There is always an underlying feeling of pride in belonging to a long established organisation and it is with this very much in mind, that we warmly commend this Fixture Card to all past and present members and friends of Mill Hill Village Cricket Club, which has now been in existence for 145 years. It is a club with tradition and one which has played no small part in the social life of Mill Hill Village, a fact that should give quiet satisfaction to all who have ever been connected with it. .

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MILL HILL VILLAGE SPORTS CLUB

Burtonhole Lane, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, NW7 1AS

CLUB OFFICERS

President: Vince Holohan 23 Melrose Avenue, Borehamwood, Herts 02082071484 Chairman: Edward Kelly 01438 817650 07802 410485 Vice Chairman: Chalky Cara 49 Clifton Road, Finchley, London N3 2AS 020 8371 0626 07973 669778 Hon. Secretary: Lawrence Bird Flat 7, 11 Woodside Avenue, London, N12 07763 661611 Finance Committee: Sharon Thompson 129 Woodcote Avenue, Mill Hill, London, NW7 2PD 020 8906 4155 07905 287402 Hon. Membership Secretary: Lawrence Bird 07763 661611

Routes to the Ground

The ground is situated at the end of Burtonhole Lane just past Finchley Nurseries Garden Centre. Burtonhole Lane is a turn opposite

“The Adam and Eve” pub along The Ridgeway. From Golders Green, Edgware or Mill Hill East Underground Stations, take a

240 bus and alight at the National Institute for Medical Research then walk down the lane and follow the signs.

MILL HILL VILLAGE CRICKET COMMITTEE

Chairman: Edward Kelly 01438 817650 27 Gun Lane, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, SG3 6BJ (m) 07802 410485 e-mail: edwardpkelly@hotmail.com

Hon. Secretary: Phil Smith 3 Garratts Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 4LA (m) 07976 297721 e-mail: philip.smith@nsn.com

Hon. Fixture Secretary: Phil Smith As Above

Hon. Membership Secretary: Lawrence Bird Flat 7, 11 Woodside Avenue, London, N12 (m) 07763 661611

e-mail: lozza17@talk21.com Colts Secretary: Richard Downes

16 Aylesham Close, Mill Hill, London NW7 2SF e-mail: richardcdownes@hotmail.co.uk (m) 07736052012

CLUB UMPIRES PANEL Vince Holohan Ian Sutherland* Donald Macleod* Richard Downes * Peter Jaffe* Philip Smith*

* Full Member ECB ACO

CLUB WELFARE OFFICERS Edward Kelly Julian Peel

TEAM OFFICIALS

Club Captain: David Overton 07951 369227 E-mail: davidoverton@hotmail.co.uk

2nd X1 Captain: Dave Flavell 07852122473

E-mail: dflavell@fastmail.fm

3rd XI Captain: Lawrence Bird 07763 661611

E-mail: lozza17@talk21.com

Sunday 1st X1 League Captain: David Overton 07951 369227 E-mail: davidoverton@hotmail.co.uk

Development XI Captain: Richard Downes 07736 052012

E-mail: richardcdownes@hotmail.co.uk

Use the following web address for the

Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League. Fixtures, Results, Registration, League news

and Match rules can all be found here.

Plus details of all Opposition club grounds and addresses.

http://www.hertsleague.co.uk/

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MATCH FEES

Full Member: Annual subscriptions £120.00 Annual subscriptions if paid after 31st May £150.00

Match Fees: £10.00

Colts: Annual Subscriptions £100.00

Under 9s and below: £50.00 Colts Match Fees: (in adult games) £5.00

Social Membership: Annual Subs £20.00

All subscriptions are to be paid by the 31st May.

If you wish to split the payment of your annual subs in two parts, please speak to a member of the cricket committee

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FIXTURES 2013

Home Fixtures in bold type

Day Date Team Opposition Time

Saturday 20 Apr Club Bentley Heath 1.30pm

Saturday 27 Apr 1st XI Boxmoor I 1.30pm

2nd XI Boxmoor II 1.30pm

Saturday 04 May 1st XI Met Police Bushey II 1.00pm

2nd XI St Albans IV 1.00pm

3rd XI Met Police Bushey III 1.00pm

Sunday 05 May Club Alexandra Palace 6-a-side 1.00pm

Monday 06 May Cup Potters Bar (Semi Final) 1.00pm

Saturday 11 May 1st XI Sawbridgeworth III 1.00pm

2nd XI Potters Bar IV 1.00pm

3rd XI Redbourn III 1.00pm

Sunday 12 May Dvlpmt Rainmakers 1.30pm

Saturday 18 May 1st XI Northchurch II 1.00pm

2nd XI Flitwick III 1.00pm

3rd XI Stevenage V 1.00pm

Sunday 19 May Dvlpmt Monken Hadley 2.00pm

Saturday 25 May 1st XI Langleybury III 1.00pm

2nd XI St Margaretsbury III 1.00pm

3rd XI Watford Town III 1.00pm

Sunday 26 May Dvlpmt Battersea Bandits 2.00pm

Monday 27 May Cup Final (TBC)

