Gentlemen,
WE WON CLUB OF THE YEAR.
(Part of me was tempted to just leave it at that, but Ridge wants a bit more detail)
I hope all your summers are going as planned and you are enjoying them. Sorry for the delay in this end of year report, basically without Mihir’s reminders I am essentially useless. What a year it has been and what a final term it was as well. Performance sport for next year secured, 3rd highest rating of all clubs on the Sportsmark ranking and a combined 1,960 pints of purple and squash wacked in a great term 3 for the club.
Let’s start with a summary of the cricket from the summer across all 5 teams. After coming back from International tour to Darbados many settled into the grind of revising for exams. However, the performance squad went on a pre-season tour to Cambridge. It was a great start with 0 victories and 0 games played due to the awful weather. The only silver lining is that it delayed the big reveal of our batting fragilities until the start of the BUCS season. The 1st XI had a great summer season winning 4 of their 5 league fixtures, finishing second in the Midlands 1A at the first time of asking and it’s looks like they have narrowly missed out on promotion to the Prem on a technicality (Why does it always rain in Scotland!!!!). Within the league season we were luck enough to face Cov in Varsity round 2 in what was a great game of cricket for the fans. Dark clouds all day, UWMCC bowled first and got Cov all out for 102 with Tom Condom, the villian of varsity, quickly removed by Pru on his way to taking 4 wickets in the match. Easy they thought, 2 an over, Rav could probably do it. But as we all know, and as the Fresh all now know, BUCS chases are never that simple. A rapid Cov bowler had us 46-6 and odds suddenly became evens. Crowds had piled in to watch the tense finish and Mihir didn’t let them down.
However, some would argue he did let the incoming batsmen down multiple times, his advice to me against Cov’s bowler was just to laugh and to Joe he said, ‘He’s rapid but its not swinging at all’, next ball Joe is cleaned up by an in swinger. Despite his terrible advice, he batted through and got 49* to lead us to victory 7 down. Other highlights included a great victory over Trent 1s and Warwick Graduation model Harris earning a baggy for taking 5 wickets in the win over Birmingham. It was a great season for the 1s and with a lot of new fresh playing their first games of BUCS cricket plus performance sport so it bodes well for the future.
Nik’s 2s aimed high and hoped to go where Stilo’s golden men had gone before and earn promotion into the Midlands 1A. However, a mixed season left the 2s finishing 3rd in the league. Again, as is the theme in most teams this year, lots of Fresh made their debut and will now have that vital BUCS experience going into next summer. A special mention must go to Birdy here who managed to play 9 BUCS games across the season, 3 for the 4s, 2 for the 3s, 3 for the 2s and 1 for 1s. Having not got fully involved in the club until Term 2, Birdy had a great season behind the stumps and got us out of sticky situations lots of times across all 4 teams and it was great to see him always available to play. Despite making vital contributions across the term, I’m looking forward to next year where we may finally see his strike rate get into double figures.
Meanwhile in the 3s captain Riley was slowly staking a claim to be the bedrock of England’s middle order. His 5 innings left him with an average of 49.50 for the season and if only someone else could have supported him it could have been a very different season for the 3s. He was as important to the 3s as Virat is to the Indian batting line-up and hopefully his efforts may keep the 3s up. One example which highlights the 3s season, was the game away against Nottingham 3s. Having bowled Notts out for 168 the team were hopeful of a win that would secure Midlands 3B for another year. 30-0, became 130-3 with Ballo out for 46 after taking 3 wickets in the first innings (He’s gun Jo we promise) but only 38 was needed with 7 wickets remaining. Ballo and Riley had built a lovely partnership but once Riley went for his lowest score of the year (31), the next 6 wickets went for 16 runs and the 3s were all out for 150. While Roche blamed anyone and everyone for the loss, Harry reflected on a great season for himself, a fun season for the 3s and a proud moment when he managed to get Robson and Carter to their first circles at the end of term.
The legendary 4s may have had a disappointing season, in perhaps the toughest league of all the teams, but they yet again did not fail to provide us with stories that will drift into UWMCC folklore. You may think I am on about the game against Northampton that could easily have been taken from Sir Henry Newbolts poem ‘Vitaï Lampada’ or the day 11 BUCS debuts were given out vs Trent (#TitsUp@Trent will live long in the memory). Whilst all of these will find their place in the history books, the away game vs Ruskin will stand out the most this year.
