The Club Cricket Conference Yearbook 2020

- 27 - CCC’s chase seemed to be well managed with Aditya Fair (Ilford CC) leading the reply with 42 but wickets fell regularly, leaving the last pair at the wicket in the 40th over, chasing the final two runs needed for victory. Skipper Will Hanson was royally run out chasing a second run off the last ball of the match as honours were shared. Datchet CC celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2019 and the CCC were invited to support the celebrations with a game in the club’s cricket week. Batting first, a young Conference side was dismissed for 232 in the 45th over, not enough on Datchet’s small ground and excellent wicket. However, the Conference’s bowling attack thought otherwise and led by Primal Patel (4-15), it dismissed Datchet for193, leaving the CCC victors by 38 runs. Our last President’s fixture against Chessington CC was in celebration of the club’s centenary. Another young CCC side took to the field batting first under the increasingly capable stewardship of Andrew Westphal. A score of 301-7 was reached from 45 overs with an outstanding contribution from Finnan Bryan (Beckenham CC) of 152, retired. In reply, the hosts struggled to match the high run rate and despite the late efforts of Dan Yarnley, the CCC’s captain on its centenary tour to the West Indies in 2015, Chessington ended well short of the target, falling for 192 all out. In closing and following from the earlier acknowledgements to those that support Conference cricket, we sincerely appreciate the engagement with our member clubs ongoing. If you have a wish to host a game, have an anniversary pending or have players you feel should be considered for representative cricket, our office would very much like to hear from you. I wish to extend my personal thanks to all the umpires and scorers who were appointed to our games in 2019; I hope that you enjoyed our cricket and look forward to seeing many of you again as and when cricket can return. Thanks too, to 2019 President Keir Hopley, who attended many of the games, both as President and in opposition on one occasion and finally, sincerest and grateful thanks to Mark Stear our coach and to Stan Nicholson our office manager, who manages to magic players out of thin air at very short notice on multiple occasions, such is the fickle nature of availability. Stan is pivotal to the good running of our programme and we are indebted to him for his administrative prowess in ensuring a complicated programme is fulfilled, year in, year out. In the face of a global pandemic and all the collateral effect that it is having on our society and communities, the CCC’s immediate considerations are focussed at present - less on playing cricket this summer than on assisting in the support and survival of cricket clubs at all levels of the recreational game. Our best wishes to all who hold our game close to their hearts and to the myriad of volunteers that are the very soul and essence of the club game. Stay safe, stay well. Simon Prodge r Chairman, CCC Cricket Committee.