Saturday 01 Jun 1st XI Totteridge Millhills IV 1.00pm

2nd XI Chipperfield Clardon III 1.00pm

3rd XI Cockfosters V 1.00pm

Sunday 02 Jun Club Under 30s vs Over 30s 1.30pm

Saturday 08 Jun 1st XI Harpenden IV 1.00pm

2nd XI Southgate Compton II 1.00pm

3rd XI Rickmansworth IV 1.00pm

Sunday 09 Jun CV Stanmore 1.30pm

Saturday 15 Jun 1st XI Old Camdenians II 1.00pm

2nd XI Preston III 1.00pm

3rd XI Tewin II 1.00pm

Sunday 16 Jun CV Old Albanian Cavliers 1.30pm

Saturday 22 Jun 1st XI North Enfield II 1.00pm

2nd XI Ickleford III 1.00pm

3rd XI Hemel Hempstead V 1.00pm

Sunday 23 Jun Dvlpmt Old Haberdashers 1.30pm

Saturday 29 Jun 1st XI Hatfield Hyde II 1.00pm

2nd XI Ware II 1.00pm

3rd XI Old Albanian III 1.00pm

Sunday 30 Jun CV Chorleywood 2.00pm

Saturday 06 Jul 1st XI County Hall II 1.00pm

2nd XI Holtwhites Trinibis III 1.00pm

3rd XI Broxbourne IV 1.00pm

Sunday 07 Jul Dvlpmt St Peter’s Old Boys 1.30pm

Weds 10 Jul Club TBC – T20 6.00pm

Thursday 11 Jul Club Bacchanallians – 40 over 2.00pm

Friday 12 Jul Club Paddington – T20 5.30pm

Saturday 13 Jul 1st XI Old Owens II 1.00pm

2nd XI Potton Town II 1.00pm

3rd XI Berkhamsted III 1.00pm

Sunday 14 Jul CV Harrow St. Mary's 1.30pm

Saturday 20 Jul 1st XI Northampton Exiles II 1.00pm

2nd XI Northampton Exiles III 1.00pm

3rd XI Cheshunt II 1.00pm

Sunday 21 Jul Dvlpmt TBC

Monday 22 Jul Tour Stone 2.00pm

Tuesday 23 Jul Tour TBC 2.00pm

Weds 24 Jul Tour Frampton 2.00pm

Thurs 25 Jul Tour Slimbridge 2.00pm

Saturday 27 Jul 1st XI Hemel Hempstead IV 1.00pm

2nd XI Shenley Village III 1.00pm

3rd XI Bushey III 1.00pm

Sunday 28 Jul CV Shepherds Bush 1.30pm

Saturday 03 Aug 1st XI Letchworth Grdn City IV 1.00pm

2nd XI Hatfield Crusaders IV 1.00pm

3rd XI Preston IV 1.00pm

Sunday 04 Aug CV Hoddesdon 1.00pm

Saturday 10 Aug 1st XI Bushey II 1.00pm

2nd XI Letchworth Garden City V 1.00pm

3rd XI Harpenden V 1.00pm

Sunday 11 Aug CV Kings Langley 1.00pm

Saturday 17 Aug 1st XI Offley & Stopsley 1.00pm

2nd XI Botany Bay III 1.00pm

3rd XI Bentley Heath II 1.00pm

Sunday 18 Aug CV Eastcote II 1.00pm

Saturday 24 Aug 1st XI Dunstable III 1.00pm

2nd XI Knebworth Park V 1.00pm

3rd XI Southgate Adelaide III 1.00pm

Sunday 25 Aug Club Presidents Day XI 1.00pm

Monday 26 Aug TBC

Saturday 31 Aug 1st XI Baldock II 1.00pm

2nd XI Cockfosters IV 1.00pm

3rd XI Hatfield Crusaders V 1.00pm

Sunday 01 Sep CV West Herts 12:30

Saturday 07 Sep 1st XI Northwood Town II 12:30

2nd XI Radlett V 12:30

3rd XI Langleybury IV 12:30

Sunday 08 Sep Dvlpmt North Two 13:00

Saturday 14 Sep Club MHV 6 – a – side 12:30

Sunday 15 Sep Club TBC

MHV 1st ELEVEN 2012 SEASON REPORT Matches 19; Wins 10; Draws 1; Lost 2; No Result 6 2012 was another good season for the 1st XI, leading to a second successive promotion in the Herts League. Yet despite the success it was somehow an anti-climax, with expectations of winning the league having been so high at the outset. They say that the final league tables don’t lie but in this case, many of us believe that it is not an accurate reflection of the correct order of strength among teams in the division. We experienced the wettest season in the history of the league and as a result, close to one third of the 1st team league fixtures were washed out. Our number of ‘No Results’ was higher than any other team in the top half of the division and this was a major factor in the number of points we were ultimately able to amass. It would be wrong to blame the weather entirely though. Having gone unbeaten in 2011, it was disappointing to suffer 2 defeats last season, both of which were games we could and probably should have won. The pivotal match of the season came in the middle of June against Old Elizabethans. Two dropped catches towards the end of a hard fought and low scoring contest cost the Village their 100% Herts league record. In truth the real damage was done during the poor batting display. Stuck in on a sticky wicket, the Village home side could only muster 132 against a fairly innocuous attack. A less than spectacular start was overcome and at 82-3 there was little danger on the horizon but OEs then brought on their leg spinner. The Village middle and lower order collapsed like a deck of cards, not to dramatic turn and bounce but rather to a series of poor shots and bad decision making. Only Hinal Gajjar emerged with any credit, ending on 35 not out from the number 4 slot. Just two others, Marcus Cara and Dave Overton passed 20 but both then fell victim to the leggy. 5 of the last 6 batsmen managed 6 runs between them. Full of the confidence borne of a long undefeated run, the Village were still positive about defending the below par total of 132. Early wickets fell and the pendulum was swinging towards the Village with the opposition at 59-5. However the two best batsmen on the day were both in OE colours. The opening bat and the no.7 showed skill, application and batted well under pressure. Between them, they took the score to 115-6 and the game looked up for the Village. Dave Overton and Saahil Mehra had other ideas. Both bowled excellent spells at the start of the innings and did the same on their return. Overton (6-51) was particularly fired up in his second spell and Mehra (3-43) too was attacking the crease at a fair gallop. With pressure telling on the batting side, the Village were slowly prising out the tail, as the run rate slowed to a crawl. With just a couple of runs to play with, the crucial turning points arrived. At 9 down, having fought back into the game from a hopeless position, the Village contrived to spill two catches in successive balls. OEs were able to claim the victory runs just a ball later. It was a hugely disappointing loss. The other defeat came towards the end of the season in a top of the table clash against Baldock, which put the final nail in the title challenge. The Village turned up with a weakened side due to several key absences and this, combined with a couple of dubious decisions along the way, put the run chase just beyond our capabilities on the day.

