SIDMOUTH skipper Taylor Ingham-Hill regards relegation from the Tolchards DCL Premier Division as the chance for an across-the-board reset at the Fortfield.
Although Sidmouth defeated relegation companions Plymouth by eight wickets in the only top-division game played on the last Saturday of the season, it was too little too late to stave off the drop.
Top of Ingham-Hill’s ‘to-do’ list between now and next season is putting together a squad of players that will challenge for an immediate return to the Premier Division.
Said Ingham-Hill: “Lots of things need a reset, especially recruitment, where we have had no major successes with local players.
“We have found recruiting new players difficult for some time and need to get to work on it early.
“Tavistock got in for Elliot Hamilton soon after the end of last season and had him in place We need to start talking to possible signings now sooner rather than later.
“Yes we have some good, young players coming through our youth set-up, but they are four of five years away from being regulars in adult cricket.
“Dropping down a division offers the opportunity to give our younger players first-team minutes.”
Sidmouth were never out of the bottom two from the second week of the season – it rained on day one – after a 199-run pasting by Tavistock.
There were some near misses – one-wicket losses to eventual champions Paignton and second-placed Sandford – mixed in with heavy defeats against Exeter and Tavistock second time around.
A win against either Paignton or Sandford would have been enough to keep Sidmouth up. Not winning any of their first eight games in an 18-match programme would have made a difference. Three were rained-off.
Said Ingham-Hill: “We did not get it right in the first half of the season and came out on the wrong side of close games too many times.
“We showed plenty of fight in the second half of the season – I cannot fault the effort by anyone – but we left ourselves too much to do.
“When you are bottom for as long as we were, it isn’t a fluke. We just weren’t good enough.”
Plus points over the season included game time for the next generation, George Bower in particular, and the emergence of Charlie Gaywood as a genuine all-rounder due to his contribution as a bowler.
Spin bowler Mo Kaleem, who switched from Exeter during the last close season, picked up 17 wickets. He has added to seasonal tally with wickets for Somerset 2nd XI in the last two weeks.
