 |
Hyde Heath Cricket Club |
 |
 |
|
|
Hyde Heath Cricket Club |
|
|
|
Home Fixtures 2019 Membership Form
Richard Austin Tribute - here Richard Cousins Tribute - here
| Welcome to Hyde Heath Cricket Club | Newsletter - March 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Players Dinner - 2001 | Annual Players Dinner - 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Players Dinner - 2003 | Annual Players Dinner - 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Players Dinner - 2006 | Annual Players Dinner - 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Players Dinner - 2008 | Annual Players Dinner - 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual Players Dinner - 2010 | Annual Players Dinner - 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fixture Lists from 2000 - 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Match Reports
2001
2002
2003 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Membership Form - here |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hyde Heath Cricket Club
Life Members: M Blayney, P. Guiness,
John Capper, Caroline Capper
Vice Presidents: R Bibby, M. Blayney, R. Blayney, S. Blayney, J
Capper, R. Richards, C. Taylor. D. Bevan, J. Guthrie, R. Merrick, C.
Simpson, N. Wells.
President: John Capper
If you would like to play cricket for Hyde Heath Cricket Club please
contact Nick Burgham on 07971 838142 and complete the membership form. We are a very socialable club who play Sunday
friendlies and welcome all newcomers. Please get in touch.
Membership form
here
A thankyou from Pauline Richards .....
I would like to express a "HUGE THANK YOU" to all the ladies who provided the mouth-watering cakes for Robin's "Cricket Tea" last Wednesday afternoon. My personal thank you to everyone in the Cricket Club for their support and friendship throughout the years of Robin's illness, from which I also benefitted. It was a fitting event for a "close of play". With gratitude Pauline Richards
Annual Players Dinner - March 17th 2012 Chairmans report - Matt Sims HYDE HEATH CRICKET CLUB Chairman's report for AGM 24nd February 2012 It's just over a year since I succeeded as Chairman a man for whom I have the utmost admiration, John Capper. He continues to do so much behind the scenes to help this club he loves, mowing the outfield, repairing the pavilion and supporting the team every Sunday. Thank you John for everything you continue to do for Hyde Heath. Many thanks to the committee for turning up to meetings-especially Paul for his reasonably accurate minutes, and Jeremy for always being able to answer those tricky numeracy questions, and helping me untangle the rope around the square. Also thank you to Napes for his excellent work in organising the nets and repairs to the pavilion, Richard for his art work and fantasy sixes and Henry for his wise words and representing to me , the spirit of this great club. Many thanks to Richard Cousins for bringing his wonderful Yorkshire business sense (I'm not sure what that means, but thought it sounded good) and logic to the committee for the last few years. His semi-retirement as a player (and the sad non-appearance of Napes in 2011) highlights the need to look for new men who are able to play regularly and make a contribution in actively supporting the club. This is being addressed through fliers in the village, invitations to nets and adverts in the local press. Another concern for the committee is retaining the skills of our skilful, modest and extremely hard working grounds man, Mike Thompson. You have again produced some excellent surfaces Mike-thank you and please STAY! Hyde Heath are such a successful club largely because of the contribution of Charlie Samuels, both on and off the field. The great success and smooth running of the Summer Ball was due to his skills and ability to efficiently organise everyone. Charlie continues to be an excellent captain, getting the most from his players, ensuring we all play for each other and enjoy our cricket. (Except against Chesham Bois). Members showed their appreciation in buying Charlie a cricket bat that for his 50th birthday that he rarely uses because of the strength of curtail. The club was very fortunate in having Emma and Nick Burgham to run the club's principal fund raising event, the Beer Festival. They did an excellent job, with the festival raising over £4,000. However there should be more support for the festival from the members. The Tea ladies have done another excellent job this year, with a smaller number of them doing more work. Janet's chilli being a particular highlight. My grateful thanks to Anna who did a fantastic job in organising the teas for the last two years, and I know she sometimes found the role difficult and frustrating. There may be a need to alter how teas are organised in the future, with more people contributing. The team had a very good season with ten wins and only three defeats. It was lovely to see JC and Stanley Burgham on the same pitch, encapsulating what a family club we belong to...even if John has assured us he has waved his wand for the last time. Henry's and Shrimpy's batting was usually superior to anything the opposition could produce. The opposition were frequently unable to produce challenging totals because of the bowling of Jeremy and Richard. They were well supported in the field by Nick, Spencer and Bradley.Finally a big thanks to Chris Sargeant for his high quality photos and Tom for his entertaining and self-centred match reports on the website-they always make my working days go by so much