Devon Cricket Board - B Division previews

B DIVISION PREVIEWS
THINGS can only get better for Barton who are in uncharted B Division territory for the first time this season.
Barton were Premier Division top dogs throughout the 80s, but recent seasons have seen a gradual decline.
Last season the men from Cricketfield Road didn’t win a match – in fact they haven’t won since early August 2010 – and relegation to the B Division was inevitable.
Skipper Adam Parker remains at the helm and has a clear objective for the season ahead.
“Our main priority is to get out of the B Division as quickly as we can and back into the A Division, where we belong,” said Parker.
Parker knew what was wrong last season, but couldn’t do anything about it.
A year on with some fresh faces and a buzz around the club he is cautiously confident of better times ahead.
“We never bowled well and batted well on the same day, which is why we went down,” said Parker.
“There were times when we got into winning positions, such as Brixham, twice against Shobrooke Park and also Alphington, but couldn’t finish them off.
“Bowling wasn’s a massive problem, but batting was. All of the batters struggled to stay at the crease more than 10 overs. You get nowhere without building an innings.”
Veterans Andy Hele and Shaun Needham are old Barton favourites, who have returned to the club after stints elsewhere.
Hele played more than 50 times for Devon in his heyday while Needham has played Navy and Combined Services cricket, which isn’t for mugs either.
Other new faces include batter Harry Moores (ex-Torquay) and Will Wyatt (Cockington). Batters Greg Shelton and Will Grainger may play a bit more regularly too.
And there is talk of a Sri Lankan player before the season gets much older, although not in time for Saturday’s tussle with Axminster.

CHUDLEIGH skipper Jonny Martin knows where the improvements need to be if his side is going to get out of the B Division this season.
Martin led Chudleigh to third in the table last season – and but for points deductions for a registration error they would have finished second instead of South Devon.
Chudleigh showed they could live with the best, but let themselves down badly against lesser opposition.
“Our main problem was we didn’t score enough runs,” said Martin.
“The worst result we had in four games against either of the top two – Plymstock and South Devon – was a winning draw.
“Yet we lost to Alphington, who went down, and lost twice to Dartington & Totnes, who only just stayed up.
“Despite winning two more games overall than South Devon, we finished behind them. Why? Because we didn’t score enough runs and didn’t get the bonus points.
“If we want to progress in what is going to be a tougher division this season, we need to set out batting sights higher than 140-150 and get among the bonus points.”
Chudleigh have brought in South African all-rounder Divan Marais to what is otherwise a little-changed squad.
Ed Hunt has moved to Beer in East Devon and hooked up with Seaton.

ALPHINGTON, at home to Chudleigh this Saturday, are looking to rebuild following relegation from the A Division last season.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Paul James has taken over as captain and has long-serving Stuart Shaw as his number two.
James is missing for the first game so Shaw steps in to fill a slot he knows well after two prior spells in charge.
Outlining Alphington’s aims for the season, Shaw said: “Our likely starting eleven will have players aged 18 or under and we are realistically looking to finish mid-table.”
New to the Chronicles from last season are Anthony Shepherd, the former skipper of Bangor University who has moved to the area, and Aussie Ben Morris.
Morris, who comes from Melbourne, bats and bowls and will have plenty to do in the absence of reliable Steve Poortman, whose appearances are going to be limited by work commitments.

BARNSTAPLE & Pilton skipper Steve Moore is making no bold predictions going into the new season.
B&P make the short trip to Hatherleigh tomorrow without key all-rounder Ed Yeo, whose cricket plans for the season are uncertain.
Yeo thumped more than 400 runs last season, but has yet to tell Moore when he will getting his bat out.
Jason Degg – a keeper-batter who has played for Yelverton and Plympton – is on board for the season and set to make his debut at Hatherleigh.
Otherwise it is as you were with Moore setting sensible targets.
“We were sixth last year and our aim is mid-table again,” said Moore.
“It looks like a stronger division this season so you have to be realistic.
“New players are always welcome, but we also have young players coming through.
“I would like to see Brady Saunders, Jack and Tom Popham step up more and more this season.”
Hatherleigh’s new skipper Mark Lake hasn’t ruled out another promotion to follow this year’s elevation from the C Division.
“We are feeling very confident of beinh in the shakeup at the top of the B Division,” said Lake.
“We have a new captain in myself and new vice-captain Gareth Tidball after Richard Tidball stood down after leading us to two promotions in three years.
“We will be a very young team, the majorty will be under the age of 25, with a couple of older heads for experience.
“There are no major additions to the squad. Hopefully, we have enough quality to be very competative and the team are looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”

