|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Can't find it? Site Map Site Design by AustenOsborne.com ©2003, Dulwich C.C. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BETWEEN THE COVERSSUMMER BULLETIN 2002
THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF DULWICH CRICKET CLUB · 1st & 3rd XIs in Promotion Push! · Sir Garfield Sobers Celebration Success! · Summer Ball Sensation! · Club Dinner News · Cricket Festival Plug! · Website Update · Dennis Lillee comes to DCC in 2003 EDITORIAL Welcome to the summer edition of the club's quarterly Newsletter. There is much to get through and we hope that you will not only enjoy reading about it all but also that you will act on some of it and lend your support to the events and schemes detailed within these leaves. The club is currently stronger than it has been for quite a few seasons now, with many players fighting for their places in all XIs - all of which is excellent. The Saturday 1st and 3rd XIs are continuing to make strong bids to get promotion from their respective League Divisions. Although the 2nd XI have given some disappointing performances, they have also showed potential to do better. John Smith's 4th XI has been boosted by the overall effect of the club's strength, being able to turn out some of the strongest sides for years, resulting in thumping partnerships between players who only last season were playing 2nd XI cricket! Stuart "Naked Chef" McKee declined to succumb to our newshound's constant offers of further alcohol to spill the beans on the Sunday 2s season but, due to a combination of appalling weather and, in between, not much better performances when they did get onto the pitch. Hopefully tales of heroism and merriment will ensue in the latter half of the season "Stingray" Reardon's Midweek XI has fulfilled most of its mouthwatering fixtures, although it was very disappointing that the mini-Tour to Holland had to be cancelled due to being only a couple of players short of going. Talking of Tours, we have a golden opportunity to take advantage of some very comptetive rates for a trip to the Caribbean, or possibly a trip to South Africa. Either trip is in the early stages at the moment, but see Ian Marshall's piece later on for more details. There is even a chance that the 4th XI might enter a league (Kookaburra?) next year, but this is also in the discussion stage at the moment. There is so much going within the club at the moment that necessity means that the information has been put together in this issue of BTC as quickly as possible. As usual, we would ask you to read this issue carefully and if there is anything else you need to know, just ask! After all, it's your club, and your support and encouragement to the Committee and the Captains is essential - otherwise it's all a bit pointless. Dulwich CC is going places and in the current economical and social climate, where stories of clubs amalgamating or even folding, it is exciting to learn that D.CC is definitely very strong in this regard at the moment. And it is with your help that we can keep it strong and move forward in the 21st century as one of the premier clubs in Surrey and indeed the South of England. Read on and enjoy... FORTHCOMING EVENTS CARNIVAL OF CRICKET 26-29 AUGUST FIXTURES Because Cricket Week suffered so much from the weather, your fixtures secretary, Stuart McKee, has lined up an exciting alternative for the week of the Bank holiday - so sign up now! DULWICH CRICKET CLUB DINNER & DANCE Saturday 14 September 2002 at 7-30 p.m. in the Pavilion. Tickets are priced at £25 and are available from the Bar or Peter Rochford. Come and help the club celebrate the end of season in style! Other delights awaiting you are: · Champagne Bar · Four-course meal with silver service · Extensive wine list · Team Player of the Year awards · Disco until late · Special end-of-season raffle · Individual awards for centuries and hat-tricks Tickets are strictly limited to 90, so do please get your tables organised quickly and let Peter Rochford know how many tickets you want on 020 8696 0731 or 0794 159 1596. Another sensational treat planned for the evening is DCC very own 'beat combo' comprising Richard Blench, James Braim and John Russell, who will be performing live (that's what the doctor's certificate says here!) and kicking for your entertainment. Should be a belter! Give them all your support. Nice one, guys! SURREY CHAMPIONSHIP DINNER FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER We are hoping that this year the club will be able to put together at least one table to this annual occasion when the whole league comes together to celebrate the season gone by. All being well, we could have two teams picking up champions' medals. Add