WALKERS from Alvanley

Cricket Club have negoti-

ated a gruelling 26-mile trek

from Moel Famau in North

Wales back to their Vale

Royal home to raise funds

for a new picket fence.

No fewer than 31 dedicated

club members and friends

came together on March 17

for the marathon march from

the highest point of the Clwy-

dian Range to the Alvanley

club house, a journey which

took between six and 10 hours

in the spring sunshine.

The walk was organised to

raise money to extend the

club’s picket fence, however

early indications suggest the

total sponsorship fund could

top £5,000, a figure which

would allow the club to pur-

sue other planned projects.

First X1 captain Andy Ben-

nion was one of those to com-

plete the walk and he was full

of praise for his Alvanley club

mates, adding: “This was a

fine example of the commu-

nity spirit at our club and

shows what you can achieve

when you all pull together.

“The sponsorship money

is still coming in now but by

mid-season we hope to have

extended the picket fence

and be well under way with

the other projects.

“Huge congratulations

should be offered to all the

volunteers who made this

possible, in particular to

Graham Aveyard, who’s

preparatory work made the

event go so smoothly.”

CHESHIRE have become

the first non-First Class

county in England and

Wales to achieve more than

100 clubs registering for

NatWest Cricket Force.

The news was announced

earlier this month on the

Board’s website, a timely

boost ahead of the annual

volunteering initiative

which took place on the

weekend of April 5/6/7.

Club Development

Manager Mike Woollard

applauded clubs for their

“brilliant response” to the

project and wished them

well for the 2013 season.

* More club news: Page 9

MARATHON EFFORT IN BID

TO BUY NEW PICKET FENCE

Cheshire clubs 100 not out for Cricket Force

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Miles of Fun: Alvanley players and officials com-plete a marathon walk to

raise vital club funds

Top of the class: Our community coaches make a big impact in all weathers on the Chance to Shine

Programme in Cheshire

Chris Edwards: A review of Chris’s first year in post as a Development and Coaching Officer with the

Cheshire Cricket Board

Disability cricket: We examine the new ECB vision and the opportuni-

ties that exist in Cheshire

Remembering Sandy Cheshire mourns the loss

of Sandy Scrimgeour

Kiwi encounter: Board Chairman Peter Davies blogs from his recent trip

to New Zealand

REGULAR FEATURES:

Coach’s corner: Coach Education Manager Graeme Rickman takes a closer look at the new

ECB Coaching Pathway

Gifted and Talented: Get the latest news from Cheshire’s Emerging Player Programme and Junior Academy, plus our Player

Pathway sessions

Fit for Cricket: CCB Strength and Conditioning consultant Angela Jackson gives her top tips for stay-

ing injury free this summer

Club Cheshire: Club Development Manager Mike Woollard rounds up

the latest club news

Beyond the Boundary: Gareth’s popular Blog is re-launched in this month’s

bumper newsletter

Merry Christmas from everyone at the Cheshire Cricket Board!

Volume 4, April 2013

Full story : Page 2

THE PICKET LINE: Alvanley CC members congregate atop the

historic Moel Famau ahead of their 26-mile hike back home

The new e-newsletter from Cheshire Cricket Board Limited ...

www.cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

walk with somebody they wouldn't

normally speak to - in that respect it

did wonders for club morale and to-

getherness.

“Every walker had to endure the last

mile up the side of Helsby Hill but this

was tempered by rousing applause as

the last 100 yards across the hallowed

turf was in view of the expectant audi-

ence in the Fred Noden Pavilion.

Andy added: “Looking back across the pitch towards Moel Famau in the distance, the walkers could graphically see their achievement stretched out along the 26 miles.” When the Marathon Walk was first

conceived, the initial idea was collect

sponsorship money and buy the materi-

als to start work on the fence during

Cricket Force weekend on April 5,6,7.

However, such has been the gener-

osity of sponsors that a month after the

event, money is still coming in with the

final figure expected to top £5,000.

“In addition to the members building

the picket fence, we hope to install a

new boiler and purchase a cellar

cooler,” revealed Andy.

“The walk wasn't just about raising money for these projects but each and every walker will be able to look at the fence, sup a cool pint and enjoy the warmth of the boiler in winter months, knowing that it was their exceptional efforts that funded them.” He added: “Finally, I would like to give special thanks to the team of vol-unteers who supported the walk and the hundreds of sponsors.” More photos of the event are avail-able at www.alvanleycricketclub.org.uk/walk-2013 while anyone wishing to add to the sponsorship fund should contact andy.bennion@yahoo.co.uk.

WHEN the new picket fence glis-

tens brightly in the sunshine at Al-

vanley this summer, spare a thought

for the hardy soles who endured 10

hours of aching joints and burning

blisters to help put it there.

Club members and friends of the

small village club took the word

“picketing” to a whole new level last

month, but it was their feet and not

their mouths doing the protesting after

a challenging 26-mile trek from the

picturesque Moel Famau in North

Wales back to their Vale Royal home.

The walk was organised after the club

were unable to find the necessary funds

to extend the existing picket fence, a

project which has long been an ambi-

tion of the Alvanley committee.

First team captain Andy Bennion was

among the army of foot soldiers who

completed the cross-border challenge

from the Clwydian Range back to Al-

vanley’s Frodsham Road headquarters.

He explained: “The Alvanley Mara-

thon Walk was conceived through be-

ing unable to find funding to extend

the club's picket fence.

“The walk itself took six hours for

the speed merchants and 10 hours for

the slugs, but however long it took the

outcomes were numerous.

“For some there was beating self

doubt, for others it was about speed.

There were many instances of one

walker sharing a long stretch of the

Page 2 Wheatsheaf World

Community spirit burns bright at Alvanley

"Every walker will be able to

look at the fence, sup a cool

pint and enjoy the warmth of

the boiler in winter months,

knowing it was their

exceptional efforts that

funded them.”

