Axminster, Chardstock and Kilmington Cricket Clubs have formed a 'Kilmington & District' Youth Cricket team and have submitted one softball and five hardball youth teams to the Devon Cricket League Youth Leagues, writes Martin Huscroft. 

This is an umbrella youth section for Axminster, Chardstock and Kilmington Cricket Clubs, whilst keeping the independent adult teams from three East Devon clubs with a long history.

A key advantage of this collaborative set up is having three grounds available for use, adding a great deal of flexibility.

Kilmington Youth lead, Eddie Clarke, is working with Damien Price and Alex Jopling from the Devon Cricket Foundation with local schools, including, to date, Woodroffe, Kilmington Primary, Mrs Ethelston's and Axminster RC School. 

Eddie will be engaging with more schools going forward.  With that in mind, we have organised a softball festival for a number of invited schools on May 17 at Kilmington Cricket Field.  The intention being that this school's engagement will bring youngsters into the 'Kilmington & District' Youth setup.

Before that, 'Kilmington & District' Youth will be running cricket sessions at Axminster Sports Hall on Monday nights between 18:30 and 19:30 from February 19 until mid-April.  Older youngsters will be able to join Chardstock's adult sessions, which follow the youth session. The registration session will be February 19, 2024, but ‘Kilmington & District’ will be able to register youngsters before and after that night.

Across the collaboration, the five lead coaches will be Rob Hutchings and Rob Garth (Chardstock), Mark Burrough (Axminster), Eddie Clarke and Luke Reed (Kilmington), but other players from the three clubs will also be involved, including some of the Kilmington players who shone in the A Division last season, towards the very elite end of Devon cricket.

In the cricket season, there will be training and nets across the three clubs:

Dynamos
U11 softball led by Eddie Clarke at Kilmington on a Friday
U12 transition from softball to hardball – Eddie Clarke at Kilmington on a Friday
U12 hardball led by Robbie Hutchings and Rob Garth at Chardstock on a Thursday
U13 hardball led by Mark Burrough at Axminster on a Saturday morning
U14 hardball led by Mark Burrough at Axminster on a Saturday morning
U15 hardball led by Eddie Clarke, Luke Reed and support at Kilmington on a Thursday
U17 hardball led by Luke Reed and Eddie Clarke at Kilmington on a Thursday

The new project is potentially looking at the U17 team moving into a development adults team to play some friendly fixtures.  The Thursday night training at Kilmington will be linked to 2nd XI nets.

Because the different levels that Axminster (H East Division), Chardstock (E East Division) and Kilmington (A and F East Divisions) teams play at in the DCL, there will be several entry points into adult cricket.

Kilmington Cricket Club adult section will start netting on January 18 21:00-22:00 at Exeter University on a fortnightly basis.  New players will be very welcome.

We will soon have a Facebook page for the collaboration but, in the meantime, get in touch with the clubs through their Play Cricket sites and the individual clubs Facebook sites. www.kilmington.play-cricket.com, chardstock.play-cricket.com/Aboutus and www.axminster.play-cricket.com

Key dates:

Monday, February 19: 18:30-19:30
'Kilmington & District' Youth will be running cricket sessions at Axminster Sports Hall on Monday nights until the middle of April.

Monday, February 19: 19:30
Chardstock Cricket Club will be running adult cricket nets at Axminster Sports Hall on Monday nights

Wednesday nights in the cricket season
Kilmington Cricket Club 1st XI nets

Thursday nights in the cricket season
Kilmington Cricket Club 2nd XI nets aligned with U15 and U17 'Kilmington & District' Youth teams

Friday, May 17: 10am - 2pm
Schools softball festival for invited schools (six schools entered so far) at Kilmington Cricket Field run by Eddie Clarke and Damien Price (DCF).