Clubbie Cup up and running
Rugby
Canterbury Rugby Club are back in training with a new head coach.
Matt Corker has taken over in the role and replaces Andy Pratt, who left the club in May.
Pratt was made redundant because of the Coronavirus crisis which left the club struggling to stay afloat but the decision to make a change to the coaching department had already been made before his departure.
The new structure in place at Canterbury is one of the former head coach’s ideas, says chairman Giles Hilton. Mr Hilton said: “This structure we have in place was actually the structure that Andy Pratt suggested before we had to unfortunately make him redundant.
“Andy was going to concentrate more on the community role which we were not doing as much as we should have. The dreaded Covid-19 led to us as a sport club making a couple of redundancies, as many businesses are doing at this time.
“Matt brings a huge degree of depth to the job, a lot of experience, having played first class rugby and he absolutely gets our culture. “Like Andy he is a local boy, born and bread, so we keep that Kentish local feel.” Corker, originally from Broadstairs, has been playing for the club over the past few seasons. He’s previously played for London Wasps and Richmond.
Former Deal & Betteshanger and Blackheath player Danny Herriott, who spent several years in the academy at Northampton Saints, is one of those assisting the new head coach.
Competitive cricket returned to East Kent on Saturday.
Eleven clubs will compete in a three-division tournament, named the East Kent NHS Heroes League.
There are four teams in Division 1 and they will play each other twice on the same day in T20 games.
Sandwich Town lead the way after week one after winning both of their matches against Canterbury.
Canterbury were bowled out for 92 with Town’s Ben Smith claiming a couple of top-order wickets. Alex Smith (33) top scored in reply as Sandwich knocked the runs off in 11 overs. Sandwich had won the earlier match at The Butts by eight wickets after chasing down 1256.
Five teams from the Kent Cricket League will battle it out for the Clubbie Cup this summer.
Dartford, Gravesend, The Mote, Leeds & Broomfield and Tenterden will compete for the trophy over the next 10 weeks and the first of the matches got under way on Saturday.
The Mote claimed a onewicket victory over Leeds & Broomfield.
It will give the teams a chance to play competitive cricket following the decision of the Kent League to cancel the 2020 season.
Dartford, The Mote and Tenterden should have been playing in Division 2 of the Kent League this season while Leeds & Broomfield and Gravesend are Division 3 sides.
Captain of Leeds and Broomfield, Max Aitkin said: “This is a great opportunity to make something of the current season and play competitive cricket against some top sides. “We are really looking forward to the challenge.”
Teams will all play each other in a 40-over per side series of matches both home and away. Complying with ECB and government regulations on staying safe whilst playing is paramount and the clubs’ 2nds will be in action in reverse fixtures.
The competition is being sponsored by Clubbie.com who actively support the promotion of all amateur sports across the country.