Brentwood CC Yearbook - 2005 Season

This is a reduced version of the Brentwood CC Yearbook produced by Malcolm Webb.
Hard copies of the yearbook are available from Malcolm for a small charge.

• 1st XI End of Season Report - Richard Whitehall
• 1st XI Averages
• 2nd XI End of Season Report - Stuart Townson
• 2nd XI Averages
• 3rd XI End of Season Report - Ken Lingwood
• 3rd XI Averages
• 4th XI End of Season Report - Neil Webb
• 4th XI Averages
• 5th XI End of Season Report - Chris Eaton
• 5th XI Averages
• 6th XI End of Season Report - Ken Hobbs
• 6th XI Averages
• Victorians End of Season Report - Shane Surujbally
• Victorians Averages
• Colts Report - David Barbone
• Under-11's End of Season Report - Phil Crook
• Under-15's and Under-16's End of Season Report - David Barbone

1st XI End of Season Report

I realised in April of 2005 that this season was to be very different from my previous two as captain. In '03 and '04 we had been very much cast in the role of underdog. Our success was well received and we were generally considered to have over-achieved. In 2005 we entered the season as favourites for promotion and expected to progress in the League Cup. Whilst this was a measure of the recent success of the club it also brought very different pressures.

2005 saw many new faces enter the squad. Most obviously Hrishikesh Kanitkar an Indian International and Damian Brandy from Leicestershire. With the on-going development of colts this also meant that the names of Branson, Surtees, Childs, Morgan and Barbone would enter selection discussions.

The competitive season began very well. We eased through the first two rounds of the League Cup as we have done in both of the last two seasons. The victories over Shenfield and Basildon were achieved with strong bowling performances, most notably by Damian with 6 wickets against Shenfield. However such good bowling meant that the opportunities for our batsmen had been restricted. Where once such a shortfall would have been picked-up by Sunday cricket this is no longer the case, although I hope developments in 2006 will improve matters in this area.

The league season started against Fives & Heronians at home. Although at the time we did not realise it, it was to be a game that reflected our season as a whole. We bowled indifferently, bowling well in places but too many bad balls. We fielded satisfactorily but failed to sparkle or create pressure when we most needed it. We conceded over 250 runs. In days gone by our attitude may have been negative and looked to avoid defeat with maximum bonus points. However we chased the total superbly. Jon Walford started the chase with 70. Hrishikesh and Damian then scored at above 6 an over without seeming to break sweat. Such examples of good cricket were many and varied throughout the season. I hope that all members of the club, but in particular the younger members were able to observe and learn from seeing such professionals in action. Sadly I believe many watched the cricket but less may have learnt from it.

The second game against Chingford was notable for 2 occurrences. The first was an example of the weaknesses of the league rules when rain intervenes. More positively there was another superb innings from Hrishikesh. On this occasion he scored 155, supported by Ben Debenham with 54 in the eventually fruitless chase of 230 in only 35 overs. It was an innings noted by many, not least Benjamin Cocklin who promptly withdrew his famous "free Rajmoni for a century" offer!

We then went on the first of two successful runs which were crucial to our eventual success. We beat Ardleigh Green, Hadleigh, Shenfield, Woodford Wells and Orsett in consecutive weeks. This led to the proverbial booking of the open-top bus and ordering of magnums of champagne. The wake-up call was provided by Eddie Lawrence at Chelmsford when we were dismissed for only 113. Perhaps we weren't as good as people thought we were - or, worse, that we believed we were. We then managed to strangle a winning draw from our home game against Colchester, to leave us 2nd in the league at the halfway stage. This was a disappointment to us all and undoubtedly our confidence had been shaken. We seemed to have turned the corner when chasing 270 against Fives thanks to a fantastic 138* from Jon. This proved only to be an oasis in our desert as we then lost to promotion rivals Chingford, before a huge rainstorm saved us from defeat against Ardleigh Green.

At this stage the different pressures I referred to in the first paragraph were clear. Although we were still in a promotion slot the prospect of failure loomed large. Whereas last year 3rd place would have been acceptable this year it was most certainly not. The response of the team was superb. Efforts were redoubled; reasons for our poor form were sought and honestly found. We then embarked on the second crucial run of success. We beat Hadleigh, Shenfield and Woodford Wells before gaining 12 points away to Orsett and our promotion to the Premier League was assured. Whereas in the first-half of the season it was Kanitkar and Walford who played the match-winning innings this time it was Brandy and Walford. Successful cricket teams have a team ethos, but crucially are made up of individuals who will perform when others have not. This was the case in 2005.

Hrishikesh's performances this season will be legendary, of that I am sure. He was instrumental in our success. His long-term benefit is something of debate. I am convinced it will be seen to be hugely positive. Personally I have learnt enormously from him. Sometimes obviously in terms of bowling, batting and captaincy hints, but also less overtly from watching him train, prepare and his attitude to playing cricket. I hope others feel the same.

The emergence of Tim Barbone may also have such a long-standing influence. For colts at this club to know that if their performances and attitude are of first-team standard they will be picked in the first team must surely have a galvanising effect. Individually Tim is a superb cricketer with a temperament to match. His fielding and batting must not be forgotten. He is not the finished article by any means, but his potential is huge.

Damian also played a crucial role in our success. Off the field he was tremendously influential. He was invaluable in improving our pre-game routine and a regular contributor to post-game analysis. Whilst I am sure he would concede his personal form was inconsistent in the early part of the season, his strong finish to the season, as mentioned above, was vital to our success.

Ben Debenham, Ben Cocklin, Ian Belchamber and Joe Fryd also deserve congratulations. All made significant contributions at crucial times. The averages below cannot show such performances, but those who played in the games know. The Captain bowled alright as well!

Many players played in the batting positions 5 and 6. Unfortunately none managed to cement a permanent place. Batting in our middle-order was difficult and in some cases impossible. Nigel McKay was promoted on the back of a 150 for the 2s. 3 games later he returned to the 2s having faced only 3 balls in which he was not dismissed! A strong 1st XI needs players in the 2nd XI to be actively seeking promotion and I thank all of the squad players for their efforts over the season.

Jonathan Walford was player of the year. It was richly deserved; he joined us in 2002 and has been an integral part of our success. His batting record is well known, the figures below are superb. However many may not appreciate his abilities as a bowler and if he can be fit next year will be of huge benefit to us. As captain I rely on him for many ideas. However being my vice-captain is not easy. He may explain in detail a field position change, I may ignore his advice, he then has to sit back and watch as a catch goes to where he suggested the fielder would be. But worse is to follow as he then has to drink with me in the bar as I tell him why I was right all along and would do exactly the same again!

The non-playing members of the squad continue to provide crucial support. Chris Stuart was again 1st XI scorer. Such a title vastly under-estimates the role he plays in post match administration. Once again we were not deducted any points for late phone calls or results sheets and when you win a division with level points the relevance of such a contribution is bought sharply in to focus. Jeff Salt and Phil Howlett provided excellent help in the match manager's role. They aided the pre-match warm-up and were available for any assistance during the game. As I look forward to next season I can only see such a role expanding and becoming more important.

