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A LOOK BACK AT THE 2008 SEASON
Objective achieved! After our First Eleven gained promotion from division one at the end of 2007 the new season was looked forward to with anticipation, but we knew that ultimately, survival in the premier was the priority in 2008 - and a climb up division three for the Seconds. Harmit -our First Eleven skipper – pre-season’s wish of “no dead-rubber games towards the end of the season” was granted! There was certainly everything to play for until the final games were completed! In the event, Irthlingborough were relegated with Brixworth replacing them next season. During the winter Jimmy Hart joined us from Biggleswade and slotted in the side to strengthen the middle order and Anwar Ul Haq made the transition from Desborough - to hopefully augment our seam attack. We were also hoping that domestic arrangements would allow Dave Mercer to play as much as possible in order to give the innings a touch of real class and punish opposition bowlers in the way only he can. _______________ THE START- AND THE FIRST ELEVEN ARE UP AGAINST IT! In reality the first half of the season was a struggle for both our bowlers and batters alike. The first five games were all lost and we were languishing at the foot of the table. We were well beaten in the first two games. Rushton bowled us out for 120 chasing 222, and our 89 against Burton’s 201 was very disappointing considering that Chris Perry excelled with 6 for 74 off 16 overs. The following week - on a lovely sunny day at Campbell Park - Dave Mercer scored Wollaston’s first fifty in premier league cricket but it wasn’t enough as a valiant effort couldn’t prevent the Academy winning by six wickets. Our lowest score of the season (88) came against Irthlingborough when we lost by eight wickets, and it was difficult to know where the first win would come from. ___________________________ THE LOSING RUN IS HALTED However, a fighting backs-to- the wall display at the end of May came at Stony Stratford and the losing run was halted thanks to a fifty from Jimmy Hart and resolute defence down the order. This result – backed up by a draw against the much fancied Northampton Saints the following week- proved that we could be competitive at this level and some confidence was restored as we moved above Stony at the bottom of the pile. June saw us lose - not unexpectedly - to a strong Finedon side, but also saw us win for the first time in the premier. Confidence was increasing by the game and the narrow defeat at Old Northamptonians -when we had them eight down - led us nicely into the encounter with a talented side at Desborough. _____________________________ VICTORY AT LAST! On the batting paradise that is West Lodge Park, the boys from Ar’ Tarn set a challenging 230 to win in the 55 maximum overs, which at the start of the season would have possibly been too many for us. But with Matt Jones making 70 and Steve Musgrave 68 we were always in charge and the winning score was made with just 5 wickets down! We had done it! June 28th, tenth game of the season – we had won our first premier match! It had been a tough introduction to Premier league cricket but our two spinners, Chris Perry and Steve Musgrave, were showing they were certainly good enough at this level and, if not carrying the bowling attack, were certainly the two players enjoying most success - to the extent that on quite a few occasions they were both opening the bowling. Although the batting had grown more confident as the season progressed no one was getting consistently high scores and putting games out of reach of the opposition. Another win was vital because sooner or later Stony would get their act together. Beating mid-table Desborough, drawing with the Saints and taking Old Northamptonians to the wire lifted spirits, and hopefully another victory was around the corner -although it didn’t materialise against a strong side from Peterborough. Half the season was over and still all to play for. ___________________________________ DIVISION THREE - AND THE SECONDS GET OF TO A FLYER! Meanwhile, two divisions lower our Second Eleven were having a much improved season in division three. The first three games were won, followed by a draw, backed up by another victory treble. By mid-June we were top of the league! In the first game Wellingborough Indians were bowled out for just 99 and following week The O.Ns’ were on the wrong end of a Mark Carter century. Long Buckby then brought us down to earth when we had to hang on for a draw but it was business as usual seven days later when an inspired Andy Luck ripped through the Podington batting to record his first “five-for” of the season. A poor St. Crispin’s side were bundled out for 94, Rushden were sent packing, and all was looking good as we sat on top of the division and looking forward to meeting Oundle who were mid-table and having a slow start to their first taste of division three cricket. _____________________________ DOWN TO EARTH WITH A BUMP! - MOMENTARILY So, feeling confident on a lovely summer’s day we travelled to Oundle, the picturesque town in the north east of the county famous for its graceful church and fine stone buildings dating from the 17th and 18th century. Unfortunately its revered attributes weren’t appreciated by our second string! Despite Brett Hanson’s first fifty of the season we were dismissed on a good batting pitch for a disappointing 155, only to take a watching brief after tea as their South African all-rounder imperiously scored a century and won the contest with eight wickets to spare. Back down to earth! However, a week later and it was back to winning ways when Adrian Ward grabbed the second “five-for” of the season and Andy Luck stoked 54 in the win against Kempston. It was also the start of a remarkable run off six games for Andy whose six consecutive match contributions consisted of two fifties and four x 4 wicket returns. An all-round effort that not surprisingly, took him to the top of the players’ leader- board. No wonder it was his idea! And the June fixtures were completed by a comfortable win against Horton ll, with John Pike reminding us that he was an all-rounder when he first took 4 for 42, and then stroked a fine 66 not out. So it was July and a resurgent Paul Jones was in form. His un-beaten 83 against the eventual division winners Loddington was a lesson in playing “hard” cricket. He batted right through the inning and on the way took the knocks and the verbal diarrhoea thrown his way as he shepherded the middle order to safety. It was considered one