North Devon CC celebrates 200-year anniversary

North Devon Cricket Club ended the summer with a magnificent celebrations of 200 years of cricket at Instow.
A match involving Colts, adults and NDCC Legends was played in glorious sunshine, with international stars Jamie and Craig Overton presenting prizes and medals to the Colts.
A wonderful day of celebration for the club opened with recognition for Ruby Davis (NDCC Tarka and men’s team player) at the Devon County Player Awards on Friday, and followed by a great Sunday for Tarka Ladies North Devon.
At the Devon Women’s and Girls Cricket awards held at Sandford, Lauren Bowden Tarka Captain was the winner of the Inspired to Play Award. Jan Witheridge was runner up in the Leading the Way Volunteer Award and Gee Lilii was voted the Player’s Player in the Devon Women’s Cricket League.
Cricket in North Devon began in 1823, less than a decade after the Battle of Waterloo, and has produced Ashes winners in Craig Overton for England and Chris Rogers for Australia, plus legendary umpire David Shepherd.
The cricket season may have ended on the pitch, but the talking off it is far from over as the Devon League grapples with an awkward dispute over promotion and relegation.
As things stand, the League is trying to enforce English Cricket Board 'rules' which insist that all Premier Division clubs must run functioning Youth sections.
Neither Kilmington nor Torquay, who finished second and third behind champions Exeter in the 'A' Division this season, have Colts sides.
East Devon side Kilmington are appealing against the decision, arguing that Premier clubs have been given until next summer to meet the 'Colts' criteria.
The League have yet to issue a public statement, but two of the possible alternatives are promotion for Hatherleigh, who finished a distant fourth in 'A', or a reprieve for Bovey Tracey, who were one-from-bottom in the Premier.
Neither of those clubs, who do run Colts sections, are believed to be lobbying along those lines.