The Long Wait

Winter, for cricketers, is a curious season. By the end of the Summer, thoughts of turning out for another game in the increasingly bitter September winds are tough to overcome.  The dark months of December and January are punctuated by news of another capitulation of the England middle order, causing a lurking suspicion in every Club cricketer in the land that they might soon be getting a call-up to help out. And then, Spring – and the search once more for cricket whites and pads – reaching into the garden shed and hoping that the mice have not made those pads unusable.  And so it is with the cricketers of Walsham.

The off-season has been a busy one on the administration side.  With the cohort of youngsters coming through, the Club decided that the time was right to add another side to the Saturday Leagues.  Luke Ridding will lead the Second XI as they start their competition in Division 9.  New players have joined the Club too which bolsters the Sunday XI.  Adam Howe now takes on the captaincy, leaving Oli Jackson to lead the T20 side.  A set of friendly fixtures will offer games for those looking for a more ‘social’ activity on Sundays.

All sides will benefit from the work on the ground and equipment.  The old roller has finally retired and Chairman Rick Meyer deployed his negotiating acumen to acquire a mower for the outfield – which promises hope for the scoring of runs along the ground.  There will be a new scorebox to offer comfort and shade for those keeping check on those runs and wickets as they accumulate.  Technology will be deployed in the coming months to allow for streaming of home matches on You Tube – more details on that in the next month.

The youth section has also benefitted from some time to organise – and a full set of fixtures are in place now for U7, U9, U11, U13 and U15.  All Stars and Dynamos cricket programmes are up and running on Friday nights with over 60 kids.  New playing kit has been sponsored by Lovell’s for all the junior sections – and the equipment cupboard is now full thanks to grants from the local authority.

So, with the weather improving, the evenings drawing out and the warmth of the Spring sun high in the sky – the Club is in a great position for a new season of cricket.  We look forward to a new season and new friends and some success on the field – though we may have to accept that the England call up is still a long way off…