As a first team squad we remain indebted to many individuals in the club. I am certain that the structures put in place by Ken as Chairman have been crucial to our elevation to the Premier League. A large number of other people have taken positions of responsibility within that framework and we are reaping the benefits of their hard work. I dare not mention names as I fear missing anyone out, but myself and the squad are very grateful to all.

Whilst I believe 2001 was the low-point in terms of performance for the 1st XI and club, we must not fall in to the trap of thinking that 2005 was the high point. We may be in the Premier League in 2006, but we have a long way to go to consider ourselves a Premier League Club. In Essex Saffron Walden set the standard, nationally Teddington, High Wycombe, Barnt Green are the benchmarks. Only when we can consider that we sit easily amongst such names might we dare to sit on our laurels.

Here endeth the lesson, have an enjoyable winter, see you all next year.

Richard Whitehall

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1st XI Averages

Batting (5 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

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2nd XI End of Season Report

Sitting down writing this report in November it is still difficult to look back on the 2005 season, from a 2nd XI perspective, and not feel disappointment. Whilst this will hopefully prove to be a mere blip in the Club's continual development and we can all take heart from the success achieved by the other teams it is, nevertheless, always disappointing for those directly involved in the less successful team.

We always knew that maintaining our place in the Premier League was going to be tough as we had only managed to stay up the previous year by the narrowest of margins. The two promoted teams were Saffron Walden and Hornchurch, both very strong clubs, so the task in 2005 was likely to be harder still.

So why were we unable to repeat the feat we achieved in 2004? It is easy to look back on the last day at Chelmer Park and point the finger there. Fate seemed to conspire against us, it is true. The weather cleared up and we lost the toss, but in reality we can't complain as we were comprehensively outplayed on the day. They had to win whereas we were trying to survive and their whole demeanour and the way they approached their cricket suggested this. On the other hand our effort with the bat wasn't up to scratch and we lost at least 7 wickets through poor batting or running rather than outstanding bowling, although to be fair Chelmsford took a couple of smart catches too.

The reality is we shouldn't have been going into a last day shoot out, but unfortunately poor availability at the top of the Club killed us. Our first choice 2nd XI was a match for anybody in the league, as was demonstrated by our win at Wanstead and our comprehensive drubbing of Colchester at Castle Park, but we were unable to get this team or one of similar strength onto the pitch frequently enough.

There were times when we took the field with players who were not proven even at 3rd XI level. The bowling was the particular area for concern as we only had three bowlers who made it into double figures with their wicket hauls. On only one occasion did a bowler take 5 wickets in an innings.

Although we continue to put out six sides more often than not, this year has to my mind confirmed that we still lack strength in depth at the top of the Club, something that we must seek to address if we want to get the 2nd XI back where they belong and keep all of our top four sides in their respective Premier divisions.

This strengthening can be achieved in two ways. Firstly, recruiting from elsewhere which can solve short and medium term problems, but secondly a club has to bring through their own young players if they want to remain at the top table. It was particularly pleasing to witness Peter Morgan and Kerry Branson both establish themselves as genuine 2nd team batsmen and both have the ability to push on to the 1st XI if they have sufficient drive to do so.

This next comment isn't aimed at the two youngsters already mentioned, but I do worry about the levels of motivation amongst some of our younger members. Their ability isn't in question, they have lots of it, but their application and hunger does not seem to be there in the quantity that I remember witnessing in my peer group. Having had a number of their ilk play in the 2nd XI this year I was disappointed that none of the school boys took it on themselves to put their hands up and establish themselves as a real force in the team, they certainly had the opportunity to do so. I may well be drifting off into sepia tinted "when I was a lad" territory, but I don't see the desire amongst a lot of our youngsters to maximise their abilities and play at the highest possible level. This disappoints me as these guys are the playing future of my club.

Having got my moans out of the way, there were some decent performances throughout the year. Steve Taylor scored the most runs with 486 at 37; Peter Morgan averaged 53 with a couple of nineties thrown into the mix. Peter was gutted not to record his first century, but it is only a matter of time. Nigel McKay had his most consistent season yet with 448 runs at 45, including a blistering 155 against Ilford as a stand-in opener. That innings will make Boony think twice about turning up late in the future. Having been due to open he was particularly well placed to watch Sweaty set about some wayward bowling.

Boony himself had his most consistent season averaging 46, which could have been higher had he not spent a third of the season watching the 1st XI bat!

The enigma of the season was definitely Dave Moisan. I'm sure Dave won't mind me saying that his batting technique can never be described as classical, but he showed throughout the season, whether he played in the 2's or 3's, that he scores runs more often than not. Dave averaged 56 in the 2's from 4 innings and could offer the team so much more if he was available more often!

The bowling on the other hand was not quite as good. Sanjay Ladkat was the pick taking 28 wickets at 21. Sanjay was a strange character, both a joy and a nightmare to captain. On the one hand a fierce competitor never prepared to take a backward step; but on the other hand a showboater too easily wound up. He could always be relied upon to throw away his wicket irrespective of the team situation. His average of 28 and a single half century is in no way a fair reflection of his ability with the bat.

There is no doubt we will miss his bowling and his competitive spirit next season, but his antics just before the Wanstead game probably revealed his true character.

Dave Balroop and Paul Webb toiled away with big hearts. Dave took 17 wickets and Webby 16. Dave needs to find a job that allows him to play all Saturdays and Webby needs to persuade his Dad to give him a LBW or two, then both of their wicket hauls will increase!!!

Webby was also the top fielder with 10 catches, Steve Taylor took 8 and I took 7. Had I held the 4 or 5 I dropped, then I would have had my best season ever. I think I need to change my profile on the website now and get practising again; it wasn't good enough this year. After a slow start James Reilly had an outstanding season with the gloves and is now exerting some real pressure on Ben in the 1st XI.

Large ‘Thank You's' must go to Malcolm Webb for umpiring in the majority of our games and also to Tom Reilly who scored whenever football commitments allowed. The presence of this pair greatly enhances the enjoyment of the players, so the thanks come from the whole of the 2nd XI squad rather than just me.

Sanjay particularly asked that I thank TP for umpiring during our match at Fives and he added his congratulations on TP's complete impartiality throughout!

I deliberately wanted to keep this report short as otherwise I would have been tempted into a long drawn out analysis of why we failed to stay up, but that is now history and I want to look forward. This is my last report as 2nd XI captain, as having completed eight seasons it is time for fresh impetus, ideas and a new captain. I don't think it is any secret who is taking over, but I guess the AGM could still throw out his nomination so I shouldn't tempt fate.

Despite the fact that the 2nd XI will find itself playing in Division 1 again in 2006, I think it is significantly stronger than when I inherited the side in 1998 in the old Division 2 and the rise of the side has reflected the great progress made by the Club over the same period of time. We have made the Premier League, shown we can compete and will be hot favourites to return there in 2007. With the 1st XI planning on strengthening their squad to help take on the Premier League, and the continued progress of our youngsters, this can only help the 2nd XI put out more consistently strong teams, get back into the top division and take up permanent residence.

Good luck to my successor, whoever he may be!!!

