We did, however, manage do get the first cut on the square and it is looking good, even to the satisfaction of Owen Winsor who did the autumn preparation for us. A group of people doing ‘work in the community’ came and cleared all the leaves from around the pavilion and nets.

We have purchased a Jacobsen Mower for £3000. It is hydraulic and has twice the power of our old Ransome and we are assured that it will handle the course grass at the bottom of the outfield. The three cutters also ‘ride’ over bumps so we should not get the scalping effect any more. Owen Winsor has taken our square mowers for resharpening and service.

Our old mower and the square mowers going off for refurbishment

Our new outfield mower

Mike Quigley and Saul Gabriel have just completed their UKCC Level 1 coaching courses and John Callcut has nearly completed the UKCC Level 2 Course, so together with other members who have already completed the course we will be well equipped to provide good quality coaching for our young people.

February 2008

Our new Fixture Secretary, Mike Quigley, has been able to get some challenging new matches for next season. Dorking, Ashtead, Sutton and Findon are just a few names to whet the appetite. Dorking CC has very kindly invited five Newdigate under 11s to join in with their net sessions at Friends Provident under the tuition of Paul Griffiths. John Callcut will also be there as part of his assessed net sessions, required to complete the UKCC Level 2 qualification.

The pavilion development committee had a site visit on the 2nd February when it became clear that there will not be sufficient space to build a pavilion between the cricket and football pitches. It will therefore have to be in the existing place which is actually the ideal spot for cricket pavilions as recommended by Sport England. William Harmsworth is now drawing up two plans – one excluding and one including the scout hut. As we said, these are very early days and Mole Valley District Council has already said that their favoured option would be a structure the same size as our existing building.

Capel CC have bought our old mower. It will be ideal for them as their ground is flat and they do not have the course grass that we have to contend with.

The Surrey Downs League had some free publicity during the cricket highlights from New Zealand on Sky Sports recently. Charles Colville, who plays for Holmbury St. Mary, said that if umpires are going to give LBW decisions like the one awarded to Daniel Vettori against Kevin Pietersen then there will be a lot more appealing in the ‘Surrey Downs League’ next season.

March 2008

Andy Meads has very kindly paid all the setting up costs for the latest Newdigate shirt. Already Bob’s Shop, Ben Crook’s ‘BC Plumbing and KAM Trucking have agreed to sponsor three sets so we are looking for two more sponsors to cover the Sunday 2nds and the midweek side. This is what they will look like:

If you know of anyone who would like to sponsor a set the cost is about £250 which covers 15 shirts. The sponsors name will appear on the front of the shirt.

Dev Patel and John Callcut attended the Central Surrey District Road Show at Shepperton Cricket Club on the 2nd March. This is one of a series of events whereby the County is attempting to get closer to the grass root clubs to learn of their aspirations and requirements. It was presented by Paul Taylor the former England bowler who is now the Director of Cricket at Surrey CCC. He did not start playing cricket until he was fifteen and has a passion to ensure that cricket is available to all young people. We also had the opportunity to view the impressive new Shepperton pavilion which was built last year. Under the NatWest Cricket Force system they raised £70,000 worth of materials and labour for free and being a Focus Club they were able to get a £50000 interest free loan, which went a long way towards the cost. Click on to NatWest Cricket Force for more information.

Colin Hales, our Life President, has just celebrated his 90th birthday. He and his wife Marion have recently received lifetime achievement awards for their work for the Poppy Appeal and the RNLI. Well done both of you!

Colin raises a glass on his 90th with his wife Marion – 5th March 2008

We have now tied up a club/school link with the Weald Church of England Primary School at Beare Green when we will be conducting Kwik Cricket sessions throughout the summer term. We have a similar arrangement with the Newdigate school and we naturally take this opportunity to encourage the young boys and girls to join our own coaching scheme.

