Bredon Cricket Club committee minutes, April 2017

Sightscreens at Bredon Cricket Club
New sightscreens are now in place, but the nets renovation project has been delayed slightly

Main points of the April 2017 meeting of Bredon Cricket Club’s committee were: new sight screens in place, delay on nets project, search for new clubhouse furniture and Puckrup possible venue for golf day.

Click here to read the minutes in full.

Use the form below if there is anything you would like the committee to discuss:

Success for club’s big quiz night

The club’s big quiz night was a resounding success.

There was a terrific turnout for the evening, which was held both as a tribute to the late club stalwart Dave Bettridge and to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

More than £130 was collected in entry fees, donations and from the sale of raffle tickets.

Highlight of the evening was possibly the round in which teams were required to make a model of an iconic place using a sheet of aluminium foil.

They were given just three minutes the complete the task. A team named ‘Glenn’s Dog Spot’ won the judge’s vote with their re-creation of Stonehenge.

Organiser Jennie Warren, who handled the quizmaster role with aplomb, said: “It was an amazing evening. I still had a buzz from the quiz at two in the morning!”

Jennie said she would like to thank both those who took part and those who donated raffle prizes.

iconic scene winner: stonehenge
Stonehenge: A task that stretched the teams’ artistic talents to the limit

Malvern Hillbillies to entertain tower runners

Malvern Hillbillies, who specialise in old-time Americana music, are to entertain runners and guests at Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run 2017.

The band’s infectious rhythms are sure to go down well at the event on Sunday, May 28.

The hillbillies form part of a package of entertainment being laid on at the club.

There will be a barbecue, cake stall and bouncy castle for children after the run. Our fully licensed bar will also be open.

It will be an event for all the family, as well as for entrants celebrating their completion of the trail run up Bredon Hill.

The Hillbillies are based at Welland, near Malvern, and comprise Pete ‘Hillbilly’ Haynes, Andrew ‘Foxy’ Cocks and Pete ‘Cousin Merle’ Hammond.

You can find out more about them on their Facebook page.

Find out more about the tower run, including how to enter, below.

Dare you run to the tower on the hill?

Lively registrations night on eve of new season

junior cricket registrations
Club stalwarts Bob Porch and Derek Ebbage manage registrations for junior cricket at Bredon

It was a lively night at Hill Close as registrations poured in for junior cricket at Bredon.

Our new coach Tom Walsingham took his first training , and dozens of eager youngsters and their parents signed up for memberships with the club.

Training for the juniors starts in earnest next week, and registrations are still being accepted.

ECB-backed All Stars Cricket for five to eight-year-olds starts on Friday, May 19, and registration is online only.

Meanwhile, the club’s senior players were gearing up for their first games of the season.

The First XI host Lye at Hill Close, while the Second XI are away to Stourport-on-Severn Fourth XI.

We wish both teams the best of luck tomorrow, and for the rest of the season.

 

Junior cricket registration at Bredon is on Friday

Junior cricket registration for the 2017 season is at Bredon on Friday (April 21), and we are looking forward to welcoming parents and children back to Hill Close.

Registration forms

You can fill in your registration form and ask questions of our friendly coaches at the ground from 6.15pm, or you can download it here, print it out and drop it off when training starts the following week (6.15pm to 7.30pm on Friday, April 28).

All Stars Cricket

registration, all stars cricket

We are introducing a big change to the way we coach five to eight-year-olds this year.

They will be enrolled in the new ECB All Stars Cricket programme.

The high-profile eight-week course is being introduced at cricket clubs throughout the country, and aims to offer children their first experience of the sport.

Youngsters will receive a backpack of cricket goodies, including a bat, ball, water bottle, personalised shirt and cap to keep, and participating clubs are being given kit to deliver the programme and training for volunteers.

All Stars Cricket will provide children with all of the fundamental skills they need to play.

Through lively, fun games, they will learn about cricket and be better prepared to take part in all sports.

They will be taught 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

All Stars Cricket is also fantastic for parents. For an hour a week all 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.

All Stars Cricket at Bredon is being led by Tom Walsingham, our DBS-certified new coach.

Sessions are held every Friday from 5.15pm until 6pm.

The first is on Friday, May 19, 2017, and the last on Friday, July 7, 2017.

The programme costs £40 per child (participants and/or their parents are not required to be members of Bredon Cricket Club).

Please note that the introduction of All Stars Cricket replaces all our existing arrangements for cricket in the five to eight years age group.

You can find out more about All Stars Cricket here.

