Devon Cricket Board - Bradninch bring in ex-Unicorns all-rounder

Bradninch bring in ex-Unicorns all-rounder

BRADNINCH have made a double signing ahead of the new signing to boost their ranks.

The Devon League Premier outfit have signed Jackson Thompson and Matthew Vercoe-Curtis for the forthcoming season.

Thompson (27) is quite a coup for Bradninch. An explosive batsman and useful off-spinner, Thompson has played representative cricket for the MCC Young Cricketers, Gloucestershire, Middlesex and most recently the Unicorns.

One of those Unicorns’ appearances was against Somerset at Exmouth in 2011.

The Indian-born, English qualified all-rounder is a tall left-hand batsman who’s strike rate approached 100 in the shorter formats,

He is now living in Uffculme near Bradninch and will no doubt provide fire power to the Premier side.

Thompson has represented Frocester (2012), Stanmore (2010) and predominantly Cheltenham (2002-11) over the years, with his most destructive season coming for the latter in 2011, hitting 20 sixes amongst 663 runs at 47.36, including three hundreds (plus 38 wickets at 15.13 with two 5-wicket hauls).

Thompson also spent a prolific season in Australia back in 2008/09. He set the Bundaberg Competition in Queensland alight on debut, smashing 130 from only 66 balls for Brothers Sports Club.

Joining Thompson is young kiwi wicket-keeper Matthew Vercoe-Curtis. The 18-year-old is playing his maiden season for Suburbs New Lynn in Auckland.

Vercoe-Curtis is the understudy to English professional Tom Cullen. He has played a full season’s cricket in the Premier Reserves where he has acquitted himself very well.

In 2011/12, Vercoe-Curtis was also part of the Western District Representative XI that finished as Auckland Districts’ Tournament winners.

The new signings are timely for Bradninch, who have lost a couple of players since last season.

Former captain Gary Chappell has departed for Exmouth while opening bowler Dan Milligan, who has joined one of the Taunton clubs for the summer ahead.

Tim Piper is the new 1st XI captain and Rob Acton continues as 2nd XI captain, the latter hoping to finish one place higher than last season and take Bradninch 2nd XI in to the Premier 2nd XI Division.

Piper has been playing in the 1st XI since he was 14 – other than a brief spell with Torquay - and is a natural successor to Gary Chappell.

Piper is excited at the prospect of Jackson taking on the best that the Premier Division can offer, both as a hard-hitting batsman and quality spin bowler.

Further to this he believes the addition of Matthew to the squad, provides the keeper needed to make the most of our spin attack and another middle order batsman to help set the big totals required to be successful in the 50-over win-or-lose format.

Bradninch have also captured Steve Rowe. Rowe started playing cricket at the age of 12 and quickly progressed to play at a county and regional level. From the age of 12-16 he played for Devon and toured the West Indies with the West of England team. More recently he has turned out for Exeter Civil Service.

Rowe played his early cricket at Sandford and went to Lilleshall to train with the best cricketers in the country.

He is currently head coach for the East Devon U10s and assistant coach for the U11s.

Steve says he is looking forward to coaching at Bradninch, alongside an experienced coach like Scott Chappell, and helping him to develop the youth to better their game and hopefully go on to play adult cricket.

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