Andy Bennion,

First X1 captain, Alvanley CC

ROADMAP TO SUCCESS: The 26-mile route from North Wales to the club

WALK ON WATER: Andy Bennion

is not afraid to get his feet wet

FAMILY AFFAIR: The Fletcher

family do their bit for the club

‘Woolly hats and plastic bats’ in freezing March

Page 3 Volume 2

SIXES, stumpings and a scatter of snowstorms - it’s all in a day’s work for the coaches of the Cheshire Cricket Board. Woolly hats and plastic bats were the order of the day for many enthusiastic pupils as they battled the cold snap with typical enthusiasm and a passion for the game they have come to love. Forecasters revealed it was officially the coldest March since 1962, but not even the arctic temperatures and fro-zen playing fields could prevent cricket being played in primary schools throughout Cheshire. Funded by major partners Chance to Shine, the Development and Coaching Officers of the Cheshire Cricket Board

donned their thermals and all-weather tracksuits for a month of snow-filled suc-cess stories. Warrington-based DCO Toby Mullins (pictured right) battled a blizzard at Cherry Tree Primary in Lymm, where the children were determined to play outside whatever the weather. “The kids at Cherry tree absolutely love their cricket and nothing could stop them playing outside - not even a snow storm,” revealed Toby. “The weather was that bad one day that we eventually had to go inside as we could no longer see the ball, and even then the children were desperate to stay out. “I have been working with a group of year six pupils for the past five weeks, and I have to say it is a fantastic school who have really embraced the concept of Chance to Shine.” Further south in Congleton, the year six pupils at Black Firs Primary dis-played equal determination under the watchful eye of DCO Ben Tomlinson. “You can see from the pictures that the snow had fallen quite heavily here, but the playground was clear and the kids were adamant they wanted to go out,” said Ben. “In these circumstances, you just

CRICKET-hungry students at Harrytown School in Romiley have been getting their weekly fill at a popular lunch time club hosted by Stockport Development and Coach-ing Officer Rick Halkon. Up to 40 boys and girls from years seven and eight attended the regular Tuesday lunch time sessions, which featured a range of small sided games and activities. The sessions took place either side of the Easter holiday, with the school booking additional slots on Monday

lunch times to meet the demands of its pupils. “The introduction of cricket ses-sions has proved to be a very success-ful addition to physical education and sport at Harrytown,” revealed Rick. “The sessions have attracted up to 40 children, with a hard core of 30 children attending regular sessions on Tuesday lunchtimes. “Harrytown has fully supported the development of Chance to Shine in the school and it is great to see so

many students taking up the game at the school”. Rick is now planning to run a Cricket Young Leaders Course at Harrytown for students in Years 9 and 10. Once qualified, the Young Leaders will be able to assist with the running of the lunch time sessions, which will enable them to continue throughout the calendar year. Rick added: “Chance to Shine are committed to improving the provi-sion of cricket in secondary schools and this is a real success story.”

need to make sure you play some small-sided games so nobody is stood around for too long and everyone is active as much as possible. “The attitude was great and as a coach I would prefer to be outside than stuck in small school hall. Every-one really enjoyed it.” Cheshire Cricket Board Marketing Manager Gareth Moorhouse, who delivers the Chance to Shine project in Tameside, was full of praise for his weather-beaten colleagues and their star pupils. He said: “Chance to Shine provide some fantastic classroom resources such as DVDs and interactive web links, so the kids should never miss a lesson because of the weather. “But we much prefer them to have a bat and ball in their hands, and as long as it’s safe to be outside playing matches, that’s the best option of all.”

SNOW MAN: Toby braves the elements at Cherry Tree

TAKE THAT! A Black Firs pupil

strikes against a snowy backdrop

Page 4 Wheatsheaf World

Cheshire starlets are ready for season opener been enormously impressed with the

standard of play, making it extremely

tough to finalise their squads.

The emphasis has been on fitness

throughout, and the players were

tested with some additional strength

and conditioning routines, and the

dreaded Yo-Yo test, which doubled up

as a charity fundraiser.

We were fortunate to have expert

assistance in this department from

County Physio Angela Jackson and her

colleague Glen Davies, and during

Easter we had a visit from England’s

Strength and Conditioning Intern

Christian Vassallo.

At the top of the talent tree, our

Emerging Players and Junior Academy

members will shortly begin their out-

door training programme, with regular

group and individual sessions tailored

to meet their needs.

The players also have a specific sum-

mer fitness programme to follow

thanks to advice from Christian, who

knows just what it takes for these tal-

ented youngsters to reach the top.

We have also staged a number of

specialist sessions for Excellence and

District level performers, focussing on

the main disciplines of batting, bowl-

ing, fielding and wicket-keeping.

We hope the additional hard work

from coaches and players will pay divi-

dends in an enjoyable and successful

2013. Good luck everyone.

WE have almost reached the end of

our winter training programme,

with the Excellence and District

Level Courses coming to a conclu-

sion this weekend.

There will be plenty of nervous

youngsters awaiting a letter from

Cheshire Youth Cricket, revealing

whether or not they have been selected

to represent the County or their re-

spective District side in 2013.

No matter what the personal out-

come, I would like to express my ad-

miration and for every youngster who

has taken part in the Player Pathway

this winter and I hope they now feel

well equipped to start the season.

The Cheshire coaching staff have

FOR the first time ever in 2013, the

Cheshire Youth Cricket District

Festival will include an Under 18

competition.

This new competition will com-

plement the current District Cricket

structure, which features players

from clubs in the North, East,

South and West in the Under 13

and Under 15 age groups.

All the participants on the current

Under 18 District Course have been

offered places at the Festival, while

the remaining slots will go to those

players on the U16 and U17 Excel-

lence Courses who do not make the

final county squad.

The format of the competition

has yet to finalised, but it is antici-

pated that four fixtures will take

place - two during the traditional

slot in the Whit holidays, and a fur-

ther two following the end of the

academic year in July.

For some of the players involved, it

will be their first taste of represen-

tative cricket, while others will

boast a wealth of experience at

both County and District level.

Performance Manager Gavin

Colebourn expects the standard of

play to be extremely high and

hopes the players will give their full

backing to the event.

He said: “This year we extended

our winter training programme to

include 18-year-olds, where previ-

ously the Player Pathway had fin-

ished at Under 17 level.

“This is part of our ongoing com-

mitment to driving up participation

within the game, and keeping our

junior performers on the Pathway

for longer made perfect sense.

“We wanted to give the players

something to build towards this

summer, and I hope those invited

take full advantage of the offer.”

CHESHIRE PLAYER PATHWAY

New Under 18 District Comp FIRST CLASS ACADEMIES

EMERGING PLAYER

PROGRAMME AND JUNIOR

ACADEMY (10-18 YEARS)

CHESHIRE YOUTH COUNTY TEAMS

ONE-TO-ONE COACHING

EXCELLENCE COURSES U17, U16,

U15, U14, U13, U12, U11 BOYS AND

GIRLS

DISTRICT CRICKET U13, U15, U18

ADVANCED COACHING

SUMMER

COURSES

AUTUMN

COURSES

CCB Performance

Manager Gavin

Colebourn brings

you the latest news

from our unique

Player Pathway

ON THE UP: Andy Jackson and

the EPs will head outdoors

Page 5 Volume 2

Beyond the Boundary: England will have to ‘Urn’ it

NO matter which side of the

boundary rope you will be standing

this summer, the phrase “Ashes to

Ashes” will strike a chord with eve-

ryone in English cricket, from the

grass roots game to the Test arena.

Those in the upper echelons of the

ECB will be hoping to “cash in” on

one of sport’s great rivalries as Eng-

land go head-to-head with the old foe

Australia twice in the calendar year.

Following a historic Test series win

in India this winter, and Australia’s

humiliating whitewash at the hand’s of

the same opposition, Alistair Cook’s

side will surely start as favourites to

retain the prize they cherish more than

any other - the Ashes Urn.

