By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE
HOLDERS Lustleigh have been drawn at home to Stoke Gabriel in the first round of this season’s Brockman Cup competition, which is again sponsored by Valeport.
Lustleigh cruised to victory over Paignton in lasts season’s final, which was played on a sun-drenched Bank Holiday Sunday at Torquay Recreation.
James Fulner battered Paignton’s bowling for an unbeaten 75 as Lustleigh won by six wickets to claim the cup for the seventh time.
Paignton may have lost the final, but remain top of the all-time winners’ list with 10. Next best on eight are Barton, followed by Lustleigh (7) and Abbotskerswell with six.
Paignton go to Abbotskerswell in the first round of the competition.
Teignmouth & Shaldon, like Abbots beaten semi-finalists last summer, are at home to Ashburton in the first round.
Babbacombe, the only club to enter the Brockman Cup since it was first contested in 1933, are at home to Chelston & Kingskerswell.
Valeport, the Totnes-based marine engineering company, continues as competition sponsor for a third year.
A slightly longer association with the competition is held by chairman Tim Chapman, who has now entered his 42ndyear as a committeeman.
Chapman passed 40 years on the committee two years ago, but Covid restrictinos meant colleagues could not honour the landmark in a suitable way.
After last year’s final was done and dusted Chapman was presented with an engraved glass tankard as a thanks-for-everything memento from his committee colleagues.
Chapman is a former Kingskerswell CC chairman and also played for Dawlish & Teignmouth. He remains involved in the playing side of the game as a panel umpire in the Tolchards Devon Cricket League.
The full draw is:
First round: Barton v Bovey Tracey (May 10), South Devon v Torquay (May 10), Lustleigh v Stoke Gabriel (May 10), Babbacombe v Chelston & Kingskerswell (May 10), Stokeinteignhead v Brixham (May 17), Abbotskerswell v Paignton (May 17) and Teignmouth & Shaldon v Ashburton (May 17). Bye: Ipplepen.
Second round: South Devon or Torquay v Ipplepen (May 24), Abbotskerswell or Paignton v Babbacombe v Chelston & Kingskerswell (May 24), Stokeinteignhead or Brixham v Lustleigh or Stoke Gabriel (May 31), Teignmouth & Shaldon or Ashburton v Barton v Bovey Tracey (May 31),
Semi-finals: June 10 and June 13 at Torquay CC. Reserve date: June 16.
Final: July 1 at Torquay CC. Reserve date July 8.