of his finest innings. So going in to the second half of the season both teams were doing ok - one at the top of their division and the other off the bottom and looking better week by week. SECOND HALF - AND ALL TO PLAY FOR IT'S A THRILLER! Back to the premier and at the end of a wet week mid-table Rushton visited with the intention of picking up some easy points. They won the toss, put us in and due to the persistent rain over the preceding few days run scoring was difficult. We struggled again to put early runs on the board but our total of 123 was at least competitive considering the conditions. Jimmy Hart, Dave Mercer and Mark Ralph led the run scoring to give the home side bowlers something to bowl at. Marcus Steed (43) led the visitors' reply but our all-spin attack kept things tight and when Steed departed wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with Mercer taking 5 for 35 off 16 overs. Rushton inched slowly to their target but, with nine Rushton wickets down and the scores level, our seamer Anwar attempted a caught and bowled which ricocheted to mid-off where Simon Driver's throw made a direct hit at the bowler’s end to tie the game - and secure 15 very valuable points. A tie can be looked on both as a game given away or a game saved. Whatever the view, confidence was growing and the return match at Burton was anticipated with optimism. __________________________ CHALK UP WIN NUMBER TWO! PLUS THE FIRST PREMIER CENTURY AND A NEW FOURTH WICKET PARTNERSHIP! Burton batted first and for once the Musgrave/Perry combination only managed one wicket between them as their number three made 103 not out in a total of 248 for 4 in the maximum 55 overs. We got off to an average start losing Matt Jones with only 8 on the board, followed by the demise of Jimmy Hart and Nick Shelton. This brought Dave Mercer and Steve Musgrave together in what turned out to be a match winning and record breaking unbroken partnership of 194. Mercer struck 151* off just 136 balls (Wollaston’s first premier division century) and Musgrave gave him great support with 52 not out. Winning the game with seven wickets and 3 overs in hand. And just for the record, D.M’s innings contained 18 fours and 7 sixes. But more importantly, 27 hefty points ______________________________ MOMENTUM MAINTAINED Despite Muzzy carrying on his good form with 61 we lost the following week at home to the eventual champions, NCCC Academy knowing that it was more important to get a good result away at Irthlingborough on August 2nd. The day came and again the toss went our way. In what seemed like a one-man show their number three and overseas player batted through for 117 not out with the next highest score being just 24. Chris Perry had kept the squeeze on the batters to record the excellent figures of 4 for 39 off 15 and keep the target within reach. So we needed 214 to win and never looked in any trouble. Nick Shelton with 72 not out and Liam Bates with 46 put on 92 for the first wicket and when Musgrave quickly departed, Shelton and Jimmy Hart (62 not out) finished off the job with 5 overs and 8 wickets to spare. Another 26 points. ____________________________________ BACK TO THE NITTY-GRITTY The game at Rushden was washed out and the following week we went to Stony Stratford who were also desperate for points to beat the drop. It was imperative we didn’t lose. Again we were lucky with the toss. Needing 193 to win we were in trouble at 76 for 5 but new recruit Sam Kumar made his batting debut and guided the middle order along until number nine Chris Perry and number ten John Pike batted out 72 balls to secure the draw. With five games to go Stony were picking up points, but fortunately for us both Burton and Irthlingborough were really struggling and were sitting below us in the race for survival. Another win would virtually put us safe but unfortunately with the difficult “run-in” to the end of the season, another win was not to be. _______________________________________ THE RUN-IN Despite Steve Musgrave picking up another fifty, Saints ran out winners by five wickets, and seven days later Desborough’s 260 for 9 was too many to chase ( great bowling from Dave Mercer , 6 for 39) and we closed on 203 for 8 (Jimmy Hart 53). So into September and the rain had the first say when the game against the O.Ns’ was completely washed out. Finedon next and the penultimate match. A plucky effort from us saw us post 177 for 8 at tea time with young Sam Kumar impressing again with 47 not out. A good all-round bowling display made last year’s champions wobble but unfortunately we needed another 50 runs to force a win, and they reached victory on 183 for 7 with only 2 overs left. Last day of the season - and we knew if Irthlingborough and Burton both won - and we lost, we could be relegated. A “good” draw would help us- if a win was out the question. How would it go? All week long the various permutations had been examined. Hopes were high despite the uncertainty. It was Peterborough who finalised our fixtures. We had lost at home in the earlier game and knew it would be difficult. Although the title was beyond them they could finish the season in third place and obviously preferred to culminate the season with a flourish. They batted first and with their number two making 107 not out set us a daunting 246 to win in 55 overs. It was too many. With minor counties star Ajaz Akhtar ripping through our batting to reap 6 for 41 in 11 overs we were never in the hunt and even a draw was out the question. The game was wrapped up in 36th over with Wollaston 169 all out. But fortunately for us the result was academic. At tea we had heard that Saints had knocked up 387 for 4 against an ailing Irthlingborough side and knew that this should be too many for the boys at the bottom to chase. We were not disappointed – Irthlingborough 109 all out – we were safe! And just to make sure, Burton only drew with Old Northamptonians to finish second from bottom. So the season finished with Wollaston 3rd from bottom, 15 points above Irthlingborough and five above Burton. The mid-table prediction that Stony would eventually pick up points materialised and their four wins (one more than us) put them 22 points ahead of us. So although we only won the same number of games as the two teams below us, we picked up more draws and less defeats. This was ultimately the telling factor. ___________________________________________ MEANWHILE THE SECONDS SOLDIER ON Three divisions below the Two’s were around the top as the second half of the season progressed. Mark Carter (87 not out), Marcus Shelton (57) and