Portsmouth & Southsea Cricket Club

The club's quiz team comprising Simon and Mark Smith, Dave Peachey and John Townsend, won the Hampshire Cricket League Sports Quiz semi-final at Fareham tonight by the smallest possible margin.
Having been runners-up in the quarter-final to Sarisbury, our team beat them by 11 points this time, although they were pushed hard by Highfield and Rowner.
The final scores were:-
Portsmouth & Southsea 198; Highfield 197; Rowner 193; Sarisbury 187; Gosport 182; and Flamingoes 163.

On Thursday night, our quiz team of Mark and Simon Smith, Dave Peachey and John Townsend went to Fareham to negotiate the first hurdle in their attempt to reach the final of the Hampshire League Sports Quiz for the third year running. They finished second with a score which should see them through to the semi-final. Sarisbury were worthy winners on the night.
The scores were: Sarisbury 228; P & S 205; Gosport 189; Rowner 187; Fareham 164; Curdridge 163; and United Services 161.

The annual HCB Volunteers course takes place at Portsmouth Grammar School on April 17th from 1.00 - 4.00. If you wish to attend please contact Tim Jacobs.

In addition to our regular playing shirts our new club training gear is also available to order. Tracksuits, 20/Twenty Shirts, Shorts & Hoddies are available to order. Please see the Club Kit page for fuller details.
Samples will be available to view at adult nets on Sunday 21st Feb.

Great Turnout at the AGM - Best I can remember in terms of numbes, and great to see a few new faces (and some olkd!) taking on roles in the Club.

The Important stuff is
1st Team Captain Dave Chisholm Vice Captain Sean Kanavan
2nd Team Captain Keith Evans Vice Captain Steve Clements
3rd Team Captain Pete Northeast
4th Team Manager Alan Till, Captain Allen Mcbride and Vice Captain Andy Chowdhury
Sunday Captain Matt Smith and Vice Captain Matt Benfield

All other offciers remained unchanged from last year

U13s & U15s dates 13/1, 27/1, 10/2, 3/3, 17/3, 31/3.
U9s & U11s dates 20/1, 3/2, 24/2, 10/2, 24/3.
All sessions are on Wednesdays from 7.30 - 9.00 at Crookhorn school.

Adult net sessions will start on Sunday 10th January at the PGS sports hall from 2.00pm to 3.00pm. They will be every Sunday until 28th March. All adults and those in school year 11 and above are welcome. Cost is £3.00 per session payable on the day.

Now is the time of the year to look back with plenty of time in coming months to look ahead!

First season back in Southern LEague after a 3 year sabbatical with a side that had lost for a variety of reasons several regulars from previous year was always going to be a challenge / opportunity for the mass of young talent coming through and a returning Old Git at the Helm.

The season in summary was a success we are playing Southern League Cricket again next year, and after victory against Totton in 20/20 are on the Southern LEague Map!

Down in the detail the highlights are several starting with a great victory first day of the season against much fancied Bashley with all of the team contributing with the runs from Rowan and Ups and a crucial 9th wicket partnership between the skipper and the very prominsing Ben Searson seeing us home by 1 run as Johnny Milne ran their skipper out with a ball to spare.

The next victory that stands out is the one against Sarisbury thanks to a magnificent 100 from Rowan and a very mature knock from Rob Evans saw us over the line with ten overs to spare.

The 300+ score against United Services was another standout with the top 4 on that day being immense and Matt Williams roaring in to get the only 5 for of the season

The highlight of the season for me anyway was the victoy over those down the road which stands out for the team nature of the victoy with all of us chipping in and on a personal level cause its great to be there at the end when a game is won. It shows how far the club has come in the last 5 years that we are even playing against teams like that let alone beating them when they are at full strength

Purbrook must have been a good win and thanks to God for playing in that one - My phone bill is still being paid off though!
The 20/20 was great fun while it lasted and I think showed that as a club we have depth as people like Varun, Ali Power, Ryan Way, Jack Davies and Alex Fletcher played in these games and benefitted from the experience as did anybody who saw Rowans once in a lifetime knock against Totton

It is right to focus on the positives but ... Opportunities for Improvement are Fielding, Fiel;ding, Fielding oh and batting 50 overs!

