It is now approaching 3 years since I took over as Chairman and a lot has happened in that time! It is Also 3 years since we took the decision to play all our Saturday cricket at Shenley so a good time to take stock of where we are and assess the progress we have made in that time.
From a playing perspective I believe we continue to move in the right direction. Although we suffered the setback of relegation for our 1st team in 2015 we learnt a lot from our year in the Championship and what we need as a club to play at that level on a consistent basis. We need to be patient and build the right foundations to have a club that can remain and thrive at that level. If you look at the Premier League and Championship it is made up of long established big clubs with a strong history so breaking into this group and staying there will not be easy. The Herts League is very competitive from top to bottom and there are many clubs who are struggling to survive and others that are built on flimsy foundations. The fact remains that retaining and recruiting players remains one of the biggest challenges for most clubs. We are not alone in relying on many senior players aged over 50, many of whom are likely to hang up their boots in the next few seasons. We will be holding a recruitment drive during the winter, but more about that later.
As a Committee we have had to work harder than ever before. We should all be hugely grateful for the efforts of a small band of people that enable us to enjoy our cricket and be part of a special club. Without these people there would not be a club and the more we can spread the workload the healthier position we will be in. I am very lucky to work with such a great bunch of guys on the Committee. You have all been exceptional but George White and Chris Stanley in particular have provided immense support to me. George already holds 2 significant positions as Junior Chairman and Membership Secretary and is set to take over as 4th XI captain next year. Chris works tirelessly behind the scenes dealing with the large amount of administration that comes with running a cricket club as well as organising major social events for the club.
The other committee members all deserve a mention: Darren Poynton has stepped effortlessly into the Treasurers role in his first season and performs a very important job for the club. Kris Nissen, as well as all his responsibilities as Head coach, is also a key man on the committee and has made significant contributions to how the club is structured and developed. I’d also like to thank Chris Andrews for his help despite his crazy work schedule. Chris will shortly be putting up a shed at the Cricket Centre which will store cricket equipment and make Kris’ life a bit easier next season. Also a big thanks to Graham Seymour for the tremendous support he has given Kris and George during the season. A thanks also to all the Junior Team Managers and their helpers for their hard work and to the parents who support their kids and the club by driving them to games and cheering on the team from the sidelines.
A big thanks also to all the senior team captains (Morgan, Rich, Victor and Gerald) for their hard work this season both on and off the pitch. It can be a difficult task at times trying to keep players happy and sometimes having to make difficult selection decisions. It is important as playing members that the skippers receive our support and understanding. There were several occasions this season where players refused to play for a particular XI and this caused some major headaches at the time. It is understandable that some players have a preference to play for a certain XI and the skippers will always be aware of this but there are times where needs must for the good of the club so please bear this in mind.
2 of our current Saturday skippers Victor and Gerald are stepping down next season after very successful stints. Both the 3rd XI and 4th XI have made significant strides forward over the past few seasons and they should both be proud of their contributions. Luckily we have strong replacements lined up in James Williams (3rd XI) and George White (4th XI). I wish you both well for next season. Gerald has kindly agreed to take on the role of 5th XI skipper next season – this will be dependent upon availability but with a number of junior players stepping up to play senior cricket next season we are hopeful of being able to raise a 5th team on a number of occasions. Victor will also continue to be involved behind the scenes in a social media/communications role.
As I said previously, the club is continuing to expand and grow and it would be healthier if we could spread the workload a bit more. If you would like to help in any way to improve the club then please get in touch with me. It doesn’t have to be a Committee role it could be a project, an idea or a fundraising event that you would like to organise or help with, anything that you think would help the club. An example is the end of season 6 a side tournament. This has been a very popular event in the past and could be again in the future if properly planned and organised. We’re also on the lookout for coaches, scorers and umpires. If this is something you are interested in I’d be delighted to hear from you. There are courses available during the winter which the club will pay for.
The big positive for me this season is the progression of our younger players. With Ray’s help our under 19 side continued to flourish as a team under Lathan’s leadership. What is so encouraging for the future of our club is that many of this team now play regular Saturday cricket. These guys are our future and a number are already playing 1st and 2nd XI cricket and making key contributions. We also have a very talented group of Under 12s who next year will be eligible to play on Saturdays. I expect a number of these guys to be pushing hard for 1st and 2nd XI places within a couple of seasons.
On the field of play, this season can definitely be viewed as a success. A dramatic last weekend of the season saw our 4th XI crowned champions of their division, our under 13s (comprised almost entirely of under 12s!) win their Summer Tournament Cup Final and the 1st XI win the Herts Trophy. Our 2nd XI narrowly and unluckily missed out on promotion by 2 points. Earlier in the summer our under 12 side won their Finals day and the under 12B side finished as runners up in their tournament. It was also nice to see regular Sunday cricket being played at Shenley under Paras’ leadership with many of our Saturday players involved. There was some exciting and entertaining cricket on show, well worth coming down to watch!
Off the field we continue to face many challenges and finances are very tight. We face heavy costs in keeping the club running and rely heavily on sponsorship and generous donations from a few members. Playing at such a wonderful venue comes at a price and as a committee we are conscious that membership and match fees are not cheap. We will do our best not to increase these for next season but we do need to generate substantial income to meet our costs and keep our heads above water. We can all play our part to help the club by attending social events and supporting any fundraising activities: Please put the following dates in your diary and look out for further details to follow:
Junior and Senior Awards Evening – Sunday 6th November
Race Night – Saturday 3rd December
Dinner and Dance – Friday March 17th
We will be making a concerted effort over the winter to recruit additional players to the club so if you know anyone who may be interested please encourage them to join. We’re particularly keen to attract players in the 18 to 40 age group with the ability or potential to play at 1st or 2nd team level. There will be further communications on this at a later date.
A final thanks to all players and members for their efforts on and off the field during the season. I hope you enjoy your winter and look forward to seeing you at the above events and at the winter nets from January.
Geoff Evans
geoffdevans@tesco.net 07505 102152
29/9/2016