Wickham
Park CC – Chairman’s Report March 2023
My Year!!: Surprisingly enough I have enjoyed the
year as Chairman. I did not really know what to expect and the reality was
better than my worst fears. Thanks to Cliff who has always been available for
advice and guidance and thanks to so many members of the Cricket Club who have
been kind and generous to me and given me so much fun. These include the team
Captains, Sami, Dave, Khan, Nelson, who put so much work in to ensure we get
teams out. Thanks to Peter Humphrey for his invaluable support and advice.
Thanks to Paul Robinson for scoring and I hope he will be able to continue next
year. I have loved the playing and the social side, both after the game as well
as the many social functions we have held in the Hall. It is so good to see so
many non-players who come down to support and join in. There have been
frustrations and I will come back to that later but in general, there is a
great deal for us to be proud of.
Thanks: It is important to acknowledge those people
who have helped the club thrive throughout the year. Thanks must go to Mark
Avenell who has worked hard this year to prepare the grounds for both cricket
and football. It has not been easy; however, he has clearly been successful as
we have had so many compliments about how well the square plays. Thanks must
also go to Andy Bowles and Josh Bowles who have been such vital members of the
club for many years. Josh and Isaac will be playing their cricket closer to
home, and we wish them every success over the coming years.
Season: I think last year could be described as a
season of mixed fortunes. The first team played well and finished 3rd
which was a blessing as we are not quite ready to be promoted. Sami scored the
most runs 747, Tamil took the most wickets, 45 and Khan took the most catches
18. Khan also finished 2nd on runs scored and wickets taken. There
were 2 x 100s both scored by Nelson. The 2nd team struggled and
finished bottom, mainly because we could not get any consistency in team
selection. Overall, we played 53 matches and won 22 and we should look to
improve on that next year.
Nets: Winter nets were again held at the Beckenham
County Cricket Ground. It is a good venue but there were problems with agreeing
on dates and perhaps we should be looking at a different venue next year, and
one that might be a little closer to Croydon where so many of our members live.
Looking
Forward
New Structure: As you know the League structure in
Kent has been reorganised. The 1st team will play in Tier 2,
Division 7 Spitfire. The 2nd team will play in Tier 4, Division 12A.
We will be playing against many of our old friends but also some new ones so it
will be a new challenge for us. The League has agreed that Teas will not be
provided this year but will look at it again next year. One big change is that
each team in Tier 2 will have to provide an umpire who cannot play. Gary has
agreed to help where possible, but we cannot rely on that every week.
New Prices: Dave and I have had a look at what we
charge other teams to play at WP and we have decided to increase prices a
little. It is important not to price ourselves out of the market but it is also
important that we charge a reasonable rate which will support the cricket
section. In 2023 we intend to charge adult teams £145 to hire our ground. The
Ovalites and Malinga’s team get a reduced rate of £130. And the Kent O60s and
O70s have agreed to increase their payments from £60 to £90. Bromley CC would
like to continue their connection with us, and I will look to increase their
payments. This will not only help our finances but might also help a problem
that we have to face next year. When we rent the ground out, we need to have
someone here to open up and put the equipment out and away. Last year, Peter,
Gary, Dave Crisp, Cliff and I helped out – mostly me to be honest. This is not
a very reliable system and there were problems last year. The extra money
charged might be useful to pay someone to do this important piece of work.
Hopes for the Year: One of the big problems the cricket
section has, is a lack of communication from many of the members. Very
few reply to emails, WhatsApps, Facebook entries, Instagram posts and I often
feel ignored. I do ask people to briefly show that they have seen a post and
let me know whether they agree, disagree, are coming or not coming. Secondly,
lateness, especially in the 2nd team is a big problem. We can not
expect to perform well if only half a team is there – it shows great disrespect
to the opposition as well as our Cricket Club. Please, please, please can we
all make a great effort to help and remind all members to be on time for a
game.
Finally, to finish on a positive note. I would like to thank
all the families who allow their husbands, sons, partners to play on a regular
basis – we love to see you at the ground during and after the game. You are
very welcome and without you the club would be a poorer place!