FRIENDLIES WANTED BY SKEGGY

From Tony Taupin, Skegness CC

We have recently lost a cricket week in August so I have been tasked with trying to "lure" potential visiting sides to sunny Skeg (!?) to help fill our programme.
Before I go into too much detail - basically the odd Sunday where we have gaps, single midweek games plus, of course, the gap in our August cricket week schedule - I would be interested to learn if you feel this is of relevance to you and, if so, if you think you could be of assistance?
If your club is interested, email tonytaupin@yahoo.co.uk
NF adds: Back in the 1970s, when Skegness had a 2nd X1 in the lower reaches of the Lincolnshire League, my team used to love going to the resort and maybe having a few drinks before and after the game. Once or twice we took a mini-bus. On one occasion we even took in a night club!

GRIMSBY SPEAKER AT GROUNDS MEETING

By Ann Boulton

Former Grimsby Town CC groundsman Ron Borseberry is the speaker at the March meeting of the Lincolnshire Cricket Groundsmen’s Association.
Borseberry, who is currently a member of the Lincolnshire County Cricket League inspection committee, will be at Lindum Cricket Club in Lincoln on March 7, starting at 7.30pm.
He will be speaking on a variety of issues that have arisen during his time inspecting grounds for promotion into the league.
The evening will also include details of a groundsmen’s visit to Trent Bridge on 11 April 2012 - numbers are limited for this trip and those attending the March meeting will receive priority booking, subject to places being available.
The meeting is open to all cricket groundsmen and to anyone interested in finding out more about ground maintenance.  Details of the LCGA, together with features on grounds and various blogs can be found on website www.lincscricket.co.uk or ring County Pitch Advisor Martin Deans on 07971 087891.

17 OVERS IS YOUR LOT, BOWLERS

Just to clarify the situation to apply in all Lincolnshire ECB Premier League games this season:
This is the rule change: A bowler may bowl one-third of the overs available for an innings (17 in 50 overs) but may only bowl a maximum of 17 overs in any innings.
Clarification:  If the game starts late and is reduced to, say, 45 overs, the bowler can bowl 15.  However, if the team batting first is bowled out in 40 overs, giving the other side 60, he may only bowl 17 (in the past he would have been able to bowl 20).

Thanks go to Ann Boulton for answering our request for information.

We hope to run something similar on the Lincolnshire League's new rule change, also restricting bowlers' overs, which comes into force in April. This is designed to help bowlers, captains and umpires.

AUSSIE JOINING ALFORD

From Kev White

Alford & District CC have Australian Jarrod Franklin, Greta CC, Wangaratta, Victoria, as their overseas player for the 2012 season. Jarrod (pictured) is an aggressive opening batsman who has played 60 Grade A matches for Greta, scoring 2000 runs with a top score of 131. He will be travelling to England in April with partner Winona. This further strengthens the relationship between Alford and the Greta & South Croydon Cricket Clubs in Victoria, eight Aussies have had a season’s cricket with Alford over past years from these two club’s, with three Alford players travelling in the opposite direction.
The latest Alford player to travel to Victoria is first team skipper Andrew White who travelled to Wangaratta last October with wife Chelsea, where he has played for Greta CC. The club are challenging for the top spot in their league and Andrew also represented the Wangaratta league X1 last week at the annual district league tournament in Melbourne. Greta CC are led by Justin Triffitt, who represented Alford in the Lincolnshire County Premier League in 2007, and who returned to Alford in August 2011 to perform the ‘Best man’ duties at Andrew & Chelsea’s wedding.
On the domestic front, under the leadership of Tom White, Alford recently became county indoor cricket champions for the first time beating Nettleham in the final and go on to play the Derbyshire champions Ednaston & Brailsford at Derby on 26 February.
Club nets have started on a Wednesday evening 6.30 to 8.30pm at the John Spendluffe School sports hall and a summer tour to Colchester on 17 – 20 August has just been arranged.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS FOR LINCS AND GRIMSBY DINNER

It's £25 a ticket if you want to attend the joint annual dinner of the Lincolnshire and Grimsby cricket leagues next month at which former first class player Darren Bicknell will be the chief guest speaker.
A top-range autographed cricket bat has kindly been donated as as a raffle prize by Lincolnshire League chairman Bob Welton.
Batsman Darren will entertain guests with tales from his 19 years in the first class game with Surrey and Nottinghamshire, during which he scored almost 20,000 runs.
Many clubs from North Lincolnshire will be represented at the event on Thursday, March 15 at Grimsby Town FC’s Blundell Park function suite (7pm for 7.30pm).
Trophies will be presented by Darren to leading teams, players and officials of the Readers Lincolnshire County Cricket League and the John Pettit Grimsby and District Cricket League.
The maximum number to be accommodated at the function is 200 and applications must be made by March 1.

