Devon Dumplings v ANNUAL REPORT

Thursday 01 September 2011 at AGM

P 26 Won 15 Lost 5 Drawn 3 Cancelled/Abandoned 3

   This is my 32nd. and final annual report on the Club’s performances, as I have decided that the time has come for me to retire as Keeper of the Records, a post I took over in 1980 - and what a high note on which to hand over! This season provided the best balance of wins over losses in our history, plus 10, exceeding the plus 9 [ 12-3 ] of 1974, a number of thumping wins over strong opponents, and a deal of exciting cricket, especially batting, mostly from quite new young - some very young - members. 

This last feature, the new young players, owes a great deal to the enthusiastic recruiting methods of Jeffrey Stanyer and his collaborators at various local clubs, and must augur well for our future, provided these young men stay in Devon as they grow up, which often does not happen. The weather, though by no means good, was reasonably kind, with only one match lost in full to rain and one after 13 overs. We began very shakily, losing four of the first eight matches played, all against schools, but after 7 July we were almost invincible, winning 13 games and losing only one more, including defeating all the strong touring sides we have played for many years : Denstone Wanderers, Incogniti, Sou’westers, Somerset Stragglers, Strollers, South Oxfordshire Amateurs and Frogs, adding up to a fine achievement indeed. 

A marked feature of the last few years has been the proliferation of limited-overs matches, not long ago unknown in our cricket : this year every afternoon game was thus limited, usually to 40 overs a side, but all the all-day games remain as “proper cricket”, with just a finishing time and declarations, and as far as I am concerned long may this remain so. 

A notable characteristic of the season was the speed with which we scored our runs, as you will read below: in many games we raced along at a run a ball, and though I have not had time to produce a scoring-rate for the season overall I should not be surprised if we averaged six an over throughout. We recorded six centuries and seven century partnerships, including one double.

 Three batsmen, Callum Still, Chris Kelmere and Richard Ashworth, averaged over 50, and the first two were also among the leading bowlers, Still taking 18 wickets at 10.56 and Kelmere 12 at 24.17. Another pleasing feature was the number of mention in match reports of athletic catching and fielding, not skills often attributed to the Dumplings in recent years.

 All in all, a golden season, of which I hope my successor as Keeper will inspire a continuation in the years to come, when I shall enjoy relaxing, watching a few games and reading the reports instead of being responsible for compiling them. This task has been much eased in recent years by the admirable reports sent to me by Tony Wragg by e-mail and Jeff Stanyer by snail-mail, to both of whom I am greatly obliged, as the Club is, or should be, to the President, Hon. Secretary, match managers, umpires, scorers, groundsmen, caterers and other unsung heroes who work hard to keep our fine old Club flourishing. Long may all this continue!