New-look Cornwood set their sights on the title

CRICKET SEASON STARTS WITH ONE CLUB IN PARTICULAR AIMING HIGH

- CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

PREMIER DIVISION

CORNWOOD go into the new Premier Division season, which stars with a home game against Bovey Tracey today, with a collection of new faces in the dressing room.

Elliott Staddon, the North Devon captain, has been hard at work during the close season assembling a side to push for a first Premier title.

Cornwood were up among the front runners until the halfway stage of the 2023 campaign, but fell away after the turn and finished a distant fourth behind champs Sandford.

Losing overseas player Jay Bista with five games to go did not help Cornwood's cause, although by then their title hopes had started to fade.

Staddon has strengthened the squad in a number of areas, hoping to avoid some of last summer's pitfalls.

Three players Ben Privett and the Caunter brothers, Jacob and Josiah have made the short trip from Plympton to Oak Park. Alex Shutt, a 15-year-old county agegroup seamer, is on the way down from Yelverton.

Privett bats and bowls and was Devon CCC's young player of the year in 2023. The Caunter brothers will add turning balls to the attack.

Bista's replacement after two seasons with Cornwood is Sri Lankan Naveen Fernando, an all-rounder who operates with the new ball and bats in the middle order. Bista was last heard of looking for a club in Holland.

It goes without saying Cornwood look stronger on paper. Staddon hopes the new acquisitions will make them stronger on the road.

"Our home form has always been our great strength, but I feel we are certainly more balanced as a squad to get better results away from Cornwood," said Staddon.

"Our new signings have helped create a stronger depth in the club. On the back of that we want to better last season's finish and push the top of the against some really strong opposition."