Old News

Family Fun Day

Just a few days now till the biggest event in Hay Hill CC's history!

The facepainting is being practised, the marquee has arrived, the bouncy castle is booked. Let's hope the weather is slightly better than forecast.

THE TEAM: Trickey, Barnes, Williams, Sparrowhawk, Shearman, Walton, Hallford, Robinson, Jones, Webb, Garratt

The Taverners shall be captained by none other than Paul Shearman. I can't wait!

Dominant Win over Venturers

An outstanding opening partnership of 96 (before they both retired to give others a bat) from Solly and Barnes paved the way for a comfortable 17 run win over the Venturers.

The captain was able to rotate the bowlers without (much) fear of messing the match up! Well played everyone.

Weather Set Fair

From the BBC website:

A fresher and less humid feel to the day. It should be a dry day with some cloud but overall a fine day with decent spells of sunshine.

Hooray!

Team vs Venturers

After what seems like an eternity, we are finally playing again!

Tomorrow night's opponents are the Venturers at the Sulis Club. We need to start at 6pm if at all possible so be there by 5:45 please, everyone.

THE TEAM: Walton, Sparrowhawk (+), Solly, Williams, Mills, Garratt, Robinson, Barnes, Shearman (*), Mandrews, AN Other

Rained Off

... whilst the sun is shining!

But yesterday's rain plus lots more of it forecast for this evening has forced the abandonment of the Beckington fixture.

More Badgers

Tomorrow night sees Hay Hill take on the Badgers of Beckington in an exciting new fixture.

THE TEAM: 1. Trickey 2. Walton 3. Hallford 4. Williams 5. Alford 6. Spadge (+) 7. Shearman (*) 8. Barnes 9. Robinson 10. Mills 11. Garratt

The weather forecast looks awful, but who knows? Match starts at 6:30 so be there for 6pm please.

Another game tomorrow

Actually, it's not just another game, it's the deciding match in the Hay Hill vs Holy Trinity series!

THE TEAM: Trickey, Walton, Alford, Williams, Shearman, Mills, Barnes, Sparrowhawk (+), Webb, Balderstone, Garratt

Hay Hill Run Fest

In our first ever 40 over game, Hay Hill's primary objective was to bat out the overs... and that we did!

Facing a scratch team of Battrick managers from around the country, Hay Hill racked up 289/6. Larry had to pad up, but preserved his record of never having to bat for us. We went on to win by over 100 runs.

It was a great day of sunshine and a thoroughly enjoyable match. Kingswood School was a lovely venue too... we'll be back there in August.

Team for Sunday

With the weather looking good for Sunday, we have a full eleven players!

THE TEAM: Trickey, Vinter, Alford, Williams, Hallford, Solly, Walton, Shearman, Barnes, Guy, Garratt

More Socials

Saturday's social at Mark, Gemma and Larry's place was very enjoyable. Thanks for coming!

We'll be looking to do more of the same in future. Next up, Amanda and Lyndon are planning some croquet... splendid!

Any other ideas, just get in touch.

Next Game: Sunday 20th June

We're in the middle of a pretty long break in the fixture list, but would be a good time to let Dan know if you can play on Sunday 20th June.

The opposition are a team formed from players of the online cricket management game Battrick and may be travelling from all over the country! So it should be a lot of fun, and is also a rare 40 over game for us.

The game starts at 2pm and is likely to go on till early evening. It would be good to go to the pub afterwards too!

Exceptional Victory

Great performance all round. The sun shone on Hay Hill CC last night as everything clicked and we beat Holy Trinity by 9 wickets to level the series at one apiece.

Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

Nice

Perfect weather for cricket!

Everybody's free to wear sunscreen.

Holy Trinity Part Deux

Hay Hill play in the second part of the Trinity series tomorrow night. The weather forecast looks good, and we have a full team.

