Spicy Start to Season

The 2009 season will kick off in style with our annual Curry Night at the Indian Nights. Friday 24th April at 7.30 pm. Tickets are priced at £20 available from Cliff. We hope to have the new playing shirts available to pick up in time for the first game the following day.

Committee Notes

We have a Committee Meeting once a month to keep the KCC ship afloat. This year we're lucky enough to have Shelley taking notes. Here's what we spoke about last week......

1st XI Captaincy and Vice Captaincy

Ian Graham will be Captain and Geoff Tindsley will be Vice Captain. Ted Elliot will organise the teams for the 1st and 2nd XI and will send the details out along with the Sunday team when they are playing.

Player Recruitment

Good news that Geoff Tindsley is back in Blighty. Tinpot will be Vice Captain of the 1sts with particularly responsibility for organising creche facilities for the Hiller Sisters.

Junior Cricket

This is proving to be very positive thanks to the work of Tuckers and Boss Hog. New Lord Taveners kit has now been received (very generously donated by Shelley). The 12 week nets session started at Trent Bridge in February with a squad of 14 and is so far proving to be successful and parents have been supportive. Leggy is using the sessions towards his Level 2 coaching badge - though the chapter on how to avoid bowling a long hop on the 6th ball of an over is still to come.
Gedling and Sherwood are also starting junior sides and are looking to have friendly games.

Sunday Fixtures

Leggy has so far managed to secure 9 fixtures on a Sunday. The first game is the last Sunday in April.

Future Social Events

Curry Night - Friday 24th April – Indian Nights
Sunday BBQ - Sunday 2nd August – Colston Bassett
Club 20/20 - Monday 31st August – Field of Dreams
TBC - Tour, Golf Day, Junior Evening

Rule Changes

Nothing to worry us. Thankfully the Stiffs will be playing straight win or lose.

New Equipment

Will include things like sawdust; balls for bowling machine; towels (these have been received from the Salutation); boundary markers; match balls; stumps; scorebook for 1st XI (this has now been purchased); net balls

New Shirts

As Internet-Ink are happily our main sponsor we will be getting new playing shirts that feature Matt's logo.

Our next meeting is on 8th April at 7.30 at The Bridge Pub, feel free to come along

History Lesson

Barry has unearthed some more gems from his recent (and on-going) history searches through old newspapers.

Back to Back Centuries in 1952:

Charlie Underwood grabbed the local media headlines when he became the first and only Keyworth CC player to score centuries in successive innings. On Sunday 10 August 1952 at Hucknall, Charlie made 113 and six days later at Sandiacre on Saturday 17 August he was undefeated on 105. Even the prolific Ian Graham during his record breaking 2006 season when he amassed a total 1006 runs has not matched the feat.

The first recorded century by a KCC player came from Derek Gill in 1947 when he scored 101 not out against Stamford Hall. He was followed by former Nottingham Forest & Derby County footballer Tommy Hinchliffe, current player Stuart Meek's grandfather, who scored 102 not out at Sandiacre on 2 July 1949. The first of Charlie Underwood's three centuries for the club, exactly 100 not out, came on 12 August 1950 also at Sandiacre.

Charlie, the son of Oliver Underwood who played for the club in the 1920's, is a Club Honorary Life Vice President and currently resides in a Care Home in Cotgrave. Derek, a Club Vice President still lives in the village but Tommy passed away in 1978 leaving his widow Mary to provide teas for the players over many seasons.

Bowling Hat Tricks - the first recorded in 1959:

Renowned KCC bowler of the time Ron Armstrong took a hat-trick of wickets in a 1st XI League match against Eastwood St Mary's on 22 August 1959 however earlier in the same season, John Stubbs a member of a very sporting family from Park Avenue which included father Archie, uncle Arthur, brother Brian the notable professional footballer with Notts County and twin brothers David & Mick, achieved the feat on May 9th 1959 in a 2nd XI friendly match against Bingham.

Four bowlers have subsequently taken hat-tricks. Mike Brooks did it in a 1st XI friendly against Barrow-on-Soar on August 30th 1980, Ian Kitchinson did it in a Nottingham Evening League match against Radcliffe-on-Trent on June 21st 1995. Veteran John Beeton also a stalwart of Keyworth Rugby Club, achieved it in a Sunday friendly match against Colston Bassett on September 23rd 2007 and left arm spin bowler Rob Baker did it during a 1st XI League match against Nottingham on June 3rd 2006. Rob commences the 2009 season needing only one more wicket to notch a career total of 450 1st XI wickets in 23 seasons with the club, a long way ahead of the next best - Harry Henson (played 1932 to 1963) with 332 and Ron Armstrong (1948-63) with 330 wickets.

Note: The statistical history of Keyworth Cricket Club (1815-2008) can be found on www.keyworthcrickethistory.co.uk or in the Local History section at Keyworth Library.
The records are incomplete and we are always looking for more facts to be unearthed and welcome any contributions.

Pre-Season Nets

Nets will start this Wednesday March 4th. Indoors at Trent Bridge from 9-10pm