The front cover of Devon CCC's 2017 brochure

DEVON County Cricket Club’s annual meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) night is likely to be tinged with sadness following the death of chairman Geoff Evans during the close season.

Devon’s long-term sponsor Ashfords is hosting the meeting at its offices in Grenedier Road, Exeter (6.30pm)

It will be the first meeting for more than 40 years without Evans, who served the county as a player and administrator for 45 years right up to his death last September.

Geoff Evans“His sudden death of a heart attack stunned all at Devon CCC and in Minor Counties cricket,” said Devon’s chief executive Neil Gamble.

‘Geoff possessed much cricketing wisdom, unerringly predicting how games would go and picking out players of potential.

“He had a great sense of humour and much generosity of spirit towards all members of Devon and the other Minor Counties.

“Geoff Evans was a unique and special cricketing man, and as Hamlet says about his late father:

‘He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.’

Former chairman Roger Moylan-Jones, now the county president, has been acting chairman during the winter months and members will be asked to confirm him in that role for the year ahead.

All the other principal officers are likely to remain in post in the absence of any new nominations.

Item eight on the agenda is the appointment of Josh Bess as team captain for 2017. Bess regains the captaincy after two years under the stewardship of Matt Thompson, who has taken on the new role of vice-captain.

Members attending the meeting will be able to pick up a copy of the county club’s 2017 brochure, which focuses on Devon’s home games this summer and includes articles from club personnel.

The brochure – paid for entirely by advertising support was a new venture in 2016 and proved so popular it has been repeated.

The official launch of the new brochure will take place at Sidmouth CC on April 4 as part of a charity quiz evening.Josh Bess

Copies of the brochure will be available to Devon league clubs at the competition’s extra ordinary meeting on April 18 to discuss and decide on proposed changes to composition of divisions.

Members and county supporters will be able to obtain brochures at Devon’s home games during the season ahead.

County members will learn at the annual meeting of a new retention and recruitment initiative designed to boost membership.

“The names of all members will be entered into three free draws in May, June and July, with a prize each time of full hospitality for two for a day at a home county game,” said Gamble.