THE TEAM: Williams, Trickey, Alford, Robinson, Walton, Shearman*, Sparrowhawk, Barnes, Webb+, Balderstone, Garratt

Williams shines in the rain

The weather had the final say last night as the drenched batting pair of Williams and Shearman headed for the pavilion with visibility down to about 10 yards.

But not before Dan showed his class with 49 not out on a slow, low track in near darkness. Earlier, there was some good bowling, very mixed fielding and a catch on debut for Balderstone. It was good fun, and it goes down in the book as a win by Duckworth/Lewis/Garratt.

Match tomorrow night

I'm not sure how this is still happening, but we only have ten players for tomorrow night's game.

THE TEAM: 1. Newton-Smith 2. Mills 3. Alford 4. Williams * 5. Walton 6. Robinson 7. Sparrowhawk + 8. Barnes 9. Balderstone 10. <your name here> 11. Garratt

We beat Southstoke twice last year... can we do it again?

No. Conditions did not suit Hay Hill.

Holy Trinity decided very wisely to bowl first, and swung the new ball around, bamboozling the opening pair of Evans and Shearman. Hitting the ball was a struggle, and despite some late runs from Alford and Williams, 106 was never enough.

Trinity won by 8 wickets, and Hay Hill's rusty performance with the bat and in the field can only get better.

Overcast conditions to suit Hay Hill?

It's looking very grey but the Hay Hill bowlers have been working extensively on their swing bowling in the nets, so it could be to our advantage!

The season gets underway tonight. Hooray!

Team for 19th May

We have eleven players for the opening fixture on Wednesday night. This match is the first in a three match series against Holy Trinity Combe Down.

THE TEAM: 1. Evans 2. Shearman * 3. Alford 4. Williams 5. Hallford 6. Robinson 7. Mills 8. Sparrowhawk 9. Webb + 10. Barnes 11. Garratt

Meet at 6pm at Landham.

Nets Probably Won't Begin Tomorrow

Looking at the forecast, it's not looking great for our first outdoor net of the year.

But if it's dry, it's on. Contact Mark by phone or text if you're unsure on the morning.

Membership 2010

With two weeks to go till our first match, all players are invited to sign up for membership for the 2010 season.

If you were a member last year, an email and payment will suffice, and new members should download this form.

New Babies

Congratulations to Hay Hill's Mark Shearman and Matt Alford who have both become dads for the second time!

Mark's little girl Sophie and Matt's little boy Beau are both said to be thriving.

Let's hope the dads will still be able to play cricket this year!

Coaching Dates

After three sessions with coach Jon Solly, we are really benefitting. And it has been great to get the numbers turning up too... eight last week!

Here are the dates of the remaining coaching sessions (all Wednesdays):

• Mar 24th
• Apr 7th
• Apr 14th

Coaching Sessions Booked!

It is my great pleasure to announce that Hay Hill CC has secured the services of top cricket coach Jon Solly for a number of our pre-season nets sessions.

Join us this Thursday (18th Feb) to benefit from his expert advice, whether you're a batsman or a bowler. Jon is also booked in for 4th March, and we hope to get a few more coaching sessions in before the end of April.

Pre-season Starts Early Feb

Hay Hill CC is emerging from hibernation... anyone for cricket?

Mark is sorting out an exciting fixture list for the season ahead, and Spadge has booked our pre-season nets at the excellent facilities of Writhlington.

We start on Thursday 4th Feb at 8pm - please let Ian know if you're coming. See the club Calendar for full dates and times. Note the switch to Wednesday nights from March 24th onwards.

Let's play!

Awards Announced

A good time was had by all at the first Annual Awards Dinner last night. The Salamander did us proud; our thanks to the manager Russ. We'll be back!

Now, on to the Award Winners:

• Comedy Award: Matt Alford - jock straps and knee slides
• Most Improved Player: Ian Sparrowhawk
• Champagne Moment: Andy Simpson - the wonder catch
• Best Individual Performance: Matt Alford - 69* vs Venturers
• Player of the Year: Dan Williams - check out those stats!

