Friendly Match

&

New Ash Green v Caribbean CC
Sunday 15th September

Friendly Match

Neither of these matches took place, despite the very pleasant weather for the end of the summer. On Saturday having originally had ten men and looking for just one more, New Ash Green found themselves reduced to 5 by Friday and called the game off. On Sunday a full 11 were found and turned up at the club, worked well together to prepare a wicket and get the ground ready, and waited for the opposition to appear. They didn't.

Various phone calls eventually established that the game had been arranged with a work colleague of Rob Jansen's. It was confirmed before the season began, but according to the opposition fixture secretary the arrangement was that Mr. Hewitt would contact him nearer the time to give him directions to the ground. This had not occurred. For the last few days he claimed to have been trying to contact Rob Jansen, as he had no other contact, but had been unable to get hold of Rob. They had not therefore been able to arrange transport or to let us know the problem.

Leaving aside a certain lack of initiative from the opposition (coming to New Ash Green and asking the way to the cricket ground doesn't seem to have occurred to them....) this seems to be symbolic of the attitude to friendly cricket this season. I have been free with my praise of those involved for all the organisation and effort that has gone into running successful league teams this season, and I think that praise was justified. However I think it is equally fair to say that the concentration on league teams has seen a poor attitude to friendly games. Several have been cancelled for lack of players or failure to find opposition, and the result has been that those in the club who are keenest on cricket for the love of the game have been deprived of games. For those who are too young, too old or just not good enough to make an impact in the league teams the friendly games are the only chance to participate fully and get a decent game. There are also a number of players who just enjoy playing cricket and still want to play whenever they can, whether or not the game is a league match. All of these players are being let down by those who regard friendly games as second class matches and are not putting the same effort into the organisation of them as into the league games.

Ultimately, though, it is not just those who enjoy the friendly games who will be let down if those games are allowed to die away. It is no coincidence that our 1st and 2nd teams have been so successful in the last two years at the same time that we have been raising a third team on a fairly regular basis. Despite a number of injuries and absences the 1st XI have kept on winning because they have had a big pool of players to draw on. The 2nd XI in the last two years has used a vast number of players, and the 3rd XI used 39 players in just 7 games. Ultimately it is through the friendly games that those hangers on and youngsters who enjoy the game get their pleasure and stay in touch and are available for the 3rd XI. Without the frendlies that pool will get smaller and the 3rd team will struggle to survive. The domino effect should be obvious - the 2nds will then be weaker, and hence the 1sts. It is obvious from looking at most of our 2nd team opposition, who don't have 3rd XI's, that if they are missing a few regulars they really struggle, and that has been our strength. If we want to continue our league success we must provide cricket for players at all levels from the bottom up, and those who enjoy playing the game in friendlies are probably the most important of all. They have been shabbily treated this season, and if that treatment is not improved the club will lose their support, and lose the bottom of the pyramid on which our success is based. Our primary aim should be to provide as much cricket as possible to as many people as possible - do that, as we have been doing, and success will follow. Try and concentrate on the 'important' games and 'star' players and the club will quickly go downhill.