Cirencester Cricket Club > News > April 2004 > Cirencester Cricket Club in great shape for the new season

Cirencester Cricket Club in great shape for the new season
Tuesday 27 April 2004

A look at Cirencester Cricket Club as a new season, the 164th in the Club's long and illustrious history, gets underway this weekend on the beautiful ground in Cirencester Park.

Cirencester has a long cricketing tradition with one of England's pre-war greats, Wally Hammond, educated at the local Grammar School. Another Gloucestershire and England star from the same era, Charlie Barnett, ran a fishmongers' shop for many years in what is now "East" in the West Market Place. In August 1879 Cirencester Park hosted a County match between Gloucestershire and Surrey when the incomparable WG Grace took 15 wickets for 116 for the home county.

Although the past has been glorious, the committee and players of Cirencester are only focused taking the Club forward and this objective has been given an enormous fillip during the close season with the agreement of generous sponsorship by the Bridges Motor Group.

Over the close season the committee has worked extremely hard on all areas of the Club's activity. Under the highly skilled stewardship of young groundsman Dan Robbins, and with excellent support from Under 13 manager Nick Price and a number of Club members, the ground is in magnificent shape. Bar Secretary and 3rd XI captain Brian Woodcock, with the help of a number of players, has worked incredibly hard to maintain and improve the fabric of the historic pavilion. In parallel, a lottery bid has been developed in partnership with the Estate, the Cotswold District Council and Cirencester Hockey and Tennis Clubs to restore and redevelop the pavilion to meet the needs of the 21st century.

The Senior Cricket pre-season preparations have been carefully planned and then delivered by recently appointed Senior Cricket Coach John Turton and 20 year old Andy Reynolds, one of the bright young stars of the club's well established youth programme who has taken on the mantle of 1st XI captain. Two Gloucestershire coaches and ex-players, Andy Stovold and Tony Wright, have led off and on the field sessions to help imbue Cirencester players with the culture and routines that have delivered so much for the county team in recent years. All this is underpinned by the Bridges' sponsorship, which has provided a boost to players' morale as well as Club finances.

The Club is planning for a record number of young cricketers to beat last year's 105 youngsters, both girls (who are very welcome - the Club has a committee member, Lynn Barratt, who focuses on increasing the number of girls playing cricket) and boys. An upgraded coaching structure has been put in place and squads will be run at the Under 9, 11, 13, 15 and 16 age groups. The teams will play in the Cotswold, Stroud and newly established North Gloucestershire Under 13 League. Last season's Junior highlights were the winning of the Cotswold League by the Under 14s and Under 16s and success at the Poulton six-a-side tournament for the Under 11s.

This season's objective for the Juniors is to improve on this fine performance. Among the seniors, the graduates of the Club's Junior programme are maturing rapidly and this should enable the First and Second XIs to meet their objectives of consolidating on last year's solid achievements and positioning the Club to start to work its way back up the pyramid. The strength of the Club's playing staff should see the Third XI having a very positive season while still maintaining its important role of blooding and developing young players in senior cricket.

For the first time, the Club starts the 2004 season with two permanent artificial surface nets and a mobile net for use on the artificial net on the edge of the second square. It will also have a new scoreboard kindly supported by St James' Place. The Club has seven qualified coaches, four of whom are aged 22 or under and are graduates of the Youth programme who wish to help local youngsters as well as make a significant contribution on the field.

With three competitive Saturday teams, a Friendly team on Sundays (with the programme redesigned by Fixture Secretary John Putney), an Evening League team and the very large Junior section, Cirencester Cricket Club welcomes new players both young and experienced. The Club also needs help on the field with umpiring and scoring and off the field in numerous ways. The Clubhouse is open to all every Saturday afternoon, and many Sunday afternoons and weekday evenings, throughout the summer. There is no more idyllic setting to watch cricket than Cirencester Park and the Club invites visitors to come, watch and enjoy! The massed ranks of the Juniors practising on Sunday mornings is a fine sight.

If anyone would like to join Cirencester Cricket Club or to help in any way, please go to the Contact page which provides the contact details of all Club officials.