Dear Members and Friends,
Hope this mail finds you all well. Formal training on Monday and Friday nights has now finished.
We would like to say a special thank you to all our Sponsors over the last season 2016. Your support is not something we take
lightly and is very much appreciated by everyone connected with the club. Thank you!
Glyn Davis – Under 9C Manager, Oscar Davis – Coach
The Mighty Under 9C Team played 11 league fixtures, won 6, lost 4 and tied 1.
We came a credible 3rd in the U9B League having been top of the table for the latter part of the season, overtaken by our
cousins in the U9B Team and Locks Heath who topped the league at the end of July.
We took 12 players to a 6-A-Side Under 9 Tournament hosted by Locks Heath and came within a whisker of the final. Played two
friendly matches against the U9Bs and an inter club U9 Tournament for all our Under 9 players from the A, B and C Teams was
played on Sunday 4th September.
Our squad of 25 was drawn from a mix of year 2, 3 and 4 players from 7 different Portsmouth schools. We were delighted to
incorporate a number of girls this year who came into our team just when we needed extra help due to holiday commitments.
New this year were our Super Subs / XIIth Men who were picked to boost our numbers for home games and rotated during our
fielding innings in an effort to increase player participation. In some cases our Super Subs played for our opposition when they
were short of players - everyone got a game in those matches - Great Spirit Of Cricket.
The progression in everyone's ability, game play and technique has been awesome and a delight to watch as the weeks have
gone by. Support for The Team from parents has been outstanding, with volunteers for match teas, scorers and umpires all
forthcoming.
Highlights were of course numerous; too many to mention here. All match reports are available on the PCC website & replicated
on Twitter and Facebook so log on now and take a look, relive the dream and soak up the glory and memories of a wonderful
season. It's true to say that we have all had a ball this year and I for one can't wait to be organising the first fixtures for next year
- We March On.
Rick Marston - Under 9A/B Manager/Coach
Under 9A team had an excellent season winning 7 out of 10 played. Had a fairly settled team who will all move up to hard ball
next season.
Freddie and Arthur Marshman played some good cricket but should never be paired together when batting!
The great West Indian side of the 1950s had the 3 Ws of Worrel, Weakes and Walcott, we had the 3 Archies.
Archie Vaughan was our death bowl star - that is when we weren't saved by the death star (team joke).
Archie Simmons bounced around and batted and bowled with great energy.
Archie Lockyer was a steady and consistent influence - but sadly has moved away.
Jake Bennett had a super season and his fielding and bowling developed well.
Alfie Cole would be hopeless as a frying pan, every ball that came near him stuck, most memorably he held 5 catches at Havant.
Finally Dan Wilson was a regular and his left arm bowling was difficult for all our opponents.
Under 9B team
Not quite as regular a team as the A’s but a steady core. Results were good (8 wins out of 10) and they finished joint top of the
league with Locks Heath - losing out only as a result of being beaten once in the league by them.
The girls formed the base of the team most weeks - Emily Collett, Bethan Watkinson, Florrie Bundy, Amelia Bayley and Larissa
Vaughan-Carpenter. They were very focussed and committed in every game and each of them developed tremendously in
batting, bowling and especially fielding. They were often underestimated by the opposition and they took delight in winning
almost every week.
Nikhil Sen developed well as a bowler and ran well between the wickets when batting. Joseph McKay bubbled with energy in
every game and his running between the wickets was effective but verging on kamikaze. Finally, star all-rounder was Lewis
Ndahiro - he left many batters nursing bruises and also managed to hit a huge six into the car park at Sarisbury - just wait until
he starts hitting hard balls!
Dave Henderson U11a Manager
The Under 11A team had a successful season, winning the league unbeaten. Highlights included Charlie Collins' 147 batting
average, Max Povey's six hitting and Josh Long saving the day with a stand of 80 for the last wicket against Sarisbury.
Paddy Walters- Under 11 B Manager
The Under 11B Team had an incredibly successful season this year. Obviously, the main role of a B team at this age group is
developmental. 25 different children played for the team this year, many playing hard ball cricket for the first time and some
playing competitive cricket for the very first time and they all acquitted themselves well. The fact that we won the League at the
same time was a massive achievement and we only lost one match all season, despite the changing team!
The only team we lost to were our nemesis Hambledon, but we clinched the League title by beating them in the reverse fixture!
Only Isaac Allgood was ever-present in all 9 matches, but my other regulars, Noah Renton, Danny Jones, Conrad Button, Adam
Edwards, Elliot Hartridge, Alex Higson, Tom Lockyer and Gwenaelle Walters, provided the backbone around which the team was
built. Thank you to all the children and their parents who were hugely supportive, even of my heavily rotating policy!
Neil Palmer U13 Manager
The 2016 season proved to be very rewarding.
With 20 boys and girls representing Portsmouth CC U13As
Finishing runners up in the league, having played 11 games, winning 10 with one loss to the eventual league winners
Grayshott! We amassed 1219 runs and took 76 wickets.
