Print

[ProCricketer1982]

Good weekend for us. We won our first league game in 4 years. It's crazy but this season we've shown real signs of turning the club around.

Nice one, that sounds like something worth celebrating

[Jamesfield]

Played AIW 2XI this weekend in a top of the table clash-
Safe to say worst game of cricket ive had in years, blatent cheating throughout, the 3 squared up to a 63 year old man for no apparent reason. Why there still allowed to play league cricket is beyond me because everyone in the league feels the same way.
Cheated out of the league title and were all a bit bitter about it, i dont mind losing but when its so obvious that we were not going to win its gutting.
On to the next one!

[Vitas Cricket]

Highs and lows this weekend.

Saturday we lost away to the team at the bottom of the table, despite the win their relegation was confirmed this weekend due to the way other results went. We are now looking over our shoulder again rather than up the table. Shocking performance on an oddly proportioned ground. Not taking anything away from them as they played well and we had a stinker, but please please please @Calzehbhoy get a hosepipe on that square

Sunday we confirmed our league title, 15 wins from 15 games, 3 processional games to go but we do of course have our invincibles target to aim for, a season of straight wins would be superb.

[Calzehbhoy]

@Vitas Cricket only if you promise to keep the hosepipe off yours this time when we visit in two years Thought your Left Armer would have liked a dustbowl anyway?

[jjohns]

Nice one, that sounds like something worth celebrating

Cheers!

It's a real shame like, the club I play for has been a part of my life since I can remember, my dad played for them since the 70's so I just grew up spending my summers there, absoloutely loved it as a kid. Naturally got into cricket, as youngster started playing for the 3rd xi. The club wasn't a great club, but good enough and we had 3 saturday sides and 2 sunday sides. Then in the winter of 2004 some kids thought it would be a good idea to light fireworks and shove them through the letter box of the club house and it burned down. There was a big sort disagreement between how the club should go forward between the cricket and the rugby club so they split which lost some players. That followed by about 6 years of being a nomad team desperately trying to find a new ground didn't help either. Soon we were down to just 2 saturday sides and 1 sunday side and very often struggling to put out a 2nd xi.

For myself was very sad to see the club I had loved and had been such a big part of my life growing up become such a shadow of its former self. Due to just growing up and university and work I sort of stopped playing cricket regularly for them, then I did a stint of summers working abroad so this season is my first since about 2010 playing regularly and although it was nice to learn they had found a ground to call home for 4 or 5 years now I was pretty shocked to learn the club hadn't won a league game in 4 seasons. But losing does become a habit, and we had lost 11 games and had 1 losing draw going into last Saturdays game and we started brilliantly having them 18-4 after about 12 overs. Fast forward 15 overs or so and somehow we've let them get to about 100-4 and you can feel this sense of like oh here we go again, we've thrown it away. Luckily we got a break through and ended up bowling them out for 127. I've started opening the batting for the team due to no one else really wanting to do it and I've actually quite enjoyed it. We lost our first wicket for about 12, but me and our number 3 steadied the ship and took us to about 102 before I got out on 38, sad I didn't carry my bat but glad I could bat as to a position to get our first league win in so long. we won by 8 wickets. Still rock bottom of the league but boy is it a big step in the right direction and we've got a core group of players who have a lot of ability and just seem to have forgotten that, hopefully now that we've won a game we will start realising we are capable of a lot better and who knows, 3 games to go maybe we win 1 or 2 more.

[WalkingWicket37]

It's the biggest game of the season for my clubs 2nd XI this Saturday, a must win relegation dog fight. I've been dropped...

I'm the 2nd leading wicket taker (1 behind the leader, having played less games and having a better economy rates). The reason I was given is that more players are available this week, and the selection committee thought it best I make way. I'd love to know how they came to that decision, as looking at those who retained their place ahead of me, I'd offer more to the team.

This happens to me every year, so I think I'll end my season there, stick 2 fingers up to the lot of them and go to a new club. It's upsetting that after 11 years at the club, having done them countless favours they still feel it's okay to treat me like sh*t. It turns out the only thing loyalty gets you these days is a metaphorical kick in the teeth...

[Danny90]

It's the biggest game of the season for my clubs 2nd XI this Saturday, a must win relegation dog fight. I've been dropped...

I'm the 2nd leading wicket taker (1 behind the leader, having played less games and having a better economy rates). The reason I was given is that more players are available this week, and the selection committee thought it best I make way. I'd love to know how they came to that decision, as looking at those who retained their place ahead of me, I'd offer more to the team.

