Its Great News ….. Jay Bista has put pen to paper and will be returning to Oak Park next season.
Cornwood CC finished fifth in the Devon Premier Division in 2022, the club’s highest ever league position, and the performances of Bista played a big part in achieving this success, racking up over 1000 runs in just 15 matches, and chipping in with 21 valuable wickets.
Club vice chairman Nick Goodliffe added ….”Jay’s playing performances were top notch, the stats speak for themselves, but equally as important, he fitted well into all aspects of club life at Cornwood and made many friends in his first season at the club. He regularly assisted with the clubs large colts division, coached the ladies squad each week and was always available for senior players to help work on aspects of their game in the nets. Additionally his dedication to training and work-rate was apparent for all to see, setting standards which many of our senior players undoubtedly benefitted from”.
It was a very easy decision for the club to make when it came to considering who they wanted as their overseas player/ coach for 2023. Jay is currently back home in India, playing his competitive cricket in the Mumbai region, but before he headed home, early discussions indicated that providing his playing demands in India permitted, he would be keen to return to Oak Park for another season. Recent developments have led to an agreed contract between the club, Bista and his agent, meaning Cornwood can start to develop their plans for the 2023 season knowing that Bista will once again be spearheading the batting line up.
Club captain Elliot Staddon commented “We are all delighted to have Jay returning next season, his quality was undeniable last season and the impact he has on the team and other club players is something we look forward to being able to build on for the upcoming season. He’s a great person on and off the pitch so it will be great to have him back again and I know our supporters will be thrilled to see him provide more exhilarating match day entertainment ”
Cornwood hope to build on the positives from last season, and intend to make a few strategic additions to the 1st and 2nd XI squads over the winter months, as along with maintaining their position in the Premier Division, another major aim for the club is to mount a challenge for the 2nds to gain promotion from the C Division West into the county wide B Division. They narrowly missed out on that target last season, finishing in second place behind Plymstock CC. “We realise that if we can expose our 2nd XI to B division cricket it will drive more competition for places in the 1st XI and create a stronger overall senior playing unit” 2nd XI captain Robin Dart added.
The club welcomes any new players who may be looking to play cricket at any level next season. Having four men’s teams and a ladies team competing in the Devon Cricket Leagues for more than ten consecutive years, means they have all bases covered in the recreational game as well as having excellent training and social facilities.
Any playing enquiries should be made to cornwoodcc@live.com
