Summer Sports - Cricket
“The motive for Miss Hillard’s kindness is not known,” began Tony, “but the date is accurate, as the story was related to me by my grandfather, William Elliott, who was one of the original team members.” After seven years of playing at Marystowe, in 1905, the club moved to Farmer Widdicombe’s field at Berry Meadow which remained the club’s home for the next twenty-five years. “Various ground moves followed,”
continued Tony, “before the club settled at our current Two Mile Oak home at the end of the 1975 season, courtesy of the landowner Bernard Mills. Throughout that winter, the members built the existing clubhouse and prepared the cricket square. It was a wonderful achievement in such a short space of time, and Bernard Mills kindly granted the club a lease - a security that had taken seventy-five years to achieve.” In 1979, Bernard Mills died and the
freehold of the Two Mile Oak ground was offered to the club for £7,000. Tony, along
with then members David Wheeleker and Alistair Rooth, coordinated the raising of the necessary funds. Grants were obtained from various sources and, with large donations from villagers, plus various other fund raising activities, the club realised the money within just eight weeks. “Our future was secure,” says Tony proudly.
“In 1983, the club members voted to join the Devon League, and this was probably the most important decision we ever made, other than buying the ground,” he says. The club now run four senior teams and a
plethora of junior and youth teams. The 1st XI play in the Devon Cricket League A Division, the 2nd XI in B division and the 3rd XI in the league’s E Division. There is also a Sunday XI who play in the South Devon League. Youth teams are provided for Colts, U10, U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19, all of whom play in the South Devon Youth Cricket League.
Such a depth of teams is laudable for a
village cricket team and you can almost touch the passion that Tony exudes. In his typically enthusiastic manner, he
went on to explain how the club manages to raise the funds needed to maintain the teams and the ground. “We organise regular car boot sales at the ground, at least three a season, and this generates a fair sum of money each year. We have to make sure they do not damage the outfield though,” he says with a smile. “In recent years, we’ve been successful in gaining funds from the Landfill Communities Fund via Viridor Credit, who provided the club with £20,000 to help buy our new John Deere tractor, Dennis mower and Poweroll.” “Other funds are secured by regular fund
raising events, bar takings and selling sponsorship boards, all of which keep the club running on a day to day basis. We do not pay players and simply pride ourselves on developing local talent and bringing them on through the junior and senior sides.” Whilst the grounds have been tended for
“
In 1983, the club members voted to join the Devon League, and this was probably the most important decision we ever made, other than buying the ground
PC JUNE/JULY 2014 I 87
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156