We are very pleased to welcome a new member to our coaching scheme. Rory Fry-Stone is a sports therapist and currently taking the UKCC2 coaching course and will be working with our under 8s. He will also be bringing his son to coaching. Another new recruit to the club is Richard Constance who will be joining our team of umpires. He is a former cricketer and has just completed the umpires course.

A snow storm on Easter Sunday – Four weeks to the start of the season!!

April 2008

On the 5th April we re-opened the club when twenty six members arrived in their NatWest Cricket Force 2008 tee shirts. The verandah and shutters were repainted and the picket fence repaired and re-stained. The fence round the square was removed and stored and the nets and mobile cage put up. The sun shone for awhile and when the work was finished the rains fell. William Harmsworth and Annette Jordan made the teas and coffees and cooked bacon sarnies. Next day three inches of snow fell – just two weeks before the first scheduled match.

Getting ready for the 2008 season under the NatWest Cricket Force 2008 banner.

Snow falls on the 6th April just two weeks before the first match

In spite of the snow there was a good turn out for the final indoor net session at the Oriel Centre in Maidenbower on the 6th April. The general consensus was that the conditions were excellent so we will book them again for next winter. For anyone wishing to make a booking at the centre the contact is Enrique Bendato at eabendato@hbgc.co.uk.

We have now made a formal application to the Surrey Cricket Board to become a Focus Club which will have to be approved by the ECB. There are only twenty nine other clubs in the county and if we are accepted then we will probably be the first club outside the Surrey Championship.

The first day of the season, April 19th, dawned and after a dry week the heavens opened and the first days cricket was washed out. 2007 revisited? However the sun came out on Sunday morning and cricket was played. Match reports can be found in the appropriate section.

Many thanks to the Bennett family who have agreed to purchase a mobile scoreboard for the club. We are obtaining it at discounted prices due to our registration with NatWest Cricket Force 2008.

April has come to an end and already we have lost six matches out of ten due to wet weather, including our prestigous match against Horsham. The junior section got off to a good start on the 28th April. The day was dry and cold but we have to consider ourselves lucky as it was sandwiched between very wet days. We have already completed two coaching sessions at the Weald Primary School which has been attended by about thirty boys and girls.

The new cricket shirts should be with us in a few days time and our on line shop for clothing and equipment should be in operation during the early days of May. Let’s hope for a change in the weather so that we can all enjoy some great cricket.

May 2008

Mid week stalwart, Rob Andrews has sadly passed away. The club was well represented at the funeral on the 2nd May and our thoughts are with Pat, John and Jo.

Fantasy Cricket is back at Newdigate. You have £3000 to spend and must chose 4 batsmen, 3 bowlers, 3 all rounders and 1 wicket keeper and each team must consist of 3 midweek players and at least two juniors. Thw points system is as follows: 1 point per run, 10 points per wicket, 10 points per catch/stumping and 10 points for not out/retirement. In addition you must chose a captain from your team and you will score 10 points if he plays in a winning team and lose 10 points if his team loses. You can enter as many teams as you wish and the cost is £5.00 per team. Cash prizes will be awarded for the first three teams. Forms are available in the clubhouse.

Good to see the sunshine and the first week of May saw a full set of fixtures played in spite of the heavy rain the previous week. See reports for details.

On Sunday, 11th May, Ruky Wickremasinghe was back to his form of last season with a big 130 against Cranleigh St Andrews and he joins Richard Callcut as the second senior centurion of the season.

Congratulations must go to our under 13, Will Bennett. On Saturday, 10th May he scored 126 whilst playing a school match for Reigate Grammar School. This was a wonderful achievement which he will remember for the rest of his life. Well done Will.

Our On-line shop was fully operational on the 14th May. Full details are on the home page. Please use this facility.

Graham Cooper came to the club during the evening of the 14th May and spoke to a group of twelve members about many aspects of umpiring and the laws of the game. There wasn’t a single person present who did not learn something new and Graham, together with his excellent visual aids, has the skill of describing complicated things in a simple and clear way.

