At the time of writing our league teams are mid table in both divisions one and five of the Mid Sussex Stoner League.  After an excellent start at the beginning of the season the teams have faltered over the last two weekends which, at this stage in the season, reflects dramatically on the tables.  However, we have had many highlights with both James Flower and Kingsley Morris scoring centuries and several players scoring fifty plus.  Our Sunday team continue to enjoy themselves with competitive elements added to the more relaxed atmosphere of friendly games.

 

Our Juniors have commenced their training on Friday evenings with Keith Hosken, a coach of considerable talent who we were fortunate to find.  Our thanks go to Robert Atkins and  parents for their help in assisting Keith.  Junior games are played home and away on Saturday mornings commencing 9.30 – not always a good time for parents who may have celebrated a hard week’s work on Friday evening!  However, they manfully turn out to transport and help and we are very grateful to them.

Thanks must also go to Mark Barrow and his team at Bolney Nursery for supplying us with our new hanging baskets again this year.  Hopefully the weather will assist me in helping them to flourish – although that is not happening at the moment!

Anyone who would care to join us to watch the game, enjoy a glass of wine or beer or just to sit in beautiful surroundings will be very welcome. 

The season has started really well for our three senior teams.  They played five friendly games which produced four wins and a draw.  The league season commenced last weekend and both the 1^st and 2^nd teams won handsomely and so we are hoping for a good summer of cricket – early days though!!

Unfortunately we have been delayed in getting our outdoor junior coaching underway.  The older children attended a hard ball course at Warden Park and the younger ones were coached at the Rawson Hall leading up to Easter.  We have had difficulty in obtaining the services of a Level 2 coach at short notice for outdoors,  however, we are now in touch with an excellent coach who is at Oathall Community College at present and by the time the magazine is published we aim to have these very popular sessions underway at the cricket ground on Friday evenings.

I would like to say a huge ‘thankyou’ to our Vice Presidents again this year who have generously sent us £1170!  This is an amazing sum from such a small community and we all really appreciate your support.

I hope everyone who walks round the cricket ground has appreciated the lovely bluebells this year and how great and well cared for the area looks.  It is wonderful to sit on the seats, in the sunshine, and appreciate what we have on our doorstep.

April seems a long way off at the moment but even so it is time for our thoughts to turn to cricket in preparation of the new season.  Seed, fertilisers, loam ordered and machinery serviced.  We hold a ‘work-in’ day in early April when the pavilion is dusted down, seats put out and scorebox uncovered from its winter hiding.  It will be good to see the cricket ground come to life once again.

 

Our more experienced juniors have been attending winter nets at Warden Park Academy, where Reg is coaching them in hard ball cricket in preparation for their U13 League.  We begin soft ball coaching for younger players in the Rawson Hall commencing 3^rd March from 5.00 – 6.00 p.m., prior to summer coaching at the cricket ground after Easter.

 

We are inviting our Vice Presidents to support us once again this year by renewing their donation of £25.  We very much value this support as it is a lifeline for a small Club at the beginning of the season.  If anyone would like to become a V.P. please contact me – there are no duties to perform!

 

The fixtures will shortly be on our website and we always welcome support for home games – what better on a weekend afternoon to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a glass of Bolney wine!

We had quite a disjointed start to the season – thanks to the weather!  However, we are well and truly underway now.

Our 1^st X1 have enjoyed several close victories and at present have a mid-way place in the 1^st division table – which is good news considering last year’s captain and all rounder, Jack Collins, has been lost to a Manchester team, where he is doing very well I’m pleased to say.  Our 2s are fighting magnificently and are currently placed just above halfway in division 5.  The Sunday team have a great team spirit at present and are really enjoying the less competitive and more relaxed (slightly!) atmosphere attached to ‘friendly’ games

Our colts have been so enthusiastic again this year and approximately 45 children enjoy the coaching sessions on Friday evenings.  The U12 and U10 teams have played several matches and although they haven’t won their spirit is not diminished.  The other teams in their leagues are well established and have more experience at this level but the players have made tremendous strides in their abilities and I am expecting the first victory soon!

All teams would love to attract more players and so if anyone would like to come and have a go please do come up to the ground and chat to players.

On Sunday 21^st August we are holding an OPEN DAY, sponsored by Waitrose. We will be arranging a mixed parent & children tournament, plus the practise net will be available for anyone who would like to use it.  There will be a barbecue, open bar, raffle etc. so PLEASE come and join us.  Timings are likely to be 11 – 5.00 pm but look out for posters with accurate details nearer the time.

Every season I say the same thing at this time of the year –
‘I can’t believe we will be playing on that ground in four week’s time’. However, that is when the first game is scheduled for! Fingers crossed for lots of sunny, dry weather. We are always looking for new players of all abilities so please come and meet us if you would like to play – you would not be committing yourself to playing every weekend – just whenever you are able.

