After a soggy winter, Station Ground was bathed in sunshine for the opening Devon Cricket League weekend as the 2nd XI hosted Upottery at Station Ground. With just ten points separating the teams in last seasons table, a tight affair was anticipated.

Newly appointed skipper Ben Coe lost the toss & the hosts were put into bat. Thors lined up:- A.Daldorph, B.Coe*, N.Taverner, D.Baldock, P.Stirling+, G.Squire, P.Thomas, J.Stirling, S.Tait, O.Coe, E.Coe.

The skipper opened the batting with 2s stalwart Andy Daldorph and Thors made a steady but slow start thanks to a slow pitch, even slower outfield and some controlled Upottery out swing from both ends, taking the score to 21-0 at the end of the powerplay.

With boundaries hard to come by, the attritional start continued with the opening pair reaching 55-0 at drinks.

Daldorph was the first to fall for 33 from 80 balls, feathering James Mitcham off a near yorker-length ball through to the keeper off the toe. Coe followed the next over, caught by Rob Tasker off Matt Frost; 30 from 77 balls and Thors were 69-2.

In at three was Taverner who gave a near chance early on hitting Frost just over Jack Larcombe at mid off, but couldn’t clear him a second time; 74-3 with 15 left.

Baldock and Paul Stirling looked to up the scoring rate, the latter finding the boundary twice before giving catching practice to Tasker at slip to give Frost a third. Squire didn’t last long (1 from 4) either as Mitcham picked up a second; 98-5 with 8 to go.

Baldock went on the charge and started to put some pressure back on the bowlers for the first time in the innings. Running well with debutant Paul Thomas and taking the aerial route to remove any issues with the pace of the outfield, Thors pushed past a third batting point in the 41st over.

Baldock did manage to clear the ropes before holing out to Ben Kidson at long on for a crucial 46 off 48. Jack Stirling & Paul Thomas (12*) negotiated the last 9 balls and Thors finished on 148-6.

It only took Stuart Tait four balls of the second innings to make the breakthrough, Larcombe bowled top of off-stump by a snorter of a leg cutter. Olly Coe partnered Tait from the River End with some lively away movement. Tait had a second in the seventh over, Broom coughing up a drive to Jack Stirling at mid off who gladly caught it after an initial fumble. Upottery 26-2 after seven and the game looking very much in the balance.

Coe made a first bowling change after 12 overs with the score at 54-2, introducing himself and Jack Stirling whilst Mitcham and Kidson set about building a partnership, finding the boundary with more ease than the hosts had done. 99-2 after 21.

Paul Thomas had a two over trundle to no avail whilst Kidson went past 50. Evie Coe replaced Stirling and bowled a tight first over of flighted leggies.

Andy Daldorph was introduced to try and break the partnership at 117-2 after 25 overs; but the game was over just 15 balls later, with ten coming off his first over, 12 off Coe’s next and Mitcham sealing it with a couple of boundaries with 17 and a half overs to spare. Credit must go to Ben Kidson (61 from 81) and James Mitcham (54 from 56) for seeing Upottery home with ease.

Scorecard

League Table

Thanks to Paul Jordan & Keith Cudby and James Meredith for scoring. Next up for the 2s is the long trip to Barnstaple & Pilton on Saturday.

With Thorverton entering a 3rd XI into the Devon League for the first time in six seasons, we sat down with James Meredith to preview the season.

A great deal of optimism at the club surrounding the reintroduction of the thirds, how excited are you to get going?

Very excited to get the season underway. It’s been in the development plan for a couple of years, so it’s great see it come to fruition. We’ve got some enthusiastic juniors & adults, so it’s great we can provide more cricket for all.

How confident are you that we can meet the challenges of getting three sides out each Saturday?

I’m quite confident we’ll be able to turn three sides out, some weeks will be tricky but we’ll manage it. The re-introduction of the third team has resulted in some helpful recruitment over the winter with new & returning players. We’ve also got a healthy pool of junior players & some of the ladies softball team are keen to try hardball. I’ve also got a handful of people I know I can call on when we’re short so they’ll be essential when a lot are unavailable.

