Avoncroft Cricket Club 11. li Annual Report 2021 ## **Season Overview** Although Covid-19 was still with us, 2021 saw a welcome return to almost normality in the world of local cricket. Cricket teas were still off-limits, taking away one of the real mainstays of village cricket culture, but this was a small price to pay for the opportunity to get the club’s 150+ adult and junior members back playing again. On the pitch, there was little to shout about for Avoncroft’s adult sides, with the 1[st] XI narrowly avoiding relegation in their last game of the season, whilst the other Saturday and Sunday sides all had reasonable seasons resulting in mid-table finishes. The real success of the season came from the growing involvement of our junior players in adult cricket, with 13 members of our junior squads contributing for adult sides over the course of the year. Whilst none were quite ready to start pushing themselves into 1[st] XI consideration, several made their presence felt in 2[nd] XI cricket, with 3 2[nd] XI fifties from junior players a highlight of the season. The return to normality in 2021 coincided with a massive influx of junior members, all looking for an opportunity to build fitness and new skills after a year of on-off lockdowns. This was never more evident than in the explosion of interest in All Stars cricket, where 60 boys and girls aged from 5-8 were offered their first introduction into the sport. In addition, over 80 juniors in the club’s own softball and hardball sections also attended the club’s incredibly successful Friday evening training. On the pitch, Avoncroft’s Under 10s were the club’s most successful side, excelling in their first season of hardball cricket to reach the county pairs final where they finally came unstuck against Ombersley. An example of the growing impact of Croft’s junior section came in the end of season county trials, where four juniors (Harvey Shaw, Ben Athey, Henry Greaves and Ben Mumford) were successful in being selected for their county winter training squads. The growing success of the club could also be seen through the increase in our income generation, enabling the club to embark in a major programme of pavilion improvements, including a complete replacement of our electrical works. These improvements build upon the sustainability of the club for the years ahead. ## **1 st XI Review** 2021 was a tough year for the 1[st] XI – a slow start to the season, coupled with a very wet May, left Croft behind the curve as we moved into the summer and things never really improved as the year went on. A late push was required to avoid relegation and the players responded, going unbeaten in their last 6 games, including a vital win on the last day of the season, to jump out of the relegation places and into 9[th] place in the league. It was a tough year for the Croft batters, with only 2 centuries across the season; one of which was a quite magnificent 152* by Duncan Roke vs Alvechurch, a knock that single-handedly led to a vital win against the eventual 2[nd] place side. Roke’s limited availability left Croft overly reliant on Dan Elliott, who held up well with 593 runs at an average of 37, but a lack of support often left Croft short of the runs needed to compete. The bowling faired a little better, with 4 bowlers sharing the bulk of the overs. Captain Josh Cound led the way with 34 wickets at an average of 23 which included a key 5 wicket haul in the last game of the season against Redditch. Veteran Paul Athey led the averages with 29 wickets at an average of 18, including a match-winning 5-13 off 10 overs on a damp deck at Alvechurch. All in all, a tough season but, having turned the corner from August onwards, Croft will enter 2022 with a more positive outlook on their chances. ## **2 nd XI Review** The 2[nd] XI continued their consistent recent record of mid-table finishes with a 6[th] placed finish after 6 wins, 8 defeats and lots of bowling bonus points! 2021 gave the Croft faithful some flashes of the exciting times to come, as Croft’s flourishing junior section started to make telling contributions in adult cricket. Expertly marshalled by captain Joe Ingle, who himself lead the way with 430 runs and 12 wickets, Croft’s younger players contributed to a positive season for the second XI. Three Under 15s (Harry Stone, Harvey Shaw and Matt Athey) averaged over 20 with the bat, with all three recording their first senior 50 in the process. Another junior, 15 year old Matt Croal, led the way with the ball, taking 15 wickets with his leg-spin (to go with 6 3[rd] XI wickets) to lead the 2[nd] XI wicket takers and earn himself Croft’s Young Player of the Year award in the process. New recruit