Before writing this review, I re-read the last one I had written, when I was captain in 2011. That year, we had a basically consistent squad containing half-a-dozen adult players that were all experienced, long-standing members of the club who had played at a good standard and continued to produce match-winning performances and six or seven teen-aged colts who had showed great potential and memorably contributed outstanding innings or bowling spells. Between 10 different batsmen, we accumulated 1 century and 15 fifties and the team aggregated 2560 runs, three of the bowlers took 51 wickets between them and significantly we also fulfilled 19 League fixtures that season. What a difference in 2014. In all we completed just 8 matches. Five were in Division 12 East of the Herts League (with another abandoned after 2 overs), then we played three further “friendly” matches to round-off the season. There was only one fifty, Reece Fitzgerald’s masterly 81 in our victory over Wheathampstead on a damp pitch at Kimpton, and one century, Kieran Willoughby’s well-earned 100 not out versus Hitchin in a high-scoring draw. It was Kieran’s maiden ton and it followed his first-ever fifty, (for the Third XI), only one month previously. Apart from these two young players, Peter Baker, (94), and Lloyd Bowman, (78), had the next highest aggregates and no one else surpassed 45, although Freddy Stuart scored 42 not out in his only innings. Joe Graves claimed 9 wickets in the three League matches he played, 3 in each, with a best of 3 for 14. Owen Hughes pipped him with 10 wickets in the 5 games he played, although Joe averaged 5.3 runs per wicket and Owen, 9.1. Unsurprisingly with young players restricted [...]