quicker. Only six weeks to go before it all starts again-Hurrah! Matthew Sims Chairman Hyde Heath Cricket Club Annual Players Dinner - March 6th 2010 On Saturday evening, 6th.March Hyde Heath Cricket Club held its annual dinner in the Ballinger Memorial Hall. The arrangements for this event had been carried out entirely by captain Charlie and Janette, and they were joined as barmaid by daughter Harriet. Charlie had selected for our delectation six different wines. My choice, and eventual downfall, was a full-bodied rioja, which proved extremely palatable. he 2009 season’s statistics (now on the website) were the subject of much discussion and jolly banter by the assembled players. And so to dinner, which was most agreeable, except that I avoided the pear and chocolate trifle, for fear of sending my blood sugar reading into orbit – I settled for the far safer cheeseboard. After dinner, in proposing a toast to the Club, chairman John Capper spoke of the excellent onfield performances in 2009 (almost professional !) and praised the skipper for his management of the teams. In his turn Charlie restricted his remarks to the presentation of the trophies (see list below), concluding by awarding the captain’s cup to a mildly surprised Robin Richards, who, as president, related the mandatory joke and then presented his cup to the man who had bowled by far the most overs, bearing the thrust of the attack for all but one match, Jeremy Stevens. There then followed an outbreak of dancing to the Dennis Ruff “Wall of Sound”. Numbers played included all the old cricket favourites…”Soul Limbo” (Booker T), “Dreadlock Holiday” (10 c.c.) and “Mambo no.5” (Lou Bega). All too soon the evening had to end, but thanks again to Janette and Charlie for a well-organised dinner.. Can we do it again next year ? Awards: Batting Nick Burgham Bowling James Aird Fielding Henry Capper Outstanding Performance Tom Jeffreys Young Player of the Year James Shrimpton Duck Trophy Atif Mirza President’s Cup Jeremy Stevens Captain’s Cup Robin Richards Robin Richards Top of Page Home 2009 Match Reports 2009 Statistics
Annual Players Dinner - October 25th 2008 To Ballinger Village Hall, which is decorated with fairy lights - just like Christmas- and two boards prepared by Mr.Webbe-Master. These present a pleasing panorama of action snaps taken by himself during the past season. I thought that the one of Tom Jeffreys in delivery stride so well depicted the craft of the leg spinner, luring unwary batsmen to their doom. And so to the renewal of auld acquaintance-nice to see Charlie Vermeilen whom I last encountered by chance when I bumped into him in Tesco-but no soft clink of the claret cup for me this year, because I have been put on a stronger antibiotic with no alcohol. the penalty for non-compliance being a serious attack of "Montezuma's revenge"... another St.Clements, please... The caterers seemed to have done us well for dinner ... a savoury circular starter topped with quails' eggs, followed by lamb shank and a choice of sweets, each of which sent my blood sugar dizzy, so I settled for the cheese board... Chairman John Capper, having been at a wedding reception all afternoon, was keen to address the guests, using the key word "basically" He thanked the ladies for their continued good work on the production of teas and other catering highlights during the season, the team for its good performance and the committee for its sterling work, but, above all, thanks were due in no small measure to everybody who had worked so hard, especially his wife, Caroline, (this boy is no fool) to make the "big" weekend in June such a success. In his turn skipper Charles Samuels thanked the team and the committee for their support. He made special mention of the achievement by Jeremy Stevens of notching his maiden half-century and his maiden century last season. He then announced the winners of the 2008 awards, which were presented by the president... Batting: Henry Capper ... 635 runs @ 52.92, one century. Bowling: Jeremy Stevens ... 38 wickets @ 15.66. Young Player of the Year: James Shrimpton. Fielding: Nick Burgham. Captain's Cup: Matt. Sims, for superb organisation of the tour in Kent. Outstanding Performance: Will.Reynolds: for an innings which won a splendid victory against the odds versus Woodley, and brought up his maiden half-century for the Club. President's Pot: for all his hard work on and off the field these past seven seasons ... Charles Samuels. The Duck Cup: there were two contestants for this trophy... Luke Brennan and Dominic Haddock with two each, but the winner was Dominic because both his were "first-ballers", one against Southwell Ramblers. He denied playing in that match, but the scorebook bears no false witness, so, unless he can prove the existence of a Doppelganger, the award stands. -Matt. Sims then-presented the CAC (alternative) awards … humorous reminders of the season. which ate understood by the players alone. to much raucous applause from the assembly. Presentations of flowers were made to Caroline Cousins, Jackie Napier-Munn and Janet Samuels for their work in organising this function, although it should be known that the driving force was Charlie Samuels And so to the dance ... with the Dennis Ruff Wall of Sound and all the old cricket favourites... "Soul Limbo", "Dreadlock Holiday" and "Mambo no. 7" Well played, everybody ... see you next year. Squareleg Last Saturday evening (October 28th) Hyde Heath Cricket Club held its annual
dinner in the Village Hall, which bore all the signs of being an elegant eatery.
