We're nearing the halfway point of the season and July promises to be a bumper month for social and playing events - with three big weekends coming up starting this weekend - Colts Day this Sunday, President's Day next Sunday, and the penultimate round of the CPL the week after.
Opening the Batting
First up, Sunday sees our 2022 Colts Day take centre stage…..and what a day it is!
8 teams as is tradition captained by some of our U15s will take charge of mixed age groups to battle it out for the Jim Denyer Colts Day Cup. We’re off to the jungle with the team names revealed last week and you can find out your Colt's pack/tribe/swarm here.
Here’s some more details:
- Arrive at the club at 9.00 sharp for a prompt 9.30 start.
- Colts to wear training t-shirt and bring along a bat, no other equipment is needed as we’ll be playing with Incrediballs.
- Prepare for the weather (hat, sun cream etc… think positive!)
- Please walk to the club if you can, but if you have to drive, volunteers will be on hand to direct you where to park.
- A parent/guardian MUST STAY ON SITE for the duration of the day.
- There will be a lunchtime break around 12.30ish so pack your “cric-nic” and bring rubbish bags to take rubbish home with you. Bar and Burger van will be open.
- Teams will compete in a round-robin competition based on 2 groups of 4 teams, winners will progress to semi-finals and then the BIG ONE!
- Matches are played using an incrediball with players batting/bowling against their own age group and ability.
At the end of the day, we have an award ceremony where 3 members of each team are presented with best batter, best bowler and best fielder for the day - and of course the champions will be given the Jim Denyer Colts Day Trophy.
It really is the BEST DAY of the cricket calendar and it all revolves around the colts having loads of fun!!
Any questions please ask your coaches.
Speaking of Colts, one of our own has been awarded a Chertsey Young Champion award, Mr MJ Reisch, for his volunteering at the Bluecaps session every week. He’s into his third year now, and is very popular with the Bluecaps tribe, so give him a pat on the back when he is presented with his award at the Black Cherry Fair on Saturday. Fist bump to MJ!
Notable Mentions
We needed a weekend to redeem ourselves after the whitewash the weekend before, and those tagging along in support had four absolute run-fests in store. A 378 run chase for England, pah - we scored 839 runs in a day!
The 3s were over at Ashford, and as we may have mentioned before once or twice is one of our least favourite places to visit, a biblical place, mainly because it’s a pancake-flat cricket ground masquerading as a desert, and you can always see weather conditions to put the fear of God into a Captain in the sky, which is peppered with the odd supersonic boom of nearby Heathrow as a soundtrack - sometimes that's its most redeeming feature.
Creating a storm over on pitch #2 were the 3s, who had five Colts in their midst, and a Vishnu Remesh ably assisted by Jack Lloyd wishing to bash it all over the place, 60 scored, and once he'd departed Boasty had a good old go adding 51 to proceedings. That's not forgetting Mark Lemon, getting his first proper senior runs with 27. a staggering 235-8 stuck on the board.
Ashford rolled out the familiar face of Chris Evans to open, and we don't usually big up an oppo player, but this gent deserves some ra-spect. He hung around, and the second wicket partnership put on 125, Messr Evans extinguishing every fireball thrown his way, and as James Pearson came on to have a go we thought "he'll be the one to get him out" and lo, the cricketing Gods hear us, and Mr Evans was the victim of a Pearson c&b and it was all downhill from there for Ashford. It was of his four scalps of the day (9 in total for the weekend as he kept telling us), the last one a spectacular bowledy to conclude things. Ashford tried some mind games, but they were up against the class of Ammad (the man, the myth the legend) and epic catches from Lemon, and the win came with three balls to go.
The 4s were over at the eton mess that is the Rec, who was feeling bouncy. Normandy's openers got the measure of it but both fell at the hands of Charlie Eagles, but it was spinner Adam Thaliwal's impressive and fearless debut that stood out from the innings. In reply the 4s had 226 to chase down, and the ever-talented, returning, Liam Fisher took 66 off the total, and our new mate Moz 24, Master Thaliwal popping up again with 12, but alas, it wasn't to be. Much to be impressed with though going into the weekend.
The 2s (we aren’t being paid to say by Arthur) are becoming one of our favourite teams, balanced, confident, watchable. I'll tell you who was watchable Saturday and that was Ade Clayton at #3, now adopting a more attacking persona, and its certainly paying off, 53 scored this week, the floodgates are now open we feel. Paul Hardwick did Paul Hardwick things and came away with 83, a century is on the boil we feel. Out of the lower order Arthur Walmsley and Hugh Aish-Lyons posted another 47 between them, and Captain Cade declared on 252, 250 and 9 down the golden numbers for bonus points.
Oppo Cranleigh in reply were afforded 46 overs to amass the total, but as is the way with timed, getting the total is not always how to win, points mean prizes, and with the threat of rain in the air, Cranleigh were savvy and although not reaching the total, accept the most bonus points. Timed cricket.
Saturday saw the 1s came, saw, got Sandersteaded, as we finally got on the telly, which saves us a bit of a job trying to visualise it for you as they did it for us (MUST SEE THRILLER!!! Amazing 1st XI Surrey Championship Cricket Highlights - Sanderstead vs Chertsey). Essentially the 1s put on the kind of scorecard we come to expect so would have given the 'stead viewing public a treat, a Jake Taylor quick-fire 41, Karthik doing Karthik things with 37, Eric neeeeeeearly getting a fifty, a perfect 1s innings. 205 the target.