THORVERTON missed out on promotion last season and are determined to go one better this season.
Skipper Ali Fury admits the team is a ‘probably bowler light’ of having a side which will run away with the title in the way Plymstock did last season.,
But with a couple of new signings, and some old favourites back in the camp, Thors look very competitive indeed.
David Baldock has arrived from South Devon and looks the part having hit 99 and 77 in his first two warm-up games.
The overseas help comes from Melbourne-based opening bowler Ben Slaverio, who has been part of the Cricket Superstars talent programme in Australia.
Former captain Gareth Hess is available again on a regular basis – good news all-round for Fury.
And youngster Will Denford is fit to bowl again after a 2011 season plagued by back trouble.
It will be a surprise if Thorverton don’t feature among the candidates to go up, although they can expect competition from Barton, Lewdown and potentially Hatherleigh.
Thorverton entertain new boys Lewdown this Saturday.

LEWDOWN skipper Charlie Hughes isn’t a man to let the grass grow under his feet.
Having masterminded an unbeaten assault on the C Division last summer, Hughes has designs on winning the B Division as well.
“We are in it to win in and having won two successive promotions we will have a go for another,” said Hughes.
“Everyone realises it is another step up again and while we are confident we are not over-confident.
“Our aim as a club is to play at the highest level we can reach and we believe we have a bit further to go yet.”
Hughes didn’t mention it, but Lewdown’s record in the league is impressive.
They have not lost a league game for since 2009 and that summer were only bested three times on the way to third spot in the D Division.
For the past two season Lewdown have benefited from having South African-born buy English qualified seamer Rob Much on the register.
Much has taken 107 wickets at around eight runs each and scored more than 800 runs.
Somerset and Lancashire are both showing an interest in Much, whose British grandparents make him eligible for First Class cricket.

NEW Dartington & Totnes captain Kalon Veale believes it’s realistic to tag his side as promotion contenders despite a humdrum 2011 season.
D&T finished three off the bottom of the table last season, which doesn’t sound great until you examine the figures.
Promoted South Devon (5) won fewer games that D&T (7), but finished 25 points better off, Why? Because they knew how to avoid losing.
“We won more games than quite a few of the teams above us, but didn’t know how to draw a game we were not going to win,” said Veale.
“It was a really close division last season with no side other than Plymstock stringing wins together regularly.
“Had we won two or three more games we would have gone up – and ht number of wins this year would put us near the top.
“If only we can get a bit better at saving games, we could push for promotion.”
Darts have acquired Nathan Caton-Robertson, who was Alphington’s overseas player last term, but are otherwise much as they were.
The good news for D&T is that all-rounder Ryan Stevenson has had a successful winter in Australia playing club cricket and is staying put this season.
Stevenson is a handy golfer and has been offered a scholarship in the United States, which would have ruled him out of cricket for a couple of years.
Harold Stevenson, who was the skipper, will be carrying on as a player.
TAVISTOCK have gone for a new captain in Shaun Daymond in succession to Andy Gauler, who has called it a day after two turns in the job.
Tavvy were only six points off the promotion places last season, so you would expect them to be up among the challengers.
However, Daymond is playing the safety first card for the time being.
“Although we were well placed last season, we only expect to hold our own this year, said Daymond.
“We don’t have an overseas player in place, although we are trying to get one, and we have lost Rhys Davies to Exmouth, which is a blow.
“Rhys can only play in the school holidays, but he scored nearly 300 runs last season and we will miss him.”

While Davies has gone the good news is that previously prolific batsman Dave Manning – who made more than 900 runs in 2009 and 2010 combined – is back on board having missed most of 2011 for family reasons.
And all-rounder Colin Broughton has made the short trip up the road from Yelverton.