Andy Luck (4 for 65) put paid to Wellingborough Indians and fifties from Paul Jones and John Pike (again!) the following week ensured the total was too many for the ON’s although the Town side held on for a draw. With Paul repeating his feat from the previous week - matched by Andy Luck, Bowden were beaten comfortably by 5 wickets which meant that July was “defeat free” and a possible springboard for a push at the title over the last two months. Little did we know that with July passing we only had one win to look forward to in August. _________________________________________ AUGUST -A DISAPPOINTING MONTH On a day when showers were all around we set second placed Long Buckby 196 to win, and at 16 for 2 and 77 for 4 things looked in our favour. But their number 2 batted on for 76 and decent scores from the middle and lower order – and sensible batting from their number nine - took them to victory with one over and two wickets to spare. With the weather in continual damp mode we went all the way to lowly Podington to hopefully get back to winning ways. But the weather had the final say and the game was called off just after tea so we had to wait for St Crispin’s the following week before we got August “up and running”. A David Clarkson inspired spell kept them in check at 194 for 9 in 50 overs before Andy Luck with 71 and Mark Carter (55 not out) proved too good for their bowlers and we won comfortably at 198 for 4 with 3 overs remaining. _______________________________________ THE WORST OF THE LOT! One of the low points and possibly the poorest performance of the season followed at Rushden. We were skittled out for just 55 in 21.1 overs! Seven clean bowled with six batsmen not troubling the scorers'. Our two bowlers fared no better. It was all over before 3 o'clock!. It took them just five and a half overs! Lost by 10 wickets. Seven clean bowled. A very poor effort indeed. _________________________________ Horton was next and a win was vital to keep up the challenge. They batted first and set us 186 to win in 50 overs. Our innings was a one man effort. Number 3 and skipper Brett Hanson was called to bat with us on 8 for 1 and put together his highest score of the season(74) and batted right through to the 46th over – a real captain’s innings. At this point the obdurate defence mode was employed and the resolute David Clarkson (23 not out and) and number eleven Adrian Ward batted out the last 3 overs and avoided defeat. We closed at 148 for 9. __________________________ THE RUN IN With the rain still hanging around the game against Kempston was called off which left the final two matches and us sitting in third place in the division. The first against 4th placed Oundle (who had previously thrashed us) and the final one at home to the eventual champions, Loddington. So, Oundle first and because of the unusual amount of wet weather preceding the game the pitch was soft, and run scoring was difficult. A watchful Brett Hanson compiled 22 valuable runs in 64 balls and Mark Carter added 23 which inched the total up to a modest 116 all out 47 overs. Wollaston were confident at tea time but then with the visitors standing at 60 for 3 with just 77 needed to win things didn’t look quite as rosy as we hoped. However, all was not lost, Adrian Ward came on to bowl and proceeded to take 5 for 16 off 11 overs to bowl out Oundle for just 72 and at the same time secure our number 3 spot in division three. It was on to the final game against Loddington. We were certain to finish 3rd and they were already champions. But it is always good to finish the season on a high. And that is what we did. With our “special guest” - the recovering first eleven skipper Harmit Bahra, opening up with 65 and Daren Laughton saving his best until last (69) our total of 234 for 9 in 50 overs was always going to be too many for the light hearted batters from Loddington. Mike Duddle, with his “golden arm” bulldozed his way through their first five batsmen to put the game completely out of their reach and finished with 5 for 19 in 10 overs. The game was wrapped up at 6.05pm with the champions on 143 all out in just 35 overs. _________________________________________ SUMMING UP So despite only winning 3 games, drawing 4 and losing 12, the first eleven earned enough points to climb above both Burton and Irthlingborough to move up to tenth position in the premier division. Chris Perry took 45 wickets which is a remarkable achievement at this level and his 188 runs confirmed that he should emerge as a genuine all-rounder over the next few years. Steve Musgrave, who has justifiably claimed this description while at Wollaston, also had a good season taking 35 wickets to add to his 437 runs, and along with Dave Mercer claimed the new fourth wicket partnership against Burton Latimer. Mercer also scored 280 runs at an average of 46.67 to go with his 15 wickets at 14.33 The second eleven’s season was an improvement over 2007, this year finishing in third position in division three. Thirteen games were won, 4 drawn and only 3 games ended in defeat. Andy Luck excelled with bat and ball (414 runs and 38 wickets) , Mark Carter finished with 329 runs at 65.80 and both Paul Jones and Darren Laughton scored over 300 runs. Adrian Ward and David Clarkson picked up 32 and 26 wickets respectively and were backed up by Mike Duddle (21) and John Pike (19). ________________________ THE VERDICT It was a memorable season in the premier and the first eleven did enough to ensure we are there next season to fight another day. An achievement to be proud of. So we now know a little more of what is required to compete in the highest level of Northamptonshire league cricket and hopefully lessons will be learned and adjustments made. A mid-table finish for the first eleven next year should be the aim – although it won’t be easy. Practice, commitment and availability are all very important elements, although not mandatory - so can only be encouraged. It is up to the individual to decide how far they want to go. So with both teams doing well and the ground never looking better, the season should be considered a success - and hopefully one to build on in 2009. _________________________________________________________________ YOUTH CRICKET 2008 2008 was a good year for the youth cricket in Wollaston, with a number of good things to report. Five club members attended Coach Education training at Northants County Cricket Club. Nick Broome and Mark Ralph gained their Level 2 qualification, whilst Jamie Perry, John Pike and Andrew Silsby gained Level 1 qualifications. Winter practice sessions were well