All in All a fantastic year, enjoyed nearly all of it and feel honoured that I was at the helm and helped to bed in so many talented youngsters as Matt Williams, Toby Bullen, Jack Davies, Matt Smith, Joe Collings-Wells, Rob Evans, Sam Treagus, Jamie Cowdery, Owen Jones all still teenagers had exposure to and in some cases performances at the highest level of cricket this club has ever played it - Hope they can all take what they have learned this year forward.

Also delighted to help new players to the club Mike Saunders, Johnny Milen , Graham Chandler and Jonno Willey prove there worth at first team level

Finally as I fear I am rambling a big thank you to the senior players particularly to Rowan for his runs / wickets and will to win Dave Ups for the same, Neil for his runs and wise council - The 1st team will be a poorer place without you three and of course thank you to the support staff Rowan, Bennie, Wardy et all for the best wickets I have ever playhed on at St J's, Julie Smith for scoring and good humour throughout, Ian and Phyllis for Teas and serving me drinks to celebrate / drown my sorrows and everyone else for your support its been a blast

Ultimately it was a disappointing season for me as skipper. I felt we were good enough to get promoted. Although we were soundly beaten by two sides I would say were better, that is Curdrige and Calmore, the other games we lost we should have done better. In the end though had we have played out the Portchester game (which was quite rightly abandened)and held just one of the 6 or so chances we missed at Hyde we would have been promoted.

Our record stands at Played 13, Won 8, Lost 5 which was one loss too many.

Despite my moaning we still have many good reasons to be cheerful. Clem, Dan and Matt Shaw all reached three figures (Dan twice, ripping the clubs highest league score from my grasp, with a blistering 181). Jack impressed enough to thoroughly deserve a run in the 1's. Ryan surprised me with one of the knocks of the season to see us home in a real tight one and went on to prove he's on his way through the ranks.

In the bowling we missed Deano but Jamie proved he has the pace if not yet the control - it will come. GP did what he always does and but for better catching would have challenged Keiron in the wickets column. "Brothers in Back Trouble" Messrs Fletcher and Williams were unable to give their all but Matt recovered enough to pick up a 5 fa for the 1's and produce some decent late season spells for us, while Alex continued to excell in the field and prove we'll make a batsman of him yet. Star this year with the ball was Keiron "The Shop" Dunstan who managed an amazing strike rate in picking up 20 wickets having played only 7 matches.

Our biggest problem this year was not having a settled side. It was interesting to note that only Jack and Ryan batted enough to be considered for the League Avereages and only Gary bowled enough. It's a real shame Clem, Sherm and Dan with averages of 118, 80 and 50 respectively, won't be in the handbook as all will surely be well placed. As of course would Kes in the bowling records.

Behind the scenes I am again indebted to help from Mickey G and Troy for umpiring early on, Frank and Ida for their unstinting support on book and sweet duty, Pete Mc for his efforts with the book and last but by no means least,to Ian and Phyllis for their running the bar and doing the teas. Many thanks to all.

My season's champagne moments are as follows:

The Home Guard see us home - Don't panic! - Kanvan/Smith vs CBBEA
The Chef Serves up 5 - Chandler 5/23 vs Nomansland
"He don't half give it some tap" - Kanavan's bust finger vs Curdridge
I call it "The Sprawl" - Chapman catch vs Portsmouth
"'bout time I had a bowl" - Dunstan 5/35 vs Sarisbury
"I couldn't see the problem" - top unbeaten knock from Way vs Sarisbury
"Short leg's easy" - Rippins catch at Hyde
"I just lept like a salmon.." Smith catch at Hyde
(Worst moments - everthing else at Hyde!)
Not bad - Cleary's 181 madness vs US
Cracking run rate - 175 in 15 overs Cleary/Shaw vs US
Aqualung required! - Clems century n.o. vs Woodgreen
6! over Extra! - Clem vs Woodgreen
Cleary/Shaw at it again - twin tons vs Portchester

Neil is planning to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon on the 11th Oct on behalf of Asthma UK, in memory of his “best man” Stephen Harbridge who died in April 2007. He is looking to raise £600 and any donations from the members of the cricket club would be greatly appreciated. Anyone wishing to make a donation they do so on www.justgiving.com/NeilARichardson

Hope you can all support Neil in this who has been one of the best players at the club for ten years now and if he manges this run will have to loose the Tag Treacle forever!



I have reached the 8.5 mile mark now and I actually think the 13.1 miles is achievable now, which was not the case at the start of the cricket season when I couldn’t run 1.5 miles without collapsing.