Your A Season to Be Proud Of: More Than Just Results

A Season to Be Proud Of: More Than Just Results

Last week, our Under-13 match against Norton Oakes showed exactly what junior cricket is all about.

Our U13s narrowly missed out, losing in the final over of a great game. This probably means we’ll finish second in the league, but it doesn’t take away from what has been a fantastic season. Every player gave their all until the last ball, and both teams showed the best values of cricket.

We’d like to give a special thank you to James Eyre, Chris Colegate, Dan Loghlin, Dave Thorpe, and our amazing parent team for all their help this season.

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Across the club, the season has been much the same. We’ve had highs, tough days, close games, and memorable wins, just what cricket brings every week.

Our 1st XI has had a good run till now, winning 9 out of 15 matches for a 60% win rate, which is well above our usual average. The team’s success came from steady performances and players stepping up when it counted. Last week, two players from our second team moved up to the 1st team, and they were thrilled with the standard of cricket at that level.

The 2nd XI had mixed results, but their main role is developing players and giving them chances to grow. This reminds us that success isn’t just about league tables and it’s also about building pathways and shaping the club’s future. We are still in a good place to finish top 4 in a competitive league.

We’ve seen some fantastic individual performances this season. Daniel Loughlin led the way with 346 runs, including three half-centuries. William Sammons scored 282 runs at an average of 31.33, with a top score of 83. Ronald Richards-Caines added 288 runs and also hit three fifties. Rahimullah Hussin Khil was explosive, scoring 249 runs at a strike rate of 117.55 and helping with the ball too. Tajawol Arman stood out as an all-rounder, making 219 runs at an average of 31.29 and a strike rate of 129.22.

On the bowling side, Blake Stocks had a fantastic season, leading with 38 wickets at an average of 13.95 and a best of 5 for 11. Aamir Ashfaque took 25 wickets with a great economy rate of 2.66. Tajawol Arman picked up 23 wickets, including a five-wicket haul. Jhangir Ahmed was one of the league’s top wicket-takers with 22 wickets at an average of just 11.23. Rahimullah Hussin Khil rounded off his all-round season with 15 wickets, including a brilliant 5 for 14.

But maybe the biggest success is what’s happening beyond our senior teams.

Our junior section keeps growing, and our Wildcats are inspiring more girls to join in. Nights like last week at Oakes show why local club cricket is so special. Young players compete hard, respect each other, shake hands after the game, and make memories that last much longer than any league result.

A season is never straightforward. There are wins, losses, celebrations, and disappointments. Each one helps shape our players, teams, and club. Let’s hope we finish the season on a high note.