Thank you and goodbye, Bovey Tracey Cricket Club

On Saturday 1st September, I played my last ever game for Bovey Tracey Cricket Club. When we arrived back at the club for the end-of-season drinks, the second team were there having been crowned 2nd XI Premier Division Champions, and the 3rd's were already E Division West Champions. With our win over Heathcoat the 1st XI secured 3rd in the league, a slight disappointment having led most of the season but still a fantastic season.

BTCC 1st XI Captain Peter Bradley, myself, and Devon Captain Chris Bradley

The legend that is David Elphick

It's not very often I'm lost for words but I was left choked up a few times during the day by words from Peter Bradley and Chris Bradley in the changing room at the match, and by Nigel Mountford at the club. When it came to my turn to say a few words I could only just force out a "Thank you, you're the best, I love you all." So I'd like this blog to be a record of what exactly I wanted to say on Saturday night before the lump in my throat prevented me from doing so.

My biggest influences at the club have been David Elphick, Neil Davey, Julian Stephenson, Rod Hokin, Nigel Mountford and Chris Bradley. Dave Elphick was the first person I met at the club when I was 11 years old and throughout the age groups gave me sound advice, supported me, coached me and was ALWAYS friendly. To this day whenever we see each other, we give each other a warm greeting and I always put an arm around his shoulder, shake his hand and smile. The man is a legend to me, and I have the highest amount of respect possible for him, in spite of the fact he supports Arsenal! He has supported me through the darkest times of my life and I hope that I can be half as good a man as he is.


Neil Davey was almost always there as a coach when I was a colt. He was a first team stalwart and a larger than life character and I tried to take on board all the advice he gave me, not always succeeding. One thing he ALWAYS used to tell me is that I can play any shot in the book but would put his index finger to my temple and tell me "It's just up there with you!". At the time I didn't fully appreciate what he meant, but hindsight being the wonderful thing it is, he was spot on. And still is! If I had the temperament of some of the others in the team I probably could have represented the county. If only I could go back and do it again.

Bovey Tracey Cricket Club Chairman
Nigel Mountford

Nigel Mountford is a man I hold in the same regard as David Elphick, and is another Arsenal fan! While Nigel was never my coach, he was a senior figure in the team when I first started playing competative adult league cricket in the 2nd XI, and he helped me progress, especially when he became chairman and I began to force my way into the 1st XI. Nigel was the biggest pillar of strength at the club to me during the horrific personal events that ruined my 2009 season and for that I will always be grateful. He has always shown great faith in me as a person and a cricketer and I am sure I owe him a lot.

Devon CCC Captain
Chris Bradley

Chris Bradley spent 5 seasons Captaining the 1st XI from 2005 to 2009. I had broken into the 1st XI in 2004 and became more of a regular in 2005 under Chris's captaincy, and I took on board a lot more than I thought. Chris was a brilliant skipper and overseas players commented how he was the best Captain they played under, which is a huge compliment. Although he gave up the Captaincy at the end of 2009, he FINALLY made the full Devon side in 2010 and after deputising a few times in 2011 as Captain he was awarded the Devon Captaincy for 2012. The lessons I learnt from Chris certainly helped me out in my second season in Australia as I was appointed Captain of Macquarie University's U24's side and we had the most successful season in the Club's history. The club had never won a match a Final's match before, we won both our Qualifying Final and our Semi-Final, therefore booking our first ever appearance in the Grand Final. Unfortunately we lost that game but my Captaincy was based on a lot of the theories and practices I learnt from Chris Bradley.



Julian Stephenson and Rod Hokin were both Australian overseas players that came to Bovey from Gordon CC in Sydney. Jules was the one who installed the idea that I should go to improve my cricket in Australia, Jules's father Paul was the man who started the ball rolling and got me a place at Mac Uni CC. Jules also worked hard with me at my game in his two seasons with us in 2004 and 2005 and as a fellow fast-bowler and aggressive batsman he was a great help and someone I looked up to a lot. On 7th August 2005 I scored my first ever hundred against Old Olavians (batting with Chris Bradley when I reached 3 figures) and the first message of congratulations I received was from Jules. He also was the one who picked me up from Sydney Airport when I first arrived in 2006, took me out to Gordon CC, took me to the SCG for nets and took me for introductory beers with his clubmates.

