Another frustrating season. We managed a 3rd place finish in the league which, on reflection, was exactly where we deserved to finish – beaten by two more consistent teams. We promised so much whilst winning the first 8 games of the season handsomely before being ‘derailed’ by the eventual champions Rowledge.

There were several impressive performers throughout the season with everyone in the team contributing at some stage. Greg Lamb was not only fun to play with but consistently a joy to watch when in full flow which seemed like every week. Brunchy improved with the bat every week too and was the ‘rock’ of the batting throughout the season complimenting Greg Lamb and Richard Kenway’s superb batting with his own unique style of solid defence and aggressive attack. ‘Kenner’s’ was a fantastic addition to our line up and his batting nothing short of excellent -as well as being a pleasure to play with. Alex Styles continues to be an enigma but shows glimpses of outstanding talent all too infrequently, a little consistency (and better shot selection) from him could see him turn into an excellent SEPL performer.

With the bowl we were, in the main, excellent. Both Shannon Mascarenhas and Nick McMurray bowled beautifully and with great control. Steve Williams was at times unplayable with his ‘mystery’ deliveries and added great balance to the attack which was again led by Paul Ancell who must surely still be one of the league’s premier spinners; his control continues to be extraordinary.

All of the excellent performers couldn’t stop the Ridge coming up short. Our mid season ‘wobble’ in the end costing us dearly in our quest for promotion. From a personal point of view the team spirit was excellent and I could not wish to play with a more relaxed and supportive team.

One final note on the man known as Shirley, Neil Cunningham. It seems that every season he retires only to play again ! It’s been a pleasure Shirl ...

I would like to start this report by passing on my gratitude to those that make it possible and pleasurable to play cricket on Saturday afternoons, Gerry, Mick and Monty for there tireless work on the pitch. I would also like to thank Richard, Jim, Joan and the rest of the committee for their behind the scenes efforts. To Brian and Phil, our ever present umpire and scorer respectively, I thank them for their professional attitude and dedication which made my role as Captain so much easier this year. Unfortunately these thanks are always left to the end of our reports but without them cricket at Burridge would not be possible.

Okay to the cricket. In brief the season started with an unbeaten run, the middle part of the season saw us lose our unbeaten run and struggle to beat sides we should have wiped the floor with. The season ended with promotion by the narrowest of margins-deserved for the effort and promise but perhaps not for our consistency.

Selection was as difficult this year as any year I can remember. Guys that have been excellent servants to the club found themselves unable to claim a place in the side and for that I apologise to them and thank them for their understanding and support. I make no apologies for selecting a side full of potential and, as it turns out talented enough to win promotion. It was very pleasant to play in a competitive side that won more than we lost-certainly different from recent previous years.

As individuals we all could say that our performances were inconsistent but as a team we were usually able to pull out enough to win through. On the bowling side Martin again bowled economically and collected enough wickets to share the bowling award for the league. Sulley bowled well without reward a lot of the time and Fodder improved as the season went on. Glenn showed promise and will benefit from the large step up in standard-I expect more from him next season.

With the bat Chris again led the line up but will be disappointed with his run tally for the season. Cam looked as though a very big score was around the corner all season but he never quite managed to build on his match winning knock at Hungerford. Ben grew in confidence with his extended run up the order and along with Jamie showed that they both will be capable of holding their own at a higher standard very shortly. Jamie also excelled with the gloves and was without doubt the best keeper in the league. Andy Booth and Ian Hardcastle both played major roles in games they were available in and it is players like these we need to be available for the challenge of consolidating a place in County 1.

I really believe we are in a new era for the Second team-past the years of struggle and spending seasons avoiding relegation, instead the youth development at the club is coming through to fruition and this can only be good for the future of the club as a whole. I am afraid its time for us older players to admit defeat and enjoy cricket in the thirds.