Thanks to everyone who played this season, who voted and who came to the Awards Dinner. 2009 has been brilliant.

End of Season Awards

Next Thursday night, HHCC will be celebrating an excellent summer of cricket with our Annual Awards Dinner at 7:30pm.

This year, we have booked the function room of the Salamander in the centre of Bath, and shall be enjoying food and Bath Ales (optional!) before presenting awards to our star performers.

Please vote for your nominations by email for: Player of the Year, Best Individual Performance, Champagne Moment, Most Improved Player and the Comedy Award.

See you on Thursday night!

Season Ends With a Loss

As has been the case a few times this season, we didn't quite get enough runs on the board in our last fixture in Bradford.

The turning point (and comedy moment) came when our good friend James of the 39ers pulled off a great catch to dismiss Dan when he was going well. Apparently, his celebration was quite something!

Some quality bowling and batting from debutant Martyn Evans earned him the MOTM award, but the Alsop family chased down the target to win by six wickets.

No More Nets!

That's right - the season is winding down, people are on holiday, and there will be no more nets sessions this summer. Indoor winter nets shall start up around February 2010.

Low Scoring Thriller

Hay Hill battled away on a difficult pitch to almost defend the indefensible... is that the right word? Yes, I think it's appropriate!

In the end, a target of 86 in 20 overs was reached with an over to spare by Venturers, ending our amazing run of victories.

Venturers (86-4 Peabody 44*; Shearman 2/15, Robinson 1/14, Walton 1/18) beat Hay Hill CC (85-9 Trickey 25, Alford 23) by six wickets.

Tomorrow night vs Venturers

The forecast has improved so there's a good chance we'll avoid rain tomorrow night. It'll probably be a reduced game - perhaps 18 overs per side again.

THE TEAM: 1. Trickey 2. Walton 3. Sparrowhawk 4. Williams 5. Alford 6. Robinson 7. Hallford (+) 8. Shearman (*) 9. Barber 10. Jones 11. Simpson

Scorer(s): Garratt (& Mrs Robinson?)

Williams Inspires Yet Another Win

Dan Williams led from the front in his first game as captain of Hay Hill to secure a fourth consecutive win for the side.

Hay Hill CC (124-2 Williams 45*, Alford 39*, Trickey 25) beat Southstoke CC (120-2 Mills 1/15, Trickey 1/25) by eight wickets.

Well played everyone!

Team for Wednesday night

It's the return fixture vs Southstoke CC and Dan will be taking the reins.

THE TEAM: 1. Trickey 2. Alford 3. Williams (*) 4. Hallford 5. Walton 6. Robinson 7. Barber 8. Mills 9. Sparrowhawk 10. Webb (+) 11. Garratt

Note that if Mark gets away from a work commitment early, he may play in Larry's place. Unlikely though.

Rained off again

After managing to rearrange the fixture in Bradford-on-Avon, the weather once again scuppered us.

There is talk of a last-ditch attempt to get a game on in the last week of August...

Thursday Night vs B39ers

After our mid-July fixture in Bradford was rained off, we are very pleased to have rearranged the game for this Thursday night.

Despite a notable absentee, we have assembled a full side, thanks to Matt A for bolstering the batting. We will need to start as early as possible as the evenings are drawing in! If you possibly can, be there for 5:30.

THE TEAM: 1. ??? 2. Robinson 3. Alford 4. Shearman (*) 5. Walton 6. Mills 7. Barber 8. McHugh 9. Jones 10. Sparrowhawk (+) 11. Garratt

N.B. If for any reason we do drop to 9 or 10 players, that's fine with the 39ers and we'll still play!

P.S. Sorry for all the lineup changes... that should be the final batting order now!

P.P.S. One of our eleven can't make it, so working on getting a replacement.

Another Fine Win In The Gloom

Hay Hill recorded another impressive win last night. We made it through the rain to post a score of 127-8 off our 20 overs, and then bowled very tightly and took (almost all of) our catches to win by 37 runs!

