WHAT a wash-out! The final round of matches in the Tolchards Devon Cricket League across all 17 divisions was virtually written off by bad weather.

Of 80 matches on the fixture list from the Premier to the H Divisions, only a handful actually got underway. And of the few that started, just two were played out to a finish. North Devon 2nd XI defeated Shobrooke Park in D East and Upottery won at Sandford 2nd XI in C East.

Eight points from their non-event with Barton meant Tavistock were promoted as A Division runners-up behind Hatherleigh. Plympton’s game against Bridestowe & Belstone was another non-starter.

Hatherleigh travelled to Torquay in vain and played an impromptu football match on the outfield before an early trip home to celebrate two promotions.

Skipper Rob Cockwill believes there has been more to winning promotion than the considerable efforts of Indian professional Shrey Ghosh.

With more than a thousand league runs to his name, never mind 22 wickets as well, it is hard to avoid Ghosh’s contribution to ending a four-year exile from the Premier Division.

Cockwill said Ghosh had ‘scored an incredible amount of runs for us’ but added it was far from a one-man show.

“Ryan Davies back after ACL injury, kept wicket very well and scored some very important runs for us in the middle,” said Cockwill.

“Our bowling unit produced week in week out. With the pink ball, on some flat tracks, we managed to take wickets and keep runs down consistently.

“Emmerson Wood, a new addition to the club this year, balanced our side nicely and proved himself to be a great asset to the club on and off the field.

“Most importantly, our availability has been fantastic throughout the year. Competition for places has never been stronger, making my decisions very difficult at times. Every player has contributed throughout the season.”

Cockwill, who replaced long-serving Mark Lake as skipper at the start of the season, never publicly made promotion a target, which kept the pressure off the players.

That does not mean the prospect of going up did not cross his mind from the earliest exchanges.

“Our general approach to each game was very relaxed and, as I said many times, we just wanted to enjoy our cricket and let results look after themselves,” said Cockwill.

“The first two games of the season were massive for us. “To beat two good teams – Bovey and Thorverton – relatively comfortably really set the standard.”

Moving on now and the Hatherleigh-Plymouth 2nd XI one-two in the D West was guaranteed before the soggiest Saturday of a largely trouble-free season on the weather front claimed the home match against Chagford.

At the other end of the D West table, there was relief for Yelverton, whose cancellation away to Barton 2nd XI prevented Kenn from clambering past them to safety.

Elsewhere, Tavistock 2nd XI will be going up behind Abbotskerswell 2nd XI from the E Division West.

There was a last-day reprieve for relegation worriers Whitchurch, who benefited from Teignmouth & Shaldon only picking up eight points from a rain-off against bottom side Dartington & Totnes.