Round the Wicket

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There was a player’s meeting recently, well attended by senior players - and, we are delighted to say, by two of our ’senior juniors’ - but seriously lacking in those more commonly turning out with the Twos. Let’s be precise - there was only one guy at the meeting who has been a Twos regular this year. Come on, guys - we need to see all players helping to plot our course for the future.  More of that in a moment.

Robbie Birrell was elected unanimously as captain for 2009, Alan Wallace stepping down after what everyone agreed had been a very difficult year. More of that in a moment as well. Dave ‘Coo’ Cowan was unanimously elected as vice captain, with some delicately euphemistic words from Dave Christie. ‘Delicate’ like “then he needs to get himsel’ fit. Get some o’ that weight aff.” Coo has been plagued with injuries for a long time, but he still has so much to offer, both as a player and as a reader of the game, and we all hope that we can indeed see him back as a playing regular next year. Elections for second XI captain and vice will be held at a date to be advised.

Now to the bits alluded to above - ‘all the players’ and ‘a difficult year.’

One of the big factors in our ‘difficulties’ was the fact that we had no overseas players. In the last few years, our overseas players have not necessarily been our highest wicket takers or run-scorers, but they have always been very, very, useful players who did a lot to add to our home-grown guys. The problem has not been about finding candidates - it’s been about getting accommodation for them. So we have a team of three guys charged with the task of finding us suitable players for 2009, and another team responsible for making sure there will be accommodation for them.

And ‘all the players’? In the season just past, we sometimes had difficulty in getting two teams on the park on a Saturday. When Bill Frindall was with us for our Centenary Dinner, I was telling him about our concerns over player numbers. “It’s the same all over,” he said, “shortage of players leading to clubs having to merge, in many cases to clubs going out of existence.” We have to make sure that doesn’t happen to us, and that calls for more commitment from some of our people. Remember the picture of the ninety or so kids taken up the park this summer? We have to make sure that a decent proportion of these kids come through to the senior teams, and that the club is competing a senior level when they get there. The AGM is on Sunday 7th December at 3 pm, and that’s going to be one of the items on the agenda. Make sure you are there to help.

For anyone who missed the Reporting Scotland news report last night, we’ll go into some of the highlights.

The strength and enthusiasm of the Sussex Ladies shines through in an interview with their Captain, Alexia Walker.

Dave Christie reminisces on what is unarguably Freuchie’s (if not Scotland’s) finest cricketing moment, the National Village Cup win in 1985.

Our new signing, a Mr Andy Goram, seemed to be attracting a fair amount of media attention for some reason! Welcome to the club Andy. We’ll have more about and from the new signing in due course.

… and finally….

According to the reporter, John Anderson may be “the most important delivery of all”. 
Or maybe it was the barrel of beer he had in tow at the time. Decide for yourself.

[Updated: BBC Reporting Scotland don't appear to keep news reports online. The link to the news report was removed from this original blog post as it is used for the most recent show.]

Technorati Tags: Alexia Walker, Andy Goram, BBC, cricket, Freuchie, Freuchie Cricket Club, National Village Cup, Reporting Scotland

For those brave enough, or with a strong constitution, you may like to take a look over on the Forfarshire Cricket Club website for a round up and video footage of the XI match held on Saturday 7th June 2008.

Unfortunately for us, Forfarshire Cricket Club was by far the stronger team and played exceedingly well on the day.

Cricket Scotland also has the official scorecard for this match available for your perusal.

Technorati Tags: cricket, Cricket Scotland, Freuchie Cricket Club Forfarshire Cricket Club

Photo: Alan Duncan , President of Freuchie Cricket Club, welcomes the sponsors

Photo: The sponsors tuck into a delicious lunch

Photo: The local support was out in strength

Photo: Fans watch on from their cars

Photo: A fine day for cricket

Photo: But, alas wickets were lost too cheaply by Freuchie

Photo: Forfarshire congratulate themselves

Photo: Freuchie batsman puts some runs on the scoreboard

Photo: Forfarshire retrieve the ball from a nearby garden

Photo: The rowdy Freuchie fans cheer on their team

Photo: Forfarshire kept the pressure coming

Photo: Is someone lying down on the job?