June 2008

Craig Jones has managed to secure a grant of £250 from EDF Energy. With this money we have bought a set of shirts for the Sunday 2nd XI. Well done Craig.

Our juniors had been selected to do the ‘guard of honour’ at the South African Test Match at the Oval but the ECB had a change of plan, so in recompence Surrey has sent us a number of tickets for a one day match of our choice..

We hope that you are making use of our ‘on line’ shop for all your equipment and clothing. See the home page.

The under 13s had an excellent victory in their league cup semi final against Southern Rail Kenley on the 4th June. See junior section for the report but here is the winning team.

As a result of our Club/School link with the Weald Primary School, thirty children have been receiving basic cricket coaching on a Wednesday afternoon. Over the course of a few weeks the head of PE, Mr Blair Chisholm,selected a squad of ten players (including two girls) to participate in the Dorking Schools Cricket Tournament. This was played on the 6th June at Brockham CC using the Kwik Cricket principal. In an exciting final the Weald beat St Martin’s to retain the trophy they won last year. The Weald also participated in the Asda Kwik Cricket Tournament played at Horsley and Send CC on the 19th June. The boys reached the semi final but the girls did really well when they lost in a very competitive final.

On Thursday, 12th June we started a six week coaching course for the Newdigate Infants School on the Brocus.

The under 13s had an excellent win over a strong Lingfield team and won the East Surrey Colts League Cup Final on the 8th June at Lingfield. See the junior section for a full report.

The victorious under 13 team at Lingfield with their coaches

The junior presentation was held on the 9th June and about two hundred members, players, guests and friends attended. It was intended to make the evening a community event and it was good to see the rector, the Rev. Andrew Coe and his family, former chairman Brian Chamberlain, Life President Colin Hales, Grahame Cox from our friends at Dorking CC, Matt Chilcott from the Mid Surrey Schools Partnership, Robin Elsdon-Dew from the Surrey Playing Fields Association amongst our guests. Our Vice Presidents, Sir Paul Beresford MP and Mr Andrew Wates, sent their apologies but Andrew sent a very generous donation ‘for the benefit of the club’. Thank you Andrew. The Chairman made a special presentation of club ties and caps to the entire under 13 squad in recognition of their success in winning the League Cup.

Under 9s with their coaches Christian John, Mike Quigley and Chris Ball

Under 11s with John Callcut & Dev Patel

The same players, now under 13s, with Colin Hales and their coaches

The Lord’s Taverners have presented the club with another bag of Kwik Cricket equipment.

Here are the under 8s and 9s together with their coaches, Veronica Annis, Rory Fry-Stone, Christian John and Mike Quigley showing it off.

The under 13s played the Surrey Area semi-final against a powerful Wimbledon team. They lost but performed heroically and if they hadn’t conceded so many extras then victory might have been theirs. See the full report in the junior section.

A dejected Newdigate side after their defeat against Wimbledon

History was made on this day as for the first time two cricket matches were played simultaneously on the Brocus. The under 13 match against Wimbledon and the under 9s played Oxted & Limpsfield.

Thanks to a a very generous donation the juniors are now proud owners of specially designed training tops. Here are some of the young players proudly displaying their tops.

On the 24th June we attended a roadshow organised by the Surrey Groundsmen Association at Dorking CC. We are members of this association and its aim is to provide instruction and help with regards to ground maintenance. One key point of discussion was regarding the bulk purchase of items such as loam and seed.

Congratulations to our U9 Colts who performed so well in the Capel 6 a Side tournament on the 29th June. Our boys made it through to the semi finals (out of 10 teams) to meet Pulborough, after dispatching Capel,Woodmansterne and Barns Green in their group phase. It could have all been different and they should really have gotten through to the final with a bit of luck but in the end failed by just 6 runs. The boys however performed consistently well throughout the day and it was an absolutely first class effort from all in the squad of 8.

July 2008

Thank you Dorking Advertiser…… A full page of reports in the 3rd July issue which gives us equal publicity to Ashtead, Leatherhead and Dorking.

