Sprotbrough Cricket Club

Orchids Care Ltd

Welcome to the latest edition of Sprotbrough Cricket Club’s Arrow column, bringing you all the news and goings-on of a club at the heart of the community. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but it’s finally here! The new season is upon us very soon, and we can’t wait for the ride ahead! Be sure to follow our Facebook (Sprotbrough Cricket Club) and Twitter (@CcSprotbrough) pages for regular updates regarding upcoming matches, outdoor training sessions, important dates for the season and general news around the club!

Firstly, we would like to say a huge welcome back to our overseas player for the upcoming season; Baz Ward! Barbados is famous for producing iconic cricketing talent such as Garry Sobers, Gordon Greenidge and Carlos Brathwaite, and Baz is yet another Barbadian talent to ‘remember the name’ of! We’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming him back for his second season in the tropical paradise of Sprotbrough – who needs Bridgetown when you’ve got the Ivanhoe? – where he’ll be playing for our First XI again all summer. He’s couldn’t resist another season in Sprotbrough as ‘the club made me feel at home’ and that he’s ‘looking forward to playing and having another good season’. Go well Baz!

It all starts again for Baz and our teams in just a few weeks! Our opening league fixtures are taking place on Saturday 15th April for our First, Second and Third XIs. Our First XI travel to Town Fields to face Doncaster Town, our Second XI take on Caribbean (Sheffield) Sports at the Ivanhoe whilst our Third XI host Stocksbridge at Hooton Pagnell CC. Meanwhile, the first fixture for our Sunday XI takes place on the 16th April, when they host Brodsworth at the Ivanhoe. Good luck to everyone representing Sprotbrough in all age groups this season – we’re all behind you! Thank you very much to everyone who has signed up to play in 2023 so far, and who enjoyed our winter net sessions. After another successful winter, we’re looking forward to the beginning of outdoor training sessions. We are hoping to recommence the week commencing the 27th March, but this is still to be fully confirmed. Don’t worry if you missed winter nets; we’re always looking for new players and pride ourselves on being an inclusive club! More information on outdoor training will be available in due course on our social media pages.

Don’t forget that off the pitch, we have some very exciting days for all the family fast approaching. Our annual six-a-side tournament is taking place on the 28th May, in memory of our dear friend Alastair Graves. It’s a day which never fails to provide great fun for all the family and is open to entry for everyone – regardless of whether you play regularly or not! We also have our annual summer barbecue on the 8th July, another event which never fails to bring this wonderful community together. More details for these events will be announced very soon, so keep an eye out on this column as well as our social media pages!

We’re also always on the lookout for new participants in our 100 Club, a fun way to win money every week. Participants pick a number between 1 and 100 (although we are hope to expand beyond 100), which is assigned to a duck for a weekly virtual race. Whichever number duck wins the race, its owner can win a prize ranging from £100 to £150 (depending on the amount of people entered). More information is available from John Marsh or Lindsay Graves, contactable via the phone number 0745503777. Entry costs £2 a week and is paid via a standing order. Finally, there’s still a chance to become a sponsor of our wonderful club. These can provide a large outreach for your company at a reasonable cost, with the money being vital for the upkeep of a grassroots sports club in a fabulous community. Our Gold Sponsorship Package provides matchday exposure through a large advertising banner which is hung around the Ivanhoe during the game. This is available at a cost of £650 for the first year and £500 for each year thereafter. Please note the initial extra cost covers the cost of producing the banner itself. For more information, please see our social media pages or contact Robbie Graves on 07944389039.

Thank you as always for reading! Look out for the next edition of this column in May 2023!

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