Our Juniors have been using the Rawson Hall for indoor nets this term and it has proved extremely popular. We will begin outdoor summer coaching from 29th April 5.30 – 7.00 p.m. at the cricket ground the same as last year. There will be 3 categories:
1 New children and younger inexperienced children
2 Softball coaching for developing children
3 Development of hardball cricket for older, experienced children.
All children are welcome, please contact me if you would like a registration form.

A big thank you is owed to all of our Vice Presidents who have renewed their support for the Club again this year – this is vital to us and much appreciated.

Thank you so much  to everyone who supported our Jumble Sale, either by donating jumble, helping on the day or by coming along to buy.  We made £1,128 profit!   This is a great result and everyone’s efforts are much appreciated, in particular our thanks to Derek Kirkham for his mammoth effort in selling raffle tickets.  Many people who come to help have no connection with the Club, in fact it’s becoming rather like an annual reunion for some of us!  Once again our thankyou to everyone

For those who are not aware, this year was the 175^th anniversary of the Club’s first recorded game.  To celebrate this we commissioned a painting from Mike McCulloch, a very talented local artist.  Mike has created a beautiful, gentle watercolour of part of the ground, whilst a game is taking place, and has captured absolutely the atmosphere which makes Bolney special.  From this original we have fifty limited edition prints which are signed and numbered by the artist.  If anyone would like one of these in their home as a keepsake we are selling them for £50 each.  If you would like to view the painting please do contact me.

By the time you read this we will have held our Annual Award’s Dinner, hosted by Waz and Emma at the Eight Bells.  Recipients this year are:

1^st X1 Batsman  –  Kingsley Morris

1^st X1 Bowler     –  Jack Collins

1^st X1 Fielder     –  Himal Jayarathne

2^nd X1 Batsman  –  Luke Martin

2^nd X1 Bowler     –  Peter Buch

2^nd X1 Fielder      –  Garion Gilchrist

Danny Earp Cup for the Most Improved Player   –  Terry Paton

Trevor Warburton Cup for player making the most runs in the season – James Flower.

Congratulations everyone!

Finally we would like to thank our Vice Presidents and everyone in the community who has supported the club this year, in whatever capacity, and to wish you all

A very Merry Christmas!

Our last game of the season was on September 27^th and I feel as though I am still waiting for the season to start – weatherwise!!  It has been a very good year with the First X1 finishing only six points behind Balcombe who were winners of the 1^st Division – we could never have hoped to do that in only our second year in that division.  Bolney are a very good team but next season they will have to do it without Jack Collins, who is moving to the Manchester area with his wife Steph – we will miss them both.

Our second X1 look as though they may be relegated to Division 5, unfortunately we struggled to field two teams each week.  A large number of players are needed to do this when injuries, family commitments, holidays, work etc. are taken into account.  However, they finished on a high by winning three of their last four matches so this bodes well for next season.

We had a great day on September 12^th which was our Club Day.  This comprised of a tournament with mixed teams of colts, parents, siblings and senior players, a picnic, a barbecue and ended with trophies for winners on the day and the Colt’s Annual Awards.  There are pictures on our Facebook page and we have received many compliments from everyone who took part and, with the help of the children, we managed to keep the parents from falling out!!

Lastly we must thank Mark Barrow and his team at Bolney Nursery for generously providing us with our lovely hanging baskets again this year – they have been beautiful – and without any help from the weather!

PLEASE remember our JUMBLE SALE!!  Saturday October 24^th at the Rawson Hall at 2 p.m.

Thank you to all of our Vice Presidents and everyone who came to watch this season – we very much value your support as ever.

Bolney 1^st X1 are currently 3^rd in Division 1, only 1 point short of 2^nd –  an excellent position to be in considering it is only the second season in that division.  The team has played really well and enjoyed some very exciting matches.  The 2^nd X1 have struggled for players but have enjoyed two good consecutive wins and the team is really beginning to gel.  We still play friendly games on Sunday afternoons if anyone would like to play – we are always looking for players of all abilities.

The juniors have had a very good summer, the progress they have all made is amazing.  The Under 10 and Under 11 teams have enjoyed their league games and have acquitted themselves admirably – in skills, spirit and good sportsmanship – an important part of the game to learn at an early age.  We have been very fortunate this year to have had the expertise of three qualified Sussex CCC coaches.  This has been heavily subsidised by ECB funding and we are very grateful to the Development Team at Sussex for making this possible.

We will be holding a Club Day on Saturday 12^th September when senior players, colts and parents will all play in a mixed team tournament.  It should be good fun and a chance for everyone to get to know one another.   Feel free to come along to spectate if you are not playing, bring a picnic and enjoy the fun!

On Saturday 24^th October we will hold holding our long awaited JUMBLE SALE – this has been delayed as the Rawson Hall was not ready for use before the beginning of the season.  This will commence at 2.00 p.m. and as usual there will be teas, homemade cakes and a raffle.  If you have jumble please could this be taken to the Rawson on the morning.  Thank you.