Devon Cricket Board - Devon embark on title defence

Devon embark on title defence

DEVON embark on their defence of the Minor Counties title tomorrow with a squad much-changed from the one who won it last year.
When Devon take to the field against Wales at Exmouth tomorrow (11am), three members of the Championship winning 12 have gone for good and a fourth is out of favour.
Former captain Bob Dawson (retired), all-rounder Craig Overton (Somerset) and seamer Scott Barlow (Dorset) have gone for good – as has Dawson’s successor Neil Hancock, who didn’t play against Cambridgeshire in the final due to work commitments.
Pacer Charles Morris, who played on the way to the final but found himself 12th man, has been left out due to lack of wickets.
In come Matt Wood, the former Exmouth and Devon batsman who scored more than 5,000 First Class runs for Somerset and Notts, Bradninch all-rounder Matt Golding and Bovey Tracey seamer Ryan Bougourd.
That’s quite a turnover from one season to another, but one director of cricket Roger Newman is entirely happy with.
Nothing stands still in sport and, thanks to their Devon Lions development set-up, Newman believes a solid system of succession planning is now in place.
Bougourd came to notice through the Lions; winter nets programme and Golding has been part of the process after Newman was tipped off about him by ex-Somerset star Keith Parsons.
Golding has played through the age-groups for Devon and coached by Parsons at the Huish Academy in Somerset.
Devon know all about retaining the Minor Counties title as they won it four years running between 1994-97.
Newman accepts Devon will be a prized scalp this season, but is comfortable about the challenges ahead.
“Thanks to our Devon Lions development programme we are identifying more and more potential Minor Counties players of the future,” said Newman.
“We have depth in our squad and the players to win the title again.”
Wales have been swallowed up by Glamorgan in recent seasons, which has proved to be a mixed blessing at times.
Their sides are generally a mixture of Glamorgan 2nd XI and academy players, which is fine until there is a clash of fixtures.
Glamorgan 2nd XI have a T20 game against Somerset on Monday and one against Warwickshire on Tuesday.
To get a side down out Wales have had to make nine changes to the team which played Dorset in a MCCA Cup game two weeks ago. The side includes three U16s.
Captain Dan Thomas and all-rounder Jon Denning are the two regulars on parade.
Devon: J E Burke (Budleigh), R J Woodman (Taunton), R J Holman (Exeter), D F Lye (Exmouth), M J Wood (Plumtree), J J Bess (Sidmouth), M W Thompson (Torquay), M J Golding (Bradninch), T S Anning (Exmouth), C Bradley, R J Bougourd (both Bovey Tracey). 12th: A Buzza (Exmouth).
Wales: S D Thomas, J S T Denning, H W Powell, S Phillips, N H Davies, C T Lowen, S W Griffiths, C Reed, T Sidford, J Claybrook, J Griffiths. 12th: K Bull.
Umpires: A Hicks, M D Gumbley.

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