The staggering success of the Lon-

don Olympics rendered cricket almost

invisible last summer, and so for the

fervent England fan club the year 2013

represents a unique opportunity to

make their voices heard.

Yet as satisfying as it would be to

give the Aussies another Ashes hiding

on home soil, I fear the latest chapter

in this romantic rivalry needs to be a

keenly contested affair if the sporting

public are to retain any real interest in

the traditional Test format.

The recent bore draw in New Zea-

land (save for Matt Prior’s heroic ef-

forts in the final Test), coupled with

the low attendances around the globe,

highlight a significant shift in prefer-

ence towards the shorter forms of the

game, with the current IPL season

proving as popular as ever.

Indeed, ask one of the players on

our Cheshire Cricket Board courses to

name a full Test match X1 (other than

England) and you are usually met with

blank faces.

What we need is a rip-roaring con-

test akin to the 2005 series, when

gladiators like Warne, Pietersen, Flin-

toff and McGrath thrilled the paying

public with their feats of brilliance.

Of course that series was broadcast

live on terrestrial television (Channel

4), but surely it was the excitement of

the cricket, and not the platform for

the viewers, that really captured the

imagination?

Every great side needs a great oppo-

nent to truly realise their potential, and

England battled past an Australia team

with some of the greatest players of

the modern era, even if they were no

longer at the peak of their powers.

Fast forward to 2013 and it’s a very

different proposition facing England

as they look to defend the Urn. The

Aussies may be languishing in fourth

place in the ICC Test rankings, but

surely England won’t have things all

their own way this summer?

For all the bickering and back-

stabbing in the Australia camp, there is

still plenty of raw talent there and I for

one hope they bring their ‘A game’

with them from Down Under, or it

really could be “Ashes to Ashes” for

the greatest Test rivalry of them all.

Thanks for reading! Gareth

CCB Summer Schools return … book now! CRICKETERS! Prepare for another fun-filled summer

of sixes, stumpings and sunshine with the return of the

hugely popular CCB Holiday Courses.

Staffed by professional Level Three coaches, we have

been delivering a comprehensive county-wide summer

programme since the early 1990s, and 2013 promises to

be another big year for us.

Our holiday programme also forms part of the pres-

tigious Cheshire Youth Cricket Player Pathway, with all

talented youngsters recommended to future Advanced

Level coaching courses.

So if your child is aged 6-15 years and has a passion

for cricket, we would love to welcome them onto one of

our courses this summer. Full course details on Page 6

CCB Marketing

Manager Gareth

Moorhouse re-

launches his blog

‘Beyond the Bound-

ary’ in this month’s

Wheatsheaf World

SPIN KING: Shane Warne

BOWLED OVER: Have fun on our courses this summer

Page 6 Volume 2

Summer Course venues confirmed for 2013

COURSE VENUE DATES TIME AGE GROUP PRICE

Warrington Cricket Club August 5-9 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Warrington Cricket Club August 5-9 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Nantwich Cricket Club July 29 - Aug 2 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Nantwich Cricket Club July 29 - Aug 2 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Elworth Cricket Club August 19-23 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Haslington Cricket Club August 26-30 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Haslington Cricket Club August 26-30 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Macclesfield Cricket Club August 5-9 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club July 29 - Aug 2 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club July 29 - Aug 2 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club August 19-23 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club August 19-23 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Tattenhall Cricket Club August 26-30 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Tattenhall Cricket Club August 26-30 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Toft Cricket Club August 19-23 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Oulton Park Cricket Club August 12-16 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Oulton Park Cricket Club August 12-16 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Northwich Cricket Club August 26-30 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Northwich Cricket Club August 26-30 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Woodford Cricket Club July 29-Aug 2 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Bredbury St Marks Cricket Club August 5-9 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Stockport Cricket Club August 19-23 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Stockport Cricket Club August 19-23 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Neston Cricket Club August 12-16 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Neston Cricket Club August 12-16 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Oxton Cricket Club July 22-26 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Bowdon Cricket Club August 12-16 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Bowdon Cricket Club August 12-16 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

Bowdon Cricket Club August 26-30 2.30pm-5pm 6-8 year olds £36

Bowdon Cricket Club August 26-30 9.30am-5pm 9-15 year olds £99

TO BOOK A COACHING COURSE, VISIT THE CCB WEBSITE

www.cheshirecricketboard.co.uk/SummerCourses2013.html

Coach’s Corner: New ECB Coaching Pathway in 2013

WE are now just days away from

the start of the new cricket season,

and the excitement is building at

clubs right across the county.

For the hundreds of qualified

coaches and team managers this is an

extremely busy period, as session plans

are rapidly drawn up and fixture cards

put in place for the start of the sum-

mer.

And following another successful

assessment programme on our Coach

Education Courses, we now have an

extended Cheshire “coaching family”

with many new recruits desperate to

share their passion and expertise with

junior and senior players alike.

The Cheshire Cricket Board are

committed to helping all new (and

existing) coaches continue their devel-

opment in club settings, and we will be

hosting regular training methods work-

shops free of charge to give some ex-

amples of best practice.

This will be complimented by regu-

lar visits from our team of Coaching

and Development Officers, who will

be on hand to answer any questions

and point people in the right direction.

This is a particularly exciting time for

coaches, as 2013 will herald the dawn

of a new Coaching Pathway within the

ECB, with several “new” courses avail-

able from September onwards.

The changes are designed to directly

address the needs of players and

coaches in the recreational game. The

new structure will incorporate the

ECB’s Player Development Model

(PDM) with Early, Basic and En-

hanced development stages, with

which coaches using the Howzat re-

source will already be familiar.

The new structure is about making

coaching fun and will hopefully ignit-

ing a passion for learning and on-going

development within coaches every-

where in the recreational game.

Coaches need support in many var-

ied and individual ways, and the ECB

hope this structure, coupled with the

new PDM, will meet the requirements

of those delivering cricket from grass

roots right through to the top of the

professional game.

Existing ECB coaches and many

aspiring ones will already be familiar

with the current UKCC structure, with

assessment programmes in place at

Level 1, 2, 3 and 4. Under the new

structure, Level 1 will superseded by a

one day course called the Coach Sup-

port Worker, while Level 2 will be

divided into two courses—Coaching

Children (up to 13 years) and Coach-

ing Young People at Adults (14 plus).

For coaches working at Performance

Levels 3 and 4, the courses will remain

largely the same in their structure.

I know that coaches (current or as-

piring) will have many more questions

about the new structure and how best

to continue their development. In the

coming weeks and months the Chesh-

ire Cricket Board will be releasing

regular updates and FAQ’s sheets to

help coaches fully understand the

changes. Further details will also be

added to the Board’s website.

Headline Messages

September 2013 - New Coach Educa-

tion Structure launched

Player Needs - Different players have

different needs, coaches need to un-

derstand this and the new structure

will lead and support this process.

