1st XI 2010

2010 has been an excellent year for Sarisbury cricket club as a whole. Congratulations must go to all the teams, players and individuals who have made this another brilliant year.

From the 1st team’s perspective, I feel we have underperformed this summer. My aim at the outset was to finish higher than we did last season. We ended up finishing 8th, one position below last year. With the squad we had this summer I think that is a little disappointing. That said, there is no doubt in my mind, or the minds of some of the better sides that we beat this year, that this team is capable of finishing at the top of this league in the next couple of years. If we hadn’t lost a couple of key games early season, we could easily have finished in the top 5 or higher. I feel our work ethic this summer has taken big steps in the right direction, helped massively by a serious overseas player, and every body’s willingness to work hard at training and before matches.

The 1st team is now a very young side, with many players having come through the colts set up. This says a great deal about the quality and sustainability of this club as a whole, there is no reason to doubt that in a few years time there will be even more players playing league cricket that have come through the colts system, and this is a great place for the club to be in. From the 1st team perspective it can be difficult to find the right balance of youth, experience and ability. I feel we did quite well combining all three for most of the summer, with the help of the selection committee. Next year it has got to be up to us younger players to put into practice the experience we have been building up over the past few years, and all begin to achieve our potential as individuals and as a team.

This year has provided plenty for a lot of players to be proud of. Chris Mottola in his first season for the club has scored 551 runs topping the batting. Matt Journeaux scored 459 runs, now leading all time runs scorer for the 1st team. Sean O’Toole, in his first ever full season, has taken 22 wickets and been a key player for us all year. Phil Jewell has again had to bowl at all the most difficult times, without a lot of luck, and still taken 20 wickets. Andy ‘Otis’ Reading has taken 12 catches and 7 stumpings, joint leading wicketkeeper in the league. Darren ‘the sloth’ Rolfe took 19 wickets and scored 359 runs in only 11 games, an excellent performance from an overseas player.

Darren was a massive boost to the whole club this summer. Hopefully Darren will have silenced any naysayers, there can be no doubt that this club can be much stronger with a talented and willing overseas player. My thanks must go to Olly for helping arrange the whole thing. Let’s hope the relationship he created with Cape Town cricket club will last, and provide us with many more talented cricketers, and fun people to be around after a few beers.

So a slightly disappointing end result from a very promising season. Or another very positive consolidation year. I look forward to leading Sarisbury 1st XI again next year, and I have very high hopes for our great club in the near future.

Finally massive thanks must go to every one who has helped me this year. All the players who have been a joy to play alongside all summer. Colin Day, who has captained the team three times when I haven’t been available. My mum, who scored and helped in various other ways. And finally to Bob, who puts so much time in to preparing such excellent pitches for the 1st and 2nd teams, and for being a great help at selection.

Thank you all

Pete