The summer of 2015 proved a highly successful one for Worcester Park Cricket Club. Both the 2s and 3s won their league’s championship, while the 1s and 4s fell narrowly short of realising their promotion prospects.
In truly un-British fashion, only one game of the 67 played by WPCC’s four Saturday teams was abandoned due to weather. This made for a terrific 18 weeks of cricket at The Fortress Green Lane, and all around Surrey, for that matter. Many late Saturday nights were enjoyed down the club, as WPCC experienced its most successful season in recent years…

Despite showing glimpses of great quality, the 1s ended the season with a frustrating state of familiarity, as they flirted with promotion without taking it home. Inconsistent performances at bookends of the season proved costly, as the team now face another summer in the stagnating Division 2.
Nevertheless, the side was seldom short of keeping cult scorer Alan Housden on his toes with the scoreboard, as skipper Joe Hill had a tremendous season scoring 763 runs @ an average of 51. Clone Rob Hill followed with 535 @ 41, while Rob Bell (460 @ 38), Rob Waite (428 @ 27) and Scott Kent (324 @ 65) made significant contributions.
Overseas Daryn Korkie learnt many things during his stay, including the intricacies of old-fashioned British vernacular and just how marvellous the cheese room is. He was half-decent at cricket too, registering 30 (wickets), which was supported by compatriot Grant Helm (25). Joe Hill and Waqas Sagar chipped in with 15 and 12 wickets apiece, while stalwart David Wilkinson took 16 catches and one stumping with the gloves.

Daryn Korkie proved to be an excellent addition to the club

A handful of youthful players were given a chance, including debutants Connor Bliss and Andrew Botting. The channelling of younger players into the side acknowledges the ethos of the club, which should pay dividends to the development of those players and the team in the following years. Promotion has been close for a few seasons now; perhaps next season they’ll get the cigar.

Despite a pacing-worthy championship play-off victory on the last day, there was a sense of calmness among the 2s, as this was a feat the side had been hoping to achieve for a few seasons. With a crop of players fitting of the division above, the experienced side earned the self-proclaimed title of ‘The Punishers’, discovering some bottle which evaded them in previous seasons.
Batting-wise, Scott Kent showed his class in scoring 526 @ 58, while opening partner Ball notched 429 @ 31. South African duo Galloway de Groot and Travis Scott provided middle-order steel with 422 @ 30 and 285 @ 26 respectively, as the depth in the batting order proved crucial in both score-setting and run-chasing.

Scott Kent had an excellent season scoring 850 league runs @ 60.71

Off-spinner Nicky Ball (38) and evergreen Chris Turner (29) proved real scorebook bowlers, while James Harrison (20), Jon Faller-Fritsch (19) and Josh Longhurst (17) regularly put opposition batsmen under the cosh. Keeper Ben Davies took 11 catches and three stumpings, matching his tally of the previous campaign. A high standard in the field for the duration of the season was pivotal in making the 2s a difficult side to play against.
The final day victory at Old Wimbledonians was the season’s pinnacle for skipper Dom Fell, who has formed a diligent team ready to compete in Division 1 next season. Having spent five seasons in Division 2, the regime of rigidity has been broken and the side should prosper at a more challenging level.

After having to surrender allegiance with second home Old Salesians, the 3s settled into their new home at Peaches Close in triumphant style by winning Division 2 with two games to spare. The strength in depth of the side showed on a consistent basis throughout the season, with most players capable of 2nd team cricket.
Peaches Close in particular proved a trustworthy batting track, with its honest bounce allowing batsmen to play their natural games. Opener Ian Burrows and pace-loving Connor Bliss scored consistently throughout the season, with 440 @ 49 and 413 @ 41 apiece. They were supported by keeper-cum-leggy Oscar King (299 @ 75), ‘all-rounder’ Stuart Bradshaw (248 @ 21) and pinch-hitter Mark Turner (245 @ 61).
A bowling attack lead by Paul Wearmouth (29), Stewart Powers (24) and spin marvel Bradshaw (26) saw the 3s bowl out the opposition in every game, bar two. Andrew Botting (16) and Tom Cronk (14) also contributed, while King took five catches and four stumpings. Disciplined fielding displays allowed the team to mop up tea with confidence, in a season where the side fielded first on 13 occasions.

A match winning ‘selfie’ was a regular occurrence for the Championship winning 3rd XI

A memorable championship-winning day away at Sanderstead’s picturesque second pitch was the highlight of the season, as the team’s gutsy character showed in grafting a victory when defeat seemed inevitable. The team is now looking forward to playing at a higher standard in Division 1, where stronger opposition, better grounds and (fingers crossed) successive promotions await.

The soaring improvement of the 4s was shown this season in the calibre of sides available to skipper David Stemp. Such was the strength of selection that the club was able to raise a 5th team on three occasions over the summer. Unfortunately though, the 4s ended the season a slender six points away from promotion to the Premier Division.
Although proving the side’s biggest weakness at the beginning of the season, batting performances improved in correlation with the duration of the campaign. Matt Saunders led with 292 @ 24, with Chamath Gunaratne (201 @ 40), Baxter Catford (186 @ 27) and Matt Probert (163 @ 16) providing a supporting guard.
In the field, Tom Cronk naturally topped the wicket-taking ranks with 28, while Mo Ibrahim supported well with 18. Matt Probert (13) attracted wickets like magnets to a fridge, while John Rivenell struck with regularity, despite taking only 11. Scott Mackavoy enjoyed a chilled season behind the stumps, taking seven catches and three stumpings.
With next season promising another vast pool of players available for selection, developing a core to this side will be pivotal in their aim of reaching the Premier Division. With a blend of experienced players and promising younger players, it will be exciting to see how the potential of this side conspires.

WPCC’s players flourished on the pitch, but huge thanks goes to people behind the scenes who made it possible for Saturday afternoons to be enjoyable affairs. Barry Hill and Adrian Barratt did brilliantly in making the ground fit for play every weekend, while Alan Housden, Adrian Barratt and Ian Powers were all kind enough to score on a regular basis for the 1s, 2s and 3s. Thanks also go to the tea ladies (although the omission of crabsticks received mixed reviews), the committee, supporters and general volunteers who make the club tick.

Alan Housden provided valuable support to the 1st XI, when not away on ‘international’ or ‘county’ stewarding duty!

It’s been a hugely successful summer for the club and if the same can be replicated next year, the jugs will keep flowing on Saturday nights down at The Fortress.

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