There were excellent individual performances but most pleasing for me was the amount of positive comments made by
opposition coaches/managers complementing the spirit and attitude of our squad. Well done!
Peter Howells U13B Manager
2016 proved to be a very successful season for the U13B squad, winning 8 games out of 8 to eventually win the league by 13pts
ahead of Locksheath.The total points total was 176.
We managed to rotate to squad the games with each player contributing with runs and wickets.
The team scored 955 runs over the 8 matches, taking 42 wickets and bowling 15 maiden overs.
A brilliant effort from the whole squad and a huge thanks to all coaches for their superb work with the players along with our
match scorers and "tea ladies".
Under 15 - Coming Soon!
Andy Chapman – 3rd Team Captain
The 3rds had a successful season, winning 9 out of 12 matches played and claiming one of the three automatic promotion spots
to RDSE1, the second promotion in two consecutive years.
There were good batting performances with Ethan Randell and James White scoring hundreds and Dom Wood, Mark Howarth,
Matt Chapman Ryan Savage and James Raven all scoring at least one fifty.
Fahad Ahmed was by far the most successful bowler taking over 30 wickets supported by Rick Marston, Andy Chapman, Liam
Saville and others.
Nicky Wyatt – 2nd Team Captain
This season for the 2s was a lot like a typical Mitch innings – it promised plenty, but ultimately produced very little. And it’s
Mitch who’ll receive our first award of the evening – The Sean Figgins/James Vince Recognition Award – for having an ability to
churn out elegant 20s and flirty 30s, combined with the inability to score anything more substantial than that.
There was a touch of a ‘Groundhog Season’ to our summer, because for the 2 nd season running:
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We lost to Cadnam in the first league game.
Hambledon maintained their bogey team status, and we’ve now added Parley to that list.
We lost a tight game that we should’ve won!
And we travelled all the way to deepest, darkest Dorset, to take an almighty humping – getting skittled out for 80-odd.And
just like last season, it ended in disappointment, as we once again finished just outside of the promotion places.
But the season wasn’t entirely negative.
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Simon Jones’ elevation to opening the batting garnered 450runs. This is despite his Taoist (pronounced Dow-ist)
tendencies in setting out the boundary rope – the yin being big boundaries to assist his floaty gear/leg spin, with the
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yang of more running between the wickets. And with the latter in mind, Si’s slow-motion running helps him pick up this
summer’s Baywatch Award.
In between Saturday’s watching Fraser bat for the 1s from the non-striker’s end, Matt Shaw turned out for the 2s,
muscling three 90s, and an excellent ton at Calmore – the acknowledgement for which has earned him the David Pleat
Award for bad Celebrations.
The continued development of Dan Wallis led to a couple of late-season call-ups to the 1s. So reliant on his middleorder runs had we become, our batting disintegrated on the 2 weekends he disappeared on holiday – was it in the
South of France Dan? Excellent, congratulations on claiming the Sir Philip Green Award.
The emergence of Dom Wood as an irresistible force, and an object of Matt Shaw’s affection. From the one-handed
screamer against Parley, to his 50 against Bashley, Dom was a consistent performer for us this season. The Will Grigg
Award is heading your way son.
On the bowling side, we saw improvements from whipper-nappers Joe Kooner-Evans and Ethan Randall, and oldgripper-nappers Timmy Joy and Si Jones. Line-dancing buddies Raz Havell and Varun also performed well with the ball –
with Raz finishing the leading wicket-taker. However, Varun often resembled a hologram when it came to fielding, so he
takes the Arnold J Rimmer Fielding Award.
Collette, Neil, if you guys plan on putting a calendar in Jordan’s Christmas stocking this year, please remove every
month except August, as that seems to be the only time of year that he scores any runs. That colossal 50 on the last day
of the season would’ve given him something to chat to Morgs about.
The Mary Berry Award goes to Collette Palmer-Goddard. As once again, at every home game, we were treated to the
best teas in the South of England – even Dan Wallis’ ropey diet is catered for – combined with endless innuendo.
Collette’s teas have enabled us all to grow as cricketers. The direction of which being outward. You could argue that
Jordan’s now twice the cricketer he was this time last year.
I guess the frustrating thing with the losses that have cost us promotion this year hasn’t been down to any one thing. The
batting let us down at Ferndown, we bowled poorly against Hambledon, we couldn’t catch a cold at Cadnam, and a combination
of all cost us against Parley. So it isn’t as if we had one glaring weakness.
On a personal note, it has been an injury-plagued season. I went in the hammy against Gosport, went in the calf against
Hambledon, and had a hurty fingernail in the last coupla games. The problem seems to stem from my back, which is unusual
because most of my problems come from my gob. In any case, I’ll be taking home the Daniel Sturridge Sick note Award.
