LEWDOWN captain Harry Geering picked up the B Division champion's trophy at the Francis Clark Devon Cricket League awards night in Exeter writes Conrad Sutcliffe.

The club will be playing B Division cricket for the first time next season after winning promotion for the third time in four summers.

Crucial to Lewdown's success last season was the form of South African batsman Marco Marais, who lashed 1,357 runs at an average of 135.7, including a double hundred against South Devon.

Batting support came from Dave Ball (408) and Gary Sizmur (309) while Matt Jordan, Charlie Hughes and Marais chipped in with 64 wickets between them.

Lewdown only lost twice last season – both times to arch rivals Tavistock.

Tavistock's Rhys Davies was named the Devon League's young player of the year, following in the footsteps of Chris Read and Mark Lathwell, who both went on to play for England.

Davies burst on to the Minor Counties scene with Devon last season, scoring half-centuries in his first four games, and played for MCC Young Crick-eters, Gloucestershire second XI, Glamorgan's second XI and Essex second XI during the summer.

Davies is currently playing cricket in Australia and was unable to collect the award, which was picked up on his behalf by Tavistock captain Shaun Daymond.

The presentations took place immediately after the competition's annual meeting at the Exeter Court Hotel in Kenford.

The annual meeting portion of the evening largely rubber stamped changes to the committee and minor rule changes.

The new secretary is former ECB staff member Ed Leverton, who replaces Geoff Coish following his retirement last year.

Coish was presented with a cricket bat signed by Aussie fast bowling legend Jeff Thompson and the league's services to cricket trophy in recognition of his 13 years in the post.

A vote on which balls should be used in Premier and A division second XI games had to be re-run after confusion arose over what clubs were voting for – and whether they needed a vote at all!

Proposals to change the way targets are calculated using run-rate in games delayed by rain were shelved for 12 months.

Lewdown won the B Division last season, only losing two games from start to finish. League chairman Stuart Munday handed the divisional trophy to Lewdown captain Harry Geering at the awards night in Exeter.