Floral decorations were to be seen in abundance by the subtle lighting at the
circular tables. There was a single red rose corsage for each lady who had "done
teas" during the playing season, courtesy of the hon.secretary, who was keen to
show sufficient gratitude for their catering services over the past summer.
Around the walls were some fine action photographs, taken by Mr.Webbe-Master
over the season, and these were viewed with much enthusiasm. The entire evening had been planned and managed by Jemima Haddock, with much
help from her tearn of Caroline Capper, Caroline Cousins, Janette Dunkley, Lynne
Morgan and Jacqui Napier-Munn. These ladies were warmly applauded later in the
evening during the address of the Chairman, who himself was due some merit marks
for setting up the bar, and providing the post-prandial port. Cheers, John... Due to an intense marketing campaign we had a greater number than usual in
attendance, many of them past captains ... how pleasant to see thern all again
and their features recorded by Mr.W-M's carnera. This larger than usual number
caused a problem for the Village Hall's electrical system, in that it appeared
unable to generate enough watts to power all the necessary ovens, warming
cabinets and hotplates; loadshedding occurred and the first place that it struck
was the Dennis Ruff "Wall of Sound", so continue with the aperitifs, hors
d’ouevres and the interesting conversations... The delay in the serving of dinner prompted the Chairman to make his speech
earlier than usual. John spoke of the success of the "big weekend" & and thanked
his wife, Caroline, captain Charles Samuels and all those whose hard work had
made it so. It had been a good year off the field as well as on it; thanks to
the players for achieving such good results under their skipper and to
groundsman, Mike Thompson, for producing wickets which helped the batsmen make
more runs and, indeed, for producing wickets when, by traditional standards,
there would have been no play at all. He presented Charles with a clock to mark
the 50th. win under his captaincy and Matt.Sims awarded him a framed "back page
special" on behalf of the membership. By now the main course was being served, so John sat down to generous
applause, and was replaced at the end of the sweet course by the President,
Colin Heck ... he had been sitting with some past captains and introduced the
first and second century-makers for the Club, Mike Andrew and Rob Merrick. He
had been told that the poor quality of many wickets in those days often meant
that a total of 60 was a winning score! He then presented the President's Cup,
amid much applause, to Caroline Capper. Captain Charles Samuels in his turn thanked the players and the support of
the Committee. He presented the following awards for the 2006 season... Batting
Cup-Henry Capper (a phenomenal season, scoring over 900 runs); Bowling
Cup-Jeremy Stevens; Young Player of the Year-James Shrimpton; Fielding Cup-Danny
Samuels; Outstanding Achievement-Richard Austin and Captain's Cup-Mike Thompson.
The Duck Award was won by Danny Samuels, but it could not be presented because
Atif Mirza, as the previous year's winner, had not returned it. Charles
concluded by thanking the hon. scorer for producing an impressive set of
statistics. There then followed a whimsical interlude when eight Alternative (or C.A.C.)
