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The 1st XI have a tricky away day at Haverigg to start their 2007 campaign off and the 2nd XI play BAE Barrow at home where they should be confident of a winning start to 2007.

Fixture List Announced ( *Only showing first three fixtures, full fixtures to follow)   

03/11/06

The draw for the 2007 Higson and Sowerby Cups have been announced.  The 1st XI begin the defence of the title with a tough match against Furness at home.  If they successfully reach the final again then this would mean the 1st team would have 3 home draws to the final which is a good result for the bar takings!!!

On to the second team where they begin their Sowerby Cup run away to Appleby which will provide them an opportunity to to get one over on old Keswick favourite Luke Wimbridge and his merry men.  Unfortunately if the 2nds are successful and reach the final they will have to do it playing away from all on every round.

DRAW:

Higson Cup Draw 2007

 Sowerby Cup Draw 2007

22/09/06

Any players who would like to take any coaching qualifications this winter need to get in touch with Julie Gibson (juliegibson@totalise.co.uk) as she will have most of the info on coaching courses and course to attend for younger players.

0r visit the website www.jongibsoncricketcoaching.co.uk

22/09/06

Sri Lankan Test Player Arriving As Pro For 2007 Season

We have managed to capture the services of Sri Lankan test player Dinuka Hettiarachchi (Right-hand bat, Slow left-arm orthodox) Although he has only played one test for his country he is considered to be in the top four spinners in the country.

As the stats suggest he has been a very successful bowler in sri lankan domestic cricket for many years. He has also had four successful seasons in England taking 70 plus wkts on each occasion from around 20 games. He is also a keen coach who has done a lot of work at his previous English clubs and is looking to carry on this work at Keswick which can only be good news for the future of our club.

18/9/06

2ND XI WIN JUNIOR CUP, AGAIN!!!

The 2nd xi successfully retained the junior cup on Sunday by beating Nunwick in the final.  In the end they won comfortably by 40 runs bowling Nunwick out for 210 after posting a challenging 246 off their 40 overs.  The main stays of the Keswick innings were Glen "the cheat!!" Weightman with 50no, Steve "zz" Clark with 47 and a brisk 46 of about 12 balls for Ian "hitter" Dixon. 

All did not go to plan as Nunwick were 50 for 1 going well but with only 18 off the bat too many extras were being conceded.  Adam Collin was the main stay of the innings for Nunwick with a big hitting 64.  But then came the key moment when Paul "the worm" Fleet swooped into a one handed intercept and ran out Collin with virtually put Keswicks name on the cup.

full match report to follow.  

12/9/06

The Second team are through to the final of the Junior Cup after a 2 wkt win over Whitehaven 2nds in the Semi final.  Whitehaven batted first and made 166 all out.  In reply Keswick got there in the end with 7 balls remaining.  The margin may have been more if it wasnt for a few "dubious" LBW decisions, but they do say check the scorebook!!

The final is this Sunday versus Nunwick so lets get support down there and hope this will be the second piece of silverware to come to fitz park this year. 

The clubs end of season presentation night will follow the conclusion of the match.

28/8

Geeeeeeeeeet in!!!!!!!!! The 1st XI won the Higson Cup today by beating Cleator by 16 runs.  As Keith has mentioned in his match report it was "a proud day in the clubs history". Not to dwell on it too much as you can read KTRs, MOTD, report but from 1-11 the players were at their best.  As the batting score shows this may not be the case as we were saved by Imran with a brilliant 87 but the way that the team fought back with exceptional bowling and fielding was awesome. Imran and the team would like to thank all the supporters for their attendance at the match and for their full support. 

Also special mention must go to John Bryson (Snr) as he was so dedicated to the cause that he ventured into the loft for the post match celebrations!!! 

17/8

Keswick's long weekend of the 26th, 27th and 28th of August when the 1st X1 is at home to Vickerstown in the league on the Saturday, entertain Millom in the semi-final of the Thwaites Bitter County Cup final on the Sunday and then travel to the Ernest Valentine Ground, Workington, on the August Bank Holiday Monday, for the rearranged final of the Higson Cup. Phew!
There will be some tired limbs and minds after that little lot but the pain could be eased considerably if the outcome is three victories.