We have registered for the NatWest Cricket Force 2009 which will take place on the 3rd,4th and 5th April 2009. This is when we open the club and do all the repairs and odd jobs around the pavilion and ground. How about erecting a fence along the side of the entry road to stop cars parking in the site line of the nets?

Eventually, Club Force will be the umbrella under which we will (hopefully) construct the new pavilion.

On Saturday the 5th July the club fielded three teams for the first time in their history. The third eleven, captained by Mike Quigley played and beat Oakwood Hill 2nd XI.

You may have heard a party going on at the club during the evening of Friday, 11th July. We are saying goodbye to the Ennis family as Albert, Louise and Matthew are moving to Newbury. Albert is the well known horse trainer and Matthew joined the juniors last season. Since then we have seen him develop into a useful and enthusiastic young cricketer, certainly better than his father, who proved during the fathers versus the boys match last year that he is far better sticking to the horses. We wish the whole family happiness in their new home and Matthew has promised us that he will find a new club as soon as possible.

CF Sports, who manage our on line shop, have kindly donated a kit bag, complete with Newdigate badge to be raffled at the 6-a-Side competition on the 17th August.

Rohan Butler, who organised our training tops, has very kindly offered to produce caps, with the new badge, which will be available soon at very good prices.

Our juniors are off to the Oval on Saturday, 13th September to see Surrey play Leicestershire. We have forty complimentary tickets which are available on a first come first served basis from John Callcut

The coaching programme at the Newdigate Infants School finished on the 17th July. About 25 level 2 boys and girls have received an introductory course into cricket over the past six weeks.

On Saturday, 19th July there was a general feeling of doom and gloom in the club house as both senior teams had lost. Enter the Patel family who produced a sumptuous meal and it was clear to see that the ambience changed as the players got stuck in to chicken curry, rice, salad, nan bread and poppodums. Here are just some members of the family relaxing after all their hardwork.

Sunday, 20th July saw the club field three teams on a Sunday for the first time. The first eleven visited Cranleigh St. Andrews, the second eleven was at Forest Green and Mike Quigley’s 3rd XI beat Habgoods Cricket Club at home.

31st July 2008 – We have had several firsts this season but the one that happened to Don Jones’s under 11s must be pretty unique. We were entertaining Horley under 11s and proceding well having scored 50 from nine overs. It was a hot muggy evening and our old friends the flying ants came out to watch the cricket. Now these flying ants are not the standard ones, they are reddish in colour, spiteful by nature and sting. They obviously like cricket, wishing to see it close at hand, as they live under the artificial pitch and are attracted to white clothing and they particulary like to see what the ball is doing as they have a penchant for buzzing inside batsman’s helmets. As they incessantly swarmed on to the players, the umpires instructed everyone to leave the field of play for safety’s sake. Half an hour passed and the players ventured on to the field but just to demonstrate their love of cricket the pesky blighters returned, forcing the match to be abandoned – two points each.

August 2008

Our new caps with the new club logo are now available at the club at the incredible price of £5.00 each. Many thanks to Rohan Butler of Createur Ltd for providing them

We have been making enquiries into the Surrey Trust Development League and as a result have been offered a place in the league for next season. The matches are played on a Sunday afternoon and consist of forty overs per team which has to have six players under 18 four of whom have to be under 16. Coloured clothing is worn and we will be pitched aginst some of the best teams in the county. There are a lot of fixture implications which we must consider as the matches will probably fall into the Sunday 1st XI category.