Awards were announced by the hon. secretary. These were designed as humorous
reminders of certain events during the season and were well received by the
players, if not completely understood by the entire assembly. And so, to finish the evening, to the dancing. Dennis' Wall of Sound had been
powered up again and many a merry jig was played until midnight. Another good
evening ... shall we all do it again next year ?? Robin Richards On Saturday, October 29th. Hyde Heath Cricket Club held its annual dinner in
the Hyde Heath Village Hall, which, for the purpose of this exercise, had
metamorphosed into the Cafe de Paris, or some similar establishment. Circular
tables, plenty of flowers and other decorations were to be seen by the subtle
lighting. There was the gift of a single rose corsage to each lady who had "done
teas" during the playing season, courtesy of the hon secretary, who was anxious
to show his "handmaidens" sufficient gratitude for their catering services
during the past summer. The entire evening was planned and managed by Caroline Capper, Janette
Dunkley, Jemima Haddock and Jacqui Napier-Munn, and these ladies were warmly
applauded later in the evening during the Chairman's address. He, himself, was
also due for some warm applause, because he had set up the bar and provided the
post-prandial port. Thanks, John ... cheers. And so, prior to the meal, the convivial meeting with old friends, the joy of
good times remembered and the soft clink of the claret cup. Dinner was well
presented by the caterers operating from the mysterious depths of Tui Addison's
kitchen. The hon.scorer was delighted to note that one of the sweet choices
appeared to be chocolate cake, making him think longingly of summer Sunday teas.
Chairman, John Capper, spoke on the progress made during 2005, both on and
off the field, and thanked all those involved with the success of the big
weekend in June, the prime mover of which was his wife, Caroline. There was the
Beer Festival on Friday evening, the President's Xl match on the Saturday and
the Six-a-Side Tournament on the Sunday. John thanked skipper, Charles Samuels,
and new groundsman, Mike Thompson II, for all their hard work during the year,
and presented each with a book," The Art of Captaincy" by Mike Brearley and "The
Groundsman's Companion". He then presented an overwhelmed hon.secretary with a
Slazenger bat signed by the Middlesex C.C.C. squad of 2005 ... wonderful ! Charles Samuels, in his turn, spoke briefly of the onfield success achieved
during the 2005 season. He went on to emphasise the continuing good team spirit
and made the following presentations: Batting Cup - Henry Capper; Bowling Cup -
Sohail Rauf; Young Player of the Year - Danny Samuels; Fielding Cup - Andrew
Williarnson: Outstanding Achievement - James Aird and Captain's Cup - Robin
Richards. The Duck Award went to Atif Mirza and there was an outbreak of
photography as four members of the winning Six in June ( the other two were in
Scotland and New Zealand ) stepped up to be pictured with the R.R.Trophy. Due to an administrative error the President's Cup was not awarded this year.
There then followed a whimsical interlude when nine Alternative ( or C.A.C.)
Awards were announced by the hon.secretary. These were designed as humorous
reminders of certain events during the season and were well received by the
players, if not completely understood by the entire assembly. And then the dancing; the Dennis Ruff Wall of Sound played many a merry
jig,which to my disappointment, did not include those cricketing favourites
"Soul Limbo" (Booker T), "Mambo No. 5" (Lou Bega) and "Dreadlock Holiday" (10
c.c.), but that was o.k. because Dennis, who is a neighbour of mine, had
promised me a lift home. The fun had to stop sometime, and, before we knew it,
the clock had struck midnight, and it was time to bring the proceedings to a
successful close. What a good evening... Robin Richards 2005 AGM Hyde Heath Cricket Club recently held its annual general meeting. In the
interests of speed and efficiency in the conduct of business, he said, chairman
John Capper had declared the meeting room to be a teetotal zone. This decision
did not meet with universal approval, but John remained firm, and glasses of
water, rather than wine, were the order of the evening. Proceedings began only five minutes late, and, having dealt with apologies
for absence, minutes of last year's A.G.M., and matters arising, we were into
the chairman's report. John reflected on the 2004 season, the most successful in
the Club's annals for many a year. He thanked the ladies for the continued
excellence of the teas, and also the general committee for its part in the
smooth running of the Club. He singled out for particular praise Derek Evans,
who is retiring as hon.treasurer after a dozen years in the job. For his swansong D.E. presented a set of accounts, which showed heavy
expenditure, but included were some "one-off" capital items, such as the new
mower for the playing square, a highly sophisticated machine, which boasts a
full complement of bells and whistles. There was also the purchase of the
bowling machine, of which more later, the interior decoration of the pavilion