Skill acquisition - The new structure

will help to develop highly skilled and

qualified coaches in the UK.

Feel Good - Following the changes,

there will be a positive impact on

coaches, players and teams.

Knowledge - Players will have an in-

creased understanding of the game and

their own performance.

Priority - Players will be the central

focus of what coaches learn about.

Page 7 Wheatsheaf World

In September 2013,

some exciting

changes are being

made to the ECB’s

coaching pathway.

In his new column,

Cheshire’s Coach

Education Manager Graeme Rick-

man brings you up to speed with

all the latest developments.

PATHWAY: The new ECB coaching structure

Page 8 Volume 2

Chris Edwards: Living the Dream

Can you sum up your first year as a

DCO for Cheshire Cricket Board?

It’s been a roller coaster year for me

and it has gone by so quickly. It’s been

difficult at times, but I enjoy a chal-

lenge and that has kept me motivated

to keep improving.

This job is all about building positive

relationships with people and trying to

inspire them to take up cricket. Hope-

fully I have done that.

I would like to thank CCB and the

Trust for supporting my role and al-

lowing me to pursue my passion of

coaching and playing cricket.

What impact (if any) has your dis-

ability had on your working life?

In this job, your timetables are con-

stantly changing and I like to have a

solid routine, so this has been the big-

gest challenge for me in terms of

adapting. But I have also learned from

the experience and it has made me a

more confident person.

Communicating seems simple on the

sports hall floor because that’s where I

feel most comfortable, but I still find it

difficult phoning up new contacts,

which is something that comes natu-

rally to the other guys. I think that is

part of my learning disability – I have

to think much harder about how a

plan might come together.

The other CCB staff have been really

supportive though, especially Owen

(Williamson) who covered the Wirral

schools and clubs prior to me.

You are currently working towards

your ECB Level 3 coaching badge -

how is that going?

Learning new skills and techniques

from the best tutors around can only

help me to improve my own coaching.

The biggest thing I have learned is

how to adapt my coaching style to

meet the needs of different players.

Some need to be told information,

some need to be shown, but even bet-

ter is to ask questions and get the play-

ers to think for themselves. That has

been the biggest satisfaction to date,

watching the players develop over sev-

eral weeks of working with them.

What has it been like working with

guys who coached you only a few

years ago on the Player Pathway?

The Player Pathway has improved

dramatically ever since I finished play-

ing in 2010 and it’s been great to be a

part of the coaching team.

You really have to be on the ball all

the time. In some venues we have

viewing areas for the parents and this

is good because they can see how we

are developing the players. It can also

be quite daunting and you feel like a

referee in a premiership football

match, with all the cameras following

your every decision!

Overall it has been a really enjoyable

12 months on course, in schools and

working with clubs. Roll on year two!

NO BOUNDARIES Former ECB Disability

Cricketer of the Year

Chris Edwards pens an

exclusive new column

for Wheatsheaf World.

“As I write my first blog, disability

cricket in England is redeveloping at

grass roots level in an effort to in-

crease participation in the sport.

“The old County Championship will

be suspended while a new structure is

developed, with regional inter county

‘friendly matches’ encouraged.

“Cheshire’s international level play-

ers, of which I am one, will be pre-

cluded from playing these county

matches and will instead be invited to

an enhanced National Development

Programme.

“With no league structure this leaves

us free to arrange as many games as

we feel will benefit our team over the

coming season as we look to give

some new youngsters some match

time experience to develop their game.

“With a big squad to choose from,

we will be able to rotate the squad

regularly so they get equal opportuni-

ties. With two new players in Craig

Kearney and Martin Meehan, this will

help us start to build a new look to our

team for the future and we hope to

bring in more new players over the

next few years and beyond.

“By the time you read this, we will

have swapped indoor training sessions

at Birkenhead School for outdoor

practice, and as assistant coach to

Keith Beggs I am looking forward to

watching our current and new players

in action.

“I will keep you posted on all the

matches being played over the course

of the season and the progress the

players are making in my next blog at

the end of May.”

Thanks for reading! Chris

* To read Chris’s blog in full, includ-

ing a history of the Cheshire Disabled

team, visit the disabilities page of the

Cheshire Cricket Board website at:

www.cheshirecricketboard.co.uk/

TWELVE months ago, thanks to

funding from the Cheshire Cricket

Trust, Chris Edwards became the

first member of the England Learn-

ing Disabilities squad to earn a job

as a professional coach when he

joined the staff of the Cheshire

Cricket Board. One year on, Chris

talks to Wheatsheaf World about

his experiences in the role to date.

Page 9 Wheatsheaf World

Sefton crowned disability champs Officer Chris Ed-

wards was on

hand to oversee

the coaching.

The standard of

play was high

throughout the

competition, and

it was Sefton

(pictured bottom

left) who ran out

eventual winners,

beating rivals St

Helens by 40 runs in a keenly con-

tested final.

All the players made a telling contri-

bution to their teams and the coaches

noted the quality of the play, in par-

ticular the batting skills on display.

Wirral’s Special Educational Needs

(SEN) School Sports Partnership

Leader Jon White was thoroughly im-

pressed with the skill level and sports-

manship of the pupils.

He said: “Sefton looked magnificent

in their yellow School Games t-shirts,

and used their wonderful togetherness

and team spirit to beat a St. Helen’s

team that was equally high on talent.

All players competed with determi-

nation, honesty, passion, respect, self-

belief and teamwork and continued to

display these School Games values

throughout the day’s play.

“The competition was well umpired

by the irrepressible Keith Beggs, a

member of the support staff for the

England Special Educational Needs

and Disabilities (SEND) Team.

“The players also received high-

quality coaching during breaks in their

matches from the outstanding young

Cheshire Cricket Board coach Christo-

pher Edwards, who used the exciting

ECB Cricket Factory activities.

Jon added: “Finally, a big thank you

must go to the Youth Sport Trust’s

Project Ability for setting up such

great opportunities for people with a

disability to take part in sport.”

For more disability cricket news, visit

www.cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

DISABILITY CRICKET NEWS

by Chris Edwards THREE schools from across Mer-

seyside came out to compete in the

annual cricket competition for play-

ers with physical disabilities at Lea-

sowe Leisure Centre on Wirral.

Schools from Wirral, St Helens and

Sefton combined to represent their

boroughs in a tournament which al-

ways provides fun and maximum par-

ticipation for all involved.

This year the sports hall was divided

into two sections, with two boroughs

competing in one half while the re-

maining competitors practised their

skills with coaching aids from the ECB

Cricket Factory.

