U13 Tour 2021 – Day Two

Match Report

The TCC U13s’ West Country tour continued with two closely-fought but ultimately narrow defeats against a competitive Thorverton side on Tuesday.

The tourists chose to field in the first T20 match, and immediately set an exceptionally high standard in the field, hitting the stumps with no fewer than seven direct hits in the innings. Three of these produced run outs, whilst Monty Boyd and Kit Kingsbury, enjoying a rare chance to bowl as Wilf Edwards took the gloves, also broke through.

Tiddington’s six bowlers all kept good control through the course of the innings, with only the imposing figure of Henry Squire (30*) managing to break the shackles as the hosts posted 98 for 5 from their 20 overs.

The Foxes’ run-chase began brightly, despite a couple of early dismissals, as Oscar McCallum (24) and Sam Edwards (12) helped Tiddington to 60 for 3. However, when both batsmen picked out fielders on the edge of the rung in quick succession, the course of the game changed as the pace of Squire and control of Olly Coe (5 for 8) proved too much for the lower order. A vailiant stand between Kingsbury and Will Evans kept the game alive until the penultimate over, until Coe worked through the Tiddington tail to round out a 14-run win.

The second match of the day was played under the ECB’s experimental 100-ball format, keeping everyone busy on and off the field – not least whilst the scoring table attempted to combine the task of keeping tally with warding off wasps (the final score that mattered: Scorers 1-0 Wasps).

Tiddington made short work of Thorverton’s reversed top order, with Oscar McCallum taking three wickets, but this bright start only served to bring the hosts’ strongest batters back to the crease, and the batting team managed to find the boundary on a regular basis as the touring bowlers struggled a little for control of line and length, ultimately posting 111 for 6 from their 100 balls.

Boyd (14) and Wilf Edwards (17*) gave the Foxes another good start in reply – and with Thorverton keeping their stronger bowlers in the game, the task for the Tiddington middle order was a tough one. Nevertheless, the tourists gave it their all, with Henry Peers, Sam Edwards, Boonie Birch and Harry Taylor all rising to the challenge and keeping the team run-rate high before ultimately perishing for the cause, ending up on exactly 100 for 8.

With heads held high, the tourists made the short trip into Thorverton village to the Exeter Inn, where they enjoyed a superb dinner, polishing off some gigantic local steak burgers and homemade pizzas as they refueled after a long day in the field: with James Peers even devouring a burger that wasn’t far off the size of his head!

The Tiddington boys can all be very proud of their efforts today, with the whole squad involved with both bat and ball during the day, taking on some very capable bowlers who are already playing regular senior cricket and scoring at a run a ball against them. It’s a slightly longer trip next, heading to Kingsbridge for Wednesday’s play before an evening at the seaside.