Devon Cricket Board - Premier Divisions senior scorer looks back on 25 years in box

Premier Divisions senior scorer looks back on 25 years in box

YOU see a lot of cricket and hear a lot of stories during 25 years in the scorebox – just ask Torquay’s Nick Evanson.
With his 500th game in the ‘box’ due to take place tomorow when Torquay entertain Plymouth, Evanson has been reflecting on the ups and downs of his career so far.
Cricket-mad Evanson, then a pupil Westlands School, was coaxed into scoring for the 2nd XI in 1986.
He had been around the club since the age of eight, but was fast coming to the conclusion his talents didn’t lie on the pitch. An offer to start scoring was well timed.
“Colin Davey and John Kirby on a dark May evening in 1986 couldn’t have known what affect they would have on my life when I they asked me to take on scoring for the 2nd XI,” said Evanson.
When Esme Kingdon followed son Malcolm to Paignton in 1989, Evanson moved into the top job.
“At and age -18 years and 29 days - when cricketers are looking to make their 1st XI debut on the pitch, I made my debut in the box in a winning draw at Exmouth,” said Nick.
“Four decades and some 9,191 days later, Plymouth at home this Saturday will be my 500th consecutive match.
“Duncan Boase and Mark Gribble are the only two Premier 1st XI survivors from my first season.
Evanson has seen them come and seen them go – and enjoyed watching players from all sides do well.
Favourite players come in numerous categories, starting with the opposition.
“That’s an open-and-shut case as it has to be Keith Donohue,” said Evanson.
“Keith had supposedly retired as a bowler and his son Craig had taken wickets against us.
“Phoning through the score details in earshot of Keith, it was ‘bowled Donners the younger’ or ‘bowled Donners the older’. Keith just looked over and smiled.”
A favourite scorebox companion was Bovey Tracey’s Harold Shaw, now retired due to ill health but recalled with great affection.
“He was the master – even if some of his best stories aren’t printable,” said Evanson.
Evanson is too diplomatic to pinpoint favourite Torquay players, although he made one exception in the case of Aussie Gary O’Sullivan, who was Torquay’s overseas player in 1991.
O’Sullivan had previously played in the A Division for Galmpton two years earlier and proved he was better than that with two tons and 833 league runs in his summer at the Rec.
“His mentality remains in a league of its own – wanting to score centuries in midweek matches to ensure he was in form for the weekend,” said Evanson.
Evanson also has fond memories of watching future Aussie Test batsman Chris Rogers making 154 for Exeter against Torquay on the County Ground in 2002.
“Chris had only flown in the country on two days earlier and if he hadn't got tired he would surely have beaten Nick Folland’s batting record of 188, which didn’t go until last year when Jackson Thompson broke it,” said Evanson.
Torquay have had some ups and downs over the past 25 years – and the club reached a real low point in 2008 and 2009, leading to relegation from the Premier Division for the first time.
“We had a real roller coaster in 2008 as many players had left and it looked likely we would be relegated,” said Evanson.
“Sidmouth away with only 10 players was the lowest point. It was probably the one time I was ready to walk away, feeling what was the point, especially having turned down being an usher at a mate’s wedding.”
Torquay pulled off a great escape that season, beating Paignton by eight wickets in their penultimate game of the season, then defeated North Devon on the last day to stay up.
“The North Devon game was my 400^th match and we needed six points to do what had seemed impossible all season it could not have been scripted better,” said Evanson.
Evanson has taken his scoring seriously ever since he started and is now an evangelist for the pastime and a member of the DACO executive representing scorers and their craft
He qualified as a scorer in 1992 and has enhanced his qualifications regularly ever since.
Last year Evanson received his level three certificate, which is just about as high as you can go in scoring.
Evanson is also a qualified umpire, but after a brief sortie on to the pitch in 2011 he retreated to the scorebox!
And it is in the scorebox that Evanson is likely to see out his cricket career.
“To reach a thousand games will take me until June 7, 2042, when I will be 71 years and two months,” he revealed.

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