It’s been a quiet couple of months on the “View From the Chair” front. Hurrah, I hear the cries!! But fresh from my recent wounding criticism (and near suspension!!) by the rampant disciplinary hierarchy of a cricketing judiciary, I have risen “Phoenix like” from the ashes!
Since when did writing a hard hitting, website published, match report – with some frank assessments of some poor, and some might say “inconsistent” Umpiring (I did!) – constitute “Social Media Abuse”? Still we won’t go there – not this week!
The last month has seen some great highs, and a significant low, in the fortunes of our Club. The significant low came in our dropping out of the Village Cup at the last 8 stage. You will not find a person East of Aylesbury who will not agree and firmly believe that Reed would have scorched into the NVC Semi-Finals had that “Act of God” not poured a deluge of thundery rain on our ground when we needed 165 to win with 10 wickets in hand and 239 balls of the match to go!! The events of the following week were disappointing but on THAT day we were in truth 2nd best in several departments.
The highs have been many and varied. Our Midweek XI once again secured local “bragging rights” by winning the Keatley Cup. Our 1st Xl have survived the experience of the unpleasant and unsatisfactory match at Hertford to record further good wins that see them guaranteed to finish as Runners Up in the SHCL Championship League and into a Premier League Play Off Match for possible promotion into the very top League of Hertfordshire Cricket. A great achievement for the team/squad. Really well done – regardless of the result of the Play Off Match – seemingly likely to be against Sawbridgeworth CC.
Meanwhile our 2nd XI, after last years promotion, find themselves this morning 14 Points clear at the Top of SHCL Division 6 with 2 matches to go, and guaranteed a further promotion already achieved. Our 3rd XI have recovered well in recent weeks to consolidate their position in mid table in SHCL Division 8 and seem likely to make the “Upper Mid Table Split” in the forthcoming League reorganisation – Division 14 instead of Division 15 next year. Last but not least, our 4th Xl, their existence at one stage seriously threatened by poor early season availability, have come bouncing back to end their season in 6th place in their League with huge thanks due to Peter Baker who has virtually single handed kept the team alive and kicking. Well done Peter! The momentum of his efforts even saw some Saturday 4th Xl friendlies made possible after the formal League fixtures had concluded.
The one cloud on the horizon in recent weeks has been the large volume of injuries that have occurred compromising and threatening some of those imminent successes above. Kallum Ward’s long standing rib injury has limited his bowling contributions for some months now, Karl Ward injured his knee at a key time in the season, the rampant Jack Tidey has suffered a serious ankle injury that threatens his participation in the 1st XI Premier League Play Off, Sean Tidey has had a knee injury that has seen him hand over the gloves on occasions, James Heslam is currently out with a finger injury, Mitchell Cooper has been missing from bowling action with a “Football induced” rib injury, and Toby Fynn has strained a hamstring that has put him out for over 2 weeks. What a list – and probably there are more!
An injury list like that puts pressures on any Club, especially when their top 2 elevens are BOTH striving for honours. The politics and selection pressures mount, and some personal attitudes and levels of “Club commitment” are put to the test. It is very difficult for the Selection Committee Members to keep everyone happy and to get it “right”! It has been great in recent weeks/months to see people like 2nd Xl Captain Marcus Martin, and veteran Peter Tidey, amongst others, forsake their personal ambitions for the odd week and commit to helping the 1st Xl achieve what must be our Clubs primary SHCL goal, that of achieving Premier League status.
Saturday 23rd August 2014 must however go down as a day when the Selection Committee and the Club did get it right. Faced with horrendous 1st Xl absenteeism from injuries and holidays, and wanting to try and ensure the 2nd XI won their match to get back to the top of their table, some brave and interesting decisions were taken. By and large, the commitment of Club Members involved was exemplary and the result was 3 x League Matches Played – 3 x League Matches won!!
The 1st Xl comprised it’s uninjured remaining regulars, plus a group of players who had played most of their season in the 3rd XI. The 2nd XI was kept as intact and strong as possible to boost their chances, whilst the 3rd XI comprised a valiant mixture composed of many 4th XI Players and some occasional players. During the preceding week many players undertook extra training and practice to try and boost their chances in their elevated roles.
Michael Robertson for instance has played this season for ALL FOUR Club League XI’s – on Saturday he opened the bowling for our 1st XI! He performed perfectly respectfully and the experience will have done him a lot of good (He also scored an important 25 runs!). Youngsters Reece Fitzgerald and Jack Caine also featured in the 1st XI and made valuable contributions to the teams “double for the season” away win against John Emburey’s Totteridge Millhillians, and in front of Saracens Main Sponsor/Underwriter, multi millionaire Nigel Wray. Michael will no doubt “dine out” on bowling John Emburey for many years to come!
Hopefully selection will be made easier in the last few weeks of the season. But when the going got tough … the tough got going!!
Well done everyone!!
JQH
(This Weekly column is written by John Heslam Club Chairman of Reed Cricket Club. The views expressed in the article are his own and do not necessarily comprise those of the Clubs General Committee)
