[Cricket] The village / amateur 2024 CRICKET thread...

[ACobweb]

Lovely thread. I made my glorious return to cricket last summer for Lewes Priory after packing it in as a teenager because I was rubbish. First match of the season on Saturday saw me take impressive figures of 1 for 17 off of 1 over. Here's to a summer of more box-office cricket like that.

 

[Shins]

Great thread.

A side strain has put me out of action so will likely miss the first couple of league games, starting tomorrow. Play up in the Middlesex league, 2s when fit which is getting less frequent these days lol.

 

[Peppermint Tea]

I echo the sentiments of the other former players here...and wish all you active cricketers a very good season. Knee replacement last year put paid to any last lingering thoughts I had of dusting down the willow for one last hurrah. Apart from watching, my only involvements with cricket these days are baiting the one-eyed rabid Kohli fans on social media (it’s an ugly character trait I admit) and following ThatsSoVillage on X which is superb.

May the sun shine and the sound of leather on willow be thunderous.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Envy to everyone with a chance of playing! I played (not very well) at school, but since then have only played a couple of times for scratch teams from work (where I've been rather better than most!)
When I moved to Gloucester many years ago, I got numbers form the cricket authorities and phoned all the local teams - "Do you ever have trouble getting eleven players out for your second eleven? Could you find a place for a willing lower order batsman, and somebody who can deliver a couple of overs reasonably straight (if you're playing that kind of 20 over cricket where everybody except the wicket-keeper bowls two overs.)
The standard answer, if not 'No', was, have you played for us before? Have you played for any of the other teams in our league? Do you know any cricketers around here? Does anyone in any of the teams know you?
No? In that case, we don't know you, so no. Please go away.

I am astonished (and actually a little ANGRY) at this. So many clubs desperate for new players, that their attitude is miserably poor.

I'd not give up - ask at your preferred local clubs if they have nets that you could come along to, and introduce yourself that way.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I’m at the next stage of this, even junior having more or less retired (or more ‘lapsed’ I guess) as he now works most Saturdays so I don’t even have much of an excuse to go and watch a game. I might play the odd 20 over beer/social match with the Lewes Supporters Association

What a waste of talent.

(Adam, too...)

 

[GT49er]

I am astonished (and actually a little ANGRY) at this. So many clubs desperate for new players, that their attitude is miserably poor.

View attachment 182065

I'd not give up - ask at your preferred local clubs if they have nets that you could come along to, and introduce yourself that way.

Yeh, I wasn't too impressed either! But - it's too late now. This happened more than 40 years ago: I'm 75 now!

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

I'm scorer for Eastergate CC Firsts on Saturdays - sadly this is a dying skill as I often sit on my own!!

Anyway, Eastergate beat Littlehampton, Clapham & Patching CC (that must be one of the longest Club names around?!?!) last evening in the 20/20 Slam. It was streamed live via Frogbox / You Tube. Any other clubs use this piece of tech? thoughts?

Yes we (Felbridge & Sunnyside CC) do, it's quite a cool bit of kit!

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

First league game of the season for me tomorrow. We've been shifted from Div4 West to Div4 East which is a royal pain given I come down from London. I dont want it to impact my availability too much but games like tomorrow where we've got Little Common will be a 9am leave!!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm scorer for Eastergate CC Firsts on Saturdays - sadly this is a dying skill as I often sit on my own!!

Anyway, Eastergate beat Littlehampton, Clapham & Patching CC (that must be one of the longest Club names around?!?!) last evening in the 20/20 Slam. It was streamed live via Frogbox / You Tube. Any other clubs use this piece of tech? thoughts?

It is a very lucky club / team, that still has a dedicated scorer
I tend to do a good stint of it during our batting innings, as it is preferable to umpiring!

Nothing as fancy as streaming at my club, but we score live via the PlayCricket app, and have just unveiled a new scoreboard which is a big improvement. And whilst we have no video, we do have a very good photographer in the club, so plenty of pictures on the club's site / fb pages. Here's a few of me last week in our inter-club warm up game. Pace all gone these days, but bowling action holding up still.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Yeh, I wasn't too impressed either! But - it's too late now. This happened more than 40 years ago: I'm 75 now!

I'm pretty sure most clubs would happily still give you a game.

A couple of seasons ago I told the 3rds captain at my club that I'd injured both elbows and couldn't throw the ball. Bearing in mind that I also didn't bowl (having pulled my side earlier in the season) and that he had actually seen me bat and I invariably went in at either 10 or 11, he was still desperate for me to turn out.

 

[Taybha]

I'm waiting for Guinness Boy to show up to reveal his batting average for the last 38 seasons.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I'm waiting for Guinness Boy to show up to reveal his batting average for the last 38 seasons.

Sadly for me, and probably only for me, I retired once number two child came along, which was *checks* 13 years ago .