Bredon Cricket Club is unable to accept bookings and payment for All Stars Cricket sessions. They must be made online at the secure All Stars Cricket site here.

Our coaches are happy to answer your questions

We realise all this may not be straightforward for anyone new to the club, so our coaches will be on hand to answer any questions you have at registration evening on Friday (April 21).

They are:

U11s Sean Styles (school years 5-6)

07779 268604

U12s Glenn Buckley (school year 7)

07920 094688

U13s Mark Notley (school year 8) 

O7843 209896

U15s Lawrence Simmonds (school years 9-10)

07843 328770

Can you help?

We are looking for someone to help with the running of our Under 9s group at Bredon, and support the current coaches.

This will help to improve the weekly sessions for this group of children and also give the opportunity to enter them into a number of Under 9s tournaments throughout the season.

Can all helpers from last season please contact the club if you are willing to lend a hand again. Your contribution is so important for children of this age group.

If your child/children require any cricket kit please buy it from club shop (the link is also on the page menu). We would like all players playing league cricket to wear our club shirt if possible in 2017.

Junior matches at Bredon

The club are running four junior cricket teams this season.

The under 11s, 12s, 13s and 15s are all entered into the Cotswold Hills League, as well as a Worcestershire knockout cup.

League fixtures start in early May on Sunday mornings (matches start at 10am). The under 15s also play on Tuesday evenings.

Fixtures

You can view all junior cricket league fixtures and results by clicking here. There is also a link on the site menu bar.

PS Get the lastest news from this website, including junior cricket updates, emailed direct to your inbox. Add your email address to the subscribe box on the left-hand menu.

Use the form below to contact us with any questions you have:

Cheese and wine evening sets scene for new season

Bredon Cricket Club’s cheese and wine evening started the countdown to the new season at Hill Close.

There was a good turnout in the clubhouse, with people enjoying the last sunshine of a glorious spring day before heading inside for drinks and a superb spread put together by Lucy Washbourne.

The evening is the club’s traditional curtain-raiser to the season. A chance for old friends and new ones to meet, renew their memberships and look to the summer that lies ahead.

The cricket itself gets under way with a home league fixture for the First XI against Lye Cricket Club on April 22.

The Seconds take on Stourport-on-Severn Fourth XI at the Old Elizabethan School on the same day.

The Third XI’s league season starts on Saturday, May 20, when they host Ombersley Taverners at Hill Close.

Spectators are always welcome. All matches start at 1pm.

Dare you run to the tower on the hill?

You are invited to a quiz night at Bredon

Do you know the capital of Mongolia, or the film in which Frank Sinatra won an Oscar, pictured above? Or who was the first black footballer to captain England, or the names of the three tunnels in The Great Escape?

If so, Bredon Cricket Club’s Big Quiz is for you!

It is a fun evening being held at our Hill Close clubhouse on Thursday, April 27.

Get a team together (maximum members is six), give yourselves a name, and enter by completing the form below. All we need is the name of the team captain, his or her email address, and your team name.

Entry is £2 per person, payable on the night.

Arrive at the clubhouse at 7pm in time for a 7.30pm start.

The bar will be open all evening, and a selection of nibbles will be served.

Proceeds from the quiz will go to Alzheimer’s Research UK, in memory of Dave Bettridge, former Bredon Cricket Club player, umpire, committee member and stalwart who died recently aged 76.

And, finally, for those desperate to know the answers to the questions in the opening paragraph, they are: Ulaanbaatar, From Here to Eternity, Paul Ince, and Tom, Dick and Harry.

Volunteers’ fabulous effort for CricketForce Day 2017

There was a terrific turnout for CricketForce Day 2017, the club’s pre-season spruce-up of the pavilion and ground today.

Wonderful spring sunshine made it a pleasure to be at the club, and looking forward to another season.

The changing rooms and scorer’s box were given a lick of paint, patio area cleaned and hedges trimmed, among many other jobs.

The clubhouse is now looking particularly good, thanks in no small part to Mark Washbourne, who has done a fabulous job fitting our new kitchen and improving the bar surround.

Martyn Draper, who organised the work at Bredon, said: “I would like to thank everybody who came to CricketForce Day.

“We enjoyed another good turnout and got most of the jobs I had targeted done, which was great.

“Special thanks to Jenny and Lucy for doing the catering for the workers, and it was great to see our new first team captain in attendance during this difficult time for him and his family.

“Kevin, I am sure, can rely on the support of all of his teammates and friends throughout his first season at the helm.

“The ladies toilets and the changing rooms have now been painted and we painted the scorebox white, which looks great.

