Saturday 1st Team (Richard Blythe).
Following a good close season where the services of three former players were regained, it was with great excitement and anticipation that the 1st XI approached the opening day of the 2009 season. However, a thumping loss by 6 wickets brought home the fact that there are few easy games in the Warwickshire Cricket League Premier Division. Following this setback it was a couple of weeks before the team got into its stride and started to put some results together, and reached 4th place in the table on 26th May and 21st June. However, a stop-start period where a number of games were rain affected, and inconsistent availability made it hard to put a good run together where we would be challenging for the title. Resounding wins at home over Nuneaton and Southam were followed by a rain affected defeat at bottom placed Pickwick and an abandoned fixture against relegation affected Warwick, and as such KHCC’s aspirations for the title petered out. The remainder of the season was disappointing with poor personal performances across the team and inconsistent availability (for one game there were eight 1st XI players unavailable for selection) which resulted in the team flirting with relegation going into the final game of the season. This game was won and relegation avoided, and the 1st XI finally finished in 8th place in with 261 points, (compare to 2008 where we finished 7th on 246 points). There were certain notable performances in the season, including- Phil Jeffries’ 539 League runs at an averages of 29 (including 5 fifties) and 17 wickets, Jim Moreton’s 463 League runs at an average of 66 (including 104* against Nuneaton), Andy Davis’ 34 League wickets at an average of 15.
It is fair to say that there is a good crop of 13 or 14 1st XI cricketers at Kings Heath with a number of young 2nd team players ready to step up in the next few years, and when the best side is out we are more than a match for any side in the League. However, if the team is to sustain a realistic challenge for promotion back to the Birmingham League either the core of the these players must be available for 18-20 games per season, or it needs to attract more players to develop more strength in depth and competition for places to ensure those selected can step up and accept the challenge of responsibility. As a summary, 2009 has been a rollercoaster season with some fantastic highs and some disappointing lows. However, the squad is very close knit and there is (more often than not!) an excellent spirit amongst the lads. In 2010 the 1st XI will be led by a new captain, and wish both the new captain and the team the very best for the future.
Saturday 2nd Team (Dave Monk).
In what can be described as a transition year for the 2nd team, it was fairly positive on the whole. We finished 7th in the league, with 19 games played, 6 were won, 5 drawn and 8 lost with 3 matches abandoned. Selection was very good in the first 2 months of the season where we won 4 games and drew 4 with 3 defeats. Selection became difficult through the July and August periods, and injuries from the first team having further knock on effects, too many junior and inexperienced players were selected in the team and thus defeats became more common. A total of 37 players were used during the year. Notable performances were made during the year such as the home and away victories against Ansley Sports, both under difficult circumstances, and the wins against Kenilworth and Handsworth who finished in the two places above us. On an individual level it was good to see younger members doing well in the team and not looking out of place, with notable performances such as Tom Payne’s 147 and Dan Armstrong scoring 2 50’s in his first season in the second team.
Saturday 3rd Team (Graham Arrand).
The 3rds had another good season. We finished 3rd in our league (an improvement from 4th in 2008).We played 12 league games - won 7 lost 4 and drew 1.- with2 being rained off. In addition we won both of our friendly games. The games we lost were only against strong adult teams and show the standard we still need to aspire to. 9 wins in a season for a fairly young team shows the progress made over the last 3 years. The side comprised of mainly older teenagers and generally 3 over 21’s . Though we did have 6 players from the junior section and 2 under 17’s play for us this year- all of whom looked fairly comfortable at this level. Availability was generally good though we struggled during he school holidays. We used 33 players this season. The team were very keen and enthusiastic and enjoyed their cricket. If we can carry on improving on key areas next year –then I am confident we can push for promotion next year.
Sunday 1st team (Gregg Arrand).
The Sunday 1st team played in Division 3 of the Arden Sunday League during the 2009 season. Sunday 1sts played 7 league games during the 2009 season, with one victory, four defeats and two losing draws. There were two cancellations and abandonment due to rain. Overall, it has been difficult to compete because the opposition teams are full of experienced adult players. Often our team contains up to nine players under 22 who are of Saturday 2nd/3rd team standard. Out of 121 places selected during 12 games (including friendlies), only 13 places were filled by players over 22 yrs old. However, there is a talented squad of young players in the team, and once these players have developed and gained further experience, they should begin to compete more frequently in matches. League matches, Played 7, Won 1, Lost 4, Draw 2, Abandoned 1, Cancelled 2. Friendly matches, Played 4, Lost 4, Cancelled 2.
Sunday 2nd team (Alan Hyatt).
It was a poor season for Sunday 2nd team both for number of games played and results. We played only 5, won 0, lost 4, 1 loosing draw, 2 abandoned, defaulted 2 (once not enough players, and once due to an under 13 play off home game), 1 conceded by the opposition. Selection was difficult with most of the good under 21s required by the 1st team. Thus we again relied heavily on the best under15 junior players to make up a team plus a few new under18s who were new to club cricket. Of a total of 66 places selected, only 11 places were filled by over 21s. With such an inexperienced squad playing reasonably strong opposition, it is not surprising we did not win any games. However, our young players do have plenty of ability and better days are sure to come. Most opposition teams have 4 or 5 senior players to carry their youngsters, who were mostly lesser players than our boys. However, it is vital they have the support of good experienced players to assist their development. As this is not the case, I do not see any point in running a 2nd team with this make up.