Nor should we forget the 2nd X1's continued interest in the John Scott Memorial Trophy and a tie in the latter stages still beckons against Kendal 2nds, on Sunday, September 3rd.
 

14/8

Both the Senior and U18 League elevens won their finals on Sunday to win their respective competitions.  Both games were rained off with very little time remaining but with both elevens in strong positions the result went down to run rates from the first 10 overs so justice was done.  Two Keswick players featured Chris D'Leny and Darren Collin (U18's).

1/8

The 1st XI will play Cleator in the Higson Cup Final this weekend (Sunday 6th) at Workington starting at 2pm.  Keswick are confident going into the game with the return of Paul and Steven Hindmarch to give Keswick a full strength team.

Team: Imran Khan (c), John Bryson (vc), Mansoor Ahmed (pro), Paul Hindmarch, Steven Hindmarch, Andrew Bryson, Chris D'Leny, Glen Weightman, Stuart Dowson, Joe Gibson and Darren Collin. 12th man: Simon Grisdale.

23/7

LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO!!!!

The 1st XI are through to the semi final of the county cup after beating Northern League team Kendal by 4 wkts.  Kendal were put in on a good Keswick pitch as Keswick felt their best chance of winning was to chase with 2 key bowlers out, Joe Gibson and Stuart Dowson.

Kendal batted well but never took the game away from keswick as they made 244 off the 40 overs.  The crucial part for Keswick was they took wickets when batsman were set and looking to accelerate. 

With needing 6 runs an over from the start Keswick needed a good start and so they did. Boundarys were coming in every over as JB and Darren took to the Kendal attack.  JB was the lynch pin of the Keswick innings with a man of the match 91.  Keswick reached the target with one over to spare which was then followed by the customary D-I-S-C-O!!!!

17/7

Race night is on again this Saturday down at Fitz Park at 8pm. Gordon Thompson has done a great job in getting it together and others have no doubt put in a great deal of effort.  With not wanting to do a Delia Smith on you lets get down and support our club. hope to see you there.

16/7

The 1st XI are through to the Higson Cup final for the second year running after a 10 run victory over Penrith.  Keswick batted first and made and under par 182 all out.  John Bryson and Steve Hindmarch were the heros with 57 and 47 respectively.  Penrith were then cruising at 160 for 3.  But then the tables turned with Keswick taking 6 wkts for 12 runs and the key one of Penith pro Upul Fernando for 63.  All the emotion and exitement can be found in KTRs match report.

15/7

It was a good weekend for both the 1sts and 2nds this week both recoding victories. 

The 1st team beat Wigton away with a 4 wkt win on what proved to be a tough free scoring pitch. Keswick restricted Wigton to 137 for 9 off their 50. Both Imran and Mansoor took 4 wkts, the key one been that of professional Toyana for 4.  In reply the top order got off to a good start with Darren Collin and Imran taking the score to 60 for 1 before Imran was bowled for 35. With only 78 needed Keswick began to stumble losing a further 5 wkts and finally got home with 13.3 overs left with John Bryson holding together with 20no.

The second team made much easier work of Lanercost at home with a 9 wkt win. On what a presume would be another batting paradise on a hot day at fitz park Lanercost batted first and were bowled out for 124 mainly thanks to Jamie D'leny who took 5 wkts.  With only 125 to win it was the seconds game to lose but John Phillips and Neil Swainson took on the responsibility with a match winning opening stand getting 70no and 40 respectively. 

(Full match reports to follow)

11/7

Tuesday evening victory
 
At least the 2nd X1 managed to complete a game on Tuesday evening when they defeated their counterparts from Cleator in the John Scott Memorial Trophy at a warm and sunny Fitz Park. Against a strong Keswick team intent on retaining the trophy they won last summer, Cleator were restricted to 104/8 from their 20 overs.  With Jamie D'Leny ripping out the top order and taking 3/12 from four. Joe Gibson and Dan Gaskell took two wickets each and Keswick cruised to 106/2 with Neil Swainson 42 not out and John Phillips 36.
Keswick are now at home to Wigton 2nds in the next stage of the competition.
 

9/7

The 2nd XI are playing Cleator 2nds in the Junior Cup this week provisionally tues (11/7/06) or thurs if the weather has its way this week. The seconds will be looking to retain their title they won last year.