this date to your diary! WINTER NETS & DENNIS LILLEE IN 2003 The season is not yet over, and already thoughts are turning to 2003. The winter nets will take place at Alleyn's School from 7.30-9.30 on Sundays in the New Year. And, following the wonderful evening with Sir Garry this year, it is hoped that the club will be able to line up Dennis Lillee for a special night of entertainment in May 2003. OVERSEAS TOURS Following the huge success of last year's trip to Kenya and Uganda, your committee is looking into the possibility of arranging another tour. Two venues are looking the most likely: Barbados and South Africa. At the moment, timings and details are being worked on, but both tours are likely to be two weeks, not three, so it is hoped that more people will be able to take the time off for what should be a terrific opportunity for some wonderful cricket and a brilliant holiday all in one. At this stage, it would be helpful if you could let Ian Marshall know whether you would be interested in either, or both, venues. Prices are likely to be around £1000 per person, but this is only a very rough guide at this stage. SOCIAL REVIEW SIR GARFIELD SOBERS WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2002 To celebrate 135 years of existence, Dulwich got the season going with a spectacular event at the Cafe Royal in Regent Street: a Gala Dinner in honour of Sir Garry Sobers, the great all-rounder ever to play the game. With more than 300 people packed into the Napoleon Suite, including many celebrities and leading journalists, it was sure to be a truly special night. The food, carefully planned by our resident guru on such matters, Stuart McKee, was delicious; the raffle (with two prizes of holidays for two in Barbados, donated by Barbados Tourism Authority) was a huge success, though the ticket-sellers had to be brave to fend off the attentions of various bankers (is that rhyming slang? Ed). The auction, compered by Channel 4's analyst Simon Hughes, raised about £7000 for the Lord's Taverners. But the real star of the evening was Sir Garry. After saying he didn't want to make a speech, he proceeded to give a 40-minute talk without any notes that had the audience in the palm of his hand. PD was so impressed, he began to pray to the great man. Other highlights from a memorable night: Niv and Bill Frindall, the two Bearded Wonders, comparing notes on the top table; John Lewis dashing to get Bill's autograph, rather than Garry's; and the battle between Bill Frindall and Lloyd Leslie Jones: could Lloyd find a question about cricket records that Bill didn't know (no), and could Bill find a question from the Laws of the game that Lloyd couldn't answer (er, yes!). Then there was the after-dinner progress to other venues, from China White to less salubrious haunts. As ever, thanks go to those who helped make it happen from within the club - Stuart McKee, Ian Marshall, Richard Purssell, Peter Rochford and John Smith - and from without, especially Bartley Flowers, Original Business Print and the Lord's Taverners, plus Barbados Tourism Authority and Headline Book Publishing, without whom the dinner could never have happened. Let's hope we can finish the 135 season with promotion and championship success. WEBSITE The website has been redesigned recently, thanks to Austen Osborne's hard work, in consultation with Chris Wilson and Peter Rochford. Do pay it a visit, and see what's going on. There is also an opportunity to have your very own dulwichcc e-mail address for just £10. Contact Ian Marshall for further information on this - it is also a great way to support your club. SUMMER BALL - SATURDAY 6 JULY More than 200 people came to the hugely successful Summer Ball this year. For once this summer, the sun shone. After drinks on the old bowling green to the accompaniment of a string quartet, we sat down to a splendid dinner - the best menu we've had at a function like this in years. Raffle prizes included a DVD player, and John Smith battled to make himself heard for a short eighteen-minute speech (just eight references to Boro). After that everyone headed for the dance floor, inspired to samba by all the talk of Juninho, or else lay down under the vodka luge. The club is hugely energetic in putting on events like this, which are vital for the welfare of Dulwich CC by generating the funds we need to help in our ambitions to take the club forward on the field. Your support was vital in making this evening work - so a big thank you to all who came. However, the real thank you's go to all those who put in so much time to organise the event: Peter Rochford, John Smith and Chris Wilson. Thank you. INVITATION SIX-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT - SUNDAY 14 