Outgoing Chair Of Cricket, Tony Garton Looks Back At The Cricket Of 2010
Article Date: 18th October 2010
Reading my notes from last years AGM, this season became a mirror. With a couple of major exceptions. My last line last year was; Can do, should do and WILL do better. We fulfilled that criteria. Again 5 sides where produced every week, no penalty points accrued for failure to raise a side, or for that matter any other reason, which is very reassuring!
Steve and Tom Febry's hard work both pre season and during the season has I believe made a big difference to the squares not least with the grass actually growing! Huge appreciation to you both and of course all their willing assistants utilised over the season.
The arrival of covers has of course helped dramatically and certainly helped to save at least one match. And don’t they make the ground LOOK like a cricket ground? Now we need to make one more small investment in sheeting for both squares and with the construction of the new nets during the winter, will really make us the business.
Our season commenced with a blight of serious injuries, losing Richard Wood pre – season for the season, Craig Scully and Mason Poole missing the early season, followed by long term injuries to Dan Clarke and Jon Rendell. More than a 4 of the first team to long term injuries.
Having been associated with the club for about 20 years, I can’t remember a season like it for injuries.
Allied to Ian Hobbs and Richard Bennetts long term ailments that have / will preclude them playing constant top level cricket.
We attempted all season to maintain our philosophy of giving our young players worthy of a call to the higher teams just that.
With 1 18 year old playing right through the season for the 1s and a 16 year old only missing 3 games from the same level. Our attempt to bring in maybe 1 more was constantly thwarted through injury or football.
I noted last season I expressed a desire for improved batting, and my wish was fulfilled with the appropriation of a prile of top order batters. One of which was unfortunately with us only for half season due to his football commitments, but his contribution was very impressive with both bat AND ball. Another for only a season due to aforesaid injury.
This extra batting had the hoped for knock on effect down the sides, the 2s for instance where last bowled out on July 24, with Richard Bennett scoring over 500 runs, albeit through 3 different sides.
Bowling again was not a problem from 1s through the sides to the 5ths we generally managed to bowl sides out if not at will them generally quite miserly.
The first Xl again finished 2nd in the B & NS league. Craig Scully scored 383 runs at 48 and Kris Davis 304 @ 38. Jamie Wakefield again the led the attack with 43 @ 11.5 to top of the B & NS averages and 5th in the whole WEPL. Jay Penfold made a remarkable comeback to 1st team cricket with 21 @ 32.
Our season opened with an unbeaten run that saw us lead the division until our game at Bishopston that saw us lose Dan Clarke to a serious injury and with it the game.
Following our cricket week another defeat this time at Twyford when technically we had the game won, and then to cap it defeat at Claverham when again the hard work had been done. I believe the league was lost to us during August when only one game (the last one) was completed. On top of that a good run in the B & D 20 over cup again, our first excursion into the Cockspur 20 over competion (Frocester again!)
And culminating with a first ever County Ground appearance in our first County Cup Final. And what a superb end to the season that was with over a 100 of our people at the game. Frocester were well impressed.
I know having spoken to the players how much it meant to them to have that kind of support. They were disappointed to a man that they could not bring back the trophy, but our victory was in getting there.
The 2nds also finishing 2nd with Richard Bennett averaging 62 to be ranked 3rd in B & NS 2XI table, Lee Walters averaging 41 to be 7th and Jerry Swatton being 14th. The attack was led by the captain with 29 wkts @ 17 to finish 3rd in the league table, the find of the season Chris Willoughby taking 23 @ 26 to finish 7th in what is only his 2nd season in senior cricket. a real find!! Additionally Mark Graham and Bradley Arkwright finishing 14 & 15th respectively.
After getting promotion last season, I challenged the 3s to stay in the league, the captain set his target slightly higher, targeting a top 4 finish. To my astonishment and delight they achieved just that. Ending as the highest placed 3rd XI in B & D structure. Stand out contributions from Steve Doidge who ended ranked 1 in the league with 476 @ 47 and Jeff long with 187 @ 26 being 15. Matt Davro being 19th.
After overcoming his injury (another one) the skipper led the attack with 14 @ 23 to finish 12th and Alex Tebbit with 10 @ 32 being 21st. Slightly unattractive figures maybe but we have to remember players from the 3 ,4s and 5s were / are apt to be moved more often than the 1s and 2s, making their final league averages slightly below par to the uninformed onlooker.
The 4th XI were targeted with promotion. Unknown to all Downend 3s had a particularly strong side and went through the season unbeaten. The only game that they looked like losing was against us when the rain intervened and saved them!!
In saying that there was only 1 other 4XI side to finish higher in the B & D structure than ourselves. With a team changing weekly to finish 2nd was in hindsight a great effort. Nic Anderson scoring 378 @ 42 to finish 2 in the league & jack Philpott 238 @ 29. We had 6 batters in the league top 25. Dan Morgan with 12 @ 12 and me with 11 @ 6.
Steve Hills 5s after gaining an unexpected promotion last season did remarkably well to finish a highly creditable 8th. (with only one other side scoring more bonus points) It was, on most match days a real challenge to get 11 out there, but with thanks to many unlikely sources and very creditably to Bristol Phoenix who produced 5 players for us we more than held our own.
Losing the captain for a month, and George Ross standing in with admirable alacrity nothing was left in the changing room. The unwillingness to throw in the towel when chasing lost causes was a pleasure to behold, to force 2 ties is a testament to the resilience of both team and captain. Dave Marshall with 162 @ 32 and Rob Wakefield 156 @ 22.
The Sunday side (without a captain) finished 3rd in their division, beating the 2 sides that finished above them. Again senior players spurned the opportunity for practise. And for the side to finish so creditably without direct leadership is a credit to those who took up the challenge. I stated last season use it or lose it. We have lost one Sunday side and the other is not immune. If we can’t fulfil the fixtures it will cease.
The cricket week on the field was as big a success as it was off it. Opening with our friends from Dorridge W, rolling into the MCC L, Leinster another tie! and finally B & D L. All players that wanted a games got at least one. Tiring but extremely rewarding. Again thanks t all who helped put it on
The Youth section led by Tony Wake, with Lisa & Mark Graham and untold numbers of coaches and assistants continue to furnish the senior sides from 1 to 5 their efforts are to be congratulated and we must remember we cannot continue at the level we are without this invaluable contribution. I would ask any and all senior players to assist where they can.
The availability situation which I alluded too earlier has been a bigger headache this last season than ever I can remember. Brought about by the length of the injury list, seasonal holidays and high summer football tournaments, followed by what seems an earlier than ever start to the football season.
I attempted to lay firm guidelines with regard to selection, which can only be adhered to when the availability sheets are filled in with thought. The first team captain wanted to put the selection process back at least 2 days, which in a perfect world I would endorse, but, having 66 players to contact and then find replacements when x y & z drop out makes it an impossible job for the captains of 3, 4 & 5.
To conclude; If we are to measure success by trophies won, then this season was a failure. But, as the chairman of Somerset proclaimed at their awards night ‘2010 has been a tremendous success given that the County had finished 2nd in all major competitions entered’ and I say the same of ourselves ‘a tremendous season’.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow cricket committee members of the past 2 years of my tenure for their diligence, professionalism and indeed humour. And finally to people too numerous to name, you know who you are, and I know who you are…. THANKS one and all. I think we did ok.
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