On to the 1st XI they are now to meet Penrith, who beat Wigton on Sunday, in the Semi final of the Higson cup away to Penrith this Sunday (16/7/06) at 2pm.

Support for both of these fixtures would be well appreciated by the players from both teams!!!!

3/7

The 1st XI came through their second round tie with Egremont in the County cup on sunday to reach the quarter finals of the competition.  Keswick Batted first and amased 354 off 40 overs.  Knocks from John Bryson 86, Darren Collin 60, Chris D'Leny 110 and Mansoor 70no saw that the game was put out of reach for the away side.  In reply Egremont managed 75 all out with Stuart 'Entertainment' Dowson taking 5 wkts. 

29/6

Premier Division Batting Averages up to & including June 24^th. Season’s half way point.

Qualification . 6 innings scoring 200 runs @ 25 or greater. x = not out 

{P} = professional

Premier Division Bowling Averages up to & including June 24^th.

Qualification: 18 wickets.                                                                 

{P} = professional

Hindmarch Almost A Hero

Another young Keswick cricketer made quite a name for himself earlier this week and in the heady climate of a Minor Counties cricket match, Cumberland v Lincolnshire at Netherfield. Paul Hindmarch was called in to the Cumberland team to open the bowling . . . but almost ended up winning the match with his batting!
In a record breaking last wicket stand, Paul, who made 59, including 10 fours and a six, featured in a last wicket partnership of 111 runs with his captain and last man, Marcus Sharp who was 48 not out. The partnership beat Cumberland's previous best ever of 109 set by David Ash and David Lupton in 1981.
When the last pair came together Cumberland were a massive 146 runs short of a victory target and when the end came they were a tantalising 35 runs away from what would have been an amazing turnaround. Paul was Cumberland's top scorer in the second innings and while no bowlers from either side excelled in the match he will have benefited enormously from the experience and will hopefully go onto bigger and better things with Cumberland and, ultimately, with Durham CCC where Paul plays for the first class county's Academy team.
 

25/6

Fortunately, the weather relented sufficiently for Keswick 1st X1's home game against Vickerstown in the quarter final of the Furness Building Society Higson Cup to go ahead. The atmosphere at Fitz Park was strangely lacking due to the game's clash with England's stupendously boring World Cup game against Ecuador. The park was virtually deserted and the game was played out under leaden skies and it was all positively apocalyptic; the atmosphere, that is, not the game.
Still, Keswick progressed to the semi-final and will now travel to the winners of Penrith v Wigton (pitch waterlogged) on July 16. To enable Keswick to progress to the semi-final of a competition in which they were finalists last season, opening bat Darren Collin (81) and his captain Imran Khan (63) carried on where they left off the previous day at rain-soaked Cockermouth. The professional Mansoor Ahmed was not out 40 as Keswick made a challenging 256/5 against a Vickerstown team that included their professional the West Indies 'A' fast bowler Kenroy Peters (0/35 from nine).
In reply, Vickerstown were blown away for 146. The wickets were fairly evenly shared as Keswick used seven bowlers. Good to see Stuart Dowson get a lengthy spell and go for only 16 runs from his seven overs.  But off-spinner Imran Khan inflicted the greatest damage taking 2/9 from four overs, including the wicket of Kenroy Peters (a sharp caught and bowled). The West Indian had scored a match-saving century against Keswick at a distant Walney Island.
So well done Captain Khan you're doing a grand job

They will now play either Penrith or Wigton away in the semi, with the possibility of playing either Haverigg or Cleator in the final.

(More importantly on Saturday the 1st XI beat Cockermouth 3-2 in a football match!!! Unfortunately no points were at stake)

22/6

Bar Staff Needed

The club is trying, without a great deal of success so far, to organise a bar rota, especially for weekend home matches. At the moment the same few willing souls are volunteering to work behind the bar. If more people were prepared to do so (just for an hour each) the burden would be shared and everyone would be able to relax and enjoy themselves at the cricket on a Saturday / Sunday without finding themselves stuck behind the bar for hours on end. Please see Sheila D’Leny and / or John Bryson to put your name on the list for an hour. Every little helps and it will be very much appreciated.

