Garboldisham Cricket Club

Friday 2 September 2016

The u11s have had a glorious finish to their season by winning the South Norfolk Community League Carnival Cup. Earlier in the week, Garboldisham u15s had won in their age group and today it was the turn of the u11s to bring the silverware home! They beat Mattishall in their semi-final and then faced Topcroft in the final. Garby batted first and scored 103. Topcroft fought back hard to chase down Garby’s total but in the end, the high standard of Garboldisham’s bowling, fielding and wicket-keeping proved too much and Topcroft were bowled out for 82 and finished 22 runs short. There’s a full match report to come.

Well done to all the youngsters and to coach and manager, James Worby.

Aussie Dan Constable scored his first century for Garboldisham in a friendly on Wednesday 31 August against Cudham Wyse CC – a touring side from Kent. The visitors batted first and scored 249 which Garby then chased down in 40 overs with Dan picking up 120*, Toby Culling and Louis Hart adding in 61 and 30 and Henry Phoenix 30*.

If you missed our interview with Dan, you can read it here.

*Gay, but heartfelt post alert*

With league fixtures being done and dusted for a season I thought I’d take a bit of time to say a few words.

Firstly, what a season it has been for our 1st team. We were written off by some and underestimated by a few at the start of the season. Many outsiders predicted a tough and ultimately disappointing season, which many thought would end in relegation back into Division One at the club’s first attempt in The Premier Division. How wrong they were! Throughout the year we have proven what a talented bunch of players we have in our club. Everyone who has had the opportunity to play has done their bit at one point during the season and with the added ‘bit of bastard’ in us we showed great character to get over the line in some games, notably in both games vs Downham. To finish second is a fantastic achievement and just goes to show that ‘the villagers’ can mix it with the best. The challenge for next year is to prove we aren’t a one-season-wonder and to keep improving as individuals and ultimately as a team, and if we can do that, who knows what this club can become. A big thank you to all the players who have played and help make this happen.

Unfortunately the 2nds couldn’t quite make it over the line. Paul Feavearyear has done a cracking job with the side this season dealing well, at times, with tricky situations. From reports there were a few games where, in terms of key decisions, things didn’t quite go our way, but I would rather we continue playing cricket the right and fair way than stoop to the levels of others. With the improvement of young players as well as the more senior pro’s in the side I’m sure the 2nds will be up there again next year and maybe the disappointment of this season may spur them on even more. If that’s the case I’m certain they will be up there fighting again.

As a club the season has been outstanding. From junior sides flourishing at their age groups to senior sides performing well, we have a club to be proud of. As ever, socially the season has been incredible with more still to come, and the beer festival this weekend is an example of why this club is so special. We have such a togetherness throughout the club whereas irrelevant of age, or what team you play in, or whether you play at all, we can all be found integrating and chatting and talking amongst each other. I know for a fact that there wouldn’t have been many clubhouses with 30+ people in at 9pm last Sunday night sitting down eating a curry! What makes a club is its people and we are lucky enough to have amazing people in our club, many of whom are pretty decent cricketers too.

So a big thank you to all involved – this club would be nothing without its members and this club is very special.

PS I’m not drunk!

Danny Cash, Club Captain. 29 August 2016

26th-28th August Beer Festival weekend. We have 7 beers (Adnams Ghost ship, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Woodfordes Wherry, Woodfordes Once Bittern, Robinsons Dizzy Blonde and 2 of Peters Barnes’ choice)

26th August Final junior nets of the season and junior presentation. Nets finish at 7pm and are immediately followed by the junior awards evening. Awards will be given for each of the playing age groups up to U15. £4 per child which includes BBQ and a drink.

27th August Saturday’s fixtures 1s away at Diss, 2s at home to Hetherset and Tas Valley, 3s at home to East Harling, 4s away at Diss

28th August Six-a-side tournament. All teams are taken, however should anyone want a game we can find them a team

30th August U15 South Norfolk Community League Final’s Day at the Langley. Semis in morning, final in afternoon

2nd September Golf Day Contact Danny Cash or Sandy Dye Culling for more info.