supported at Wollaston School during November, December and January, as were nets at NCCC. Practice nights at the ground during the summer were also well attended by the three age group squads and we had very good numbers for Friday night Under 9’s fun sessions. However we need to make sure that we have enough coaches available to ensure we have a reasonable coach to player ratio in 2009. With this in mind, Liam Bates and Jamie Perry are going to undertake a Level 2 coaching course early in 2009. ___________ Under 11’s – Coach Nick Broome It was good to see this team develop as the season progressed and the hard work undertaken by Nick Broome cannot be under estimated. The boys were really competitive and have started to show some good skills and application. Nick was helped by Dave Mercer as well as parents Jason Bright and Graham Richards, however all the parents were very supportive and the friendly atmosphere made the experience of watching this team all the more enjoyable. Charlie Elderton and Nathan Richards both played for Wellingborough District. ___________________ Under 13’s – Coach Neal Perry The boys tried hard, but sometimes they lost concentration when fielding and consequently teams scored more runs than they should have done against us. However there were some good performances and we won a few games. I would like to thank Karl Yeo for helping with the scoring and Jamie, Chris and Mark for their coaching assistance. Harry Matthews and Liam Yeo were both invited to the District trials, but were unable to attend due to holiday commitments. ___________________________________ Under 15’s – Coach Andrew Silsby Results did not go to well for the Under 15’s who tried hard in all their games but without to much success. They seemed to be a bit overawed and sometimes overpowered by the opening batsmen or opening bowlers for some of the teams they played against. Andrew worked hard with a generally keen group of lads and was supported by Paul Clarkson, John, Jamie and Chris. _________________________ Chance to Shine and School Cricket The club successfully ran the ‘Chance to Shine’ scheme within the Wollaston Schools cluster for the third year running. Chris Perry was responsible for delivering the majority of coaching in Seven Primary schools and the Secondary school and also organized the very successful Kwik Cricket Festival which was held at the club in July. Mark, Jamie and I also undertook some coaching on the scheme to supports Chris’ efforts. Neal Perry - Head Coach 2008 _________________________________________ 2008 was a good year for the youth cricket in Wollaston, with a number of good things to report. Five club members attended Coach Education training at Northants County Cricket Club. Nick Broome and Mark Ralph gained their Level 2 qualification, whilst Jamie Perry, John Pike and Andrew Silsby gained Level 1 qualifications. Winter practice sessions were well supported at Wollaston School during November, December and January, as were nets at NCCC. Practice nights at the ground during the summer were also well attended by the three age group squads and we had very good numbers for Friday night Under 9’s fun sessions. However we need to make sure that we have enough coaches available to ensure we have a reasonable coach to player ratio in 2009. With this in mind, Liam Bates and Jamie Perry are going to undertake a Level 2 coaching course early in 2009. ___________ Under 11’s – Coach Nick Broome It was good to see this team develop as the season progressed and the hard work undertaken by Nick Broome cannot be under estimated. The boys were really competitive and have started to show some good skills and application. Nick was helped by Dave Mercer as well as parents Jason Bright and Graham Richards, however all the parents were very supportive and the friendly atmosphere made the experience of watching this team all the more enjoyable. Charlie Elderton and Nathan Richards both played for Wellingborough District. see the Under 11 full report below___________________ Under 13’s – Coach Neal Perry The boys tried hard, but sometimes they lost concentration when fielding and consequently teams scored more runs than they should have done against us. However there were some good performances and we won a few games. I would like to thank Karl Yeo for helping with the scoring and Jamie, Chris and Mark for their coaching assistance. Harry Matthews and Liam Yeo were both invited to the District trials, but were unable to attend due to holiday commitments. ___________________________________ Under 15’s – Coach Andrew Silsby Results did not go to well for the Under 15’s who tried hard in all their games but without to much success. They seemed to be a bit overawed and sometimes overpowered by the opening batsmen or opening bowlers for some of the teams they played against. Andrew worked hard with a generally keen group of lads and was supported by Paul Clarkson, John, Jamie and Chris. _________________________ Chance to Shine and School Cricket The club successfully ran the ‘Chance to Shine’ scheme within the Wollaston Schools cluster for the third year running. Chris Perry was responsible for delivering the majority of coaching in Seven Primary schools and the Secondary school and also organized the very successful Kwik Cricket Festival which was held at the club in July. Mark, Jamie and I also undertook some coaching on the scheme to supports Chris’ efforts. ________________________________________ Wham Bam thank you Cam! July
29th Under Thirteens Mon 14th July – Oundle (Away)
July 20th UNDER ELEVENS MAKE IT FOUR IN A ROW ! Town Trumped by Charlie's Trio! ________________________________________________________________________ July 13th UNDER ELEVENS' BEAT EARLS BARTON You're once, twice, 3 times a Steglegs! Wollaston U11's
romped to their 3rd win on the trot to make it 6 wins out of 10 by beating Earls
Barton by 56 runs. The win saw yet another great team performance with Joshua "Steglegs"
Steggles leading the way with 3 boundaries in an undefeated top score of 16. He