We are used to seeing the Brocus full of energetic and motivated youngsters but during the afternoon of Friday, 8th August the cricket club was visited by members of another side of British youth culture. Disaster was averted thanks to the quick reactions of a couple of junior members, who upon seeing smoke rising from the barbecue area, raised the alarm. Richard Brown and Andrew Major were quickly on the scene as too were the fire brigade and the police. The suspects, who were clearly at the bottom scale in the intelligence stakes, smashed the kitchen window although it is very clear that the bars would prevent any possibility of access. They then scribbled mis-spelt but obscene grafitti across the shutters and then set light to the umbrellas, a bag of sawdust and Mr Brown’s Special ‘A’-board. Thankfully the fire was put out before it reached the canopy and the wooden chairs and a more serious situation had developed. Thanks to Mr Brown’s quick actions two suspects have been found and could face the serious charge of arson. After a number of years without problems we have this summer had this incident and also suffered the theft of diesel and the destruction of the garage door.

On the 13th August in howling, cold winds and squalls John Callcut conducted a two hour ‘introduction to cricket’ course for about forty boys and girls aged from 7-14 at the Ashcombe School in Dorking. This was part of Mole Valley’s initiative called ‘Sportszone’ which introduced children to a wide range of different sports throughout the day. This of course gave us an opportunity to introduce the club to a wider audience.

We have to report the sad news that Terry Rattue suddenly passed away during the morning of the 15th August. He collected his paper as normal at 10.00am and the next thing we knew was that the emergency services were outside his house in Underhill Road but they were unable to save him. Terry was a quiet, unassuming man and only last Wednesday he was umpiring for the midweek side. He loved his cricket and also enjoyed working on the committee of the Newdigate Society. He was just 64 and leaves a brother who lives in Hindhead.

On the 17th August, the Annual Six-a-Side competition in memory of Peter Clark raised a good sum for the Diabetes UK charity. The event as always attracted excellent support.

Toby Briggs from the World Cricket Academy arranged for Garware House Club from Mumbai in India to play a match against Newdigate during cricket week. The visitors batted first and scored 219 showing all the wristy flicks and silky drives you expect from batsmen from the sub-continent. Captain, Richard Callcut, hit a fluent 80 but he needed someone else to make a substantial total but this was not forthcoming as Newdigate were bowled out for 165. This was an excellent game played in a great spirit, helped by a splendid lunch provided by the Chairman.

Garware House Club from Mumbai – 27th August 2008

On the 29th August a group of under 12s were invited to show their skills during the interval of the England versus South Africa One Day International. They travelled up by train and here they are looking very smart at Dorking Station. They witnessed some wonderful batting skills from Ian Bell and Andrew Flintoff and a five wicket haul from new boy Samit Patel, as England went into an unassailable 3-0 league in the series. During the interval the boys practiced running, retrieving and catching skills and then had a quick game of cricket. Matt Whapshott hit a ball that landed on a stewards head which must put him in line for this years Bettesworth Award! To cap it all Ravi Bopara came up and had his picture taken with the boys. It has become a tradition on the way home, and when the train has emptied, that an impromtu game of cricket takes place with rolled up newspaper as a ball and a miniature bat. This year was no exception as the picture reveals. Sorry that Tobias’s bat got broken in the process. Altogether a very happy day enjoyed by all.

All looking smart at Dorking Station

At the Oval with Ravi Bopara and a large pig!!!!!!

Impromptu cricket match on the train going home

Dan Jones has had to go to hospital for an appendicitis operation. All has gone well and we look forward to seeing him back soon.

September 2008

At the end of the month we will be saying goodbye to a very loyal supporter as Brian Allen and his wife Ann will be moving to Coolham. It has always been a pleasure to see Brian, clutching his glass of whisky as the shadows spread across the ground. He has always checked and maintained our fire extinguishers so it has been reassuring to know that they are always in tip top order. Brian promises that we have not seen the last of him as he still intends popping in to see us and he has promised to continue to look after our fire extinguishers!

We have now made our formal application to join the Surrey Trust Development League.

You can tell that the season is coming to an end as the chief topics at the latest Committee meeting has been the bonfire and the dinner and dance.

Looks familiar? With all cricket washed out for the weekend of the 6th and 7th September this is what the Brocus looked like!