20/4

New chapter for Keswick CC

Keswick Cricket Club begin a new chapter in their history this Saturday when they take to the field under the captaincy of Imran Khan. The very fact that a player with such a celebrated name in world cricket is captaining Keswick CC 1st X1 is unusual enough and it will come as no surprise to learn that Imran is also Keswick's first ever 'overseas' captain.
Imran first came to this country as a professional with the Carlisle club and I remember playing against him a few seasons ago in a cup match on Fitz Park; in fact he was caught behind off my bowling and I've got the scorecard to prove it!
Imran is now married to a Carlisle girl and has made Cumbria his home.
A quiet, unassuming and very pleasant young man he has let his bat and his off-spin bowling do the talking. He made a big impact with Keswick as an amateur player last season when his performances eclipsed those of the professional, the former Pakistani test player Atta-ur-Rehman. Imran is also no stranger to captaincy as it is a role he has fulfilled in Pakistan. Personally, I feel sure that Imran will do a good job for Keswick CC this season and has already shown a great deal of mental toughness in putting himself forward for the position in the first instance. Captaincy under any circumstances is a demanding role and it is important that he receives the full support of the club and his team for the whole of the 2006 season.
Imran follows in the footsteps of Neil Swainson who will be giving Imran every support in the field; although arguably the best backing Neil can give the new captain is a rake of runs from a position high up the batting order. As I have written before I think there was a tendency for Neil to captain himself out of his batting role in the team in a determination to encourage younger players. But I think there is a lot of runs and some superb cricket still to come from young Swainson and, who, knows, let's hope that he can celebrate a double victory this year - Carlisle United's championship and promotion to the First Division and silverware for Keswick CC.
In a season that sees a lot of change, Keswick will also be taking to the field with a new professional in the form of leg spinner all rounder Mansoor Ahmed who comes to the club highly recommended. The professional is also a personal friend of the new captain.
Watching Mansoor in the nets on Tuesday evening I was immediately impressed by his bowling action and the accuracy and turn he achieved on the astro turf. He also looked a strong bat and I have a feeling that Keswick could have a gem on their hands. It will certainly make life interesting for visiting batsmen as they attempt to hit their way out of a stranglehold that could be imposed by Mansoor and the off spin of Imran.
So these are exciting times for Keswick CC 1st X1. Unfortunately, the team starts on Saturday without first choice wicketkeeper and hard-hitting batsman Chris D'Leny who is committed, for the time being at least, to one more game of rugby union for Keswick RUFC. Still, that gives an opportunity with the gloves to young Glen Weightman.
John Mason (away at college) Richard Webster (working for TV in London) and Lewis Cooke (also unavailable because of work commitments) will be noticeable absentees but Darren Collin makes a welcome return to the team after a gap year with Nunwick in the Eden Valley League. The Hindmarch brothers, Paul and Steve, are  both available in the early stages of the season until their professional sporting commitments with Durham County Cricket club and Carlisle Utd, respectively, come to the fore. Of the two I would guess that Steve is likely to be available to cricket at Keswick the longer.
And there's a 1st X1 recall for Keswick's one and only Argentinean international cricketer, the equally one and only Gordon Thompson, medium pace bowler and lower order batsman, who last season was the 2nd X1's leading wicket taker in the NLL First Division and who richly deserves this opportunity in the 1st X1.

