Devon Cricket Board - Devon youngsters meet Ausssie legends

Devon youngsters meet Ausssie legends

FORMER Australian Test player Damien Martyn (left from left) visited Plymouth College to say 'hello' to some of the school's budding players.
Martyn, who retired from cricket in 2010, has been in the UK to take part in a charity match organised by Shane Warne and Liz Hurley.
Now a businessman and cricket commentator, he returns to the UK in a few weeks to help commentate on the Ashes for the BBC.
In his career, Martin took part in 67 Tests scoring 4406 runs and 208 ODIs scoring 5346 runs.
During his visit to Plymouth College he watched the U13s play and talked to some of the older players about their development tour to Sri Lanka next month.
'It was fantastic to meet Damien,' said Jon Mears head of cricket at the school.
He was great with the boys and took time to chat to them and pose for photographs. It was a particular boost to the under-13s to have him watch them play.'
Hurley and Warne were organising the game between an Old England XI and an Old Australian XI at Cirencester, the day after Devon under-13s played there against Gloucestershire.
To make sure everything was ready for the match, the celebrity couple dropped in while Devon’s match was in progress – surprising players and spectators alike!
One lucky Devon player, Kazi Szymanski, was off the field at the time as the rotating 12th man and managed to have his picture taken with Aussie spin-bowling legend Warne.
Devon team manager Nigel Ashplant said the star couple didn’t stay too long.
‘Shane was brilliant and signed lots of autographs.
‘I managed to take a picture and then stayed out of the way while they had their photographs taken.
‘Kazi was the lucky one because he was off the field at the time after finishing his bowling spell.
‘Some of the other lads who were fielding didn’t believe they had been there.’
Young Szymanski plays for Chelston in the Devon League F Division on Saturday afternoons, the same club brother Wojciech and uncle Mike Burdett turn out for.
Last season he was the Devon under-12s batsman of the year.

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