How important is it to have a home ground as good as Clyst Hydon’s?

It’s great we’ve secured that agreement. Any third team in the area would love to have it as their home ground. Clyst Hydon don’t just let it to any club, which says a lot about our own. They’ve got the full set up & take great pride in the ground, so we should get some decent wickets & good cricket there. Plus it’s not too far from Thorverton. It makes it an ideal proving ground for our juniors to learn & experience all aspects of open age cricket in my opinion.

What are the goals for the season?

Win a few games & ideally finish about mid table.

The main goal is to have an environment where everyone is enjoying their cricket. Sounds cliché, but I think that is vital to ensure come the end of the season we have juniors who have improved and feel more confident so they can progress up the teams.

Are there any players you’re expecting big things of this season?

Similar to what Benny said, Olly Coe is looking good pre-season so I’d be delighted to have him in the side but he’ll be pushing for 2s. Another one looking good is Chris Winzer with the bat, he could score some runs in the 3s.

The club as a whole seems to be in a really good place at the moment, what do you want to see continue and where could we improve?

That’s a great question. We’re where we are thanks to all the hard work that people put in behind the scenes, so that’s got to continue. The atmosphere that everyone has helped create is something I’d love to keep going, there aren’t many clubs with a vibe like ours.

Our connection to local community is getting stronger & we need to continue to improve that with the pavilion project. We also still need more volunteers, especially with the expansion to three teams. Even if it’s just helping out with one game or painting a fence, it all helps.

If you could make one rule change in cricket, what would it be?

In Devon, the run rate rule for interruptions is a pain if you’re on the wrong side of it. Change that to use a DLS app.

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The 3rd XI take to the field for the first time in 6 seasons on Saturday, taking on Culmstock 2nd XI at Clyst Hydon’s Merryfield ground.

Ahead of the 2024 league season we sat down with newly appointed 2nd XI captain Benny Coe to preview the 2024 D Division East season.

A fourth place finish for the 2s last year following promotion in 2022 – what do you see as the aims for the 2nd XI this year?

Last year was a really successful season for the 2s and it will take some big performances to match it this year. With good availability and hard work I think we should be confident against any opposition. I’m looking forward to getting going and seeing what the season brings.

Who are you expecting to step up to the mark this season and which youngsters are you expecting to see more of in the 2s?

I’m hoping Andy Daldorph continues his fine form with the bat and Dave Baldock makes some big scores. I’m looking forward to giving Henry Squire and Jack Baker lots of opportunities and am expecting them to start challenging for spots in the 1s. Olly Coe has had a good pre season and will be in the mix for more regular 2s cricket.

How important is a good start after some player departures over the winter?

Starting well always helps and builds confidence especially after losing an established player like John Farley. But if we can create an enjoyable atmosphere and work hard for each other I’m sure the results will follow.

Do you think the reintroduction of the 3rd XI will significantly help the 2s with those on the fringes getting more regular cricket?

Absolutely, there are a number of Juniors who will benefit from regular Saturday Cricket and I expect them to be key to the 2s moving forward. Equally offering cricket to those that want to play is fantastic. It will be a challenge to get three teams out each week so the support of all the members will be vital.

The club as a whole seems to be in a really good place at the moment, what do you want to see continue and where could we improve?

The atmosphere at the club is fantastic, so would definitely like that to continue. Part of my role as captain of the 2s is to prepare players to support the 1s. I think to do this we need to take our preparation for games a little more seriously, introducing a team warmup will be the first step.

If you could make one rule change in cricket, what would it be?

Good question, all teams should provide teas!

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The 2s start their season at home to Upottery 1st XI on Saturday 4th May from 1pm.

Despite the best efforts of the weather, the 1st XI made the short trip to Knightshayes to take on Premier Division Tiverton Heathcoat in a 40 over pre season fixture.

The bowler heavy side was as follows; D.Robbins, B.Coe, B.Coetzee, H.Choules+, D.Baldock, G.Daldorph, B.Slaviero, A.Jopling, J.Broom, J.Choules*, O.Coe.