Photo: Freuchie kept plugging away

Photo: That’ll be another run on the scoreboard

Photo: … and another

Photo: Run, run and keep running

Photo: “Quick! Get this mess cleaned up before Dave Christie sees it!”

Photo: “Dave will never know we touched his stuff!”

Photo: The onslot begins by the Forfarshire batsmen

Photo: Forfarshire batsman returns to the Pavilion after playing his part

Photo: Forfarshire put more and more runs onto the scoreboard

Photo: Is that a four then?

Photo: Is that a cricket bat or a light saber?

Photo: Even a break for orange squash didn’t affect the end result!

Photo: The winning post get closer with every ball

 
Photo: Freuchie Pele?

Photo: The Four Amigos enjoy the refreshments 

Photo: A thorn between two roses! 

Photo: “The Happy Couple” would like to announce….

Photo: Most stylish shoes of the day? 

Photo: Is Neil taking his Juniors’ duties too far?

Photo: The post match analysis goes on well into the evening!

If anyone would like a hi quality version of any photo then send an email to John over at Roundtrip Solutions.

Technorati Tags: cricket, Forfarshire Cricket Club, Fife, Freuchie, Freuchie Cricket Club, shoes

The Fixture Cards are finally with us. Bigger and better than ever. However, for those who can’t come to the clubhouse to pick one up, here’s the list, including those already played. This is a long bit of copy typing for somebody noted for careless errors, so if anybody sees wrangities, sing out.

Junior Club Cricket:

Junior District Cricket: 

Senior Cricket:

Christmas over, Ne’r'day sobered up from (no problem in my case), back to work for the non-wrinklies - Oh yes! That’s what’s next! Senior members are all invited to the annual Seniors’ Day Burns/Entertainment/Late Lunch Day, in the Clubhouse on Sunday 20th January. (I get to say ‘wrinklies’ because I am one). Jim Hepburn will be there as MC, - isn’t that right, John? - (a wee in-joke) and there will be stories, music and songs, with dancing by The McKays. And haggis and neeps and tatties. And maybe a wee dram? Whit mair could a body ask for?

Beyond that, there is to be a Race Night on 2nd February and a Sportsman’s Lunch on 3rd March, both promising to be good fun and good fund-raisers. We’ll have more about them in a few days.

Meantime, does anyone have photographs from our Cycle Relay Race? There seemed to be quite a few people around with cameras and we’d like to get a few of the best shots on to this blog. E-mail them to secretary@freuchiecricketclub.com

The Century almost in our grasp (Centenary Year, that is). So what’s to be nervous about?

At this stage, really only our long-promised Centenary Whisky, and we’re only one firm shot away from that, so to speak. (It’s tempting to talk about a few weeks of playing and missing, but you can overwork an analogy, can’t you). The Scottish Liqueur Centre has got our whisky (cask strength 12 year old single malt from the Tomatin Distillery), our much-pestered graphics designer has done the label and the design is away to Winter the Printer. So will we have Freuchie Cricket Club’s ‘Fraoch’ Centenary Whisky in time for Christmas presents to your favourite people? Surely. A souvenir to treasure, or a dram to enjoy? Get them two bottles, so they can have their whisky and drink it. A snip at £25, available from the Club or from the Lomond Hills Hotel in Freuchie.

The promised pens (£4) and ties (£10) are already on sale and going well. Get them at the club, at the Lomond Hills Hotel or at the Post Office.

Meantime, the AGM has come and gone, with never a punch thrown. (Not that the referees spotted, anyway). Main points are that we have Alan Duncan back as President, while Alan Wallace takes over as Club Captain. Lawrence’s business is making more and more demands on him, so Dave Christie takes over as Cricket Convener. Thanks for what you’ve done in the last couple of years, Lawrence. Robbie Birrell has taken over as Junior Convener, while the fee structure for junior members has been simplified - £5 for those of primary school age, £10 for those under eighteen, but the £1 match levy dropped. Membership fee for senior players has gone up to £50 - a bit of a hike from where it’s been, but still reckoned to be one of the lowest around.

