In Part Two of "A Lifetime in cricket" I recalled the entry of Axminster Town Cricket Club into the Exeter and East Devon League. Another milestone took place in 1997, when Axminster joined the Devon League and were placed in the lowest division, which at that time was the D Division. This was inevitably far too low for the standard of the players at that time, as Axminster won its first match by 283 runs, scoring 344 for 4 and bowling out the opposition for 61.

The 1st XI had a fine team comprising a number of highly talented young players such as Mark Richards, Peter Hayball, Jack Willow, Paul Miller, Andrew Guppy, Steve Reed, Ben Noble, Gary and Danny Larcombe, Nick Taylor, Matthew Hewer and Ian MacDonald. More experienced players included Kevin Moran, Howard Midworth, and the veteran Phil Spong, together with Tim Allsopp and Colin Atkinson.

Tim Allsopp

For many years Phil Spong had been the talisman of Axminster CC. However, as the team progressed in the Devon League, the player with considerable influence over team performance was Tim Allsopp. Tim had relocated to Axminster from the north of England to undertake a senior role at Lowara UK, pump manufacturers, based at the new site in Weycroft Avenue. Tim appeared at a game in about 1996 and following conversations which took place in the bar (a favourite haunt of Tim's), he suggested that he would like to play for Axminster Cricket Club. It transpired that Tim had played at a high level for Knaresborough, in the Yorkshire League, and was a top quality opening batsman. Not only did Tim score heavily himself, but he taught our younger players how to build an innings and not give their wicket away easily.

Mark Richards

Mark Richards was a phenomenal cricketer, who scored runs at a ferocious pace in the middle order. With the ball in hand, Mark was a handful for any batsman, bowling off an extremely short run, but darting the ball about at high speed.

His performances for Axminster with bat and ball, were ultimately recognised by the county and Mark played for Devon on several occasions. He played in a Nat West Cup match for Devon against Yorkshire, which I believe was played at Exmouth. When it was Yorkshire's turn to bat, Devon turned to Mark to bowl the first over with the new ball. Mark was ready to bowl, but the experienced Yorkshire batsman was not ready - as he was expecting Devon's opening bowler to be bowling off a long run. Mark eventually looked towards the batsman from a point just behind the umpire and said "I'm ready - are you?" He then jogged in off about three paces and fired one in, which pitched just short of a length and whistled past the batsman's ear!

Tragically, the exertion on Mark Richards' knees, particularly through bowling, caused the premature retirement of an outstanding cricketer and great character.

Peter Hayball

Peter Hayball was a punishing batsman, intimidating wicket-keeper and loyal clubman. As a batsman, Peter could hit the ball for miles and as a 'keeper he would be threatening the batsman by standing up to the wicket and whipping off the bails as the batsman dared to move out of his crease.

As a clubman, Peter was second to none. For many years he ran the evening league for pubs and clubs, which was extremely popular. He also managed the bar at Cloakham Lawns, running an outside bar at community events to help raise funds for the Sports Centre. Peter and his partner moved away from Axminster for a number of years to run their own pub near Exeter. However, we are pleased to see them now relocated back to this area.

Jack Willow

Jack Willow led the team as captain for a period of time during which Axminster Town Cricket Club reached its full potential. The club had risen from the D Division in 1997 up to the A Division by 2001. Jack Willow was captain at that time and had led the side brilliantly. The team was performing well and it looked like Axminster Town Cricket Club could reach the dizzy heights of the Devon Premier League. However, our situation was thwarted – not by performance for or against the team, but by influence away from the cricket field. Foot and Mouth Disease had descended on the West Country in 2001 and during that season the Devon Cricket League had reluctantly made the decision that there would be no promotion or relegation in the 2001 season, as some teams had to cancel matches due to the disease. It was therefore ironic that Axminster finished in a position whereby they would otherwise have been promoted into the highest league in the county.

During the period when Jack Willow captained the team, there was a settled squad. However, beyond 2002 the team struggled to maintain its high standards. Phil Spong and Tim Allsopp were possibly past their best. Mark Richards was having trouble with his knee. The talented Phil Holland, who had come to us from Honiton, returned to his roots and a large crop of talented youngsters were yet to reach their full potential.

Other captains

During the next few years, the team was captained by a number of other players including Mark Richards and then Tristan Wakeley. Tristan was the son of Steve Wakeley, who was himself a very useful all-rounder. Eventually, the role of club captain fell to Paul Miller, a classy batsman, who still has the captain's role and has carried out a fantastic job in keeping the team together during difficult times for the club.

Overseas players

During the period of success for Axminster Town Cricket Club and its desire to maximise the team's full potential, it was suggested that similar to a number of Devon League clubs, Axminster should consider enlisting the assistance of an overseas player. The idea was suggested by Tim Allsopp whose experience of clubs in the north of England revolved around the addition of a good quality overseas player to assist in the club's development. The idea was that the overseas player should be a young cricketer, keen to gain experience in this country and should also be able to assist with the development of the club – possibly coaching, bar work, assistance for the groundsman, etc.