Ten victories, most of them fairly comfortable, meant that the 1st XI certainly enjoyed more high points than low ones in 2012. Bowling probably remains the teams strongest discipline and the opening attack of Skipper Overton and the thoroughbred Mehra continued to be the driving force of the team, capturing 56 wickets between them. The success stories of the season however were the opening batting combination of Sunny Raval and Rory Macleod, who were both elevated to the 1st team half way through the season and who rapidly became the most successful and consistent opening pair the Village has seen for many years. Both Rory and Sunny showed remarkable consistency in the latter part of the season scoring 263 & 260 runs respectively in only 6 completed league innings each. On the batting front, notable and regular contributions were made by the old guard of Felix Charles and Phil Smith, with Danny Potter weighing in with the third highest aggregate of runs across the season after Rory and Sunny. Lack of opportunity and some difficult batting conditions meant that many of the team’s ‘all-rounders’ in the middle and lower order, failed to contribute as well as they would have hoped and more should be expected next season from the likes of Marcus Cara, Majid Asif and Andrew Potter. For the bowlers, outside the opening pair, the most successful in terms of league wickets was Majid Asif with 19 wickets at an average of just 8.1, followed by a very creditable 10 wickets for young George Downes with his left arm orthodox spin. 9 wickets for Marcus Cara and the 6 for Ajay Bhatia in just two games are also worth a mention. Marcus Cara and Andrew Potter topped the fielding stats tables with most catches and run outs. A big thank you to everyone at the club who helps to make the cricket run smoothly. In particular, to Ted Kelly for his substantial behind the scenes endeavours to keep the club moving in the right direction. To Pete Jaffe and Dave Flavell for their superb amenities improvement works and as always to Vince Holohan for his excellent and ever entertaining contributions as team umpire. The 1st XI will have high expectations for a third successive promotion in 2013. Whether we are able to make a meaningful assault on the Division 8 title may depend on player availability and the reversal of the trend which has seen significant playing talent exit the club over recent seasons. The strength of any club is measured by the results and league position of its 1st XI, so everyone should be 100% behind the team and do everything possible to make it successful. Let’s continue to enjoy ourselves both on and off the field.

PHIL SMITH

MHV FIRST XI LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGES 2012 SEASON

Qualification = 3 Innings/100 runs

Name

Inns

Not outs

Runs

High Score

100s

50s

Average

Rory MacLeod 6 3 263 73 0 3 87.7 Sunny Raval 6 2 260 95 0 2 65.0 Nir Shah 3 0 122 94 0 1 40.7 Daniel Potter 7 1 207 63 0 2 34.5 Felix Charles 9 3 177 49 0 0 29.5 Majid Asif 3 2 28 17 0 0 28.0 David Overton 4 2 53 20 0 0 26.5 Phil Smith 10 3 183 40 0 0 26.1 Hinal Gajjar 10 5 93 35 0 0 18.6 Andrew Potter 5 1 74 23 0 0 18.5 Marcus Cara 6 0 110 39 0 0 18.3

MHV FIRST XI LEAGUE BOWLING AVERAGES - 2012 SEASON

Qualification = 5 wickets/25 overs

Name

Overs

Runs

Wkts

Econ

Best

SR

Avge

Nir Shah 23.5 44 8 1.8 3-7 17.9 5.5 Majid Asif 63.4 153 19 2.4 6-54 20.1 8.1 Ajay Bhatia 25 56 6 2.2 3-21 25.0 9.3 David Overton 159 392 32 2.5 6-51 29.8 12.3 Saahil Mehra 137.2 300 24 2.2 5-29 34.3 12.5 Marcus Cara 52.5 182 9 3.4 3-4 35.2 20.2 George Downes 56.5 221 10 3.9 3-18 34.1 22.1 Andrew Potter 32 129 5 4 3-7 38.4 25.8

