Pre-Season Letter for 2011

15th February, 2011

Dear All,

Happy New Year. As much as it pains me I thought it would be best to confront this at the beginning - congratulations to England for an awesome performance in the Tests. Australia were just never in the hunt!

I do hope you have had an enjoyable autumn and winter so far. With spring approaching it is now time to start thinking about the new cricket season at Harpsden.

The fixture list is again taking shape due to Suzie Bradley’s hard work over the winter. We have already got new fixtures organised against Peppard, Taplow, Hurst and Hurley and a re-kindled fixture against Little Marlow. Sadly Shiplake Cricket Club has folded and hence we have lost our two fixtures against them but Suzie has managed to convince almost everybody else that they still want to play against Harpsden!

Over the winter, various works have again been done including a lot of loam having been put on the square, hopefully resulting in an even firmer track. The gears on the big roller have been repaired by Lucius Cary and Richard Moyle, which will also hopefully contribute to a faster, bouncier surface and some repairs are about to take place on the pavilion roof.

In this letter last year I referred to the need for us to find a long-term solution to the problem of the large number of cricket balls being hit over the hedge into both the road and the golf club car park on the other side of the road. Julian Burtt, with significant help from a number of other people including Lucius Cary, Richard Moyle and Tony Wright, has made real progress towards us installing a several metre high net next to the hedge before the start of the current season. As a result, the gate in the middle of the hedge is going to be permanently closed so that anybody needing to go over the road to recover the ball, will need to do so via the car park or the gate by the golf practice area.

Harpsden Cricket Club has thrived at its current site for 124 years but given the dramatic advances in cricket equipment, and possibly even cricketers(!) over that time we all feel that we need to do something to reduce the risk of serious injury, or worse, to people on the other side of the hedge. As a result this net project is being undertaken in conjunction with an investigation into a considerably larger long term project to move the square about 20 yards further away from the road, level what will be the new outfield and put in an avenue of trees along the length of the hedge by the road.

Julian is in the process of obtaining quotes from four different companies so that we can then apply to the relevant bodies for funding. Our current thinking is that if we are fortunate enough to get funding, the significant earthworks would start in September 2012 allowing us to celebrate our 125th anniversary in 2012 on our existing square, and maybe the start of our next 125 years on the new square.

One of the implications of our plans is that we will need to generate more space for parking further away from the existing square. As a result, and in conjunction with our landlord, the Harpsden Trust, we have decided to clear the bulk of the smaller trees and scrub from above the shed. We intend to do the first part of this ourselves with 2 working parties on Saturday 12th and Saturday 19th March from 10am to 1pm. Any help that anybody can give us would be great, and if you can bring chainsaws, shrub cutters, garden forks etc. that would also be helpful. Anybody who comes to help can take away some firewood although I suspect we might have a pretty big bonfire too!

We have organised a spring curry at Raju's Tandoori (21 Reading Road, Henley – just opposite Asiana Spice where we ate last year) on Friday 25th March at 7pm for 7.45pm. Jane has managed to negotiate a very good deal, even better than last year's price, and it will only be about £12.50 a head for Adults and £10 for Students for an all-you-can-eat blend of starters, mains, popadoms, nans etc. Like last year, everybody will need to pay for their own drinks. I would be grateful if you could let me (rodbirkett@btinternet.com) or Jane know whether you will be able to attend. We can fit in about 35 people and hence it would be great to see as many cricketers, spouses and siblings as are able to attend.

The reason we are starting the curry night at 7pm is that, again like last year, we have decided to have the AGM then, preceding the dinner. If anyone would like to come for the formal part of the evening, then please arrive promptly for a 7pm start, whilst if you wish to just attend the dinner then some time around 7.45pm would probably be about right.

All of last year's committee are willing to stand for re-election at the AGM and, as I mentioned at last year's dinner, James Paice has agreed to stand as an additional Club Vice-captain to support Andy Bryan and Club Captain Will Stevens. Any other nominations for positions on the committee must be sent, with the agreement of the nominee, to our Secretary, Mick Greenwood mlli.greenwood@btinternet.com by 18th March....but please don't hesitate to discuss this with me beforehand if you would like.