Cheshire Disability Cricket Head

Coach Keith Beggs umpired the

matches, while CCB Development

ON FRIDAY, August 23, Slater Heelis LLP Solicitors are hosting a special day of cricket at Sale Sports Club. The event at Dane Road will show-case the game of Visually Impaired cricket to local people and businesses in Sale, whilst also celebrating Slater Heelis’ 240th Anniversary. With the support of Henshaws, the Trafford-based charity for the blind, and the Cheshire and Lancashire Cricket Boards, Slater Heelis will host a taster session for the VI community followed by a cricket match (under VI rules) between the Lancashire Lions

and a Henshaws Invitational team. Programme of activities (TBC). Slater Heelis’ marketing manager Claire Palmer said: “We are hosting this event to demonstrate to staff and clients how some of the hard work they do fundraising all year round can come to life with a day filled with celebra-tions and special invitational matches. “We would like to encourage anyone with an interest in cricket, particular those members of the community with a visual impairment, to come along and try their hand at cricket. “It promises to be a memorable day.”

Cricket for all: Lancashire Lions

players training at Old Trafford

CCB Club

Development

Manager Mike

Woollard brings

you the latest

from the Cheshire

club scene ...

Page 10 Volume 2

THE 2013 edition of the Sources of Grant Aid for Cricket Clubs, funded by the Cheshire Clubs’ Cricket Committee, has now been circu-lated to all affiliated clubs, and is available online at; www.cheshirecricketboard.co.uk/Grant Aid - 8th edition.pdf This will be updated online when any changes become known, and should be a useful guide for any club seeking investment. To support this resource, two semi-nars were held recently at Chester County Offices CC and Heaton Mer-sey CC at which Stephen Wright, the author of this booklet, gave invaluable advice to those attending, detailing how to make a successful application, using his experience in accessing exter-nal funding on behalf of Cheshire County Council. Since his post at Cheshire, Stephen has run a successful business supporting organisations throughout the North to access fund-ing for substantial and smaller pro-jects. If you are intending to apply to any potential funder, can I suggest contact-

ing me to discuss how best to maxi-mise the chances of success. Sport England have established a new online re-source, completely FREE to all affili-ated clubs, giving advice in all areas of club manage-ment from Price Waterhouse Coo-pers. Having regis-tered on the site and investigated thoroughly, I believe it to be the most comprehensive sup-port for clubs, and would encourage all clubs to register and take advantage of this excellent advice. http://www.sportenglandclubleaders.com/ In addition to this, ECB have launched the ‘Club Support’ section of their website. This gives excellent free advice in many areas of club develop-ment, and clubs are encouraged to use this resource when formulating plans for the future, such as cost and energy saving and project development. http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/club-cricket/club-support/ 21 Cheshire clubs will have bene-fited to date from the ECB Small Grants Scheme, with six having new covers, nine getting Bowdry machines and the balance a mixture of flat sheets

and energy efficient lighting. To allow all this to happen, the Cheshire Cricket Board has added £6k to the ECB ‘pot’. A further five Cheshire clubs have benefited from the Sport England In-spired Facilities Fund to the tune of approximately £50k each for the de-velopment of their changing facilities, and Warrington Sports Club have had £50k from the Protecting Playing Fields fund to vastly improve the drainage at the club, to the benefit of both Cricket and Rugby sections. It is hoped that two clubs will bene-fit significantly in 2013 from the ECB Grant Aid Programme, and we are awaiting further news. All that remains is for me to wish you all a successful start to the season, and please do get in touch with any questions about funding or facilities.

Pulling the ‘Wool’ over your eyes

I have today received confirmation that we have been successful in gaining an award of £2000 under the Board's 2013 Small Grants Scheme. I would like to thank you for the support you have given us with this award which will be very im-portant in enabling our continued pro-gress. Many thanks indeed.'

Stewart Coates - Stockport Trinity CC

As I'm sure you are already aware, Ap-pleton have been successful with our ECB small grant application for covers and Bowdry. Thanks very much to Mike Woollard and the rest of your team for help and support.' Antony Hurst, Chair-

man Appleton CC

Thank you from all at Hollingworth Cricket Club for your support and help in achieving our Sport England grant.' Mo -

Hollingworth Cricket Club

I would like to thank you on behalf of Wistaston Cricket Club for all the help you have given over the past few years since getting Club Mark. Through having Club Mark we have received grants from the ECB & The Lottery in the past year for a bowling machine, which has been put to good use and we are now waiting for our new covers to come. Once again your help and advice made it possible. Kevin & Pauline Jobbins, Wistaston CC

Recent feedback from your clubs ...

WAVE OF SUCCESS: Caldy CC on Cricket Force Day

NEW COAT: Caldy’s sightscreens

get a pre-season makeover

JOURNEY & SETTLING IN

We arrived in Christchurch approxi-

mately a day and a half after leaving

Manchester on Saturday morning. We

were on time and the journey was

trouble free, but very tiring (I was

nearly asleep standing up in LA air-

port). The rest of the day is a bit of a

haze due to the jetlag.

On Day Two we took a bus tour of

the city; a sad experience in many ways

as the guide’s commentary was domi-

nated by references to the damage

done by the recent earthquakes. The

centre of Christchurch is an exclusion

zone, with many plots still empty fol-

lowing the demolition work. It will

take years to complete the repairs but

nevertheless this is a pleasant, well-laid

out place in a great setting. We fin-

ished the tour at the splendid botanical

gardens set in Hagley Park, the fifth

largest city park in the world so they

say. Had an early night.

We had an early start to Day Three,

watching Spurs beat Arsenal before

leaving Christchurch via coach. The

trip took us across the very flat farm-

ing area en route to the Southern Alps

and Mount Cook. The country is very

dry after what they all say was the best

summer for years - indeed, everywhere

is brown except the pasture fields

which are irrigated. The mountains are

Page 11 Volume 2

‘Davies Down Under’ - Board Chairman tours NZ spectacular, the Mount Cook range,

the highest in New Zealand, is covered

in glaciers all year.

Day Four brought a leisurely trip

down from the hills to the Pacific

Coast past some hydro dams set in

beautiful countryside. We stopped for

lunch at Moeraki Boulders - some very

large boulders on the beach, interest-

ing enough but I will spare you the

geology lesson. We checked in at the

Victoria Hotel in Dunedin, our home

for the next six nights - it looks good.

Drinks party tonight and tomorrow

the CRICKET. Guess what, the

weather forecast is for showers! It is

the same the world over it seems.

DUNEDIN: First Test

The first test ended in a draw which

England would have bitten your hand

off for after their inept, complacent

and even arrogant performance in the

first innings.

I am not going to give you a full

match report (you will have read that

yourself) but congratulations to

Hamish Rutherford, Nick Compton

and night-watchman Steve Finn on

their important contributions.

The University Oval (pictured left) is

a lovely ground, the playing area bigger

than it first looks, tree lined, one per-

manent stand, two temporary stands

and two grassy banks but a lovely re-

laxed atmosphere.