MHV 2nd ELEVEN 2012 SEASON REPORT

After missing out on promotion the previous year we were determined to put that right by getting off to a positive start in 2012. Our first game was abandoned without a ball being bowled so the first action came at a damp and cold Southgate Compton. Vice-captain Zafar Basit lost the toss and was soon one of many back in the pavilion. Despite the conditions, our total of 55 was a very poor effort. A fighting display with the ball saw us pick up 5 bonus points as Compton eased home to victory. Two games gone and we were bottom! Our fortunes were to change with a comfortable victory at home to Old Albanians. Having been 42 for 4 the Village recovered to 172 for 8 off 44 overs thanks to Sanket (41), Jaffe (31) and Crocker (32*). Albanians never recovered from Ajay’s opening spell (3-16) and Wingnut mopped up the tail with 3 wickets. Away to Chilton06 – a fine bowling performance saw us dismiss the opposition for 108 before Sanket (41*) and Jon Bird (47*) steered us to an 8 wicket victory. This was followed up by an equalling dominant performance at table topping Redbourn. On a difficult wicket, a fine fifty from MacLeod and significant contributions from Bird, Wingnut and extras (41) enabled Downes to declare at 227 for 8 off 44. Opening with the old ball Downes (3-18) and Raval (2-10) reduced Redbourn to 29 for 6. Some fine fielding including 3 runs outs and Burger’s new ball bowling finished off the job – Redbourn 64 all out. With the captain at the Test match Zaf took charge of the home game against Harpenden. On a wet pitch we did well to reach 181 for 4 off 44 overs – the Claw (59) top scoring with support from Zaf, MacLeod and Bird. Ajay again starred with the old ball reducing the away team to 19 for 5 and a straight forward victory seemed inevitable. However, the Harpenden skipper dug in and received support from the lower order and 3 wickets were required from the last 5 overs. A run out from Crocker and Burger removing their captain left Ajay with 1 over at the last pair – 2 balls were to prove enough, as a vital victory was achieved. Ajay finished with figures of 6 for 19. We were now in the promotion places but faced newly promoted Watford Town, who had won all the games they had played thus far. Downes’s decision to bat on a green pitch was looking ill-judged at 68 for 7 at drinks. One of the 7 included a third duck from Darshan who looked to have made a poor investment in spending £300 on a new bat which was yet to score a run! After drinks Downes joined MacLeod at the crease with the intention to use up as many overs as possible and pick up bonus points as they arrived. As ever, occupying the crease resulted in batting becoming easier and McLeod began to play more shots .By the time he was out for 59 the pair had more than doubled the score and taken 20 overs out the game. The last 2 wickets fell cheaply but a target of 143 from 45 overs gave us something to defend. The hosts reply started slowly but we could not force the breakthrough and Town were well placed at 35 without loss off 15 overs. However, Nut and Darshan removed the openers in quick succession and with 2 new batsmen in, the run rate was creeping up. 56 for 2 quickly became 78 for 6 as pressure took its toll. Victory was confirmed thanks to fine fielding, including another Crocker run out, and a well deserved ‘Michelle’ for Nut (5 for 27). This was to prove to be our best (and perhaps most important performance of the season) and against a very good opposition. This was followed up with a comfortable win against Cockfosters IV whose total of 53 was well under par – the wickets falling to Darshan (4 for 11) and Ajay (3 for 7). Having won 6 games on the bounce we were up to 2nd just 5 points off top spot.

At Bentley Heath we were asked to bat on a damp wicket. Against some excellent bowling we were soon 14 for 3 and 34 for 4. Thanks to McLeod (23), Legs (23) and Nut (24) we recovered slightly to 105 for 7 before Downes (26) marshalled the tail and we posted a competitive total of 152 for 9 off of 47 overs. We were soon on top thanks to Ajay (4 for 14) and Sanket (4 for 19) but despite trying 7 different bowlers we were left frustrated as Heath finished on 100 for 9. However, the weather was to thwart our progress for the next 2 weeks with games against struggling teams being abandoned without a ball being bowled. We returned to action at the Village, to host Southgate Adelaide. Having put Adelaide into bat, the seamers kept it very tight but could not breakthrough. With pressure mounting, spinners Downes 2 for 13 and Shah 3 for 25 ensured that the target was kept to a minimum. With just 111 required for victory we should have cruised home – however, despite 20s from Jaffe and Crocker we were 90 for 7 before Sanket (and his reverse sweeps) and Penny saw us home. At Langlebury we struck early thanks to an excellent slip catch from Penny off Crocker’s bowling. Again tight bowling kept the batsmen in check and Darshan (4 for 17) polished off the tail to leave us chasing 104. Once again we made hard work of it, eventually winning by 4 wickets with Zaf (26*) top scoring. With the captain again away on Test Match duty, Zaf led the team to an easy victory at home to Berkhampsted. Darshan (6-26) continued his good form and with Penny and Crocker each picking up 2 wickets, the visitors were skittled out for 65. The runs were knocked off for the loss of 3 wickets. The top 5 of ourselves, Cockfosters V, Southgate Compton, Flitwick and Watford Town were well clear of 6th place. With 5 games to go we needed 78 points to go up. That became 48 points from 4 games after victory at the excellent Old Owens ground. Put into bat, Zaf (78) enjoyed the ball coming on well and with support from Sanket (54*) we reached 224 for 4 from 43 overs. All the bowlers chipped in and a 118 run victory was secured. This was followed by a frustrating home game against Stevenage. Deciding to bat first we achieved out target of 10 batting points thanks to Claw (68*) and Sanket (38) and declared at 187 for 5 off of 44 overs. Stevenage made no attempt to chase the runs and despite rotating the bowlers, wickets were hard to come by – dropped catches didn’t help. A couple of late wickets gave us hope but we had to settle for a draw – Stevenage 99 for 7 off of 46 overs. We now needed 31 points from 3 games, and were placed second to Cockfosters. We were to be frustrated again – this time by the weather at Tewin. In a reduced game Sanket (47) top scored in our 142 for 7 off 39 overs. Bowling with a wet ball we did well to keep the run rate down and as pressure increased Nut (3 – 27) and Birju (3 – 28) picked up wickets. Tewin finished on 125 for 7 and it is to their credit that they played on through the rain in a game that held little significance to them. Going into the last two games against table topping Cockfosters and third placed Fliteick we needed 18 points – it would have been nice to have got them sooner rather than later! At home to Cockfosters our batting let us down again and we were dismissed for 128 – failing to use up 12 of our overs. We performed well with ball but couldn’t apply any real pressure before eventually losing by 7 wickets. We had been outplayed in all departments and Cockfosters were worthy champions and we still needed 11 points.