The 4s needed a win to keep hopes of survival alive, finalists had been drafted in after their exams and the bus was nervous thinking about how many MCCU players they would have to face. However, Nish Narayanan calmed the nerves and got them off to a great start helping the team to 304 off their 50 overs, by scoring 163* and carrying his bat in an innings that has been described by those watching as pure class. In the 2nd innings, Ruskin raced to 108-0 off 16 overs as the 4s got carted about with the hopes of a famous victory slowly fading. However, one particular big hit didn’t quite make the boundary and El Choppo, Captain Bozza and Jinesh were all running towards it to catch it. Jinesh saw it as the teams chance to get the game abandoned and play Ruskin again at Fortress Cryfield a week later so took matters into his own hands and instead of catching the ball, ensured that all 3 of them ran straight into each other with an ambulance called soon after. 3 HIA and lots of stitches later, the boys returned to Warwick, happy in the knowledge Jinesh had taken one for the team. So a no result, but a huge Daddy ton of 163* for Narayanan who carried his bat through the innings. A well earnt baggy. Credit must go to all the players for their effort during the 4s season but especially captain Rhys who, despite rupturing his ACL leaving him on crutches for the season, attended every game.
Friendlies cricket this year went from strength to strength under Mez. 32 players were used across the term getting more people involved playing cricket on campus. 6 T20s were played, 4 40-over games, plus 10 friendlies players were rewarded for their efforts through the year and played in a 4s game vs Trent 3s. As well as this 3 friendlies players, Rory, Jede and the worst cheeky ever, all played 2 BUCS games and highlighted the growing strength of the club. (Or perhaps this highlights the bad decisions made at squads selections or the lack of availability, but lets go with “growing strength of the club”). Friendlies cricket is about getting as many people playing cricket as possible, and lets be glad that is their catch phrase as Mezza’s Merry Men only managed 2 wins. Highlights included Rory’s gritty 43 against Birmingham and Calum Harris’s 46 off 31 balls in the BUCS game at Trent. There were also quite a few important innings in the T20s with guys retiring at 25, but the pick of the lot was Matt Thomas. Pidgeot lead the friendlies home against WBSCHEM with a great display of accidental leaves leading the friendlies to what was at the time their first win of the season.
The Women’s club also had a great start as a stand-alone club putting in many great performances against some strong MCCU teams and getting their first win as a new club against Leicester. For a first term of Women’s cricket at Warwick in years it was a great effort by all involved with an ever growing membership getting better every game and who knows, 7 from 7 could be on next year.
We also had two special fixtures played this term that happen every year. Whilst the Old Boys match
may not have turned out to be quite the occasion the ‘Alumni Sub-Committee’ had envisaged, it was a great day of the summer with a strong Old Boys team coming back and showing the current members that not only does wine get better with age, but so does a UWMCC members batting ability. An Old Boys XI of Tedmonds, Cooper, Phillips, Rooty, Jewson, Kinners, Kraus, Clayds, J1, Jaimin and Clobber set the club 202 off their 40 overs, Rooty sadly top scoring with 76 and Mez providing endless in-duckers on his way to 3 wickets from his 8. The current members set about the chase in a steady fashion, Mallows and Carter taking the England ODI approach from the early 2010s of keeping wickets in hand by taking us to 21-0 off 9 overs. Sadly this didn’t last as a typical collapse left us 120-7, but we did rally with some big hits from Ferdi and Turner leaving us 18 short being bowled out for 184. It was a great day that all enjoyed and one that will sure be a highlight for Old boys and current members alike next year. Thanks must go to Captain Ferdi who captained the game for the current members and helped organise the day.
