Dragons Slain in Devon

  The first ever Under 12 Devon girls County game was played in the glorious setting of West Buckland School on Saturday 25^th May 2013. Not ones to start slowly the Devon team took on a whole country, Wales! Devon manager, Jan Witheridge, who comes from Pontypool , watched 2 wickets fall in the first five overs. Captain, Daisy Meadowcroft NDCC batted superbly (58 N.O.) and steadied her team after a nervous start. Tabby Vause smashed her way to a quick 44 with some very brave and sometimes risky running at first before becoming the third Devon player bowled by Wales captain Alex Griffiths. The Welsh girls fielding was excellent. Clearly manager and Welsh Ladies player, Claire Thomas’  training sessions involving diving and sliding stops on mats indoors over the winter months paid off,  and the Devon batswomen had to place the ball cleverly to score runs. Rebecca Halliday finished the innings scoring 16 N.O. off 23 balls, given confidence by the calm and mature performance from her captain. Devon finished their 30 over innings on 187 for 4.

  After tea the Devon girls took the field. With the Captain keeping wicket Rose Ball Bideford CC opened the bowling with Rebecca Halliday and Millie Atwell although the bowling was quick and straight, confident batting from Alex Griffiths led to a wise decision to slow the pace of the bowling attack. Helen Jackman, Whitchurch, Kinna Yewdall and Eluned Davies, Filleigh, did just that. Coupled with some outstanding fielding by the whole team, but particularly Min Muir and Tabby Vause, stopping several potential 4’s just short of the boundary. With Captain Meadowcroft behind the stumps only allowing 4 byes in the match, despite batting extremely well the Welsh girls struggled to reach the 150 mark. That said, the first wicket did not fall until Griffiths was given LBW on 69 with the Welsh total on 140. Eluned Davies ( 26-2 off 5) playing on her home school ground at West Buckland took her second wicket A. Harris (31)  in the last over of the game and Wales were 151 for 2 at the end of play.  Paul Dymond, Devon U13 coach and Mark Overton, assisting, father of the Craig and Jamie Overton who are Old Boys of West Buckland, were delighted with the performance of the girls. A great supporting Devonian and Welsh crowd including Martin Webb DYCA enjoyed the glorious sunshine and the high standard of cricket. A wonderful day’s cricket and a fantastic debut for the first Devon Girls U12 side!