SOUTH Devon CC’s players and supporters had plenty to celebrate at their annual prize-giving dinner.

The first team, skippered by James Allen, won promotion from the Tolchards Devon Cricket League D Division West at the second attempt after a near miss in 2018.

Matt Kitto led the 2^ndXI to promotion as G Division West champions a year after they were relegated into the second-lowest division in the league for the first time.

Barry Widdicombe, the Newton Abbot club’s long-serving chairman, said it was encouraging to see teams moving in the right direction after a spell in the doldrums.

“We needed to stop sliding down the divisions, which had become a bad habit both sides got into,” said Widdicombe.

“One or two new players joined us this year and, added to the players we already had, helped turn things round.”

One of the ‘new players’ Widdicombe referred to in his report on the season was Sri Lankan all-rounder Dillip Salinda, who arrived a month into the campaign when his job took him to Newton Abbot.

Salinda quickly became a 1^stXI regular and his performances with bat and ball – 23 wickets and more than 200 league runs – earned him the Tony Richardson Trophy as player of the year.

The trophy, donated in 1974 by ex-skipper Richardson, was handed over by Chris Hart, the chief executive of South Devon CC’s main sponsor Wollens.

James Allen, the 1^stXI captain, was the club’s leading batsman with 411 runs and took the bowling award with 25 wickets.

Mark Andrews was the undisputed batsman of the year in the 2^ndXI thanks to a haul of 630 league runs at an average of exactly 105.

David Lear and Shaun Taylor shared the Mick Jones Cup awarded to the leading wicket taker in the 2^ndXI. Both took 25 wickets.

Taylor also won the Bill Dalton Cup for the best performance of the season. He took five wickets for no runs conceded from eight overs bowled in a win over St Marychurch.

One of the loudest cheers of the evening came when club loyalist Ryan Maunder was announced as Len Coldwell Cup winner, which goes to the 2^ndXI player of the year. He scored 443 runs at an average of 34.08.

The prize-giving dinner was hosted at Dainton Park Golf Club near Ipplepen.

South Devon CC award winners 2019: Tony Richardson Cup (player of the year): Dillip Salinda; Len Coldwell Cup (2^ndXI player of the year): Ryan Maunder; Simon Chambers Cup (best young player): Jonty Tupman; Bill Dalton Cup (best performance): Shaun Taylor; W G Lewis Cup (best all-rounder): Kalen Warne; Mick Jones Cup (2^ndXI bowler): Shaun Taylor and David Lear; Tim Bounden Cup (most improved colt): Otty Yip; Committee Trophy (most exciting innings); Harry Senior; Gary Bowles Trophy (1^stXI bowler): James Allen; David Jervois Trophy (colt of the year): Jack Allen; 1^stXI Batting Cup: James Allen; 2^ndXI Batting Cup: Mark Andrews.