BOVEY Tracey’s youngsters have received some tips from the top thanks to a grant from the David Shepherd Cricket Trust.

The club took part in a new-membership drive run by the Trust, which made them eligible for a grant of £600.

The money has been used to bring in expert coaches to work with the club’s youngsters, one of whom was former Somerset and Indian Premier League star fast bowler Alfonso Thomas.

Paul Lawrence, who is part of the coaching team at Somerset, also ran sessions for Bovey Tracey.

Mark Taylor, the head youth coach at Bovey Tracey, said the youngsters chipped in with some cash of their own to add extra sessions to the training schedule.

“The grant was invaluable in making the sessions accessible for all,” said Taylor.

“The grant was used to subsidise some specialist sessions for young players hoping to establish themselves in the senior teams.

“It was also used for group coaching for those older colts not involved in the District and county set-up, or who normally take a bit of a lesser role in the colts’ games.

“As well as outdoor sessions at the club with Alfonso Thomas, we were fortunate to have Sam Wyatt Haines and Toby Codd on hand to do the coaching sessions held at South Dartmoor Academy.”

Topics covered include batting against spin and specialist input for seam bowlers.

The Trust supports youth coaching at all ability levels in Devon from softball cricket for beginners to specialist coaching for the Devon players of the future.

The Trust relies on fund-raising events and membership subscriptions to raise around £20,000 a year to pour into youth cricket coaching.

The annual membership drive helps keep the coffers topped up. Grants of up to £600 are available for clubs who introduce new members.

For details of how to obtain a grant from the David Shepherd Cricket Trust, or how to become a member, visit www.dsct111.org.uk