This happens to me every year, so I think I'll end my season there, stick 2 fingers up to the lot of them and go to a new club. It's upsetting that after 11 years at the club, having done them countless favours they still feel it's okay to treat me like sh*t. It turns out the only thing loyalty gets you these days is a metaphorical kick in the teeth...

Club politics is an awful thing, the same thing happened to me a few years ago. I left the club and joined one an extra 5 mins walk and it was the best decision of my cricketing career. Things have rapidly gone uphill since then, resulting in me becoming a paid player 5 years after I was constantly being dropped from my home clubs 1st 11. My advice would be to leave if you aren't keen on confrontations, or step to the captains and committee with stats in hand and provide a forceful argument against the decision. My guess is that you have been such a good club man they think they can drop you and you wont kick up a fuss.

[Cow_corner]

Same the world over, played a semi final last year with a broken thumb, dropped for the final so the quickest bowler of wides and byes in Shanghai to get tanked all around the park in the final, lost, guy had played one game all season but mates with the captain, never showed for nets usual story. On a brigther note got a 3 ball duck on Sunday and did 30 overs at the corner in 85 degrees and 90% humidity.

[uknsaunders]

Same the world over, played a semi final last year with a broken thumb, dropped for the final so the quickest bowler of wides and byes in Shanghai to get tanked all around the park in the final, lost, guy had played one game all season but mates with the captain, never showed for nets usual story. On a brigther note got a 3 ball duck on Sunday and did 30 overs at the corner in 85 degrees and 90% humidity.

@WalkingWicket37 there you go Cam,  it could of been much worse!

Ive seen you bat Cam and I would drop you in a heartbeat 

However as you rightly pointed out you haven't done to badly with the ball. Kind of makes you wonder the thought processes of some people to drop arguably their best bowler for a vital game. Has your team be struggling to score runs or take wickets?

[WalkingWicket37]

@WalkingWicket37 there you go Cam,  it could of been much worse!

Ive seen you bat Cam and I would drop you in a heartbeat 

However as you rightly pointed out you haven't done to badly with the ball. Kind of makes you wonder the thought processes of some people to drop arguably their best bowler for a vital game. Has your team be struggling to score runs or take wickets?

We've struggled in all aspects all season, hence being in a relegation battle...

The guy's selected ahead of me are a spinner who doesn't pitch the ball, a batsman who can't but a run and a bloke playing his first game for 12 months

[alexhilly1492]

Sounds like a good time to leave, I moved clubs after a four year break and joined Nick, chris and redders and it was the best thing I did! My game has improved already I'm getting the support I need and tips and advice where needed and has revitalised my passion for the game!

[uknsaunders]

We've struggled in all aspects all season, hence being in a relegation battle...

The guy's selected ahead of me are a spinner who doesn't pitch the ball, a batsman who can't but a run and a bloke playing his first game for 12 months

When you put it like that it's probably time to go. Doesn't sound like they respect you or rate your performances.  Loyalty is one thing and being a good clubman,  but it shouldn't make you an automatic pick unless you back it up with performances,  which you have. Not sure they have a leg to stand on!

[ppccopener]

Camelot you legend. You need a new challenge, mental toughness(think Atherton rather than Vince) and a determination to improve thru practice. if you have at least 2 out of those 3 you can start to move forward and start enjoying the game, because that's what it's about at the end of the day. A new club does sound a good option.

I was a rock bottom at the end of 2015 with 80 runs in league cricket at an unmentionable average of about 8......so far I've just hit over 300 last weekend and average is back up at 25...which is where it has been most of my club career(apart from a couple of golden years aged about 28!)

hard work thru the winter has paid off, thanks in no small part to this forum and some like minded nutters who want to practice in the winter.

That's the road again during the closed season except with more practice than I did this year. Basically more practice. 

you clearly love the game and are enthusiastic about pretty much everything to do with cricket.Make that count going forward......

[NT50]

Done with Saturday cricket this year, bowled 1 over in 5 weeks now and with the football season starting, i know where i'd rather be!

On Sunday i opened the bowling in our must win relegation clash (play for a different club on a Sunday) . We'd set them 198 in 40 overs. I bowled 4 overs for about 25. I hate taking the new ball and have said as much to our captain, the balls in the Beds League constantly slip out of my hand and i bowled quite a few height no-balls. Even more puzzling is the fact that we had 2 first team bowlers playing and yet still wouldn't allow me to come on first change when the ball had been roughed up a bit. We eventually bowled them for 167, to confirm survival.

I shall be at University for the first few months of next season, so will be on the lookout for a club in Huddersfield!

[Seniorplayer]

 Disapointingly Had to pull out tomorrow woke up this morning with Veritgo