The Sweep 25 Colts Special: Ayaan is Cornwood's Colt of the Year
- Cornwood Cricket club
- Jul 21
- 9 min read
Words: Simon Travers
Photos: Bella Martyn
School’s out! If you can hear the sound of dad sitting on the suitcase to make it shut and the gentle tap of teenagers doubling down on their screen time, that means you could hear the roar of applause from Sparkwell as parents, coaches and colts gathered on Friday night to tie a bow around the Colts’ cricket year. With around 80 colts attending, and many more who wished they could have, Oak Park was rocking. Cornwood’s amazing volunteer catering team were putting in the usual big shift to make sure everyone was watered and fed.
One hallmark of a Cornwood Colts season is that the club does everything it can to get the game on, even when that means getting a team to Brixham with 24 hours’ notice. The last 12 weeks of action represents a massive collective effort from player, parents and volunteer coaches alike. It helps when the Dartmoor weather is friendly with no weather cancellations. That meant our future stars took every opportunity to show how cricket should be done. Throughout all the presentations, one phrase that was stuck on repeat was ‘Anyone could have won this award.’
Alex Robinson kicked off the event reporting on the Boys Under 11. In Alex’s first season coaching at the club, the team have had wonderful fun. The Under 11s have played 12, won 6 and lost 4 games by less than 5 runs. Alex has seen growth and maturity from a new group of players learning the game. The team is typified by amazing ground fielders who put the dive in, and a team batting ethos where every player hit the ropes. Alex’s work as a coach was backed up by helpers Paul and Shaun who are both much appreciated. For the Under 11s Boys, Jacob received the batting award for his bravery and commitment to improve. Freddie was top bowler. His passion for cricket and leadership were infectious and he took 12 wickets, including 4-17 against Plymouth. Ed won the Fielder award for making key stops in a close game against Plymouth. Lukey was the most improved player. At the start of the year, his ambition was to play a hardball game but he went above and beyond that.
Andy Rickard, described by Chewy as being ‘like you’ve ordered the pied piper from Temu,’ provided the update for the Acorns section. Andy has been invested in training the youngest cricketers in the club for two decades. There aren’t words to capture the depth of appreciation the club has for how Andy has invested in so many young lives and built a cricket culture from foundations up. For Andy, the little ones is what the club is all about, every player is valued as a little star. The Acorns maybe are sometimes distractable, but they switch on when it’s time to bat and they whack the ball with heart. There was a medal presented to every member of the Acorns by club captain Elliott Staddon.
Club Chairman Nick Goodliffe did the presentations for the Under 11s Softball Oaks. The club had 35 players on All Stars this season which feeds into dynamos and the U10 and U11 softball squads. This is the future of the club but you don’t get to see that future without hard graft. Nick has been supported this year by Dean Moorcraft, Evie Privett and Charlie Farmer among others to make training nights special. All of the All Stars and Dynamos have shown improvements to their game. There were medals to all the Dynamos and U11 Softball players. The team have had limited opportunities for friendly games, so the awards were based largely on training. James was selected for the batting award. He played one game against Tavistock and has natural timing. Zachary won the bowling award for how his technique has developed. Tommie never stops running fielding around the boundary and with a great throw and commitment deserved the fielding award. Casper was the most improved, working hard at everything he does.
Robert Way made the presentation for the Under 11s girls softball and Under 13s Girls softball. Luci Atkins is the manager of the Under 11s team and there was an opportunity to thank her for the investment she has made in the team. It’s been difficult to find opponents this year, so there was only one U11 game but the team made it count. It was an instant classic that showed how far the team have come with only 2 runs in it. It was a tough choice for batting award, but the vote went to power-hitting Ava. Ellie was picked for the bowling award to reflect her all-round game. Nina gets the fielding award for a fantastic catch taken in the U13s, while Flo was the most improved for always trying her best, especially in match situations.
The Under 13s girls developed a strong rivalry against Tavistock this year as other teams in their division pulled out. Having an Under 11s girls set up meant that Cornwood were always able to find a team. The team weren’t able to get a win over Tavi, but they came close twice. Sara was chosen as the team’s standout batter of the year. Millie won the bowler award for impressive accuracy and consistency. Olive is a quality allrounder who put in a great shift in the field for the fielder award. Emily won most improved as a reflection of how she keeps getting better every year. The Girls Under 13s also had a parent’s player of the year award, voted on for match performances, and that went to Olive.
The really very large Under 13s squad was led again this year by Jonathan Way. This year is the first year where the club decided to give awards for U12, U13, U14 and U15 players of the year, Jon has been backed up by a great team. Simon Garland continues to be a legend and a calming influence. Lee Baker and Usman both umpired games. Vicky Way put in many game-night shifts behind the bar and was always there for both Jon and the club. It’s been an interesting season with a constant stream of fixtures. The U12s and U13s have done well, but have also met some strong sides with county players attached. It’s a mark of the vast improvement and natural talent of the team that Alfie made 50 against Tavistock and Marriott took 4-2 against Yelverton but were not selected for those awards. Marriott was awarded the U12s batting award for volume of runs and technique. Rehaan, a seriously quick 11 year old, took most wickets and was a natural pick for the bowling award. Yasser was selected fielder of the year for some stunning, logic-defying catches. Will was most improved for the way he has developed as a fearless wicket keeper.