also performed well with the ball and took 1-4 from his 2 accurate overs. ___________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ The Academy thrash Finedon to take the crown NCCC Academy are the new Hevey Building Supplies NCL Premier Division Champions following their 203 run victory at Finedon on Saturday. Finedon had to win the match to retain the title, but their hopes were effectively extinguished by Nathan Hawkes and David Murphy who shared a second wicket stand of 176. Hawkes made 140 whilst Murphy was run out on 88 as the County youngsters posted a formidable 319-6 in the full 55 overs. Finedon lost early wickets and never recovered to pose any kind of threat. Will Sneath hit a useful 39 but David Willey produced a tremendous spell - picking up 5-11 from 9 overs, whilst Tom Brett, who has been in outstanding form of late, took 2-12 to send David Ripley's boys into raptures. Emotions at the opposite end of the scale were experienced at Irthlingborough as the home side were thrashed by Northampton Saints and have been relegated to Division One. Batting first, the Saints posted an enormous 387-4 in 55 overs with Mark Nelson scoring 241 - a new league record. Jason Dunkley also contributed with a useful 83.Pat Latham and Michael Davies both took 3 wickets each as Irthlingborough crumbled to just 109 all out. Only Martin Hills with 31 showed any real fighting character. Saints finish the season in mid table which, given their resources, must be considered a disappointment. Peterborough Town ended their season on a high note, with victory over Wollaston to finish in third place. David Clarke scored 109 and Waqas Chughtai made 43 as the Cambridgeshire side posted 245-5 in their 55 overs. Jimmy Hart then made a determined 45 for the visitors, but it was veteran campaigner Ajaz Akhtar who turned the game - taking 6-41 to seal victory by 76 runs. Despite this defeat, Wollaston will take great confidence from their performances in the second half of the season. Stony Stratford, who have spent much of the season at the bottom of the league, picked up their fourth win to ensure their Premier division survival. Once again, their overseas player Dion Ebrahim was key to their success. Rushden Town were the visitors and elected to bat first after winning the toss. Opener Graeme White made 70, but received very little support as his team were bowled out for 140. Ebrahim took 3-3 after coming on fourth change and then stroked an unbeaten 47 to steer his side over the winning line. Steve Wharton also made a very useful 42. Rushden will no doubt be delighted to have finished in fourth place, whilst Stony must be breathing a huge sigh of relief to have avoided relegation. Another overseas player who has enjoyed much success this year is Shaun De Kock of the Old Northamptonians. He dominated the ON's fixture at Burton Latimer - scoring a century and taking 5 wickets, but the home side held on to earn a creditable draw.The ON's made 267-4 in their 55 overs. Richard Ingman made 73 and together with De Kock put on 159 for the first wicket. Luke Styman was the pick of the Burton bowlers, taking 3-72.In reply, Burton ended on 247-9 thanks to half centuries from Tim Laws and Alan Sewell. De Kock's 5-71 took his side to the brink of victory, but the home side's stubborn resistance ensured a draw in a tense finish. The day's other game saw Rushton thrash Desborough by 108 runs. Marc Jackson made 92 out of Rushton's 268-8 and was well supported by Julian Danby who made 44. Desborough's Babar Raja made 50 but Marc Jackson claimed Man of the Match honours - taking 5-42 and Mehul Adatia took 3-45 as Desborough were bowled out for 160. _______________________________________________________
ANNUAL QUIZ September 25 2008 Quiz masters, Andy Luck and Darren King again produced another enjoyable quiz held at The Wollaston Inn. Five teams entered, and the winners were " The Perrys'+ One" closely followed by "Not the Cravat Club" and "The Old Gits". Wine for the winners, chocolates for the runners-up and only the joy of taking part for the also-rans. ______________________________________________________________________ PRESIDENT'S DAY JULY 20th 2008 The President Retains the Trophy President's Eleven 269 for 7 in 45 overs Chairman's Eleven 225 all out in 44.5 On a gusty, bright, but at times chilly July Sunday, the annual President’s Day again lived up to it’s billing and provided grand entertainment for players, spectators and lovers of fine, gourmet cuisine – rounding off an excellent weekend which saw the First Eleven pick up their second win of the season. The previous evening’s celebration had no lasting effects and the players were all bright and bushy tailed when they assembled prior to the annual tussle, and watched with interest and pride as the Under Eleven’s stretched their winning run to four on the trot as they brushed aside the boys from Oundle “B” – much to the delight of the watching mums, dads and friends who gave them a rousing ovation as they came off the pitch. The pre-match lunch served and prepared by Katie Shelton, Harriet Jones, Gemma Luck and Les Underwood was worthy of the Long Room at Lord’s - or a state banquet at Mansion House - and the selection policy of the diners was critical, with restraint tested to the maximum, and temptation leading the easily-led, into a life in the slips. Following the lunch the usual pre-match interviews were conducted out in the middle in the full gaze of the media. Marcus (Sky) Shelton diligently recorded everything while the interviewers Perry and Jones initially gave their views on the state of the pitch before grilling the two respective captains on how they thought the game would go. Whilst the captain of the President’s Eleven’s assessment was controlled and calm with an air of confidence, the Chairman’s was verbose and full of jingoistic rhetoric which didn’t hide his fear of leading his side to certain defeat for the fourth year running. The President won the toss and decided to bat. His pre-match team talk was inspiring and despite over-filled stomachs leaden with salmon en-croute and lime cheesecake each player, to a man, promised to give their all in the worthy cause. Family Jones opened the batting for the President with Matthew hoping to put his Saturday duck behind him and Paul, fresh from his excellent 59 twenty four hours earlier, dismissing the need for a runner, and out scoring his tentative offspring. But progress went well once Matthew eventually got off the mark and together they amassed an acceptable 91 and denied the opening attack of Darren King and John Pike the enjoyment of logging a wicket, but eventually Simon Parsons finally tempted Jones senior to drive one into the safe hands of Pike - lurking like a caged tiger at mid-off. Enter guest Australian Andy Sutherland who had kindly agreed to travel from Belfast for the occasion - via Ryan Air (Priority boarding!), the Stansted Express and Midland Mainline - only to be out first ball when fellow Aussie Steve Musgrave (who had invited him over!) induced him to give a catch to Liam Bates – thanks mate! The demise of our antipodean friend started