and the reconstruction of the pavilionside net. Club captain, Charles Samuels, thanked the players for their unstinting
efforts in a very good season ( played 22, won 12, drawn 5 and lost 5 ) and the
committee for its ongoing support. The hon.fixtures secretary then presented a
full list for the coming season, highlighting two new matches, at Chipperfield
and Ley Hill. The meeting recorded its thanks to the retiring president,
David Bevan, for his three years of diligent service in that office, and
unanimously welcomed Colin Heck as his successor. Also unanimous was the vote to
make former captain and president, Mike Blayney, for his long service to the
Club, a life member. After many years of membership of the committee Roger Bibby
has stood down; he was thanked for all his sterling work. Otherwise, the officers of the Club remain the same as in
2004, with the addition of two new committee members, Richard Cousins and
Matthew Sims ( both opening batsmen …. might be difficult to shift on some point
of order ... ) After a few items of Any Other Business the chairman was able to
close the meeting after one hour and five minutes, so he had the right idea
after all ! Stand by, Plough... On the previous Friday evening the new bowling machine was unveiled at an
indoor net session, and very impressive it was, too. While Matt. Sims was busily
doing mental calculations in the matter of ballistics, John Capper and Paul
Haddock took turns at feeding the beast with an inexhaustible supply of cricket
balls, varying the delivery from 45 m.p.h. just short of a length outside the
off stump to 90 m.p.h. ankle-biting yorkers. This machine is extremely portable
and may be used at outdoor practice as well. It should give all our players the
batting practice they individually need, so it looks to be a good investment. Robin Richards Players Dinner 2003 -
Nov 1st - Beaconsfield Golf Club Hyde Heath Cricket Club recently (Saturday, Nov. 1st)
held
its annual Players' Dinner at Beaconsfield
Golf Club. Ladies attending, who had helped with catering during the past
season, were each presented with a single rose corsage. After dinner, chairman John Capper
thanked the September working party for their most invaluable efforts on the
playing square, and he also thanked the General Committee for its continued hard
work during the year. He applauded the success of the Beer Festival, followed by
President's Day, and capped by the Club's inaugural Six-a-Side Tournament. The
whole weekend - eventually - went smoothly, thanks to the Club members involved.
Special mention was made of the ladies of the Catering Support Corps, especially
his wife, Caroline, who bore the brunt of the pre-match inquisition by the local
Health and Safety Authority, but still came up smiling and organised this year's
outing for the old folks of the village ( which included the hon. secretary ) to
Old Windsor and Runnymede for lunch and a riverboat shuffle - or was it a
shuffle onto a riverboat ?? Captain, Charles Samuels, reflected on a highly successful
season on the field, winning eleven of the nineteen games played. Team spirit
continues to be a strong factor in that success, but there is now another key
element - the bowling attack; last season we dismissed the opposition on
fourteen occasions. What we need for next season is better and more consistent
batting from the lower-middle and lower order ... Charles then explained the
reasoning behind the various pots about to be awarded by Club President, David
Bevan, and these were:- Batting Cup - Richard Cousins, Bowling Cup - Richard
Austin, Fielding Cup - Henry Capper, Outstanding Performance of the Season - Tim
Nutman, Young Player of the Year - Dominic Haddock, ( he won it last year as
well... and the Captain's Cup - Henry Capper. The most unwanted trophy, the Duck
Award, went, on countback, to Andy Witten. The President also spoke about a successful 2003 season, but
he wandered from The Common to The Oval, where he spends many of his retired
moments. He was persuaded back again by the promise of having his glass
refilled, and he then presented the President's Cup to that most deserving among
team men, the Club Captain, Charles Samuels. The toast is "the Club and season 2004" Robin Richards Players Dinner
November 2002 at Beaconsfield Golf Club After dinner chairman, John Capper, praised the ladies who had
prepared and served the excellent teas during the season, and,in particular,
Leigh Hutchinson for so successfully organising and maintaining the roster. He
thanked the Club members for their unstinting efforts in laying the new outfield
drains in September, as well as re-laying one strip of the playing square. There
was special mention of Bill Franklin and Maurice Wells for their valuable
support on this project. Finally he thanked the General Committee for its
continued hard work during the past year. He particularly singled out the social
secretary ( this boy is no fool - it's his wife ! ) for all her hard work on the
Beer Festival weekend and the subsequent old folks' coach trip to Bournemouth. Skipper, Charlie Samuels, spoke of a successful on
field 2002 season, in which the excellent team spirit had been a major factor.
