So here we are!! Once again the scoreboard has been dusted
off, the grass cut, the covers pushed back and the cricket season is under way.
Things are becoming very exciting at Kimberley Institute
Cricket Club. With a young, vibrant and talented 1st XI group
developing, the hope is high that we can now kick on from the experiences of
last season and start to produce strong performances on a more consistent
basis. While we know that there are improvements to be made, from what I have
seen so far, we are working with a group of players in both the 1st
XI and the 2nd XI who want to improve and ultimately be successful
on a consistent basis.
On Friday night of this week, we were able to give the
players a real flavour of what is required to be a top side by celebrating and
reliving some of the many fantastic performances and achievements of teams gone
by at our inaugural Kimberley Legends Evening. We invited many past players from the club to talk about old
times, and what makes the club such a special place to not only play your
cricket, but also to be part of as a wider family. Jim Fenwick gave an
engrossing talk on the all-conquering team of 1994 and then seven players were
awarded club caps for their performances for the club with either bat or ball.
We were also able to welcome Samit Patel and Andre Adams to the 2bm Private
Ground to collect a club cap for their achievements at international level.
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| Jim Fenwick gave us a run down of the famous 1994 season at the Legends Evening |
It proved to be a fantastic evening and really set the tone
for us to put on a good show the following day at West Indian Cavaliers the
National Champions. Thankfully, our bowlers had been inspired, and an
impressive display’s from Ben Savage and James Mann set us up for a brilliant
victory. We eventually got there, despite a few scares, and now we can look
forward to welcoming Clifton Village to Kimberley this Saturday where we hope
to build on that good start.
The Legends Evening on Friday really highlighted what could
be achieved with a close group of talented amateurs and hungry to impress
professionals. That is the model that we are trying to develop here at
Kimberley, and it is one that I know will stand us in good stead over not only
this season, but the coming years. We have also been keen to look back to that
success of the past to help us pave the way forward this year, and so far it
has been great working with our new Cricket Manager Nick Rook, whose wealth of
experience is something myself and the team are looking forward to drawing on.
We will also be looking to make the most of having Jon Shaw, a club cap winner,
back with us for the first few weeks. He has already made a huge impact in the
changing room.
The expectations have now been set, and it us up to us to
deliver some performances to make the great people of Kimberley proud. I look
forward to seeing you on Saturday!
