Devon Cricket Board - Premier Division news and views

PREMIER DIVISION
TORQUAY travel to Exmouth in a positive frame of mind after routing Plymouth, but wary of a backlash from the home team.
Exmouth were comfortable losers to Bradninch in their first game and Torquay skipper Justin Yau knows opposite number Richard Baggs will be looking for a response.
“Exmouth will be looking to bounce back so we are expecting a tough game,” said Yau.
“We had a good start against Plymouth, but that will count for nothing if we don’t produce a performance at the Maer
“As long as we stick to our game plan I am confident we can come away with a positive result.”
Torquay won’t be able to call on Somerset’s Max Waller as his employers have included him in the side playing Durham.
While Yau is looking forward to having Waller from time to time, the early season form of his established players is encouraging.
“The pleasing thing against Plymouth was there were decent performances from so many players in the team,” said Yau.
Exmouth leave out batsman Stuart Rintoul and bring in Max Curtis as an extra all-rounder option.
Captain Richard Baggs had a long list of complaints after the Bradninch game – not batting overs, not bowling straight and not taking catches – but rather than go through them individually said: “We need a big improvement all-round.”

BRADNINCH captain Gary Chappell hopes lessons learned the hard way last season will pay off when his side visit Heathcoat tomorrow,
While Bradninch were beating Exmouth first time out, Heathcoat were cooling their heels as they were rained off at Budleigh Salterton.
Heathcoat only just dodged the drop last season and are labouring under the label of relegation favourites this term.
Chappell has the game on his ‘win list’ but has seen the team come unstuck before and is wary of being too casual.
“Heathcoat have been pinpointed as the whipping boys this season, but I don't see it like that,” said Chappell..
“They still have decent cricketers in their ranks, and I know the Smith brothers well enough to know they are capable of making match-winning innings.
“The pitch is obviously going to be wet and a low scoring affair, and their medium pacers are well suited to such a wicket so it isn't going to be a case of turn up and win,
“We are going to have to work hard, stick to our plans and be professional to get the job done.
“Too many times last season against such an opposition we let complacency slip in and didn't give the opposition the respect they deserved and consequently we slipped up.
“I am happy with the boys at the moment and confident the new approach we are taking this season that we will record our second league win.”
Danny Hardy and Joe Webb return to strengthen an already long batting order.”

NORTH Devon, at home to Budleigh Salterton, will be without skipper Matt Dart and batting all-rounder Rob Gear.
Dan Bowser takes charge of the side with Warren Miller making a 1^st XI comeback to plug one of the gaps in the side.

BOVEY Tracey, whose game against Plymouth has been switched from Mount Wise to the Recreation Ground, name the same side that beat Sanford.
Matt Kidd and Chris Clayton, both regulars last season, missed the Sandford win and cannot get their places back.
“No one did anything droppable to justify being left out,” said Bovey captain Peter Bradley.
“It is a sign of the depth we have at the club these days that a Devon player like Matt Kidd can’t get in the team.”
Bradley said there was little to improve on against Plymouth that time in the middle wouldn’t cure.
“Some of our shot selection against Sandford wasn’t very good, but I put that down to lack of proper match practice because of the bad weather,” said Bradley.

PLYMOUTH captain Callum Whittaker wants his team to stick with all-out attack – even though it cost them the first game of the season.

Last week, the city side – Plymouth's sole representative in the Premier Division – opened the 2012 campaign with a defeat against Torquay.

Whittaker put the defeat partly down to his team's willingness to attack the ball where possible.

But on a Recreation Ground greased by recent heavy rainfall, Plymouth's aggressive posture played into the hands of newly-promoted Torquay's bowlers and fielders.

Whittaker, however, admitted he did not want his players to change their style, which he felt would bring the club success this season.

He said: "Most of our players got out trying to force the issue last week, as the pitch was not conducive to good stroke play.

"We shouldn't really have played, if I'm honest.

"However, I'm not going to get on at the guys because of that – some days that style of play is going to come off and sometimes it isn't. We are a positive batting side and that's going to win games this year."
Sixteen-year-old Ben Stein is called up to replace the unavailable Andy Beckett and will join brother and paceman Sam in the team. Pasi Mawalage comes in for Harry Kandampully.

SIDMOUTH, who run into Sandford at Creedy Park, name the same team that overcame champions North Devon on the first day of the season.
Skipper Will Murray is another who blamed the wet lead up into the season for some forgettable shots on day one, but feels there is one thing Sidmouth must get right in a hurry.
“We bowled 26 wides against North Devon – that’s far too many – and need to bowl in better areas,” said Murray. “Otherwise we are going to be chasing higher totals than necessary.”
Sandford make one change of personnel. Adrian Small is fit again and comes into the early order for Mike Durrand.