Facilities Update

Last year, the writer attempted to try and update our facilities reporting. In the past, clubs had been fined for not reporting and no real thought was given by many captains to the marks they gave, which limited the effectiveness of the scheme. The other thing was the reporting in every division, which meant around 140 games a week, every week - a logistical nightmare for a volunteer co-ordinator. With the sheer workload it was purely a marks exercise, with no time to follow through with the queries that arose. So, instead of a monetary fine, the writer decided to try and make things a little more meaningful, including marking only down as far as Division 6B, which covers most club grounds. A points fine was introduced if marks weren’t in by a Wednesday night at 10pm. The workload has become manageable. Reporting by clubs is now far more consistent in coming in and even with time constraints, better and more accurate results are produced I’ve had more time to scrutinise marks that weren’t great and give warnings or advice and hopefully heeded.

The website worked its magic and with most reports done on time and fairly. There were still marks where a team low down in the pyramid expected test match facilities; or teams chasing 260, lose by 150 and mark the pitch as poor, which is unfair. In the main, these weren’t the norm. At the captains meeting, when the new ideas were floated, captains and clubs were advised if facilities were poor, they could contact the writer and quote chapter and verse. There were a handful of reports sent through, although one occasion where it did happen, some three weeks from the end of the summer, the team were given a plan of action and it was taken on board and cricket was safely fulfilled for the rest of that campaign.

There was an instance where a game was abandoned last year due to the pitch. The club concerned were kept advised of what actions had to be taken. A pitch inspection by the League’s expert was carried out within a week and sadly, it saw the pitch and surrounds condemned until a good bill of health was given. In its down time, the club came together, folk worked hard and after an inspection in October it was given a clean bill of health.

We are incredibly lucky that facilities are as good as they are. Groundsmen/Curators work tirelessly to provide surfaces that often see cricket played on their grounds nigh on every night of the week, if clubs have vibrant junior sections.

These people should be treasured rather crticised by batters or bowlers for a slow pitch, after they’ve bowled a pile of filth on it or smashed a long hop straight to mid-wicket. Most do it for the love or for buttons and only now are clubs starting to find out the real cost of ground work, with many retiring or move away from their toils.

The ECB should also have a long hard look at themselves as well. They expect clubs at the top of the pyramid to provide rock hard surfaces, with top marks only being awarded if team A gets 330 for 2 and team B finishes 290 for 3!

Ask any club cricketer and they wouldn’t get out of bed for that bore fest.

Look at the world cup final at Lord’s in 2019. It was played on a low slow pitch and created one of the best games of cricket ever. Had that have been a league game, a club would probably have been reported for it.

The ECB also have to support grass roots cricket more. Premier League clubs are getting 50% less than they were getting 19 years ago while, at the same time, executive pay-offs are getting bigger. With the ECB wanting more and more from clubs and leagues, they should be held accountable and pay up and look big, rather than throw crumbs for those who in the main are volunteers and do amazing things for their clubs and communities.

Anyhow, roll on the warm weather and hope your clubs make folk welcome and cricket is the winner on and off the field.

Mark Shepherd

Obituaries

Rickmansworth mourn stalwarts

Rickmansworth lost three stalwarts of the club during 2022. Firstly, Rory Cusack (pictured) was just 31 when he passed away before the start of the season, much before his time. He played 118 times for the club and scored almost 1,000 runs, often keeping wicket. His brother Callum played in a few games in memory of him during the remainder of the season. In May the club then lost club legend Marc ‘Curly’ Robinson to Cancer at the age of 46. The 3rd highest club wicket-taker with 490 wickets and also the little matter of 4,003 runs, Curly (front tow, left, in team photo) was well known to all the local clubs and was a focal point for any visitors as he also ran the bar. No doubt with plenty of years still in him, he would have gone on to set new bowling records. Just three months later, Marc’s uncle, Keith Robinson, also passed away. Known affectionately as ‘The Colonel’, Keith (umpire on back row, in team photo) played over 400 games for Rickmansworth from the 1970s to the 2000s and then joined the umpires panel giving back to the game he loved. It was Keith who had first brought his young nephew, Marc, to the club 30 years ago. A very sad season for the club.

Bob Akers

Robert (Bob) Akers, Chairman of Holtwhites

Trinibis, passed away, peacefully, in December 2022 aged 82.