A highly experienced 2nd X1 travel to Workington under the captaincy of Steve Clark and is under no illusion that this second season in the top flight will be every bit as difficult as it was last term. Carlisle 1st X1, Whitehaven 1st X1 and many other stronger (on paper) teams will represent opponents for the Keswick second string and they will also come up against a series of top class professionals - not least a Sri Lankan Test match player who is at Whitehaven.
But the challenge of all this is half the fun and there should be plenty of time between now and season's end for all the 2nd X1 players to become Heroes!
Unfortunately, Jamie D'Leny starts the season with a back injury and is unable to bowl, although his batting, fielding and vocal support will still be invaluable in the 2nd X1 before he makes his claim for 1st X1 cricket. This injury must be intensely frustrating for young Jamie who has worked hard (perhaps too hard) in the indoor nets this winter and has added a yard to his pace. Another youngster, Simon Grisdale, is included in the 2nd X1 and he has all the makings of a 1st X1 cricketer in the fullness of time; a good run in the 2nd X1 this season will stand him in good stead. There will be plenty of opportunities for other young cricketers to step up to the NLL mark provided they can cut the mustard with Threlkeld in the Eden Valley League. The 2nd X1 will be all the stronger for the inclusion of John Phillips who is making his way back after a series of injuries. John is a highly talented all-rounder whose abilities have not yet been fully utilised by the club.
On Sunday a strong Threlkeld team travel to Lanercost under the captaincy of Ian Dixon. Lanercost are now a NLL team and they may well have recruited during the close season and will doubtless present a strong challenge. A new player at the nets on Tuesday, Tom Blakely, looks a useful prospect. Tom works at the Calvert Trust and has not lifted a cricket bat in anger for 10 years, so I hope he enjoys his outing with Threlkeld at Lanercost this Sunday and a summer of cricket.
Apparently a multitude of Stevens and assorted helpers converged on the new Threlkeld ground over the Easter weekend and removed the stones from the surface. It was a job well done and exemplified the sort of voluntary collective spirit that is so important at any cricket club. More's the pity therefore that only a handful of willing helpers turned up for the recent Cricket Force event at Keswick CC (and four of those were from Carlisle).
Finally, a word of thanks to the club's main sponsors this season, Red Fort Indian Restaurant. I'll be in for my traditional Chicken Tikka Madras, Peshwari nan and a couple of lagers this Friday on the eve of the first match. Enjoy your cricket. KTR

 

13/4

A new dawn at Threlkeld

The season
promises much at Threlkeld in the summer of 2006. As many
people will have noticed in driving along the A66 there is now
a much-enhanced cricket playing arena to go with the new
pavilion, arguably making this one of the most attractive
cricket grounds in Cumbria, if not the UK.
Looking up from the
undulating slopes (no longer) of the Threlkeld field at the
rugged heights of Blencathra - my favourite Lake District
mountain incidentally - and its distinctive saddleback ridge,
all set against a cloudless azure sky, is one of the most
amazing sights. This is a ground full of character and many
tremendous local characters have played here down the years;
not least Geordie Hutton, of Setmabanning Farm, who has taken a
special interest in the creation of the new look
ground.
Clearly, the lion*s share of the credit for this
awesome cricketing development at Threlkeld (the pavilion, the
ground, the entire shooting match) is entirely down to the
considerable efforts of one John Patrick Knowles, who has moved
mountains (almost literally) in order to create this remarkable
cricket ground and pavilion at Threlkeld.
Never mind paying
the Labour Party for the privilege of a seat in The House of
Lords (and John is highly unlikely to do that as he is very
firmly of the Ken Clark Tory persuasion) I would personally
make John a Lord in recognition of his achievements for cricket
at Threlkeld alone. Having said that, I don*t think anyone in
Parliament would thank me for inflicting him on them! Goodness
only knows what he might get up to if unleashed on Government.
I suspect that a reversal of the hunting ban might be top of
his list, followed closely by the JK plan to improve the health
of the nation; vegetarianism being made compulsory for all.

Having said that, the development at Threlkeld is not without
its teething problems. For a start, the much-publicised
stone-picking work has had to be postponed again (now
rearranged for the weekend of April 22-23) because the ground
is quite simply too wet and the square, in parts, resembles a
paddyfield. But the sun will soon begin to shine through and
with groundsman Gary Steven*s selfless dedication will soon
take shape and look a picture.
Off the field there is also the
problem of finding a captain for the Threlkeld team. But I am
sure everything will fall into place for the start of the
season and I am already looking forward to the special day and
match when the ground will be officially opened.
One other
thing, now that teams for the first games are about to be
selected, a reminder to all team captains - pleasure ensure
that players are asked (on conclusion of games) if they are
available for the following weekend. Backwords are the bane of
any club and they can and must be avoided. Selecting teams in
the knowledge that players are definitely available, or
otherwise, makes life a whole lot easier for everyone, not
least the Threlkeld and Blencathra teams which suffer most from
a backword bonanza.

