PROMOTION from the Tolchards DCL B Division is top of the agenda for Cullompton skipper Brendon Parr up-coming season.
Having finished six points and one place short of a promotion place in 2023, arr knows where he wants to be by the last Saturday in August this year.
“Our aim is to get back into the A Division,” said Parr. “Having just missed out last season, we are aiming for the top two this time.”
Parr has made four close-season captures with Sri Lankan Deshan Dias at the top of the list.
Dias, who will be 32 when the season start in May, is professional cricketer with more than a decade spent playing First Class, List A and Twenty 20 cricket.
During a peripatetic career, has clocked-up more than 3,100 First-Class runs, in excess of 1,110 runs in List A games and 256 in Twenty20 cricket. With an average in all three formats above 25, he is a consistent run scorer.
Milnrow CC, a team from Rochdale, engaged Dias for their campaign in the Greater Manchester Cricket League last season. His stats were 810 runs at an average in the high 50s and 17 snares behind the stumps.
Dias also bowls off-spin and collected 13 bonus wickets for Milnrow.
With Dan King firmly established behind the Cullompton stumps, Parr is likely to ask Dias to supplement the bowling attack.
“With Deshan to bowl off-spin our attack will include seamers, two spinners and a left-armer, which should cover most options,” said Parr.
Also on the way to Cullompton for the summer ahead is much-travelled batsman and occasional left-arm seamer Dinesh Raheja.
Raheja, once with Heathcoat and more recently attached to South Devon, Ivybridge and latterly Dartington & Totnes, has a business-like record batting in the middle divisions of the Tolchards DCL.
And with Akshay Bharadwa also on board – he played mostly for Taunton St Andrews last season – Cullompton have acquired a leg-spin bowler who can also bat.
“With the new additions added to the squad, it's certainly looking like an exciting line-up,” said Parr.
BIDEFORD have added some extra options to their bowling attack for another assault on the Tolchards DCL B Division.
New recruits Joe Hale (ex-Trull), Dan Pettit (ex-Chippenham) and Giles Bashford) ex-Barnstaple & Pilton) are all committed to the Westward Ho! club for the summer ahead.
“All three bowl seamers and will bolster our attack through the season,” said Bideford captain Tom Brend.
Ewan Williams has returned from Australia for a second season as Bideford’s overseas player.
Williams, who captains Traralgon Rovers A Grade side in the Victoria competition, took 30 league wickets at less than 16 runs each last season and averaged mid-20s with the bat.
Ollie Hannam, who was named last season’s DCL young player of the year after lashing four tons on the way to 809 league runs, has spent the UK winter with Williams gaining experience of A Grade cricket.
Highlighft of Hannam’s time with Traralgon Rovers was the century he scored against arch rivals Traralgon West.
Despite Hannam’s exploits with the bat, Bideford finished fourth in the B Division last season.
Can Bideford push for promotion in 2024? Skipper Tom Brend picked is words carefully.
“As always we will be looking to go out and play positive cricket in what will obviously be another strong B Division,” said Brend.
“We had a strong campaign last year, largely down to a couple players, and I know if we all play to our potential it can only get better.”
