Ideal opportunity to restore the spirit of cricket
FOR league cricketers, this shortened season is a more relaxed and very odd experience.
Falkland’s cricketers were at
Ickenham Cricket Club on Saturday, one of the less picturesque grounds on the circuit, just outside Uxbridge, knowing promotions and relegations are not at stake.
Usually that carrot or stick is the chief motivation, but this season everyone can chill out.
In September it will be interesting to see if the spirit in which games have been played, the tactics used and the teams selected, have been any different to usual.
Clubs might gamble, seeing it as an opportunity to blood younger talent. Captains will take decisions less fearful of failure.
Some of the silly and aggressive antics will perhaps have been shelved, at least for this summer.
It is more about playing simply for the love of the sport, rather than the reflected glory, ego and status.
After all, there is so much more going on in the world now.
Having a bit of argy-bargy with a tail ender from Cove CC on a Saturday afternoon has been put in perspective. It is not really worth the energy. That is not to say cricket does not matter. Earlier this week I was in an ECB staff meeting during which some truly terrifying numbers were being thrown about.
The cricket economy is worth an estimated £475m each year in the UK. The very impressive accountants explained they were anticipating a deficit of somewhere between £100m and £200m this year, because of the global pandemic.
This is much in line with most big businesses – they are expecting UK GDP to contract by 12 per cent this year and unemployment will reach 7.5 per cent during this third quarter. Unfortunately, cricket is in line with the rest of the UK economy as we charge headlong into the worst recession any of us can remember. Cricket is big business. It has grown into this rather brilliant monster. Those of us working in the sport want to see it keep growing, evolving and improving.
In truth, for most participants little will change. West Ilsley, Mortimer and Ufton Nervet CC players can relax. They will still get their weekly fix of cricket, regardless of the economy, much as they always have.
All things considered, that is the most important thing.
For players going through a county academy system, going on an international tour or wanting specialist development, things might be different.
For most though, they will still get everything they have always wanted from the game, regardless of the grim financial picture.
I’m playing twice next week.
As we hit mid-August, the end of the season is already in sight – and we’ve only just started.
Make the most of it and get down to play, watch or officiate, because before you know it autumn will be here and we will all be wondering whether next season can go ahead in more normal circumstances.
Let us hope it can. The national economy and the cricket economy will need normal circumstances by next season. 50 years ago August 13 1970
Manager’s plans for stand
IN addition to a training gym at Newbury Town Football Club, for which money is being raised through a “buy a brick” development fund, manager Ernie Vogel wants to extend facilities by having a new stand with seating accommodation built with dressing rooms underneath.
So far, the club has received about £130 towards the gym project, which will be built voluntarily.
Mr Vogel estimates that another £2,000 will be needed to complete the building projects.
He has sent appeal letters to some 60 former Town players, but still has many more to send out.
Donations to date include one from Jimmy Hill of ITV’s World of Sport and Sheffield United FC, who trained on the ground while on their way to Aldershot for the Watney Cup tie recently, have promised to make a contribution.
“It is going quite well,” Mr Vogel commented.
10 years ago August 12 2010
New men at the helm
A SUMMER of massive change will be put to the first test on Saturday when Hungerford Town and Thatcham Town pitch new-look management and playing staffs into Zamaretto League action.
The pair go into the comparatively unknown zones with Hungerford’s Bobby Wilkinson and Thatcham’s Colin Millard managing for the first time in the league after coming from the Hellenic League.
Both have been busy in the market. Millard brought with him a sprinkling of his former charges from Reading Town, while Wilkinson has looked to former players at Milton United and Kintbury Rangers, as well as to one or two high-profile captures – notably last week’s signing of defender Jon Boardman from Kingstonian – and even to Thatcham, from where he claimed his skipper and main striker.
Each faces a challenging first week, eased by home starts with Thatcham taking on Clevedon
Town and Hungerford entertaining Wimborne Town.
Pre-season results have been almost perfect for both clubs, who have emerged unbeaten from their warm-ups.
“We could not have gone any better in pre-season,” said Wilkinson.
“But that’s all history and now the hard work really starts.”
And it has been a similar story for Millard: “Pre-season has gone pretty much to plan, which is unusual,” he said.
“Results-wise we have gone well and the understanding among the players has steadily improved week-by-week.”
Wilkinson has succeeded Alan Clark, who steered Hungerford to promotion to the Zamaretto League. This is his first managerial role at the level, and his first with a meaningful budget.
Some of that went on prising away players from Thatcham and striker Adam Wallace, new skipper Jamie Leacock, forward Ben McCready and midfielder Dave Asker were all swept in from Waterside Park.