By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

TWO of Paignton’s up-and-coming young cricketers won highly prized trophies at the Tolchards DCL awards ceremony.

Batter Ollie Woodcock, who also keeps wicket, won the Bob Bridges Young player award for the most promising youngster.

Luke Medlock, a batting all-rounder who broke into the Devon county side last season, was the league’s overall player of the year.

The awards were announced at the end of the league’s annual meeting in Exeter.

Paignton chairman Tim Ward, whose late father Trevor started and ran colts cricket at Queen’s Park for 25 years, said: “The club is very proud of Ollie and Luke, whose successes are testament of our successful junior section

“There were games last season when we had nine players consisting of four sets of brothers who had played cricket together all the way through the various age groups. 

“It's a very tight bond of players who enjoy playing cricket with each other and have been brilliantly led by their coaches.”

No club in the Devon League has won the Bob Bridges Award more times than Paignton. Woodcock follows in the bootsteps of James Graham (1985), Chris Read of Notts and England fame (1994), Steve Edmonds (2000), Seb Benton (2007) and Dan Wolf (2016).

Woodcock, 20, averaged nearly 30 in league and cup cricket. He notched half-centuries against Heathcoat and North Devon as well as a near miss against Bradninch.

Medlock, with more than 950 runs in league and cup cricket, dominated the short list presented to the selection panel. Among his highlights were back-to-back league tons against Exmouth and Sandford, plus another 98 in an ECB Cup game against Sandford.

Four three-wicket hauls – against Sidmouth, Cornwood, Bradninch & Kentisbeare and Exmouth – underlined Medlock’s all-round ability.