For a number of years this worked well. We had a young South African, Malcolm Deacon; an Australian, Darryl Monger ;and a Barbadian, Cally Lopez. They all contributed significantly to the performance of the team, although their total involvement within the area of club management was not perhaps as we had hoped. We were probably fortunate though that these three players had turned out to be really nice lads, they became part of the club and forged long-term friendships with some of our players to such a level that some of our Axminster lads were able to visit foreign countries and play cricket in the teams of their overseas friends.

However, we were not so lucky with a further overseas player from Sri Lanka, who was not a particularly skilful cricketer and with whom we had endless problems with accommodation, etc. It was only through the expert assistance of one or two of our senior club members that we were able to overcome the difficulties that ensued.

Axminster 2nd XI

Some years before the club's entry into the Devon League, I realised that my days as a regular first teamer were numbered and this coincided with the need for a 2nd XI captain. Therefore, from 1987 to 1994, I thoroughly enjoyed being captain of the 2nd XI, playing East Devon League and friendlies, before handing over the reins, initially to Richard Shopland and then to Mark Enticott, a most popular cricketer to take over the 2nd XI captaincy.

In my view the most important feature of the role of 2nd XI captain was to develop opportunities for talented young players, whilst at the same time playing enjoyable cricket, which also involved a number of us who were probably past our best!

Included in the 2nds in the late 1990s, apart from those young players passing through, on their way into the first team, were the "old stagers" such as Dave Pike, Terry Guppy, Ronnie Seward, Colin Leadbetter, Brian Perry, Simon Dunn and Graham Hayball. These players were the backbone of the team, with Colin Leadbetter making runs and taking wickets, whilst Terry Guppy could take wickets at 2nd XI level for fun, with his deadly leg-cutters!

Other second eleven players who just loved their cricket were Nick Yool, John Isles, Chris Friend and Mike Hewer. These were players did not necessarily feature at the top of the averages, but carried out important roles for the club – quietly but effectively. We couldn't have managed without them!

3rd XI and 4th XI

As the number of players wishing to play cricket for Axminster grew, there soon became a need for a third eleven. Through the good auspices of schoolteacher Mike Hewer, we were able to establish a home for our third team, playing at the Axe Valley Community College cricket ground. This was followed four or five years later by a fourth eleven, which underlined the crucial need for a second ground at Cloakham Lawns. As the club was now blessed with an increasing number of players, we were fortunate to have six qualified coaches to develop the techniques of our players.

Development of Harry's Field

As mentioned previously in Moulding's Memories, discussions had taken place with Simon Dutfield regarding the possibility for sport to be played on land to the north of our leased area. Initially the conversation related to the introduction of rugby and possibly the relocation of Axminster Town Football Club from Sector Lane.

Axminster Rugby Club was in its infancy in the 1990s, although history tells us that there was an Axminster Rugby Club which played on "The Lawns" at Cloakham in the early part of the 20th century. Members of the rugby club had worked hard to kick-start their club, playing at land below Gammons Hill, between Axminster and Kilmington. The club were playing matches, without proper changing facilities, nor a clubhouse where they could enjoy a pint or several after each home match.

The development of Harry's Field for rugby involved a number of side-issues, including the diversion of the public right of way. I remember that the original public footpath leading to Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre was not in particularly good condition. Unfortunately, a well-known character, who I believe already had a severely damaged leg, had a fall whilst walking on the footpath. This was followed by a scribbled note arriving at the Sports Centre, suggesting that he was going to put a claim in for damage to his leg caused by the state of the footpath. I mentioned this to my wife Mary following receipt of the note, who replied in all innocence "Well - he can't do that - he doesn't have a leg to stand on!"

There was also the legal matter of the extension of our lease arrangements, which had been brilliantly arranged through the kind auspices of local solicitor Maurice Milford, who had carried out the work involved in acquiring our original charitable status and creating a trust constitution.

In order to effectively relocate the rugby club, the Cloakham Lawn trustees were of the opinion that in order for the club to be sustainable, there was a need for a sound youth policy, development of a coaching structure and a five year plan for Axminster Rugby Club. Although the club members were undoubtedly keen to relocate and play rugby, they were less keen to create the sustainable plan that was needed. Unfortunately, the plans for rugby at Cloakham didn't materialise.

Multi-use Games Area

Prior to the development of Harry's Field a successful National Lottery application had led to the creation of an outdoor bowls complex, cricket nets and a multi-use games area (MUGA).

We had an interesting scenario with the MUGA, which was floodlit, in order for sport to be played on the artificial turf surface well into the evening. This proved to be particularly popular with local companies, who hired the facility for playing five-a-side football under floodlights.

