Flashback to a previous visit by Somerset to South Devon when Chris Gayle (pictured) delighted the crowd with an impromptu display of big hitting<br>credit: Tony Knowles

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

SOMERSET’S all-time leading wicket taker in Twenty20 cricket is taking a team to Newton Abbot this summer as part of his testimonial season programme.

Max Waller, who has been playing for Somerset since 2009, has taken 139 wickets in the shortest format of the game. No one – past or present – has taken more.

South Devon CC in Newton Abbot will be hosting yet another Twenty20 game against Somerset on Thursday, June 15 as part of the 35-year-old spin bowler’s testimonial season.

Somerset are no strangers to the South Devon club as they have been playing testimonial games there since 1957 when Harold Stephenson was the beneficiary.

More recently the town-centre club has staged successful events as part of the testimonial years for Peter Trego (2015), James Hildreth (2017) and Ashes winner Marcus Trescothick (2018).

Somerset's Max Waller – the county's leading wicket taker in T20 cricketSouth Devon CC made the cricket headlines nationally and internationally after Trego’s testimonial in 2015 when West Indian star Chris Gayle made an unexpected cameo appearance.

A crowd of around 900 saw Gayle, then the number-one ranked Twenty20 player in the world. emerged from a hospitality tent unannounced with a bat in his hand and started belting the bowling all around the ground and out of it.

Ian Shepherd, the South Devon secretary, said the club is excited to be renewing its partnership with Somerset.

“We’ve had tremendous fun hosting Somerset over the last few years and it’s great that Max’s testimonial committee were so eager to include us in their plans for his testimonial season,” said Shepherd.

“Once again we would love for the whole community to get involved and support us, Max’s testimonial and the charities in any way they can. We’ve had incredible support from local businesses for our previous events and would love to get as many involved as possible.”

Prior to the game there will be a lunch in the function room at the club where Waller and his Somerset team-mates will be joining diners and a question-and-answer session is planned.

South Devon CC are also staging a Waller testimonial a Golf Day at Dainton Park Golf Club near Ipplepen on Tuesday, September 12. Somerset players will be taking part.

For more details or either event visit www.southdevoncc.co.uk or e-mail ian@southdevoncc.co.uk