The history of the club has been closely linked to the Amory family. H.H. Amory was a prominent batsman with Bolham CC and a score book covering the years 1889-94 shows this to be the club from which Heathcoat Cricket Club arose.

During these formative years, fixtures were concentrated within the Mid Devon area with opponents including Tiverton, Blundell’s School, Uffculme, Stoodleigh, South Molton, Thorverton and Bickleigh. Photographs taken during those early years are a reminder that the ground, as part of Knightshayes estate, had a Country House Cricket atmosphere about it. The pavilion reinforced this view being constructed of logs with a thatched roof. As a result of its cramped conditions, tea was served in an adjoining marquee.

The Amory family were a major source of players at this time. The side, included Sir J.H. Amory, the first Baronet, and his sons Ian, Ludovic and Harry. A pair of brothers from nearby Cruwys Morchard, L.G and Reverend R.G Cruwys who represented Devon were also regular players.

From Sir John Amory the club derived the immense benefit of a powerful motivating force during an important period after WW1. Sir John captained the club and the Devon side in this post-war period when the pitch was re-laid and the ground fenced with iron railings. At the same time, the pavilion preceding our current one was erected. The Club formally became The Heathcoat Cricket Club in 1921. The club put out two Saturday sides and produced many fine players who had played cricket at a high level. These included Sammy Hoare, Sir John Amory and Mervyn Hill who were ably supported by Jack Vickery, George Potter and Tom Gillard who went on to be president in the eighties.

After a mediocre patch the club had better fortunes in the 1950s. Among the Devon players were Geoff Edwards, Dennis Forward and brothers, Redvers and Ray Seatherton. The sixties saw the emergence of some of the current Old Codgers, namely Roy Church, Trevor and Terry Davey, Les Saunders, Frank Selly, Peter Hitt and Roy Banfield.

The seventies saw Ken Lansley take over as secretary and he oversaw the clubs first appearance in League cricket. They joined the North East Devon League claiming runners up spot in the first year before joining the stronger Devon League. The arrival of former Somerset and Blundell’s master Terry Barwell gave the team added batting stability. Barwell’s presence and Rob Head’s captaincy saw a fine crop of young players move from the colts into the senior side with great effect. In 1988 both the first and second teams won their league and gained promotion to the top tier of Devon cricket. During this time the league rules were very different and many clubs were including overseas players into their squads. In order to keep pace with the changes Trevor Stead from Zimbabwe became the fist overseas player for Heathcoat.

In the nineties, the club enjoyed some of its most successful years. We were blessed with the home grown talent of David and Gareth Townsend on the field and brother Graeme as secretary. Other players who had emerged from the ever blossoming colts sides were Lawson Mountsevens, John Hurley, Paul Elliott and Mark Govier. The club was able to attract many fine players including Julian Wyatt, a colleague of Gareths’ at Somerset, Dave Halfyard, Paul Handford, Andy Giles, Russell Jones and Ben Trott. Gareth Townsend became captain in 1994 and led the club to promotion to the new Premier Division. Here the club remained, achieving their highest position of third in 1997 when Stuart MacGill was our overseas player. However, in the late nineties age, relocation and transfers saw nine of the first team move on. The pied piper years of the Townsend dynasty were truly over. At that time we had the Devon opening attack of Russell Jones, Tom Wright and first change Paul Warren at the club and their departure saw us relegated the following year. With so few players of quality coming to Knightshayes it was decided that the club shouldn’t follow the semi professional stance of many of the premier clubs. At the same time many smaller clubs were finding it too difficult to meet the demands of league cricket and nearby Stoodleigh folded. We absorbed some of their senior players which boosted our squads and with some useful youth players results began to improve. However, during these difficult times the true clubmen remained and managed the club as we slipped down the divisions. The junior section continued to be strengthened and with development officers, Tony Bodgin, Peter Jones, Judith Hopkins, Martin Webb and Ali Deighton Gibson, Friday nights became a breeding ground of some very useful talent. Many of the juniors represented East Devon and a lot have progressed to the full Devon side. These young players have been blooded in the North Devon league and second elevens and have forced their way into the first team.

Having hit our nadir in 2006 when we suffered relegation to the C division, due to an administrative error, we bounced back winning promotion the following season, having lost only one game. Captain Darron Drew led the young side with much surety and with young players such as Jack Menheneott, Sam and Joe Smith, the Club was now extremely buoyant under the captaincy of Paul Elliott. Indeed over the winter months the young indoor side managed to win the Cup and League double.

2008 was to see another new innovation in the form of a local 20-20 evening league with all the attached razzmatazz. How things have progressed over the last ninety years.

To be continued... AJDG 2008