RYAN Bougourd made an instant impact for Shaldon Optimists after his surprise transfer from Bovey Tracey.

Two weeks ago Bougourd was playing Premier Division cricket for Bovey Tracey at Sidmouth – and top scoring with 21 in an eight-wicket defeat,

Bougourd dropped down five divisions to rejoin Shaldon – and top scored again with 97 in a 298-run demolition job on South Brent.

Not content with flogging the South Brent bowling to all parts of the ground and out of it, Bougourd then took seven wickets for nine runs to help skittle the Villagers for just 18.

Bougourd, had 15 seasons with Bovey Tracey, during which he won a Devon Cup medal, the Teignbridge T20 and appeared for Devon in one and three-day cricket, most recently in 2014.

Shaldon was Bougourd’s original club – he was in the 1st XI aged 14 – and having made the decision to retire from Premier cricket he decided to ‘go home’.

There is a world of difference between playing at Sidmouth on an historic ground dating back 190 years – and playing on the council-owned recreation ground at South Brent.

Bougourd said he was reinvigorated by the change and didn’t regret it for a moment.

“It was interesting to say the least, but it's the first game of cricket I have enjoyed in more than a year so definitely the right decision,” said Bougourd.

Bougourd may have dropped down the divisions, but he moved up the batting order form his usual tail-ender slot to the heights of number four.

After George Thomas and Todd Ballman had been dismissed cheaply, Bougourd and Karl Blackburn (84) put on 165 for the third wicket.

Getting Bougourd out didn’t slow things down as Mark Couch (60no) and Jamie Day (41) kept the runs coming.

South Brent quickly slumped to six for five in reply – Ross Abraham (3-8) among the wickets – then lost their last five men for two runs.

Eighteen all-out isn’t a record low for the division though as the now-defunct Cricketers CC fared far worse away to Chelston in 1997.

Cricketers were bowled out for 11 at Cockington in 1997. The west-Devon side had 11 players, but three of them went into the village to buy an ice-cream after getting out early and by the time they returned Chelston had knocked off the necessary runs against eight fielders.

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