EVO – THE CLUB SCORER (AND VERY MUCH MORE) AT 700 (PART 6 - 2008 TO 2013)
The Great Escape of 2008. On Evo’s 37th birthday the story broke the it wouldn’t be if but just when the 1st XI was going to get relegated from the Premier League. Going into the last match of the season at The Rec against North Devon, Evo’s 400th, a miracle was possible – just 6 points needed to stay up. Had the prefect script been written? Well Evo ever the stato had worked out he had recorded 4994 points for the 1st XI. He kept this quiet till after the match but deep down just knew the miracle would happen.
Evo reckons he could actually write a whole book on the 2008 season from, the mission impossible to get to a wedding reception, to the mad dance scenes at North Devon CC, to the strange captaincy decision by Exmouth CC at The Rec and then the “Shane Warne / Kevin Pietersen Moment” at Queens Park.
Only now though will Evo admit to a crime from the 2008 season. The first match of the season away to Sandford CC which predictably ended in defeat, for some reason said to his colleague, “Josh Heath” instead of “Josh Hunt” which led to an ineligible player on the results sheet – fortunately to Evo’s relief the DCL accepted it as a genuine slip of the tongue and Law 43 was applied. Until now only Ken Jeffery from the club knew about this “crime.”
However, Evo will also always remember 2008 for a 7-ball match which then turned into a diving competition ironically involving Plymouth CC the year Tom Daley made his Olympic debut. After being in the DCL wilderness for several years, Dave Burke their “senior player” informed the players, “help Torquay get this game on we haven’t spent years trying to get back in the Premier League not to play.” Sadly, with water coming up through the ground in front of the pavilion the match lasted 7 balls. The fun bit was after though when the Plymouth players decided to dive into the puddles and see if any grass could be seen behind them – only one managed that. If memory serves Evo right only Ben Orr from Torquay joined in the fun.
The late 2000s saw the arrival of the “Penrice Trio” and during one T20 match, Evo had to ask their parents which one had taken the catch. They came back with “don’t worry we have trouble telling them part in the field.” Later, Conrad Sutcliffe asked Evo how he remembered in what order the they came. That was easier, he said, just use text speak, “Owen, Mawgan, Gareth.”
The year Ali Imran Pasha was the clubs overseas was a year for early finishes. The two that stick in Evo’s mind are both excursions in Teignbridge. First up Abbotskerswell CC – back at The Rec after a win by 4pm having dumped the car home. Second up South Devon CC – predicted time at a wedding reception, 9pm, not 7.45pm, thinks to a quick win.
The year for once escapes Evo but there was a match at Tavistock CC which was suddenly curtailed by the weather. The rain was coming in but “surely they can finish the over.” Evo and his colleague couldn’t though see what was about to hit from behind the scorebox! Let’s just say, the last three balls weren’t possible.
Another escaped year was when on a visit to Cornwood CC, Tim Western decided to drop the same batter twice – on the second occasion decided to split his webbing so very little sympathy, However, on a more serious note, Ivybridge despite at one stage being the fastest growing town in Europe has no “casualty” facility and remarkably a trip back to the MIU at Newton Abbot would be quicker than going to a facility in Plymouth!
As for 2010, Evo has already made mention of Ian Baker’s exploits with the ball but surely as a specialist no 11 batter there aren’t any with the bat. Wrong! Evo remembers the match at The Rec against Abbotskerswell CC. Torquay were 9 wickets down at 2.42pm so surely having to go out to field before tea. Bakes had other ideas scoring 19 including 2 * 6s and the cut-off point of 3pm was just reached.
Two memories of Evo’s from 2011 were, when Torquay CC 1st XI were away to Alphington and the final match of the season at Cornwood. On the only visit to take on Alphington CC, balls were flying into gardens – a NIMBY with a twist though. A gentleman in his 20s and clearly high on something, came storming on to pitch, “you could have killed my child…”, Evo’s colleague said, “don’t worry he can’t do anything as he isn’t supposed to be living there.” Whether the child was actually his – well that is another story altogether. The A Division title already being done and dusted well before Cornwood away, but the catch diving full length to secure going through a season undefeated was taken by a certain Benjamin Passenger who was still slightly lame from the previous week but then when has Pasty ever been fully fit! To put the quality of the catch in context it would have even been a good catch for Nick Watkin.
Actually, the A Division title win 2011 brought back a memory if his best ever wind-up. At the end of season, he was standing next to Mr Marmite AKA the League Secretary (also the Bovey Tracey CC 1st XI scorer) and Rachel Tozer the Exmouth CC 1st XI scorer. Rachel said to Mr Marmite, “when do you want the A Division trophy back by?” As quick as a flash Evo said “oh just give it to me.” Did someone bounce very high! Afterwards Rachel said to Evo, “I had genuinely forgotten who had won the title.”
The 2012 season heralded a new era for Evo – online scoring.
Evo’s view on the compulsion to score online initially using Total Cricket Scorer (TCS) and in more recent years Pro Scorer is mixed. Yes, it is better for supporters who can’t be at the match and it means scorers can be first in for teas (Evo is so pleased, “yes, they are back for all matches in the top divisions – post Covid has been an unneeded total mish mash”). However few scorers now learn the art of scoring first and it has lessened the communications between scorers relating to the match.
From all accounts Evo got into trouble with Bakes at pre-season match away to Exmouth CC in 2012 for celebrating – pot calling the kettle black me thinks. What was Evo celebrating though? Well Katie Walsh had just finished 3rd in Grand National on Seabass and Evo always back the leading female jockey. (Yes, Rachel Blackmore won Evo some money in 2021.)
The end of the 2012 season away to North Devon was certainly agonising for Ian Baker but for much of the afternoon it was also for Evo. Bakes decided to dive and put his shoulder out but by chance the mum of one of the North Devon opening batters was a GP and Justin Yau’s girl friend at the time had just started as a doctor in A&E at North Devon District Hospital – both were on the ground so Evo was surplus to requirements. However, it meant the match was 30 minutes behind the others. However, with TCS now introduced, Evo could track other matches which was no good for his BP as for much of the afternoon, it looked like Heathcoat CC were going to defend a total, ironically virtually identical to the total when Torquay back in 1997, at home to Bovey Tracey. However, on this occasion fortunately they failed but not before Evo has aged a far few years.
You might soon be getting the idea by now, last day of the season away to North Devon CC is usually interesting! 2013 certainly was. Whilst on league match should be turned into a “beer match” with no one else be affected by the result this one was – a run feast. A certain Craig Overton was the star of the show, putting Dan Wightman over the pavilion for five consecutive 6s without amazingly finding a car (unlike Kris Davis in a Devon Senior Cup match for the club a decade before when he hit a 6 away to Dawlish and found his own car). Sadly, Evo was denied a tick on his bucket list of 6 * 6s!