I met several people I know: the

three County League umpires, Geoff

Wellsteed, Ged

Kinsey and Barry

Burns; Cheshire

League umpires,

John Bone and

Christine Robin-

son; Liverpool

Competition chair-

man, John Wil-

liams and an old

friend and col-

league from the

League Confer-

ence, Richard

Martin from the Bassetlaw League

who was in the next seat at the theatre

when we went to see a “Last Night of

the Proms” concert - an excuse for

some singing and flag waving after

England’s woeful first day.

We also attended a question and

answer session with John Etheridge,

cricket correspondent for The Sun, an

interesting and experienced man who

has only missed two England matches

in 25 years.

WELLINGTON: Second Test

We left Dunedin early on Monday for

the long drive to Milford Sound.

Brown is definitely the colour in the

New Zealand countryside at the end of

this hot, dry summer with only wa-

tered fields showing any green and

much less irrigation in the south than

the middle of the South Island.

Milford Sound, not strictly a sound

but a fjord, is truly spectacular as we

cruised out to sea and back. We drove

back to Te Anau on the lake of the

same name for the night.

Cheshire Cricket

Board Chairman Pe-

ter Davies recently

returned from New

Zealand where he

watched all three

drawn test matches.

Here, Peter shares his experiences

with the Wheatsheaf World readers.

SOUNDSCAPE: The spectacular Milford Sound

We flew to Wellington on Wednesday

in readiness for the second test. The

bustling capital city is also a port and

host to many cruise ships - Queen

Mary 2 was in town.

It was a much better response by

England after being inserted than in

Dunedin although the NZ attack

lacked penetration. The Basin Reserve

is an old and traditional ground in

need of a facelift. One stand is out of

use because it is an earthquake risk and

the iconic Vance Stand with its gabled

facade is rusting in places. The large,

nearly circular playing area is immacu-

late, the greenest plot in the country at

present, no doubt.

Another cricket fanatic from Chesh-

ire has arrived for the final two tests. I

was stretching my legs on a lap of the

ground at lunch when I heard my

name being called. On turning round I

was pleasantly surprised to see an old

friend in the shape of David Briggs

Page 12 Volume 2

‘Davies Down Under’ - Board Chairman tours NZ from Alsager

who is on his

third trip out

here.

THE

DROUGHT

BREAKS

After months without rain and a drought order throughout the North Island it started to rain at lunch on the

fourth day and the final five sessions were lost. It looked like another pitch with little in it for the bowlers and may have been a draw anyway. So how do you kill a wet day in Wel-lington? Well, I visited the excellent national museum, Te Papa, and spent about five hours wandering around, had lunch with Briggsy and then went on the Wellington Cable Car to the top where I took a picture of a very murky city. The rain followed us as we departed for the long drive to Rotorua, passing Lake Taupo where the weather finally improved. We also visited Huka Falls before arriving at the sulphurous spa town at about five thirty.

AUCKLAND: Third Test

We visited the hot springs at Rotorua, which was a bit smelly but fascinating. From there we went on to the Agra-dome where we saw a show involving performing sheep! We spent an evening at a Maori vil-lage where we saw various aspects of their culture and ate a traditionally cooked meal. It was all very interesting and entertaining but they are still per-forming for the tourists. The next day we drove to Auckland via some lime-stone caves full of glow worms - spec-tacular but, unfortunately, no photog-raphy allowed. We arrived in the high rise centre of the city at rush hour and checked in to another excellent hotel. We visited Parnell CC, one of Auckland’s leading clubs coached by Ian Trott, father of Jonathan. As well as plenty of memo-rabilia, several fields and a huge junior section they have their own three bay

indoor nets. How’s that for club devel-opment! Eden Park is a large, impressive sta-dium - for rugby! The short, straight boundaries allowed one top edge to go for six. So what happened to winning the toss and batting? No deviations for the bowlers and sound test match batting from NZ made Cook’s decision to insert one of the most expensive ever. The final test reached a tremen-dously exciting climax with England achieving a draw after losing only five wickets on the last day. Major contri-butions from, Cook, Bell, Root Prior and not least Broad who redeemed himself after some of the brainless shots he had played earlier in the se-

ries. And then there was Monty! Never looked in trouble!! Some people want to do away with the draw in cricket - Bah Humbug is my answer after wit-nessing that. We spent the last day on a trip to Waiheke Island which included visits to vineyards and a brewery, with tast-ings! I didn’t enjoy it at all!! The tem-perature was in the mid twenties, as it was every day in Auckland, imagine the shock when the pilot announced that it was four degrees as we ap-proached Heathrow, it doesn’t seem to have got much warmer since either. Looking back it was a trip well worth taking to a beautiful, friendly, well inte-grated country. The cricket was inter-esting but it has to be said that the England team underperformed and credit to NZ who seemed more fo-cused albeit on very batsman friendly pitches - we will see how they go at Headingley in May. Thanks for reading, and best wishes ahead of what promises to be an exciting summer of cricket.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM: The Basin Reserve

Page 13 Wheatsheaf World

DURING the winter programme we have encouraged you all to im-prove your physical fitness. The winter often provides better opportunity for you to get fit with lots of sports which require cardiovascular fitness such as football, hockey, rugby and netball. This means by the start of the cricket season most of you will be at peak fitness. During the summer months as you start to play more cricket there is less time to devote to fitness and over a period of months fitness levels tend to drop both in the amateur game and indeed in the professional arena. With this drop in fitness levels comes a greater risk of injury and cer-tainly a drop in performance.

Fit for Cricket: A blueprint for summer success

Cheshire Youth Cricket wants you to maintain your fitness all year round so that when teams go on tours in Au-gust, our fitness levels will be better than other county sides and we will not have frustrated children who can-not play through injury and who can perform better and longer on the field. Planning is essential if you are able to fit in playing in games and finding adequate time to not only train but plan rest days too. Use a calendar to schedule how best to use your time. Each week try to do a speed session, a core session and a strength session. Here are some drills you can use to help you hit the ground running this season:

SPEED

Run as fast as you can for short peri-ods (eg 10 m or 20 m). If you want to get faster you have to train running fast! You can use the T Drill (left) which is completed as follows:

Sprint forward 10m, lateral shuffle right 5m, lateral shuffle left 10m, lat-eral shuffle right 5m (back to centre) then backpedal 10m to start line. This is easy on a tennis court or netball court or set it up on your driveway. Repeat five times with 30 second rests between. Time yourself to get your fastest time. NB) Children who are growing should not do regular road running over dis-tances greater than 5 km.

FLEXIBILITY

During growth spurts it is good to make sure that you try and do some flexibility most days. Pick a few of the exercises from those on the website that you find most difficult and prac-tise them.

STRENGTH AND CORE

With core work, practise of good qual-ity technique is essential.

NO TIME FOR A LIE DOWN: Planks are crucial for core stability

CCB Strength and

Conditioning Con-

sultant Angela

Jackson, of Alderley

Edge based firm

PhysioFit, writes for

Wheatsheaf World.

