Billingham Synthonia
“The club’s
ambition is to
consolidate
ourselves in the
ECB NYSD Premier
Division so we
can start to build
ourselves to be one
of the top sides in
the region.”
CC: How is the general mood down at the club at the moment?
DP: The general mood in the club is very high at the moment
as our first team won the double and have gained promotion
back to the ECB NYSD Premier League for 2019. The Second
team finished second in Division Four to also gain promotion
back to Division 3.
CC: How would you say the season has gone so far for the
club?
DP: It has been a brilliant season for Billingham Synthonia
Cricket Club; the First XI won the league by 32 points as well
as winning the league major cup 15/15 for the division. On
finals day we had major contributions throughout the side but
standouts were Elliot Holmes 640 runs Average 41, Tom Wing
550 runs average 40, Martin Cull 46 wickets at 8.5 and Mike Yuill
49 wickets at 9.5. The Second XI were also massively successful
with promotion back to Division 3 with Mike Atkinson being
the major contributor with 600 runs and 40 wickets.
CC: How important is youth cricket to the club?
DP: The junior section is very important at Billingham
Synthonia; we currently run Under 11’s, 13’s and 15’s with the
club’s major aim to help these kids to be ready to play senior
cricket when they are older. We currently have three juniors
playing representative cricket for Cleveland Schools at Under
13 level plus also we have one junior that has already been
selected to represent Durham County under 13’s.
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Saturday 11.30am until 9.30pm
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Address: 114 Borough Road,
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CC: How do you ensure that young players enjoy a smooth
transition into the senior game?
DP: We never pick juniors to play for the senior team unless
we believe they are ready and there will be no safety concerns
in putting them out onto the field. The captains are encouraged
to give the young lads responsibility and keep them involved in
the games so they feel a real part of the team.
CC: Would you consider yours to be a community club?
DP: I do believe we are a community club as we regularly
open the gates to host school cricket games as well going into
local schools to help with training and try to get kids that are
interested in the game to come down and join the club.
CC: What do you believe could be some of the biggest
challenges the club may face in the next five years?
DP: The biggest challenges that lie ahead for Billingham
Synthonia Cricket Club will be attracting new players to the
club as well as keeping the ones that we already have as player
involvement is at a very low point throughout the region at the
moment. The financial aspect will also be a challenge as it is not
getting any cheaper to play cricket with all the costs that are
involved now.
CC: What are the clubs ambitions for the next five years?
DP: The club’s ambition is to consolidate ourselves in the
ECB NYSD Premier Division so we can start to build ourselves
to be one of the top sides in the region. We also would like to
keep producing young players through the club so they are
good enough to be representing our First XI as well as our local
counties.
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