Make a date in your diary to head along to Bredon Cricket Club on Grand National Day (Saturday, April 6).
We have a great day lined up that includes some racing action with host Honest Johnny McGrath, live music from the Brethryn (with popular local singer James Caveny) and a barbecue. The clubhouse bar will be open from 1.30pm, and the Brethryn will play from 7pm.
The draw for the group games of the Bredon Hill Bash, the rapidly growing Twenty20 competition just for village teams around the hill, will also be held.
Grand National day falls within the ECB-supported NatWest CricketForce weekend, in which clubs throughout the country marshal volunteers to get themselves ready for the new season.
This year work at Hill Close will begin on the Friday evening (April 5) and continue through to the Sunday (April 7). More details nearer the time.
After a very productive annual meeting held late last year and well attended by members, Bredon Cricket Club is actively planning for the 2019 cricket season after a year of achievement.
At the meeting, our chairman, Neil Hall, commented on the successes of 2018, both on and off the field.
We suffered from two burst pipes in the ceilings of our clubhouse, and the expensive repairs led to some loss of pre-season matches.
However, the First XI finished sixth in their division, and the Second XI finished third in their division, missing out on promotion by only three points. A great achievement!
Our Third XI, which is a development XI for the benefit of our younger players, are now in their sixth season, and won 25 per cent of their matches.
Junior cricket is the real stength of the club
Our junior cricket is a real strength of the club, and the numbers attending practice on Friday evenings were most impressive.
The numbers involved increased even further with the great success of the national All Stars Cricket programme for children aged five to eight. All coaches were profusely thanked for their involvement and commitment.
The appointment of our two club coaches, Andy Stovold and Tom Walsingham, had increased players’ interest and led to improvements in playing standards.
New nets have been installed at great cost. We are still involved in fundraising to finally pay for them, and are looking for further sponsorship.
Our Hill Close ground, loving careful for by groundsman Adam Gallagher
Comments about our lovely ground at Hill Close have been very complimentary, due to the commitment and extremely hard work of our groundsman, Adam Gallagher.
More than 80 games of cricket were played last year in a glorious summer of weather.
Another massive asset is our friendly bar, and we are grateful to Will Rollett for his organisation and service.
Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run 2018 was another big success
The Bredon Hill Bash, involving clubs from around Bredon Hill, drew together teams in close and competitive matches, and we appreciated the sponsorship of Jake Denton from the Crown Inn, Kemerton.
The Worcestershire County League has been completely restructured due to a demise of many divisions of the Birmingham League. As a result, Bredon Cricket Club First XI will be playing at a slightly higher standard, with a consequent knock-on effect on all our other teams.
Plans are in place to lead Bredon Cricket Club into a new season of achievement, where we hope to attract new players of all abilities. If you are interested in playing cricket or becoming a social member, please use the form below.
The club is having a get-together for its cricket tea ladies… and fellas.
Come along for nibbles and a chat about joining our teas rota (no obligation; just a chance to find out more about what’s involved).
It will also be a chance for regulars on the rota to get a few dates in their diaries.
Mums who have a child interested in joining our All Stars Cricket coaching programme for five to eight-year-olds are also welcome, and we’ll try to answer any questions you might have.
Hope to see you on Saturday, February 2, from 3pm until 5pm at our clubhouse in Hill Close, Westmancote.
Chairman Neil Hall said: “Having new nets was one of the priorities identified by the players a season or two ago, and I’m delighted that the club has been able to deliver on its promise to provide them.”
I hope you have wintered well and that we can now welcome a hot summer of cricket at Bredon… forever the optimist!
Due to the extremely wet conditions over the last few weeks, our first friendly game against local rivals Tewkesbury has fallen foul of the weather, but hopefully our brilliant groundsman, Adam Gallagher, can work his magic and the ground will be ready for our first league game on Saturday, April 21, when the first team entertain Bartestree and Lugwardine, starting at 1pm.
Just to add to our woes, the recent cold snap in early March resulted in burst pipes in the clubhouse with significant damage to the toilets and dressing room areas.
The repairs are now well under way under the guidance of Mark ‘Wally’ Washbourne, but we have taken the decision to delay our annual cheese and wine season curtain-raiser until Sunday, May 6, at 2pm, when, hopefully, all our repairs will be complete.
The club are fortunate enough to have in the region of 300 members and we are looking to make membership payments as easy as possible for everyone. We will post details soon of how you can make online payments for the 2018 season.
However, if you would rather pay in person, our junior registration will be on Friday, April 20, from 6pm onwards and senior and social membership can be paid over the bar during club opening times (Thursday 6pm-9pm, Friday 6pm-9pm, Saturday 4pm-10pm, Sunday 3pm-9pm) commencing Thursday, April 19.
Fixture cards are now available from the club, and you will see the vast array of fixtures scheduled for the season (weather permitting). Alongside this we will be running a number of social events for all club members and guests (see this website or our Facebook page for further details).
So, once again, fingers crossed for a great season of sun, cricket and fun at our beautiful Hill Close ground.
Bredon Cricket Club shook off the mantle of winter and spruced itself up ready for the new season today.
Volunteers turned out at Hill Close to help with the annual tidy-up.
This year it was a little more challenging than usual because of the damage a burst water pipe caused to the clubhouse during particularly cold weather at the beginning of March.
Nevertheless, a small but eager force set to their task with enthusiasm, fuelled by bacon butties, tea and coffee.
Guttering, fascias and soffits were cleaned; the scorebox painted, hedges trimmed and benches stained, among other jobs.
Martyn Draper, who organised the work at Bredon, said: “I would like to thank everybody who came to CricketForce and helped out.”
NatWest CricketForce is a nationwide initiative backed by the ECB. It is designed to bring clubs and local communities closer together, and ensure grounds and facilities are ready for the new season.
The club is now set for its first big event of the year, the family fun day on Sunday, April 15, which heralds the start of a new season.
