Devon Cricket Board - Fairbairn reflects on time with DCB

DEVON’S cricket development officer Andy Fairbairn is off to Somerset as their new development manager with a stack of happy memories and numerous success stories to send him on his way, writes Conrad Sutcliffe

Fairbairn, who is 29 and plays for Bovey Tracey, started his coaching career in Torbay as a community cricket coach between 2006-2009.

He was heavily involved in the Chance2Shine project from its inception, working closely with schools and clubs to spread the game more widely.

In April 2009 the cricket development job with the Devon Cricket Board came up and Fairbairn (pictured) switched roles.

Three years down the road the softly spoken East Anglian – he comes from Suffolk – leaves for pastures new after a job well done.

The job title says it all – cricket development – and that is exactly what the University of Exeter business and management graduate has achieved.

Cricket is flourishing in schools – primary ones in particular – and the girls’ and women’s game is growing fast.

“The awareness and accessibility of girls’ cricket in Devon has certainly increased,” said Fairbairn.

“In 2009 we had four secondary school teams enter the Lady Taverners’ competition and four girls’ sections at clubs.

“In 2012 we will have 44 girls’ teams enter the Lady Taverners’ competition and 13 girls sections at clubs.”

Typical of the people Fairbairn has worked with over his three years with DCB is Sue Steart, a teacher at Barton Primary School in Torquay, who got interested in cricket herself through Chance2Shine.

“Since I coached at her school Sue has been on three coach education courses (level 1, level 2 and club coach) and now manages Barton U 11s, South Devon District Girls 13s and 15s and the Devon U15 girls’, who were national champs last year,” said Fairbairn.

“Lots of other volunteers I have worked closely with and supported have gone on to take district and county roles and make a huge difference to cricket locally and county wide.”

Fairbairn has also been involved in front-end coaching and is proud of some of his successes.

“As a coach I have worked with Jodie Dibble (below) and Sam Wyatt-Haines (right) for six years and to see Jodie picked for the England Women’s Academy and Sam for the West of England last year was just reward for their hard work and made me very proud,” said Fairbairn.

“Also, the DCB one-to-one commercial coaching programme, now in its third year, has delivered more 900 hours of expert coaching to more than 100 young players through a team of 10 DCB level three coaches.”

If Fairbairn has any regrets they are not being around to see some of the projects come to fruition.

“We are currently working very hard behind the scenes to secure funding and re-introduce community cricket coaches to Devon – in fact one is being advertised now based at South Dartmoor,” he said.

“I will be sad not to be around when these posts are filled and to see all the benefits that they will bring.”

Fairbairn said what he has learned in Devon will stand him in good stead in Somerset and he thanked his former employers for the grounding they gave him.

“I have been very fortunate to have Matt Theedom and Jim Wood as my managers for the last six years and along with many other key individuals on the Devon Cricket Board I have learnt about every aspect of cricket development,” said Fairbairn.

“I have always been encouraged by the DCB to take responsibility and be creative, which in turn generates ambition.

I definitely feel it is the right time for me to become a cricket development manager and I am extremely excited about managing cricket development in Somerset.

“I have been very privileged to have worked in Devon with so many wonderful people and I am grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way.”

Fairbairn leaves for Somerset with praise ringing in his ears from the people he has worked for and with.

Matt Theedom, Devon's CDM, said working with Fairbairn had been rewarding.

He added: "Having started as a community cricket coach in Torbay, then becoming a CDM and now going to a First Class County like Somerset as their Development Manager is something we should be very proud of," said Theedom.

“Although Andy will leave a large gap in Devon cricket development, we are all really pleased for him and wish him the very best of luck.”

Martin Webb, the secretary of the Devon Cricket Board, said he was sad to lose Fairbairn.

“I wish him every success in his new role and offer real appreciation for what he has achieved in Devon," added Webb.

Geoff Coish, the secretary of the Devon Cricket League, said: "May I wish Andy every success in his future position.

"His help to the DCL over the past three years has been unsurpassed."