Midweek XI (Gregg Arrand).
The team played in Division 1 of the Shirley Midweek League on Wednesday evenings during the 2009 season. There have been some good individual performances but as a team we have lacked consistency and experience. The midweek team contained a variety of players with mixed abilities and ages. 39 different players played midweek cricket during 2009. However we were able to get a full team out every week and introduced several players who weren't playing regular weekend cricket into a competitive league. Overall, 13 matches were played, 6 wins, 5 defeats, 2 tied games and 4 cancellations.
U17 (Alan Hyatt).
Following a good close season where the services of three former players were regained, it was with great excitement and anticipation that the 1st XI approached the opening day of the 2009 season. However, a thumping loss by 6 wickets brought home the fact that there are few easy games in the Warwickshire Cricket League Premier Division. Following this setback it was a couple of weeks before the team got into its stride and started to put some results together, and reached 4th place in the table on 26th May and 21st June. However, a stop-start period where a number of games were rain affected, and inconsistent availability made it hard to put a good run together where we would be challenging for the title. Resounding wins at home over Nuneaton and Southam were followed by a rain affected defeat at bottom placed Pickwick and an abandoned fixture against relegation affected Warwick, and as such KHCC’s aspirations for the title petered out. The remainder of the season was disappointing with poor personal performances across the team and inconsistent availability (for one game there were eight 1st XI players unavailable for selection) which resulted in the team flirting with relegation going into the final game of the season. This game was won and relegation avoided, and the 1st XI finally finished in 8th place in with 261 points, (compare to 2008 where we finished 7th on 246 points). There were certain notable performances in the season, including- Phil Jeffries’ 539 League runs at an averages of 29 (including 5 fifties) and 17 wickets, Jim Moreton’s 463 League runs at an average of 66 (including 104* against Nuneaton), Andy Davis’ 34 League wickets at an average of 15.
It is fair to say that there is a good crop of 13 or 14 1st XI cricketers at Kings Heath with a number of young 2nd team players ready to step up in the next few years, and when the best side is out we are more than a match for any side in the League. However, if the team is to sustain a realistic challenge for promotion back to the Birmingham League either the core of the these players must be available for 18-20 games per season, or it needs to attract more players to develop more strength in depth and competition for places to ensure those selected can step up and accept the challenge of responsibility. As a summary, 2009 has been a rollercoaster season with some fantastic highs and some disappointing lows. However, the squad is very close knit and there is (more often than not!) an excellent spirit amongst the lads. In 2010 the 1st XI will be led by a new captain, and wish both the new captain and the team the very best for the future.
Saturday 2nd Team (Dave Monk).
In what can be described as a transition year for the 2nd team, it was fairly positive on the whole. We finished 7th in the league, with 19 games played, 6 were won, 5 drawn and 8 lost with 3 matches abandoned. Selection was very good in the first 2 months of the season where we won 4 games and drew 4 with 3 defeats. Selection became difficult through the July and August periods, and injuries from the first team having further knock on effects, too many junior and inexperienced players were selected in the team and thus defeats became more common. A total of 37 players were used during the year. Notable performances were made during the year such as the home and away victories against Ansley Sports, both under difficult circumstances, and the wins against Kenilworth and Handsworth who finished in the two places above us. On an individual level it was good to see younger members doing well in the team and not looking out of place, with notable performances such as Tom Payne’s 147 and Dan Armstrong scoring 2 50’s in his first season in the second team.
Saturday 3rd Team (Graham Arrand).
The 3rds had another good season. We finished 3rd in our league (an improvement from 4th in 2008).We played 12 league games - won 7 lost 4 and drew 1.- with2 being rained off. In addition we won both of our friendly games. The games we lost were only against strong adult teams and show the standard we still need to aspire to. 9 wins in a season for a fairly young team shows the progress made over the last 3 years. The side comprised of mainly older teenagers and generally 3 over 21’s . Though we did have 6 players from the junior section and 2 under 17’s play for us this year- all of whom looked fairly comfortable at this level. Availability was generally good though we struggled during he school holidays. We used 33 players this season. The team were very keen and enthusiastic and enjoyed their cricket. If we can carry on improving on key areas next year –then I am confident we can push for promotion next year.
Sunday 1st team (Gregg Arrand).
The Sunday 1st team played in Division 3 of the Arden Sunday League during the 2009 season. Sunday 1sts played 7 league games during the 2009 season, with one victory, four defeats and two losing draws. There were two cancellations and abandonment due to rain. Overall, it has been difficult to compete because the opposition teams are full of experienced adult players. Often our team contains up to nine players under 22 who are of Saturday 2nd/3rd team standard. Out of 121 places selected during 12 games (including friendlies), only 13 places were filled by players over 22 yrs old. However, there is a talented squad of young players in the team, and once these players have developed and gained further experience, they should begin to compete more frequently in matches. League matches, Played 7, Won 1, Lost 4, Draw 2, Abandoned 1, Cancelled 2. Friendly matches, Played 4, Lost 4, Cancelled 2.