He also explained the facts which lay behind the various awards about to be
presented by Club president, David Bevan, and these were :- Batting Cup - Henry
Capper , Bowling Cup - Jeremy Stevens , Fielding Cup - David Brennan ,
Outstanding Performance of the Season - Simon Napier-Munn , Young Player of the
Year - Dominic Haddock, Captain's Cup -Caroline Capper, and the most unwanted
award, the Duck Trophy - Jeremy Stevens. He also made special presentations to
Chris. Stanier Davis and Terry Egan for their continuing good work on the
outfield and playing square. The President's Cup was awarded to the hon.secretary, Robin
Richards, and finally Charlie made a presentation from
the Club members of a silver-capped decanter to
Caroline and John Capper. ', -and the toast is : the Club and next season " Players Dinner October 2001
at Harewood Downs Golf Club
Hyde Heath Cricket Club recently held its Players' Dinner at
Harewood Downs Golf Club. Thanks were due in the first instance to the catering staff
in holding back the meal for the benefit of late arrivals, due to delayed
aircraft into Luton and heavy traffic on the M 1. After dinner chairman, John Capper, thanked the Committee for
its unstinting efforts during the year behind the scenes, and also recorded
appreciation to Terry Egan and Chris Stanier-Davis for their hard work on the
playing square and outfield. "Hyde
Heath Common looks like a place where you would
want to come and play cricket." John then made special presentations of a framed photograph
and tee-shirt, with suitable wording, to the soon-to-be-departing Richard Howard
(to Canterbury - the New Zealand one) and the outgoing captain, Alistair
Richards, (to Edinburgh - the Scottish one). In addition Richard was awarded a
special Hyde Heath club tie, one where the manufacturer had inadvertently
produced the logo upside-down ..... In his turn Alistair spoke of the successes
of the season and highlighted the annual tour, this time to a new location,
Wiltshire, where the Club made some new friends but was let down by its own
playing strength. Charlie Samuels was heartily thanked for managing the tour so
well, despite the difficult circumstances. Club president, David Bevan, made the following presentations:
-
Batting Cup: Richard Howard ( 295 rims, average 36 ) Bowling Cup: Alistair Richards ( 38 wickets, average 13.6
Fielding Cup: Charlie Bibby Young Player Award: Henry Capper
Performance of the Season Award: Charles Taylor ( 108 not out
v. President's M Captain's Cup: Robin Richards Duck Award: ( a close-run thing, this, but on countback... )
John Capper Finally, the president spoke of recent happenings at the Club,
including the refurbishment of the kitchen and plumbed appliances, together with
other general smartening of the pavilion, thanks to the legacy of Bill
Williamson. David. particularly stressed the progress made on and off the field
during the period of Alistair's captaincy, and awarded him the President's
Trophy. It had been a splendid evening, but much of the silverware
etc. seemed to be making its way abroad, to New Zealand and Scotland. Let's hope
that we can keep more of it in England next year ..... Robin Richards HHCC Newsletter
March 2001 President Hon Treasurer Hon Secretary
Captain Vice-Captain Social The President But first the downside. How can anyone follow Mike Blayney as
President? Mike’s contributions to the Club have been immense, not only directly
in the various offices he has held but also in the leadership, generosity and
good humour which have consistently been his trademark. As a Club we must
preserve and develop the many things which Mike’s vision created for us. A
million thanks, Mike, - I hope you’ll play a part in this year’s Presidents Day
– how about bagging some wickets? I remember coming off the field at teatime one Sunday almost
25 years ago. Both Dave Lumb and I were playing our first games for the Club,
and the incumbent Captain (not Mike I hasten to add!) told us new boys not to go
in for tea with the others, but first to go out and pull the roller up and down
the wicket. How times have changed! Another recollection from that first year in
our new house was meeting the man from the bungalow round the corner: the late
Bill Williamson. Bill introduced himself, gave us some very helpful local
advice and asked us not to dump garden rubbish on his copse! Although he had
lived in Hyde Heath all his life he was very welcoming to us newcomers and we
got to know him better over the years until his death. As most members now know
the Club received a very generous bequest from Bill’s will, giving us financial
security for many years to come. Bill and his wife wanted cricket in Hyde Heath to survive –
we must all ensure that it does. I look forward to a good season and to a
healthy future for our Club. All the best to you all. Dave Bevan The Chairman The committee has been magnificent again. Firstly, Caroline
has been outstanding in her hard work - the club owes her a large debt.