1st X1 friendly called off

As
mentioned above, Keswick 1st X1*s friendly game against
Windermere on Fitz Park this weekend has been cancelled by
hard-working and long-suffering club groundsman Brian Pattinson
(*all this rain and cold means I*m six weeks behind on ground
work*) because of the condition of the pitch.
This is very bad
news for a number of reasons. 1) It deprives a much-changed
Keswick CC 1st X1 under the new captaincy of Imran Khan of a
much-needed practice game ahead of their opening North
Lancashire League game against Workington at Fitz Park on
Saturday, April 22 - I bet other teams somehow contrive to get
a game in 2) It means less money in the coffers through the bar
and treasurer Edgar Appleby*s ground collection 3) It means
that the long-awaited reunion of the *Last of the Summer Wine*
Club (take a bow John Bell, WS Thompson, Robert Weightman etc)
on the River Greta side of the ground will be delayed by at
least a week.
Far from predicting a riot I will, however,
predict that the weather will pick up on Friday and will be
positively sunny over the weekend. In short, ideal cricketing
weather! KTR
 

6/4

KESWICK CRICKET CLUB
Sponsored by Redfort Indian Restaurant

The importance of youth

The foundation stone of any cricket club - certainly that on which the future of any club is built - is the junior section. At Keswick CC, the club has been fortunate for many years to have benefited from the selfless dedication of club junior coach John Bryson who has, at times virtually single handedly, ensured that the club's juniors receive first rate coaching and the sort of time and attention which has helped turn good cricketers into exceptional ones; players like Paul Hindmarch - now on Durham County Cricket Club's books - who stands on the threshold of becoming the first ever Keswick player to make the grade at first class level.
And Paul is not alone. Other young Keswick players are showing a similar aptitude for achieving great things in the game. Paul's younger brother Stephen is a tremendous batsman who can consider himself unfortunate not to have been selected for England at junior level. He is, in all probability, going to go on and make his name as a soccer player but he could, just as easily, have gone further in cricket and, who knows, may yet still do so, depending on how things scan out at Carlisle United.
Then there's young Jamie D'Leny who, in my book, is the most improved young player at the club. His medium pace in swing bowling has proved very difficult to deal with for most batsman in the indoor nets this winter and he is showing signs of becoming an increasingly confident batsman. Not only that his maturity and  attitude as a team player is second to none. His older brother Chris, firmly established in the 1st X1,  is an exceptional wicketkeeper and it comes as a surprise to me that his ability has not yet received greater recognition at Minor Counties standard. Joe Gibson, Stuart Dowson, Simon Grisdale  . . . the list goes on and there are other younger players who are showing every sign of becoming very good cricketers at Keswick CC.
A lot of the responsibility for their development rests with John Bryson and, before him and alongside him, the Australian coach, Luke Wimbridge, who I brought over to KCC in the summer following the opening of the new pavilion in 1995. Luke is now at Appleby where he continues to weave his particular brand of enthusiasm and coaching. Keswick will look forward to meeting Luke again this season when Keswick 2nds meet Appleby 1st X1 in the First Division of the North Lancashire League.
Keswick's junior season 2006 got underway at Fitz Park this week with junior nets held by John Bryson for Under 11s, Under 13s and Under 15s. However, there was a great sense of optimism than normal because after many years of being understaffed in the coaching department, the club can now look forward to an injection of expertise and assistance for JB Snr.
Recently qualified ECB (English Cricket Board) Level 2 coaches Keith Richardson and Andy Bryson will be a tremendous asset to beginners and elite players alike. Meanwhile, Gordon Thompson, Kevin Clark and Imran Khan are in the process of completing their ECB Level 1 coaching certificate. Kevin will be coaching the Under 11 squad, of which his son Matthew will be the captain, while Mike Hodgson will be manager of the Under 11s.
The Under 13s are being coached by Gordon Thompson with young Jack Armstrong - son of KCC Child Welfare Officer Sue Armstrong - as captain. Phil and Jackie Grundy will be helping Gordon with the running of the side. The Under 15 team will be coaching by JB Snr with assistance from Keith Richardson. The Under 15s will be captained by Jamie O'Brien.
All the junior Keswick teams will again compete in the Cumbria Junior Cricket League and cup competitions. The Under 13s and Under 15s are also entered in the County Cup competitions. The Under 13s will play Lanercost (away) in the 1st round on May 7 while the Under 15s are away to Penrith on May 26.
The club has entered two Under 11 sides in the league this season. The club is still seeking help with the second of those two Under 11 junior teams. Managers are needed to transport the team and coaching is on Wednesday evenings. Can volunteers please step forward. The Under 11 sides are called Keswick Sky and Keswick Navy.
The opening fixtures for each Keswick Under 11 team are May 8: Sky v Penrith Gold (home) and Navy v Penrith Green (away).
April 23: Keswick Under 13s v Threlkeld (home)
April 21: Keswick Under 15s v Seascale (home).
Finally, on the junior front an exciting new competition for the Under 15s this season is the 10/10 tournament. Clearly a 10 over a side contest it's something of a slogfest and will be great fun for players and spectators alike. It will be played on a group basis in July when Keswick will compete against Workington and Cockermouth at the Sandair ground in Cockermouth. The group winners will then go forward to the semi finals on Sunday, July 30 and the finalists will meet on Sunday, August 20.

