FORMER Sidmouth College student Matthew Cooke has been appointed Cricket Development Officer for Devon.

Matt, 24, who has played for Sidmouth Cricket Club since he was 10, is already head coach at the Fort Field and has been coaching at club and county level since he was 16.

He has attained the England and Wales Cricket Board level three coaching certificate and is looking forward to attaining level four in due course.

Since leaving school Matt has worked for Potbury’s Removals for five and a half years. He was among 36 applicants, five of whom were shortlisted, for his new post.

The job, based at the Devon County Indoor Academy at Exeter University, will be mainly concerned with the Chance To Shine schools programme, women’s and girls’ cricket, teacher training and administering Clubmark, which sets standards for clubs to meet.

Matt, who lives in Arcot Park with his partner Kate and Labrador Buster, is the holder of the record for the highest score in Devon youth cricket – 201 not out made in July, 2005. This beat the previous record of 194 set by former Somerset and Nottinghamshire player Matt Wood.

Matt takes up his new post on Thursday, June 21.