EVO – THE CLUB SCORER (AND VERY MUCH MORE) AT 700 (part 9 - 2020 to 2023)
Back in the dark days of Lockdown, Evo put a side of his favourite DCL opposition players and Match Officials based on character and respect:
1 Anthony Griffiths
2 Arnie Searle
3 Glenn Lammonby
4 Colin Mortimore
5 David Lye
6 Chris Read (WK)
7 Keith Donohue (Capt)
8 Dave Burke
9 Andy Procter
10 Ian Bishop
11 Adam Gribble
12 Mathew Theedom
Umpires Danny Daniels and Bob Elliott
Scorer Lynne Whitfield
The only change he reckons he might make now is Tom Lammonby replacing dad, Glenn.
As for a Club XI – it depends if you want Evo to name the Best XI or his Favourite XI as they would certainly be different. Likewise, a best or favourite player – an impossible choice after all these years.
Logically with the real prospect of no cricket in 2020, because the ball was supposedly a “vector of disease” (a scoring colleague who works for NHS according to Evo subsequently just laughed at Boris’ comment), cricket club websites would just be dormant. Clearly Evo didn’t read the law book, calling in favours from anywhere he could, the club’s website was very active. As a result of this and other work in those extradentary times, Evo won a second OSCA for Devon but once again was unsuccessful at national level.
Shock news though Evo broke ECB Covid regs in 2021. It was still a case of only one scorer could sit in the scorebox. However, both scorers were consenting adults away to Abbotskerswell CC and his colleague came out with, “survive Covid but die of Pneumonia instead.” Both scorers sat in the box and are still alive today even having de-masked as well!
Just after the regs changed there was a trip to you guessed it, North Devon CC. While having breakfast on Instow seafront, a vet from Evo’s days with Animal Health came along. “Hello Mr McCamley” with the response back, “no one calls me Mr McCamley these days.” However, after a conversation later that day, it was discovered, young Lucy’s mum (see later) had been his secretary – you couldn’t make it up.
How to make Evo lazy? Well just ask Steve Rider! Mid way through 2021, “Rides” persuaded the committee to purchase a cable so Evo could directly operate the scoreboard from his laptop. Evo being Evo though with his brain being wired differently, excuse the pun, disabled the overs function, to help keep his concentration.
It’s not every day Evo hands out gold medal but when Torquay travelled to take on Tavistock CC in 2021, Josh Hunt and Kesh Wijerathna took gold in pairs event for Sightscreen Surfing – the wind was so strong the sightscreen still move at a rate of knots even with them sat on it!
Nearly two decades are first being awarded it, in 2021, Evo received the Victor Tucker Salver again – one of very few people who have once it twice individually.
As the dreadful years of restrictions because of Covid drew to a close, Evo wants to make mention of the maturity and respect of an opposition colt at the pre-season friendly away to Ippleoen CC, a certain Warwick Green son of Marcus Green who played in the title winning sides of the mid-1990s. How many 12-year-olds would ensure the scorers had cups of tea!
Actually, the Covid Years did do some good – collaboration with Barton CC. Yes, you have heard that right! Evo collaborated with their long-standing scorer, Chris Dove, over the introduction of Perspex screens in scoreboxes.
Having become involved in Player Registration, the one thing that has lad always made Evo’s blood boil – the none registration of colts who then as a result could slip away to other clubs unnoticed. Well things had started to change in 2021 when he stamped his size 6s when he just told certain other key members he was going to register Josh Nott – within a month Josh had made his debut for the 2nd XI and just over a year later made his 1st XI debut.
Talking of the Nott family. The following season having gone on so much about the issue of non-registration of colts, Bakes finally said, “just do it”. One night Grandma Nott, with the school teacher coming out in her, had all the parents lined up and within an hour all eligible colts were signed up. Evo managing the expectations of parents but by the end of the season only one hadn’t played in the DCL.
However, for Evo there will always be one “funny” one. One Friday night in July 2023 Evo half-jokingly said to Ben Passenger his daughter should be registered for emergencies. Little did he think just a week later Emily Passenger was being registered just weeks after her 14th birthday in the club’s hour of need! The story doesn’t stop there though. Next day, Evo was following Abbotskerswell CC 2nd XI v Torquay CC 2nd XI, when “Richard Harmer ct E Passenger b B Passenger 14” came up. Evo at first thought it was someone having some fun until he realised the scorer for Abbotskerswell CC was a surgeon he knew. According to older brother, Harry, she still mentions it now!
Returning to the Nott family the other story from 2023 which stands out for Evo was Hatherleigh away. How many scorers have scored a 1st XI match with a grandad and grandson combination. Well Evo has! With player availability at an all-time low, Grandad Nott answered the SOS to block a hole in the field aged **. Well super fit, even on a full stomach after having to make a dash from having just eaten a Full English Breakfast, isn’t the word – for the pre-season match at Winslade Park, he only rode his bicycle all the way to the match. Actually, talking of that match, don’t tell Katie Needs, but Evo became Emergency Fixture Secretary just for an hour (no he doesn’t want the job). Having lost the traditional pre-season match against Ipplepen CC because of the weather, Evo saw on FB while walking into Torre, that the University of Exeter had a ground, a team (3rd XI) but no opposition. Within an hour a pre-season was arranged. For Evo it was like coming home as DEFRA had been based there for many years.
After the “fun” wind story of 2021, 2023 saw an incident which left Evo with his heart in his mouth. The wind at Budleigh Salterton’s new ground was so strong that Josh Nott, or should have that been “Josh Knot” was lucky not to be flattened by a sightscreen – solve the flooding issue and now have a problem with wind! Although Evo does understand there is a fridge in their new Scorer’s Room for 0% Lager.
It is no secret that this decade things have been tough mentally / personally for Evo but even in tragedy there is a funny! Just six days after losing his mum, he was back in the scorebox to ensure the club wouldn’t be deducted two points. He had just been talking with Sue Tidball the Hatherleigh scorer about the Bovey Tracey match when a can of lager from a certain Mr Avery appeared in the box for after the match. Sue by then could see Evo was struggling and came out with, “if drinking that can of lager get you through this game just drink it. As long as you don’t have three double whiskies afterwards and I have to pick you up off the floor I don’t care.” Evo has really come to appreciate the support he has received from his colleagues apart from Sue especially. Chrissie from Plymouth, Kate from Tavistock and young Lucy from North Devon – who scored with him during his darkest days. Evo said though, “it would be wrong also not to mention a former colleague, who now concentrates on “granny” duties, Di Kelmere, for the amazing support she has given me.” Actually, Evo went onto to say, “I must also mention the mum of Will’s one of the All Stars who has been so kind to me on the Friday nights.”
The last few years haven’t all been negative for Evo as is now Chief Blogger for the club website with Chris Kelmere snr providing so many good stories. The one that sticks in Evo’s mind is, when Chris had to miss a “cricket day.” A case of how dare they arrange my hip replacement operation for a Saturday! As Evo said, “if members feed me material they know exactly where it will be appearing!”