alfie Mason 12 88 2 44

Top three bowlers were Joe Gillett (14.10), Zak Vukusic (16.58) and Matt Whalley (17.19).

NEWS