JULY 2002 Eight teams of City lawyers' firms enjoyed the 5th Annual Invitation Sixes Knockout on a gloriously cloudless hot, sunny day. Consequently there were some very tired and red bodies by the end of it. Running around on near-enough full-size grounds in the baking heat took its toll on one or two corpses but all eight captains reported that their boys had thoroughly enjoyed the day and would definitely be back next year - which is excellent news! The teams taking part were Allen Overy, Freshfields, Pinsent Curtis Biddle, Lovells, Latham & Watkins, Simmons & Simmons, Nabarro Nathanson and Slaughter & May. After the gruelling opening rounds of group matches, the semi-finalists emerged as Allen Overy, Simmons & Simmons, Pinsent Curits Biddle and Nabarro Nathanson. It was then left to the visitors Nabarro Nathanson and Allen Overy to battle it out in a thrilling Grand Final where, chasing Overy's impressive total of 82 in just 5 x 8-ball overs, Nabarro ended up with exactly the same score off the penultimate ball of the match but, possibly conscious of losing one less wicket, played out the ball to ensure victory. What a finish! John Smith made the presentations of pennants to all eight teams, plus prizes to the semi-finalists, Player of the Tournament, the runners-up and of course the winners, Nabarro Nathanson, who received the new perpetual Cup which will be engraved accordingly, ready for their defence of the title for next year. Organiser Andy Niven wanted to thank several people, without whom the day simply would not have been set up so well, run on time or been scrutinised so professionally. Firstly, a huge 'Thank You' to Stuart McKee for doing all the pre-tournament admin, based on his vast experience of previous years, and also for getting the day off to a splendid start with a sumptuous breakfast for all the players and officials. And it was hot in that kitchen we can tell you!!! Also, major 'Big Up Nuff Respect' to all the Umpires, including Lloyd Leslie Jones, Graeme Hough, John Russell, Austen Osborne, John Smith, Chris Wilson and Stan Wooliscroft, for their diligence and endurance on what was a seriously hot day. Many thanks guys! Thanks also to Pat Keene for laying on a superb spread in the form of a running buffet for most of the afternoon, and to Noreen and Alan behind the bar for keeping the thirsty competitors and officials happy. All-in-all it was a highly successful day, raising a considerable sum of money for the club and due to the fact that everything ran to schedule, it created that right impression that Dulwich CC can organise events to remember, like the Summer Balls, Dinner Dances, overseas tours, etc, etc… the list goes on. If anyone would like to volunteer to help out in any capacity for next year's KO, could they please talk to Andy Niven a.s.a.p.? Many thanks. CRICKET NEWS TEAM REPORTS 1ST XI The bowling exploits of MK2 partnership, i.e. Mark Kelly and Mark Kenlock, have been a feature of the 1s' success so far this season, which now sees them in pole position leading into the final phase of matches, and promotion is beckoning. The batting has also been strong, led by skipper Richard Farrow, Allen Blackford, Raj Tulsiani, Stuart Ferguson and Mark Kelly. Highlights have included Mr Farrow's two centuries which have taken him past the 400 mark @ 80. Mark Kelly remarkable figures against Oxted of 16-11-17-7 included a hat-trick (interestingly, one of two this season - the other by Stan Wooliscroft for the 4s at Norbury). Apart from these highlights, the team as a whole has performed consistently well and their No.1 position is justified and deserved. If they keep it up, then promotion will surely be theirs and at last Dulwich CC will have got themselves out of the bottom division in fine style after three years of trying. 2ND XI Skipper Graeme Hough's frustration and occasionally sheer anger at some the 2s' performances was clear during an incisive interview with our junior Rottweiler recently. With only two wins, five winning draws and a worrying seven defeats, the team's relatively lowly position is at best deserved and at worst self-inflicted. Woeful batting displays, following good bowling peformances seems to have been the 2nds' downfall so far this season. Two promising winning draws for openers against negatively minded oppos were swiftly followed by three abysmal defeats, particularly at Purley where our boys failed to capitalise on a very good bowling performance by Marcus Williams, Ian Marshall and the skipper, and failed to overhaul their pathetic total of 103 all out! Victory came at last at Brook where, for a change, the batsmen did the bowlers proud, courtesy of Shak Farooqi's 50, supported by Andy Rycroft and Everton Kirkwood. Among