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

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Incredible, what Sussex club is he attached too?

Hes joining Roffey when he gets back in April (was with Mayfield the last 2 seasons), and still hoping to get some Sussex 2nds games if he can over the Summer

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I've always thought this was completely ridiculous.

The weather conditions could be completely different a week later.
What care has (or has not) been taken of the strip in the week since the first side batted?
It must play havoc with availability - if you're unavailable for part of either Saturday, you're out.

From the point of view of a player who only contributes one facet of the game, it must be really shit. I batted three times in 14 matches this year - literally in their set up, 11 times I'd have given up a Saturday, just to go and watch.

And heaven help an opening bat who gets a duck, a few balls into 'day 1'...

They've had a few games rained off already this season as they dont use covers apparently! Its been pretty stormy over there the last few weeks, despite also having bush fires, so its a complete lottery on whats happening each day.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I've always thought this was completely ridiculous.

The weather conditions could be completely different a week later.
What care has (or has not) been taken of the strip in the week since the first side batted?
It must play havoc with availability - if you're unavailable for part of either Saturday, you're out.

From the point of view of a player who only contributes one facet of the game, it must be really shit. I batted three times in 14 matches this year - literally in their set up, 11 times I'd have given up a Saturday, just to go and watch.

And heaven help an opening bat who gets a duck, a few balls into 'day 1'...

Teaches people to value their wicket I guess.

I gather they do something similar in Barbados (I knew about it in Australia but didn't know anybody did it like that anywhere else), apparently Saqib Mahmood asked about getting a run out with Jofra Archer's club team before the T20i's they're playing at the moment but couldn't do both Saturdays:

The second coming of Saqib Mahmood, the 'King of Barbados'

The last few months have shown England that Saqib Mahmood is a bowler they can once again call upon and rely on

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Audax]

A great 71 with the bat last weekend vs Old Boys CC for Frankie, and 4-39 bowling this weekend on the 2nd day of the game (their 2 day games are spread over two Saturdays, randomly!)
Really settling in now, and has scored over 200 runs and taken 8 wickets for the 1st grade Redbacks team.

NSW grade cricket still using the same format as when I played as a kid, then. That's 35-ish years ago! Nothing quite so frustrating as having a really good batting performance on the first weekend and then seeing the second weekend washed out.

 

[Chicken Run]

Hes joining Roffey when he gets back in April (was with Mayfield the last 2 seasons), and still hoping to get some Sussex 2nds games if he can over the Summer

Keeping everything crossed for him, Roffey are Sussex Prem aren’t they?

 

[Chicken Run]

NSW grade cricket still using the same format as when I played as a kid, then. That's 35-ish years ago! Nothing quite so frustrating as having a really good batting performance on the first weekend and then seeing the second weekend washed out.

Oh well look on the bright side, with the Summer we have just had we’d have two back to back matches canx and twice in Sunday

 

[Audax]

Oh well look on the bright side, with the Summer we have just had we’d have two back to back matches canx and twice in Sunday

Ha ha ... yeah. Although in many cases this season our matches were played anyway on some rather damp pitches.

Of course, the flipside of what I said about my junior cricket back in Aus was that if the first weekend was rained off, with a compliant opposition you could sneak in a match on the second day via a staged declaration. And we didn't need to worry about damp pitches ... at that level we were playing on concrete with temporary matting over the top (hadn't heard of astro pitches back then!).

 

[Chicken Run]

Ha ha ... yeah. Although in many cases this season our matches were played anyway on some rather damp pitches.

Of course, the flipside of what I said about my junior cricket back in Aus was that if the first weekend was rained off, with a compliant opposition you could sneak in a match on the second day via a staged declaration. And we didn't need to worry about damp pitches ... at that level we were playing on concrete with temporary matting over the top (hadn't heard of astro pitches back then!).

Or as I first heard them called when they started appearing, “Nottingham Wickets” Maybe someone knows why they were called that?

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Keeping everything crossed for him, Roffey are Sussex Prem aren’t they?

Yeah. A few of his mates play there, and he still wants to try and get a shot at a Sussex contract when he gets home, so he committed to them before he flew down to Oz.

 

[Ali_rrr]

Bi-annual post to remind people that if you’re looking for a tour next year, come to The Netherlands!

Would be great to have some teams from Sussex this year coming over.