If last November you had offered me the success we have had this season I would have snapped your hand off-but I think its much more than that, with the first team having a terrific season we were able to build a great team spirit, and I know that the youngsters will all be better players for playing a full season in the seconds. I must also thank Rick, Andy, Glynn and Phil for making the selection meetings regularly and for the interesting debates that ensued. Lastly I would like to thank all the guys that played in the second team, the regulars and the guys that stood in when required, thanks for your efforts. I would suggest however more regular practice is required to maintain a position in County 1.

Good luck to all next season.

So Much Hope and Promise

At the start of the season the main aim was to close the gap between the 3rd and 2nd teams. Unfortunately after an outstanding start, the season faded into a disappointing 6th place finish.

Going into the business end of the season we were sitting pretty at the top of the league and looking very good for promotion. Perhaps this was one of our downfalls as perhaps a touch of complacency crept into the team. There was also the loss of players to the 1st and 2nd team not to mention the reliable British weather which affected a couple of games in the later part of the season and undoubtedly slowed our early season momentum.

We did play some fantastic cricket throughout the 1st half of the season where we managed to win the 1st nine games. The most memorable of which was a nail biting final over 4 run victory against Hayling Island, the closest game most of us had ever played in. Another memorable game was a 57 run victory at home to Denmead where Rob Coles produced the performance of the season with an outstanding 148 losing 6 balls along the way! This victory was followed by a trip to a high flying Rowner team who I believed would provide us with our toughest test of the season so far, however fifties from Jez Wright and Pete Wild along with a fine all round display of 95 and 4-40 from Rob Coles made the winning margin of 96 look far more comfortable than we could have imagined.

Jez Wright, Harrison White, Rob Coles and Pete Wild performed consistently and were key to our early season form and deserved their promotions. Other performers who deserve a mention for their season are Joe Houlton who is developing all the time and is going to be an extremely good cricketer. Nick Park came into the side mid season and instantly proved his value to the side with a string of fifties and some useful wickets. Rob Sims also was much improved with both bat and ball while Jack Griffiths’ bowling improved throughout the season, we missed both players when they were unavailable.

For next season we must learn from both our positive and negative experiences. As well as experienced players we have some talented young cricketers coming through who are improving all the time and will only the an asset not only to the 3rd team but the club as a whole.

From a personal point of view I can’t remember enjoying a season more although my personal performances sometimes came up short. However I hope to continue as captain for the 2010 season and will be aiming to taking the side forward and look to achieve where we fell short in this year.

Finally James Sennett, another player we lost to the 1st and 2nd team was superb when he came into the side mid season and looked levels above other batsmen in the league, James will be touring South Africa with Hampshire this winter, we all wish him well.

I had been very keen, as had others for the fourth team to be a real stepping stone for colts to experience competitive adult cricket. There was an opportunity for colts to secure a place in the side as long as they were enjoying themselves and showed regular commitment. Dan, but in particular Will were two such colts with others such as Alex, Ali and Levi also with many appearance. However, the colts did not form the core of the side as envisaged, and as in previous years the fourths fielded in excess of 30 players throughout the season. Having started on a slightly negative note, it is not all doom and gloom; we had a very good season with some excellent team results and some outstanding individual performances.

In a league of ten teams we would play each side twice which in the second half of the season would give opportunities for some revenge and more interesting return fixtures. Two games were lost to the weather and the team finished, Played 16, Won 10, Lost 6 and 3rd in the league. Reports of each game are posted on the Burridge CC website.

Will’s unbeaten 26 was the highlight of the opening game against Soton Dynamos, a game which Burridge should have won. His form continued in the next three games and runs totalled 115. The third game of the season was a defeat to North Baddesley. Frustratingly we could not field a full side and the result could have been different. Defeat to Peartree the following week added to an underachieving start to the season. But a visit to Twyford to play Eastleigh and Otterbourne saw one of the season’s highlights as Dan scored his first century and carried his bat as opener. The victory would be secured, with the only tension around keeping Dan on strike often enough to reach total of 104. Levi and Imran both took wickets and Burridge were comfortable winners.

