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[mr_wickets]

Everyone deserves a game if they are a paid up member over the weekend. However all our sides on a saturday play in a league and therefore, you have to select the strongets, most balanced side in each side. For the 1s/2s this is fairly easy, however in the 3s/4s you could easily select 11 best 'cricketers' but then you may have 10 batsmen in the side. I would say finding the balance in these teams and keeping everyone happy is the hardest part.
But if you're not selected on the saturday, your name is first on the list for the sunday at our club. If you are not selected on the saturday, it will be purely down to previous performances or the balance of the side where I am. A few years ago this wasn't the case and if you weere the skippers mate, you played. However we have now got a coach in and everything is alot more transparent.

[charlie15]

charlie15 - you don't improve if you don't play. Good to hear you have a game now but the circumstances smack of a dropout and as sensible as you are you're not getting the right consideration. When I moved up north I moved club after a season as it wasn't working. Haven't regretted it.

Not a drop out, I spoke to the 2nd XI skipper he presumed that I had a game on the Saturday, as I have said this season I want continuity on whether I play Sat or Sun due to having a young family, when he found out I didn't he asked one of the guys who was playing both days to drop out.  We were told this season everyone would get a game at weekends , and then gaps would be made up from those who had aready got a game and available both days and then colts.... I should know I was in the committee meeting when this was agreed!!!

I almost made myself available fro Monty's Beard this weekend! 

[uknsaunders]

We have a 2nd XI Cup game Sunday and felt obliged to give it a crack with our best XI. Normally we play friendlies on a Sunday and give everybody a game who misses out from Saturday. I emailed those guys who missed out both days to apologise and offered them a spot in the midweek friendly on the Monday.

[charlie15]

We have a 2nd XI Cup game Sunday and felt obliged to give it a crack with our best XI. Normally we play friendlies on a Sunday and give everybody a game who misses out from Saturday. I emailed those guys who missed out both days to apologise and offered them a spot in the midweek friendly on the Monday.

I'd move to you guys if I didn't suffer from nosebleeds if I go north of the Watford Gap! 

[FattusCattus]

I think the bit that annoys me is when you have 7 sides out on a weekend (5 Sat 2 Sun), and you don't get a game on either day, whilst others play on both  .

It happened a couple of times last season and it's happened again this weekend, I will always be the first to admit that I will never be a great cricketer, but I've done more than enough to earn myself a place in the 5th XI and proven that I can hold my own in the 3's and 4's.  I also find it particularly galling when you have been netting since January and someone just pitches up and walks straight into your spot on past reputation alone.

Having said that I did vent my anger at the Chariman of Cricket last night and should now be playing on Sunday, not his fault he was away on business when selection took place!!!

Charlie, are you playing for Woking & Horsell - if so - are you actually getting 5 sides out on a saturday?

[charlie15]

Charlie, are you playing for Woking & Horsell - if so - are you actually getting 5 sides out on a saturday?

Yup, easily. We had 6 out last Saturday!

[FattusCattus]

Christ! we need to have a chat - I play for Chertsey and we are really struggling to get 4 sides out. Perhaps there could be a cross-over of players?

[charlie15]

PM'd you.

[Bez013]

Great thread guys - this is very close to home for me as I've just (3 days ago) moved clubs for sort of similar reasons, my now old club folded its 1st team shortly into the season meaning that they are left with 1 team and about 18 players wanting to play each week.  As one of the 1st team players stepping down I made the point that the original 2nd Team players who have played 3 fixtures with only 8 or 9 players should be first on the team sheet if they are available. 

Unfortunately the new skipper didn't see it that way and only 3 got into the side for our next game, I know others were available so I offered to sit out in favour of one of them, he just came back with a "no thanks" and that was it.

I had been with that club for 9 years (it has existed for 10) and had been captain of the 1st team for a while so I was pretty gutted that the 1st team folded and then to see how the dependables were treated made me pretty angry.

The club I've joined tell me they have been struggling to get 11 each week for both 1st and 2nd team so I'm hoping I won't be joining at the expense of anyone else.

