By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE
PLYMOUTH skipper Sam Stein has started planning for Premier Division cricket after winning promotion through the back door.
The Mount Wise men finished third in the Tolchards DCL A Division table after the final round of matches last Saturday.
The top two in the A Division are supposed to trade places with the basement tenants in the Premier, which ordinarily means Plymouth would have missed out on promotion.
For the second year in a row the runners-up in the A Division were blocked from promotion by ECB red tape. This season it was Bridestowe, whose last-day drubbing of Plymstock kept them ahead of Plymouth.
Twelve months ago second-placed Kilmington’s promotion hopes were strangled by the same red tape. As third-in-the-table Torquay were also blocked from promotion for the same reasons, only champions Exeter went up. That meant a relegation reprieve in the top flight for second-bottom Bovey Tracey.
Spool forward 12 months and there is a similar situation, but with one big difference. Bovey Tracey finished second from bottom again, but as Plymouth are ECB compliant the league has reverted to two-up, two down, which means no reprieve for Bovey Tracey.
Plymouth dropped out of the Premier Division at the end of the 2022 season. Stein’s task now is to assemble a squad capable of staying there. That task has already started.
“It is an exciting time for the club to be back in the Premier Division after two seasons away,” said Stein.
“We had plans in place to strengthen the club this winter and this has fast forwarded the process slightly, which is good news.
“We will be hoping to add to players to our side to ensure we are in the best possible place when the new season arrives. We are on the ball already and getting our message out there.”
Getting the right overseas cricketer in place is a must for Plymouth, especially with the tendency of some players to return home early due to commitments in their own domestic season. First Class players from South Africa and Indian are particularly vulnerable to early recall by their teams.
Plymouth’s Naz Siddiqui was just one of the players to head home early. He only lasted half a season. Torquay & Kingskerswell, Bradninch & Kentisbeare, Heathcoat, Sidmouth and Exmouth were among other clubs without their overseas ‘stars’ during the crucial end-of-season run-in.
Stein is clearly aware of the problem.
“I think we're going to try for a high-grade Aussie – if they're good enough and available,” said Stein.
“We need them here all season… that's for sure!”