3rd September End of Season Do at Lyng Farm. Fancy dress theme of ‘The world of Music’ £10 a ticket, for more info contact Peter Barnes

10th September Presidents Day

Thursday 25 August 2016

Garboldisham CC u15s beat Horsford CC in the final of the Andy Seeley Trophy by 10 runs and made club history by becoming the first Garby youth team to win a Norfolk Alliance competition. In 2011 and 2013 GCC u17s had won the Junior Carter Cup but GCC youth had never got their hands on a Norfolk Alliance League trophy – until today! Well done to captain Toby Culling and all the u15 lads who played in all the matches. This win is the culmination of a fantastic summer for the u15s which started back on the 2 May with their first league game. There are four u15 leagues in the Norfolk Alliance that brings together 27 teams from across the county and Garboldisham went on to top their league, Group 1, by the end of June and thus qualify as one of eight teams that go forward to play in the knockout stages. After 1/4 final and semi-final wins against Bungay and Dersingham, Garby were up against Horsford in the final.

After a one minute silence for Andy Seeley (pictured above), who had sadly died earlier this year, the final was underway with Garboldisham batting first. Toby Culling and George Southgate got the game off to a cracking start with boundaries galore and the scoreboard was 70-0 at the 8-over halfway stage – but both had to retire on 30 as per the rules. With two new batsmen, Arthur Johnson and Finley Marshall at the crease, the runs dried up until Arthur cracked away a much needed boundary to long-on. Garby struggled to pierce the gaps in the field but ones and twos kept the scoreboard ticking over. Finley was bowled for 18 and was replaced by Max Elders. Excellent bowling from the Horsford pace and spin combo in the final few overs restricted Garboldisham to 113-1 off their 16 overs. Would it be enough runs on the board?

Toby and George opened the bowling and George hit the mark straight away with his first ball that sent the Horsford stumps flying! It was just the start that Garby needed. Unperturbed Horsford continued to gather in runs until a mix-up brought about a well-taken run-out by Garboldisham’s keeper Finley Marshall in the 5th over. Two overs later Angus Russell removed a third Horsford batsman with the first ball of his first over! Garby’s tails were up and a super maiden over from Arthur Johnson tightened the screws and Horsford were on 44-3 at the end of the 8th over. It felt that the game had suddenly swung in Garboldisham’s favour but Horsford continued to add runs to the scoreboard. In over 13 Arthur whipped in a terrific ball from the outfield that took out the stumps for a run-out and a fourth Horsford wicket. Garby had the game in the bag and even with some loose bowling in the final over, Horsford were just too far behind and they finished 10 runs short on 101-4.

Andy Seeley’s widow presented the trophy to Toby Culling (pictured below) and George Southgate was awarded man-of-the-match for his all-round performance.

Congratulations to all the u15 players that took part in the competition. A fantastic achievement! However, the u15 season hasn’t finished yet – on Tuesday next week they take part in the SNCL finals day which will be held at The Langley with semis in the morning and the final in the afternoon.

Thank you to u15 manager Dick Culling and to Dawn Briggs for scoring.

Dan Constable has been feeling right at home. It’s the hottest day of the summer and the weather reminds him of being back in Australia. But it wasn’t always like this – when Dan arrived at GCC back in the spring it was just 4° – what had he let himself in for?!

Dan left his home town of Wollangong, which is about an hour’s drive south of Sydney, in April to join GCC as our overseas player and junior coach. Last year he’d been studying Business Studies at University but he hadn’t enjoyed it and so had decided to defer it for a year and do some travelling. Time out playing as an overseas player in an English cricket league seemed like the perfect opportunity and he took up Garby’s offer of a position.

