Devon Cricket Board - Arnie's back! Lewdown sign Searle senior

Arnie's back! Lewdown sign Searle senior

LEWDOWN signed big-hitting batsman Alan Searle ahead of the transfer deadline and he is set to play in tomorrow’s derby date with Hatherleigh.
Searle – know universally as Arnie – made his name in the mid-80s with Hatherleigh where his butchery of the bowling was well known.
Devon League record books are notoriously inaccurate and incomplete. However Searle has definitely scored more than 12,000 Devon League runs – and that doesn’t include years where no record is shown, such as 1985, 1989 and 1997, when he was in his prime.
Hatherleigh joined the Devon League in 1984 when third and fourth divisions were added and a youthful Searle average around 35 from 283 runs scored
For more than 20 seasons he was seldom out of the top-10 batsmen in whichever division he was playing in, initially for Hatherleigh but later for Bovey Tracey, Tavistock, Exeter and latterly Chagford.
Three times – 1987 (1039), 1990 (1119) and 1996 (1051) – Searle belted more than a thousand runs in a season for Hatherleigh.
In five summers with Bovey Tracey – 1997-2002 – Searle scored more than 2,500 runs with a best of 731 in his debut season.
A move to Tavistock brought a best yet of 1198 in the 2005 season.
Searle retuned to the Premier Division with Exeter and had a 300-run season in 2007. After that he joined the exodus to Chagford by senior Exeter players where he formed a handy batting partnership with his cousin Colin Mortimore.
Searle never said he was retired, but in recent seasons his appearances have been less and less frequent. He preferred to watch son Billy cracking runs and taking wickets, firstly with Chagford and latterly with Exeter.
Searle junior switched to Lewdown earlier this season – now dad has followed suit.
Lewdown are a bit too close to the bottom than the top of the A Division and skipper Harry Geering is looking for Searle senior to give them a lift.
“Arnie’s experience over all those years can only help us and just bringing in a player of his reputation has given the playing side a lift,” said Geering.
Hatherleigh skipper Mark Lake wants his side to get back to business after a loss at Bradninch and sees lowly Lewdown as there for the taking.
Batters Gareth Tidball and Andy Bennett are back in.
Rob Cockwill has dropped to the 2nd XI and Andy Collier is away for the next month.
“A game I will be disappointed if we don't win,” said Lake.
“But knowing we have to perform a damn sight better than we did last week.
“I will be looking at stringing a run of wins together now!”

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