Devon Dumplings v ANNUAL REPORT

Thursday 18 October 2012 at AGM

P 25 W 11 L 2 D 1 Can/Aban 11

 I am honoured and delighted to be able to present my first report as Keeper of the Records. Honoured as I follow the excellent example left by my predecessor of 32 years, Peter Spencer and delighted as I have survived the year relatively unharmed! Thank you to all those who supported me and cared for me at the Old Blundellian’s match. Oh and well done for winning it despite the interruption.

 Following what I now like to regard as the wonderful weather of last year in which 23 of 26 games were played, we suffered perhaps the wettest summer in a century and played only 15 of 25 matches and one of them was abandoned as a draw in torrential rain! Of the ten cancelled games seven were lost to rain and/or water-logged grounds, one as a touring side were short for their first match, another as neither team could raise a side and the last because of “exams”! Many of the games played were affected by the weather but only the Strollers match was truncated from “all day” to 35 overs a side. The balance of wins over losses was plus 9, which until last year’s plus 10 would have equalled the 1974 record. That must itself have brought about a two year record of plus 196? 

We started with four cancelled games before the opener against Blundell’s School was won well. We drew with Kelly having looked good until the rain ended things early before losing against West Buckland School in a damp low scoring all day match. This was one of those rare occasions when Bradman’s advice of always batting first on winning the toss should perhaps have been ignored. Three wins were followed by only the second loss of the year, this against Denstone Wanderers. Their opener Thomson made a fine hundred off 93 balls to set up their win chasing 202 for victory. We were unbeaten for the last eight games only drawing the one match against Warwickshire Imps who’s last pair clung on limpet like for the final 12 overs to end with 9 down.

 79 players played for Dumplings this year and 48 only played in one match with 12 playing two and another 7 only three matches. There were five centuries, one double century partnership and three century partnerships. The double century was between two players who both made exactly 100 and retired their innings, which is itself unusual in Dumplings cricket. Four bowlers took five wickets in an innings but only five bowled more than 25 overs in the season, three more than 30 overs and just two more than 50 overs. Nobody (including wicket keepers) is recorded as taking more than 3 catches in the season, and there were only two stumpings! Only six players played 5 or more matches with a maximum of nine.

 Despite the rain this was a successful and enjoyable season with some really good performances by Dumplings with bat and ball. We have had sides ranging in age from 14 to over 60 years. The average age of sides has fallen and we have seen a concomitant improvement in the fielding on offer but perhaps some catching practice might be in order.

 I record my thanks to all those without whom the club cannot function and for the unseen work that they do. Match managers arrange teams only to have to call everybody again when there is a last minute abandonment. Some also write reports which I plagiarize here. “Tea” ladies (and gentlemen) have to prepare food for hungry players and officials and deal with the sudden changes with good cheer. The same goes for Scorers and Umpires who miss an abandoned game as much as the players. Groundsmen have to prepare pitches that may not be played on and do all in their power to dry out surfaces to allow matches to start or continue. Captains have to plot and plan, often sacrificing their own batting or bowling to “give everybody a game”. Finally thank you to the 79 players and also to those who were ready to turn out only to be disappointed at the last minute. Hopefully next season will be both dry and great fun.