a mid-innings wobble which saw Mark Carter lured into a false shot by the in-form Musgrave, and the Crispin’s own, Scott Bailey clean bowled by Simon Parsons for a classy four. Number six Darren Laughton joined Jones junior and added 48 for the fifth wicket before the Anwar look-a-like went the same way as Scott for an entertaining 24. Simon Driver added ten before giving part time bowler Liam Bates the charge - and getting stumped by guest wicket keeper Vince Badcock, while, all this time, Matthew was closing in on his President’s Day century which finally came to fruition off just 101 balls and totally wiped away the smirk from the Chairman’s boyish good looks. He was finally dismissed when he could stand the anguish on the Chairman’s face no more. He had made a well-built 124 when he became the Sydney spinner’s third wicket, made possible by one of the best ever catches seen at Wollaston – a one handed effort by Andy Luck, running at full speed in front of the pavilion. By this time the damage was done, the President’s men were in the driving seat and with the score on 249 the record books will show that they already had enough runs on the board to comfortably put the upstarts to the sword. However, Chris Perry put the icing on the innings with an entertaining 41 not out off just 33 balls and was well supported by David Clarkson (8 not out). Presidents Eleven 269 for 7 off 45 overs. So tea time came and the Chairman’s men had a mountain to climb. And that was only the food! Again the ladies had come up with an amazing array of goodies and cricket was temporarily forgotten whilst guests, players, sponsors and vice presidents tucked into to the feast, and discussed the President’s wise decision to bat first on the excellent pitch prepared by groundsman John Hodges. During the break, the juniors were put through their paces by their coaches, and afterwards were presented with various awards by rising star, Alex Wakely who kindly agreed to officiate. It was another family affair when the reply commenced. Siblings, Marcus and Nick Shelton opened up very steadily and looked like they intended to bat all day - and all night - regardless of the state of the game. One observant spectator was heard to say “ who is the left hander?” “Nick Shelton”, was the reply. “ Is it? He’s slow ennie - but is got luvly ‘air”! However they resisted all that David Clarkson and Simon Driver could bowl their way and gradually the pace of the innings picked up and took the score to 68 before Marcus went for a big six over cow, only to be well caught by the youthful Clarkson off the bowling of Adrian Ward for thirty five. Nick went for the same score when Chris Perry turned one past his bat and number three Andy Luck, who struck a majestic cover drive first ball, was undone second ball by Adrian’s sharply turning off-break that bowled him through the gate via an inside edge. By this time number four Liam Bates was going well, scoring at a run a ball and looked as likely as anyone of pulling of a shock and snatching the win from the cup holders. So a plan was hatched and a new field set with a change of bowling. David Ward brought himself on at the pavilion end and induced young Bates into an injudicious slog to the long-on boundary where the waiting hands a of the reliable Matthew Jones were cupped and ready to execute the coup de gras of the well formulated wheeze. Only to drop it!! And let Bates off the hook! At the other end Chris Perry bowled Mr Badcock first ball and Adrian had Steve Musgrave well caught by Laughton for 23, but Bates was still proving a thorn in the bowlers‘ side. So another plan was conceived. It was agreed that the incoming batsman (John Pike) should be attacked and removed as soon as possible which would bring in the Chairman, Andy Silsby, who traditionally, always has a penchant for running out his side’s best batsman. John was duly removed when he was excellently caught – again by Clarkson when, as the plan dictated, he attempted to clear the fielder and Strixton church as well. So in came Chairman Silsby with Bates scoring at a run a ball. Little did he know that the end was nigh. Andrew soon picked up the pace of the innings and his confidence grew to a level that brought the vision of a shock win into his mind. The plan was progressing. But, again to the script, all rationality went out of Andrew's window. A shout of “Yes, no, wait, sorry” saw Bates stranded half way down the pitch and run out for 44 with the Chairman ensconced safely at one end and considering the error of his ways. The well set plan had worked perfectly and the chase had been derailed again. The Chairman’s own timely demise came a few balls later by way of a great catch at mid-on by Scott Bailey off the searing pace of Jones for 26. Number nine Darren King came in and was soon a victim of Scott’s medium pace (well caught by Mark Carter) and Simon Parsons (33 not out) and Jamie Perry (9) tried in vain to take them nearer to the target but with one ball of the game to spare Andy Sutherland made his round trip worthwhile when he caught Perry off the pacey bowling of young Jones. 225 all out in 45 overs. So the President’s men won by 44 runs. The panel of umpires for the day - Dick Underwood, Dave Ekins and Colin Barber did an excellent job without one hint of controversy, Les Underwood recorded everything in her usual impeccable manner and afterwards the Chairman, as always, was magnanimous in defeat and fulsome in his praise for the opposition. The day was rounded off with a tasty barbeque with congratulations to the chef, Andy Luck. The Fund Raising Committee along with Darren King had organised things brilliantly once again. It was a really enjoyable day and we would like to thank everyone who helped in any way, and all those who attended including our sponsors, vice presidents, playing and non-playing guests, juniors and coaches, and mums and dads, wives and sweethearts. Thanks ! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ NICK GETS ON HIS BIKE ! Nick Broome, our intrepid Under Elevens' manager, is getting on his bike for charity. Together with 3 others they are collectively cycling 500 miles across France in 3 days to raise money for various charities. The journey will be over the weekend of 26 - 28 September 2008 and any support you can give, however small, will be gratefully received. ___________________________________________________________________ IN THE PRESS Honours even in a thriller
Wollaston and Rushton share the spoils as tight bowling dominates
Wollaston and Rushton shared a thrilling tie in their
Premier Division clash.
