TAVISTOCK skipper Charlie Barriball is hoping the club gets approval to play new signing Clinton McCabe in their end-of-season bid to avoid relegation.

McCabe, a left-arm spinner, signed for Tavistock earlier this summer and was due to make his first-team debut against Thorverton last Saturday.

Tavistock all-rounder and former MCC young cricketer Rhys Davies is a former team-mate of McCabe’s from their time together with Middlesex Premier Division side Twickenham.

McCabe’s cricket CV includes stints with Old Wimbledonians and Exeter, whom he helped bowl to promotion from the A Division last season with 24 wickets at less than 14 runs each. Five of those wickets were against Tavistock on the County Ground. He toured South America with MCC in 2019.

With nearly 400 league and cup wickets to his name during a 15-year career documented on the ECB score services Play-Cricket, McCabe would be an asset to any club, especially one battling to avoid relegation.

McCabe was due to play in the match against Thorverton last Saturday, which would have made him eligible for the remainder of the season. Devon League rules say new signings cannot appear in games AFTER July 31, which is where Tavistock run into problems.

If McCabe does not feature in the side playing away to Abbotskerswell this Saturday – and he has already told Barriball he cannot – there is a danger he will be ruled out for the August run-in.

“As Clint can't play this weekend we are not sure he can play for us at all? said Barriball.

“He was down to play last Saturday but, as the game was abandoned, we are not sure what the league ruling is or will be?”

With six games left to play Tavistock are in a precarious situation in the A Division basement. Only four points separate Tavvy (125) from Plymstock (121), who are in the second relegation place.

Although McCabe has the potential to make a difference to Tavistock fortunes, they are where they are for reasons that need other attention.

“I think our availability for the first half of the season has stuck us in this position,” said Barriball.

“We were making at least four changes each week and you need a stable eight, nine or ten players to really succeed in this division.

“Also, our batting needs to change. We need to bat our overs and that comes from the more senior players standing up and being selfish out there.

“Hopefully we can stick a few wins together and get away from the drop zone before it's too late.”