The start of the new cricket season may still be over a month away but Petersfield Cricket Club has already picked up some silverware, winning ‘Club of the Year 2011’ in the East Hampshire Sports Awards, held last month at The Petersfield School.
The award was the fitting culmination of a very successful 12 months for the club, on and off the field. The first and second XIs both gained promotion at the end of last season (the latter for the second year in a row), a second Sunday side and mid-week XI were started, and a newly-formed senior indoor team won promotion at the first time of asking.
Chairman Nick Blakstad was thrilled to receive the Club of the Year award. “This tremendous honour is due to the time, enthusiasm and dedication of our committee, coaches, managers, helpful parents and all our young – and not so young – players, who conduct themselves so well on and off the field and are such fine ambassadors for the club.”
Some 62 adult players represented the club during the 2011 season, including a growing number of players making a return to cricket after a number of years away from the game.
Club captain Chris Wood is delighted with the progress made by the club on the playing front. "It has been many years since the club have enjoyed so much success in a season, made even better because so many younger players made major contributions. It was a great reward for all the huge amount of work put in by the players, coaches, committee and parents who have transformed the club in the last few years."
[SH] Thriving colts section
The club’s colts section continues to thrive, with over 160 young players, both boys and girls, registered with the club.
Last season saw two new teams formed at Under-9 and Under-11 level, eight colts players selected for South-East Hampshire district squads and one for Hampshire, and a new Under-13 girls side started. A total of 28 girls now play for the club with the Club now running 9 colts teams in total.
The Under-17s reached the semi-finals of the County Club Championship, while the Under-15s, who were nominated in the Junior Team of the Year category at the Sports Awards, fought hard to finish in third place in a tough district A league.
The Under-16 indoor side remains in contention for the South-East Hampshire Indoor Cricket League title, played over the winter, with two games still to play.
Other 2011 highlights included the girls squad playing a demonstration game on the Saturday of the first ever test match at the Rose Bowl and the club organising successful Under-11 boys and girls festivals at its home ground on the Heath.
Over 30 ECB-qualified volunteer coaches are helping to unearth the next generation of Kevin Pietersens and Graeme Swanns, six of them in the 16-20 age group.
Colts manager Mark Friend says the youth set-up at the club is going from strength to strength, as demonstrated by the number of talented youngsters who now play for the club’s senior sides – and the new season promises to be even better.
"We have had record numbers of colts attending the 2012 winter nets, supported by the highly qualified and enthusiastic coaches, who are able to provide focused training for individual boys and girls," he says.
"The quality of cricketing talent on display from the Under-7s all the way through to the Under-17s is very encouraging and we are expecting even more colts to breakthrough into senior cricket this season. The club are putting together individual development plans to assist this process."
[SH] Part of the community
Off the field as well, the club had a busy year. A new electronic scoreboard was installed in the pavilion, paid for by a combination of grants and fundraising by the colts. And a charity match featuring a team of local celebrities, including stars on the comedy circuit such as Rufus Hound and Mickey D, and former Scottish rugby international Derek White, raised nearly £5,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support.
On the other side of the boundary rope, Chris Wood believes it is vital that the club maintains the effort of last season so that it can get back to playing at an appropriate level for a town the size of Petersfield. "This will take the same commitment and hard work as last year," he says. "But with so many very promising youngsters coming through, the future looks very bright. And with the emphasis on encouraging youth, it should mean that a few more of us oldies will be able to step aside and enjoy watching the club progress
