MATT Heather embarks on his second stint as Chudleigh captain conscious that a difficult season could lie ahead.
Heather is back at the helm following the departure of former captain Adam Kent to Bovey Tracey after two seasons in charge.
Bowler Ben Holmes has gone with batter Kent to Bovey – and Alex Haywood has flip-flopped back to Exeter.
On the plus side Chris Chaloner has re-joined after a two-year stint with Cornwood and former Bude player Shaun Whitefield has moved into the area. Neither played regular cricket last season.
Overseas assistance will be provided by Manroz Bhullar, a top-order batsmen from Australia who plays for North West Sydney in the Sydney Shires Competition.
Manroz arrived in time for a warm-up trip to Tavistock on Saturday and was 24 not out in a practice match that Chudleigh won.
Said Heather: “Having lost Adam Kent and Ben Holmes to Bovey as well as Alex Haywood to Exeter, we are in a bit of a re-build this season.
“Given our player changes over the winter we are well aware we will have to play consistently strong cricket over the course of the season to finish where we would like to.
“We will definitely give it our all.”
Chudleigh are at home to Cullompton this Saturday.
STOKE Gabriel return to the Tolchards DCL B Division with an away game against Bovey Tracey 2nd XI.
The last time Stoke were in the B Division was way back in 2014, when they finished bottom after two seasons at that level.
Stoke saw off competition from Ivybridge and Brixham to scramble out of the C Division West last term. They were 42 points clear of Brixham in the final table, having won nine on the trot on the way there.
Jake Robinson, the promotion-winning captain, is under no illusions that the B Division will be a harder proposition.
“We are all really looking forward to some tougher games and our focus is going to be consistency on the field,” he said.
“We have a set team, a strong squad and will, of course, be looking to win as many games as possible and see how it goes.”
Justin Pringle has returned from South Africa for a second season. His 782 runs and 20 league wickets helped the promotion push.
“Hopefully we will see him rack-up even more runs at a better standard,” said Robinson.
A significant signing, or should that be re-signing, for Stoke is that of all-rounder Mike Smith.
Smith, 44, has had two spells with South Devon either side of a stint with Barton, mostly at A Division level.
Smith started out with Stoke Gabriel as a teenager and Robinson is delighted to have him back in the autumn of his career.
“Mike is going to give us a lot of with the bat and ball and is filling a gap that we were missing last year,” said Robinson. “He also brings a lot of experience, both on and off the field.”
TEIGNMOUTH & Shaldon get their first taste of B Division cricket this Saturday when they make the short trip to Ipplepen.
Last season’s C Division West champions, who topped the table by 27 points from Uplyme, have never operated so far up the Tolchards DCL since joining it in 2006.
Close-season comings and goings have been few and far between at the Hazeldown Oval with skipper Carl Woolnough working hard to keep his promotion-winning squad intact.
The only notable departure is keeper-batsman Brendan Streather, who has departed for Exmouth, with whom he was linked this time last year before plumping for T&S instead.
Woolnough, a Royal Navy colleague of Streather’s said he was sad to lose a player who averaged nearly 40 with the bat, but he could understand why.
“We didn’t see as much of Brendan last year as I had hoped due to work commitments, but he’s a great lad and should be playing at that level,” said Woolnough.
“Brendan went the right way about it, with respect to myself and the club, which is nice to have, and I wish him all the best.”
Ruben Minnaar is back at Hazeldown for a fourth season, looking to add to the 75 wickets and 1,931 league runs next to his name.
Said Woolnough: “Ruben has become a piece of the furniture now, hoping he can bring his all-round game and form to the B Division and get us started.”
Ally Cliffe, ex-of Saffron Walden in the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Premier League, was a new signing in 2023 averaged nearly 30 when he played, which was in fewer than half the games.
“Ally is settled in Teignmouth now and we hope to see a lot more of him,” said the skipper.
Woolnough said “big things” are expected from Jawad Shirzhad who has added a lot more consistency to his undoubted raw pace.
Consolidation is Woolnough’s first priority for the season ahead, but he can also envisage more than just surviving.
Bridestowe and Plymstock did not linger long after promotion from the C to the B Division – they both went up last season – and who is to say T&S cannot emulate them?
“There is certainly room to go again if we believe in ourselves and continue to back the way we play,” said Woolnough.