Two further wins and a loss squared the season so far at W4 L4. Luke then hit some form scoring a personal best 40 at Trojans followed by 22 against Langley. Of course the older guard were also putting in the performances. Dave H, John D, Pete B, Jeff B and Ben T were playing regularly. Tony B also had more starts than he was probably expecting. The next win was against Cadnam where Alex S and the captain both made their first ever 50s. Accurate bowling from Levi and Ali K brought wickets which meant at the half way stage of the season it was W5 L4.

Dynamos were beaten in the return fixture and it was a target of the team to revenge those previous four defeats. Next up were North Baddesley in a rain affected match at home. Whilst the second team saw no benefit to resuming after tea the fourths had other ideas and on a sticky wicket skittled out Baddesley in quick time. Ben took four and Jeff took two to add to his 83. Promotion was beginning to be real possibility but we would have to overcome both Peartree and Langley Manor. Peartree were the form side with a couple of players making all the difference. Again we failed to make a break through and in the summer heat were left with a target of 251. It was never really on the cards. A very personal triumph for Pete who built a very steady half century. But a second defeat to Peartree, probably defined our final league position.

The weather turned wet during the week and a soggy pitch at King Georges was a bonus as Burridge could only put out nine players. Dave and John put in very disciplined performances but had little support on very slow wicket and the total crawled to only 92. Unfortunately for Compton and Chandlers Ford, they did not have the old heads to play such a difficult pitch Alex S and Imran took four apiece and victory was secured by 15 runs. Gordy was amongst the nine replacing the ever chipper Alex H and Dan who were usually behind the stumps.

Two weeks later Burridge almost pulled off another unexpected victory. Away to Langley Manor, the result was now academic but victory would have sealed a very good season. Burridge set a target of only 157 which seemed at least 25 to few. Pete top scored with 37. However, the wickets fell at regular intervals and game see-sawed and a win could have been snatched. In the fading light the last wicket pair scored the twelve that were needed. A very enjoyable game but a win would have been sweet consolation. In the final game of the season Stu D and Nobbsy made their season debuts and were very active in comfortable win against Cadnam.

There were many more good contributions than mentioned above but the overall season’s best performers were Dan with the bat and Imran with the ball. Dan was well supported by Dave, John and Jeff (so much for a youth policy) and Imran shared the wickets with the captain, Ben, Alex and Levi. Thanks to Gerald for scoring, much appreciated.

Overall a very enjoyable season played in a good spirit with a good mix of ages and experience.

Last year I began by saying how short we were of qualified coaches. I am pleased to report that Cammy White, Ben Lane Denise Phillips and Alex Styles successfully passed a coaching course and their help was greatly welcomed over the summer. Once again I start by thanking Paul Simpson, Rob Woolley, Phil Rood, Denise Phillips and Martin Bundy for all their hard work this past year. The number of hours these guys give up for the development of our junior sections is beyond belief, both in the summer and the winter. We somehow managed to field six teams across the different age groups and maintained our Gold Youth accreditation.

We had a fairly successful season on the field in the South East Hants League and although we had no league winners the U15 team finished in 2nd place in the U15b league and both the U11 A and B teams finished 2nd in their respective leagues. Well done to all involved.

Four of our boys (Jack Sheppard, Jamie Rood, James Sennett and latterly Sully White) played for the county and 3 of those are looking forward to touring South Africa in February, with the county, and 14 others played for South East Hants District sides. The girl’s side did however; win the junior girls District competition again and the whole team was invited to county training.

