Devon Cricket Board - Anning named player of year at awards evening

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EXMOUTH fast bowler Trevor Anning was named Francis Clark Devon League player of the year when awards were handed out at the competition’s prize-giving evening.

Anning, now in his fifth season with Exmouth, took 36 scalps to help Exmouth claim their first Premier crown since 1999.

After collecting the Bob Bridges Trophy, named in honour of a former Exmouth player and founder chairman of the league, Anning modestly played down the award.

“I think of myself as a steady bowler who keeps it tidy and takes a few wickets,” said Anning.

“I don’t think I have ever taken 40 wickets in a league season for any club I have been with.”

Anning started out as a youngster at Feniton, then moved to Sidmouth where he stayed for five years.

A move to Sandford earned Premier Division wins in 2003 and 2004 under sides skippered by Richard Baggs.

Anning had his best Premier bowling returns so far while playing for Sandford: six for eight against Paignton and six for 22 versus Budleigh Salterton.

“I remember the Paignton game well as Richard Foan scored a ton and then we bowled them out to win,” said Anning.

After Baggs returned to Exmouth it wasn’t long before Anning followed and their fruitful partnership began all over again with an A Division title in 2010.

Anning has been a virtual ever-present in the Devon one and three-day sides for the past decade and at 31 feels he has a few more years left in him yet.

Baggs had already collected the Premier Cup to show off at the club’s annual dinner, however he gripped and grinned with league chairman Stuart Munday one more time for posterity.

On a good night for Exmouth their 2^nd XI was honoured for winning the A Division. Chairman Richard Butler picked up the cup.

Sidmouth 2^nd XI won their Premier Division by two points in a race to the wire with Exeter.

Matt Hewer led the way with the bat, scoring 706 runs at an average of 54.31, with skipper Charlie Dibble leading the wicket-taking effort with 26 at 13.42 each.

Dibble went along to collect the cup that Sidmouth last won in 2010.

Sidmouth were also voted club of the year by umpires, based on markings over the season. The club last won that award in 2007. Groundsman Colin Whitehall went along to collect the award.

Budleigh Salterton had a cup to take home as they were B Division 2^nd XI champions.

Lewdown captain Harry Geering picked up the B Division champion’s trophy.

The club will be playing B Division cricket for the first time next season after winning promotion for the third time in four summers.

Crucial to Lewdown’s success last season was the form of South African batsman Marco Marais, who lashed 1,357 runs at an average of 135.7, including a double hundred against South Devon.

Since returning home Marais has been a regular in the Border T20 and 50-over sides.

Batting support came from Dave Ball (408) and Gary Sizmur (309) while Matt Jordan, Charlie Hughes and Marais chipped in with 64 wickets between them.

Lewdown only lost twice last season – both times to arch rivals Tavistock.

Tavistock’s Rhys Davies was named the Devon League’s young player of the year, following in the footsteps of Chris Read and Mark Lathwell, who both went on to play for England.

Davies burst on to the Minor Counties scene with Devon last season, scoring half-centuries in his first four games, and played for MCC Young Cricketers, Gloucestershire 2nd XI, Glamorgan 2nd XI and Essex 2nd XI during the summer.

Davies is currently playing cricket in Australia and was unable to collect the award, which was picked up on his behalf by Tavistock captain Shaun Daymond.

Heathcoat won the A Division title and sent along secretary Tony McIntyre to collect the cup.

Sandford, runners-up to Heathcoat, were the top-marked club by umpires for the condition of their Creedy Park ground.

Paul Smith, the Sandford secretary, collected a small statuette on behalf of the club.

Clyst Hydon won the D Division at the first attempt following relegation in 2012. Skipper Ian Sutton (below), who was the leading run getter in the division with 805 at an average of 53.67, took home the silverware.

In the 2^nd XI competition there were cups for Halberton, who won the E Division East, and C Division 2^nd XI champions Thorverton.

Thorverton representative James May was back on his feet later in the evening to collect the B Division umpires’ award.

James Ford led Bideford to the C Division title and went along as captain to pick up the champion’s trophy.

Captains are marked by umpires over the season and Ford topped that table as well, which meant another trip back to the prize table.

The presentations took place immediately after the competition’s annual meeting at the Exeter Court Hotel in Kenford.

The young player of the year was Tavistock’s Rhys Davies, with Exmouth in 2012, who is widely rumoured to be joining Exeter in 2014.

The annual meeting portion of the evening largely rubber stamped changes to the committee and minor rule changes.

The new secretary is former ECB staff member Ed Leverton, who replaces Geoff Coish following his retirement last year.

Coish was presented with a cricket bat signed by Aussie fast bowling legend Jeff Thompson and the league’s services to cricket trophy in recognition of his 13 years in the post.

A vote on which balls should be used in Premier and A Division 2^nd XI games had to be re-run after confusion arose over what clubs were voting for – and whether they needed a vote at all!

Proposals to change the way targets are calculated using run-rate in games delayed by rain were shelved for 12 months.