I'm afraid one of the consequences of applying for funding is that we must make sure that our procedures are entirely robust and as such a membership form is attached which needs to be completed by everybody.

A few dates for your diaries;

Saturday 12th and Saturday 19th March from 10am to 1pm - tree and shrub clearing at the Cricket Ground.

Friday 25th March, 7pm to 7.45pm; AGM at Raju's Tandoori at 21 Reading Road, Henley.

Friday 25th March, 7.45pm; Curry at Raju's Tandoori in Henley.

The cricket nets will be at 11am on Sunday mornings at Shiplake College. Nets at Shiplake College, Sunday March 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th; from 11am to noon.

Take A4155 from Henley towards Reading. Shiplake College is on your left after ‘Shiplake Cross’. Take the 2nd entrance, the ‘All Visitors’ drive into the College. Follow the drive down to the main house, bear left and go past the main building on your right and park in the car park straight ahead. The Sports Hall is a wooden building with glass doors on the left hand side just opposite the car park.

Sunday 10th and Sunday 17th April at 10.30am to noon, nets at Harpsden Cricket Ground.

Sunday 17th April 9am to 10.30am: pre-season working party at Harpsden Cricket Ground. There are various jobs that need to be done before the season starts and the more support we have for this the better.

Practice Sessions from 6pm at Harpsden every Wednesday starting on April 27th. Following the success of this last year it has been decided to repeat the Wednesday evening practice sessions at the Club on Wednesday evenings throughout the season. These will commence at 6pm with the first one on Wednesday 27th April.

Saturday 23rd April; 1st Harpsden match, against Henley 3rds.

Sunday 26th June at 12.30pm; President’s XI vs Chairman’s XI.

Monday 29th August; Harpsden Six-a-Sides. If you want to put a team in, please book early to avoid disappointment!

Saturday 17th September; Annual Dinner.

Despite the cost of everything else going up we have managed to keep the costs of playing and membership the same as last year which I’m sure remains among the lowest in the country! The 2011 charge for Adults will be £75 for a season ticket OR £10 per game and for Students it will be a £35 season OR £5 per game for those who don’t buy a season ticket. We are also introducing a charge for evening games of £5 and £3 respectively for those who don’t buy a season ticket. Early payment to David Heath would be greatly appreciated.

If you want to enhance your wardrobe, Ian Whittaker is still in charge of clothing and he will be taking orders for shirts, jumpers or NEW STYLE caps, so do email him (iangwhittaker@hotmail.co.uk) if you want to arrange something before the start of the season.

Thanks to Joanna Cary the Harpsden Cricket Club blog is in fine fettle so do have a look if you get a chance (http://harpsdencricketclub.blogspot.com). A copy of this letter is going onto the blog so that the net dates will be there if you misplace this letter! The first draft of the 2011 fixture list is also on the blog. All contributors and contributions to the blog are greatly welcomed and please email Joanna (joannacary@gmail.com) for an invitation to join in. Photographs are particularly appreciated so Miles, Gireesh et al, it would be great if you could put your photos throughout the season on the blog. The blog isn't technically advanced, evidenced by the fact that even I can manage it, but if there are any problems, please just ask Joanna and she will guide you through it. Happy blogging!

Team organisation remains an onerous task and Jane has very kindly offered to do it again this season but if you were able to contact her (jburtt@shiplake.org.uk or 01491 575126) before the season starts with your early season availability that would be very helpful. Also, please contact Jane if you have had any change to your contact details.

Will Stevens has kindly offered to prepare the statistics again this season (with back-up from Ed Birkett when/if he goes away) and we would be grateful if you could all ensure that the scorebooks are filled in fully, and correctly.

We are always looking to enhance the membership of the club as it is the people who make it what it is. Do please bring your cricketing friends along to the pre-season nets or introduce them as the season progresses.

Look forward to seeing you at the AGM/Curry/Nets,

With best regards,


Rod.