Blackheath Cricket Club Newsletter
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Blackheath Cricket Club Newsletter DECEMBER 2013 The new generation steps up The Club Chairman, Nick Harrison, looks back on a great year and forward to exciting developments in 2014 … Please come to the club’s ... CHRISTMAS PARTY Saturday 21st December from 7.30pm at the Tangley Pavilion All members (including older colts) welcome! RSVP to Alexandra Jones alexjones65 @btinternet.com It has been a big year for the club, on and off the pitch. For our league teams, this was supposed to be no more than a year to consolidate, with both the 1st and 2nd XIs facing the challenge of playing in higher divisions, rd and our 3 XI in their very first season. In the event, as the team captains explain in their reports, we did rather better than that. Although in the end the 1st XI could not sustain their tremendous early season form when they threatened to take Division 1 by storm, we can look back on 2013 as the year when we announced ourselves as one of the top clubs in the Keep in touch with all the I’Anson Cup competitions. latest club news A large part of the credit for our success goes to Paul Nash, who as 1st X1 and register for the new season captain has stage-managed the introduction of a new generation of young by visiting the players from our junior section into our senior teams, whilst also attracting club website: valuable new talent to the club from elsewhere. As he explains below, Paul www.blackheath is stepping down as captain next season, though he will continue to play cc.co.uk and chair the selection committee. It speaks volumes about how far the club has come in recent years that the torch can now be passed to one of the stars of that new generation, 2014 Subs st Pete Melhuish. Pete, like new 1 XI vice-captain Harry Giles, has been Frequent: £260 playing at Blackheath since he was barely able to hold a bat – but in the (no match fee) last couple of seasons has become a lynchpin of the team. Harry will Standard: £100 remain our Sunday captain in 2014, and will also be leading our team into (£10 match fee) the National Village Cup competition for the first time in many years. Occasional: £45 (£15 match fee) 2013 was a memorable year in other ways too, with a match against the Surrey Masters (see page 6) and a superb cricket week – although we were U21 frequent: sadly unable to repeat recent victories over the MCC. Our junior section £90 (no match fee) also continued to prosper, with over 200 colts and no fewer than 12 junior league teams. In a major highlight of the year, our junior section even U21 standard: £45 (£5 match provided the guard of honour for the England and Australia teams on the fee) first day of the Oval test match (see page 7). Juniors: Aside from all this, 2013 of course saw the completion and opening of the U9-U15: £90 Tangley Pavilion. Much has already been said about this and I won’t add to U7-U8: £60 it, save to say that the best testament to the club’s achievement is the reaction of the teams who visited us during the summer, many of whom commented that it was by far the best village cricket pavilion they had ever 2014 Committee seen. A big debt of thanks is owed to all involved in making it happen, Members whether their contribution was financial, or as a volunteer on one of our Chairman: many working parties, or in helping out with the Big No-Ball and Picnic & Nick Harrison Pimms evenings at Chilworth Manor, or in any other way. Secretary: With a facility like this one, running the club involves far more than it used Simon Jones to even a few years ago, but it also enables us do new things and to Treasurer: improve various aspects of what we did before. Thanks in no small part to Richard Brocksom our new bar manager, Terry Marter the success of the bar in 2013 Membership Sec: exceeded our most optimistic predictions, and we were also able to expand Graham Webb our catering operation. The plan is to take this further next year, offering hot food every Saturday night at least between May and August, as well as Ground Manager: our regular Friday barbecues and coffee and bacon rolls on Sunday Terry Brockman mornings, and we are now looking for a part time catering manager to help Fixture Sec: us with this. Tim Chambers The new pavilion also enables us to run more social activities, and the Senior Cricket: club’s new social sub-committee has already put together a program of Paul Nash events between now and the start of