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My Devon Years
I left Brandon Tool Hire (Bristol) at the end of March 1983 with nothing more than a dream. That dream was to play
professional cricket with Somerset CCC. I had played a few second X1 games in 1982 and had performed okay, including
a couple of half-centuries v Devon, so I was prepared to take the chance. My parents weren’t happy, my employers
thought I was mad, my friends almost unanimously thought I was, parti cularly as Somerset CCC were yet to off er any
form of contract.
Thirty-fi ve years later I can look back with many memories. Over one hundred fi rst team games for Somerset CCC, playing
alongside many great cricketers including Ian Botham, Viv Richards, Joel Garner, Marti n Crowe, Jimmy Cook and the best
person I ever played with, Steven Waugh. As an opening batsman, I was fortunate (or not) to play in an era of great fast
bowlers, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh, Wayne Daniel (ouch), Sylvester Clarke and
Allan Donald to name a few.
I travelled extensively, playing in Australia and New Zealand and experienced tours to the West Indies and South Africa. I
worked in New Zealand in later years where I was married in Akaroa (stunning place) and my daughter was born overseas in Christchurch, NZ.
I have coached almost throughout the past thirty-fi ve years in many coaching and management roles, notably Somerset CCC, Mid Canterbury Cricket
Associati on (NZ) and Exeter University.
It really has been cricket, cricket, cricket and when all is said and done, I will look back upon my years playing for Devon CCC from 1993-1997 as the
most enjoyable playing ti me of my life. To play alongside a group of cricketers that genuinely shared in each other’s successes was rare and inspiring.
The double winning side of 1994 was the best minor county side I have seen, before or since. The approach was a litt le gung-ho at ti mes, on and off
the fi eld, but it was a lot of fun.
As a coach of teams, a leading aim of mine has been to recreate something similar to that era. It is never easy. As long as the directi on is shared and
everyone ulti mately wants the same thing, there’s a chance. Some people want followers and one leader. The Devon team I played in had many
leaders and many players who were prepared to take responsibility. Successful teams must be like this. There were some disagreements, but for the
right reasons. There was no one hymn that everyone bellowed along to. Players thought for themselves and made decisions based on the needs of
the team. It was a parti cularly special ti me.
There have been other special ti mes and I have learned so much and am sti ll learning. I wouldn’t change a thing, other than ducking into a Wayne
Daniel bouncer perhaps! I’ve met some amazing people and travelled to some fantasti c places. Maybe it would have been nice to have scored a few
more runs, although I’m not sure I could have taken any more wickets! However, when I left Brandon Tool Hire in 1983, if anyone had told me what
the next thirty-fi ve years might look like, I would have said, “that will do nicely, thank you”.
Have a great season wherever you play or coach, but more than anything, keep learning and make sure you enjoy it! And if you can create something
special, embrace it. It won’t happen every year…
Julian Wyatt – Somerset CCC 1983-1989 and Devon CCC 1993-1997