Our final game was to be the long trip to Flitwick. Having been invited to bat first we were soon in trouble. With wickets tumbling Lawrence Bird (38) tried to hold the innings together but we struggled to get any momentum and after 42 overs were 119 for 8. Some controlled hitting from Penny saw us to 140 (6 points) and a bonus last over took us to 158 for 9 – 8 batting points secured. Penny’s 28 had surely confirmed promotion with ‘only’ 3 wickets required. Once again we made life difficult for ourselves and Flitwick raced to 90 for 0. The introduction of Naz (3 for 19) and Penny (5 for 34) proved decisive and wickets began to tumble. It was Flitwick who were nervous now but they hung on to win by 2 wickets. We had limped over the line and ended up 4th when up until the last 2 games we had the title in our sights. It was our batting that let us down but if it can become more consistent I’m sure that Legs and his team can push for another promotion this season. Finally, there were good performances from many but special mention to Zaf (and thanks for standing in for me), Sanket and Rory whilst Dan Penny contributed with both bat & bat when called upon.

RICHARD DOWNES

MHV SECOND XI LEAGUE

BATTING AVERAGES 2012 SEASON Qualification = 3 Innings/50 runs

Name

Inns

Not outs

Runs

High Score

100s

50s

Average

G Lee 5 2 160 62 2 53.30 S Shah 12 4 306 54 1 38.30 R MacLeod 6 0 181 59 1 30.20 R Downes 7 5 57 26 27.50 L Crocker 9 2 151 32 21.60 G Burton 8 1 136 30 19.40 J Bird 12 2 189 47 18.90 Z Basit 14 2 212 78 1 17.70 P Jaffe 12 1 184 31 16.70 D Flavell 11 2 74 23 8.20 D Raval 7 2 29 13 5.80

MHV SECOND XI LEAGUE BOWLING AVERAGES - 2012 SEASON

Qualification = 5 wickets/25 overs

Name

Overs

Mdns

Runs

Wkts

Econ

Best

Avge

A Bhatia 84.5 - 157 19 1.90 6-19 8.30 D Raval 91.1 - 247 26 2.70 6-26 9.50 G Burton 81.3 - 198 19 2.40 5-27 10.40 D Penny 40.0 - 116 11 2.90 5-34 10.50 S Shah 34.0 - 103 9 3.00 4-19 11.40 B Lukka 72.1 - 143 12 2.00 2-8 11.90 R Downes 46.1 - 123 9 2.65 3-18 13.60 L Crocker 58.2 - 165 11 2.80 2-3 15.0

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MHV 3rd ELEVEN 2012 SEASON REPORT

Another year, another promotion! I’m not sure why Downesy finds it so difficult… Joking aside, the third team showed the consistency and form which has abandoned them many times over the past few seasons with a combination of both young and old helping along the way. The season started off with a rained off game, just a couple of weeks after we had been told that there would be a hosepipe ban owing to the lack of rain in the early part of 2012. Well this was just the curse that all cricket clubs needed, with some teams in our league suffering seven washouts out of their 19 games. Comparatively we were fortunate to only suffer five in one of the wettest summers on record. The first game therefore was played on May 12th on a very damp wicket at Baldock. Having borrowed the self-proclaimed ‘finisher’ Andy Potter from the upper echelons of the club, big things were expected (and no I’m not talking about the spam). After playing and missing a number of times, Andy picked up his first (but by no means his last) duck of the season. Unfortunately this was a game that was to be remembered for a ‘Suleman moment’ instead of any of the cricket that was played. After complaining he never got to stand anywhere decent Suleman was told to stand at point. Obligingly the batsman hit the ball exactly where Suley was standing, however by this time Suley had wandered off under some pretence that the sun (last seen in February) was in his eyes. Nevertheless a solid 18 point haul coupled with the fact that a number of other games were rained off, started our season off well. A good win against Waltham X Rosedale in the last over preceded a demolition of Parkfield and Headstone with the game only lasting 22 overs. Despite being 19-1, Parkfield crumbled to a paltry 32 all out with only 9 players (Ajay 4-14, Naz 3-1) moving us up to third place in the league. A mixed June saw us pick up three wins and two losses with Ajay, Joe Sheridan and Naz continuing to impress, with Naz even picking up a hat-trick in a losing cause. The one wicket loss to Old Elizabethans was tough to take, but given we hadn’t batted well, it wasn’t unexpected. The separate time zone that the third team appear to play in on a regular basis, continues to be an ongoing issue in the third team with Ali Sayed, Naz Asif and Shahme Farook the worst offenders. All will be presented with a watch set to BST at the beginning of next season to prevent a repeat. Two wash outs in early July stalled our progress, but with none of the teams in with a shout of promotion playing either, we weren’t negatively affected by it. The following fixture was against a Shenley side who hadn’t won a game up to that point and I was confident that we could keep it that way. However no-one was expecting the game to have finished at 2:18pm! After choosing to bat Shenley found themselves 0-3 in the third over with Naz and Liam assisted superbly in the slip cordon by Chalky who ended up with three catches, two of them full length screamers. Despite the fact that one ball also passed through the stumps to run away for 4 byes, Shenley were bowled out for 14, the lowest score in Village memory (Naz 5-6, Liam 5-3). Needless to say the runs were knocked off quickly.