this sequence of matches Jason Speer emerged as a deadly bowler with a 6-for and 5-for in close proximity, eventually taking his tally to 21 wickets so far. Meanwhile the skipper chalked up his second fifty of the season and went on to notch up over 300 runs @ 40, and accumulated 22 wickets, including a career-best 8 for 31 against Chipstead. Despite a handful of individual batting displays of note, it has been a case of the bowlers feeling aggrieved that their valiant efforts have been squandered by disintegrating batting performances. About the only amusing incident to emerge was Everton's spectacular hit-wicket dismissal against Warlingham, but dropped catches by all ceased be amusing very early on in the campaign. The team should avoid any threat of relegation, especially if the most recent positive performance at Met Police is anything to go by, where perseverance despite taking only one oppo wicket in the field was rewarded by snatching four points for the winning draw for only three wickets, in the penultimate over of the match, thanks to a 90 from Jesse Johnson and able support from Anil Mahey and Ralph Tomlinson. The following week's washout at Old Emmanuel, although we contained them for 48 overs vefore the heavens opened, was eclipsed by the skipper dislocating a finger in a caught-and-bowled attempt, and not getting home from kingston Hospital until gone 11.00 p.m.!!! Yes…. We've dropped the inevitable comments, given that sympathy was inevitably mixed with 'your fault yer twat!'. Speedy recovery Skip'! 3RD XI As BTC went to press, the 3rd XI was still in with a great chance of promotion, thanks to some superb, aggressive knocks from Tony Cable and some fine performances in the field. It all now depends on making sure that the side wins their last few games. If we could ever manage to persuade the skipper to tell us more about what's been going on in his team, we'd be able to tell you more. Instead we have to fill it up with.. . 4TH XI Meanwhile, that wily fox John Smith submitted his copy so close to the deadline that our Oberleutnant Editor was not able to precis it in time, so the BTC Board accept no responsibility for the length and scurrilous libel that our beloved President's report may contain. Here goes: Dulwich Fourths
revived! After a couple of seasons of poor availability, the Dulwich 4ths have leapt to the forefront of the club's attention. The squad system employed by the Dulwich selectors has meant opportunity for many young faces as well as last chances for a number of veteran players. To date the 4th team has used 44 players, ranging in age from Andrew Corbin aged 9 to Peter Rochford.
The attacking cricket employed by the 4th team has meant that second and third team league players are constantly under threat from a gamut of new players and talented colts. Indeed James Braim, Steve Molloy and Ralph Tomlinson are three new players launched into the club by the 4ths. A strong fixture list and inspired team performances has enabled the club's premier team to command most of the Saturday evening attention in Noreen's bar. Some senior players in the club have asked to come down to the 4ths to rehabilitate and repair their morale. The skipper's coaching has enabled Jessie Johnson, Jeff Mascarenhas and Andy Niven to prosper in the 4th's before going back to play positive cricket in the seconds. It is widely believed around the bar that a few more players in the senior sides are being targeted for a spot of cricketing rejuvenation in the 4th team. Although the team spirit and support has been an outstanding feature, there have been a number of notable individual performances with the bat. Clive Saunders and James Johnson both scored undefeated tons. Mohammed Naveem cracked 84 runs on his debut, Jeff Mascarenhas made 78 and Andy Niven stroked his way to 66. Although Clive Saunders is the leading run getter with 276 runs, thirteen-year-old Thomas Rose is causing a minor stir with his two opening scores of 43 and 66. Such batting talent has made it difficult for Jim Gibson with just 24 runs all season and Paul Schofield who in five games has yet to trouble the scorers! The Dulwich batting has been supplemented by a wide range of pace men and pie purveyors who have not allowed the opposition to settle. One over they may be struggling to deal with Naveem Salim's fine length and line and the next stretching to reach John Russell's wider one! Twelve year old Naveem has made a fine start to his Dulwich career with six wickets in the last three games including 4-39 against Purley. John Russell, also starting his Dulwich career, has grabbed a couple of wickets in most unusual ways. The brunt of the bowling has been the wily spin of Lawrence and Wilson, John