Ossett Cricket

WEDNESDAY, 01 FEBRUARY 2012 14:03

By Stephen Hirst
News Editor
******

THERE’s a new buzz around Queen’s Terrace as Ossett CC seek to heal battered pride and restore the fortunes of one of Yorkshire’s oldest clubs.

Ossett’s origins date back 154 years, and the founding fathers would have been saddened by the club’s 21st century decline, culminating in last year’s disastrous season, when both first and second XIs were relegated (although a Crowther Cup semi-final appearance afforded some respite).

However, they would also be immensely gratified to witness the endeavour now being applied in an effort to usher in what club chairman Bob Schofield hopes will be “a new golden age of Ossett Cricket”.

Ossett are taking a holistic approach to curing their ills by concentrating on all the factors which go into building a successful club, rather than focusing solely on the physical symptom of their malaise: inadequate performances on the field.

Those factors include building a strong community identity, linked to a vibrant junior section, a thriving, family-orientated social set-up, partnerships with schools, a broad range of sponsors and improved facilities.

In addition, says Bob Schofield, “our strategy for success on the pitch demands that we have greater focus on our approach to the game, involving more detailed training and match preparation cycles. These activities will be overseen and guided by professional cricketers, namely Yorkshire’s Richard Pyrah and former county man John Sadler.”

That focus will be aided by the return to the club of all-rounder Shoaib Latif, who spent three seasons at Queen’s Terrace from 2002-04. He was in the side which registered a third-place finish in the Premier Division in ’03 and was named man of the match when Ossett lifted the Jack Hampshire Trophy a year later.

Ossett’s pre-season integrated cricket and fitness programme began last week, with indoor nets for juniors and seniors booked at Wakefield City Academy, Eastmoor, until the end of March.

“These sessions have not just been designed to improve cricket skills and accommodate general practice,” says Schofield, “they will also include fitness training. The intention is to be completely prepared for the new season both mentally and physically from day one, enabling a rapid build-up of form in the crucial early stages.

“We are unequivocally targeting an immediate return of both the 1st and 2nd XIs to the higher divisions by the end of next season.”

After taking over as chairman towards the end of last season, Schofield has overseen a concerted drive to raise the club’s profile as a community organisation.

“We see cricket as a way to embrace and engage the community through schools, special needs groups, charities and local businesses,” he says.

“We want to encourage families to help us reach out to people across the area and create a vibrant social experience through events such as family barbecues, sports dinners, speakers’ evenings, alternative sporting events like golf days and much more.”

Partnerships with local schools and sponsors are also high on his agenda.
“Significant effort has been put into encouraging financial commitment from a broad spectrum of commercial sponsors. That campaign and the work that has gone into presenting a professional business case is now starting to pay dividends.

“We have also sent out letters to schools, inviting them to make use of our field, its associated facilities and ECB-approved coaching.”

Meanwhile, the club is pressing on with its plans to upgrade the status of a ground which was once a regular venue for showpiece matches.

An electronic scoreboard, new boundary seating and improved changing rooms are on the to-do list and there will be extended and higher-profile advertising space for sponsors.

And an application to host this year’s Crowther Cup final has been submitted.
******

And lastly a generous plug for our next event appended to the end of Stephen's article on the CYCL website.

Ossett have planned a sports dinner called “The Relaunch of Ossett Cricket”, at the Cinnamon Lounge in Horbury Bridge on Monday 12 March (7pm). The event is for a mixed audience and will be attended by sporting celebrities from cricket, football and Rugby League. The MC will be Radio Leeds broadcaster Dave Callaghan. Tickets are £25 each, with a discount for group tables, and bookings can be made with Tony Ogden (07974793966) or Bob Schofield (07846754059).