Stuart Townson

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2nd XI Averages

Batting (5 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

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3rd XI End of Season Report

Being brutally honest, 2005 was a missed opportunity for the 3rd XI, as, for the second year running we were Premiership runners-up - behind South Woodford, a team from whom we took 38 points in the two matches between us.

Being second in such a competitive League is, I suppose, a success. But it didn't feel like it as once again I believe we had, man for man, better cricketers than our competition. As ever, our commitment, enthusiasm and desire could not be questioned; our failure to secure top spot was largely down to inexplicable lapses of concentration whilst batting. On too many occasions our middle order capitulated from a position of great strength to one of staving off defeat. Two cases in point were our back to back defeats against Upminster and Hainault and Clayhall. Both fixtures should have produced victories and were definitive points in the season.

It would, however, be wrong of me to dwell on the negative aspect of the season when there are so many good things to report. First and foremost the 3rd XI is such a great place to play cricket. The camaraderie engendered by our team spirit is infectious. Make no mistake: at any level that is worth an extra man. Never was this displayed more than in our consecutive 20-point away victories at Wanstead and South Woodford. Against Wanstead we found ourselves in the position where Wanstead required only 28 runs from 12 overs with six wickets in hand. Without ever slipping into unsporting gamesmanship, our focus and intensity forced batsmen to make errors of judgement and pushed bowlers and fielders alike to perform at the very top of their game. Wanstead had no answer and crumbled to defeat. Afterwards one of their players said to me that he had never experienced a side with such spirit and desire. Much the same occurred the following week when once again we turned a likely defeat into victory.

The architects of both victories were Peter Bainbridge and Harri Jones, who, when bowling in tandem were the League's most formidable attack. As you can see from the bowling averages, they amassed 72 wickets between them. Peter was deservedly the 3rd XI player of the season. He was at times unplayable, finding movement through the air and off the surface when others could not. It is no coincidence that he was unavailable for the back-to-back defeats mentioned earlier. I was amazed, yet very grateful, for his exclusion from the 2nd XI, an environment that I am sure he would have performed in with distinction. Outside of the 1st XI I would not have picked anyone above him.

Harri Jones was a revelation in his first season in the 3's, as he bamboozled many an opposition batsman with his off spin. In fact, the statistics don't entirely reflect the impact and value he represented to the 3rd XI. Harri has the ability and temperament required to take his cricket an long way, and under the guidance of Tony and the Club I see no reason for him not to fulfil his potential and ambitions.

Our other successes were the emergence of Alex Priddle as a keeper of quality who also showed potential in his batting. Owen Myers was the most unlucky of bowlers as he consistently had the beating of many top-order batsmen without getting them out. He opened our bowling and displayed increased pace and generated a lot of movement. He is another player who never gives up and gives his all for the cause. I'm expecting great things from him in the next couple of years.

Neil Wicks, in his all too few appearances, made us all lament his lack of Saturday availability. I can only hope he can find the right balance between work time and play time. Success in exams is surely no replacement for smashing bowlers all over the park!! His 113 against Fives and Heronians was simply the finest innings I've witnessed. Wicksy has it all and should be opening the batting in the 2nd XI if only he could guarantee his availability.

Our more mature players again made their presence felt with some good performances. Tony Jones weighed in with three half-centuries and provided real quality and experience at the top of the order. I wish him well and a speedy recovery when he has his long awaited knee operation. Knee operations seem to be a common occurrence in the 3rd XI. Barry Brooks' season was ruined by a bad knee, but he has had the op. now and is recovering well. An in-form Bazza was sorely missed. Tony Prior, in his own knee operation comeback, had a pretty good year. Just like Richard Hadlee, Tony cut his run up and pace to prolong his career (although that's where the similarity ends!)

Chris Lawless produced the goods whenever he played, and never made less than 40 in a completed innings. The highlight was his 108 against South Woodford, although the opposition might disagree, as he smashed the cover off a ball to slip halfway through his knock, and Chris and the umpire were the only people who thought he missed it! Roger Mahadeo was the highest run scorer during the season with a total of 421. He played with renewed confidence, and as that confidence grew so did the quality of his cricket. Mark Donkin chipped in with valuable runs and wickets, but I know that if he put his mind to it he could score a fifty at will at this level if the mood took him. Trevor Coote was as ever a most valued member of the team, scoring vital runs to either save a game or force a win from the lower middle order. And Ash Patel, who continues to poke fun at that youngster, Old Father Time, proved once again that he can still cut the mustard with both bat and ball. Neil Wicks may have produced the finest 3rd XI innings I've seen, but Ash contrived to produce the most amazing. Coming in at number nine against the Wells, he despatched the ball to all parts as he scored 119 from 76 balls with some mighty trademark baseball-bat swings.

This has been my final season of leading the 3rd XI, and my eight years at the helm have given me enormous pleasure. Having played at a relatively high level as a teenager, only to give up when I was 20 and then start competitive cricket again at 32 gave me great enthusiasm. To be part of a team that has gone from Division 2 to the cusp of the Premiership title leaves me with a feeling of great achievement. For all those years we have had a ‘never say die' mindset, and as our (my) confidence grew so too did our performances. Year on year the team grew stronger, and I believe the secret of the success was striking the fine balance of bringing through the best colts and integrating them into an experienced team unit. For that to work effectively, those more experienced players with a pedigree from a higher level had to feel that they were still playing at a competitive level in an environment that was both enjoyable yet still had an edge. And I had the pleasure of skippering a fantastic group of like-minded team mates. Saturday afternoon just couldn't come round quickly enough, and to say I will miss it is a massive understatement. Being captain of the 3rd XI is Brentwood CC's best job and the easiest.

I am confident that in handing the reigns over to Dean Goddard the 3rd XI's future at the top of our level is assured. He, like me, thrives on competition and the thrill of team sport. He has the ability to be the finest of captains and I fully expect him to lift the title that has eluded me sooner rather than later.

In conclusion, there are a few people that I'd like to single out for their help and support during my tenure as 3rd team captain.

• Keith Lennon, who, with his most accurate scoring, was for me an integral part of our team
• Trevor Coote, who came into my side following a very difficult season as 2nd XI captain, where availability and overall quality was at a premium to say the least. At times it must have been difficult for him, but his reading of the game and tactical know-how are without parallel. I would recommend Deano install him as vice-captain instantly. (Not that it would stop him sharing his views if he didn't!)
• Tony Prior for epitomising the 3rd XI ethos
• Barry Brooks, who, as vice-captain for the past four years has been a great help.

All were constant features during the last eight wonderful seasons. To them, and many others who I have not mentioned, - thank you.

Ken Lingwood

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3rd XI Averages

Batting (5 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

Detailed statistics for the 3rd XI.

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4th XI End of Season Report

If the 4th team's Championship in 2003 was a triumph for the Club's youth policy, regaining that crown in 2005 showed that a few older fellas still have what it takes as well.

I ended my report last year stating that I would begin the 2005 season with exactly the same ambitions as I had in 2004 but not to be surprised if we finished 3 places higher in the league than we had the previous season. In that respect, 2005 was an unbridled success. The tale of the tape shows that we won the Premier League title, finishing 6 points ahead of Ardleigh Green who themselves were worthy runners up. If truth be told, we made hard work of it, letting a 30 point lead midway through August slip to the extent that, on the last day of the season, the title came down to something of a lottery which we didn't so much win as our challengers lost. But the league is decided over five months not one, and there will be few dissenters in the 4th XI Premier League who will argue that, over the course of the season, Brentwood were the best side.