Both sides were dismissed for 123 with Rushton's chase
coming to an end as David Johnson and Ben Williamson tried to scamper through
for the winning run – only for the latter to be run out.
The game turned with Dave Mercer's spell. He removed Martin Roberts (26) and Marcus Steed (43) when they were apparently guiding their side to victory before Mehul Adatia, Tom Barker and Jamie Smith made up the rest of his 16-3-35-5. Wollaston had also opened with an all-spin attack of Chris Perry (17-3-26-1) and Steve Musgrave (17-3-49-3). Tight bowling set the platform. But it was the run-out that eventually ensured honours were firmly even. Wollaston 15pts, Rushton 15. ______________________________________________________________________ APRIL 26th Shelton revels in Premier Ambition by Andrew Radd. Evening Telegraph It must be Wollaston's most eagerly-anticipated sporting contest for centuries
Since, probably, the great tug-of-war tussle between the
ploughboys and the miller's apprentices, shortly after King Henry III awarded
his royal charter to the village's Michaelmas Fair in about 1260.
Or at least since last September, when Harmit Bahra's side beat Geddington to ensure top-flight cricket
at London Road for the first time since the club entered the old County League
half-a-century ago. Judy declares - and goes up t'north Judy Rowe - Second Team scorer extraordinaire - is moving house! Our reliable scribe and her husband Clive are relocating to Newtown Linford in Leicestershire in the next few weeks and unfortunately Judy has "hung up the Tippex". She has pushed the pen on our behalf for over eight years and Saturdays won't be the same without the sight of her scurrying along to the scorers' box as the bowler marks out his run for the first ball of the game. In this time of recession it's not good news either for the work force at Tippex who have been put on short time once the news was out. (only joking Judy). Seriously, we will miss Judy immensely and we appreciate her loyalty and company over the years. We wish Judy and Clive all the very best in their new venture and hope they call in and see us when possible (about 1.30pm on Saturdays would be ideal - free tea!) HEVEY BUILDING SUPPLIES NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CRICKET LEAGUE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CRICKET LEAGUE HAS A NEW SPONSOR
The Northamptonshire Cricket League and Northampton-based Hevey Building Supplies have teamed up in a major new sponsorship deal for the next three years. With more than 150 teams in 14 divisions – and ECB Premier League status – the NCL is one of the biggest organisations in English recreational cricket. And it will now be known as the Hevey Building Supplies Northamptonshire Cricket League as a result of the first sponsorship arrangement covering the entire league since the NCL began in 2003. The sponsorship was formally announced at the League's pre-season meeting at the on April 16 2008. “We are a big league but until now – unlike many other Premier Leagues around the country – we have not had a major sponsor,” said NCL Chairman John Hodges. “Our new agreement with Hevey over the next three years, gives us the opportunity to explore ways of passing on the benefits to our member clubs.” “The various League Committees are being asked to come forward with ideas.” “When I first met Mick McGuckin and Neil Hemmington from Hevey I was impressed with their keenness to get involved with local cricket. I'm looking forward to working with them to promote the best interests of both the NCL and Hevey Building Supplies.” “I would also like to thank Daniel Jackson from Earls Barton CC for introducing Hevey to the League in the first place.” The NCL's new sponsors are 's youngest – but already largest – independent builders' merchants. Hevey are a forward thinking company and were recently awarded FSC certification for supplying timber that is supplied from sustainable forests. This commitment to the environment and putting something back is further supported by their sponsorship of the NCL. As Mick McGuckin - Sales Director for Hevey – comments: “We are absolutely delighted to be sponsoring the Northants Cricket League over the next three years which shows our commitment to the local area and also to sport in general. We look forward to building on our reputation throughout the county.” And they are no strangers to cricket in the county, having supported David Sales' Benefit Year in 2007 and taken out the 'Making a Difference' package with Northants Cricket. Hevey's other principal sporting interest is football. They sponsor both Cogenhoe United and Earls Barton United at adult level, as well as supporting two youth sides and a Cobblers U10 player. Their advertising boards can be seen on several local grounds.