Secondly, Robin Richards has done a huge amount of hard work in his role as the
calm behind the storm (? Mike Blayney). Seriously, he has been very efficient in
everything secretarial as well as being hugely valued for sound advice and
guidance. Thirdly, Derek Evans has managed the resources as only he can do,
something that has been especially important this last year with our purchase of
a hugely expensive piece of machinery. Fourthly, Charlie Samuels for the tour
organisation. On behalf of the Club, I am delighted to welcome Dave Bevan as our
new President. I must also thank Chris Stannier-Davies and Terry Egan for
their hard work on the ground. I would also thank everyone who has helped with
the casino nights and the glass sales. The major development this year has been the purchase of a
ride-on mower to replace our ailing gangs. Mike Blayney has led the way on this
with his personal drive to raise enough cash to buy this outright. A huge vote
of thanks to him and an even bigger one to all those who contributed so
generously. A further event has overtaken this superb show of club spirit, in
that due to the generous bequest of Bill Williamson, the club has achieved
financial stability in the short to long term. However, the club needs the same
spirit it has achieved by fund-raising, be it the casino or the mower that
brings us this spirit and I would hope that all of us do not use this money as
an excuse to avoid the hard work that makes Hyde Heath such an excellent club to
play cricket at. Finally, I have to pay homage to our past President. Mike has
been a legend to me ever since he took the blame for one of my on-field displays
of over-enthusiasm. Since then he has been the opposite of conservative. If ever
he felt there was half a chance of an option working to our advantage, he
encouraged us to go for it. He has supported a major change in the running of
President’s Day, helping us to make it a hugely successful event. He has
encouraged us to think "big", be it in fundraising or in our every day running
of the club. If ever I rang him to bounce an idea off him, I always got his
enthusiastic support "go on, John, just go for it". We will miss his support but
will be ever-grateful for his work for the club as President, Chairman, Captain
and player. John Capper The Captain The first thing that stuck me when writing this report was,
"Is it really that time again already?" It doesn’t seem like five minutes since
the club was walking off the field at Monks Risborough on a miserable Sunday
afternoon having just been trounced by ten wickets, the heaviest defeat in my
relatively short captaincy career. Not the best way to end a season and
certainly not the most optimistic outlook on the forthcoming 2001 season. But in
all honestly that result does not reflect the huge strides that the club made
last season. Our record, despite reading a fairly modest tally of 5 wins,
4 draws and 5 loses is for the statisticians. What was so pleasing to see last
year was he number of younger players joining the ranks and all playing their
part in every match. For the last number of years the average age of the squad
has been steadily getting older and older. Whilst this in itself is not a bad
thing, in time this can become a problem if younger players are not coming to
the fore. For the club last season, the majority of the sides we fielded on a
Sunday afternoon were in their late teens to mid twenties, with the odd
injection of experience (and discipline!) from the more senior pros in the club. An old saying goes that "Success breeds success". Whilst this
may not have applied to the club in the earlier part of the season, the new
addition of youth and enthusiasm made selecting and leading sides easier than it
had been during my first season in charge in 1999. A regular core of players was
available for the majority of the season and the only real problem I had was
telling people that they couldn’t play! I’m hopeful for more of the same this
season. The biggest problem we have as a club is not having regular
practice between matches. It makes any kind of consistency on match days very
difficult if not impossible. Our season usually falls into two halves (a season
of two halves if you like rather like an overlong game of football) of pre tour
and post tour. The pre tour period usually has players finding their feet again
after the winter rest and the post tour period is where the club excels and wins
the majority of its matches. This was certainly the case last season. Before the
annual tour to Suffolk (which is moving to Bath this year) we did not win a
single match. We came very close on several occasions and put up some great
fighting performances, but alas we were yet to have that elusive win. Then comes
the post tour period where, having played 2 games in 3 days followed by a Sunday
match (making a total of 3 games in 5 days) the club wins the majority of its
matches. One of my aims for this season is to ensure that the post tour period
happens around the middle of May rather than the end of July! If Hyde Heath Cricket Club was a serious league club then
results would be of paramount importance. One of the great attractions of this
fine club, as many of the members and locals know, is that we are not a serious
league club, but a very friendly and sociable village side who enjoy their
cricket on a Sunday afternoon in wind, rain or shine. I personally have always enjoyed playing for the club since
joining in 1993. I cannot think of a more sociable and friendly group of people
at any other club. It is therefore with some sadness that I write that this
season will be my final outing for the club as captain and player before I move
up to Edinburgh to be with my long suffering girlfriend Mel. Mel, rather than
becoming the traditional "Cricketing Widow" has always been helpful and
supportive whilst I’m rushing round trying to get an 11th player at
the 11th hour on a Sunday. She is also guaranteed to bring along a
bunch of groupies to add some vocal support for the afternoon wherever the club
happens to be playing. We shall both miss the club immensely. So here’s to the 2001 season for Hyde Heath Cricket Club.
