Dan Brierley who has stepped aside as Braunton captain

CALLUM Mitchell will lead Braunton 1st XI in the Tolchards Devon Cricket League C Division East next season.

Mitchell, a graduate of the Kelsey youth teams, will replace Dan Brierley at the 1st XI helm.

Callum Mitchell, who will skipper Braunton in 2020Brierley has had three years in the role, stabilising the club on and off the field, and feels it is time for some fresh thinking.

“I have decided to stand down and, I hope, leave the role in a better place from where I picked it up from,” said Brierley.

“It's been an enjoyable and stressful time, but with the group of lads we currently have and the ones coming, it's looking like we will have a very good squad in both the firsts and seconds next season.”

Brierley took over at a time when the club’s fortunes on and off the field were at a low ebb after three successive battles to avoid relegation.

Off the field the Kelsey clubhouse needed a major refurbishment and a marketing plan to get the facility used and earning money again.

Brierley project managed the clubhouse restoration alongside running the 1stXI.

Brierley’s commitment was honoured by the Devon Cricket Board by their nomination for an ECB OSCA – the Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards.

As Devon’s winner Brierley was shortlisted for the national award, which was handed out during a gala lunch at Lord’s recently.

Although Brierley missed out on the national prize, he met top brass from the ECB and got to chat to England World Cup winner Chris Woakes, who was one of the VIP guests.

NEWTON Tracey have applied to join the Tolchards Devon Cricket League for the 2020 season.

Their application will be voted on at the competition’s annual meeting in Exeter on November 29.