It was cold and windy last night, and by the end it was very dark, but that was an excellent team effort to comprehensively beat Venturers.

The scorecard's up here and a match report will follow shortly. Send me your votes for man of the match, and the comedy and champagne moments.

Tomorrow Night

The weather in July has been terrible... but believe it or not, the forecast for tomorrow night is moderately promising. Hopefully, we shall get a game in after a long, long time without any matches! And we have eleven players, with thanks to Kate ;o)

THE TEAM: 1. Shearman (*) 2. Alford 3. Williams 4. Mills 5. Robinson 6. Walton 7. Simpson 8. Jones 9. Sparrowhawk 10. Webb (+) 11. Garratt

P.S. We had a great nets session on Saturday morning - I just hope that we're all recovered in time for the game. I was exhausted after that!

Lovely Day For Nets!

It is, most definitely, ON!

Team for Tuesday night vs Venturers

It feels like a long time since our last match, so hopefully the weather will be good on Tuesday night!

Last season, we played two matches against the Bath Uni postgrad and staff side and lost both... but I like to think we've improved since then.

THE TEAM: 1. Shearman (*) 2. Alford 3. Williams 4. Mills 5. Robinson 6. Walton 7. Jones 8. Simpson 9. Webb (+) 11. Garratt (!)

So, we have ten players, but I'm looking into getting someone, preferably a batsman, to make a full side.

We shall meet by 6 at the latest, and preferably at 5:45 please, at the Sulis Club. As usual, see the Fixtures page for a map link.

Kit Order

We have recently had two requests for club membership, and this gives everyone an opportunity to order some more kit!

Please let me know this week if you want to order one of our excellent caps at £10, or an extra shirt at £25.

If you're not a member yet, you can join for £15 (£10 conc) and get a free shirt!

B39ers vs HHCC tomorrow night

We have been blessed with good weather for our games so far this season, but once again the forecasts suggest we may struggle to get the game on tomorrow night.

If the game is called off, I shall let you all know by text, but otherwise, we'll meet at Victory Fields in Bradford by 6pm. Please follow the map link on Fixtures page for location. You can get directions from that Google Maps page.

THE TEAM: 1. Trickey 2. Hallford 3. Shearman (*) 4. Williams 5. Barber 6. Walton 7. Robinson 8. Simpson 9. Jones 10. Sparrowhawk (+) 11. Guy

We have just about got eleven, but Rob is unlikely to be able to be there until after 7, so batting order subject to change dramatically!

Will the Centurion

Will Barber is aiming for an impressive century at the weekend.

He is taking part in Beechen Cliff school's annual Centurion's challenge; 100 miles walking in 48 hours!

Will is rasing money for the Dorothy house hospice and would really appreciate your support.

Update (15th July): Well done to Will for completing the challenge in a very impressive time, and for raising over £2000 for a charity very close to his family's heart.

It's not too late to sponsor Will... follow the Just Giving link above to find out more about his achievement and donate money.

Tremendous Win

Amazingly, the thunder storms stayed away, and we played a full 40 overs in the stifling heat last night.

The 39ers batted first and performed very well, setting a target of 163 for victory. The early loss of Hallford and Alford (scorer's nightmare!) brought the solid pairing of Newton-Smith and Williams together and their partnership of 91 all but took us home. It was great to watch!

We had a wobble at the end but won the game with four balls to spare. It was a very good game, and great to have hosted our friends from Bradford. The scorecard is up, and a match report will follow.

Viene Tormenta!

What did he say?

He said there's a storm coming.

Yes, even though it would be good to have a cooler night tomorrow night, we can only hope that the rain and thunder hold off until after our game. I've been looking forward to seeing the 39ers again for ages.

And it's also worth letting everyone know the team has changed due to Rob's ongoing chest infection. Get well soon, Rob!