The league season began with a baptism of fire against arch-rivals Hutton. I'd had to scrape together an unusual looking 4th team (a sign of things to come as it turned out) and was uneasy when they stuck us in. Chris Dann batted superbly however, scoring 102 although when he was out, Hutton fancied their chances with us on 180-8. Rob Coote and I then put on 67 for the 9th wicket allowing me the luxury of an early declaration. Hutton's heads were down so I made the decision to keep the old ball. This paid dividends as I took my first five-for in living memory then, when their last pair threatened to hold out, hit them with the sucker punch of the new cherry in the hands of the ferocious Andrew Thorpe Apps. Three overs later, I took a sharp catch at silly mid on and we'd won. Putting all due modesty aside, this was one of those days captains dream of ... runs, wickets, a match winning catch and every decision I made paid off. What's more, this win gave us 20 points, guaranteeing us top spot in the league, a position we never relinquished.

Next up was Upminster at home. This game was memorable for two reasons ... Dave Childs' faultless century to win us the match only fractionally over-shadowing the first appearance of the summer of Barbone's sweater. For a side that finished a distant bottom of this league, Upminster's bowling attack that day was excellent, if a little vociferous. This didn't perturb Ed Allen however, as having received some barracking, he stood up to be counted taking two catches and scoring an aggressive 20-odd, impressing a few team-mates along the way.

A trip to Ardleigh Green followed and, just as he had the previous year, Damian Muncaster bowled them out almost single handedly taking 5-40. Just as well as we dropped 8 catches that day (predominantly off Barbone's bowling it must be said) meaning we had a tricky total to chase. At 71-5 we were long outsiders but, not for the past time this season, DC rescued us with a perfectly paced 78 not out as vice skipper and skipper put on an unbeaten century partnership to steer their side home. Three out of three.

A frustrating game against GPR followed. They stuck us in and, once more, DC showed that he's in a different class by notching his 2nd century of the season as his 115 saw us post 250 in 48 overs. In contrast, our visitors faced 59 overs in making 160-6. Thanks for the game!

Dave let himself down the following week as, weighed down by the burden of captaincy, he was only able to make 93 against Hornchurch instead of his usual hundred. Tony Dann also began a useful run of form as we posted 250 again but, despite excellent spells from our evergreen new ball attack of Barbone and Payne, we weren't able to pick up their final couple of wickets.

The following week we travelled to the idyllic surroundings of Corringham Rec to lock horns with Horndon who, having been promoted the previous year, were seriously struggling to come to terms with the higher standard and had lost every game so far. They inserted us on a truly awful track ... even Dave 'the run machine' Childs got a blob! We got to 186-6 at twenty past four, when bored of watching Wimpy nudge his way to a "nice little 40-odd not out" I decided (rather bullishly I grant you) that we had enough on the board and declared five overs early. I later took a lot of stick for that decision but, unlike others in the club (and indeed, in my team that day) I'm a firm believer that you have to be prepared to lose in order to win sometimes. I dangled a carrot. Unfortunately we bowled dreadfully and dropped crucial catches (Deni in particular having a day to forget) allowing their opener to carry his bat for 96 not out and win the game with an over to spare. Not a happy day for the skipper but, in identical circumstances, I would make the exact same decision.

So three games without a win although we remained at the top of the league and our next visitors were Wanstead. After having only four adults in the side the previous week and been let down by the youngsters, I opted for experience this time and welcomed Barbone, Donkin, Morgan, Dawes, Coote and Muncaster back into the fray. A superb all-round bowling and fielding display saw us dismiss them for 170. Things didn't look great for us at 21-5 though! Tony Dann's match winning 99 not out was however (with all due respect to my vice captain) the best knock of the year and it was fitting that he won the game for us with a huge six. A victory for the old guard if ever there was one.

We then made short work of South Woodford in a pretty unmemorable game. We bowled them out for 150-odd and knocked them off for 4 before the start of the last 20 overs, Dave top scoring with 48 not out. An equally forgettable trip to the Peter May Centre followed as we won even more comfortably, this time by 9 wickets after their skipper inexplicably decided to bat first on a minefield. Micky Payne, who had been quietly accumulating wickets all season, bagged four that day although 'The Curvaceous One' was the pick of the bowlers for me, making the ball talk on the unpredictable track.

So at the half way point of the season, we found ourselves 20 points clear at the top of the league and knew that no one we had played was better than us.

The second half of the season began with a trip down the road to Hutton and my second of three weddings meaning that Cootey took over the reins for the day. On a stifling hot afternoon we won the toss and they batted first although every bowler struggled to contain the Hutton batsmen as they racked up 254. Such was our team's confidence though, we never thought that was out of our reach. Tony Dann got us off to a great start with a swashbuckling 50 and Bazza Brooks also kept us in the hunt with 49. However, we still needed 124 off the last twenty with 4 wickets down and a rather lengthy looking tail. Up stepped Ian Dawes, playing an innings as good as anything seen in this league all season, given the match circumstances. Ian paced his knock perfectly, hitting regular boundaries. For the final 4 overs I received a ball-by-ball commentary from Cootey as we eventually sneaked home with an over to spare. This match highlighted the confidence and spirit in the side.

The following week we went to Coopers School, never an easy wicket on which to score runs to play Upminster who were already nailed on for relegation. We bowled them out for 163 with a young buck named Prior (another prime example of my 2005 youth policy!) making a cameo appearance and bagging five-for. We once again chased the total down comfortably with Shane, who had thus far experienced a wretched season, making a determined and timely return to form, steering us home with 74 not out.

We then got lucky against Ardleigh Green. Although we had a strong side on paper (despite the skipper's absence for another wedding), we conceded 260 in the field and were staring down the barrel when, at 60-4, the heavens opened and the match was abandoned after 18 overs of our innings. Both sides got 4 points. Had the match run its course or even lasted another 7 overs, Green would've got at least 6 more points than us which, as it turned out, would have won them the league. This was our first indication that the title was destined for the OCG again.

The first weekend in August saw us travel to Gallows for an unusually one-sided game against GPR although still witnessed another dressing down from the returning skipper. We were letting ourselves down in the field which I pointed out in no uncertain terms. After that, we improved dramatically and I took another five-for meaning we were chasing a small total. We stormed home with 9 wickets and 2 hours to spare thanks to a superb knock from Shane. How he contrived to finish on 99 not out when some simple sums would have got him to a well-deserved century however, only Shane will know!

A week later we had Hornchurch at home, a side who had impressed a lot of teams on their elevation to the top flight. They batted well in getting to 237 although, in my opinion, went on way too long as a 50 minute rain interruption meant that they were still batting at ten past five. This effectively ruled us out of the game although our young side once again never gave up. This game saw two of the most pleasing innings of the year for me. In a season when I was robbed of young blood for a number of reasons, two of our Under 16's played knocks that any league cricketer would have been proud of. The conditions were extremely difficult and the light was awful, yet Jack Anderson carried his bat for a fabulous 68 that on any other day and a dry outfield would have been a century. Ed Allen's 62 (including 7 consecutive fours off their opening bowler) was the complete opposite in terms of style but just as good in terms of effectiveness. Jack was the picture of concentration whereas Ed was flamboyant. Both of these lads have immense ability and, in different ways, both have fantastic temperaments. I rate them both extremely highly and it gave me great pleasure to see them bat so well in such trying circumstances. Incredibly, despite only having an hour and twenty overs to bat, we only finished 20 runs short of our target.