Will all club members and players please remember that the club's Cricket Force day is at the Fitz park pavilion this Saturday at 10am. Be there! The stone-picking event at the new Threlkeld ground, originally scheduled for this weekend, has now been postponed until next weekend. More information on this in next week's cricket report in the "Reminder." KTR

Raising money for Threlkeld junior nets

Threlkeld CC and that veteran of many a Himalayan trek, John Knowles has organised a special fund raising event at The Theatre by the Lake to raise funds for two practice nets for club juniors.
The event is a lecture being given by Keswick's Geoff Somers who will be talking about his adventurers in reaching the South Pole for the sixth time. His latest epic journey was something really special.  Geoff led a team of four adventurers the last 200 miles to the South Pole, creating interest worldwide.  Two years were spent researching and training for the trip which was to be carried out dressed in clothing as similar as possible to that worn by Captain Scott's team on their journey to the Pole in 1911/12. 
The sledge, tents, sleeping bags, boots and even the food were meticulously researched and recreated for the journey and it was the first time for 94 years that this had been attempted.  The team, having reached the Pole in a understandably emotional state, came to realise exactly what an extraordinary achievement Scott's had been.  He and his team had then to turn round and walk back  -  Geoff and his team flew out!  Geoff, arguably Britain's greatest Polar traveller and expert, admits that he has the greatest respect for Scott who he feels has been underrated and criticised for years.  And Geoff should know  -  he is the only man to traverse the 4,000 mile Antarctic continent which he has visited over 20 times, in addition to which he has guided clients to the North Pole on six occasions and trekked the complete Greenland Ice Cap.  He has been awarded the Polar Medal and M.B.E. for services to Polar exploration.
Your chance to hear the full unexpurgated version of the trip - and raise money for juniors at Threlkeld CC. The illustrated talk will be on Tuesday April 25th. Tickets are £11 (£9 for concessions). The evening is kindly sponsored by Rathbones of Keswick 
 

