Dear all,

The weather looks set fair for the next few days, so we are all systems go for our first Friday night of the 2024 season 🎉. Please could all Juniors arrive in time to sign in before their session starts at 6pm. It’s sunny today, but decidedly nippy so those who want to eat and drink while the children train might want to bring themselves a blanket!

It’s been all about the ground in the last few days (in between showers). A growing team of heroes have been working long hours in cold and windy conditions on the ground to try and catch up all the hours lost to rain over the previous few weeks. Here are a selection of photos from today (some of the crew working from 9am to 6pm!!). Thank you to the regular Ground Crew who have gone above and beyond (way over their usual 3 hours every Wednesday morning), turning up at every available opportunity to work on the square and the outfield, but thank you also to those players who have offered a few hours when they can, to help with the catch-up programme and make playing actual matches a reality as quickly as possible.

** There is still plenty to do, so please do reply to this email if you can spare any time to work on the ground, or to paint the front of the pavilion (Andy has sanded it all down today ready to undercoat and paint). It would be great to have it all done by the weekend 🙏 **

In the meantime, a few reminders from previous emails (in short this time):

1. Please sponsor the Devon Seniors walk this Saturday 20th April, in aid of Prostate Cancer charities if you can

Click here to donate to the cause, but please put the word “Devon” in the comments so that we are able to identify the contribution that this Saturday’s event makes. Our own club president, Nigel Mountford, is participating so if you would like to cheer him and his fellow walkers in, they should be arriving any time from 1pm at the club (our pavilion is the walk’s destination). It is an excellent cause, and events like this help raise awareness as well as money to fund critical research, testing and provide a range of support to those affected. Please donate if you can.

2. Take a look at the new website pre-launch

If you haven’t already, take a look comms if you have any feedback or spot any errors.

3. Please bring any secondhand kit (and used balls) along on Friday evening

As I mentioned in last week’s email, there is little faith among my committee colleagues that people will bring back the many used balls that are in kit bags. I don’t want all of them – but please bring along as many as you can spare – it means we won’t have to buy as many which will make a real difference to what else we can afford to spend on other areas of cricket development. Please also bring any secondhand kit (clothing, bats, pads etc) which Martin and Jacqui Baker can find help a good home for. Please call or text Jacqui if you have any queries: 07725030633

4. Wine & Wickets on the last Friday of every month

Our first Wine & Wickets (female-only) session will be next Friday 26th April at 6.30pm for an hour, followed by a free drink. Give it a go! If you want any more information, please contact our Women’s 1st XI Captain, Kelly Luscombe.

5. Please renew your membership if you haven’t already

The system will be sending out reminders next week, but why not save it the effort by renewing yours now. You or the “lead member” in your family will have been sent a reminder email on 1st April. If you are having any issues at all with renewal, then come and talk to us on Friday evening.

6. Junior kit and training

It was too wet on Monday to hold Junior training safely at the ground. The Junior Managers are keeping in touch with the groundsmen to know what is possible when, so they will confirm training sessions with their squads directly. The new playing kit, which will be the same for all Junior teams, has arrived, looks very smart and will be distributed at the first Monday training session – we are all currently anticipating that this will be next Monday (22nd) 🤞.

A few thank yous

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Quiz Night last Friday. Bob ran an excellent quiz (thanks again, Bob!) and much fun was had by all.

Thank you also to the bar volunteers and Junior Managers who came along last Saturday morning for the training session on all things bar, ground and pavilion. Like most cricket clubs, we are totally reliant on volunteers to operate and we are very lucky to have attracted some great new volunteers this year to join the amazing crew already in place. Thank you to everyone who helps in any way. If you would like to volunteer, please come and chat to us on Friday evening or reply to this email.

* Please note we are now operating the Challenge 25 scheme at the pavilion bar. If you, or any of your family, are over 18 but are lucky enough to look under 25, please carry acceptable ID if you/they wish to purchase alcohol *

See you on Friday

We are looking forward to catching up with everyone on Friday night – all those cricket friends we only see for 4 months of the year! Jackie and her team will be making magic in the kitchen in the form of sausages and chips and the bar will be open as usual. We have a few specials on offer to get the season off to a great start. We can all also meet Monica and Braydon (2 of our 3 overseas players – both from Oz) in person, as they will be assisting with the coaching. See you all there…

Best wishes,

Tina England,
Chair, Bovey Tracey Cricket Club
Mobile: 07973 734143