IN CHARGE: SP&T's new skipper Lewis Hough<br>credit: Conrad Sutcliffe - no re-use without copyright owner's consent

SAMPFORD Peverell & Tiverton will have a new captain in the D Division East next season following Joe Parkinson’s decision to step aside after three years in the job.

The new hand on the tiller belongs to Lewis Hough, who has been with the club for the past four seasons.

Hough inherits a side that was among the front runners for most of last season, but faded on the final furlong and finished fourth behind Alphington & Countess Wear, Uplyme and North Devon 2nd XI. The team also reached the last four of the Corinthian Cup, where they lost to Plymouth 2nd XI.

C Division cricket – and higher – has been SP&T’s aim for a while and Hough has that goal in his sights.

“We really feel we are good enough to go up as on our day there isn’t a better team in our division,” said Hough. 

“We need to start strongly and be more consistent. Every season we seem to lose at least two games in the first four.”

Young keeper-batter Sammy Broomhead is on the move to Premier champions Heathcoat next season. Losing up-and-coming players to sides around them is a fact of life for SP&T captains, in particular when they are students at nearby Blundell’s School.

The other side of the coin is SP&T can recruit players whose chances are limited at clubs higher up the DCL ladder. 

“We are hoping to pick up a couple of new signings and are particularly on the look-out for seam bowlers as we are short in that area,” said Hough.

Tom Lock will be Hough’s new number two.

SHOBROOKE Park’s veteran run-getter Jon James is on his way to Sandford for the 2022 season.

James, 41, first recorded outing for Shobrooke Park was back in 1999 and he has been with the club ever since.

Devon League records are notoriously incomplete prior to 2016 when the Play-Cricket platform became the standard method for recording match results and individual performances.

James full DCL record since 2016 is 2,153 B and C Division runs at an average of 27.27. Bits and pieces in the record prior to 2016 add up to 14 league 50s and three league tons. His best day with the bat was a 2006 knock of 137 against Plymouth Civil Service. Team-mate Andrew Codling made a century in the same game.

James has chipped in with some useful wickets for Shobrooke. His stats since 2016 are 54 league victims at a fraction below 23 runs each. His career best was four wickets for 19 runs in a 2018 derby clash with Thorverton.

James is likely to turn out in second or third-team cricket for Sandford in order to play with sons Jack and Rhys, who have been through the youth system at Creedy Park.

Cricket isn’t James only sporting pursuit. He has had a long career on the hockey field with Isca and, until recently, played rugby for Crediton 3rd XV.