With a fundamental change in the selection of the men’s 4th Team many of our more promising colts played mens cricket this season. We had good coverage throughout all the men’s teams, indeed on many match days in the 2nd XI there were often at least 9 of the players who had come up through the colts system at Burridge, so we must be doing something right! Sully White was rewarded for his performances by progressing to playing a number of games for the county U16’s

With the superb facilities at Burridge our juniors are able play their games on grass wickets, not artificial as at so many clubs, so they are able to develop their skills on proper wickets thanks to the efforts of Gerry and his team.

Hampshire schools ran two Kwik cricket festivals at Burridge and we also hosted three U14 County games

As a club, we are extremely lucky to have such a dedicated team of coaches, supported by so many willing parents, who help out with a number of other tasks such as umpiring, scoring, catering etc and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their help.

The colts section is a vitally important part of this club without it we would not be playing Southern League cricket, and as I said before we are always looking for more help particularly with the coaching, so please if you do have some free time and would like to help out in any way, you would be more than welcome.

A young man walks into a bar with an unknown swagger about him his reputation seemingly benign to most that have come across him. The barman looks him up and down with sincere curiosity with red trousers, red hair, blue shoes the barman was polite to ask why this young man was in town... the young man replied to inspire and seemingly take a dead art to the next level bringing fun and confidence in there own ability so they as players can flourish.

If anyone outside the club begins to read that and doesn’t understand it, it won’t be the first and certainly won’t be the last time. I was deeply honoured when Stylo or Alex Styles as he is most formally known around the circuit did give me the Sunday captaincy. My playing career so far all be it very short one so far has been based on no such responsibility but just a young man going out to enjoy his cricket. The Sunday captaincy was a chance to all be it lead from the front but also to mould young and inexperienced cricketers to take there courage to the next level. I have been very lucky with the players I have played with who have inspired me to really battle the demons that could have sent me into obscurity with no chance of turning back. I am deeply grateful for there time and patience with helping me develop as a player in which at times couldn’t have been very easy.

This is now my time to prove to everyone that a very quirky young man can be taken seriously in order to help out the other teams development in the future. I was under no elusions when I first took this job on but I was also very aware of the talent we have in and around the club. A young team was used most weeks especially in the early parts of the season and none of them took a backward step against more inferior teams who posted 1st XL after 1st XL. This is a quality I am honoured and privileged to see in a team that is very young that whatever happens there is fight and determination to succeed. Obviously with the average age of the team being 18 or at highest 29 we were soundly beaten in some games but the desire to compete was never in question which will serve the club going forwards in the long run.

Notably there is some stand out performances throughout the year in all departments which from my own perspective was pleasing and inspiring to everyone’s performance on the field. Encouragement was never an issue the boys always turned up and gave it there all and the atmosphere in the dressing room was always positive but reflective when it needed to be.

Without mentioning me in this equation there is no doubt there are a few who have the potential to be awesome players in the future. Notably Jamie rood behind the sticks has a very bright future ahead of him, Jack Bennett who by all standards could be a one to watch in the future, the white boys – Harrison, Sullivan and Cameron who by there own standards were rocked by other commitments during the season have all the attributes to take the club into a golden era, Ben lane who saved the 2nds from all be it disappointment from non promotion is one who I would have first down on the team sheet but without anyone feeling left out if I had an unlimited team the squad would all be in it. Special mention must go to a few more players who as brothers never shirked responsibility whenever they were asked to perform a fruitful task. Jack, Brad and Mark Griffiths really did show how a team can get by on determination alone. Special mention must go to Mark after a spell against the Zombies who bowled into a headwind that a surfer may stay in bed for, up the hill into the wind for 8 overs straight and was the beneficiary of some put down chances quite notably by myself but under the circumstances was a fantastic effort. He also picked up a 4 wicket haul the week before and was never shy in offering his all towards the cause. This won Mark the Sunday player of the year and to be fair even though was a close run thing couldn’t really have given it to anyone else. Congratulations Mark.