The last couple of seasons have proved disappointing in missing out on promotion. We certainly have had the players to take a
run-up at it, but we’ve occasionally struggled with availability, especially if the 1s lose a few players, but that’s the challenge that
most 2nd teams have to contend with.
We’d ideally like to get up a league or two, to get closer to the 1s in terms of standard. But we also may have to look at
identifying the future 1st teamers within the club, and set them challenges, challenges that present these guys with problems
that they have to work out for themselves, as that’s what’ll happen when they make the jump to the 1s.
Our function is to help prepare players for 1 st team cricket, and to provide a place for 1st team players to regain lost form –
except in the case of Will Smitherman.
Overall, it’s been another enjoyable season. We play among an excellent bunch of blokes, watched and critiqued by an excellent
bunch of supporters – and that includes Statler and Waldorf, otherwise known as Fred and Johnny Wyatt, at an excellent
location. Not every club has an atmosphere like we have here, so we ought to consider ourselves pretty fortunate.
Rich Locke – Captain Portsmouth CC 1st XI - 2016 Season
The 2016 season brought a new challenge for the Portsmouth 1st team after a success-laden 2015 season that yielded a SEPCL
Division 2 title the previous season. The new season saw a change of skipper, with Rich Locke replacing Dave Henderson, who
after a hugely successfully and stabilising stint as captain chose a season of semi-retirement from the 1st team, only to make the
odd appearance and show us all how to truly run between the wickets…
The step up in standards was always going to prove a test for what is a very young but talented side, however we got off to a
great start, comfortably beating relegation-fodder Totton & Eling with our part-POM overseas Fraser Hay showing a glimpse of
what was to come with a brutal 88 on his league debut. We showed our ability for what was to prove a trademark top order
batting collapse in the game against Rowledge in a tight game where we were staring down the barrel, Rowledge needing 4 runs
to wins with 2 wickets in hand and 4 overs to knock them off. Our saviour was “King of the Cutters”, Indi Nandra who took the
ball from me, with the words “don`t worry lads, I`ve got this!” 2 wickets in 2 balls sparked jubilant scenes amid a 2 run win.
The start to the season was better than any I could have wished with us going 5 from 5 and sitting proudly at the top of the table
come mid-June. Great team spirit and never say-die attitude showed the other Div 1 teams that we were more than a match and
gave us belief that as a team we are more than capable of succeeding at this level.
The bubble would inevitably burst at some point and we came crashing down to earth against a strong Sarisbury side that
showed us the levels we need to maintain at this level. A stop-start middle of the season ensued throughout the end of June and
throughout July. The good old English weather put paid to games against OT`s & Romsey and Hook just when we needed to
bounce back. The reverse Totton & Eling match was abandoned after Jim Christian`s car lost a battle with a lorry om the M271
sliproad and the team was down 4 players, 2 of which at the time Ishi and Raj we weren`t totally sure how badly injured they
were. Luckily all parties were relatively unscathed aside from whiplash. I was hugely proud of the response of the team, after all
that is what we are, and it didn`t feel right taking to the field without 4 of our mates. That was a day for cricket to take a
backseat!
An indifferent second half of the season can be summed up with a note to be pinned up in the changing room next year;
“Must bat all 50 overs!!!”
…with the top order asking too much of the bowling unit to defend low totals. Improvements needed here next season!
There were standout performances throughout the season with Indi Nandra proving a superstar with both bat and ball in the
early season before his return to Birmingham. Fraser second half of the season saw a rich vein of form once he worked out the
“English decks” and “slow let-arm dobbers” to play some of the more outrageous knocks with his 150-odd vs Bournemouth and
brutal dismantling of OT`s with a 70-ball 109 not out being the highlights. Vikram proved his miserly self throughout the season,
showing his class with a typical 5-26 vs OT`s. Andy Marston took advantage of the spinning conditions to bowl a quite unplayable
spell vs Hook at St Helens finishing with 5-18 in a losing cause.
All in all after a step up in division, a season to proud of, with a tinge of disappointment that we “left a bit out on the park”.
There is nothing in this division that has given cause for concern, we have held our own and at times utterly dominated sides.
With a young team, full of talent and natural ability we need to couple that with a little more know-how and experience next
season and there is no reason for next season not to be hugely successful.
Special Thanks:
Thanks to parents who have collected match fees, arranged match teas, scored and umpired. Without your help we couldn't run
the teams...
We would also like to acknowledge the valuable contribution throughout the year of our coaches who contribute not only skills
based advice and support but also help foster the strong team spirit we have in the club.
Again – A big Thanks to all our Sponsors.
Up and Coming Events:
South-East Hampshire (Fareham) Indoor Cricket League
http://sehicl.org.uk/fixtures
Winter Training dates: https://portsmouth.secure-club.com/pages/page_31772/Winter-Training-Programme.aspx
Thank you for your continued support as always!
Portsmouth Cricket Club
Please support our sponsors as they support us, links can be found on our website