VisionDevon County Cricket Club is the pinnacle of cricket in Devon and has the responsibility for ensuring that, in respect of player and team development, the County Club continues to meet its obligations by rigorously pursuing its primary vision of setting the highest standards for cricket in Devon both on and off the field.
Process
The Devon County Cricket Club performance group will generally comprise the players from whom the County team will be selected for MCCA competitions. The squad will be chosen following a selection process which includes appraisals, assessments and performance reviews. Players will be invited to the Ondaatje Cricket Centre at Exeter University on Friday evenings from January to March for specialist training, and those chosen will then play a series of warm up matches in April in preparation for annual Minor Counties’ competitions – one day KO Trophy and three day Championship fixtures – throughout the summer. The County squad is likely to involve approximately 20 players, and will be resourced by Devon CCC.
The Devon Lions is for talented young cricketers between the ages of 17 and 21 who have not progressed to a First Class Academy, following their participation in an EPP for players from the 13 to 16 age group. Rigorous selection will obtain, and extensive winter preparation will be succeeded by a series of competitive matches against high quality opposition. Twelve to fourteen individuals will participate in this programme, supported by the David Shepherd Cricket Foundation and Devon CCC.
It is hoped that the above programmes will help to ensure that, despite the continuing supply of ‘the cream of the crop’ to professional counties – ten Devon players are involved at present in the First Class game – that DCCC will maintain the ‘top table position’ so proudly achieved in Minor Counties’ cricket over the last thirty years.
