Honiton Lions back Ottery juniors

The burgeoning youth section at Ottery St Mary Cricket Club last week received a welcome boost when the Honiton and District Lions Club responded to a recent appeal for funds to purchase additional kit for youngsters in the U11 age group by making a �250 donation.

Of the 100-plus children in the youth set up at Salston Field, almost 40 fall into this age bracket with the club currently running both a hard ball pairs side (8-a-side) and an 11-a-side team.

Junior section manager Emma Webber, seen receiving the cheque from Lions’ President Elect, Brian Richards, stressed the need for the extra kit, commenting: “At this age group most of the children are trying cricket for the first time, and the club therefore often has to provide all of the kit which can be quite a strain financially.

“We’re tremendously grateful to the Lions for helping us out in this way – hopefully it will result in even more youngsters progressing through the youth set up here at Ottery”.

Mr Richards explained the Lions’ keenness to support the youngsters observing: “We support lots of youth organisations in Honiton, but we’ve got a link with Ottery via one of our members, Bill King, and we felt we’d like to do something for the town. And, of course, we’d love to think that some of these kids will be encouraged to become Lions one day!”

As for the lads themselves, they’re having a fine start to the season, winning four of their first five matches including a terrific 70-run victory over Seaton. Three of the squad have also represented Devon. Joint coaches Will Katene and Rob Southall-Brown were understandably delighted with the windfall, Southall-Brown labeling it as “a massive vote of confidence in the Ottery St Mary youth set up”.