Erm other mentions should go to the James Kemish, Dan Scott who scored a 100 this year for the 4th xl , Levi Whale, Luke Cain especially after the bowling machine incident... Joe Houlghton, Jack Slaughter who battled so hard and towards the end of the season really did show me the true value of courage and determination to succeed after a few setbacks. I would also like to thank Geri, Mick, Phil rood and obviously Richard Bundy throughout the season with the organisation and precision done on the wickets, for putting up with me and ultimately listening to my cries of help that engulfed me when the chips were down.

If I have waffled through this and left your name out I do apologise but collectively all this is directed at the squad not just the players that went out on the park. I do ask myself did I regret taking this on? And I answer the same way every time... Always a Pleasure never a chore! For those who are not indoor cricketing throughout the winter I hope to see you guys next summer for some more fun and games. Thanks alot for your time and patience! Thanks Gentleman.

I suppose at the beginning of the season I had mixed feelings about women’s cricket in general and the future of women’s cricket at Burridge. On the one hand I was feeling a little disappointed and disillusioned and on the other hand I had reasons to feel optimistic and positive.

The winter indoor League had been a struggle – to say the least. Although the ladies had agreed that they wanted to be part of the league quite often it was a struggle to get six players out, due to various situations and commitments. This resulted in us being bottom ot the league having not won any games. However, it was not all bad – there had been moments of brilliance – the running between the wickets improved, the ladies who made runs increased from the previous season and the fielding in some areas showed marked improvement. If we could transfer these skills to the outdoor game I could see much higher scores and more dynamic fielding.

Winter nets was a little disappointing from the ladies point of view, as numbers attending was down and, although again there was a positive – those attending gained a informative coaching from Max and gained in confidence in their batting and bowling. Hopefully more ladies will make use of this in the coming season.

The outdoor season began – I am glad to say we picked up a couple of players and the numbers attending training increased generally, (although numbers were generally down on previous years). Max worked hard on developing the individual technical skills of players but also began to develop the tactical awareness of players by introducing drills and scenarios that players involved playing using tactics.

Unfortunately the season began on a ‘downer’ we were informed that the league had changed and that instead of 14 games we would now have 7. The reason being that we would only play each team once, as either a home or away fixture. However, this aside we started the season with two wins – even though we only had 8 players for the games. Overall the season was a great success. We were 3rd in the League – Winning five games and only losing two.

During the season we had two of the players get centuries - Kelly Dixey and Rachael Conacher and many of the players who had in previous seasons not had much batting experience showed their grit and determination – to save us games – Mareka Maginnis, Marion Rood and Angeles Soler-Hernandez to mention a few. Emily Roberts again had great bowling figures and also showed us that she could bat. All in all it was a very successful season.

The ladies, along with some of the men arranged and played a charity game to raise money for our colts who were selected for the South Africa tour. A very successful evening – attended by many friends of families – BBQ being arranged by John Rider and Andy Simms. Many thanks to them and everyone else who helped. I feel I must just again say thanks to the people who work in the background to make sure the matches go ahead. Thanks again to Jerry and Richard who work tirelessly. Your efforts are really appreciated by myself and the ladies.

Girls Season: like the ladies season there have been many reasons to feel positive and some reasons to feel a little disappointed. The pre-season nets were generally well attended – with many of the girls attending Burridge nets and being part of the District U11’s nets and training. We unfortunately did not pick up any new girls from the Hampshire initiative, but picked a couple throughout the season.

The season looked good – the girls would play in the U9’s league and in the girls U11’s league. This would give them many games. However, due to weather and teams dropping out and often – without much notice, cancelling fixtures – the number of games was much less than anticipated. The girls did play some matches and in these, apart from one, they won and showed how much they had come on. They batted and ran between the wickets with more confidence and the bowling figures were much improved. They did play in the Hampshire tournament in Basingstoke and won – winning all their group matches and then winning the final game, which was a very tense game, against Basingstoke. Again in this tournament the girls showed how they had progressed, both technically and tactically. A fantastic achievement by all.