the new season (see the back page). Junior Cricket: The first of these is the club’s Christmas Party on Saturday 21st December, Nick Harrison to which all members – including older colts – are warmly invited. See you Welfare Officer: there! Sharon Thompson Publicity Officer: Bar Manager Terry Marter made a huge Keith Poynter difference to the success of the bar this Other Committee year, as turnover more than doubled members: from 2012. Terry managed all year to Ed Allen strike the perfect balance between Harry Giles making everyone feel welcome and Simon Mansell keeping one or two of our slightly Pete Melhuish wilder members under control! Mark O’Brien Chris Poil LEAGUE SEASON REPORTS Winter nets start Sunday 1st X1 – Paul Nash 12 January at Cranleigh 2013 started with much anticipation, with 3 new recruits (Andy Stedman and brothers Tom and Ed Smith) joining us from league rivals Frensham, Please note and Australian overseas player Matt Hart making the long journey north. that Sunday winter nets Early season results did not disappoint. Wins over Grayshott, Elstead, will be starting Tilford and Harting in the first 4 matches saw us topping the league at the at the slightly beginning of June. earlier time of Confidence was high going into the eagerly awaited match with Frensham, 9.30am this who were very keen to prove a point. After losing the toss and being year. inserted on a green top we managed to put together a competitive total of Because of 178, which looked more than enough when the opposition collapsed to 60 another for 6 after some hostile bowling from speedster Ed Smith. But what booking, some happened next turned the match on its head. An unbroken stand of 119 for weeks we will the 7th wicket saw Frensham romp home to a victory that was no doubt have to finish at 10.30am, celebrated long into the night. whereas other After this disappointment results were much harder to come by. weeks we can Nevertheless at the end of the season a comfortable 4th place was continue until achieved, which overall was a job well done. A major plus point was the 11.30am. See successful integration of the new recruits who added much in the way of the website for further details. competitive spirit, ability and experience to the team. Equally pleasing were the performances of the youngsters, who showed that they will be a major force for many years to come. Captains and vice-captains for 2014 will bring further changes as I have decided to step down as 1st X1 2014 captain after 3 years of my second spell in charge. The reins will be handed over to Pete Melhuish, with Harry Giles as his vice captain. The club’s st 1 XI Captain: future lies in our youth and these two talented young cricketers have been Pete Melhuish charged with continuing the transition from the old guard. 1st XI VC: Harry Giles My thanks to all of the team for their effort and support, especially to vice captain Dallas McDermott who is also standing down. Thanks also to 2nd XI Captain: Ed Allen Robbie Burns for being the best scorer in the I’Anson – and of course to 2nd XI VCs: Billie for doing the teas! Ben Hodges James Turner 3rd XI Captain: Next season’s 1st XI skipper Pete Melhuish Simon Mansell has been playing at Blackheath since he was 3rd XI VC: 8 years old. He has made the 1st XI No.3 TBC spot his own in recent seasons, and also Sunday Captain: played for the I’Anson representative side Harry Giles this year. With older brother Tom also a Sunday VCs: regular and younger brother William one of Ben Hodges the up and coming stars of the junior section, Tim Chambers it looks like the Melhuish family will be having Nick Harrison a big impact at the club over the next few Chris Poil years. 2013 SEASON 2nd XI – Ed Allen STATS After back-to-back promotions for the 2nd XI in 2011 and 2012, the All teams objective for the 2013 season was to finish in the top half of Division 3, which the side did finishing fifth having played 20, won 7, lost 3 and drawn Most runs: 10. Harry Giles: 1110 Highest score: With 42 players taking to the field for the side, there were many notable Josh Milton: 133 performances, both from experienced veterans of many campaigns and from colts breaking through into adult cricket. Best batting average: Over the course of the season, the leading batsmen where the imperious Tom Melhuish: 56.1 Josh Milton, elegant Fred Martin-Dye, indefatigable Connor O’Brien, Most wickets: explosive James Turner, evergreen Bobby Lowe and the gutsy Colin Matt Hart: 64 Parrott.