THE TEAM: 1. Newton-Smith 2. Hallford 3. Alford 4. Williams 5. Mills 6. Robinson 7. Shearman(*) 8. Jones 9. Sparrowhawk(+) 10. King 11. Garratt

Team for Thursday vs B39ers

We have a very strong lineup for Thursday night when we welcome Bradford 39ers to Landham for our first ever 'home' fixture.

THE TEAM: 1. Trickey, 2. Hallford, 3. Alford, 4. Williams, 5. Mills, 6. Newton-Smith, 7. Shearman (*), 8. Robinson, 9. Jones, 10. Sparrowhawk (+), 11. Garratt

We meet at the ground by 6 at latest. Try to get there a little earlier - we want to start as early as possible. Follow directions on the About page.

No Nets Yet Again!

Not enough people around once more... but there is a very good chance it'll be raining anyway.

Enjoy your Saturday whatever it is you're doing.

Superb Win

Hay Hill recorded an excellent victory over Southstoke CC last night.

After losing the toss, Hay Hill bowled and fielded very well to restrict the opposition to 100 for 7 in 20 overs.

The victory target was achieved with four overs to spare by 8 wickets. Scorecard available on the Fixtures page.

Photos and Profiles Added

Several further enhancements have been made to the website. Please check out the photos added to the Gallery courtesy of Lyndon Hughes. We now also have player profiles which you can get to from the Squad page. This page is particularly exciting, as you can now see your stats as the season progresses!

Efforts will be made to retrieve our scorecards from 2007 and 2008 so that all players can have career stats. This may be difficult, and may be done in the off-season.

The changes to the website are now expected to stall for some time. Enjoy!

Team for Wednesday night

The side is looking a bit different for the game against Southstoke CC on Wednesday night:

1. Trickey 2. Newton-Smith 3. Alford 4. Williams 5. Hallford 6. Shearman 7. Walton 8. Mills 9. Robinson 10. Spadge 11. Garratt

We are playing at Stothert and Pitt's on the Lower Bristol Road out of Bath. Directions can be obtained from Google Maps via new links on Fixtures page.

Website aMELIORAtion

Lack of sleep due to hayfever has enabled some improvements to be made to the website!

Check out the new Fixtures page, which links to our opening match scorecard and match report.

Hope you find the website more and more useful and enjoyable as it develops. Comments, suggestions and submissions always welcome (particularly match reports!)

Dry

Weather looks like it'll be OK tonight. I just hope we'll be able to see the ball though, as the sun is unlikely to be making an appearance.

Meet at 6 o'clock at the car park.

Happy 18th Birthday

Congratulations to Will Barber, who is 18 today!

Hope you haven't got to sit in an exam, Will.

Holy Trinity Thursday

A lesser known date in the Church calendar? No, it's just another fixture with our old friends from Holy Trinity Combe Down.

This Thursday might at Landham, we're playing HTCD again and we have a full eleven players ready to go a full three days in advance!

THE TEAM: Trickey, Robinson, Williams, Alford, Shearman(*), Mills, Walton, Barber, Sparrowhawk(+), King, Garratt

Roehampton Too Strong For Hay Hill

Hay Hill joined the NCCF party just as it was winding down, and became the final victims of Roehampton's weekend winning streak.

Roehampton (182/5) beat Hay Hill (121/5) by 61 runs

Scorecard and match report to follow as soon as possible

No nets today

There are not enough people around to do it this morning. Should be on again next Saturday.

Looking Good for Sunday

We have once again scraped together eleven players for our second match of the season. Thom Guy will be temporarily setting aside his text books and steaming in to bowl, and Hay Hill footballer Richard Hallford will make his debut against Roehampton in Keynsham.

Larry tells me the weather forecast is good. Andy Mills told me yesterday the weather forecast is not good. Maybe I should look for myself...? No, I'll just wait and see!

TEAM: Trickey, Robinson, Shearman, Sparrowhawk, Mills, Walton, Hallford, Webb, Hadley, Guy, Garratt

Team for Sunday

We currently have nine players for the Sunday lunchtime game vs Roehampton at the Fry's in Keynsham.

