Devon Cricket Board - Hancock calls time on Devon captaincy

Hancock calls time on Devon captaincy

DEVON cricket captain Neil Hancock has resigned after two years leading the county side owing to pressures of work.

Hancock, Australian by birth but a resident in the UK for more than 10 years, was the man Devon turned to after Bob Dawson stood down at the end of then 2009 season.

A hard-hitting batsman and lively fast bowler, Hancock appeared for Somerset in the early days of Twenty20 cricket and also featured for the Unicorns in the Clydesdale Bank Pro 40 series in 2010.

Devon won the Minor Counties Championship outright last season, but Hancock wasn’t there when they defeated Cambridgeshire in the final at March Town in early September.

The final is a four-day affair and Hancock couldn’t get the final day off work to play.

Hancock had hoped to play in the first three days and part of the fourth, but Devon would not pick him on that basis.

Bovey Tracey’s Chris Bradley led Devon in Hancock’s absence and is widely expected to take over as skipper for the season ahead. An announcement will be made on Friday.

It is no secret Hancock felt let down by the Devon committee when they decided not to pick him for the final, The only surprise is it has taken him this long to hand in his notice.

Whatever the tensions behind the scenes, Hancock and the county executive aren’t dwelling on them.

Hancock has said he is sad to be going, and Devon’s chief executive Neil Gamble has praised him for his efforts.

“As captain of Devon for the past two years, I have enjoyed the responsibility very much,” said Hancock.

“I have had the privilege of captaining a very talented group of cricketers, who gave me unconditional support and a fantastic team spirit.

These two factors contributed hugely to Devon’s success.

“I would like to record my thanks to my family, my employers, my team-mates and to the many friends who have supported me during my time as captain of my adopted county.

"After two years of leading Devon, which culminated in the outstanding achievement of winning the 2011 Minor Counties’ Championship, Neil Hancock has sadly decided to step down as captain because of family and work commitments.

“The executive committee are grateful for the dedication and commitment Neil has shown both as a player and more recently as county captain during a period of renewed success for the club."

Hancock has said it is unlikely he will feature as a player in future, unlike predecessor Dawson who carried on for two years after he was replaced and finally retired after the win over Cambridgeshire.

Hancock, who will be 36 in April, played for Devon in the C&G Trophy from 1999-2005 and won two man of the match Gold Awards, against Berkshire at Torquay on his debut and Lancashire at Exmouth in 2003.

He became eligible to play in the Minor Counties Championship in 2004 and went on to play in 30 games. Hancock was a member of the side that defeated Buckinghamshire at Exmouth in the 2006 final.

Hancock was a Lord’s winner with Devon in 2008, when his 32-ball half-century contributed to beating Berkshire in the Minor Counties KO Cup final.

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