Another season of highs and lows, sun and rain, but more importantly to a season
of fun, sociability and enjoyment. Alistair Richards Social report Our thanks to Dave and Val Bevan for organising a most
enjoyable evening at the end of March. Mr Soulman, a fine musician, had us
singing and dancing the night away. His "clarinet strip" was a sight to behold! We can now look forward to President’s Day, which will be
held on Sunday, lst July. This event becomes more popular each year and I have
been oversubscribed for the last two years. Last year, the weather was ghastly, but everyone turned out
in good spirits and with only a few overs played, due to the weather, we managed
to make the largest profit ever recorded. Statistically, we are due for a
scorching hot day and I have been steadily purchasing suitable jugs for the
Pimm’s from of the aforementioned profits. So, put the date in your diary.. President’s day Sunday July lst Bar opens 12
Lunch 1pm Match begins 2pm Tea around 4.30pm Do come!! Ring Caroline for tickets Tel: 01494 784043
HYDE HEATH CRICKET CLUB
Back to top
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen;
welcome to Hyde Heath Common, our physical home during the summer months
(as opposed to our spiritual home the whole year round, The Plough,
opposite).
If you are taking tea in the pavilion you share the joys of the
tea Interval on match days when the dipstick on the urn never registers
empty.
What will the third millennium have in
store for us?
Well for a start, there are those who have sympathy with the
Great High Stickler of the International Order of Pendants, and believe
that the third millennium will not commence until 1" January 2001
(because there was no year numbered zero).
There beliefs-, not withstanding our resident -Skipper, Alistair
Richards is of' the very firm opinion that our squad needs strengthening
and that die-re is possibly an as yet untapped resource in our village
and its hinterland.
Accordingly, RECRUIT 2000 is this year's watchword; the seed has
been sown by a door-to-door handbill delivery and notices in the local
press.
We are hoping that it will grow and blossom by careful nurturing
at indoor nets and practice evenings (Wednesdays) here at the ground.
The accent is of course on youthful blooms.
Alistair has a new vice captain this
season, Charles Taylor, whom we are pleased to welcome to the long line
of Hyde Heath match managers.
We wish the dynamic duo every success for the season 2000.
After many years' sterling service to
the Club, Colin Little has retired as our ground secretary. This would
appear to be a difficult gap to bridge, but our chairman is confident
that good liaison between the committee and our outfield superintendent
Chris Stanier-Davis, and square curator, Terry Egan, will go a long way
towards achievement.
Goodbye and thank you is also the
message to one of regular sponsors for some seasons, Nycomed, who plan
in future to concentrate their financial sponsorship on charities
associated with their core activity.
We thank them for their past support and we thank others for
their continuing commitment - Allsports, Inn Business (The Plough),
Baily Gibson (so helpful to have on our side a firm of solicitors when
our batsmen are often accused of driving without due care and attention)
and the Cricketers Club of London.
There are other regular benefactors, who advertise in the fixture
card, or sponsor match balls - we thank them all for their unstinting
support.
With the aforementioned financial
backing, and hopefully a successful National Lottery grant application,
we envisage improved ground and grounding conditions with the purchase
and use of more modem ground maintenance equipment.
We should also like to lay an all-weather strip at one end of the
playing square.
Our Hon. Fixtures Secretary has again
compiled an attractive fixtures list, at home and away, including
Champneys, the Royal Household and, of course, our Suffolk tour.
We would welcome your support as spectators to our ground here on
the Common.
Fixture cards, as bell as a range of Club ties and summer
headgear, are available from The Plough, or the Hon. Secretary to whom
new players should make themselves known.
We hope that you enjoy your afternoon,
and look forward to seeing you again.
For contact details, please see the village notice board.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