Usage of the MUGA had not been in operation for very long, when – lo and behold – we had a letter of concern from the Taunton Fly Fishing Club, whose members fished for trout on the River Axe near Cloakham Bridge. Apparently, as dusk approached, just when the trout were rising to the surface to nab a fly, once the floodlights on the Cloakham Lawn MUGA were switched on, the fish stopped rising to the surface – obviously the bright lights had sent the fish down to the bottom of the river. Hence, the poor anglers from the Taunton Fly Fishing Club had no sport at all! They objected strongly, but unfortunately for them, the time to object was when we were applying for planning approval - not when the MUGA had commenced its operations. However, we wanted to be helpful – so we were able to adjust the floodlights in order that the spread of light was turned away from the River Axe as much as possible.

At Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre, we tried desperately to get tennis off the ground. Ideally, we needed a tennis club to be formed and although quite a number of tennis players booked the court on a pay as you play basis, we failed to persuade them to form a club.

We also tried, together with East Devon District Council, to run coaching sessions for young people. The youngsters were coached by Jo Louis, a former Wimbledon player, who had reached No 282 on the world rankings and John Wingate, a former Exeter City footballer, who had qualified as a tennis coach.

Cloakham manager Phil Spong, together with Martin Leach and Les Haynes, who we had appointed as Youth Development Co-ordinators, tried extremely hard to develop tennis at the Sports Centre for a number of years, but without a club structure, it proved to be extraordinarily difficult.

Alongside the MUGA, we also installed a basketball area with hoops for potential basket-ball players to practice.

The Millennium – 150 year anniversary of Axminster Town Cricket Club

The Year 2000 marked the advent of further developments for Cloakham Lawns and Axminster Cricket Club.

Simon Dutfield had agreed to extend our lease which included the land now known as Harry's Field.

The cricket club had written a five-year plan, which amongst a lengthy wish-list included the provision of a club clock, in memory of Bill Carr, our much-loved 2nd XI captain. The five-year plan also included new sightscreens and a score-box.

Dave Pike had kick-started the celebrations for the club's 150th Year anniversary by compiling a mass of information required to produce a celebration book, entitled "150 years of cricket in Axminster".

Axminster Town Cricket Club versus the world famous Lord's Taverners

Some years previously we had acquired a grant towards the provision of an artificial turf wicket from the Lord's Taverners and we decided that we could combine our 150 year anniversary with an opportunity to raise funds for the Lord's Taverners. This was a considerable venture and involved as many members of the club as we could possibley muster, led by stalwarts such as Phil Spong, Les Haynes, Dave Pike, Peter Hayball and many others. Amongst those who took a leading role in the arrangements was none less than Philip Evans MBE, who has always taken a keen interest in Axminster Cricket Club and had vast experience in running events of this magnitude. The celebrations would involve the erection of a huge marquee, where we could offer a dining experience to around 150 people, a number being in corporate groups belonging to companies and supporters within the community.

There were many discussions with the Lord's Taverners' organisers, who had promised us a team of all stars from the world of cricket and entertainment. The Lord's Taverners were challenged with their team selection – but Axminster Town CC had an even more difficult job deciding who should play and who should not play against the Taverners. Thankfully, this was resolved amicably.

The Lord's Taverners team included no fewer than five former test cricketers: Chris Tavare, Vic Marks, Graham Johnson, Matthew Maynard and Richard Ellison. Alongside these cricket luminaries were the following stars from stage, screen and television: Shane Cortese – New Zealand actor and singer, Adrian Mills – many years a presenter for "That's Life", Bill Frindall – the legendary "bearded wonder" scorer for Test Match Special, John Taylor – former British Lions rugby player, Clive Salmon – James Bond film actor and John Fingleton – fund-raising auctioneer.

For some while leading up to the Lord's Taverners match, we were desperate to know who would be in the team, in order that we could advertise it in the press (no social media at that time!). It obviously takes a great deal of organisation to pull the team together and we didn't seem to be getting very far. However, a few days before the match, we were told that the famous June Brown – Dot Cotton from "Eastenders" - would be there to support the Taverners and would be more than happy to sign autographs. This was quickly released to the press.

Excitedly we awaited the day of the match and fortunately the weather was kind. Well before the start of the match, great numbers of people started to arrive – not necessarily to watch the match, but more specifically to meet "Dot Cotton" and obtain her autographed photo. The charming June Brown sat at a table at the entrance to the ground, with cigarettes going all day, smiling and signing autographs. She was brilliant!

Once the match was underway, an excellent game ensued. Axminster scored 198 for 8, with captain Jack Willow scoring 52 and Adrian Mills and Bill Frindall taking two wickets each. The Taverners reached their total with 200 for 7 – Shane Cortese scoring 48 and John Taylor undefeated on 42 to steer his side home.

The banquet afterwards was amazing, with speeches extremely entertaining. There was a great deal of clearing-up to do, but it was all well worth it, as we were able to present the Lord's Taverners with a cheque for £8,000 towards their charities, whilst at the same time, raising funds for Axminster Cricket Club.

The next edition of "Moulding's Memories" will be Part Four of a Lifetime in Cricket. This will include memorable opponents, the development of Harry's Field and the wacky fund-raising and drinking habits of Axminster Town Cricket Club.