In 2002, the following Leagues were merged to form the
Northamptonshire Cricket League: GROUND REPORTS for 2007: click on the link :http://nclgrounds.co.uk/2007groundreport.asp TEA ROTA 2008
2008 was a good year for the youth cricket in Wollaston, with a number of good things to report. Five club members attended Coach Education training at Northants County Cricket Club. Nick Broome and Mark Ralph gained their Level 2 qualification, whilst Jamie Perry, John Pike and Andrew Silsby gained Level 1 qualifications. Winter practice sessions were well supported at Wollaston School during November, December and January, as were nets at NCCC. Practice nights at the ground during the summer were also well attended by the three age group squads and we had very good numbers for Friday night Under 9’s fun sessions. However we need to make sure that we have enough coaches available to ensure we have a reasonable coach to player ratio in 2009. With this in mind, Liam Bates and Jamie Perry are going to undertake a Level 2 coaching course early in 2009. ___________ Under 11’s – Coach Nick Broome It was good to see this team develop as the season progressed and the hard work undertaken by Nick Broome cannot be under estimated. The boys were really competitive and have started to show some good skills and application. Nick was helped by Dave Mercer as well as parents Jason Bright and Graham Richards, however all the parents were very supportive and the friendly atmosphere made the experience of watching this team all the more enjoyable. Charlie Elderton and Nathan Richards both played for Wellingborough District. see the Under 11 full report below___________________ Under 13’s – Coach Neal Perry The boys tried hard, but sometimes they lost concentration when fielding and consequently teams scored more runs than they should have done against us. However there were some good performances and we won a few games. I would like to thank Karl Yeo for helping with the scoring and Jamie, Chris and Mark for their coaching assistance. Harry Matthews and Liam Yeo were both invited to the District trials, but were unable to attend due to holiday commitments. ___________________________________ Under 15’s – Coach Andrew Silsby Results did not go to well for the Under 15’s who tried hard in all their games but without to much success. They seemed to be a bit overawed and sometimes overpowered by the opening batsmen or opening bowlers for some of the teams they played against. Andrew worked hard with a generally keen group of lads and was supported by Paul Clarkson, John, Jamie and Chris. _________________________ Chance to Shine and School Cricket The club successfully ran the ‘Chance to Shine’ scheme within the Wollaston Schools cluster for the third year running. Chris Perry was responsible for delivering the majority of coaching in Seven Primary schools and the Secondary school and also organized the very successful Kwik Cricket Festival which was held at the club in July. Mark, Jamie and I also undertook some coaching on the scheme to supports Chris’ efforts. ________________________________________ Wham Bam thank you Cam! July
29th Under Thirteens Mon 14th July – Oundle (Away)
July 20th UNDER ELEVENS MAKE IT FOUR IN A ROW ! Town Trumped by Charlie's Trio! ________________________________________________________________________ July 13th UNDER ELEVENS' BEAT EARLS BARTON You're once, twice, 3 times a Steglegs! Wollaston U11's
romped to their 3rd win on the trot to make it 6 wins out of 10 by beating Earls
Barton by 56 runs. The win saw yet another great team performance with Joshua "Steglegs"
Steggles leading the way with 3 boundaries in an undefeated top score of 16. He
also performed well with the ball and took 1-4 from his 2 accurate overs.
The Under Eleven's prepare for the Finedon game The U11's won for the 2nd consecutive Sunday with a 29 run
win over Finedon Dolben to make it a double victory over our rival neighbours.
Having won at Finedon last weekend by 51 runs, today's game was a much closer
encounter. Both teams should be congratulated for completing the game under dark
skies and in the rain. Special praise for Bradley Morris who was happy to allow
his team to remain on the pitch when we offered him the chance to go off. This
was particularly sporting as Wollaston were winning by a comfortable margin at
the time.
JULY 1st The Under 13’s beat Raunds by 30 runs. ____________________________________________________________________________ JUNE 30th UNDER ELEVEN'S BEAT FINEDON Report by Nick Broome
With the 1st XI achieving their fantastic win yesterday on a
day when the 2nds won as well, there was huge pressure and expectation on the
U11's! Well, I am delighted to say that the boys didn't disappoint and
returned a terrific team performance by beating Finedon by 51 runs to make the
weekend's results 3 out of 3.
Batting first, the boys scored a massive 315 for 7 which was
a net 280 - their highest score of the season so far. Star performers with the
bat were Charlie Elderton 26 not out and Laurence Edmunds 21. Both boys
achieving their highest scores of the season so far and arguably the best 2
batting performances of 2008. Between them they struck 10 4's! Wollaston then
restricted the home side to 264 for 7 which netted down to 229. A great
all-round fielding performance with some great stops in the deep by
debutant Max Halliday and a brilliant run out by Patrick "Paul Collingwood"
Bright who had a direct hit at the stumps from well over 20 yards to leave the
batter well short and his Dad reaching for his wallet! The pick of the bowlers
was Harry Broome who returned season best figures of 4 for 7 from 3 overs.
This included a caught and bowled and then an amazing last over which saw 3
wickets for only 1 run and remarkably all 3 were clean bowled! His Dad's
wallet is also now empty!
A great confidence boosting win as the boys move into their
last 4 league games of the season, all of which are at home, starting next
Sunday (6th) with the return game against Finedon who will be keen to overturn
today's result. Why not come down to the ground on Sunday morning at 10 to see
the boys in action and there may also be some bacon butties available!
__________________________________________________________________________ Game v Finedon at home, re-scheduled from 22nd June to July 6th UNDER ELEVENS' MID-SEASON UPDATE A report from manager Nick Broome Since the last update the boys have had a convincing win against Old Grammarians which was a great result. They won by a massive 63 runs which was a tremendous boost for them. Unfortunately, we lost the next game to Irthlingborough by only 8 runs - a fantastic game enjoyed by a big crowd of mums and dads and families. So far this season we have played 7, lost 4
and won 3. The boys are confident as we move into the 2nd half of the season as
they look to overturn the 1st game defeat against Oundle but also play against
those teams we have already beaten once this season. I am confident that we will
end the season with more wins than defeats and have set the boys the target of
winning the cup! Our unsung hero is Ellis Attwell who has
the dubious pleasure of keeping wicket - off-side, leg-side, too wide, too low,
too high - he's like a jack in the box jumping around all over the place trying
to stop the ball. He is doing a great job behind the stumps. Apologies to the parents as time keeping was never one of my strengths - when I say the practice will finish at 8.00 it actually means about 8.45!!
JUNE 12th CHANCE to SHINE - PROVES A SUCCESS 'Chance to Shine' is now half way through its third year and has attracted another four new players to the club at Under 11's. The festival is on July 14th at Wollaston where the players get to show skills learnt in the 12 week coaching block. They will get to demonstrate their proficiency against the rest of the schools in the Wollaston Secondary cluster area. Its a 9am start. June 4th Under 11's Under 11's fixtures against Earls Barton are reversed and the Irthlingborough game, originally scheduled for 25th May, will now be played on June 13th. See amended fixtures below and results so far. Two victories put them in the right mood for the tough game against Old Grammarians on June 8th.
http://nclgrounds.co.uk/2007groundreport.asp
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