Dan first started playing cricket 10 years ago as a 9-year old, and his hero and inspiration growing up had been the former Aussie captain Michael Clarke. As Dan’s cricketing skills improved, he was picked up by Campbelltown Ghosts – one of Sydney’s leading club teams (Monty Panesar has jus signed up with The Ghosts for their 2016-17 season). Dan came to Garby principally as a batsmen but he’d be the first to admit that, early in our season, he struggled to get runs and it was as a part time off-spinner that he had more success. Club captain Danny Cash observed that:

“Dan was a little apprehensive about what he was letting himself in for, for the summer. After a few net sessions we could tell he was a decent cricketer but it took time before we saw the best of him. A mixture of nerves, inexperience of conditions and the pressure of seeing other overseas players dominate games and get rave reviews seemed to be added pressure put on him. We were winning games however, so I hadn’t the same thoughts. As the season moved towards the halfway point I saw a change in Dan, he’d become a lot more comfortable in his new surroundings and his first league 50 against North Runcton really settled him.”

Dan quickly found GCC players and members very welcoming and easy to get along with, and he describes Garby as a very friendly, relaxed club with a camaraderie that he hadn’t always found back in Australia. Had he enjoyed his time at Garboldisham? “Loved it!” was his immediate reply. A key moment for Dan, and his best memory of his time in the UK was, without doubt, the club tour to Northampton – which he summed up as “carnage!”. Danny Cash picks up the story:

“We took him on tour and that’s where he really came out of his shell. The chance to mingle and spend time with so many club members at once in a relaxed environment, in my opinion, made a huge difference in Dan and you could see a massive change in his character. His new found confidence and more relaxed demeanour off the field made a huge difference on it and his stats for the second half of the season are very good.”

Dan has gone on to score five half centuries for Garboldisham and help the 1st team rise to 2nd place in the Norfolk Alliance Premiership (as of w/b 22.8) in only their first season in the top flight! Off the field, Dan has been popular amongst the youngsters with his coaching on Friday evenings and at local schools and he has also entertained the club on a few occasions after games with his guitar, with many onlookers giving rave reviews!

Dan heads back to Australia on 11 September to start a journalism course at uni’ and to play more cricket – this time for the Western Suburbs CC of Sydney – a club that was founded in 1895 and is the home club of Dan’s hero Michael Clarke. It’s been a great summer for Dan and for the club and GCC will be sad to see Dan depart. As Danny cash said:

“Dan has been a great addition to the club. He’s exactly what we wanted from our overseas player and I believe we got it right by getting him over. He’s a cracking lad, talented musician and a very good cricketer and should he decide to come back over next year, I for one would be more than happy for him to don the baggy burgundy again”

Our chat with Dan was coming to an end – he had work to do. First he had to re-drape the barrels of bitter for the weekend’s beer festival, with damp towels to keep them cool in the late August heat, and then he was off to umpire an u17s game. But before he left we asked him for some key coaching tips for any young cricketer who is keen to do well:

Batting. When you are starting out, don’t worry if you can’t hit the ball very far or very hard. Concentrate on your technique instead.

Bowling. If you’re a fast bowler, don’t sacrifice accuracy for speed. If you’re a spin bowler, concentrate on hitting the same spot again and again and bowl dot balls to build up pressue on the batsman.

Fielding. Enjoy it! Run around, back-up, get involved and be switched-on.

Thank you and best wishes to Dan in the future from all at Garboldisham Cricket Club.

Yesterday evening (Tuesday 23 August), with the light fading, the U15s beat Old Buckenham U15s in the South Norfolk Community League by 61 runs. Garby batted first and scored a heady 142-4 off their 16 overs (George Southgate 35, Arthur Johnson 38). In reply Old Buck’ were 82-6. This latest win for the U15s sees them go through to the SNCL Final’s Day which will be held at Garboldisham on Tuesday next week (30 August).

Don’t forget that you can catch the U15s in action against Horsford in the final of the Norfolk Alliance Andy Seeley Trophy at 10.30 on Thursday at Great Melton.

‘Coach’ Jack Stevenson photobombs the U15’s picture