Sunday 2nd team (Alan Hyatt).
It was a poor season for Sunday 2nd team both for number of games played and results. We played only 5, won 0, lost 4, 1 loosing draw, 2 abandoned, defaulted 2 (once not enough players, and once due to an under 13 play off home game), 1 conceded by the opposition. Selection was difficult with most of the good under 21s required by the 1st team. Thus we again relied heavily on the best under15 junior players to make up a team plus a few new under18s who were new to club cricket. Of a total of 66 places selected, only 11 places were filled by over 21s. With such an inexperienced squad playing reasonably strong opposition, it is not surprising we did not win any games. However, our young players do have plenty of ability and better days are sure to come. Most opposition teams have 4 or 5 senior players to carry their youngsters, who were mostly lesser players than our boys. However, it is vital they have the support of good experienced players to assist their development. As this is not the case, I do not see any point in running a 2nd team with this make up.
Midweek XI (Gregg Arrand).
The team played in Division 1 of the Shirley Midweek League on Wednesday evenings during the 2009 season. There have been some good individual performances but as a team we have lacked consistency and experience. The midweek team contained a variety of players with mixed abilities and ages. 39 different players played midweek cricket during 2009. However we were able to get a full team out every week and introduced several players who weren't playing regular weekend cricket into a competitive league. Overall, 13 matches were played, 6 wins, 5 defeats, 2 tied games and 4 cancellations.
U17 (Alan Hyatt).
We entered an Under 17 team for the first time this season. We had 5 games scheduled on Monday evenings in July and August, but due to rain only 2 were played. We won 1, lost 1. We had poor availability of our dwindling 17s, so had many 16s and 15s selected in the hope that the rain would abate.
U15 (Jon Clugston).
This has been an excellent season for the Under 15’s. We won five games out of seven. The majority of victories being very convincing. The team has consistently performed well with bat and ball. The only defeats have come at the hands of Water Orton in the Knockout competition, who have subsequently won the Premier League, and to an extraordinary individual century against Attock. We won the South Birmingham division and our semi-final playoff, but lost the final. As we only have 9 Under 15s, may 14s gained valuable experience and contributed greatly. As a result of our success we have been promoted to the premier league for 2010. This however means we play 25 over games on Sunday mornings, so will clash with Archery.
U14 (Dave Salliss).
The U14 league was a new venture this year, and a very worthwhile additional competition. We did not have 11 boys in this age group at the start of the season, but recruited by trials and in the end we did have 11 boys in the u14 squad. We were also able to call on some very able Under 13s to augment the team. We played 8 games in total, winning 4 and losing 4.
U13 (Jonnie Turpie).
It has also been a very good season for the Under13’s. With a record numbers of players coming through from the Under11’s and Under12’s as well as new players joining the club from local schools. We all our league games to win the South Birmingham division, but lost in the play off game when holidays and injury and illness hit the team. We reached the 3rd round of the cup competition. We also ran a B team playing friendly games.
U11 (Mark Frain).
The Under 11’s league season started slightly earlier than in previous years with no friendly games prior to the season other than a squad game. We played 4, won 2, lost 2. Two teams forfeited due to lack of players giving us wins. This gave us 3rd place in the league, played 6, won 4, and lost 2. We entered an 11 aside league to extend the season, but unfortunately all 3 games were rained off.
U10 (Oliver O’Brien).
The Under 10’s played 5 games winning 3 games and losing 2 placing us third in the tables. The boys showed demonstrable progress over the year in all forms of the game. The progress in batting was particularly pleasing with the boys proving adept at keeping their wickets intact for the periods they batted. There was also the opportunity for U9s to play in the side and they acquitted themselves well. Overall a proficient start at hard ball cricket for the boys.
U9 (Dave Salliss).
We had a squad of 20 Under 9’s practicing and playing softball with good success. We entered one team into the South Birmingham District festival where we played Harborne in the final in a 20 over game. Our boys performed superbly to win the game by 31 runs to become the first winners of the South Birmingham shield. We also entered 2 teams of equal ability into the Solihull festival. One team played 4 games, won 2 and lost 2 and the other team played 3 games, winning 2 but losing 1. Both teams finished 2nd in their group but unfortunately only the group winners went into the final. An excellent season by all the boys.
Girls (Joanne Malcolm).
Our Girl’s squad, following on from some excellent winter coaching developing basic batting and bowling skills, started the season having already made good progress. Five girls were selected to the county u13 and u11 squads. Seventeen of last year’s eighteen girls reregistered with 5 being u13s and 12 being u11s. The girls were able to be divided into hardball and softball groups. We were able to participate in the three u13 Super league softball festivals and an indoor u11 festival. With their batting and bowling showing progress, the girls now need to focus on developing their fielding and match play skills. WCB with our support ran a Girls Chance to Shine After School Club prior to the girls training session. Unfortunately only 6 girls attended although the feedback from parents and girls was good. Two of these girls have now joined along with another who was inspired by our victorious English women’s team!