After winning the toss, Choules unsurprisingly elected to bowl in the grey and damp conditions. Slaviero & Daldorph opened up showing very little rustiness, causing instant problems for the Heathcoat top order.

It was Slaviero that struck first, removing the opposition skipper for 0 with thanks to Coetzee’s safe hands in the covers which would have removed any of the South African’s nerves on his debut.

Not to be outdone, Daldorph snicked off the other opener, safely caught by H. Choules. With the hosts 2 down in the first powerplay, Choules opted for an early bowling change as Broom and Jopling were introduced and both also struck early. Drew hit a maximum over square leg but Jopling had his man a few balls later whilst Broom ensured Chilcott and Dixon missed straight ones. Jopling picked up his second when he bowled opposition keeper, Reed, for 1.

With the hosts 33-6 from 16 overs, the bowling was changed again as the skipper introduced himself and youngster Olly Coe. The hosts began a useful rebuild from here and at the halfway point the score reached 45-6.

After the pair bowled 5 wicketless overs apiece, the 7th and 8th bowlers of the day were brought on in Robbins and Coetzee.

Heathcoat attempted to increase the rate going into the latter overs but wickets began to tumble again once Robbins bowled Stoneman for a useful 21. Coetzee removed top scorer Parkinson for 32 thanks to a sharp take down the leg side by Harry Choules.

Coetzee and Slaviero took the final 2 Heathcoat wickets as the hosts ended on 111AO.

Robbins and Coe began the chase as openers Drew and Hancock tried to make things difficult. However the pair battled to see off the openers, the latter of which has experience playing for the county.

Coe went soon after though for a patient 10 from 50 balls with the score on 26. Coetzee hung around for a few overs without scoring until he was unfortunate to find the fielder attempting to dispatch a long hop. Robbins kept the score moving along but H. Choules also fell LBW for 0.

41-3 became 45-4 when top scorer Robbins was caught for 30 and the bowling heavy Thors line up found themselves in some bother. Baldock relieved some pressure by striking 15 but when he and Daldorph went with the total only on 58 the writing seemed to be on the wall.

The tail had other ideas though as Slaviero & Jopling brought the score to 69 before Jops was caught. The next partnership proved to be the most vital as Broom and Slaviero took the game to Heathcoat by running hard and dispatching any loose balls. Most notably Broom found the longest boundary when he dispatched a full toss for 6.

Unfortunately the pair couldn’t finish the job as Hancock was reintroduced into the attack, cleaning up Slaviero who had made a very helpful 17.

With Thors needing 12 more and Heathcoat needing 2 wickets it was time for the skipper to join Broom. The duo rotated the strike a few times before we saw one of the more bizarre incidents we are likely to witness this season. Hancock cleaned Broom up but clipped the non-strikers end stumps as he bowled meaning it was a no ball. He bowled Broom again on the free hit but Thorverton still managed to take a single.

The target was now within one strike which Broom surely would have been eyeing up. However, Hancock did the work for Thorverton by spraying 5 wides down the leg side – an anticlimactic end given the previous drama.

Scorecard

A useful pre season run out ends in a 2 wicket win for Thors who travel to Bradninch on Tuesday for one more run out before the Devon League commences.

Ahead of his fourth season as 1st XI skipper and a third successive A Division campaign, we sat down with Jake Choules to preview the 2024 season.

How are you feeling about the season? What are the goals for the 1st XI this term?

The season seems to have crept up on us and with this weather, it doesn’t feel like we’re only a week or so away. I am looking forward to it as ever though and hope everybody else is too.

In terms of goals, we want to continue as a sustainable A Division team but we have finished 6th and 5th in the last 2 seasons, so it would be great to keep improving and push towards the top half this time around.

With a few departures and only the addition of Brendan Coetzee as overseas player to the squad, how confident are you of achieving that? Is there anyone we can expect to see more of in the 1st XI this season?

I don’t think the squad is too different to how we finished the end of last season so with good availability I think it will be achievable – that will be the key.

Hoping to get some more appearances out of Bobby Heard, Luke Vukusic & Sam Jefferson this year who will hopefully be around towards the start of the year. Plus it would be great to see Henry Squire and Jack Baker continue to push for 1s cricket – the latest additions from the junior conveyor belt.

