The league season in the Herts and Essex Cricket League is now at an end and what a season it has been for us. The past 4 or 5 seasons have been tough, struggling to get full sides out, flirting with relegation for several years and finally being relegated last year on the final day. The transformation has been total. For the first time in our history we have gone through the season unbeaten, the only side in the League to do so this season in all six divisions. The only game we did not win was away at Takeley where despite both teams best efforts, the weather won out and the game abandoned.
So what has led this change in fortunes? Well for one, we never were that bad last year. Cricket is often described as a game played in the head. We lost several games from winning positions due to a lack of confidence and focus at times. Ending last season with 3 wins and starting this season with a good win away at South Loughton set the tone. We have carried on from there.
Stewart remarked a few weeks back that he has never known a happier Hallingbury league side. Ok, it is easy to be happy when you are winning, but he is correct. We have been much more together this year. Yes there is the teasing and ribbing and occasional stern words, but we know what we are about. Playing cricket in the right way, supporting each other and helping everyone to be the best they can.
Everyone has contributed, without exception. Stewart and Alex have piled on the league runs and have given us solid starts in the majority of our league games at the top of the order. Alex has really matured into a talented and reliable top order batsman that we always knew he would be. Both have batted through the card this season and scored tons. Sudip has been as marvellously calm skipper in his first season as captain. He has marshalled his players well and no been too proud to allow others to have their voice. He has taken numerous catches and batted delightfully in the engine room. In the middle order Jay has played some luxurious shots, which mark him down as a very talented all-rounder. Father-to-be, Ishfaq has probably had his best Hallingbury season with the bat and capped it off today with a scintillating 115 not out to set up the final win of the season. A special mention should also go to Luke Rumble who hit his maiden league 50 this season, but has been instrumental in taking games away from the opposition in the latter stages of the innings. On at least 3 occasions Luke’s cameos have swung the momentum in our direction and given us the extra cushion. On top of this we have had guest appearances from Zac, Amit and Sunny three great players who we really hope can play a few more games for us next season. Raj has put in his usual self-effacing shifts, never thinking of anything else but the team and Phil Rowley rolled back the years with a league 50 and top fielding.
On the subject of which, our bowling and fielding has been excellent. We have been very fortunate to have had 5 or 6 bowlers who we could happily have bowl 10 overs. That is not the norm and that is before we turn to Alex and Luke who are more than capable bowlers. We have been truly blessed with Jay Fensom and Rich Astwood as our strike bowlers. Rich has picked up nearly 50 league wickets this season, which is a phenomenal feat. His consistency and accuracy have helped tie down the opposition and he has ripped the heart out of several batting line ups with his devastating in-swingers. Jay continues show his class, he really is too good a bowler to be in division 5. His spells have been miserly in the extreme and have forced the opposition to take risks against our other bowlers. Sudip, Stuart and Ishfaq have all picked up vital wickets. We have caught well this year, with the exception of 1 or 2 games, everyone has come to the party. We have played as a team.
Our young players, Sam Watt, Dylan Canty and Will Goold have acquitted themselves superbly. Will has picked up league wickets and has been Mr Reliable in the field. Sam and Dylan have demonstrated sound technique and our grateful thanks has to go to Keith, Martin and Nick for all the work they do with our youngsters on Wednesdays. Nick has also guided these lads on Sundays giving them and others a sound grounding in adult cricket. Together they are ensuring the future of the club is in safe hands. A slightly less obvious product of our youth system has been Stuart Dobson, one of the Dads! Dobby has been a consistent performer this season and has given us an extra dimension in the top order, with the ball and some fantastic fielding and catches.
Division 5 has been played in an excellent spirit this season, much as Division 4 was last season. The instances of dubious umpiring decisions and batsman not walking have been few and far between. We have made many friends along the way and are delighted that we will be playing Anthony Challis’ Hockerill IIs next season, but tinged with disappointment that Martin Figg’s Matching Green IIs missed out on promotion. We have had four fantastic games against those teams. It is always a pleasure to play South Loughton and we hope to meet them again soon. We will miss the lovely tracks at Stortford, Takeley and Thorley and the picturesque trip to Wethersfield. Our heart goes out to Albury who have the opposite record to us this season, but have always played our matches in superb spirit and never stopped trying.
It has been a wonderful year and perhaps fitting that it ended with Stewart Goold taking the last catch of the season off of Sunny, proving that it still is a country for mature (old) men. It has been a pleasure to share our Saturday afternoons with so many great people, playing cricket in the right spirit and with smiles on their faces. Most importantly, everyone has stepped up and stepped forward and the whole club deserves to enjoy the success of this year. Not least because we are a club and a club’s success is built on the bonds between all its members.
Thank you all for your support. Happy Christmas if I don’t see you before.