N E W C L O S E N E W S April 2021 photo © Dave Reynolds YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT US TO BE APRIL FOOLS, BUT... CONTENTS …after the planned March break-for-bad-light, Newclose News returns to the crease with Page 2 our April 2021 edition. In doing so we celebrate one full year of the newsletter being David Griffiths published in this standard format, which we know from reader feedback has given Newclose a good reputation for communication. Page 3 My thanks go to Jon Matthews, our Membership Secretary, for his help with getting us Membership closer to our members and supporters. If you’d like to show your appreciation of what Jon has done, why not turn to his Membership article inside and make his life easier by sending Scoreboard him your 2021 subscription - or your membership application? ‘The Cricketer’ With the domestic cricket season just a few weeks away, we are delighted to be able to centenary publish details of twenty days of cricket, and if you turn to the back page, you’ll find the Page 4 dates and the teams involved. Details of match formats and timings, along with more (as yet unconfirmed) fixtures, will follow in our May edition or via email. Newclose Hospitality After a long and sometimes difficult winter, we look forward to watching cricket with our many loyal Newclose members and friends. Celebratory drinks may have to be served Covid-19 ground outside for some of the earlier matches, so let’s hope for better than average weather. regulations Hugh Griffiths email: [email protected]; mobile: 07768 552682 2021 Fixtures SOUTHERN VIPERS WOMEN CRICKETERS TO LAUNCH 2021 NEWCLOSE SEASON ON SATURDAY 1ST MAY In preparation for the ECB’s Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy for top women’s cricket teams, the Southern Vipers will be bringing an extended squad of about 25 players to Newclose to play a 50-over warm-up match, four weeks before the competition starts. Last season the Vipers won the tournament under the captaincy of Georgia Adams, daughter of Chris Adams who captained Sussex to their first County Championship in 2003. In 2017 the Vipers came to Newclose for their match against the Surrey Stars but- the threatening weather (above) won the day after half-an-hour’s play. Thebut sadlVipers’y the coaching weather staff won isthe led day. by a top name in cricket, Charlotte Edwards MBE, the former England Women’s captain and recently elected President of the Professional Cricketers’ Association. The selection of the two teams will take place towards the end of April. At about the same time we hope to confirm between-innings activities by Island girl cricketers from local schools and clubs. We suggest you make a diary note now for Saturday 1st May (that’s during a Bank Holiday weekend) and look out for more from us, and in the local media, in the weeks ahead. Island-born First-Class cricketers In the last (February) edition of Newclose News we mentioned three such cricketers who plied their skills in the latter part of the 19th Century – without ever reaching the dizzy heights of scoreboard success. There are five others in the 20th Century (three of whom have only recently been ‘discovered’) who we will skip for now as more information about them is being gathered. But the 21st Century has really produced some Island talent; let’s start with David Andrew Griffiths (others will follow in future editions of Newclose News). ‘Griff’ as he is affectionally known (by the way, he’s no relation to the Editor, much to Hugh’s disappointment!), was born at St Mary’s Hospital, Newport on 10th September 1985. From the age of five Griff went to Shanklin Cricket Club tagging along with his father who was a gifted fast bowler (who went on to captain Wales). Both his grandfathers, Ron Griffiths and Roly Ringer, were legends of Island cricket who will be remembered by many Newclose News readers. As a right-arm fast bowler, Griff joined the Hampshire Academy when he was just 14 and still at Sandown High School. He gained much experience in the Southern Premier League before signing his first professional contract with Hampshire in November 2004 - but spent much of the 2005 season injured. In 2006, having already taken 40 wickets for the Hampshire 2nd XI, he received a call-up to join the 1st XI at Durham and was selected to play just before the toss, thus making his debut in the County Championship; he took 4 for 48 in the first innings. The highlight of his summer was taking 4 for 29 to help set up a three-wicket win over Gloucestershire in a NatWest Pro40 match at the (then) Rose Bowl. In 2007 he was selected to play for the England Under 19 XI against Bangladesh and toured Malaysia and India with the England Under 19s in 2008. Griff improved his best Championship figures in 2010 with 5 for 85 against Essex at Chelmsford; he improved these further to 6 for 85 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. He made a significant contribution in 2012 when he dismissed the England batsman, Ian Bell, for 81 in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Final at Lord's to swing the match Hampshire’s way; in a thrilling finale, Hampshire won off the very last ball. Earlier in the season he had also claimed the wicket of his boyhood hero Graeme Hick (for just 4) in the County Championship. Griff is a left-handed batsman and his batting highlight came against Surrey when he and South African Nic Pothas put on an enthralling last-wicket stand, with Griff being 31* when his partner was dubiously run out. They had survived for 50 overs. At the end of the 2013 season he was released by Hampshire but snapped up by Kent. Alas injuries continued to dog him as, in 2014, he bowled just 63 overs in all competitions. His only Championship match came at the tail end of the season against Gloucestershire when he recorded his career-best 6 for 63. In 2015 ill luck once again blighted him with a tricep injury during pre-season training and a back operation in mid-season, enforcing his early retirement from First-Class cricket. In his First-Class career he bowled over 6,000 balls taking 113 wickets at 33.87, with four “5-fors”; his top score was that 31*. After retiring from First-Class cricket, Griff joined Basingstoke and North Hants Cricket Club as Director of Cricket (and player/ coach) but, after four years there, he emigrated to South Africa where he has played for a Durban club called Crusaders. He is now working at Hilton College, running its 2nd XI; former South African cricketer and Hampshire first team coach, Dale Benkenstein, runs the cricket at the school and Dale is in charge of the 1st XI. Last year Griff married his South African girl-friend Cassidy; she is the school psychologist at Maritzburg College, the school which former England player Kevin Pietersen attended. Griff will always be welcome at Newclose for his contribution to putting the Isle of Wight well and truly on the cricketing map. Membership With the cricket season ‘just around the corner’ the time has come for those of you who are not Life members to renew your subscription (or join Newclose Cricket Club as a new member). It is just £10 this year as we can’t include a Hampshire 1st XI match attendance fee - given we have no confirmed matches in 2021. So whether you would like to play for Newclose (see 2021 Fixtures on the back page) or just enjoy a drink (oh, wouldn’t that be a novelty!) when restrictions are lifted, a trip to: https://www.newclose.org/membership-1 is by far the easiest way to pay. If you are in front of your computer, or looking at your phone, you don’t even need to get out of the seat you’re sitting in! So, it would be really helpful if you could oblige; you’ll realise that lockdown has decimated Newclose’s bar and restaurant income – such a significant contributor to our financial health in ‘normal’ years. As a well-known slogan goes: Every Little Helps. If you don’t ‘do’ the Internet, then a cheque to Newclose Cricket Club at Blackwater Road, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 3BE would be most acceptable. Thank you. Jon Matthews Membership Secretary email: [email protected]; mobile: 07802 401365 Scoreboard Replacement Update Please don’t groan when I say that a decision has not yet been made. When the spend is of the order of £25,000 the Trustees and the Committee are duty bound to exercise due diligence and be very comfortable that the chosen solution is right for Newclose - not only in 2021 but for the longer term. We have such a solution clearly identified now (which is itself progress from previous updates when we were still in ‘research mode’) and, to help in the decision making process, we have employed the services of a consultant from Lord’s who visited the Island a couple of weeks ago (on business of course - conforming to lockdown protocols). At the time of going to press we have just received his final report and it remains for those of us concerned to study it and to finalise funding, with which we hope to get help from the ECB. So we are counting the days, not months, when we can make an announcement – which should enable us to see a new scoreboard installed this season – even if not quite in time for the first fixture on 1st May.