Seam bowler James Lake, who has switched from Braunton to North Devon for the season ahead<br>credit: Conrad Sutcliffe - no re-use without copyright owner's consent

CONRAD SUTCLIFFE REPORTING

NORTH Devon will have a father-and-son duo skippering their first and second teams next season.

Jack Moore, who is 24, is carrying on as first-team captain with a mission to bounce back after relegation from the Tolchards DCL Premier Division last season.

Dad Steve Moore, who will be 61 in February, has taken on the second-team skipper’s role previously filled by Simon Wright. He literally has decades of captaincy experience with Braunton, Barnstaple & Pilton and Devon over-50s.

During 16 seasons as Braunton captain up to 2002, Moore won the Devon KO Cup in 1991 and steered the team to second place in the Premier Division in 1994. Twelve years captaining Barnstaple & Pilton followed.

Having a dad-and-lad combination skippering at the same club at the same time is unusual, but not unheard of. Barton had father Jim Parker and son Adam in both roles for several seasons.

Moore junior inherited a promotion-winning team from Tom Popham at the start of the summer, but quickly realised getting up and staying up were two different things!

Injuries and non-availabilities plagued North Devon from day one last season, something Moore hopes to avoid in 2026. Early signs are encouraging.

Although Fred King has returned to Bideford, North Devon have signed seamer James Lake from Braunton and hope to see more of Popham and Jack Whittaker.

“Jack is back from a university placement and Tom will be back after injury,” said the first-team captain.

“Once again looking stronger for the A Division.”

Wins over Braunton and Budleigh Salterton 2nd XIs in the final month of the season were enough to lift North Devon 2nd XI out of relegation trouble in the D Division East. As the team were 26 points adrift with six games to go, that was quite a turnaround.

Moore senior, who has finished a second stint with Braunton to join North Devon, said his motivation for moving was simple.

“It’s a new challenge moving across to captain a team with some good youngsters,” said Moore, whose cricket journey started with Barnstaple Nondescripts as a 14 year old.

Shrey Ghosh. who is on the way back to Hatherleigh for a crack at Premier Division cricketHATHERLEIGH have re-signed Indian all-rounder Shrey Ghosh as their overseas player for the season ahead back in the Tolchards DCL Premier Division.

Ghosh, a 31-year-old left-hander who also bowls spin, has had two highly profitable seasons at Hatherleigh with bat and ball.

His DCL A Division stats with the bat so far are 1,802 runs at an average of 69.31, and 50 wickets at a fraction more than 16 runs each.

Ghosh’s North Devon League batting statistics are enough to send opposing bowlers running for cover. He averages 98.10 from 14 innings.

Rob Cockwill, who skippered Hatherleigh back to the Premier Division in 2024 after a three-year absence, is confident the promotion-winning squad has what’s needed to manage the step up without a massive recruiting drive.

“Hopefully we can have the same squad as last season,” said Cockwill.

“Our club ethos is to promote our own players as much as possible.

“We never really look to poach or recruit players, unless we have a desperate need for them. 

“Looking at the squad we should have enough quality to compete in the Premier.”