What a season it has been for Winterbourne Cricket Club!

With only one defeat in a season of unseemly weather, the senior side topped Division 5 (NW) of the Hampshire Cricket League. The title and promotion were clinched after a nail-biting finish to the final match against Dinton which saw them collect maximum points and hold off the challenge of Whiteparish by a mere 0.23 of a point. 

There were some outstanding individual performances along the way. Those worth a mention: Sam Parker, 119 vs Dinton in that critical final match; Alex Field, 141 n.o. vs South Wilts; and Richard Pearce 117 in the same match. Throughout the season the batsmen were supported by some consistent bowling performances by Chris Breeze, Richard Pearce and Alex Field.

In mid-week ‘T20’ cricket, the Wednesday side acquitted itself well, finishing in mid-table in the Salisbury Wednesday Evening League and providing the opportunity for the some of the younger players to gain experience.

Junior cricket, for boys and girls, continued to flourish in the form of the All Stars (ages 5 to 8), Dynamos (8 to 11). The Under 10 side performed well to win their league, whilst the Under 11s and Under 13s, both finished as runners-up in their respective divisions. The development of young cricketers forms a major element of the club’s ethos and its future sustainability. This summer it was particularly satisfying to see some of the ‘home grown’ players graduating and enjoying the opportunity to play senior cricket. Building on this, in 2022, the club will run a 2nd XI in the Hampshire League providing more opportunity for competitive cricket.

Off the pitch, the club has been seeking to enhance its facilities to support senior and junior cricket.  Then 4-lane nets have had their first use this season and have been a great success for coaching and training. The clubhouse has been re-clad, roofed and waterproofed, greatly enhancing its appearance. The club is exploring options to make the clubhouse more welcoming and ‘inclusive’ for players, members and visitors and hopes to take advantage of an ECB initiative to support clubs in improving their facilities by applying for a grant from the Wiltshire Cricket Board for this purpose. If successful, this work would be completed in time for the commencement of the 2022 season.

The club offers its thanks to Richard Bruce-White for his continued support of the club and permitting cricket to be played at the Portway and to Will Hearsey for the tremendous work he undertakes in caring for the ground and preparing and maintaining the pitches.

2021 has been a successful year for the club, and we look forward to building on this in 2022. As a family orientated club, new members, Junior, Senior and of all abilities, are always welcome, whether to play or to contribute to the club’s development and supporting grass roots sport in the village. If you want to get involved, please get in touch.

Cledwyn Davies Chairman