A last over win at Rickmansworth (Ali Sayed 76) was hard fought but deserved before another cancelled game at Boxmoor. Back to back games with Preston and Bushey came up next, who were first and second in the table at that point. After a tetchy game the year before against Preston I was determined not to concede ground against them. Having won the toss for the first time in 9 games we chose to bat. At 101-6 this wasn’t looking like an inspired decision, but with Ali Sayed (80) showing restraint and sensible shot selection (yes you read correctly!) we were able to get up to 174/8 off our 47 overs. Liam then led the bowling admirably (3-11) to bowl them out for 95. Bushey were to prove a bigger challenge, however the task was made harder/easier (delete as appropriate) by the loss of Shaun Robertson to sunstroke whilst we were batting. Now given Shaun is from Scotland, he’s probably not used the blazing 16°C temperatures we get down here, so we played the game with 10 instead. At 68-1 with myself and Naz well set, a solid total looked on the cards. However after both departing within 3 balls of each other we ended up being rolled out for 123, our second lowest score of the season. A good start was required and with Yas Sayed, Chris O’Brien and Shahme sharing the old ball we had Bushey 40-3 and were firmly in the game. Yas was bowling a brilliant spell and was keeping things tight as well, so he shared the new ball with Liam. However Bushey’s number 4 was clearly a better player than anyone else we had played against throughout the season, with immaculate footwork and finding the middle of the bat with every shot. Wickets were falling at the other end though and with Naz bowling a devastating spell (3-16) we reduced them to 90-7, the number 4 still in and 50 not out at this point. Ali Sayed was thrown the ball, however with Ali you never know if you’ll be getting ‘unplayable Ali’ or ‘beamer Ali’. Fortunately we got the former who knocked over the number 4 and with Naz clearing up at the other end we won by 4 runs. At this point we were 94 points clear of 5th place and guaranteed promotion. Another washout and a surprise loss to Datchworth followed, before a second successive anti-climatic end to the season followed; after Wormley conceded the last game to leave us in second place overall. After initially deciding to step down as third team captain, I have agreed to endure it for one more season. Thanks to Chalky for stepping in when I wasn’t around and to all those players who helped achieve back to back promotions. I’m sure next season will present more challenges, but with a bit of application we should be able to manage a top half finish.

LAWRENCE BIRD

MHV THIRD XI LEAGUE

BATTING AVERAGES 2012 SEASON Qualification = 3 Innings/100 runs

Name

Inns

Not outs

Runs

High Score

100s

50s

Average

Naz Asif 9 1 260 65 0 2 32.50 Chris O'Brian 5 3 62 24 0 0 31.00 Joe Sheridan 6 0 142 53 0 1 23.67 Mick Webster 4 0 80 38 0 0 20.00 Daniel Penny 7 1 112 48 0 0 18.67 Lawrence Bird 11 2 156 38 0 0 17.33 Matin Khan 11 2 150 33 0 0 16.67 Dan Butcher 6 1 69 22 0 0 13.80 Shahme Farook 7 1 55 16 0 0 9.17 Ali Ilyas 6 3 24 16 0 0 8.00 Chalky Cara 5 1 23 11 0 0 5.75 Andrew Potter 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

MHV THIRD XI LEAGUE BOWLING AVERAGES - 2012 SEASON

Qualification = 5 wickets/25 overs

Name

Overs

Mdns

Runs

Wkts

Econ

Best

Avge

Lee Cara 14.0 0 40 5 2.9 5-40 8 Ajay Bhatia 26.0 3 75 9 2.9 5-33 8.3 Liam Maloney 65.1 13 178 21 2.7 5-3 8.5 Yasir Sayed 23.4 4 55 6 2.3 4-31 9.2 Naz Asif 72.5 10 230 23 3.2 5-6 10 Ali Sayed 19.0 1 56 5 2.9 2-5 11.2 Daniel Penny 62.5 8 206 14 3.3 3-12 14.7 Chalky Cara 44.0 2 157 9 3.6 2-18 17.4 Chris O'Brian 35.0 3 164 8 4.7 5-34 20.5 Shahme Farook 40.4 8 148 6 3.6 3-17 24.7

LEFT BLANK FOR PHOTO OF 3rd XI

COLTS SECTION

TEAM OFFICIALS Colts Secretary: Richard Downes

16 Aylesham Close, Mill Hill, London NW7 2SF (M) 07736 052012 e-mail: richardcdownes@hotmail.co.uk

This season we will be running U10s U11s, U13s and U15s

Coaches Phil Smith Dave Flavell 07976 297721 07852122473 Dave Overton Richard Downes 07951 369227 07736052012 Felix Charles Ted Kelly 07875115520 07802 410485 Additional coaching pool Graham Witcher Marcus Cara

Melvin Cara Pete Jaffe

Andrew Potter Daniel Potter

Chris Potter Graeme Burton

Lawrence Bird Hinal Gajjar

If you have any problems getting in touch with your coach, please contact Richard.

