Shipston on Stour
We also take part when possible
in local events and we have in the
past raised money for local causes
such as Shipston Home Nursing
with Bed pushes and a few years
ago three members of the club, Tom
and Ben Cox and Matt Hardwick
climbed Mont Blanc to raise money
for the Brain Tumour Charity and
the Air Ambulance Service.
This summer we are also looking
to work with Low Furlong Care
Home in Shipston. Their residents
have recently taken up a form of
seated cricket, which they have been
very much enjoying and they want
to link up with the club and we are
currently investigating how we can
work together for the needs of the
residents.”
Challenges/Ambitions
As stated earlier, we regularly
have 70+ children at the club on
Friday nights where the club house
bar is open and the BBQ is fired up to
make it a family occasion. Under the
hard work of our Junior coaches and
helpers led by Steve Gainsley and
Richard Hargett we are now into the
third year and we are seeing the kids
who have started in the All Stars
moving on to age group cricket and
hard ball cricket, to a point where we
now have an U13 team and two U11
teams competing in the Cotswold
Hills Junior Leagues.”
Integration
“We try to ensure a smooth
transition for young players by
operating a Sunday team that plays
friendly matches throughout the
summer providing an excellent
opportunity to bring in younger
players to play alongside and learn
from the more experienced players.
The Sunday team is captained by
local lad Chris Calcott who plays his
cricket for Leamington in Division
One of the Birmingham & District
Premier Cricket League and so
brings excellent experience and is
someone the youth players look to.
The rest of the team is then a mixture
of 1st team, 2nd team and then the
Juniors where we have players from
ten years old and upwards playing
when we feel they are ready. This
then leads on to possible 2nd XI
selection and then the pathway to
the first XI.”
Community
“We definitely consider ourselves
a community club. The cricket
section is part of a wider Sports Club
which also contains Football, Tennis
and Bowls on the same site. As stated
earlier, our Junior nights are family
nights with the club bar and BBQ
open for business which appeals to
the parents as well as the children!
“We believe the biggest challenge
we may face over the next five years
is keeping the two senior teams
operating at a high level due to
being able to attract the number of
players required. With all the outside
opportunities these days, lack of
school cricket and cricket being a
time-consuming game, attracting
players is becoming harder and
harder. Also, people willing and
able to give their time and effort
into running a cricket club is also
becoming harder to do. We are lucky
at Shipston on Stour CC as we have
leadership and a committee willing
to get things done but new blood
will be needed eventually to carry
on the work.
Over the next five years we
would like to achieve ECB Clubmark
status, new Net facilities, success for
the Senior teams in their respective
divisions, continuing growth of the
Junior cricket section and junior
players coming through the system
to represent the senior teams.”
“We believe the biggest challenge we may face over the next five
years is keeping the two senior teams operating at a high level due
to being able to attract the number of players required.”
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