FIND OUT MORE
http://lincscl.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10361679&cid=200

LINKS CRICKET LATEST!

Barton Town Cricket Club will be staging a pre-season golf day at the Elsham course on April 10. It’s billed as an all-day event  - 18 holes and a bite to eat.

AUSSIE ALL-ROUNDER COMING TO GAINSBOROUGH

From Snelly

Marshalls CC are delighted to announce the signing of Australian Sam Carlon (above)  for this coming season.
Sam Carlon is a promising batting all-rounder with over 50 Senior matches to his name for the Macquarie Hotel Cricket Club in Northern New South Wales' Hastings River District Cricket Association.
A technically sound top-order batsman and brisk medium-pacer, Carlon has established himself in Macquarie's first-grade side in recent seasons, hitting 288 runs at 28.80 and taking 5 wickets at 16.80 in the 2011/12 season to date.
Carlon has represented both the Hastings and Mid North Coast sides through the age-groups and is involved with the Hastings Open Men's representative side. In 2009/10, Carlon was awarded the Districts “Rookie Player of the Year” award. A year on, he toured New Zealand with the Northern NSW Under-19s and has been named as a “shadow” player for the Under-21 side.
Carlon is a genuine all-rounder, one with massive potential who many believe has the ability to progress to higher honours. He boasts outstanding leadership skills, is dedicated to training and has the drive (and ambitions) to develop his game.

MEGGIES MAKE FIRST CLASS SIGNING

Cleethorpes Cricket Club are delighted to announce the signing of South African quick bowler Graham Hume as their overseas professional for 2012, subject to the relevant UK Border Agency approval.
Graham is 21 years old and plays for Gauteng in the CSA Provincial competition.
He represented South Africa U19s at the 2010 World Cup and also represented the South Africa Academy when they toured Bangladesh in 2011.
Graham has only played 20 first class matches but he has already taken 69 wickets at a healthy average of 17, with the bat he averages 23 and he already has a first class 50 to his name. 
The signing of Hume confirms Cleethorpes' ambitions for the upcoming season and they will no doubt hope by adding a spearhead to the established bowling attack of Harry Clewitt, Andy Ellis and Alex Osmond will turn them into real Yorkshire League title contenders for 2012.
Cricket Chairman Paul Hewstone commented: "It was really important we build on all the positives from last season so we are therefore absolutely delighted to have signed a player of Graham's quality and potential. It has been clear for a while we have needed an opening bowler and Graham will provide that new ball threat we have been missing."
Assuming there are no delays with the visa application process, Graham is expected to arrive in Cleethorpes at the start of April in advance of the opening fixture of the Yorkshire League which sees Cleethorpes travel to Scarborough on 21st April.

CLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT AT CRICKET SHOW

From Phil Burrell

East Lindsey Cricket League sponsors Cojos are holding a cricket kit night at Cleethorpes CC on Friday 17^th February. Representatives from Kookaburra and Gunn & Moore will be present and every order will receive a 20 % discount.

ANDY ADDRESSES LINCS CRICKET LOVERS

Former Gloucestershire player Andy Stovold is the final speaker of the Lincolnshire Cricket Lovers’ Society season.
Stovold, who enjoyed a long career with Gloucestershire from 1973 to 1990 and continued as coach until 2008, will be the special guest at Cleethorpes Cricket Club on Tuesday, 14 February, beginning at 7.30pm.
The specialist batsmen is in the resort to conduct coaching sessions with the cricket club’s youngsters.  He is also currently involved in residential coaching courses at Clifton College in Bristol.
The evening is free to society members and costs £5 for non-members, payable on the night.