In the Under 13s awards, Harvey listens to coaching, works hard and hits a long ball. He was picked for the batting award. The bowling award went to Mr Consistent Line and Length James. Noah G is a good all-round cricketer, but won the fielding award for his stints as a keeper. Noah K won most improved for a second to none work ethic in developing his skills.
Marc Whaley, Under 15s girls manager, was able to report on an excellent season for the team, winning 4 out of 5 games. Sometimes, 14-15 years is a time when squad numbers can dwindle, but with thanks to the coaching and fixture support of Sarah Puleston, the team have flourished beyond where they expected. There have been lots of opportunities for young women to step up. Some of the squad have played softball and Super8s. Nadine, Imogen, Frankie, and Erica have all made their DWCL Women’s First team debuts. Sara was chosen for the batting award, notably for a crucial 25* from 26 against Ipplepen. The bowling award went to Frankie who has taken 8 wickets in 5 games and opens and closes the innings. Charlotte brings a crazy enthusiasm and has scored a number of run outs for fielder of the year. All the team’s batting has improved this year, but Imogen gets most improved for the way her confidence with the bat has grown.
Ryan ‘Chewy’ Hewitt reported on a remarkable season for the Under 15s squad. The Tier 1 team won their division with a game to spare and a 100% record. They also beat Plymouth in a last ball thriller and Tavistock within a week to qualify for the Devon final of the ECB Under 15s Cup. There was also the small matter of the first ever junior Cornwood cricket tour and the legend of the champagne super-over in Lisvane. None of this could have happened without support from the coaching team of Jules Burrows, Sam Griffiths, Chris Bowden and Ben Privett. 23 players have played 25 matches with 8 more games to come and 15 of the squad has played adult cricket this season.
The squad awards were presented primarily with U14 and U15 matches in mind. With the Under 14s, lots of players have reached a 50, but Charlie C wins the batting award for his technique, power and game management. Tommy won the bowling award for 17 wickets, even though his season ended mid-June. Fielder award goes to Sam, who has the stats to match the confidence with 9 Under 15s catches. Raph wins most improved as someone who came to the club with a good reputation, but has kicked on and really evolved as a cricketer.
For the Under 15s, the most predictable award of the night is that Ayaan was batter of the season with 547 runs and 6 fifties. Charlie M has been brilliant for the bowling award, taking 13 wickets while usually bowling against the best batters. In a gun fielding team, fielder of the year had to be ‘born to keep wicket’ Freddie for his 14 catches and 2 stumpings. The most improved award went to a quality cricketer who has taken a massive leap forward. Ollie wins for scoring over 260 runs in youth matches and hitting a 50 in his DCL debut.
The final awards of the night were the Club Awards, which can be won by any player across the squad. The Brian Gould Trophy is won for a moment of sportsmanship. This was awarded to Rehaan for a moment against Plymouth. Rehaan bowled a fast ball that hit a player in the chest, causing him to fall on his stumps. While that is hit wicket, Rehaan called the batsman back saying he didn’t want to get him out that way. There was a new trophy this year, the Bev Matthews Cup. Bev was a huge supporter of youth cricketers and the award goes to a player who contributes to the club across the junior section. Edmund jumps on his bike to help the club in any way he can and is the first winner of the cup. He has given full commitment in playing youth and adult cricket, and has written for the sweep, volunteered and coached others too. The Bill Pinney Special Merit award is given for a champagne moment. Tommy wins the award for an incredible spell in a Fifth XI game against Holbeton. Opening the bowling against an adult team with one junior player, Tommy took 6-2-7-5 including a hat-trick.
The Colts Managers Award was awarded to a junior cricketer who we all recognise as outstanding representative and ambassador of the club. Stanley has been a credit to everyone this season. He has hit five 50s for the Under 15s team. He has hit 100s against Dorset and Wiltshire for Devon Under 14s. He averages 31 in the Cornwood 2XI so far this year and made his first team debut.
The final award of the night, the prestigious Colt of the Year trophy, was awarded to Ayaan. Ayaan is an outstanding cricketer who has had an outstanding year. Nobody across the club has scored more runs in a Cornwood shirt. As Under 15s captain, Ayaan has scored 547 runs at an average of 78.14 at a mature and measured 96.81 strike rate. He has also taken 11 wickets in the Under 15s at an average of 12.82. Ayaan is a regular player in the Cornwood 3XI, with an adult 50 and 7 wickets to his name. He is a thoughtful, decent young man and a leader that others want to play for. Unfortunately, Ayaan was not at the event to receive the award, but he will get his ovation in due course. He is a great cricketer with a big future.
With the awards wrapped up, one final word about Chewy. Inclusivity has always been a core value of the Cornwood colts set up. It’s proper work to train youngsters, but slightly easier if you restrict numbers, or focus on a handful of players who one day might be first teamers. At Cornwood, we try to make a place for everyone to enjoy their cricket, bring their best and develop at their own speed. As the Colt’s section has multiplied, Chewy has spearheaded key initiatives to enable that. He has led the way in booking enough fixtures so everyone gets a game in big squads. He has been responsible for building the Fifths and relaunching P&D Cricket at Cornwood. Those teams provide meaningful development for colts players, but they also keep the club connected to its roots as a village team that knows the precious value of social cricket. Chewy is tireless, generous, protective of his youngsters, and committed to the future of Cornwood and cricket culture in general. He’s a true legend.
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