[joeylough]

Well I'm am defiantly one of these players. I got back into cricket last year and well bowling is not for me. batting went badly but I have worked with a bowling machine over the winter so hopefully will get better.

I started playing again last year as they where struggling for numbers in the second XI. this year the 1st teamers who are not performing are playing in the 2nd. which would have helped last year. but those is keeping me out of the team.

I play cricket for enjoyment and want to improve my game. but it is difficult to improve without game time and being at the crease. will keep working to get my place back..

[uknsaunders]

Great thread guys - this is very close to home for me as I've just (3 days ago) moved clubs for sort of similar reasons, my now old club folded its 1st team shortly into the season meaning that they are left with 1 team and about 18 players wanting to play each week.  As one of the 1st team players stepping down I made the point that the original 2nd Team players who have played 3 fixtures with only 8 or 9 players should be first on the team sheet if they are available. 

Unfortunately the new skipper didn't see it that way and only 3 got into the side for our next game, I know others were available so I offered to sit out in favour of one of them, he just came back with a "no thanks" and that was it.

I had been with that club for 9 years (it has existed for 10) and had been captain of the 1st team for a while so I was pretty gutted that the 1st team folded and then to see how the dependables were treated made me pretty angry.

The club I've joined tell me they have been struggling to get 11 each week for both 1st and 2nd team so I'm hoping I won't be joining at the expense of anyone else.

how can you fold your 1st XI?, what league are you in?

[A-Swing-And-A-Miss]

You're not usually supposed to fold your 1st XI but if you can persuade the committee that there is a good chance the club would cease to exist if it kept the 1st XI then they do usually let you. I know one club who recently folded their 1st XI who played around 7 divisions higher than their 2nd XI, lots of complaints about how they are now too good for the level they play but I guess having one team with players too good for the level is better than having a team with players not anywhere near good enough to play at that the higher standard..

Back on topic, I respect people who turn up week in week out knowing they aren't particularly good, the only problem is we usually have well over half of the 2nd team made up of these types of players and it means we struggle which effects everybody. However cricket is a sport that is supposed to be enjoyed so I would prefer to be part of a team with 6-7 part-time cricketers who you can get on with and have a laugh rather than playing with 11 good cricketers who take the game extremely seriously..

[Bez013]

how can you fold your 1st XI?, what league are you in?

I play in Guernsey, there is a precedent for this type of thing and after quite a bit of discussion with the governing body about how we might keep going it was decided getting rid of the 1st XI was the best thing. We lost 3 of our better players from the 1st team over the winter, one to a club in the same league and the other 2 have left the island.  To compound that we lost another 5 from our B Team squad for various reasons - age, golf, injury etc.

The 2nd Team are only 2 divisions below and of the remaining players 'good enough' to play in Division 1 I think only 3 will stay with the club long term or play each week.  The 1st XI were punching above their weight anyway really so it was always going to be a struggle this year to get 11 out each week.

We unfortunately have in Guernsey an unhealthy mix of two league teams obsessed with winning every trophy possible so if anyone good appears on the scene they try and poach the player away from weaker sides which has lead to a real imbalance in the league. One of them has won the league 13 times since 1992, they have the bulk of the Guernsey team who beat a Canada XI at Hove last week in a T20 and also had a pretty good game against a Notts XI in a T20 game last week as can be seen here http://www.guernseycricket.com/guernsey-cricket-news
 

[swamidude]

Our first XI is in the top Middlesex division (Southgate) however our second XI are in the 2nd team bottom division, our 3rd XI are in the bottom division of the Third team division, and god help our 4th XI who hardly have enough players each week!

It doesn't help that right beside us on a tiny pitch are Southgate Adelaide who despite having 30 players and one pitch a stones throw from ours play in an arguably different league (Hertford). I can't help but think that if both clubs were one then we could comfortably get out 4 teams and have sizeable grounds to use.

[Howzat]

Swamidude did you play against Uxbridge the other day? I got dropped to the 3's and got 5-23 and 44 not out against you haha