The following week we hosted Horndon, at the time the only side to have beaten us. The game will be remembered for three things. Firstly Dave 'The Hatchet' Berry wore one in the mooey which made his face swell up like John Merrick. Unperturbed by this horrendous vision, Alex Priddle raped and pillaged the bowling on his way to a mammoth 163 not out, a knock which eventually realized this young man's immense talent. We declared on 250-4 then bowled them out for 130, largely due to a spell of bowling from our shapely and talismanic first team mascot returning figures of 14-5-19-4.

The win against Horndon meant we were 20 points clear with three games to go although a superb run of form from Ardleigh Green meant we weren't home and hosed yet. Unfortunately, on the evidence of our atrocious batting display at Wanstead the following week, our batsmen believed we were. Fielding a side containing no less than 6 players who had played as high as 2nd team cricket earlier in the season, we capitulated completely, bowled out for 127. My half time team talk wasn't pretty as I memorably called our top 6 a bunch of prima donnas and accused them (justifiably in my opinion) of being "spineless ****s". No one left that dressing room in any doubt as to how let down I felt. Predictably, we lost heavily meaning our lead was now down to five points.

Into September and a trip to South Woodford on a day that ended in huge controversy but eventually won us the Championship. We stuck them in and bowled well enough although we couldn't contain their number 4 who was just coming back from a dislocated thumb having been keeping wicket and batting in the top four for Woodford's 2's all year. Even so, we still fancied our chances on a good track with short boundaries. Priddle and Jack Anderson got us off to a great start but then four quick wickets left us reeling at 100-4 in a game that we knew we had to win to stay top. Not for the first time, skipper and vice-skipper came together and gradually dragged our team back into the game, to the extent that we needed 120 off the last 20 overs. Although I've read about it, this was the first time in my life I can ever say I've felt "in the zone", but for an hour that afternoon I felt as though I could walk on water. Dave and I paced our knocks brilliantly, targeting the first two balls of every over to relieve the immense pressure. However, then disaster struck as we were out in consecutive overs, me for 63 and Dave for 58 with the job not quite finished. We then began to panic and wickets tumbled. It came down to needing 4 off the last over and, we thought, 2 off the last ball. When Damo was run out attempting the winning run, we all thought we'd finished with the scores level and I for one was totally devastated, believing that our title ambitions had been ended. But then it turned out that their scorer had added our score up wrong and that we'd actually only needed one off the last ball, meaning we had, in fact, won the game by one wicket. I have to say, had roles have been reversed, I can't say for certain that I would have been as generous as Dave Walcott, Woodford's captain, was that evening, but to his eternal credit, he shook my hand, accepted responsibility for the screw up and allowed us the win. That's one gentleman who will never have to buy his own beer at the OCG, I promise you!

The final day of the season turned out to be a major anti-climax due to the weather. It poured with rain all day meaning we didn't get started until gone 3. Walthamstow then, understandably given the fact that they could have still been relegated, batted on for 200 and maximum batting points. Thinking we would have to win to secure the title, we knew we had somewhere in the region of 20 minutes before the last hour to knock off the runs. We gave it everything we had, eventually reaching 160 off of 28 overs but it was a bridge too far. Little did we know that Ardleigh Green's game at Wanstead had resulted in them getting only one point so the title was still ours. When I first heard this rumour in the bar that night, I didn't celebrate. It felt a tad hollow and I wasn't convinced we weren't being wound up until I saw the confirmation on the league website the following morning. Don't get me wrong, I was pleased we'd regained our title but the circumstances were not as I would have chosen.

Nevertheless, a title's a title and I'm immensely proud of all of my team. In a way, I as captain derived more satisfaction from this championship title than I did the first time I won it in 2003. Two years ago, the league was almost handed to us as we usually only had to turn up to pick up 18 points. Captaincy, strategy and tactics were not required. In 2005, I had to be far more tactically astute. The oppositions were, on the whole, stronger and far fewer games were handed to us on a plate. This year, we had to reach our collective potentials far more often in order to win games whereas in 2003, just being average was often more than good enough.

Looking back, I was disappointed that I didn't have the crop of youth at my disposal that I had enjoyed in my two previous campaigns as captain. I totally understand the pressures of exams and don't have any problems with lads making themselves unavailable in order to revise. I just got the impression that cricket became less of a priority, even after exams had finished, than it had been before. Then again, this gave (some would said forced) me the opportunity to turn to the likes of Tony Dann, Rob Coote, Ian Dawes and Micky Payne, all of whom had played more 5th team than 4th team cricket beforehand. Added to my lieutenants of Childs, Barbone and Muncaster, we may not have been the freshest of 4th teams but we were still bloody good. Micky Payne topped the bowling averages with 23 wickets at 15, a superb return ... he also got some important (and often hugely entertaining!) runs as well as 8 catches - a great season for him. Special mention to Morgy too who never let me down. Looking back, I didn't bowl him nearly enough as his average of 17 from only 36 overs illustrates. Morgs could also always be relied on to hold up an end with the bat and, despite fierce competition from MJ Payne, was consistently our safest pair of hands in the field too.

Dave predictably topped the batting averages with a sensational 542 runs at an average of 77, with Tony our next highest run scorer with 349 at 32. Mention ought to be made of the skipper's stats too ... a batting average of 42 and 30 wickets at 16 apiece represented the best season of my career. We may not have progressed with our youth policy as much as we'd liked, but Dad's Army still proved that age is no barrier to success!

May I take this opportunity to thank all those that helped with the running of the club this season and congratulate Richard on securing Premier League cricket for the 1st team in 2006. This club continues to go from strength to strength and I for one am certain that it will be in the elite of the county in no time at all.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and a successful new year.

Neil Webb

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4th XI Averages

Batting (5 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

Also bowled ...

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5th XI End of Season Report

If success or failure is determined by League position, then by any definition the 5th Xl's season could only be classed as a failure. The team finished bottom of their Division.

But let's look a bit more closely at the picture. For a start, the side are playing in Division 2 of the 4th Xl League. Most of the side are colts - and indeed, this year for various circumstances, there were very few adult members of the team most weeks. Availability was poor, especially for the first third of the season when so many of the side were revising for, or in the middle of, exams. In fact nobody played in more than nine of the 14 League games.

Even then, and despite losing their first six matches, the side were only consigned to wooden spoonists on the last day of the season when, by losing to Upminster in a rain-affected match, they allowed their opponents to leapfrog them in the table. Furthermore, the team who finished joint bottom with us - Ilford - were unable to raise a side for the last five weeks of the season, thereby presenting their opponents with 20 points each time (including Upminster on the penultimate week of the season). We, of course, played Ilford in the first and eighth weeks of the season when they were strong and in second place in the table, and took only 13 points from the two games. Had they done the decent thing and resigned from the League when it became obvious that they couldn't fulfil their fixtures, the records of all games involving them would have been expunged and we would have finished halfway up the League!

