Devon Cricket Board - C Division - South Devon look upwardly mobile

SOUTH Devon have the look of title favourites about them after some extensive recruiting during the close season.
The big name at Marsh Road this season is former Devon captain Neil Hancock, who was racking up the runs in the Premier Division for Bovey Tracey last season.
Hancock has scored 10,143 Devon League runs in a career that started with Torquay back in 1996 – and taken 657 wickets.
Somerset used the fast-bowling all-rounder in the early days of T20 cricket and his 53 not out off just 26 balls in the 2008 Lord’s final of the MCCA Trophy remains one of the quickest innings ever seen at the game’s HQ.
The Newton Abbot side, founder members of the league in 1972, have slipped from the A to the C Division in successive seasons without winning a game.
Hancock has committed to the club for the next two seasons with the aim of getting them back up the ladder again.
“At this stage of my career it is an exciting challenge,” said the 38 year old.
“The players I have met are keen to start climbing the league and I am keen to help them.”
Hancock’s arrival sparked interest in the club from interested players and resulted in Sean Day and Jon Martin transferring in from Chudleigh.
Neil Maud, a quick bowler who was attached to Alphington, has also signed on.
And former captain Mike Smith is back playing again after a break from the game, which makes South Devon stronger in all departments.
Ali Wright is the new captain, replacing Jonty Parsons who is at university.
Gone from last season are spinner Matt Coult (Exmouth) and batter Aron Owen, who has opted for a third spell with Abbotskerswell.
It will come as no surprise that South Devon are serious about their targets – now and in the future.
“To get out of this division as quickly as possible and back into the A Division within two years,” said Wright.
“If we can keep the side together after that, who knows where we might end up?”
GETTING some early wins on the board is crucial for new Ottery St Mary skipper Lewis Townsend.
This is Ottery’s third season in the C Division. Previously they finished seventh and sixth.
Three wins in the first nine games last season left them well off the pace and not even an improved second half could lift them into the top five.
Townsend, who has taken over from Jody Clements, said: “To do well we have to improve on our starts.
“At one stage last season we were in the bottom two or three and had to get away.
“We play attacking cricket and in Jack Pritchard and Sam Tennant have players who like to do it.
“What we need to progress is an element of consistency we seem to lack.”
Tennant only played a handful of games last season yet still topped 300 runs. Pritchard led the league averages at 67.86 and Townsend made 400-plus himself.
Wickets seem to be the problem and Townsend hopes left-armer Joe Burch may chip in with a few extras this season.
New to Ottery this season is former Torquay all-rounder Mickey Wilkinson, who averaged in the low 30s with the bat in the Premier Division last term.
Wilkinson lives in Exeter and plays hockey with Townsend, who lured him away from the seaside.
Ottery visit South Devon tomorrow.
ALPHINGTON skipper Stuart Shaw intends to make his side’s stay in the C Division as brief as possible following relegation last season.
“We aim to finish in the top two and if I have my full side out we have a good chance,” said Shaw.
“You have to say South Devon look the strongest side in our division given the signings they have made.
“Ipplepen have a decent side and experience has taught me over the years there are plenty of good players at lower division clubs, even if we haven’t seen them for quite a few years.
“We have put a set-up in place with Mike Shepherd as player-coach and Dinesh Raheja back for another season that will help us win matches.
“Consistency is the key, We won’t get up unless we win 13 or 14 matches.”
Shepherd only played a handful of games last season having moved into the area from Dorset, where he previously played for Blandford. Nearly 400 runs in three games showed his pedigree.
Raheja misses the first three games but after that is available all season. He topped 500 runs last term.
James Watson has switched from Clyst St George.
The batting looks stronger with Tom Baxter free of armed forces duties and able to play.
STAYING put is the name of the game for Chagford in the C Division this season, which is not the same things as standing still.
Skipper Derek Lammonby would like to see an improvement on last season’s seventh-place finish and the week-in-week-out battle to stay out of the bottom two.
Promotion though is not on the agenda, at least not yet.
“We need another year for our youngsters to improve a bit more, then we can think about going for promotion,” said the former Exeter all-rounder.
Jack Griffiths, a bowler who bats a bit, has switched from Kenn for the season ahead, which starts against visiting Alphington on Saturday.
Neil Rowlands is back after a year off due to injury, which will strengthen the batting.
Divan Marais, who clouted 829 runs last year, is back for a second season.
Gone from last term is former captain Jeremy Christophers, who has rejoined Bovey Tracey.
TWO sides with promotion ambitions meet at Hazeldown Oval in a South Devon derby to open the season.
Shaldon made it three promotions on the trot last season when they left the D Divison behind.
Ipplepen finished third behind Bideford and Axminster having thrown away their chances in the last month of the season.
Pens want to go one better in 2014 while Shaldon are aiming as high as they can.
“We beat Bideford away going into the second half of the season and should have kicked on after that,” said Pens’ skipper Keith Wakeham.
“Instead we faltered for two or three games and finished up 21 points behind Axminster in second place.
“We want B Division cricket, but it is proving elusive.
“May is going to be a tight month for us due to players putting A-levels and university exams first, but get through that and we will give it our all.”
Pens are much the same as they were last year with the addition of Matt Nicholls, a left-armer who bats. He is studying at Exeter University.
Wakeham also has an overseas player up his sleeve, but hasn’t completed the formalities yet.
“He’s a bowler who has played First Class and T20 A team cricket at home and we hope to welcome him to the club in the near future,” said Wakeham.
Shaldon captain Craig Greenwood isn’t talking up his side’s prospects to much for fear of appearing ‘bolshi’.
“After three successive promotions it would be easy to get carried away,” said Greenwood.
“It is important to show some respect to the level of cricket we have arrived in.
“We would like another promotion and if we can get a good start and a winning run going it might happen.
“But let’s not get ahead of ourselves either.”
Seamus McKenna has been over in Australia honing his game with a club side in Western Australia.
McKenna was the form batter for Shaldon last term – 751 runs at an average of 57.77 – and stayed on song Down Under with a couple of tons.
Danny McKenna, has moved from Torquay to play with his brother this season.
LIKE father like son, so the saying goes especially at Dartington & Totnes.
Harold Stevenson was skipper last season, but has handed over the reins to son Ryan for 2014.
Ryan has been over in Western Australia during the winter, playing for Bustleton and doing pretty well with the ball.
His best returns were seven for 16 against Upper Great SCA and six for 19 against a WA Indigenous XI.
D&Ts new overseas player this season is Jack Marwick, a batter who played at the same club as Stevenson during the winter.