I suspect they've got stronger chairs these days. Those cheap ones from the Aldi middle aisle were shit.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Lovely thread. I made my glorious return to cricket last summer for Lewes Priory after packing it in as a teenager because I was rubbish. First match of the season on Saturday saw me take impressive figures of 1 for 17 off of 1 over. Here's to a summer of more box-office cricket like that.

My lad played at LPCC for about 3 years. Lovely club, and I sometimes wish he was still there tbh. Im not into cricket myself, but used to love the place - and the pizza nights around the fire-pit with everyone while the kids were all off playing. The STG is a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon chilling out.

Jnr is up at Mayfield CC again this season, but not sure when his first game is. Now hes driving hes taking himself off to places without us, so i'll be pretty much cricket free this summer. He took a ball to the foot yesterday in training though, which has blown up like a balloon, so may be a delayed start for him Frustrating if it does keep him out for a while as hes been with the Sussex 2nds lately and can do without any injuries this year!

 

[Billy in Bristol]

Envy to everyone with a chance of playing! I played (not very well) at school, but since then have only played a couple of times for scratch teams from work (where I've been rather better than most!)
When I moved to Gloucester many years ago, I got numbers form the cricket authorities and phoned all the local teams - "Do you ever have trouble getting eleven players out for your second eleven? Could you find a place for a willing lower order batsman, and somebody who can deliver a couple of overs reasonably straight (if you're playing that kind of 20 over cricket where everybody except the wicket-keeper bowls two overs.)
The standard answer, if not 'No', was, have you played for us before? Have you played for any of the other teams in our league? Do you know any cricketers around here? Does anyone in any of the teams know you?
No? In that case, we don't know you, so no. Please go away.

Try the following Sunday teams

Selsley (outside Stroud)
Commoners (outside Stroud)
Longhorns (Frampton on Severn)

They usually are short. From there you can make connections with players in Saturday teams.

If on Facebook try Gloucestershire Cricket Clubs Fixture and Player Finder group.

 

[Eeyore]

My Sunday team are struggling for numbers these days. But they have done an admirable job given that they have never played league or Saturday cricket. We are 97 years old and determined to reach the centenary in 2027. I wonder if that will be it when done.

So we have gone to playing every two weeks now and still have a tour to Spain at the end of October which always seems to happen when planned.

So I'm confident we have another three years in us. But the days of Sunday cricket have been marking time for a while in various parts. The irony is that we have had a team ready for matches before and a league club, with bountiful membership, has cancelled on us due to being short.

Sad times for the great game.

 

[GT49er]

I'm pretty sure most clubs would happily still give you a game.

A couple of seasons ago I told the 3rds captain at my club that I'd injured both elbows and couldn't throw the ball. Bearing in mind that I also didn't bowl (having pulled my side earlier in the season) and that he had actually seen me bat and I invariably went in at either 10 or 11, he was still desperate for me to turn out.

Artificial hips - can't run. A bit of a handicap! Wouldn't fancy throwing myself to the ground to try and take a catch either! Anyway, maybe cricket is more inclusive in Sussex than in cricket-is-for-local-people in Gloucester!

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Anyone connected to local cricket may have heard that Rottingdean "behind the scenes" stalwart Sarah Hunt died a couple of weeks ago after a short battle with brain cancer. Her funeral is today, with a wake at the Saltdean Lido this afternoon. If anyone on here is with RCCC, I send my condolences to everyone at the club and her family.
Another great club to be part of (Its where my lad started his journey 8 years ago) Flag will be flying at half mast today

 

[GT49er]

Try the following Sunday teams

Selsley (outside Stroud)
Commoners (outside Stroud)
Longhorns (Frampton on Severn)

They usually are short. From there you can make connections with players in Saturday teams.

If on Facebook try Gloucestershire Cricket Clubs Fixture and Player Finder group.

Thanks, appreciated - but as I've replied to other posters, in my case that horse has bolted! It would have been good to have the internet back then when I was trying to get a game - better than standing in the phone box at the end of the road shovelling in coins!

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Artificial hips - can't run. A bit of a handicap! Wouldn't fancy throwing myself to the ground to try and take a catch either! Anyway, maybe cricket is more inclusive in Sussex than in cricket-is-for-local-people in Gloucester!

Specialist first slip then.
Either catch it or wave to the gulley/third man fielder to chase it if it goes past.

 

[dazzer6666]

I am astonished (and actually a little ANGRY) at this. So many clubs desperate for new players, that their attitude is miserably poor.

View attachment 182065

I'd not give up - ask at your preferred local clubs if they have nets that you could come along to, and introduce yourself that way.

Adam’s club charged him a full membership fee because he helped them out when they were desperate 3 times last season (he’d previously said he couldn’t commit to membership due to work). Same happened to a few others…..no surprise none are willing to help out any more, and yes they were cancelling games due to lack of players. Used to comfortably put out 5 teams on a Saturday and had full age group teams right the way through the juniors, now struggling to scrape 3 teams together and have no juniors. Match fees remain the same despite no teas being provided (the club has a load of money too).