These are: Shearman, Trickey, Robinson, Mills, Garratt, Walton, Webb, Sparrowhawk, Hadley.

So, we need two more people!

If the weather is good, this game is ideal for friends and family to come and watch; bring a picnic!

Rain Stops Nets

Just in case anyone is unsure, I can confirm that the rain overnight and this morning means that nets is not happening today.

Season Starts With a Win

It was a lovely sunny evening at Landham as Hay Hill began the season with a narrow win against HTCD. Just like last year, victory was achieved in the last over, and somewhat fortunately!

Hay Hill CC 118/6 (Alford 25*, Mills 18, Shearman 18)

Holy Trinity 114/7 (S McHugh 28*, Pearce 25*, Hadley 2-15, King 2-25)

Full scorecard available on the new Stats page. Match report to follow.

Weather Set Fair

We're coming to the end of a glorious spell of weather, but tonight should be clear and dry - perfect for cricket!

To check the latest forecasts, HHCC recommends netweather.tv (see box under our left-hand menu).

Adam Webb's not well, so I'll be looking for a replacement today... where in the world is Steve Barnes?!

And We're Off...

Tomorrow night at 18:00 at Landham, we shall be meeting to play our first game of the season. It's against Holy Trinty, Combe Down and we've got a full team!

THE XI: Shearman, Trickey, Williams, Garratt, Sparrowhawk, Webb Barber, Walton, Alford, Mills, Hadley, King.

NCCF Update

Latest news on the National Christian Cricket Festival in Keynsham is that HHCC will not be taking part on the Saturday. Eight teams of 8-a-side shall contest the first ever NCCF tournament.

Hay Hill shall be playing a 20 over game against Roehampton on the Sunday afternoon at 13:00.

This Just In

I have now picked up the brand new HHCC kit - the shirts and caps look great!

Kit will be distributed asap.

Here's to you, Mr and Mrs Robinson!

Congratulations to Matt and his new bride Amanda on the occasion of their wedding day.

Church Fixtures Booked!

It is with some disappointment that I have to let everyone know that our intended first match on Thursday 21st May has had to be cancelled.

However, we do have two fixtures against Holy Trinity Combe Down booked. These games are on Thursday nights: the 4th and 18th June. Click on Fixtures to see the Calendar.

Practice Game this Thursday

The first action of the season is this Thursday night at Landham. We will get together as many of our squad as possible and make the most of an opportunity to get time in the middle.

Please let Mark know straight away if you are coming.

We'll be meeting there at 6pm, but if that's a difficult time, just arrive as soon as you can. We shall finish by 9pm.

Outdoor Nets from 2nd May

As you will no doubt have seen from our calendar, outdoor nets begin this Saturday (2nd May) at 10am at Lansdown CC.

Please let Ian know if you're coming, as several of us are away at the weekend.

Membership

Hopefully, all players will have received a newsletter and membership form by now. Membership is a bargain at £15 (£10 conc.) and you get a personalised HHCC shirt worth £25! Get those forms in asap!

No nets next week!

Sadly, we could not get a slot for Wednesday 4th March so everyone has a week off. Nets shall resume on Wednesday 11th March.

Apologies to all who were at nets this week and weren't told! That's because I forgot about this gap in the schedule, and presumably Ian did too. Spotter's badge to M P Robinson, who looked at the HHCC Calendar and alerted me.

Our nets sessions have been well-attended, useful and good fun. Coach Jon Solly made an unannounced visit last week and passed on his tips. We hope to make use of Jon's services more in the future. Thanks to everyone who's come along so far and see you on the 11th.

New Bat Purchased!

At long, long last after many promises, HHCC has bought a new bat for use by the squad.

The Woodworm Megabite weighs in at 2 lbs 10-11 oz and is a seriously chunky piece of timber with a low middle. Perfect for evening Twenty20!