“Tim and Mark fixed the covers, so as soon as we get our new nets and refurbished sight screens we will be ready to roll.”

More photos on our Facebook page.

The next big event at the club is our cheese and wine evening on Saturday, April 8.

Worcester News coverage of CricketForce Day
Coverage of CricketForce Day in the Worcester News on April 4, 2017

Dare you run to the tower on the hill?

Register today for an exhilarating new challenge, the Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run 2017!

It is a 10k trail run starting and finishing at picturesque Bredon Cricket Club, Westmancote, Worcestershire, on Sunday, May 28, 2017.

The marshalled route follows pretty country lanes, tracks and paths to the 299m summit of Bredon Hill.

The hilltop is marked by an Iron Age fort and the 18th-century Parson’s Folly tower, and it boasts glorious views of the surrounding countryside.

Entry costs just £10 and includes a pre-race warm-up led by a qualified Zumba instructor.

After the run, participants and their families and friends can enjoy musical entertainment and a barbecue at the cricket club, where the fully licensed bar will be open. There will be a bouncy castle for younger children.

Entertainment is being provided by the Malvern Hillbillies, who specialise in old-time Americana music (see video).

The run, which starts at 10am, is open to just 200 and is expected to be oversubscribed.

Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Runners must be aged 16 to 75.

All entrants receive a finisher’s medal, and there will be trophies for first male finisher, first female finisher and first member of Bredon Cricket Club to finish.

Run organiser Jennie Warren said: “Our tower run promises to be one of the most exhilarating and rewarding challenges of the year.

“It is a fabulous route: tough but scenic, and we are laying on some wonderful entertainment for runners, their families and friends when they finish.

“We cannot wait to welcome run entrants to Bredon Cricket Club on May 28.”

Jennie said that although many entrants would be aiming to test themselves,  the run is mainly about having fun.

“People should go at their own pace, and they can even walk it if they want to.”

Money raised will go to Bredon Cricket Club and the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

You can view the route of the run and export it to your device from Strava here.

Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run 2017 is in association with the Crown Inn, Kemerton.

Click on the link below to register and pay securely via EntryCentral, the secure sports event ticketing specialist.

Bredon Hill Tower Run 2017: Frequently asked questions

What is it?

A 10k trail run starting and finishing at Bredon Cricket Club and following pretty country lanes, tracks and paths to the 299m summit of Bredon Hill.

When is it?

Sunday, May 28, 2017

How much does it cost to enter?

£10 (entry includes booking fee and finisher’s medal).

How do I enter?

Follow this link to register and pay securely online at EntryCentral. This is the only method of payment. You will be emailed a receipt and should bring this with you as proof of entry.

Can I pay on behalf of more than one person?

Yes. Just complete the entry form for each runner. When all your registrations are complete you can move through to the checkout and pay for them on one card.

How many runners will there be?

Open to a maximum of 200.

Where is it?

Bredon Cricket Club, Hill Close, Westmancote, near Tewkesbury GL20 7EU.

What time does it start?

The run starts and finishes at Bredon Cricket Club. The first runners set off at 10am, but entrants must arrive at the cricket ground between 8.30am and 9.45am to collect their race number and warm-up.

Does everyone start at the same time?

Runners depart the cricket ground in three tranches in intervals of about 10 minutes. You will be given a chance when you register online to grade yourself as an expert, intermediate or beginner/fun runner. The expert runners start first.

What are the age limits?

16 to 75

Is it timed?

No. Runners are responsible for monitoring their own time, if they wish. You can import the route onto your device from Strava here.

Where do I park?

Parking is in a field off Hill Close, just a few hundred metres from the cricket club. It will be signposted on the day.

Can I get a refund if I withdraw from the run before it starts?

Sorry, there are no refunds.

What happens if I do not turn up for the race?

Your place will remain unfilled, but you will not be given a refund. Neither will you receive your finisher’s medal. You are not required to inform us in advance.

Is there a place where I can safely store my stuff during the run?

No. Arrive in your gear.  Leave a change of clothing in your car, or with a friend or relative who can meet you at the start/finish. We would like you to remain at the club after the run to enjoy our barbecue and post-race entertainment.

When do I get my race number? How do I fasten it?

Report to the chief marshal when you arrive at the cricket ground. You will be given your race number. Please bring your own safety pins to attach it to your shirt/vest.

I want to watch the race as a spectator. Where is the best place to go?

The route follows rights of way, but paths are narrow in places so choose where you watch with consideration. The  best spot is the summit of Bredon Hill, where there is plenty of space. Please follow the Countryside Code on Bredon Hill.

