Season Review – Chairman’s Report
Another up and down season on the field. Some excellent performances for all teams, but also some disappointing results and missed opportunities.
Congratulations to Chris Pitt and Josh Cound for combining their captains’ duties successfully with outstanding personal batting performances.
The captains of all teams will report on the season in greater length at the AGM in the pavilion on Thursday February 1st at 7.30 pm. I look forward to seeing many members there, especially those not on the committee.
As always, your committee has worked tremendously hard to meet the many demands of a small cricket club playing in a League with many much larger multi-sports town Clubs with greater resources.
We have been largely successful in maintaining high standards in our bar and social areas thanks to the work of the social and bar committee, particularly Jason, and a high standard of pitch and ground maintenance thanks to our excellent groundsmen Chris and David. However, we cannot stand still, and the main purpose of this report is to highlight our future needs and planned developments.
In addition to putting the final touches to our fine new female changing room/ scorebox, the Club needs to improve its sightscreens (recently vandalised), and wicket covers. The furniture in the clubhouse needs upgrading, and much larger bills for water and electricity are now having to be met. The Club would also like to provide better parking facilities, especially for out-of-season social events. All of these items are in addition to our usual expenses for maintaining and improving our ground equipment. Accordingly, a sub-committee is meeting regularly to examine grant opportunities and applications with the assistance of a retained external advisor. The first item for attention is the proposed provision of a new net facility, costing well in excess of £20,000. This is needed especially to support the exceptional growth in our junior membership which is being so well supported by parents, and has also enjoyed considerable playing success in 2017. The committee feels that this is the most important priority for the future success and continuity of the club.
Of course, all this requires manpower, money and motivation. The committee is fully involved in all three aspects, but is eager that more non-committee members should involve themselves in similar vein. This means joining the 100 club, supporting our regular social events, endeavouring to find club sponsors, attending ground working parties pre-and post season and paying annual subscriptions at the start of the season and not the end. In addition, volunteers would be most welcome, especially in helping with the preparation and protection of the wickets when bad weather prevails.
I realise that this is a hefty list of needs and hopes for the future, but there is nothing extravagant there. Cricket is a team game, and at Avoncroft we would like everyone to belong to the team, and not just be on the outside-looking in.
Good luck to all in 2018, particularly our new captains, who I hope will be strongly supported by all members and friends.
Best wishes
Rod Braithwaite, Chairman
January 2018