Runs were hard to come by last year, with the 1st XI making full batting points just once in the 1 run win at Budleigh Salterton. What do you want to see more of from your side?

It was a difficult year for batting with some of the conditions we faced but it’s certainly an area we can improve on.

A bit more consistency (which comes with availability) would help and of course using the full 50 overs. I think last year really taught us what sort of scores we can defend so we can refine our targets a bit more this season.

Who from the squad are you tipping for a big season?

I’m always reluctant to single people out but naturally you’d look to George as last season’s player of the year winner. He’s got a great partnership with Slavs opening up – surely one of the best opening attacks in the county. I’m sure there will be plenty of chances for George to push on with the bat this season too.

Clearly we’re also hopeful that Brendan can hit the ground running as our overseas addition and from what I’ve seen I’m sure he’ll settle in well.

Where do you think the club is at overall from a cricketing point of view? Is there anything you would like to see change?

I think we’re in a great place. When you look at how many clubs are merging whilst meanwhile we are launching a 3rd XI, that can only be a positive. The womens section is also growing every year and it would be great to see a hardball team eventually.

Fingers crossed we keep going in the right direction. A lot of our success comes from the junior section so I’m sure any more willing volunteers would be welcomed by Jimmy and Ben.

Do you feel unprepared for the season as we look set to lose pre-season matches to the continuing wet weather?

If pre season is washed out then it’ll be the same as last season and all teams will be in the same boat so it isn’t a concern really. The attendance at indoor nets was really encouraging and hopefully we’ll be netting outdoors from next week.

We’ve got a tough first game at Plymouth, then two home games so if we can target a couple of wins from the first batch of games then I’d be very pleased.

A tricky draw in the Devon T20 again away against a Premier Division side. Are you looking forward to that one?

Really looking forward to visiting Exmouth again, it’s a great ground and a chance to test ourselves against a top team. Ideal for any spectators as well!

We did really well at Plympton last year, just missing out on finals day, so it would be great for the club if we could go 1 better this time. I see no reason why not!

Either way there will be plenty of opportunities for T20 cricket with the Covid Cup returning as well. We’re still looking for a sponsor to name the competition after as the Covid Cup is a bit outdated now! Get in touch with us if you can help.

Finally, coloured kit was voted down by clubs at the DCL AGM; is this something you would like to see brought in? Are there any other changes you would like to see in the Devon League?

I think it would definitely be beneficial to modernise the league and I’m a big fan of our new coloured tops. (ORDER HERE)

Overall though, it’s a good competition so I wouldn’t say it is broken and needing wholesale changes.

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The Tolchards Devon Cricket League gets underway from Saturday 4th May, with the 1st XI travelling to Mount Wise to take on Plymouth.

Subject to VISA approval, we are delighted to announce the signing of 19 year old South African top order batter Brendan Coetzee as our overseas player for 2024!

Brendan hails from Western Cape and plays his cricket for Paarl CC in the Boland Premier League. He also has UK cricket experience, making 35 appearances during a cricket scholarship at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire in 2022.

Brendan made his debut for Paarl’s 1st XI in November 2023, making 72 with the bat.

As in previous years, Brendan will not only be part of the 1st XI, but he will also be heavily involved in the coaching of our junior section.

Quickfire Questions

Highest Score?

108* off 39 balls

Best Figures?

1-0 from two overs

Best Cricketing Moment?

Winning back to back interschools matches by 1 run.

Worst Cricketing Moment?

Losing North/South semi-finals off the last ball

Favourite Cricket Tea Item?

Coffee Cake

Favourite Song?

Supersonic – Oasis

Favourite Film?

Fight Club

Cricketing Idol?

Joe Root & Virat Kohli

Most used emoji on your phone?

🤝

Other teams played for?

Western Stallions franchise & Paarl Bisons

What attracted you to Thorverton?

The fact that the team has a good team spirit and the social side.

What are you looking forward to most about your stay at the club?

Experiencing the club cricket scene in the UK.

Skipper Jake Choules:-

“Delighted to have signed Brendan who will be a great addition to the club for both for senior and junior set ups. A massive thanks to everybody who helped get it over the line.