The other highlight was the 1s game vs the MCC at Leam which extended the club’s winning run over the MCC to four years fuelling the rumours that we may all be invited as honorary members soon. The MCC had old boys Goodyear and Rooty to thank scoring 67 and 50 respectively, albeit with strike rates under 50, finally setting us 201 to win after Rhino and Rahul had bowled well to tie them down. Kabir looked to make quick work of the chase hitting their opening bowlers for 2 6s as only Kabir would do in an opening stand of 75 that Mihir could only dream of in BUCS games. With Kabir gone for 41 and Nish out for 19, Ling and myself looked to chase it down. Ling clearly still had his mind on the beers he hadn’t quite finished from the night before as their 1st change bowler (10-3-19-2) had him in pieces, with Ling almost asking the umpire to give him out a few times. With Ling not lasting much longer we chased it down with 60 from myself and 31* from Nakul keeping our win streak going against the MCC.
The big event for the club at the end of term was Sports Ball. A large contingent of members attended the ball – exact numbers have been hard to calculate as so many have wanted to say “I was there” on such a momentous night – and it was great fun with table wine being sunk, desserts being thrown around and a brutal game of paranoia being played across the tables.. As well as the wine, food and band the Sports Awards were handed out. This year we were nominated for 3 awards recognizing the great effort that has been made by everyone on the exec and all members across the board this year. We were nominated for Exec of the Year, Charitable Club of the Year and the crown jewel award of Club of the Year. As the awards were read out and other clubs won awards all hopes were pinned on Club of the Year and it didn’t disappoint.
I seem to remember WE WON CLUB OF THE YEAR being chanted all the way from the Birmingham Metropole to CR2 during Circle on the following night (especially when within hearing distance of other clubs that often play on water based pitches). The trophy was suitably brought to circle and wacked out of multiple times with it being left in Captain Bozza’s safe hands for the evening, or so we all thought. 11am at Club day, a rather sheepish Bozza says “Dan I’ve lost the trophy”, “What?”, “I’ve lost it, I think I traded it for 4 VKs”. Bozza never ceasing to amaze us all had lost the trophy and spent most of the day trying to find it and get it back. Thankfully he did. All in all, a great, proud achievement for the club recognizing everyone’s efforts this year and a great set of celebrations surrounding it.
This is probably a good time to say a few thank yous. Firstly to our BUCS summer sponsors, Church Farm Brewery who provided a box of beers to each MotM. Thank you for your support this summer, it has been great to build a partnership between the club and a local business that makes such great beer. Secondly, to Aneesh and Jonathan for organising UWMCCFC and Cov Indoor respectively. Both the Indoor league and football teams are a great part of UWMCC and thank you for committing to these roles this year. Thirdly to each member of the exec for putting up with me being constantly late and putting in well beyond what was expected of you and finally to the whole club for making it a great year for everyone and for making it a great year to be Pres.
To end the year, we had club day at Cryfield and held our elections in the evening at which the new exec were elected. Club day was great fun for all that attended with 6 mixed, 8-aside teams playing to win. It was also a great day for the club and women everywhere as Roche had his one-remaining chat up line taken off him. “I’m an unbeaten cricket captain you know” had done the rounds in clubs across the country and Roche has frequently been heard telling people that it goes down a treat in Derby. Thankfully, a loss for his team in the final against the Presidential VIII – thanks to some shlot bowling from Krish and Sash, some big hits from O.Warwick and some Presidential pulls – saw the end of that line and a win for Team of the Year.
Thank you to everyone that attended and ran for the exec this year, it was great to see so many committed members, and congratulations to those elected. On top of our big sports ball award (CLUB OF THE YEAR) and other nominations on the night, we also had our end of season awards and tankards for leavers were given out at elections.
The awards were handed out as follows:
BUCS Batsmen of the Year – Harry Riley
BUCS Bowler of the Year – Pruthvish Anandpura
Friendlies Player of the Year – Calum Harris
Charitable Clubmen of the Year – Thomas Townsend
Player of the Year – Daniel Lewis
Clubmen of the Year – Mihir Chandraker
Finally I come to the end of my final termly report. I’ll still be here next year so a big thanks must go to all the leavers who have made my 3 years as part of the club so far so great. However, the club is in very capable hands next year and I am looking forward to seeing the club continue to grow as new members join in September and I wish Joe and the new exec all the best for next year.
Dan Lewis
(Club of the Year President, Player of the Year 2018, 4th best diabetic cricketer ever)