The Brocus on the 7th September

Whilst we were watching the rains fall over the cricket club a very good friend of Newdigate passed peacefully away at the age of 88. Dr John Dew MBE was President of Horsham Cricket Club and was the principal founder of their highly successful junior section which he remained associated with for fifty years.

Dr John Dew MBE and Dr Dew with Derek Underwood and Rob Cooke at the Junior Presentation in 2007

He first taught Richard and David Callcut to play cricket in the late 1980s and he persuaded me to ‘give a hand’ and become a qualified coach. He had an infectious enthusiasm for the game which he spread amongst adults and children alike. He had a great memory for names and after two weeks of the season he seemed to have the abilty to reel off the names of a hundred youngsters, perhaps it helped that he brought a large proportion of them into the world! An example of that was when he met Graham Twaites after a period of some ten years, not only did he remember Graham’s name but he also asked after his brother. Horsham juniors became very succesful and Richard’s under 15 side reached the National Finals and lost a close match in the semi finals at May’s Bounty in Basingstoke. Robin Martin-Jenkins was the star player in that team. Much of what I do with the juniors has been based on the legacy left by Dr Dew and I was so glad that he managed to come to Newdigate in 2007 to present the junior awards.It was typical of him that he should pass away at the end of the season and not during it because that would have caused him great annoyance. It was a privilege to have known him. (John Callcut )

On the 8th September we had a coaches meeting when we reviewed the previous season and set up a framework for 2009. We have said goodbye to Veronica Annis and Geoff Cox who have decided to stop coaching. We are very grateful for their contribution over the past few years. Annette Jordan has agreed to take over the important position of Club Welfare Officer and her husband, Barry, will help with coaching. ideally we could do with at least one more coach so if you think that you could spare the time and would like to put something back into the game then please contact a member of the coaching team. On the subject of coaching, John Callcut passed his UKCC2 examination on the 12th September.

On the 13th September a group of about forty Newdigate juniors, parents and friends visited the Oval to see Surrey beat Leicestershire in a NatWest Pro 40 match. The sun shone for most of the game and everybody had a very happy day. Many thanks to Surrey for providing complimentary tickets.

Pedro Collins signing autographs and the group enjoying the match at the Oval.

Congratulations to Hiten Patel and Matt Clarke. Their partnership of 178 against the Journeymen on the 14th September was the tenth highest partnership in the history of the club beating Paul Bettesworth and Ruky Wickremasinghe’s 176. It was particularly meritous because when they came together Newdigate were 19-3.There was cause for a triple celebration as this was Hiten’s maiden century and the 100th since records were first taken in 1983. Let’s hope it will be the first of many more.

Now this might make you jealous. On the 29th September, Sunday 1st XI skipper, Sam MacDonald is off to the Bracewell Cricket Academy in Napier, New Zealand. Players get daily guidance from Brendon Bracewell the New Zealand international and grade three coach. Now wait for this bit – The academy is 40 meters from the beach and players get the complete summer of cricket, surf, fishing and sunshine in the fruit and winery capital of New Zealand. Hard life isn’t it? For more information visit http://www.cricketnz.co.nz/index.html

On the same day that Sam flies to New Zealand, Ramachandran Sridhar returns to his native Sri Lanka. We had a little farewell party for him at the club when the Chairman presented him with a club cap and tie and the Saturday 1st XI bowling award. Sri has played an important part this season with his consistent left arm spin and thoroughly deserves the award. We wish him a safe trip home. Andy Meads is playing cricket in Sri Lanka in October and they are hoping to meet up.

The final game of the season was played on the Brocus on the 28th September, a Sunday 2nd XI match against Temple Sheen Eccentrics. It was probably the finest day of the summer and these pictures show the ground looking at its best as the early evening shadows fell over the ground drawing the season to a close.