If this all seems like a lengthy excuse to justify the unjustifiable, then so be it. But it is meant to show that there is more to a season than a warped League position.

For the 5th Xl, the two undoubted stars were Rhys Furlong with the bat and James Woodward with the ball. Rhys made three 50s in his seven innings - more than the rest of the side put together - and James was the only bowler to take five or more wickets in an innings, a feat which he managed twice.

As mentioned, the first six games were all lost, mainly because we didn't score enough runs. The only time in that period that we reached 200 was against Wanstead, when Rhys made the first of his half-centuries.

However, the turning point came in mid-July (after exams finished, coincidentally!), when we beat Upminster by 35 runs after making 200. We drew with Ilford after making 214-8 (Furlong 53) and having them eight down and 20 runs short, and then beat Ardleigh Green by two wickets chasing down 204.

This, unfortunately, turned out to be the peak of the season. We lost to Chingford by six wickets despite a brilliant 103* by the returning Nick Farmer (wasn't he a bowler the last time he played for us?!) in our 217-4 dec., and although we scrambled a draw against Harold Wood thanks to Gulrajani's 62, the season gently subsided over the last three weeks, the only bright spot being Rhys's third half-century against Wanstead.

Nonetheless, it was by and large an enjoyable season. The youngsters matured rapidly as the season progressed, and, a year older and stronger, many of them will be even better players in 2006. The whole idea of 5th and 6th team cricket is to blood the colts into the rigours of ‘adult' cricket so that by the time they are ready to challenge for 1st and 2nd Xl places they have had plenty of experience of bridging the gap between colts cricket and senior Essex League matches.

As ever we were grateful to the senior players who supported the side when required, and especially to those parents who provided transport and even played in several instances - Bon Battu in particular. Let's hope that next year we can be challenging for promotion rather than propping up the other sides.

Chris Eaton

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5th XI Averages

Batting (4 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

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6th XI End of Season Report

Our fourth season in the Shepherd Neame 4th XI Division 2 East saw us finish 6th in a league of nine teams.

Once again Alan Houston topped the batting, scoring 577 runs, which included one 100 and six 50s, at an average of 115. Harsh critics would say that this represented a loss of form and contributed to us failing to build on 2004 when we were runners-up in the league with Alan scoring 840 runs! But we were never going to have that good a season after we were caught out by the league programme starting earlier than usual, and we were unable to field a team on the first two Saturdays.

When we started playing we began with a resounding five wicket win at Benfleet, who were to finish as league champions. We only lost three games on the field, winning six matches in all (including a walkover against Wickford) and drawing the other four.

Once again I would like to thank the older players in the side, Andy Fryd, John Smith and Alan Houston for their help on and off the field, especially when I was away towards the end of the season.

Apart from these the squad regulars were Paul Howlett, Phil Crook and Chris Edkins, plus under 15s Dev Gulrajani, Joe Earley, Michael Crook, Michael Kearns, Tom Patient, Ollie Hembrough, Sam Rounce and Chris Stockwell, and under 13s Gautam Datta, James Stock, Toby Robertson and Will Ashby. Under 11 James Welham also made a few appearances and looked very capable playing in adult cricket.

There were some good performances and here is a brief summary of a few of them:

• Ian Dawes 3-18 and 62 against Benfleet.
• Dom Elvin 5-30 and 52 not out against Stanford-le-Hope.
• Adam Matthias 4-31 against Orsett.
• Joe Earley 4-21 against Orsett.
• Steve Manterfield 64 against Hornchurch.
• Andy Fryd was the most consistent bowler and took 5-52 against Leigh.

I hope the 6th XI will continue in 2006 and I would like to be available to enjoy another season.

Ken Hobbs

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6th XI Averages

Batting (4 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

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Victorians End of Season Report

After more than a few uneasy moments, the season eventually started at home to Willowherbs, whereupon Roger Mahadeo and Des Alford both got off to a good start, although not as good as the captain who reached a half a century in 39 balls. Thereafter Mark Donkin made a quickfire 52 as we declared on 236 for 5. Accurate bowling from Chris Jolly, Joff Fernhead, Bob O'Brien, Steve Pinkney and finally Ash Patel frustrated Willowherbs and the game ended in a draw with Willowherbs 140 - 7.

We played them again the following week (such was the eventful nature of our 'fixture list') and after I carried on from where I'd left off, it took Mick Pinkney (43) and Bob O'Brien with a magnificent 49 not out to get us to 207 for 7. In reply Willowherbs lost early wickets, mainly to Joff Fernhead who returned figures of 4-31. There was some outstanding catching by McIntyre who was in the slips and took a one handed catch on the second attempt and Rob Benton who was fielding at deep extra cover who, with the ball was going over his head, managed to scoop grab it one handed, both contenders for catch of the season. Willowherbs ended on 177 for 9 and the Vic's had won by 30 runs.

We enjoyed a run feast on the small Herongate pitch. Batting first, Des Alford and I put on an opening stand of 161. Alford was out for 45 but I then stepped up the tempo by hitting 4 sixes in an over, and reached a brilliant century (it says in my notes) in only 77 balls. Dave Balroop who was back for his first Vic's game of the season continued to push the scoring on until he was brilliantly caught on the boundary just short of his century. Balroop's 95 came off only 48 balls and the Vic's finally ended their carnage on 354-9. Herongate started positively with the opening pair striking the ball firmly and cleanly but Bob O'Brien, who was the pick of the bowlers, made the breakthrough, and eventually finished with 4 for 57. Once again there were some outstanding catches, by Patel who was fielding at square leg, and by Balroop who was fielding at cow corner. Herongate ended on 241 all out and we won by a hundred and something.

Southend Trinity gave us a bit of a caning, and we were fortunate to restrict them to ‘only' 257-3 after a second wicket partnership of 154. But if the bowlers struggled on a cold day, so did the batsmen with the notable exception of Keith McIntyre who batted brilliantly for over two hours and ended up 116*. Unfortunately nobody else could give him much support, and our innings ended on 215-6, meaning we lost by 42 runs.

Hornchurch also took a liking to our bowling, and aided by a fast outfield and, for the second week running, a spate of dropped catches, they amassed 206-5. We made a poor start, but Roger Mahadeo and I managed to graft our way into contention. When I got stumped for 54, Dave Balroop continued to force the pace and made a quick-fire 58, and with Roger in commanding form we eventually won by 5 wickets with five overs to spare. Roger finished with 82*.

Another hot day and a close game at picturesque South Weald where we came away victorious by 10 runs defending 271-6. Mahadeo made 76, Ash 48 and there were a few 30's thrown in. But the game was without doubt tilted in our balance by a brilliant run out by the skipper. (Yes - me!). It made up a bit for me getting the worst lbw decision in the history of cricket.

