As traditional as the game of village cricket is the afternoon tea.
Teas are usually provided by the wives/girlfriends/families of the players.
I was truly daunted by my first cricket tea, but with a little help and a bit of practice I now have it down to a pretty fine art.
Here are some tips to get you started:
The tea rota is on the noticeboard in the clubhouse. If you are interested in providing a tea, please add your name to the preferred date and let me know.
My contact details are on the noticeboard or printed in the yellow fixture booklet. Any help is greatly appreciated and really spreads the workload.
If, for any reason, the game is cancelled the team captain or myself will let you know.
I usually shop on Friday evening, having checked the weather forecast first!
I cater for about 30 people (15 on each team), and like to be in the clubhouse setting up by 3.30pm.
Check the number of overs that have been played to gauge how quickly you need to get ready.
If you are in any doubt just ask one of the players waiting to bat. They are always very happy to help!
The first thing I do is put sufficient water in the urn and put it on.
Lay out your selection of afternoon tea, putting a pile of plates at one end, cups at the other. I also have a jug of squash in case not everyone is having tea.
I usually provide a mixture of savouries, sandwiches and cakes.
Savouries might include mini pork pies, sausage rolls, samosas, cocktail sausages, pizzas etc.
Lucy Donovan, right, suggests arriving at the game by 3.30pm to start preparing your tea
Sandwiches – three loaves of bread made into two fillings such as ham, egg, tuna etc. By the way, apparently the crusts are meant to be cut off!
A selection of four family-sized cakes – sponge, scones, traybake.
Sometimes I add a dip with cucumber, carrot sticks and pepper.
Cheese and crackers are popular too.
I always have a plate of fruit (watermelon, grapes, strawberries) and a couple of bowls of crisps.
You will also need a pint of milk.
Once teas are finished and play has resumed the washing up needs to be done.
I do it by hand rather than use the dishwasher, but it’s up to you.
All plates, cutlery, mugs, glasses etc need to be washed, dried and put away. I always take my own washing up kit.
Wipe down all the tables, work surfaces, sweep the kitchen floor if necessary etc.
Please make up two jugs of squash and leave them in the fridge for the next drink break.
Most importantly, don’t forget to be reimbursed your tea money before you go. You will receive £40.
I really enjoy providing cricket teas and hope you do as well. Your delicious afternoon tea will be thoroughly appreciated by all the players, umpires, scorers and spectators.
Should you have any questions my number is available from the clubhouse noticeboard or is printed in the yellow fixture booklets.
A solid performance from Bredon’s Under 11s, including some excellent bowling and fielding, saw them post 263 against Exhall and Wixford’s 231 on a sunny Sunday morning in one of the league’s most beautiful grounds.
Let’s face it. If it was easy you wouldn’t get that fabulous feeling of achievement afterwards. It entails a 299m climb, but you will feel much greater satisfaction at completing the run than from a flat 10k. And remember you don’t have to break any records. Take your time, walk if you need to, and just enjoy an amazing running experience.
2. The views are breathtaking
Runners will enjoy stunning views on the tower run course
Few people reach the top of Bredon Hill and are disappointed by what they find there. The iconic 18th-century tower (Parson’s Folly) and the atmospheric Iron Age fort are fascinating in themselves, but the biggest treat lies in the sweeping views across the Vale of Evesham, south to the Cotswold Hills and west to the Malverns. It is countryside that inspired the poetry of A E Housman, and it is simply breathtaking.
3. The entertainment is terrific
Completing the tower run isn’t the end of your day at Bredon; we are laying on a big party for all our runners. There will be a barbecue and cake stall, and Americana music from the Malvern Hillbillies band. Our fully licensed bar will be open, and there will be a bouncy castle for younger children. Our cricket ground at the foot of Bredon Hill is the perfect place for friends and families to watch the runners cross the finish line and help them celebrate their achievement.
4. It’s a bargain
Entry to the tower run costs just £10. That compares extremely well with other trail runs of similar length. Parking is free too, and there is no charge for guests who simply want to enjoy the hospitality and music at our picturesque cricket ground and soak up the atmosphere of the run.
5. It’s so good for you
Trail running works your muscles, tendons and ligaments differently than running on the road or treadmill. And running trails uphill or down not only builds your cardiovascular engine, it strengthens quads, glutes, calves, and core, according to Men’s Fitness. Tackling the tower run will also improve your balance and proprioception (your body’s ability to know where it is in space), a benefit that carries over into all the other sports and activities you do.
