The Dumplings arrived for the game at the Valley of the Rocks on a windy but  dry day in North Devon with many of the team having made the long trip up. The skipper, Harry Kandampully, lost the toss and SOA elected to field. The Dumplings only had 10 so SOA kindly loaned a player for the day. 

Eddie Steele and Lewis Hammett opened the batting for the Dumplings but Steele hit the very first ball of the day straight to cover (0-1). Some tight bowling by the opening bowlers Capel (20-2) and Basford (26-1), left the Dumplings on 7-2 when Bradley Causey (1) chipped to cover. Hamett (19*) and Buckingham (6) managed a minor recovery until the latter hit a full toss straight to the sweeper on the square leg boundary (27-3). Kandampully then joined Hammett and took advantage of a change of bowlers until Hammett (36) fell, leaving the score 63-4. The thirteen-year-old debutant Albie Bradley joined Kandampully and saw the Dumplings to drinks with the score on 99. 

Kandampully (30) fell in the over after drinks to another full toss making the score 100-5. Kiran Sakhamuri  joined Bradley (17*) batting solidly to get to 139 before Sakhamuri (8), in trying to accelerate the score, was caught at mid-on (139-6). Alex James came to the crease to join Bradley (44*), with the latter taking responsibility for the scoring. He was eventually caught on the boundary (163-7). Bradley batted beautifully for his 59, particularly given his age, defending the good balls and putting away the bad balls. His progress in the coming years will be well worth following. 

James (32) then played a useful finisher’s knock and got us up to 193, with the help of Joe Poustie (3), before falling in the last over (199-9). Colin Allen our SOA loan, had to deal with a long barrage of slips and skillfully found a gap in them to hit the last ball of the innings for 4, to leave a total of 203-9 from 40 overs. 

 Alex James (1-28) and Giles Bashford (0-30) opened the bowling, against the aggressive Hussain and the more circumspect Edwards. Both bowlers bowled a touch too short and Hussain capitalised. James finally got the breakthrough wicket of Hussain (28) with the score 30-1. Green came in and took over from Hussain racing the score along. Another breakthrough was needed to control the run rate, which saw the off-spin of Buckingham (1-54) and the medium pace of Bradley (1-14). Buckingham had Edwards caught and bowled with a flighted delivery (62-2). Flores then joined Green, both scoring at a run a ball as Green reached his half-century before Flores (23).  He then edged Bradley’s controlled swing bowling to Steele behind the stumps - 169-4. 

The guile of SOA loanee Colin Allen (1-27) and youngster Joe Poustie (1-33) were then tried. The big-hitting Kulkarni took a liking to Poustie’s bowling hitting him for 4 sixes, but all credit to the youngster who kept tossing it up until Kulkarni (38) was caught on the boundary to a good catch by James (186-5, Green 71*). Cobham joined Green. A defensive tactic against Green involved trying to bowl as many balls at Cobham as possible. Cobham (7) fell LBW to Allen leaving the score 186-5. Crouch and Green knocked off the remaining runs comfortably with Crouch hitting the last ball for 6. Green was left not-out on 91, which, considering the pitch, was a fantastic match-winning innings. 

Thanks to SOA for a most enjoyable game played in a great spirit. A special thank you to the groundsman, umpires and scorers. Also a huge thank you to Wendy Hardy who always does so much to help the match managers. 

DD: 203 for 9  (40 overs) Albie Bradley 59, Lewis Hammett 36, Alex James 32,- James Florey 3-31, Andrew Capel 2-20.

 SOA:  206 for 5  (35.2 overs) Stephen Green 91*, Swapnil Kulkarni 38, Shiraz Husain 28- Albie Bradley 1-14, Colin Allen 1-27, Alex James 1-28. 

 HK