EVO – THE CLUB SCORER (AND VERY MUCH MORE) AT 700 (PART 10 - 2024 TO 2026 [PRE-SEASON])
Match 666, the result for Evo was irrelevant but once again North Devon make the story with their connection with the late great umpire, David Shepherd – 6 * 111! From all accounts if you need a photograph organised, call for young Lucy’s mum, Fiona. On a more serious note, that day, Fiona said of Evo, “you are so diligent when it comes to safeguarding” – let’s just say Evo has conveniently had a prior engagement on occasions to prevent difficulties for the club at certain Memorial Matches.
Having made much mention of his parents, Evo had to make mention of Chris Kelmere jnr who will go down in history of the 1st XI after the merger – away to Hatherleigh CC in first match, Evo had to attribute virtually first for the new club to Chris jnr but Evo said, “no comment on the wheelchair incident though.”
As promised – the Chelsea Pensioner combo to get the Bridestowe CC overseas batter out in 2024, The total years was 103 (Vivek Kulkarni the bowler 52 and Tim Western the fielder 51). Evo though will remember the game for finishing so early, sadly in a heavy defeat, being back in Torquay with the Red Arrows still in the air at the Torbay Airshow.
The return fixture was a case of in the words of Nick Ross, “don’t have nightmares do sleep well.” Unfortunately, Evo did have a nightmare, “stop the game my laptop has frozen” – an unwanted first for Evo. Bridestowe CC though were magnanimous in Evo’s apology for his meltdown especially when they realised what he was going through personally and what is going to be alluded to here very shortly. That saying at the end of the fixture earlier in the season, Evo had shown the Spirit of Cricket, by giving TKCCs match ball to them to assist them in building up their collection of spare balls of the higher grade they now needed but as Evo said, “just don’t tell Ricey.”
After a hiatus of two decades the past winter saw Evo return to scoring Indoor Cricket. Back in the mid-2000s, during the short-lived Gribble Era, spent many a Sunday at Ashmoor Leisure Centre. This time it was at Paignton Academy with the Women and Girls so a new set of scoring rules for Evo to learn after all these years. The one regret Evo had though he couldn’t do more of the games as he now has to set personal boundaries as he comes to understand his new life which will be allured too shortly.