Devon Cricket Board - Aaron Printers Cup final at South Devon tonight

Aaron Printers Cup final at South Devon tonight

BOVEY Tracey 2nd XI and Babbacombe meet at South Devon tonight (Wednesday) in the shoot-out for the Aaron Printers Cup (6pm).
Although the two sides don’t run into each other on the league circuit, there is plenty of history between some of the combatants involved.
Bovey Tracey know all about Babbacombe player-coach Andy Kingdon – fresh from slamming an unbeaten 155 in the league as he used to be one of their players.
And Babbacombe’s Mike Pugh is a former team-mate of Bovey skipper Jeremy Christophers at Abbotskerswell and also played with Mark Gribble at Torquay.
Christophers is looking forward to seeing Pugh (right) again, but only after the game and with the cup safely stashed away if possible.
“I owe a great deal to Mike Pugh as he got hold of me a Ashburton in the lower divisions and encouraged me to go to Abbots and test myself at a better level,” said Christophers.
“If it had not been for Mike’s encouragement I would not have achieved much of what I did in the game, such as winning a Premier Division title or playing for Devon.”
Christophers confessed he knows very little about Babbacombe other than what he sees in the scorelines.
However, he has worked the old-boys network at former club Chagford to get a bit of extra intelligence.
“Chagford are in the same division as Babbacombe and have passed on a few things to me,” said Christophers, who skippered Chagford to two promotions.
“We know a fair bit about Andy Kingdon and how destructive he can be – and you have to respect players like Mike Pugh and Paul Bates for all they have done over the years.
“I think it will be a close game.”
Opposite number Steve Broad did his intelligence gathering at Bovey’s semi-final win over Abbotskerswell and what he saw impressed him.
Broad said his side will have to step up a level or two if they are going to win the cup for the first time in more than 20 years.
“They looked a good side with some cracking youngsters and very experienced players like Jeremy and Gribbs around them,” said Broad.
“Getting sides out midweek is always a struggle and we might be missing one or two on the night – let’s hope not as we need our best side out.
“We learned a lesson at Plymstock in the Corinthian Cup the other day that as you go up the divisions the standard rises dramatically. In 18 eight-ball overs they murdered us!
“If we play at our best we have a good chance, but anything less won’t do.”

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