Croft rise to all the cup challenges

It’s been an up and down few weeks at Avoncroft as the season edges towards the halfway stage.

The First XI sit in sixth place in Worcestershire Division Three with four wins and two defeats from their six games played; continuing to rue the loss of the first four games due to the weather which left them with an uphill battle to climb the table.

The Second XI have had more luck with the weather, but no more consistency on the pitch with a record of four wins and three defeats from their seven completed games, while the Third XI have found the going tough after promotion last year –one win from six games leaves them perilously above the drop zone.

Croft have found more success in the cup competitions, with the First XI winning three games to reach the semi-final stage of the Worcestershire KO Trophy. Just one more victory would see Avoncroft into the final with a chance of picking up their third piece of cup silverware in the last five years. The Second XI also had a good cup run, reaching the quarter-final of the Carter Cup before falling to local rivals Himbleton.

Cup success has rubbed off on Croft’s junior sides with the under 13s also reaching the semi-final stage of their county cup, whilst the under 14s find themselves at the quarter-final stage.

The softball sides have also found success, with the under eights and under nines winning recent festivals whilst the under nines and under 11s girls’ sides have also more than held their own in their first year playing competitive games. All in all, a positive start for Croft’s junior section.

Alongside the cricket, the club’s social calendar clicks into gear over the summer months with the highlight being the annual beer festival, taking place on the weekend of July 7th to 9th. If you’re at a loss for something to pass the time, why not pop down, watch a bit of cricket, and sample the variety of beers on offer.

by Paul Athey

New season at Sporting not far away