ENGLAND Strength and Condition-ing Coach Christian Vassallo made a special visit to Cheshire earlier this month to put some of our most tal-ented youngsters through their paces. Christian ran a squad session for Cheshire’s Emerging Players and also paid a visit to one of the Board’s Specialist Easter Courses to pass on his passion and expertise. The sessions at Wilmslow High School were organised by Cheshire

Physio Angie Jackson and Perform-ance Manager Gavin Colebourn. Angela said: “One of the key mes-sages to players is that they can be talented and technically able, but you need to be physically fit to withstand the pressures of the modern game. “We have to challenge them to be the best they can be. And if the body is willing, success will naturally fol-low. I was thrilled for the boys to have an opportunity to see how their

England heroes train and know what they can do to reach the top. “Larger counties have their own fitness team to support the coaching staff but the smaller counties rely on volunteers to provide back up. She added: “I have worked with the Emerging Player Programme since its inception seven years ago and in-creasingly the message from England Cricket is if you want to reach the top you need to be fit.”

England Intern Vassallo gives fitness tips to youngsters

Continued on Page 14 ...

Page 14 Wheatsheaf World

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Press ups - Aim for 25 reps for boys and 15 for girls Plank circuits - (front plank to side plank to upward facing plank to side plank holding each for 10 secs, repeat x 3-4 circuits Chin ups - Aim for 15 Lunging - Around clock and deep squats - 3 sets of 10 reps. Each of these can be done 3 x per week so it won’t take long. See the Cheshire Cricket Board website for pictures and handouts. No core work should be done prior to playing or practising as a tired, weakened core tends to lead to injury. Start slowly whatever age you are and gradually build up. Good technique is better than long holds with a poor posture. If you would like help with an individual programme, screening appointments are available through Angela Jackson at Physiofit www.physiofit.co.uk

THERE is a directive from the

England Cricket Board in place to

protect young bowlers from injury

to their backs when they are grow-

ing, writes Angela Jackson.

Every year there are several bowlers

aged between 11-15 who will sustain

stress fractures of their lower backs

which will put them out of all sport for

at least six months and out of bowling

for at least a year.

These are usually a result of poor

technique, over bowling, and poor

warm up procedures.

Injuries to the back and shoulders

are common in spin bowlers so it is

not just fast bowlers (like Stuart Broad,

pictured) that are at risk. Players,

coaches and parents should take note

of the ECB directives and ensure they

are strictly adhered to (see below).

You should count how many balls

you bowl in the nets, matches and

whilst out playing with friends at

school or in free time as these should

be included in your weekly allowance.

Keep a diary in your cricket bag re-

cording how many balls you bowl each

week. You must plan with your par-

ents and coaches what cricket commit-

ments you have each week to ensure

that you do not exceed your bowling

limits.

It is advised by the ECB that chil-

dren should not bowl more than two

consecutive days, no more than four

times in any seven day period (7/4/2).

This has yet to become enforceable

but is backed up by strong evidence to

suggest that it is the repetition of

bowling/throwing on consecutive days

that causes stress on bony growth

plates and that a rest day every third

day will allow the bone to heal. These

guidelines apply to practise sessions as

well as match situations.

As a general rule the 7/4/2 guideline

is a good basis for all cricketers includ-

ing spinners, wicket keepers and even

batsmen who still have to stand for

long periods in the field. Plan your

week to include no more than 4 cricket

sessions and 3 fitness sessions.

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Practise your lunging

How much cricket should you play this summer?

FAST BOWLING IN MATCHES

AGE OVERS (SPELL) PER DAY

U13 5 per spell 10 per day

U14 6 per spell 12 per day

U15 6 per spell 12 per day

U16 7 per spell 18 per day

U17 7 per spell 18 per day

U18 7 per spell 18 per day

U19 7 per spell 18 per day

FAST BOWLING IN PRACTISE

AGE BALLS (SESSION) PER WEEK

U13 30 per session 2 sessions

U14 36 per session 2 sessions

U15 36 per session 2 sessions

U16 42 per session 3 sessions

U17 42 per session 3 sessions

U18 42 per session 3 sessions

U19 42 per session 3 sessions

INJURY PRONE: Stuart Broad

Page 15 Wheatsheaf World

9 January 1940 – 19

March 2013

Known universally as Sandy, our friend and fellow cricket lover, Sandy Scrimgeour, died on 19 March 2013, after an illness which began on 28 September 2009. Family and friends, together with players, ex-players, and officials throughout the Cheshire cricket family and beyond, filled St Thomas’s Church, Heaton Chapel on March 28 to share a Service of Thanksgiving. The service, led by Rev Diane Brownhill, included a tribute to Sandy’s dedication and commitment to Cheshire Cricket from the County Chairman, John Pickup, and some cherished family memories from Sandy’s daughter, Lynn. A proud Dundonian who never for-got his roots, Sandy moved from Dun-dee to Manchester in 1962 and played for the YMCA whilst he was living in

Remembering Sandy Scrimgeour: A Tribute the YMCA hostel on Princess Park-way, and where incidentally he first met David Bailey, current Cheshire CCC Cricket Chairman, who was also staying there at the time. Elise joined him from Scotland in 1965 when they married and went to live in Heaton Moor where he joined Heaton Mersey CC as a bowler and, latterly, a keeper. Together they be-came mainstays of Mersey, a Club en-joyed by all the family and where they made life long friends. After his playing days he became a popular and respected member of the Cheshire County League Umpires panel. As an umpire and as a player, whatever happened on the field of play, he would always socialize with players and officials after the match before journeying to join his club friends back at Mersey. Sandy played a leading role in the administration of the game for over 30 years. He was Fixture Secretary of the Cheshire County League from 1983 until 2010, when he retired because of illness, and in recognition of his con-tribution to this complex job was ap-pointed an Hon. Life Vice President of the League in 2011. During this same period, and to-gether with his wife Elise, he ran the Cheshire U13 Club Cup Competition as part of their roles with the Cheshire Association of Cricket Clubs. He was also a member of the Chesh-

ire County Cricket Club Committee where he served first as Team Manager of the Cheshire Association team play-ing in the then NCA Competition which evolved into the County ‘2nd XI’, and later the ‘A XI’. Latterly Sandy became the County 1st XI Team Manager and for a while did the job for both the ‘A XI’ and the 1st XI. During Sandy’s tenure as 1st XI Team Manager the team reached two Minor Counties Championship Finals and a Knock Out Final with his proudest moment being when the County won the Championship in 2007 by beating Northumberland at Jesmond. Sandy’s insistence on the team being immaculately turned out in their blaz-ers at the Trophy presentation earned him accolades from the Minor Coun-ties Officials. Both Sandy and Elise were appointed Hon. Life Members of the County Club in recognition of their services. Sandy performed all roles with typi-cal vigour, energy and efficiency. His standards as Team Manager and Ad-ministrator were high and non-negotiable. He loved the banter and always had an answer. He stood no nonsense, sometimes harsh, but always fair. He was very proud of all the teams he managed and players re-garded him as a ‘top bloke’ – often a smiley face with a twinkle in his eye.

