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[meats]

I thought Farnham Royal were doing into 3 but they seem to be in 4a along with Chesham 3s.

3A does look very open which will hopefully make for a very competitive league. Was looking forward to playing Kew as we always had a few beers with them when we last played them.

Reading can probably feel pretty aggrieved that they're in B and not A. I think they will be weak next season, their 3s were very very weak and they said that the club as a whole had lost a lot of players.

[Gingerbusiness]

Reading are in real trouble, in all sorts of ways which I am sure you have heard about.

Kew are another team with a mental captain! The rest of them are good lads, esp their opener who I swear I have never played against when he has been sober/severely hungover! We always got there early and went for breakfast - but not missing having to park there on a Saturday!

[Manormanic]

Ascot will struggle again - their keeper is a quality bat, their bowling is division 5 standard!  Only team we beat all season!

[Gingerbusiness]

Manormanic - I got bowled by one of your lads who cut the ball back about 3ft from outside off stump! He will be a very decent bowler when he gets fit

[meats]

Is their captain still the Asian chap, usually comes in around 3 or 4, Kohli I think his name is? When we played at their place last their umpire had a bit of a shocker and he absolutely laid into him when he was talking to our guys during the rain break. I can understand if you're not happy with your umpire but this was something else, called him a couple of very unpleasant things. Their umpire then gave him out caught behind off of a big nick, he then proceeded to properly verbally abuse him as he was walking off! Certainly don't miss parking there.

I've heard bits and pieces about Reading but not really enough to warrant their collapse in the lower sides, care to shed a bit of light on it for me? The thing that has struck me the last 2 years when I've played at their place is the lack of a club spirit about the place. On both occasions we outnumbered the Reading people in their bar after the game and on both occasions they had two sides at home! We don't have our own bar but after every Saturday game, weather permitting, we always have at least 20 players from our 3 teams in the pub afterwards.

[uknsaunders]

Here you go. I think this was distributed to the clubs at the TVL's AGM last week:-

[uknsaunders]

I played a fair bit in Div 4 and a little bit in 3. 3 is a big step up and you need some very decent batters and some serious bowling to survive. I remember some Aussie Academy player trying to bounce me in the dark at Wokingham 2s. Div 4 is decent but in my time nobody couldn't be beaten with a half decent side.

[Gingerbusiness]

Kohli is still there - He is another one I definitely won't be missing!

I never understood how T&T survive without a bar. We rely on bar take for a lot of money that keeps the club running. That's the only thing that annoys us is when people disappear without having a beer! LOL!

Unfortunately, Reading's downfall has been going on slowly for about 10 years. People just haven't realised. They are very fortunate to still have the likes of David Hartley there that keeps the 1st XI going at the level it is. The lower teams... A lot of the money there has dried up and there is no strength in depth anymore. People got annoyed with the culture and attitude of the place and A LOT of players jumped ship.

It is a shame, but I for one have no sympathy for what has happened there. Everytime I have played there, the atmosphere was terrible and, in a lot of cases, alot of selfish players trying to be run by a few good-hearted people.

UKNSaunders - Good work on that. Glad to see the league took the opportunity to resort teams into proximity. Big thumbs up for my petrol bill in the summer months!

[meats]

Thanks for that uknsaunders. From what I've been told, and confirmed by Gingerbusiness on here, it's a big step up from 4 to 3. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Not easy surviving without a bar. We do quite a lot of fundraising which helps a hell of a lot but considering the amount of alcoholics in our club if we had a bar then we would have a lot more money!! Even more if we hire out sleeping bags on a Saturday night!!!! Unless we've had a particularly nasty game with the opposition then we always stay behind for a beer when playing away. I think we had a couple at your place last year and then went for a curry in Twyford afterwards. We get annoyed when the opposition don't hang around but I can see why they might not want to go to a pub to have a beer afterwards.

[uknsaunders]

I think the league might resort the divisions on a yearly basis going forward. Last year a number of bucks clubs were discussing a breakaway 3rd xi league due to the overs /travelling issues. I think they were working towards this because of that.

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[uknsaunders]

How marlow park get to put a scratch 2s straight into div 7 I will never know! They were paying players in various ways a few years ago until it all went tits up.

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[Gingerbusiness]

Thanks for that uknsaunders. From what I've been told, and confirmed by Gingerbusiness on here, it's a big step up from 4 to 3. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Not easy surviving without a bar. We do quite a lot of fundraising which helps a hell of a lot but considering the amount of alcoholics in our club if we had a bar then we would have a lot more money!! Even more if we hire out sleeping bags on a Saturday night!!!! Unless we've had a particularly nasty game with the opposition then we always stay behind for a beer when playing away. I think we had a couple at your place last year and then went for a curry in Twyford afterwards. We get annoyed when the opposition don't hang around but I can see why they might not want to go to a pub to have a beer afterwards.

I remember when we played at your place I disappeared off as I thought that's what was going on as most of you had gone and your skipper was the only one left. Only when I got back to Hurst was told by our Chairman that you all go for a beer next door! Felt like a bit of a tool!

UKNSaunders - ...And it went belly up in the most spectacular of ways! Datchet Cranbourne 2s in 9a will walk away with that league.

[meats]

I remember when we played at your place I disappeared off as I thought that's what was going on as most of you had gone and your skipper was the only one left. Only when I got back to Hurst was told by our Chairman that you all go for a beer next door! Felt like a bit of a tool!

UKNSaunders - ...And it went belly up in the most spectacular of ways! Datchet Cranbourne 2s in 9a will walk away with that league.

Yeah we drink just down the road. Not sure why we don't drink in the social club next door as that would be more convenient.

I will be very surprised if Cove 2s don't win 4B this year.

[Manormanic]

Manormanic - I got bowled by one of your lads who cut the ball back about 3ft from outside off stump! He will be a very decent bowler when he gets fit

Really?  Wierd thing is, our under 17s made it right the way to the county finals and he did not even get a bowl on finals day!

[meats]

Looks like our paths will cross first weekend of the season at your place, Gingerbusiness!