COLTS FIXTURES 2013

Under 10s Cup 1st Round Bye Fixture TBC

Under 11s

May Thursday 2 Southgate Compton 6.00pm Thursday 9 Southgate 6.00pm Monday 13 Maccabi Vale 6.00pm Monday 20 Cockfosters 6.00pm Sunday 26 Southgate Adelaide 10.00am June Sunday 2 Southgate Compton 6.00pm Thursday 13 Southgate 6.00pm

Tuesday 18 Maccabi Vale 6.00pm Wednesday 26 Cockfosters 6.00pm July Friday 5 Southgate Adelaide 6.00am

Under 13s April Monday 29 Enfield 6.00pm May Tuesday 7 Edmonton 6.00pm Thursday 16 Southgate Adelaide 6.00pm Wednesday 22 Maccabi Vale 6.00pm Wednesday 29 Old Elizabethans 6.00pm

June

Monday 3 Enfield 6.00pm Tuesday 11 Edmonton 6.00pm Wednesday 19 Southgate Adelaide 6.00pm Tuesday 25 Maccabi Vale 6.00pm

July

Monday 1 Old Elizabethans 6.00pm

Under 15s May Wednesday 1 Maccabi Vale 6.00pm Friday 10 Old Elizabethans 6.00pm Friday 17 Southgate Adelaide 6.00pm Friday 24 Botany Bay 6.00pm Wednesday 29 Totteridge Millhillians 6.00pm

June

Wednesday 5 Maccabi Vale 6.00pm Wednesday 12 Old Elizabethans 6.00pm Friday 21 Southgate Adelaide 6.00pm Friday 28 Botany Bay 6.00pm

July

Wednesday 3 Totteridge Millhillians 6.00pm

MILL HILL VILLAGE COLTS REPORT FOR 2012

The abiding memory of the 2012 season will be the terrible weather we endured, which led to an unprecedented number of postponed matches and cancelled trainings. At times, this was very frustrating, no more so than when a sequence of attempts to get an Area play-off match underway all failed due to rain. Unfortunately this eventually cost the Under 11s the chance of competing for a place in the subsequent rounds of the Area competition, as they had to settle the play off tie with the ‘lottery’ of a bowl out, which went against them. The cricket that did get played was hugely enjoyable and in the case of the Under 11 side very successful. The boys were crowned Div 3 East Area Champions and will be rewarded by competing in Division 2 this season. It was delightful to see the rapid progression of so many of the players who represented the club with such distinction. The improvement was evident both in the development of their cricket skills and in the match craft they displayed in turning a couple of close fixtures in their favour. The Under 11s are blessed with lots of bowling talent and it was pleasing to be able to give most players a chance to turn their arm over in most games. Bowling straight is the key to winning games at this age group and the lack of wide and no ball deliveries in comparison with most of their oppositions regularly gave the Village the edge. Runs were often harder to come by but the boys quickly learnt how to run hard between the wickets and rotate the strike and despite a lack of consistent individual scoring, they won several games as a result of applying these disciplines well. The Under 13s were less successful in terms of results but still competed extremely well in most matches. This despite the fact the side was made up almost exclusively of under age group players. The boys all represented the club with pride and demonstrated superb keenness and endeavour in all matches. The same squad will be able to compete again at this age group this season and can be expected to be even more competitive. Generally in the end of season write ups, the best performers and performances are picked out. However, last season was a genuine team effort with every single player making a valuable contribution in one or more games. As a result I have listed all the players who did the club proud at U11 and U13 age groups last season. Thomas Smith; Zaaman Dudhia, Zaki Hasan, Jamanvir Kumar, Rudra Bhoja, Ronit Anand, Chirag Tailor, Nikhil, Thomas Brent, Jake Maddison, Obaydh Khan, Max Robertson, Karan Patel, Assad Ali, Luqman Ali, Ikjyot Singh Anand, Ben Heels and Zaki Roberts. I hope that all the squad members continue to have fun on the field in the coming seasons, as a love and enjoyment of the game is the key to improvement as cricketers.

At Under 15 level, the season was also ruined by the weather and it was no surprise that the boys lacked consistency. At times we bowled well and at times we fielded well but we didn’t manage to implement these skills in the same game. With the bat George Downes continued to improve, whilst Ben & Jonny need to show greater application early on to fulfil their undoubted potential. On the bowling front it was good to see young Tommy Smith make his U15 debut. The lads generally fielded with great enthusiasm and were a good group to work with. Thank you to Graham Whitcher for his help and to all the parents who came along to support. As ever any and all help is much appreciated. The 2012 season saw George, Rohan, Jonny, Ben and Jamie Whitcher all play adult cricket. We hope that they and others will continue to do so during 2013. As before, we will have Level One and Level Two Coaches (all CRB checked by the ECB) training the boys and girls this season and we are looking forward to even better performances and further success. Finally, thanks to all the Managers and Coaches for their help last season and to Lee and Mel for their admin (and coaching!) skills. Colts Awards Under 11 Player of the Year: Rudra Boja Under 13 Player of the Year: Ikjyot Singh Anand Under 15 Player of the Year: George Downes Presidents Cup Winner: Tommy Smith

Phil Smith & Richard Downes Outdoor colts training sessions run from 6.30pm to 8pm on

Friday evenings, commencing on April 19th and concluding on July 19th..