Are there any toilet facilities?

Yes, we have just arranged some more facilities at the cricket ground due to the number of run entries we have received.

Is the route clearly marked?

Parts will be signposted, and there will be lots of marshals. You will not need a map or navigation aid.

Can disabled people take part in, or watch the race?

Sorry, we are unable to offer facilities for disabled people. Anyone taking part or watching does so at their own risk.

How difficult will it be?

It is a challenging run, with steep gradients on both the uphill and downhill stretches. The terrain encompasses metalled lanes, stony tracks, and paths through fields and woods that may be muddy. But this is a fun event, and you should enjoy it. Go at your own pace… even if that means walking.

Do I need special trail shoes?

Trail shoes may be beneficial, especially in wet weather, but ordinary running shoes will be adequate.

What happens if there is bad weather on the day of the run?

It will only be called off in the event of extreme weather. We will post a notice on www.bredoncricketclub.com the morning of the run ONLY if it is cancelled.

Will water be supplied along the route?

No. Runners are responsible for their own hydration. Bottled water and soft drinks will be on sale in our licensed clubhouse bar before, during and after the run. Please do not drop empty drinks bottles along the route.

What happens after the run?

Finishers will be handed their medals as soon as they arrive back at the cricket ground. Later, trophies will be presented for the first male finisher, first female finisher, and first finisher who is a member of Bredon Cricket Club. We hope runners, friends and family will remain at the cricket ground to enjoy our hospitality. There will be music, a bouncy castle for small children, and a barbecue. Our licensed bar will also be open. It will be a chance to relax and share run experiences.

What happens if all the places are gone when I try to register?

Please do not be too disappointed. We hope to make the Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run an annual event. You will be given the option to join the waiting list for next year’s run, and will be alerted by email before entries for the 2018 run go on sale. You will then be offered a limited period in which to register and pay before places are opened to everyone.

Can I be told the route in advance, and have a chance to run it?

The route uses public roads and footpaths, so anyone is free to run it in advance at their own risk. The route can be viewed and exported from Strava here.

Can I swap my place with someone?

No. This is not allowed for safety reasons.

Can I wear headphones?

Yes, but please be aware of other runners.

Can I run with my dog?

No. Runners are not allowed to take dogs on the route for safety reasons.

Can I seek sponsorship and take part in aid of a charity?

Bredon Cricket Club is donating a share of proceeds from the run to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, but you are free to seek sponsorship for a charity of your choice.

Are there any medical facilities?

Trained medics will be at the cricket ground.

Bredon to offer ECB All Stars Cricket programme for five to eight-year-olds

Bredon Cricket Club is to offer the new ECB All Stars Cricket programme for five to eight-year-olds.

The eight-week course is being introduced at cricket clubs throughout the country, and aims to offer children their first experience of the sport.

Youngsters will receive a backpack of cricket goodies, including a bat, ball, water bottle, personalised shirt and cap to keep, and participating clubs are being given kit to deliver the programme and training for volunteers.

All Stars Cricket will provide children with all of the fundamental skills they need to play.

Through lively, fun games, they will learn about cricket and be better prepared to take part in all sports.

They will be taught 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

All Stars Cricket is also fantastic for parents. For an hour a week all 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.

Matt Dwyer, the ECB’s director of participation and growth, says the programme has potential to make a significant difference to the sport’s youth base.

“It’s all about putting a bat and ball in the hands of more children at an earlier age,” he says. “We want to make playing cricket a fun and enjoyable experience for children and give them a passion for the game to last a lifetime.”

Sean Styles, one of Bredon’s junior cricket coaches, said: “We are excited to be one of the club’s offering this major initiative from the ECB, and are sure local children will find it rewarding and enjoyable.”

All Stars Cricket at Bredon is being led by Tom Walsingham, our DBS-certified new coach.

Sessions are held every Friday from 5.15pm until 6pm.

The first is on Friday, May 19, 2017, and the last on Friday, July 7, 2017.

The eight-week programme costs £40 per child (participants and/or their parents are not required to be members of Bredon Cricket Club).

The introduction of All Stars Cricket replaces all our existing arrangements for cricket in the five to eight years age group.

You can find out more about All Stars Cricket here.

Bredon Cricket Club is unable to accept bookings and payment for All Stars Cricket sessions.

Bookings and payment must be made online at the secure All Stars Cricket site here.

Do you have any questions or points you wish to make about All Star Cricket at Bredon? Use the form below:

All Stars Cricket