has weighed in with 20 wickets already and Chris has taken 13. Both have taken five-wicket hauls with JL taking 5-62 against Old Alleynians and Chris with 5-47 against Old Whits (a career best as well). Young Chris Cowan may also join the spin twins as he already demonstrates a healthy appetite for off spin bowling and cricket teas. The early season pace pairing of Devon Carr and Olly Bailey had the "oppo" hopping about in the opening fixtures and we hope to see more of those two next season. Mark Marjoribanks has often promised to take wickets but has been a little unlucky. Mark always shows a willingness with the bat and ball and will soon come off in this atmosphere of excellence. In both batting and bowling, Kelsey Button, the squash pro, showed a most competitive approach and we hope that he returns to the man's game soon. With so many high-quality contributions the 4th team player of the year could well be hotly contested. The team's overseas player, Stan Woolliscroft, must be in with a shout, taking 15 wickets for only 78 runs in just three games. Stan's hat-trick to win the game against Norwood was only overshadowed by Jimmy Gibson's abject performance in the field. Brian Corbin described the legendary actor's attempt to catch the ball at square leg as the funniest thing that he has seen on a sports field! The Bamboozler must be feeling disappointed with his 12 wickets so far, each bought for a costly 14 runs. The surprising news about the former Goa beach cricketer is that Jim has bowled nine maidens this season. Clearly fourth team cricketers are paying him too much respect. Probably the only reason for Jim taking wickets has been the outstanding fielding throughout the season. Perhaps this catching disease was best epitomised by even John Maloney taking a catch at Southern Railway. However even "Old slippery hands" was outshone by Jack Cornforth taking four catches at second gully against Purley. The other gully fielder John Lawrence is still waiting for the ball to come to him! It certainly pays great tribute to the skipper that his "canny" field placing has seen 23 players take catches ranging from athletic diving catches by Jack Davidson and Thomas How to the less confident pouching by James Hoffman and Paul Schofield. Wicket keeping has been largely redundant when some of the older players have been bowling but Rochford's return to form at Hong Kong & Shanghai was only matched by the confident stumping of Master Tom Rose. Early season favourite Johnson Chikosi tried hard but found reading Gibson a book too far!! As we approach the last month of the season we hope that we can retain the enthusiasm of the side and keep fielding the 4th eleven until September. If you have not played for this side please contact JL and he will do his best to include you. Competition is hot for places and not even Richard Farrow could be sure of a place! SUNDAY 1ST XI Steve Hale's pre-season trials for the Sunday League squad were completed satisfactorily and produced a formidable band built around the creative skills of the East Midlands Brains Trust (EMBT). Only the rain prevented the Dulwich batsmen from destroying an already demoralised Addiscombe attack in the first game of the season and the performances in the pre-League friendlies augured well for the rest of the season. There are always a couple of squad places up for grabs, so tick the availability box at the club or contact the EMBT. Subsequent availabilities were hampered for a while by the club's success in some other competition! However, despite this, the squad is still challenging for a final spot this season. Also, the matches have been very competitive as well as a lot of fun, and the team has always tried to play them in the Sunday cricket spirit. The team has been built around a nucleus of regulars, including Messrs Hale, Russell (T), Blackford, Kelly, Bowley, Whyte, Gritton, Tulsiani, and ably supported by the officials, umpire Lloyd Leslie Jones and scorer John Lewis. All being well, this squad should bring home another trophy for the club this season, if the Saturday 1s and 3s do their stuff! SUNDAY 2ND XI As mentioned earlier, Stuart McKee was at least honest enough to admit to our scribe that there really wasn't much to say about the 2s' campaign so far this season, due to a combination of appalling weather and mediocre cricket. We hope to hear more cheery news in the second half of the season. FANTASY LEAGUE As the season draws to a close, with just over a month to go, John Lawrence is still out in front, hotly pursued by last year's winner Ian Marshall, but a sudden burst of form from one or two players could still change things.... Thanks, as ever, to Darren Crump for all his work in making this happen.
|