If it is wet the training is likely to be cancelled so please check with the coaches as early as possible. Arrangements should be made for your child to travel to and from training sessions and matches. We would appreciate it if children can arrive promptly and are collected promptly at the end of the session, if they are not making their own way home. If you are going to be late picking up your child, please contact Richard Downes on 07736052012 or Philip Smith on 07976 297721 and let them know. Please complete and hand back the Junior Membership form and read this plus your introductory letter carefully, as they spell out our commitment to the development of young cricketers and your role and responsibilities in ensuring this can happen successfully.

LEFT BLANK FOR PHOTO OF COLTS SIDES

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

April 19th Friday 6.00pm First Outdoor Colts Training Night

May 26th Sunday 7.00pm Social Event (TBC) June 2nd Sunday 1.30pm Over30s vs Under 30s June 22nd Saturday 7.00pm Social Event (TBC) July 12th Friday 5.30pm Ron Bunning Memorial Trophy vs Paddington July 21st – 25th Mon - Friday

Cricket Tour Gloucester

August 25th Sunday 11.00am Presidents Day Cricket Summer Fete and Draw Sept 7th Saturday 7.00pm Curry & Race night Sept 14th Saturday 11.00am MHV 6 a side competition December Saturday 7.30pm Christmas Supper The Bar will be open from 7.30pm on Fridays during the Summer. During Winter, keep in touch about Indoor Nets. Watch the Notice Board for other events during the year. Please support the Club at all events and in any way that you can!

SUMMER FETE GRAND PRIZE DRAW This year, we will be holding a big raffle on the day of

the Presidents Day Summer Fete If you are able to provide any prizes, perhaps from your business or as a personal contribution, the club would be very grateful to receive any donations. Please contact any member of the club committee detailed in this handbook.

LEFT BLANK FOR PHOTOS OF PRESIDENTS DAY

OR OTHER EVENTS??

PAST PRESIDENTS

G.A. Shankland – 1961-63 H.H. Mallatratt – 1964-66 F.G. Matthews – 1967-69 V.J. Lewis – 1969-72 G.A. Wildman – 1972-75 W. Carden – 1975-78 F.H. Jex – 1978-81 F.O. Matthews 1981-84 J.M. Williams – 1984-87 W.A.V. Odoni – 1987-90 W.J. Emery – 1991-94 A. Brittain – 1994-97 P.W.J. Mayles – 1997-2000 G. Hurd – 2000-03 T. Gallagher - 2003 – 06 R. Cowden – 2006 - 09 E P Kelly - 2009 - 12

VICE PRESIDENTS D. Bunning R. Bunning J. W. Butler A. Coates R. Cross J.D. David D. Dean Mrs L.Downes D.S. English MBE J. Eve A.D. Golding R.N. Golding J. Hardie E. Hawes J. Hazell V. Holohan S Hurd Mrs K. Kelly H.D. Leake M Levy D.J. Mead P.V. Mead E. Morcombe J. Muslin G. Nicholls B. Palmer E. Palmer A.E. Pearce B .A. Pescod D. Pestell G.J. Pratt Mrs J.A. Ratcliff R. Rumble J.A Rylands B Simpson R.C. Stollery C.J. Tomkins G Topp J.H. Vivian G. Westmore P Watts E.A. Whytock M. Williamson P. Wooldridge K Withers S Martindill

CAN YOU HELP

Any parent or players who can assist with coaching our many Colts cricketers on a Friday evening, or who would be happy to help transport the teams to away matches, please contact the appropriate team coach. It would be very much appreciated. There are recognised coaching courses available to suit all levels from helpers through to senior coaches – if you are interested in attending a course please contact Ted or Richard for details.

NOTICE TO PLAYERS

Selection of teams takes place on Monday evenings during the cricket season. It is up to all players to make their availability known to the Team Captains. If you have not heard about your game but wish to play, ring a Captain and ask, don’t wait for the Club to call you. Selected players wishing to drop out of a side, must do so before 9.00pm on Thursday and should contact their Captain as early as possible.

Players should arrive at the ground at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start of play.

It is each player’s responsibility to ascertain whether or not a game is cancelled due to bad weather. Please phone the Team Captain. You must never assume that a match is called off Disciplinary action, in accordance with the Cricket Committee’s Terms of Reference, may be taken in such circumstances.

All players please note that the usual meeting place for away matches will be Mill Hill Broadway Station unless otherwise advised. Please be at the meet on time for all away matches.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

This past year has been the easiest of my fourteen years as chairman due to the management committee and section directors taking most of the load. So I would like to thank Chalky, Lawrence, Sharon, Pete, Phil, Richard, Julian, Legs and Nut for their work. Also all the team Managers, Captains, Coaches and Fixture secretaries. Special thanks to Sharon for being guardian of the clubs funds and a cornerstone of our survival. Thanks yet again to Kathy and Lee for putting on fantastic spreads for Presidents Day and Christmas. Having also just completed my 3years as President, the success of the lunches have made it a happy presidency.

"The further backward you look, the further forward you may see" and

"Forgive your enemies but don't forget their names"

Ted Kelly

The Village in Winter

Our Footballers, both Adult and Junior have suffered a long wet winter with many cancelled games. Even so all three adult teams are at the right end of the league table coming into the home straight with our seconds reaching a cup final. Our youth football is now completing 5 years and is looking good for the future. Youth Football: Home games are played on a Sunday morning at the club with training taking place on Saturday mornings. If you wish to play, coach, referee or assist in any way, please get in touch with any member of the cricket committee, who will point you in the right direction.

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