With perhaps the exception of the 1st team (who have been pretty unlucky in losing 4 games in the final 4 overs or less), all Saturday teams have a very realistic chance of promotion at the half way point of the season. Both the 3rd and 4th teams remain unbeaten which puts them both in pretty strong positions moving into the 2nd round of fixtures.

In excess of 60 players have so far played on a Saturday which is testament to the growing strength in depth of the club. Due to the numbers that are available week in week out, selection can at times be challenging for the captains. Your understanding is very much appreciated!

It should be noted that if the 4th team can secure promotion this year, there is a very real chance that the club could enter a 5th team into the Hertfordshire League pyramid for the first time next year. This will obviously not only give more people the chance to play competitive cricket, it will also ensure that kids coming through from the increasingly successful youth section get the exposure to adult cricket that they deserve.

If you want to geek up on the current standings in the Herts leagues, the following link should be useful:
https://hertfordshirecl.play-cricket.com/Competitions

Team Updates

For those who don’t spend their time trawling through the stats published in play-cricket (which is probably not many of us), this is a brief summary of the key numbers:

Ist XI – Division 2B
Position = 9 (W = 2, L = 5, C = 2)

2nd XI – Division 6A
Position = 4 (W = 4, L = 3, C = 2)
Just 5 points from promotion positions

3rd XI – Division 9W
Position = 1 (W = 6, L = 0, C = 3)

4th XI – Division 11S
Position = 1 (W = 6, L = 0, C = 3)

5th XI
Position = N/A (W = 1, L = 4, C = 1)

Sunday XI – Chess Valley Division 4
Position = 6 (W = 0, L = 2, T = 1, C = 1)

Individual Performances

Top Run Scorers
1. Harvey Blackwell – 283 (Average of 70.75)
2. Tahir Hussain – 278 (Average of 39.71)
3. Vijay Pail – 271 (Average of 45.17)

Top Wicket Takers
1. Majid Khan – 15 wickets @ 11.93
2. Shivam Gandecha – 14 wickets @ 11.64
3. Aamir Ishaq – 12 wickets @ 13.92
4. Syam Devendla – 12 wickets @ 15.08

Facilities Update

This has obviously been an extremely challenging season for everyone. Just to get the ground to a position where cricket can even be considered has been an absolutely monumental effort. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who has mucked in on the ground (from both the adult and youth sections), those who have tirelessly searched for alternative grounds for weekend fixtures and also to those who have helped with the work on the clubhouse.

The situation with the drainage is still clearly not resolved which means we continue to be one heavy downpour from disaster. However, Stef has been making steady progress with the council and it is hoped that the blockages may be cleared soon. The plan is to dredge the silt from the entire length of the drainage ditch running alongside the ground and once this task is complete, clear the blocked culvert which is ultimately the route cause of the water backing up onto the outfield.

Until that time, the lack of flow means that the ground water under the pitches remains exceptionally high. Therefore, despite the best efforts of our new groundsman Dave, Paul et al, there is unfortunately really very little that can be done to ensure that we are not at the mercy of the elements.

Your continued patience and understanding is very much appreciated. Everyone involved understands the frustration this causes and rest assured everything that can possibly be done to ensure that the potential success of the teams is not compromised is being considered.

Social Update

We have so far run a total of 6 social events since May, ranging from a trip to Lords to watch Middlesex get absolutely humbled, the Pavilion centenary celebration, to a foodie adventure to Southall. All events have been great fun and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who has attended.

There are a few more events planned for the rest of the season – please keep an eye out for the posts on Pitchero. It would be great to see you there!