HATHERLEIGH skipper Mark Lake wants to see his team develop a steelier edge this season with one eye on a promotion push out of the Tolchards DCL A Division.

Hatherleigh were promotion contenders for much of last season, but lost four on the trot in August and faded from the picture.

Lake’s aim since relegation in 2022 has been to return to the top flight, but they won’t do that if they fail to string wins together.

Said Lake: “Our aspiration for the season is to really cement ourselves as tough team to beat and see where it takes us.

“Promotion is always a target in the back of our minds but we will go out and enjoy our cricket and see what happens.”

Lake said availability was an issue in 2023 and could cause problems again.

However, there are some new additions to the first-team pool that should ease availability problems.

All-rounder Charlie Nielson is back after a season helping Bridestowe earn promotion from the B Division.

“It is great to have Charlie back on board,” said Lake.

Hatherleigh have a new overseas player to replace Zimbabwean Jonny Rapulana, who only managed five league games in 2023 before returning home in a hurry. He was not replaced.

Indian Shreyansh Ghosh, a left-handed batter, is the overseas player for the season and Hatherleigh have done everything they can contractually to ensure he does not go home early.

Ghosh, 29, belatedly made his debut for Bengal last season in the Ranji Trophy. He has played Super Division league cricket for East Bengal CC, Barisha SC and Kalighat Club, for whom he averaged more than 70 in the side that won the title in 2023.

Ghosh signed in for Hatherleigh with a bright-and-breezy 41 off 34 balls in an eight-wicket warm-up win over the University of Exeter.

“He will bat in the top three for us and can chuck out some leggies which, I am sure, will bag some wickets in the A Division,” said Lake.

Star of the show in the win over the Students was opener Ryan Quick, who batted through for an undefeated century.

Quick and the Presswell twins are promising young players skipper Lake hopes will take ‘centre stage’ in the months ahead.

NORTH Devon’s new skipper Jack Moore has set a prompt return to the Premier Division as the club’s target for the season ahead.

The Instow outfit only won four league games in 2023 and were resigned to relegation long before the final round of fixtures.

North Devon’s farewell to the top flight after 17 consecutive seasons, during which they were champions in 2007 and 2011, was a spirit-lifting six-wicket win over Plympton.

That was also the final game in charge of the team for Tom Popham, who stood down as skipper after five seasons on the tiller.

Moore did not mince his words when asked what his target is for the summer ahead.

“Ultimately, a club like North Devon should be playing Premier cricket, so promotion is the aim,” said Moore.

“We will take it week by week, enjoy our cricket and, hopefully, come September will be celebrating a successful season.”

North Devon’s final-day win over Plympton wasn’t just Popham’s last game for the club, it was also Ben Howe’s farewell appearance.

Howe, whose batting was complemented by his spin bowling, joined North Devon in 2019 after finishing his university studies and landing a job in the area. He has moved to London,.

Howe made 78 first-team appearances for the club, in which he hit 15 half-centuries and a ton against Plympton in 2021, as well as bagging 89 wickets, including a six-for-23 haul at Sidmouth last summer.

Potentially coming back into the Sandhills is early-order batsman Tom Ansell, who was a regular run-getter until the end of the 2018 season when his work took him away from the area.

“We are hopeful Tom will return for a few games,” said Moore.

North Devon did not have the best of luck in the overseas player stakes last season as first-choice Shantanu Mishra only appeared eight times before leaving the club. His stats were eight wickets and a batting average below nine.

Abishek Batra filled the role during the second half of the season, during which he averaged 21 with the bat and took eight wickets at an average just below 40. He departed before the final round of matches.

North Devon’s overseas player for the 2024 season – hopefully for all of it! – is Sri Lankan Roshan Lakmal, who bats and bowls left-arm spin.

Lakmal, 35, is a former professional cricketer, whose previous clubs include Nondescripts CC, Panadura Sports Club, Galle CC and Moors Sports Club under-23s.

More recently he spent six years in Australia playing Victoria Grade cricket for Mackie CC.

NEWLY merged Torquay & Kingskerswell CC have snapped-up South African batsman Mncedisi Malika for this season’s bid to get promoted from the Tolchards DCL A Division.

Malika, 27, plays in all three formats of the game for Border.  Since making his First-Class debut in March 2016, Malika has played 38 matches, and a further 60 in the white-ball game. 

Malika, who is also a qualified coach, will play under the leadership of 19-year-old Harry Passenger who has been appointed 1st XI captain following his return from New Zealand, where he has been playing in Christchurch since Christmas.

Passenger, who has taken over from Harry Baxendale, said: “I am delighted to be appointed as captain and really looking forward to playing enjoyable cricket in our first season as the merged club.”

Although Torquay have been hard hit by departures during the winter, Passenger is confident they have the playing roster to be competitive.

“With the likes of established A Division players such as Harry Baxendale, Chris Kelmere, Jono Colegate, Blaise Baker and Mncedisi, the aim is to push hard for a top-four finish in the division,” he said.

“I have had positive reports saying there are some good players from the former Chelston & Kingskerswell club capable of performing well in the A Division.”

Torquay, who missed out last season when they finished fourth, merged with Kingskerswell during the winter in a move designed to combat declining player numbers in the game.

Tim Western, the cricket manager at the Recreation Ground, said at the time: “By combining resources and efforts, the merged club will be stronger together, able to offer more cricketing opportunities, and most importantly, provide a sustainable future for cricket in the area.”

Torquay 2nd XI will play in in E Division West, captained by Mike Etherington. The 3rd XI, captained by Matt Rossin, will use Kingskerswell cricket ground as their base.

“Matt will be looking to blood some of our talented young colts into senior cricket this season,” said Western.