On March 19, 2013

Cheshire Cricket lost

one of its most dedi-

cated servants and a

“real character” of

the county scene in

Sandy Scrimgeour.

Here, Board secretary and website

manager David Sharp pays tribute

to man known to all as “Sandy”.

SANDY: A proud Dundonian

TEAM PLAYER: Sandy pictured with the Cheshire County team at Chester

Page 16 Wheatsheaf World

Continued from Page 13 Throughout, Sandy had the steadfast support of Elise, and together they made a formidable team dedicated to their family and Cheshire Cricket. In 2008 they attended the OSCAs at Lord’s in recognition of their contribu-tion to Cheshire cricket. Sandy instilled a love for sport, and in particular cricket and its etiquette, first in his children Steven and Lynn, and later with his four grandchildren (Brogan, Callum, Joshua and Alicia) – all proud to wear the Scrimgeour name. Sandy worked as a Textile Salesman and travelled extensively around the UK. Away from Cricket he played Indoor Bowls, enjoyed Sports Quizzes and followed Rugby, Ice Hockey, Horse Racing, Speedway (Belle Vue Aces) and Football (Scotland, of course; ‘The Darkers’ – Dundee; Man-chester United; and local matches at

Sandy Scrimgeour: A Tribute Stockport County, Hyde and Droyls-den). Sandy - A true character of our time, he will be well remembered.

Compiled by David Sharp with thanks to Lynn and John Pickup

REMEMERING “SANDY”

“Top bloke, always brought a smile

to everyone's face!!He will be

sorely missed by myself, everyone

at Nantwich CC and the whole of

the Cheshire set up” - James War-

rington

“RIP Sandy. A top man with a great sense of humour, The only umpire I know to have openly laughed at some of my more hope-

ful appeals!” - Simon Wilkinson

“Condolences to Elise and the family. Great fun as an umpire and Cheshire team manager. Proudest man to wear the Wheatsheaf on his blazer. Has been sorely missed on the boundary edge and out in the middle since his illness took hold.

Rest in Peace.” - Adam Syddall

“Very sad news, loved Sandy, a top bloke who always saw the funny side of everything. Thoughts

with the family.” - Mark Maddocks

“Only positive memories of Sandy, whether wearing the um-pire's coat or leading the banter on an evening out in Leeds. An irre-placeable character.” Tom Twin-

ney

“A great bloke who was a huge help to me and someone I owe a great amount to. Love to Elise and

family.” - Daniel Woods

“What a legend. I'll always be in his debt for the things he did. Gave me confidence more than anyone else. Always the last one in the bar, them eyes getting bigger, voice getting louder and that cheeky laugh getting longer. Honour to

know the man.” - Daniel Berry

“Condolences to all concerned. Both my wife and myself are gut-ted, had many an interesting chat/debate with Sandy, most of the debating at his reluctance to raise the finger whilst I was bowl-ing. Lovely man.” - Kev Water-

house

“Very sad to hear this news. A lot of great memories of a great man. Thanks for everything Sandy, you'll be sorely missed by all.” - Rick

Moore

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

* Comments in this section were taken from the Facebook Group Cheshire Cricket News and Banter.

HAPPY TIMES: With wife Elise

Gareth

Peter Davies

CCB Chairman

p.davies37@btinternet.com

01477 532185

Stan Davies

CCB Management Group Chairman

info@cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

0161 962 3298

Mike Tyerman

CCB Vice Chairman

miketyerman@hotmail.com

01925 266144

Mike Roff

CCB Treasurer

michael.roff@btinternet.com

01625 583949

David Batty

Rep of Cheshire Youth Cricket

jardinedb@msn.com

0151-495 3307

Richard Newton

Director of Cricket

Richard.newton@cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

01606 871200

Mike Woollard

Club Development Manager

Mike.woollard@cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

01606 871200

Graeme Rickman

Coach Education Manager

Graeme.rickman@gmail.com

07745 903381

Gavin Colebourn

Performance & Participation Manager

Gavin_colebourn@yahoo.co.uk

07971 940440

Michele Alder

Administrator

Michele.alder@cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

01606 871200

Bob Milne

Development & Coaching Officer

bobrem100@aol.com

07525 751603

Page 17 Volume 2

Colin Grindey

DCO, Macclesfield

colgrindey@aol.com

07955 859136

Mark Greaves

DCO, Mid-Cheshire

markgreaves59@hotmail.co.uk

07970 687993

Owen Williamson

DCO, Warrington & Chester

ogwen7@hotmail.com

07984 196148

Stewart Macleod, DCO

Crewe, Nantwich & Congleton

stewartmacleod@hotmail.co.uk

07789 767449

CHESHIRE Cricket Board would

like to wish all players, coaches,

officials, volunteers (and Wheat-

sheaf World readers) a very enjoy-

able and sun-soaked start to the

summer.

In the next edition of this news-

letter, we will follow the progress of

Cheshire’s representative teams -

junior and senior - and take a closer

look at some of the success stories

behind your clubs, including a

comprehensive round-up of the

Natwest Cricket Force weekend.

Please forward this newsletter to

any friends and colleagues, and

email any articles for inclusion to

garethcheshirecricket@gmail.com.

Look out for Wheatsheaf 5!

David Sharp

Honorary Secretary/Website Manager

David.sharp@cheshirecricketboard.co.uk

07754 615956

Jim Law

Retired Chairman (CCB)

james.w.law@btinternet.com

07900 975826

John Pickup

Rep of Cheshire CCC

johnpickup@btinternet.com

01606 74970

Angela Jackson

Strength & Conditioning Consultant

jackson@hungerhill.fsnet.co.uk

01625 590444

David Humpage

Rep of Cheshire Clubs Committee

DavidHumpage@FGWhitley.co.uk

0161 432 4670

Chris Edwards

DCO, Wirral

edwards027@yahoo.co.uk

07799 503377

Gareth Moorhouse

Communications & Marketing Manager

gazzamoorhouse@hotmail.co.uk

07875315193

Andy Margeson

County Welfare Officer

a.margeson@yahoo.co.uk

07958 244794

Write to us with your thoughts:

Cheshire Cricket Board Limited 2 Moss Farm Cottages, Moss

Farm Leisure Complex, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 4BG

Chris Ashling

Coaching Officer

chrisashling11@hotmail.co.uk

07791 170750

Ben Tomlinson

Coaching Officer

btomlinson89@hotmail.co.uk

07774 568807

Toby Mullins

Coaching Officer

toby.mullins@hotmail.co.uk

07525 191540

Rick Halkon

DCO, Stockport

rickhalkon@yahoo.co.uk

07545 447359