Brendan is a hard hitting top order bat with experience playing in the UK which is simialr to our last few overseas players so I’m looking forward to seeing him in action.

All being well with his visa, he should join us for the final pre season game.”

We all really look forward to meeting Brendan and hope he has a successful and enjoyable stay at Thorverton CC

We are sad to report that John Farley has left the club to play for a club in Taunton, closer to his home.

John joined the club in 2007 as a junior and has been an integral part of the club since; being part of the 2nd XI league winning teams of 2013 and 2022. A classic opening batter, John made his senior league debut for the club in 2012 after previously playing league cricket with Kentisbeare alongside his dad, Gary who later joined TCC in 2015.

Play-cricket stats are patchy and unreliable before the 2015 season so John’s record is incomplete, but show that John scored at least 2,700 runs in over 130 league games for the both 1st and 2nd XI, including nine half-centuries. John also scored two centuries, 122 at home against Chudleigh in 2016 and 107* at Alphington in 2017, where he and dad Gary put on an unbroken 203* first wicket partnership in an emphatic 10 wicket win. John also took 40 catches for TCC, occasionally filling in as wicket-keeper for the 2nd XI when required, but was mostly found at point, where he was a more than able catcher.

Everyone at Thorverton CC will miss John’s departure after his many years of loyal service & we hope to see him back at Station Ground very soon.

John follows Billy Wakeley (Bradninch & Kentisbeare) and Jay Porter (Hatherleigh) as departures from TCC this season.

We are going to be having new coloured playing shirts for the 2024 season, but it’s up to you to design them! The shirts will be worn by our senior team in T20 competitions, our women’s soft ball team and also available in junior sizes.

We’re running a competition open to all Thorverton CC members (senior and junior) to design the new kit with the Admiral kit builder website HERE.

The selected winner will have their design made into the new shirt to be worn by our teams and will receive a free shirt in their size! You will need to screenshot your design and submit it via email to seniors@thorvertoncricketclub.com.

The only rules are that the base colours of the kit must be the club colours of navy and red. Apart from that, anything else goes!

The kits will feature our sponsors Keywise Cars, Squire Biggs Law, Mosaic Rwanda & Exeter School, plus the CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) logo added to the final design.

The shirts will also need to have space for numbers on the back. Number requests can be submitted upon ordering. Where two people request the same number a draw will be made.

The winner will be chosen by the committee at our March committee meeting, so all entries must be submitted by Sunday 17th March.

PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.

Join us on Saturday the 23rd March at Thorverton Memorial Hall for our first social event of the season. We will be getting the year off to a fun start with a curry and quiz night so get your team of 4-6 people together to test your knowledge!

The quiz will begin at 19.00 so please arrive from 18.30. The cost is £5 per person for the quiz or £10 which including food. You can pay using cash on the night or in advance on our online store by visiting HERE. 

All welcome whether a club member or not! There will be a prize for the winning team and other games throughout the evening. 

It promises to be a busy weekend for the club which is also Get Set Weekend when we ask volunteers to help prepare the ground for the season and the final adult indoor net is on the Sunday. 

At Thorverton CC we are extremely lucky to have dedicated volunteers who assist in umpiring and scoring of our fixtures.

Due to the addition of a 3rd XI for 2024, we are looking to increase the number of match officials within the club to assist with the increase in fixtures, as we will now require 2 umpires and 3 scorers every Saturday during the Devon Cricket League season.

The club is able to fund the full cost of umpiring and scoring courses with the Devon Association of Cricket Officials (DACO).

The following courses are available

Umpiring Course - Saturday 16th March 9am-3pm – Devon Cricket Centre (Exeter)

Umpiring Course (female only) - Saturday 23rd March 9am-3pm – Devon Cricket Centre (Exeter)

Scoring Workshop – Wednesday 10th April 6pm-9pm – Exeter Cricket Club

If you would be in a position to help with umpiring or scoring, or would like to get involved in one of the umpiring courses or scoring workshop, please do get in touch by e-mailing seniors@thorvertoncricketclub.com.