Another full season of 18 fixtures was enjoyed on Wednesday evenings, with only one being frustrated by the weather. Results were the usual mixed bag, and though we lost more games than we won, the matches were always keenly and sportingly contested.

Our playing numbers were slightly down this year, due to retirements, work commitments and injury, so we relied upon supporting our nucleus of 11 full-time members (13 games each on average) and 9 part-time members (8) with friends from elsewhere in the club (thank you!). We have plans for bolstering our personnel with a modest recruitment drive in 2023.

Our annual Jeffery v Brien Sunday fixture was a lovely end to the season, and happily now the score stands level at 2-2.

Our batting awards were won by Neil Clark and Lee Brien; bowling by Ray Smith and Pierre Tartari; fielding by Jon Pritchard; player of the year was Chris Mursell; and the Special Award went to Graham Capel to mark his outstanding and ongoing commitment to the team over so many years.

Our thanks go again to those who worked tirelessly for us before (Andy, James et al), during (umpire Neil and assorted scorers) and after the games (Graham on the bbq and the much-loved salad rota).

Saturday 1st XI

Saturday 2nd XI

2022 was a pretty miserable year for the 2nds

Promotion in 2021 was based on our excellent bowling attack. However, a combination of injuries, 1st team promotions, and general lack of availability meant that we were deprived of that entire attack. As a result, we only bowled teams out twice, and were generally chasing large totals, or failing to defend our own reasonable ones, and we therefore won just two games, and lost the rest. Sri Lankan Chris was the leading wicket taker with just 13 wickets. A special mention to Anna Lewis who took 4-19 on her league debut, to take us to one of our wins!

The batting was again built around Dave Wrightson (469 runs including 5 x fifties), and myself (527 runs with a century and 4 fifties), but nobody else made more than 200 runs, and there were only three other 50s.

The general availability issues meant that we used a total of 40 players, and some weeks I would be contacting 60 or 70 to get a team out! This needs to improve if we are to be competitive.

That said, we battled hard and came closer in a number of games than we had any right to (including losing to champions Shepperton by just 2 runs) so perhaps we are not quite so far away.

Hopefully 2023 will bring us some better fortune, and we can push for promotion once again

Richard Callcut

Newdigate Earthquakes

Sunday XIs

Year 2022 was a testing season for Newdigate CC Sunday XI. The popularity of the ‘Friendly Cricket’ grew in past two years and it was a challenge for me to keep the momentum. There were the challenge of managing two Sunday Teams and arrange fixture for the second team on ad-hoc basis, keeping Friendly fixture, as well as participate at the more competitive Village Cricket League and most importantly, provide a platform for the rising colts to take part in adult matches.

We were lucky with the weather too, as we were able to play a total 25 matches out of the scheduled 26 fixtures! Sunday 1st XI played 23 matches – 2 timed declaration VCL matches, both won. The remaining 21 matches were limited over matches – 7 of them were won by Sunday 1st XI.

Sunday 2nd XI played 3 matches – one T20 and other two matches were limited overs, managing one win over Newdigate Sunday XI.

Highlight matches of the season for me was the 21st August match vs BBC Bushmen, where a total of 592 runs were scored by both the teams, David Callcut scored a century and Newdigate won by 10 runs! Then the win vs Dorking at their ground on 22nd May was a great one too, where we won by 28 runs defending our score of 126, Jagadeesh took 7 wickets to take a place at Surrey Honours Board! Newdigate vs Merton contest goes on evenly, both team defeating each other at their Home ground, in narrow margins! Mark 19 June 2022 as a day when the new nets were inaugurated and 22 Newdigate players played for Sunday 1st XI vs Sunday 2nd XI Friendly match.

51 strong players took part in the journey in the year 2022. Colts shone – Stimpsons, Duthie, AJ, young Glen, Dearsley, Harper, Ball brothers and Ahmed – all enjoyed their great performances. The regulars and casuals all enjoyed their part. Jagadeesh scored a whooping 400+ with JB, Hussain, Mike Duthie and DC following; again Jagadeesh topped the bowling ranks by claiming 27 wickets, Balaji, Ian and myself following him.

For 2023, Sunday XI teams are scheduled to play 10 VCL matches at Home and Away. Both Sunday 1st XI and 2nd XI are scheduled to play another 14 limited over matches. Plans are there for arranging mid-week T20s when grounds are available and also play away matches whenever we will have adequate players to form the Sunday 2s – on Ad-hoc basis.

My thanks goes to James Penfold and Andrew Major for their relentless efforts to keep the ground up to the standard, for their advices with fixtures and facilities. Kudos to Karen, DJ, Angus Harper for their support. Top marks to the Tea Ladies – Mrs Stimpson, Mrs Dearsley and Mrs Elahi for the supply of mouth watering delicious food.

Above all, my thanks to all my Sunday players, all of whom are gold-dust to me. I see them putting in more than 100% of their efforts every time they are in the field, really enjoy their company in the dressing room, never shy away from the duty of umpiring or scoring or tidying up.

I look forward to continuing with the good work in the year 2023.

Monjur Elahi