The Sweep 25 Week 18: Rain Calls Time on the DCL for 2025

Words: Simon Travers

Suddenly, it was autumn. The swifts were still darting around the Oak Park outfield faster than a Twos captain on the slip and slide, but there was no play on Saturday as Cornwood’s DCL season surrendered to a blanket of rain.

The Ones made the long trip to Heathcoat, who were holding hope for a miracle win to erase a 9 point deficit to Sandford and keep them in the Premier Division. There was enough of a break in the clouds to enable Cornwood to be put into bat, but only for four balls before umpires Jacobs and Smith removed the bails.

And that was that...

That action was enough for the game to go in the book as abandoned instead of cancelled. That has statistical significance as it meant Ben Beaumont reached 100 First XI DCL appearances on his last weekend at the club before relocating to Australia. Ben worked through the colts ranks and through the DCL team structures to make his first team debut in a 10 wicket loss against Lewdown in August 2017. Things quickly got better and Ben was an established member of the side by 2019, when he had the first of three 300 run seasons for Cornwood. In his 100 matches, he has scored 2144 runs at 25.83 with 11 fifties and that unforgettable 182* earlier in the season against Exeter. This season has proved Ben’s most productive for the team with 428 runs at 28.53. Ben has also been a handy spin option for the Ones with 45 wickets at 22.11, with best figures of 4-12 against Ivybridge in August 2019. In the field, Ben has taken 37 catches and 5 run outs. Obviously, Ben leaves a big hole in the side not only because of his performance, but because everyone at the club is proud of who he is and what he has achieved. Ben has the whole Cornwood family cheering for him as he starts a new season in his life.

Go on then... one more time.

No games were completed in the Premier Division, which means that Bradninch & Kentisbeare are repeat champions while Heathcoat and North Devon drop to A Division. They will be replaced by Hatherleigh and Tavistock next season. The Ones finish middle of the pack in fifth place, with 9 wins and 230 points. It is sometimes easy, in all the ups and downs of a season, not to recognise how consistent this team are. The Ones have played 11 seasons in the Premier Division. In their first 3 season spell from 2000-2002, they won 4 games. In four seasons, with two relegations, between 2013-2021, they won 18 games and were never higher than seventh. Since 2022, Cornwood have won 9 games every year, scored between 229-239 league points and finished either fourth or fifth. Even after a stuttering start this year, the team rattled off a seven game win streak that placed them within reach of the title race.

With player of the year candidates Matt Skeemer, Elliott Staddon, and Lee Baker leading the attack, the bowling effort has been immense. However, it is rising to the challenge of batting on Dartmoor that holds the key to Cornwood’s current and future success. There were two types of First XI matches in 2025. When the Ones scored 200, their record was 8-1. When they scored under 200, they went 1-6. Working out how to keep getting runs on the board becomes a challenge for Matt Skeemer, who picks up the captaincy armband as Elliott Staddon steps down. Elliott has done a great job in establishing Cornwood as a respected presence in the Premier Division. 21 different players have been first team captain in the past 50 years and Elliott’s tenure has been one of the finest.

There was a five-minute flutter around 2:30pm when it looked like the Twos might get something going against Teignmouth & Shaldon. The rain broke long enough to get the covers off and put them back on again. The cancellation confirmed that Ashburton are promoted as C Division West champions. However, it needs to be said that the Twos have played their best cricket of the play through league era this season. A season total of 293 points is more than every division champion scored bar Ashburton, Seaton in C Division East and Abbotskerswell in E Division West. Only Heathcoat 2XI could consider themselves more unlucky as they finished second in C Division East with 305 points. C Division West remains the toughest assignment outside of the Premier Division. The team’s player of the year nominees are Will Sharp, Jacob Caunter, Josiah Caunter and Robin Dart.  

The Threes also waited as long as they could before calling off their match against Whitchurch Wayfarers. When the target at the start of the year was settling in to E Division West and mid-table comfort, placing third and pushing promotion to the last week of the season is an impressive return for the team. That result means the team can justifiably describe themselves as the best Third team in the county. The league form was backed up by a great run to the final of the Tidball Cup. The Threes player of the year candidates are Ayaan Chatterjee, Andy Bees and Ethan Carlisle.

The Fours were the first team to have their game called off as Yelverton Bohemians 2XI’s gamble to cancel early paid off. The Boho’s left open the possibility of Chagford 2XI leaping over them to escape relegation with a win, but mid-Devon got the rain too. The Fours finished in seventh place in G Division West with 192 points. They scored as many wins as last season with six, but rose 3 points and a place higher than last year’s eighth. When you consider the Fours finished ninth in 2023, and tenth in 2022, then the club will be definitely be celebrating Marc Whaley’s promotion party in 2031. Get Chewy working on the merch early. The Fours player of the year candidates are Charlie Cawardine, Simon Garland and Charles Knight.

Saturday’s rain meant that Delamore Park was still unplayable on Sunday, washing out the Fives last fixture with the South Asian Society. The Fives completed fifteen fixtures this season, winning five, losing ten, and giving fifty-two players an opportunity to pull on the whites of a Sunday. The Fives player of the year candidates are Eoin Hewitt, Freddie Joynes and Nathan Parsons.

After the deluge at Instow

Also on Sunday, the Women’s Ones had the unenviable task of travelling to North Devon with the Tarka Ladies tied in first place of the DWCL with Plymouth. The Women’s Firsts were put into bat and immediately put under the pump by North Devon’s Milly Squire and Rose Ball. It was only possible to play six overs but Evie Privett and Keeley Willcock headed out of the rain with the score on 17-4 and that was that. The early stoppage at Instow played into Plymouth’s hands as the Haffenden sisters dissected Taunton Deane 2XI for a score of 45 all out. Plymouth finish the season with the DWCL title, although the rain curtailed both their North Devon matches, and they were conceded a win by Exeter after Exeter had comfortably beat them earlier in the season.

The Women’s Ones candidates for player of the season are Gemma Lancaster, Evie Privett and Shini Al Khalid. Across the two softball squads, the nominees are Nichola Offer, Bella Martyn, Heather Lawrie and Imogen Garland. On Thursday, the Delamores season came to an end as Holsworthy won a tight quarter final against them by 11 runs. Holsworthy batted first and scored 105-6, the Delamores replied with 104-8 with the two extra wickets proving decisive.

The other game to be played in midweek was the Under 17’s final match against PCS&R. The key moment of the match was a crisply timed 6 down the hill from Ayaan Chatterjee that put him past 1000 runs across all club matches for the season. Ayaan finished on 34 from 33 while Greg Thomas top scored with 36 from 43. Cornwood’s total of 144-6 was reachable, but PCS&R self-sabotaged by bowling their overs at a rate that would get them fined in a test match. Hasnain Khan scored 45* from 35 but couldn’t get his team over the line as the last over coincided with last light. Cornwood won by 5 runs and finished second in their division.

It's still possible to vote for your players, team, and club person of the year by following the link here. Your vote matters, but please only vote for award winners that you have some knowledge about. One vote per person please.

There’s only game left in the Cornwood season, as the Women’s Firsts hopefully head to Paignton on Sunday (weather permitting) to close out their fixture list. What better opportunity to do a Women’s Cricket Sweep special to close out the year? As well as a full report on Sunday’s action, the Sweep will be enhancing the records section by launching a brand new Women’s First records page. There will also be some recollections about the early years of the team, some classic team photos, and a few overdue tributes.

Finally, don’t forget that it’s all hands on deck this Saturday to pack away the club between 9am-12pm.