22/2

2006 AGM

Imran to captain
Keswick 1st X1

Imran Khan will captain Keswick 1st X1 in the Premier Division of the North Lancashire and Cumbria Cricket League for the 2006 season. Imran, who played for Keswick last season as an amateur and excelled with both bat and ball - performing better in many respects than the club's then professional Atta-ur-Rehman, won a close contest for the captaincy with young 1st X1 wicketkeeper Chris D'Leny whose dream it is to captain his home town club and whose day will surely come.
Now it is up to everybody in the club to support the new captain during what promises to be a testing 2006 season, a season in which the club's new professional will be the Pakistani leg spinner and middle order batsman, Mansoor  Ahmed, who is a personal friend of Imran Khan, and whose club in Pakistan is Karachi.
Clearly, it is to be hoped that the new professional and the 1st X1 captain will strike up a strong rapport and endeavour to take Keswick forward after two successful spells of five years or so under former captain Neil Swainson who is now taking a well earned rest from the responsibilities of 1st X1 captain but who will be expected (no rest for the wicked!) to produce more runs with the bat from a loftier position in the batting order than was the case when he was, in my opinion, batting too far down and giving other players every opportunity at the expense of his own game. "Nassar" Swainson has many good seasons ahead of him as a batsman and as a fielder who very often puts the efforts of younger players in the outfield to shame. There is also the small matter of being a diplomatic chairman of a club which continues to make progress both on and off the field but which, like any other, is not always coated in sweetness and light.
During his report to last Thursday night's AGM at the Queen's Hotel, Keswick, Neil congratulated Imran Khan on his performances during the previous season, a season in which he felt an essentially young Keswick 1st X1 had displayed the ability to beat any team in the league but lacked consistency.
"Hopefully, we will get stronger during the next season or two, show greater consistency and challenge for the title," Neil added.
The club was delighted to have retained a Minor Counties three day fixture.
"The fact that Keswick is back full time on the Minor Counties list is great for the club and is something we must endeavour to retain for many seasons to come," Neil added.
The chairman also referred to the fact that the club had achieved Club Mark status and he hoped that this would ultimately be translated into making a contribution to the scheme to extend the pavilion tearoom and bar. However he urged members to become actively involved in fund raising for this important project.
"It won't just build itself," he said. "No one is going to throw money in our laps. It is essential that we see this scheme through to fruition because it will make a major improvement to the pavilion."
The chairman also appealed for more people and managers to help with the running and coaching of the club's junior teams and he congratulated Andrew Bryson and Keith Richardson on achieving their English Cricket Board Level 2 coaching awards. The club now has three Level 2 coaches, the other being John Bryson Snr who has worked tirelessly and selflessly over the years to develop the coaching network and junior teams at Keswick CC.
it was vital, he added, for everyone to share the immense workload at the club and volunteer for tasks. Many hands made light work.
"Enjoy your cricket," he concluded, "and make Keswick Cricket Club an enjoyable and welcoming club."
Club Junior Coach John Bryson Snr congratulated Stephen Hindmarch on his achievements with the North of England side, and his older brother Paul on winning another contract at the first class county club, Durham. Both players may be available for Keswick CC for a limited number of games in the season ahead. But the club will be entirely without opening bat Richard Webster who has secured a job with Sky TV's ''Bid tv' in London.
Under Club Mark the club needs to introduce girls and womens' cricket and volunteers are being sought to get this underway. The coach also thanked the club's Child Welfare Officers Sue Armstrong and Marie Hindmarch for their efforts, and the club Head groundsman, Brian Pattinson, for his contribution.
Sadly, the meeting reported on the deaths of the former player and president, Ted Bickerdike, and, more recently,  of county cup representative, John Scott. A minute's silence was held in respect of both men.
Gordon Cartmell, the club's new president who was elected at the AGM, spoke of the club's development plan for the rest of the decade and the need to embrace the entire community as the club moved forward in an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment.
"This club has realised some fantastic achievements in recent years," he said. "Winning Wisden's Loveliest Cricket Ground in the UK award in 2001 and the return of Minor Counties cricket are just two of them. They and others are the launch pad for more tremendous challenges that lie ahead, not the least being the fact that the club will have no fewer than eight coaches by the end of this season. That in itself is a major priority and is vital to the future of the club.
"So I wish you all well as you make further important contributions at our club to one of the most challenging games that we as a nation have ever invented."
KTR

Other officers elected at the meeting were: Chairman, Neil Swainson; vice chairman John Bryson Snr; Treasurer, Edgar Appleby; Secretary, Ian Brotherton; Publicity Officer, Keith Richardson; 100 club organiser, Sheila D'Leny; Child Welfare Officers, Sue Armstrong and Marie Hindmarch; Head groundsman at Keswick, Brian Pattinson; assistant groundsmen, Ian Brotherton and Mike Robertson; head groundsman at Threlkeld CC, Gary Stevens; assistant groundsman at Threlkeld, Keith Richardson; Website organiser, Michael Webster (wwwKeswickcc. co.uk). Club junior coach, John Bryson Snr; North Lancashire League representative Doug Beebé; Eden Valley League representative John Knowles.
1st X1 captain Imran Khan (vice captain to be decided); 2nd X1 captain Steve Clark, vice captain Keith Richardson; Threlkeld captain and vice captain to be decided; Blencathra captain, Ian Dixon, vice captain Kevin Clark.
Committee: All officers of the club plus Gordon Thompson, Andy Clark, Sam Gibson, Glen Weightman, Mike Ryder, Mike Hodgson, John Webster and Albert D'Leny.
 

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Fitz Park will be hosting Cumberland V Herefordshire in the ECB Minor Counties Championship from Sunday 20th August to Tuesday 22nd August.