The opening partnership piled on the runs, but six quick wickets via the spin trio of Patel R, Osner, and Cooper (and Westcott) meant Sanderstead were 89 shy of the target. Hanging on for dear life though was #7, who scored a quick-fire 40, which left the tail four runs to tidy up and the win was secured. Scorebook note though, we had our eye on Ravi Patel, promoted to the 1s, was on a bit of a run, after two fivers in as many weekends, and banked three in this match. Keep that mind for a mo.
The Sunday XI were back in action against Christchurch (New Zealand? No. Dorset? No.) of Croydon. Chertsey started alright, but it was Captain Hugh Aish-Lyons who biffed himself a 82-ball 109*, Adam Thaliwal back to make his second debut of the weekend and concluding it with a bang putting on 25, but it was the man with arguably the loveliest hair in the club, Shyam Patel who entertained the crowd with 71 coming from 36, 10 fours and a six. More big runs, Chertsey setting 274 for the win. Christchurch lost an opener very early on but as the top order battled Josh Hawksley had other ideas and banked 3-13, and as wickets were shared around the team, Christchurch went out with a whimper, Chertsey winning by 103 runs.
Sunday also saw the U15s back in T1 action, away to Walton and reduced to 99 all out - four bowldeys through the innings, and another three for Captain Pearson to add to the weekend's log. In reply Chertsey had firepower, the opening partnership of Marsh and Pearson put on 73 of them, and it was left to Ethan Austin and Arthur Walmsley to see them home.
The Ladies were over at Godalming Sunday in the league and bowling first, it was a Bailey bonanza with Amy bagging 2-22 and sister Bethany coming up trumps with 3-19 and a run out, Bonnie popping one in for good measure, Godalming 7 down. 170 the target, and despite the Ladies’ best efforts, Shannen Miah taking 38 off, the target wasn’t achieved.
So to the Bluecaps Champagne Moment of the Week. We toyed with awarding it to Adam Thaliwal, what a debut weekend, three wickets and 37 senior runs, Hugh Aish-Lyons, who aniliated Christchurch with his 109*, but this week we're going to plump for TWO bowlers who have had a mega couple of two weeks; one established, and one coming up through the ranks, apt for Colts Day you may agree. They have a staggering 25 wickets between them in just three games, Ravi Patel with 13, two successive 5fers in there, and the ever-impressing James Pearson making his mark with 9. Top cherry lobbing gents, let’s see what the weekend brings.
Saturday 2nd July
1st XI 204-9 v Sanderstead 205-9 (A)
Eric Osner 43, Ravi Patel 3-35. Luke Westcott 3-36
2nd XI 252-9 dec v Cranleigh 245-7 (H)
Paul Hardwick 83, Ade Clayton 53, Josh Fyfe 2-23, Ishaan Pal 2-27, Hugh Aish-Lyons 2-42
3rd XI 235-8 v Ashford208 a/o (A)
Vishnu Remesh 60, Phil Boast 51, James Pearson 4-19
4th XI 148 a/o v Normandy 225-6 (Hrec)
Liam Fisher 66, Adam Thaliwal 3-47
Sunday 3rd July
U15s 102-1 v Walton on Thames 99 a/o
Ed Marsh 42* (ret), Ed Marsh 3-14, James Pearson 3-23
U14s 101-6 v Frensham 102-3
Jack Reisch 25, Josh Hawksley, Adam Thaliwal, & Maff Barnes 1-16
U11s 58 a/o v East Molesey 71 a/o
Oscar Toogood 26, Max Toogood 2-5
Smash It - Girls U9s 34-0 (net score 234) v Pirbright 36-1 (net score 231)
Smash It - Girls U9s 42-1 (net score 237) v Cranleigh 31-2 (net score 31-2)
Smash It - Girls U9s 40-3 (net score 225) v Normandy 69-3 (net score 254)
League - Ladies 81 a/o v Godalming 169-7 (A)
Shannen Miah 38, Beth Bailey 3-19
Sunday XI 273-4 v Christchurch 170 a/o (H)
Hugh Aish-Lyons 109*, Josh Hawksley 3-13
Monday 4th July
U15s 125-9 v Crown Taverners 127-7
Arthur Walmsley 25*, Josh Fyfe 2-7, Will Morris 2-18
Girls U13/14 73-5 v Horsley & Send 76-4
Edith Schofield 23, Lottie Sewell 3-36
Tuesday 5th July
U12 dev 135-16 (255 net score) v Staines & Laleham 136-6 (net score 306)
Riley Morris 25, Jasper Henton 3-21
Fixture Card
This weekend marks the point of the season, so its all change and time to complete our road trips, the Colts and Girls with a smattering of fixtures centred around Colts Day on Sunday, and it’s away days to Woking & Horsell and the maze that is Imber Court for the 4s. Wear your high vis so we can spot you…
Thursday 7th July
Social League - Salesians v Academy (H)
Social League - Bab's Army v Pirates (Hrec)
Social League - Football Club v Marist (Hott)
U13s v Byfleet
Friday 8th July
U12s v Staines & Laleham
Saturday 9th July
1st XI v Woking & Horsell (A) 12pm
Brewery Road, Horsell, GU21 4NA
2nd XI v Sanderstead (H) 12pm
3rd XI v Epsom (Hrec) 1pm
4th XI v Esher (A) 1pm
Met Police Sports Ground, Ember Lane, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8EG
Sunday 10th July
9.30am Colts Day
Monday 11th July
Girls U13/U14 v Valley End
Wednesday 13th July
U15s v East Molesey
U13s v Walton on Thames
Dates for Your Diary
17th July - President's Day
24th July - CPL100 Round 3
28th August - CPL100 Finals Day
17th September - Colts Dinner
2nd October - Cowpat Day
We're off to invest in some earplugs and a pith helmet to enter the jungle with, Sunday here we come!