How shall we live, now that summer’s ended, and bat and ball (too soon!) are put aside, and all our cricket deeds and dreams have blended – the hit for six, the champion bowled for none, the match we planned to win and never won … only in green winged memory they abide. How shall we live, who love our loveliest game with such bright ardour that when stumps are drawn we talk into the twilight, always the same old talk with laughter rounding off each tale – laughter of friends across a pint of ale in the blue shade of the pavilion. – Written by Thomas Moult.

On Monday, 29th September Owen Winsor and a colleague attended to the winter preparation of the square. It was deeply scarified and a further 25mm removed from the bowling ends. It was then double seeded and the Surrey Loam applied. The work was completed in fine, cricket playing weather, but on the following day the rain fell which for once could not have come at a better time.

October 2008

Congratulations to Derek Underwood who has now been appointed President of the MCC. His remit for the year is to encourage the dying art of left arm spin bowling – come on Will Bowley your time is nigh!!

On the 4th October the club was ‘put to bed’ and the nets, chairs etc, have been stored away for the winter. The only activity likely to be seen is the cutting of the outfield which will probably continue right into early November and the growing of the new grass on the square which is just beginning to come through.

Ruky Wickremasinghe and Andrew Major attended the AGM of the Surrey Trust League on the 9th October and our entry into the Development League has been confirmed. The matches are forty overs a side and are played in coloured clothing on Sundays. At least six players must be under the age of 18 with four under 16 and we will be playing against Lingfield, Camberley, Guildford City, Merrow, Chobham and Normandy. This league will give our younger players the opportunity of playing competitive cricket against good quality opposition.

Some of you will remember Chris Marsden from Yorkshire, the nephew of Ted and Betty Leadbeater. He was surprisingly released by Yorkshire and this season has had games with Essex and Nottinghamshire seconds. This winter he is playing for Hampton Cricket Club in Melbourne and you can follow his progress on www.hamptoncc.com.au

On the 13th October Dr John Dew was postumously awarded the Lifetime Achiever Award at the Nat West OSCA (Outstanding Service to Cricket Award) ceremony at Lords. It was interesting to read that when Chris Nash scored his maiden century for Sussex the first person he called was Dr Dew such was the high regard in which he was held by everyone.

15th October and there is now a rich covering of grass right across the square. The worms are very active and we have arranged with Owen Winsor to apply weed and worm killer to the outfield.

Congratulations to Valley End who won the nPower Village Cup at Lords. This was a fantastic achievement as they were a young side made up entirely of players who have come through their excellent youth system. Some of their players, however, play their league cricket within the Championship so this has prompted the competition organisers to make a rule change. In future if a player has participated during the previous season in a league or cup match for another side then they will not be allowed to play in the Village Cup.

We have recommended a number of under 11s and 13s for trials with Surrey and we are delighted to say that they have all been assessed and have been provisionally included in the district training squad. There are further County assessments to come so they will not know if they have definitely made the squad until December. However, we have heard that Jack Wyllie has been included in the Development Squad for the Surrey under 13s.

On the 29th and 30th October John Callcut conducted ‘introduction to cricket’ courses at Dorking Leisure Centre and St John’s School at Goodwyns as part of the Mole Valley initiative to introduce all types of sports to young people during half term. This further strenghtens the club’s ties within the district. He was also nominated for the Senior Volunteer of the Year award given by the Mole Valley Sports Council and attended an awards ceremony at Dorking Halls on the 31st October.

November 2008

The Newdigate bonfire evening was scheduled for the 1st November but owing to dreadful weather was cancelled until the 7th November. Reminiscent of the cricket season. The weather was kind and we were blessed with an excellent turnout to watch a very impressive display.

Dr John Dew’s memorial service took place at St. Mary’s, Horsham on the 1st November and was attended by upwards of a thousand people. There were many moving tributes none more so than from Christopher Martin-Jenkins who mimicked the doctors voice to perfection. A fitting tribute to a remarkable man.

We know that everyone will be saddened to hear the news of the death of Emily Haigh. She was a familiar sight at the cricket club in her wheel chair, surrounded and supported by the love of all her family. To the Haigh family we send our best wishes during these sad and difficult times.