Technorati Tags: cricket, Freuchie, Freuchie Cricket Club, Scottish Liqueur Centre, Tomatin Distillery, Winters Pioneer

The end-of-season awards dance was held in the Clubhouse on 13th October. A good time was had by all, with the following trophies presented:

First XI:

The Strathie Cup for best batting average, Alan Wallace

The FCC Cup for best batting aggregate, Robbie Birrell

The Dryden Trophy for best bowler, Scott Gourlay

The David Smart Memorial Cup for best fielder, Scott Gourlay

The Wood-McHugh Trophy for most vital innings, Scott Galloway (against Drumpelier)

The Andrew Grant Trophy for best catch, Robbie Birrell (against Forfarshire)

The G D Crichton Cup for Players’ Player, Scott Galloway

Second XI:

The FCC Cup for best batting average, Dave Cowan

The Ceilidh Cup for batting aggregate, Dave Cowan

The FCC Cup for best bowler, Dale Cowan (Airch would have been proud)

The Christie Trophy for best fielder, Andy Leckie

The Dick Morrison Memorial Trophy for Players’ Player, Dave Cowan

(Airch would have been proud about Dave’s awards as well, but he wouldnae have admitted it)

Juniors:

The David Robertson Cup for best bat, Shane Munro

The Coughan Trophy for best bowler, Dale Cowan

The Christie Trophy for best fielder, Robbie Wright

The Melville Cup for most improved player, Grant Horsburgh

The Nette Cowan Trophy for most catches, Shane Munro

The Fraser Irvine Shield for Under 13s Player of the Year, Liam Kelly

The Edmunds Shield for Under 15s Player of the Year, Robbie Wright.

Sadly, we had no Under 17 matches. The Club also won Cupar and Falkland Six-a-Side tournaments.

Technorati Tags: Freuchie, Freuchie Cricket Club, Drumpelier, Forfarshire, Cupar Cricket Club, Falkland Cricket Club

Archie Cowan, father of Dave, grandfather of Dale, was one of Freuchie Cricket Club’s notable characters. To quote the late Andrew Grant, famous both for wicket-keeping and for recitations “Ye aye get somethin’ special frae Airch, supposin’ it’s juist the wey he gets oot!” There was more to Airch than that, though. He scored his runs and took his wickets, and you always knew when he was on the park. The side had a more confident feeling when he was playing. And a few more laughs.

Sadly, Airch is no more, but as you will have gathered, is warmly remembered. Mary and the family put up a trophy in his memory, to be contested each year between us and our old rivals, Falkland Cricket Club. The extent of the various league and cup involvements for both clubs has made it difficult to arrange this season, but we are delighted to say that it’s on for this Sunday.

One o’clock start at Freuchie Park, Sunday 16th September. A Last Hurrah for the 2007 season. Be There!

Technorati Tags: Freuchie, Freuchie Cricket Club, Falkland, Falkland Cricket Club

Do or Die, we said.

Sadly, more of a whimper than a bang for the Firsts. A win on Saturday would have seen us in a play-off for promotion to Premier Division, but it was not to be. We fared poorly against Aberdeenshire Cricket Club’s attack then took only four of their wickets, giving us the proverbial nul points. Meanwhile, Stenhousemuir scored ONE SINGLE POINT in their match against Watsonians, to nudge us into fourth place. The ‘Sair tae Bear’ reported against Arbroath a few weeks back is now mair sair - we lost then by a single run, when just two more would have seen us firmly in second place. Anyway, no moaning!

The Twos did better, though. At home to Holy Cross with an injury-depleted team, they held the visitors to 170 runs, then batted resolutely to reach 171. Blair Forrester’s excellently struck 71 not out was a huge part of this. Indeed, he and Graeme Christie looked totally in control for a while until Blair called for a single of a smartly driven cover drive and Graeme was run out. Had Blair been a little more cautious in his call, had Graeme been backing up better, they might have made it a six wicket victory. The main thing is that we think this is enough to keep them in the top division of the East League, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Technorati Tags: Scotland, Cricket Scotland, Freuchie, Freuchie Cricket Club, Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, Stenhousemuir Cricket Club, Watsonians, Arbroath Cricket Club, Holy Cross Cricket Club, East of Scotland Cricket Association