Chris Spencer finished with the best average across the season, with 12 wickets at an average of 18. With ten Under 16s playing 2[nd] XI cricket at some point across the season, Croft look well set to build upon their successes over the next few years. DIVISION EIGHT (EAST) _ 2021. Wwcestershirn c￿nty Lèa9uè SpJn501ed by t*Cwmetoal -00 201 263 dlrmiimxu.lyt 4.12 Himblth(C.2ndYJ ij 49 Vio ## **3 rd XI Review** Avoncroft’s investment in junior coaching and facilities over the last 10 years came to fruition in 2021 with the club fielding a 3[rd] XI for the first time in over a decade. With club stalwart Jason Huxley stepping down from the 2nds to lead the side, a mix of young and old players performed admirably in their first season together, claiming a 4[th] placed finish in Division 9 (West). The 3rd XI won 5 games and lost 4 over the course of the season, tending to perform well to beat the teams below them but not quite having enough experience to challenge the top 3 sides. Whilst there were no centuries scored in the 3rds first season, there were still some impressive batting exploits. Ross Chapman and Mark Wood both hit 2 fifties each, with Ross’ 96 at Bredon proving to be the season’s top score. Whilst he didn’t reach 50, Jason Huxley was often key in holding the batting together and taking Croft over the line with some reliable performances which saw him average 52 for the season. The 3rd XI bowling was helped by the experienced pair of Anthony Pittam and Martyn Cound, who led the wicket table with 12 and 10 respectively, but the majority of overs were bowled by Croft’s emerging junior contingent. Matt Croal and 13 year old Ben Huxley were next in line with 6 wickets apiece, and there were also telling contributions from Rohan Levy, Jack Wright, Bobby Riley and Liam Livesey. ## **Sunday Review** Avoncroft’s youthful Sunday XI showed great progress in 2021, with the majority of Croft’s younger players kicking on in their 2[nd] season of adult cricket. The side won 6 games, with one draw and 7 defeats from their 14 games. As he had done for many years, Chris Pitt held the batting together with 383 runs at an average of 43. 1[st] XI captain Josh Cound made his presence felt on the odd occasion when his support was required, chipping in with 162 runs at an average of 81, whilst 15 year old Jack Wright can be proud of his first adult 50 in the last Sunday game of the season. Captain Paul Athey will also look back of the season fondly; he was only required to bat on 4 occasions, but went through the whole season without getting out whilst also recording his first century after 30 years of trying! The Sunday XI bowling was almost entirely led by Croft’s juniors, with only 13 wickets over the course of the season being taken by bowlers over the age of 15! Fin Morris was the leading wicket taker, with 13 wickets at an average of 25, whilst Ben Huxley and Dan Barnes finished with impressive averages of 15 and 9 respectively. ## **Treasurer’s Report 2021** 2021 was another positive year for the club’s finances, with growing income levels enabling Avoncroft to continue to invest in improved facilities for members and the wider community. The Accounts are attached to this report, however the key points in summary are as follows: - The club made a surplus of £5,206 on day-to-day items. - In addition, another £8,118 was generated though donations and fundraising, whilst £15,093 was spent on one-off areas of development. These development items resulted in an overall deficit of £1,769 for the year. - The day-to-day general account shows the growing income from the club bar, which contributed over £8,700 in profit for the club. Junior training income also grew by nearly £2,000 in year, helping to offset the additional cost of grass-cutting that the club incurred in 2021. - The club’s development account shows the main areas of investment in 2021, which included: - £3,573 on pavilion improvement works - £4,788 on the replacement of the club’s lighting and electrical wiring - £3,000 on a new outfield mower, which should reduce the annual cost of grass-cutting in future years - £1,900 on tree works - The club’s success with its day-to-day finances meant that £5,000 could be set aside to top-up the development fund for 2022. This transfer means that the club starts 2022 with £6,581 in its development account and a further £12,368 in the main account, ensuring that the club is in a stable position moving forwards. AIK*KR(Fr CPKKET cLiB.cL￿ ACC(￿IrS TOT Lfitx M￿h Fe 420 .￿x￿¥[bF0 .5th. P4*hF . salpdckthlr￿., .vIceP￿wtstsl -2thCI . 8&1 916 . CaFtsI .W￿l EXPEFThURE lop) ?.if6 ..FI￿c￿r￿k￿e 137 . 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