The runs dried up against Rontays as we won by 40 after being restricted to 147. They looked as if they would win, but Balroop put the squeeze on with four consecutive maidens, and in trying to hit Bob O'Brien's flight and guile all over the place at the other end, Rontays merely presented him with a load of easy wickets, to his delight. He finished up with 5-39 from 13 overs, and the other memorable incident was that I lost the toss for the seventh consecutive time, surely rivalling Stuart Townson for the title of "useless tosser".

At last I managed to win a toss and celebrated with 53 out of our 181-9 against Writtle, whereafter some commendably tight bowling restricted the home side to 155-4 in their 40 overs, giving us another victory, and a fifth successive win was achieved the following week at Great and Little Warley when they subsided from 120-0 after 20 overs to 156-9 after 40! Dave Moisan with 50 and Mac with 68* made light work of that as we won by 8 wickets.

The return fixture with Herongate produced even more runs than the match at their place. They racked up 315-2, with two centurians, one of whom was Luthra. (Didn't he use to bowl for us with an action based on Jocky Wilson?) Ash decided he was going to open the batting and bashed 114 and we looked on course for another victory until some careless middle-order batting let us down. Nonetheless we got to within30 of the target, thanks to a magnificent unbroken last-wicket partnership of 67 between Chris Jolly (20*) and Dave Terrell (42*). Both chaps made their career-best scores, and the partnership was a record for the Vic's 10th wicket.

Ash skippered against Navestock, and he and Mark Donkin both made 50s in our 206-5 dec. Tight bowling kept the opposition in check and they eventually finished ten runs short with four wickets in hand - a draw being a fair result on a damp day but with a game played in a friendly atmosphere with plenty of on-field banter.

The same wasn't true the following week as we got thumped in a bad-tempered match at Chelmer Park, where, by an amazing coincidence, Mick Pinkney's score of ten matched exactly the number of sandwiches our team was allowed at teatime, and we suffered another heavy defeat the week after against Raphaels.

The inter-club 40 over match against a fairly strong club XI followed. We batted first (I won the toss!) but both openers soon fell to Dave Barbone's accurate slow medium. The snarling, aggressive Kevin Bradford, his opening partner, was a little bit expensive, bowling too short and I clumped a few boundaries. His replacement Joe Surtees also struggled to match Barbone's immaculate line and length but at the other end Paul Webb's leg break bowling was causing a little discomfort to both me and Roger Mahadeo, however the Vics were well placed at 76-2 off 16 overs. In Webb's 4th over Shane (35) tried to cart him out of the ground but only succeeded in skying the ball for an easy catch at gully. When Ash Patel played a defensive shot to the 1st ball he faced there was a strong appeal for a catch behind. Patel stood his ground not knowing if he got a touch to it and with Vics umpire Chris Jolly not sure either, it was given not out. It did not matter as Patel patted the next ball back to Webb for a simple caught and bowled. Mahadeo was using his feet well to Webb (8-1-42-3) and hit him straight on several occasions but eventually got stumped for 43. In the meantime Joff Fernhead was playing himself in and went on to play his best innings for a long time as he dispatched the club net bowlers Ken Lingwood, Paul Larner to all parts of the ground. Neil Webb kept him fairly quite and he was eventually bowled by the returning Dave Barbone (8-0-35-3) for 67. With steady contributions from Bob O'Brien, Harry Jones and James Woodward, the Vics were able to reach a respectable 225-7. The club XI opened with the poached Victorian Alex Priddle and the in-form Paul Larner. The Vics were convinced that Priddle (33) edged his first ball from Harry Jones to the keeper but he stood his ground and went on to support Larner in a stand of 147 in 19 overs before he was stumped by Des off the bowling of Bob O'Brien. In the meantime, Larner was particularly savage on anything short and cut and pulled with gay abandon on his way to a century as most of the Vic's bowlers took stick and with the game as good as won he retired to allow others to bat. Ken Lingwood and Stuart Townson played with due care and attention and scored steadily before Lingwood tried to hit Patel out of the ground and got caught where cows normally eat grass. Joe Surtees also played one or two big shots until he skied one back to the bowler. It was left to Townson (40*) to see the club XI to victory in the 33rd over.

Ardleigh Green also beat us comfortably by five wickets chasing 167, giving us our fourth defeat in five games, but we returned to winning ways against Wickford (Ash skippered again – perhaps that was the reason) when Dave Balroop's magnificent 157 helped us to 275-7. 6-3 after 3 overs was probably not the start that Wickford had in mind, and although they improved from that position, tight bowling by Mick Pinkney (4-35) and Bob O'Brien (4-56) restricted them to 219 all out.

I was back for the next match and made 82 on a very wet wicket. Balroop made 48 and Trevor Coote chipped in with 31 in our 188-4. With the weather and the pitch deteriorating this should have been enough, but Theydon Bois stuck to the task very well and won with four wickets in hand.

This was followed by a tie against a strong Leigh-on-Sea. Mahadeo made 88 and Balroop 77* in our 235-5, but although Dave then took four wickets, five dropped catches (and Bob going for 58 in his eight overs) meant that the opposition matched our score on the last ball with two wickets in hand. It was a game we should have won.

The season ended with a second win over South Weald, where I made 96 and Dave 69 in our 248-6. Despite Weald's opening partnership of 93 we stuck at the task and eventually bowled them out for 183 for a comfortable victory, and a good way to celebrate Mac's 60th birthday the day before. So, after a beginning where we wondered whether we actually had any games arranged for the season, we enjoyed a pretty successful season, winning eight, losing six, drawing two and tying one. We had an encouraging lot of ‘new' Victorians during the season, frequently from the junior end of the Club, and the cricket was always enjoyable and played in the right spirit (Chelmsford apart).

Shane Surujbally

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Victorians Averages

Batting (5 completed innings)

Bowling (5 wickets)

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Colts Report

2005 was an excellent season for the main club and was also a successful one for the Colts sides.

A total of twelve Under 11's played adult 5th and 6th team cricket and James Welham who was ten made his adult club debut.

There were numerous outstanding contributions to the adult club sides by Under 15's and Under 16's.

14 year old Ed Allen made his 3rd team debut; 13 year old Harri Jones made his second team debut whilst 14 year old Tim Barbone played 9 Saturday 1st team league games taking 17 wickets at an average of 21 per wicket.

I would wish to thank Jon Coote, Ken Hobbs and Andy Fryd for their help, not just in the 2005 season with the Colts but for the many previous years of hard work that they have put into the club.

Ken Hobbs, towards the end of the cricket season, took up employment in Scotland. Hopefully he will find the weather too cold up north and will be back with us for cricket season 2006.

I was delighted to see the emergence of Phil Crook as a truly exceptional cricket teacher and tower of strength within the Colts section. He thoroughly deserved the Club's 2005 President's Award for his contribution to Colts cricket and also his Under 11 triumphs with that particular team.

David Barbone

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Under-11's End of Season Report

After a series of battling and spirited performances, Brentwood Cricket Club Under 11's were crowned the 2005 Central Essex District Cricket Board Under 11 League winners. This title was fully deserved and the team won congratulations from many opposition team managers as the boys repeatedly showed that the way to play colts cricket is to be attacking, enthusiastic and sporting.

