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- Ipplepen youth registration night on Friday
- Final call for Groundsmans first seminar this year
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- DCL - Umpire Appointments 2016 (May 7th - July 2nd)
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- North Devon see off Paignton chase
BRAUNTON CC are facing a fight for survival with player departures leaving the entire future of the club at stake.
Last season was a struggle to keep going at times in the 2nd XI with the team often travelling with eight or nine players.
Braunton have seen too many of their best players drift away from the club, either to retirement such as Andy Paddison (pictured) or to rival teams like Barney Huxtable, and the youth section isn’t producing the next generation.
Braunton suffered a double relegation last season as the 1st and 2nd XIs finished bottom of their respective divisions.
Gary Gomez, Braunton’s vice-chairman, said it was not exaggerating to say the entire future of the club is in the balance.
“Since the end of last season we have lost Tom Mitcham to Sandford – a county age-group player you can ill-afford to lose – and Wayne Manning has retired,” said Gomez.
“There are no new players at all on the horizon and I wonder if some who went through the mill last season will be keen to carry on?
“There are only so many times you can go away with eight players, see the opposition score 300-and some then bowl you out cheaply.
“We would like to be bringing on some of the youngsters who train on Monday nights, but out of 80-odd very few want to play adult cricket at the weekend.
“Unless things improve and we get new players it is going to be hard to carry on.”
Gomez said he had sounded out players at other clubs in North Devon trying to attract them to Kelsey, but without success.
“North Devon’s current 2nd XI would almost certainly beat our 1st XI nine times out of ten, but no one wants to make the switch to us and play 1st XI cricket,” said Gomez.
“I am following up every lead I can and hope we can attract a few new players.
“We have entered two teams in the Devon League this summer and that’s how we will start. How long we can continue putting out two teams I would not like to say?”
Braunton will be operating in the B Division at 1st and 2nd XI levels this summer. If the 2nd XI fails to make it through the season, the 1st XI face automatic relegation to the D Division in 2015.
League rule 2 (iv) states that clubs can only play in the Premier-C Divisions if they have a 2nd XI. Now defunct Buckfastlegh fell foul of that rule at the end of the 1998 season when they were a Premier club and lost their 2nd XI due to player departures.
Braunton’s fears will be aired at the club’s annual meeting, which is being held in the clubrooms on January 27 at 7.30pm.
Among the key topics for discussion are who will take over from Andy Abbott, who is standing down as chairman after three years in the post.
Gomez is keen to talk to anyone interested in joining the team at Kelsey – either as a player, supporter or tea volunteer.
Contact Gomez on 07733 141317.
