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I would love to come back to play for Devon, firstly to work on my game but
also to enjoy competitive cricket with some very good mates.
The 2017 season was very successful early on and I got a call to the Lions
summer squad. I didn’t play but it allowed me to see how the England
men’s teams were run and get to grips where I had to go from First Class
to potentially international cricket. That winter I toured Australia and West
Indies, which is where I made my Lions debut. These tours gave me an
understanding of travelling with these teams and again try to better myself
against current and future of internationals.
Finally came the 2018 season, which was where my childhood dream of
playing Test cricket came true through some pure luck due to the horrible
and devastating news of Jack Leach being injured. Again it was a very strange
feeling as he was a certain to play and I was personally gutted for him as I had
seen how hard he has worked to get there. Then the Test matches came and
it was a surreal three or fourweeks of my life. It flashed by, but that moment
of winning an England cap and feeling so delighted has spurred me on to
hopefully get back there one day.
Even writing this now and trying to answer the question of how I got there is
so difficult - it is simply luck and the sheer weight of hard work day in, day out.
But it is also remembering why you want to play this game. For me, it’s to
create memories of special times with your mates from club level to highest
level. When I’m going through a tough period in cricket, I have to remember
why I play. It is for those days when I was at the Devon festival with my mates
or when I was getting whacked out of Bicton for Sidmouth the 3rd XI! I am
very fortunate that I’m still young and have plenty of time to again kick on and
become as successful as I can. If that’s First Class or at international level, but
for sure I want to make certain I have a smile on my face!
I have to remember as well that none of this would have been possible
without cricket loving volunteers, parents, club members, coaches who all
play their own part through the summer and winter months. So any successes
I am fortunate enough to achieve are also due to those people.
Dom Bess, January 2019
Picture courtesy of www.ppauk.com
/www.ppauk.com
/www.ppauk.com