Bob was an extremely capable, knowledgeable, kind, and generous man, who was such great fun to be with. Through his multiple endeavours, Bob had a positive impact on so many people’s lives. This was evidenced through the very large attendance at the funeral, and also the volume of condolences sent to his family and his partner Christine. A talented sportsman and musician from a young age, Bob played cricket for Cheshunt Grammar School and was also coached at the Alf Gover Cricket School.

His cricket club journey took him from Gothic CC, to the merger with GNAA (Great Northern Athletic Association) in the 1960s. This became BRSA Enfield (British Rail Sports Association) in the 1970s, was renamed Holtwhites CC in the mid 1990s, and became Holtwhites Trinibis CC (HTCC) through the merger a few years after that. Alongside this, Bob also helped arrange midweek matches and played for Cheshunt Thursday CC.

On the cricket field Bob was a complete allrounder, capable of winning games with both bat and ball, and snaffling most of what came his way at 2nd slip. Calculating his worth to the team was never just about his numbers, although he did score over 11,000 runs and took over 400 wickets. He had the bottle to face the fastest of bowlers with the best of defensive techniques, taught in the traditional way by Jack Robertson, the Middlesex and England opening bat. Off the field Bob has been the 1st team umpire and scorer, a junior team manager, coach, junior section administrator and chairman. As cricket chairman for multiple decades, Bob was pivotal during the transition from BRSA to HTCC, and also the redevelopment of the cricket facilities in the early 2000s. In parallel, Bob was Secretary of the Holtwhites Sports and Social Club right up until his passing. Over the last 20 years Bob did a magnificent job as HTCC Junior Section Administrator. Bob created a platform upon which hundreds of boys and girls have been introduced to the game of cricket and the club’s junior teams now play in all age groups of the Middlesex Juniors league.

Bob was very much a member of that special group of people who build things that persist, a legacy for others to enjoy. For the many of us that knew him, we were all so fortunate to have done so. Bob will be much missed, and we shall always have the wonderful memories of our time with him.

Kevin Burgess, Head Coach, HTCC

Peter Ellis

The minute’s silence that was held in Peter Ellis’ memory before all of St Margaretsbury’s four games on Saturday June 18, 2022, reflected a profound respect. People who knew him were aware of what he gave to the club in more than 50 years association. It was also right and proper that the teams were joined by Lilian, to whom he was married for more than 62 years, as well as his son Richard, and grandson Jack. Peter was born in Lewisham, Kent in September 1932. And after the war attended Marylebone Grammar School but it would be fair to say that sport sparked his attention more than the classroom. Wanting to get involved in cricket after showing promise as a fast bowler at school, Peter wrote to Lord’s and got a trial. He was taken on in the Lord’s ground staff where he spent several years in and around his National Service with the RAF. He also played for Middlesex 2nd X1 as well making one appearance for the MCC against Cambridge University in 1953. His club cricket started in the Scottish leagues, then he returned south to work at Haileybury

College where he made his mark as a squash, rackets and cricket professional, for 32 years. Wisden Cricketer Almanacks from the mid-1960s to mid-1990s testify to his position as the cricket professional. In and around his school coaching, he would run a sports shop as well as stringing rackets for sports shops or for people directly as well as coaching at Hoddesdon Squash Club. Peter joined St Margaretsbury in the late 1960s and will be remembered by older members for his playing ability and was fondly known as the ‘Pro’. A highlight was being a member of the 1985 side that won division one of the Herts League and he was good enough to appear for the first team after turning 60. He captained the Sundays 1sts in the mid-1980s before later skippering the Sunday 2nds. After stopping playing after 2006, Peter continued to take an interest in local cricket and was also well known at Hertford CC and Hoddesdon. His son Richard played for the club prior to and after his spell in professional cricket while his grandson Jack is now a club regular after playing for the club in his teenage years.

David Rimmer

Dave Humphreys

Letchworth have been mourning the passing of Dave Humphreys after a battle against illness. Dave was a titan of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire cricket, joining Letchworth towards the end of his career in 2011 and scoring 1580 runs in his 95 innings. An eccentric player, his only Letchworth ton came in a run chase at the conclusion of which he ran straight off the pitch and into his car to drive to an ACDC concert. That was Dave to a tee, a man who lived life to the full but who always remained committed the sport he so dearly loved. RIP, Humph.