Before the season started, as the new Team Manager I had predicted that a successful season could be in the offing, principally due to the strength of the side (25 players were used in the six league games). This bold prediction was also based on a relatively successful winter campaign in the Essex Junior Indoor League Under 11 section, where we reached the Quarter-finals before losing to a supremely talented Wanstead side – who we knew we wouldn't be playing in the outdoor season. Furthermore, I believed that such a pleasant, enthusiastic and intelligent side deserved silverware for those very qualities.

The season could not have started better, as we won all of our first six competitive games, four of which were in the league. Hopes of a cup run were looking good after a first round win against Old Brentwoods and a hard-fought second round defeat of Hutton, but an incredible Bentley performance knocked us out at the semi-final stage. All present at the match on a rain-soaked Sunday morning went home knowing that by far the better side had won. The season could have capitulated before the league season had even started, but the character of the side showed as we opened with victories over Billericay, the same Bentley side, Shenfield and a two-run victory over Hutton. It was during these four matches in particular that 10-year old Edward Hornby excelled himself, as well as James Welham, Owen Mathias, Ravi Rupal and countless others.

The season did not finish in glorious fashion against Chelmsford and Cloghams, the latter of which beat us in the last over after a thrilling match at their magnificent home. However, the boys had done enough to secure the club's first Under 11 league success for over a decade. At the club's awards night James Welham, captain, was applauded for his team's success along with Ian Chisholm, wicket keeper, who won the team's Player of the Year award.

I was proud of the team's performance throughout the year, and I cannot praise the lads enough. Their success was well-deserved and the enjoyment of it will last me through the winter! I should also like to endorse Colts Chairman Dave Barbone's remarks in paying tribute to the parents for their excellent support through the season.

A lot of the success we enjoyed this year is down to the tireless work of my predecessor, Ken Hobbs, and it is a tribute to his past endeavours that the legacy he left blossomed into fruition this year. His was a hard act to follow, but there is no reason now why, if we can maintain the enthusiasm of the lads and the support of their parents, we shouldn't enjoy similar success for years to come. Roll on next season!

Phil Crook

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Under-15's and Under-16's End of Season Report

These were and are two sides that have enormous potential but during 2005 sometimes failed to deliver what they are capable of.

The Under 15 Eleven won more games than they lost whilst the Under 16's finished third in their match play group and narrowly failed to qualify for the final stages.

There is a tremendous pool of talent in this age group and to give them a brief end of season report in alphabetical order I would say:

Ed Allen - scored several 50's - destructive batsman and a natural leader. Great season and selection on Essex Under 14 XI tour.

Jack Anderson - never gave his wicket away. Will go far in adult cricket.

Tim Barbone - 'Rocky' by nickname - 'Rocky' in his running between the wickets when batting. An excellent season making his debut for Brentwood Cricket Club 1st team and Essex Under 16 XI at the ripe old age of 14 years.

Jamie Battu - always very dependable and accurate – usually very unlucky with his wicket count.

Chris Boon - when he believed in himself few were his equal, showed what he could do with the ball in the 4th Eleven premier match against Hutton.

James Boon - scored 150 runs in Under 15 cricket at an average of 30. Was a hostile opening bowler and at times a very brave skilful top order batsman.

Chris Edkins - displayed superb availability throughout the year; a very good wicket-keeper and an under-rated batsman.

Dominic Elvin - left arm spinner - Essex trialist - one to definitely watch during 2006.

Dayan Gulrajani - a brilliant 100 against South Woodford and an excellent Under 16 match play captain. Fabulous leg-spin bowler when it came out right. It will in 2006.

Dev Gulrajani - always gave everything for the Under 15's and Under 16's; always attended training sessions; always improving and always cheeking Keith Goodman.

Oli Hemborough - a promising all-rounder - when he hits the ball it goes for miles.

Harri Jones - Essex Under 14 Eleven player - watch this off-spinner in the next few years. He will go a long way.

Michael Kearns - made rapid progress during 2005 - deserved his opening bowler successes and is always keen to learn. Matthew Lowman - like Michael Kearns a footballer who has turned to cricket for a second sport in recent times. Watch him continue to improve at a staggering rate during 2006.

Tom Patient - like Mike and Matthew, he is determined to improve. Worked hard in training sessions and will continue to improve during 2006.

Ross Phillips - only played in the latter stages of the season but displayed real promise with the bat.

Sam Rounce - yet another gifted Colts off-spinner who can turn the ball miles.

Chris Stockwell - again watch this technically correct all-rounder move up yet another gear during 2006.

Joe Surtees - a vital Under 16 all rounder; made class runs and took important wickets throughout the year.

Jack Turner - superb batting and bowling for the Under 15's and Under 16's. Always did the required job for his side. Watch him excel in adult cricket. A good pick for your Fantasy Team in 2006.

Neil Wicks - a tremendous natural talent and one of the most naturally gifted players at the club. Availability limited by academic demands.

James Woodward - never had a chance to really shine at Colts level due to all the other spinners available in the Under 15's and Under 16's squad. He took two 7 wicket hauls in adult cricket, the highest Colt in the Recorder Newspaper Man of the Season final tables. His game will continue to improve next year.

Under 16 player of the year was Ed Allen whilst Under 15 player of the year was Matthew Lowman.

Thanks are due to many parents who helped out with Under 15's and Under 16's transportation and other cricketing tasks. Special thanks go to Mr and Mrs Stockwell; Mr and Mrs Lowman; Tony Jones; Martin Turner and Clive Allen.

The Future

I believe we have the potential to be one of the strongest Colts cricket sides in Essex and that we are capable of winning the 2006 or 2007 Under 16 Match Play Essex Competition.

Stuart Townson has kindly agreed to manage the Under 16 match play side and I feel sure that he will instil in the boys a little more toughness and ruthlessness that was sometimes lacking during 2005.

We are extremely fortunate to have coaching expertise available to the Colts Section of real quality:

1. Keith Goodman - one of the very best coaches of his generation who is now rightly being recognised again at County and South of England level for his ability to turn ordinary players into good players and very good players into excellent cricketers.
2. Phil Reece - Brentwood School Master in charge of cricket (with Brian Hardie). He has over 30 years experience teaching and coaching cricket. He has a knack of producing winning sides year after year. Welcome to Brentwood Cricket Club.
3. Phil Crook - who is the most naturally gifted 18 year old cricket teacher that I have ever seen.

It has been decided that for Season 2006 all Colts cricket coaching sessions will take place on a Friday evening throughout the summer. A Colts Cricket Social Committee is being formed to run the Friday evening social events calendar including barbeques. The bar will be open and everybody will be encouraged to make Friday night not only Colts night but also a cricket club night.

It is also likely that individual one-to-one coaching programmes will again be available next year. It is also planned that we will expand on the tremendous success of the 2005 Whitsun coaching clinic. This was superbly organised and managed by Malcolm Webb who dreamed up the concept and put it into operation in an extremely short space of time.

On behalf of the Colts section management, I would ask all Colts during 2006 to have the desire to improve and work at their game and that they aspire to play cricket at the highest level that they could possibly reach. This will involve hard work and practice but, above everything else, they should enjoy playing cricket.

To all the parents of our Colts, can we ask you to consider putting yourself forward to help us run the Colts Section. Many hands make light work!

Roll on next cricket season!!

David Barbone

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