BRIXHAM have signed record-breaking batsman Marco Marais strengthen their side after a disappointing 2016 season in the Premier Division.

With a record of one win from 18 games, Brixham finished bottom of the table on their return to top-flight cricket after an absence of 23 years.

South African all-rounder Corné Dry wasn’t the success Brixham had hoped for last summer, scoring 408 runs at an average in the 40s and taking just 15 wickets at an average in the low 30s.

Marais comes with an unbeatable track record in lower division Devon League cricket, made during a season and a half with Lewdown.

The South African smashed 1,357 runs at an average of 135.7 for Lewdown in the 2013 B Division season – including a double ton against Alphington and 190 against South Devon.

Marais holds the B Division batting record previously owned by Tavistock’s Phil Stephens of 130.75 set in 1993.

He returned the following season to play another 10 games and chalk up 465 runs before returning home due to an injury.

The 23-year-old from Cape Province got himself fit and is now a regular in Border’s First Class side at home in South Africa. Last season he made 400 runs in three-day cricket.

Brixham found Premier cricket a bit of an eye-opener last season – and joined a long list of clubs to go up and come straight back down again.

The danger, as Chudleigh, Seaton, Braunton, Hatherleigh and others have discovered in the past, is it is easy to carry on sliding down the divisions.

The prospect of Premier cricket didn’t bring ambitious players flooding to Boundary Park last season eager to test themselves.

Brixham are unlikely to want to push for Premier cricket again before their squad is stronger, but bringing in a proven Devon League performer such as Marais will ensure they are competitive in the A Division.

ONLY two batsman have ever scored more than 1,000 runs in a B Division season – Marais and Aussie Martin Gleeson.

Curiously, Gleeson was Brixham’s overseas player in 1997, when he made 1,059 runs in a 22-game league season. Marais did it in 18.

Best of the rest behind Gleeson are also Brixham players from the 22-game days: Andy Pugh (926 in 1990) and Darren Evans (997 in 1998).

Only one other batsman has topped 900 B Division runs in a season. Abbotskerswell’s Matt Blackmore who notched 918 back in 1996.

Pugh is still playing for Brixham and Blackmore remains active with South Devon 2^nd XI.