 

[amexer]

Hes joining Roffey when he gets back in April (was with Mayfield the last 2 seasons), and still hoping to get some Sussex 2nds games if he can over the Summer

For an 18 year old seems to have played for a lot of clubs. Sounds like non league football now change of teams every few seasons Hopefully money has not crept into cricket.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

For an 18 year old seems to have played for a lot of clubs. Sounds like non league football now change of teams every few seasons Hopefully money has not crept into cricket.

I wish.
He spent 2 years at Mayfield (after being guided that way by Keith Greenfield), but they just weren't competitive enough, and one year before that at B&H, which was an absolute disaster. He played for Ditchling as a kid (along with his Sussex Pathway team mates), then at Lewes Priory in the first XI at 14, but was told by SCCC that he had to be playing Prem cricket....

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

For an 18 year old seems to have played for a lot of clubs. Sounds like non league football now change of teams every few seasons Hopefully money has not crept into cricket.

I think it’s quite common for promising youngsters to play for a lot of clubs. My son is 14 and while not at the level of @Fignon's Ponytail’s son he is already playing second XI men’s cricket.

As well as his main club where he plays age group cricket as well as for the 2nds, he’s also played for another local village Sunday team and played for yet another local team in their age group team at summer tournament as we hadn’t entered the tournament. All of this is done with the blessing of the club chairman and coaches who want him playing as much cricket as possible to help his development and I’ve seen first hand how his game and confidence has improved this season.

As well as that he was playing for the local MCC Foundation Hub this season and hopes to step up to their U16 squad next season.

The above applies to a couple of his team mates too. There does seem to be a lot more focus on getting people playing in cricket rather than football where I remember our Sunday League side being hauled before the Sussex FA for playing a ringer.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Another 60 for the lad on Saturday.
Off to Newcastle this week as hes been selected for the mens regional tournament down there, so has time to do a bit of sightseeing and spend some hours on the beach etc.

 

[Billy in Bristol]

Hi All

I am currently working with Sussex CCC's very own captain fantastic John Simpson on developing a social impact project, centred around some Beat the Pro Challenges in London (definite) and Brighton (Very much up to you guys). Each event is designed for you to have a fun evening, but also, enable you to fundraise for your chosen good causes including your club, you get bonus runs linked to how much you raise. We have some pics and videos from our first evening last March (see www.facebook.com/legacy300 ). The image below gives you a discount code Paris24 BUT for the proposed Brighton event, please can you DM me if you are interested so we can then gauge demand.

On top of this evening, by way of a gift upgrade we are looking to create Purpose XI's, which we hope will make a great Christmas Gift for the VIP in your cricketing life. Membership will come with additional networking social events, discounts on Lord's cricket dinners and other experiences. This is a bit London centric at the moment but again if we get enough Sussex based members, we can do social events in Brighton as well. Full details can be found on here.

All comments gratefully received, and hope we can get you guys on board and spread the word around the county.

 

[Eeyore]

Another 60 for the lad on Saturday.
Off to Newcastle this week as hes been selected for the mens regional tournament down there, so has time to do a bit of sightseeing and spend some hours on the beach etc.

There really isn't much to see in Newcastle from what I recall. A good place to just focus on cricket.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

There really isn't much to see in Newcastle from what I recall. A good place to just focus on cricket.

I think thats what his "sightseeing" mainly consisted of...3 days of being on the beach and swimming after playing! The ground they were at was literally across the street from the sand and sea
Cricket went well though but his team lost in the final. Randomly, one of his Sussex Academy team-mates was in one the other teams he played.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I doubt anyone is particularly interested, but hes now taken a few days off as his G/F arrives in Sydney tomorrow morning for a couple of weeks, and they're taking some time to go and explore properly, before the trip back up to Tamworth.
Hes also met his mate Barney from Kent CC this evening, who he went on tour to Cape Town with back in '22 with the Academy. So happy to see him having the best of times out there, after the disappointment of being released by Sussex.

 

[AZ Gull]

This is village cricket - Chandler, AZ style. I think there is actually a league (I'm not a player myself).

Pic taken in the park just around the corner from my house this morning. (And if you're thinking the grass/foliage is looking a bit brown - well, we haven't had any measurable rainfall since August 22nd).

 

[Mackenzie]

The fixtures for my two daughters cricket tour to Nantes were confirmed today, 30th and 31st August 2025.

Allez les bleus!