6. You’ll be helping two very good causes
Part of your entrance fee will go towards the Midlands Air Ambulance. Photo: Midlands Air Ambulance
We are not asking people who enter the tower run to seek sponsorship, but their entry fees will go towards what we think are two very good causes. One is the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. It receives no government or National Lottery funding, and more than £7 million is needed each year to keep its three air ambulances operational. The other beneficiary of your entrance fee is us, Bredon Cricket Club. We are a community asset, and we field three adult teams and several junior teams in local leagues. We are proud of our record of introducing scores of youngsters to the national game of the English summer.
Bredon’s First XI have started the 2017 season with three straight wins, and hope to improve on performances last year, including Sunday matches, pictured last year
Bredon Cricket Club’s First XI are enjoying a winning start to the 2017 season.
They ended an away match 160-2 against Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social’s 158-10 today.
The team have won all three of their league games, as well as a pre-season friendly against Tewkesbury.
The Sunday team posted 173-9 against Harvington’s 71 to go through to the second round of the National Village Cup where they will take on Bewdley on Sunday, May 14.
The Second XI are still looking for their first victory, while the Third XI have their first fixture of the season, against Ombersley Taverners, on May 20.
The Under 13s’ first game of the season ended in defeat against a strong Kidderminster side.
Well done to all our teams. The whole club is behind you!
Results in full here, or click the link in the menu.
Bredon Cricket Club can teach your child six basic cricket skills that will get them started on the sport.
This month we are launching All Stars Cricket coaching for five to eight-year-olds.
What is All Stars Cricket?
It is an eight-week course that is being backed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the governing body for all cricket in England and Wales.
The programme will take place all across the country over the same period, and it aims to offer children their first taste of Britain’s great summer sport.
They will receive a backpack of cricket goodies, including a bat, ball, water bottle, personalised shirt and cap to keep.
What are the six basic skills they will learn?
All Stars Cricket will teach them all of fundamental skills they need to play, including how to:
Catch and throw a ball
Hit a moving ball
Bowl with a straight arm
Play a basic game of cricket
Work and communicate as a team
Have lots of fun with new friends
Other benefits of All Stars Cricket
Nationally, 500 lucky All Stars (and their parents) will get the chance to meet the likes of Joe Root, Stuart Broad and the rest of the England team.
The winners will attend special All Stars Cricket press conferences where they can pose questions to the England players before a big game, get their autographs and have their photos taken with their new heroes.
All Stars Cricket is fantastic for parents too. For an hour a week mums and dads are invited to get involved and play cricket with their children.
We know this is a great way to spend time with your child and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Bredon Cricket Club (map here), is close to Tewkesbury and Pershore, has a beautiful rural setting at the foot of Bredon Hill.
We are friendly and welcoming both for people who want to take part in the sport, or who simply want to come along and watch.
Our clubhouse has a fully licensed bar and in open on Thursday evenings as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons during the season.
We have three senior teams that play in the Worcestershire County League, and we have a thriving junior section where children are coached and can join age-group teams that play competitively.
In the meantime, here are six things you may not know about the tower run:
Part of the route lies along the ancient road between Tewkesbury and the abbeys of Pershore and Evesham via the village of Westmancote. This would have been particularly important when periodic flooding made the lower roads of the vale impassable.
The village of Westmancote once had its own medieval church
2. Westmancote, where the route begins to ascend Bredon Hill, now has just a few really old buildings. But there was once a medieval village here with its own church. Both have now disappeared. The name ‘Westmancote’ was given by the invading Saxons to indicate a place where lived the native ‘western men’ of Britain.
The mysterious King and Queen Stones of Bredon Hill
3. Look out for the mysterious King and Queen Stones, which are actually three stones, on your left as you climb above Westmancote (on your right when you descend). They have for centuries been considered a place of healing. Close by them are the remains of stocks, and it is thought a whipping post and gibbet once stood here too. A creepy place!
4. Parson’s Folly, the 18th-century tower at the summit of Bredon Hill, was once the home of a hermit, according to local author John Moore. On Sundays and bank holidays, when visitors were to be expected on the hill, he dressed in an ancient black suit and led tourists up the steps to the top of the tower, charging them threepence to enjoy the view.
5. The Iron Age fort around the tower is much, much older. It dates to about 200BC, and its ditch-and-rampart defences were once substantial. The north-west inner entrance was the site of a massacre where the mutilated remains of about 50 people and various weapons were found.
6. One of the most popular landmarks on the hill is the Bambury Stone, close to the tower. It is better known as the Elephant Stone because of its distinctive shape. Kissing it on Good Friday is said to bring good luck. There is also a legend that the stone goes to drink from the river Avon when it hears the bells of Pershore Abbey strike midnight.