At this time of the year the coaches have a difficult job when they have to select juniors who will benefit from the Russell Haigh Bursary. With so many suitable candidates there was much soul searching before the following selections were made:

Under 9s: James Bennett & Tom Quigley, Under 11s: Andrew Kehl & Will Roberts, Under 13s: Dylan Peters & Alex Miller, Under 15s: Jose de Castro & Matt Clarke.

At Chris Haigh’s request the candidates must not only be talented but they must demonstrate keeness and a willingness to help. So congratulations to the eight players who have been chosen and let’s hope that they will benefit from the courses.

Kuoni Travel have agreed to sponsor the equipment needed for the Surrey Trust Development League. Our colours will be predominently black with green trimmings..

We have now had confirmation that we are officially a FOCUS club an accreditation which has been monitored by both Surrey cricket and the ECB.

Nick Crawford and John Callcut attended the Surrey Roadshow at Shepperton Cricket Club on the 19th November. We had a chat with Gus MacKay who is the new Managing Director of Cricket at Surrey who outlined the future plans of the County. It was gratifying to hear that the emphasis will be placed upon home grown players backed up by four or five senior players.

Owen Winsor has taken all the mowers away for refurbishment and has also de-wormed the square. He was pleased to report that the grass has grown beautifully all over the square.

At the recent Surrey Downs league meeting the club was awarded the Sportsmanship award for the second time. This is a very gratifying honour and as we have so many young cricketers playering it justifies the work done by our coaches in instilling etiquette and fair play at an early age. Well done Newdigate.

The dinner and dance at Wotton House on the 22nd November was a huge success with over 120 members and friends enjoying an excellent meal and dancing. A list of award winners can be found in the statistics section.

Darren Drew, Jose de Castro & Chris Perrin

Graham Capel & Jon Pritchard

Jane & Charlie Major

Richard Callcut and Andrew Major

Following a directive from the ECB and as part of our Clubmark commitment the club has signed up to the One Game Pledge. This confirms that as a club we welcome all newcomers to the game and share the passion and pride of those already involved. We have a shared set of values that allows the game to develop and embrace the whole community regardless of age, race, ability or gender.

December 2008

Owen Winsor has now returned all the mowers duly serviced. The square has a healthy growth of grass but the pitch certainly presents a wintry and wet scene. This picture was taken on the 4th December.

The Edwarde family has moved from Newdigate to Dorking. Peter has an interview for Cambridge University so well done and the best of luck with the move.

Congratulations to Will Bennett and Fraser Mosley who have both been selected for Surrey Central Divisional Winter Nets for the under 14 age group. At all age levels over 400 young players were assessed last September in an attempt by Surrey to ensure that no young player slips through the net. Commiserations to those who did not get through but with the current set up in Surrey there is always another chance next year for those with the necessary drive and determination.

You may recall that Rob Cooke, the Club Development Manager from Active Surrey, presented us with the Active Surrey Gold Award at the 2007 Junior Presentation. He has just accepted a post with the Sports Council in Singapore so we wish him every success in his new post and look forward to working with his successor.

Our new clothing for the Surrey Trust Development League has now been ordered from the manufacturers. As previously reported the shirts and trousers will be predominantly black but with green trimmings. The shirts will bear the club’s logo and that of our sponsor, Kuoni Travel.

Things have not worked out for Chris Marsden in Australia. His job was reduced from five to two days so as Hampton CC could not support him financially he has had to come home. He has several county trials in the New Year so we wish him well. There would always be a place for him at Newdigate!!

A work party gathered at the Brocus on the 29th December to burn the remains of the bonfire and clear up the leaves from around the square. In no time at all a conflagration was soon to be seen with thick smoke billowing towards Winfield Grove. Let’s hope no one had any washing out!

Dan and Craig Jones, Nick Crawford, Paul Bettesworth, Charlie and Andrew Major all getting nice and warm. JC took the picture.