Rod Hokin and I in Australia 2010.

Rod 'Rocket' Hokin played for BTCC in 2006 and was extremely popular, and also showed me around Sydney in 2006/07 while I was there, helping me gain a Cricket Australia Level One coaching badge and coaching me through all aspects of my cricket, always there to have a net with if needed. Rocket was the most technical of the coaches I ever worked with and was very straightforward with his coaching, you either passed the goal of the session or you didn't. If you didn't, you worked until you did. Perhaps I didn't appreciate that at the time but Rod's technical knowledge of the game is outstanding and I would like to work with him again.

The inimitable Ben Ayres

Since 1997 I have lived for the game of cricket and the one person in the world I have played alongside every single season of my life is Ben Ayres. We shared the Captaincy through the age groups at the club and Ben represented the county a few times, deservedly so. Although I was never to do the same, I like to feel that I learnt a lot from Ben. I've always played aggressively, especially with the bat and Ben has the self-confidence to play his own way regardless of the situation which is probably why I try to do the same, I was always trying to compete to be as good as Ben and I know I wasn't the only one. Thank you for your support, mate, and I hope you go on to represent the full county side because you are one of the best glovemen in the county.


Chris Bradley, Pete Bradley, Ryan Bougourd, Andy Fairbairn... you are all top blokes and I regard you all as good mates. I sincerely hope that our paths cross in future and I hope that you help to take BTCC to the top of the Devon Premier League in seasons to come. Sam Wyatt-Haines, you have the potential to go as far in the game as you want and I really hope you do so. Lewis Hammett, you have the potential to be a solid opening bat for years to come and your future is in your hands. Best of luck. Neil Hancock, you were one of my first ever coaches when I was 12 years old and to have played alongside you this season after all you've done for Devon Cricket has been a pleasure. I have learnt a lot and I hope you are a BTCC player for as long as possible.

There are simply too many people to write about to thank individually, but I do wish to thank you all. I've been blessed to play alongside so many talented players over the years as well as some great mates. Two of my closest mates, Dean Pring and Matt Pascoe, may not have played for as long as I'd have hoped at BTCC but I have great memories of that time. To have played alongside people that have represented their country in U19's such as Ali Imran Pasha (Pakistan) and Dan Childs (South Africa), or the "Emerging Players" for their country (New Zealand's Andy De Boorder and South Africa's Farhaan Behardien), or even full internationals like Faisal Iqbal (Pakistan, nephew of the legendary Javed Miandad) has been incredible. It really speaks volumes for the level of quality to be found in the Devon Cricket League.

I have made lifelong friends through cricket. I have met so many amazing people and I cannot emphasise enough just how thankful I am to each and every member of Bovey Tracey Cricket Club. Groundsmen, tea ladies, umpires, scorers, supporters, players, coaches and sponsors have all been fantastic to me. I hold you all in the highest possible esteem.

I hope that this is not the end of my link to BTCC. I will be returning to my Australian side, Macquarie University Cricket Club and I really hope that Bovey players will come over in future and play for the Mac Warriors. I hope this is not the last you see or hear from me, please don't be strangers. I will always welcome BTCC visitors to Australia and just 2 days after life at BTCC ended for me as a player, I already miss it like crazy. Once again, I find myself at a loss for words other than this.

THANK YOU, BOVEY TRACEY CRICKET CLUB. I LOVE YOU.

Back Row: Nigel Mountford (Chairman), Matt Kidd, Dillon Mullins, Neil Hancock, Sam Wyatt-Haines, Chris Bradley, Geoff Coish (Scorer)
Front Row: Lewis Hammett, Ryan Bougourd, Charlie Carter, Peter Bradley (Captain), Charlie Hill, Ben Ayres.