Category: Admin

2019 was a season filled with promise for Stretford. There were highs and lows for a young side containing only one veteran. Finishing third was a good solid achievement for the club.

A hightlight for Stretford were the consistently excellent performances by home-grown off spinner Thomas Coulson who has been in the awards with the GMCL now the season has ended.

GMCL give awards at the end of season dinner for the best performing players in each Division (cup matches not included). These are given for best performance by players playing over 50% of the season’s games in that Division, which for the Saturday Competition is 12 games, Sunday Prem, Div 1 & Div 2 is 10 games, Sunday A, B, C & D is 7 games or pro rata where the number of games is different.
Named Professionals, Overseas Professionals and Overseas Amateurs are not included in the awards.

Thomas collected the best bowler award after amassing an amazing 56 wickets at 6.98 and also was named Div 2A Most Valuable Player. The MVP is calculated using an algorithm with the Cric HQ Scording and Results System and allocates points based on the value of the individual performance in each game.

Winning the MVP award is hugely impressive and was secured when Coulson stole a march on his team mate Ryan Williams towards the end of the season who was in the running all year along with the likes of Barnes of Edenfield and Dangerous Danny Hawthorne of Ashton.

Sunday superstar Usman Hassan was also in the awards and very much the  stand out performer in the Sunday 3rd XI. Usman is unavailable to play on Saturdays due to other committments however demonstrates that he is a class above.

Usman smashed 348 runs at 43.5 and also won the fielding award for good measure plucking 8 catches.

Congratulations Tom and Usman, I hope 2020 is just as good.

 

We all know the club has its points of excellence; great people yes, picturesque semi rural setting yes – Manchester Craft Lager yes. However, beyond the imperious iron gates, the seductive blue and gold bordered patio (which is ripe for a BBQ in the sunshine) and the expertly extended pavilion we still believe that we must continue to work and develop your club.

If over the last season you have been the victim of a ball which has shot along the ground, or dodged a ball that has leapt from a good length, or if you prefer to blame the pitch for your dismissal instead of your shot selection, or if the wicket hasn’t been flattened that week because the heavy roller is leaking oil then listen up; we hear you!

Let me lift the lid on how the ground desperately needs investment and what we plan to do about it because of course we recognise that due to the nature of the land upon which we are built the playing surface requires attention due to subsidence. We also know that the machinery we use to maintain the square is older than the groundsman himself. If the opposition request that the pitch be rolled at tea there are only a handful of people who even know how to start the heavy roller further more how to stop it by wedging a cricket stump into the engine. This just wont do! We want inclusion for everyone!

To this end the club is pleased to announce that we launched an ambitious project to secure £45000 funding from the SUEZ Communities Fund in order to refurbish the playing square, invest in new grounds maintenance machinery and plant a perimeter hedge to replace the concrete wall. The plan also includes the installation of a state of the art artificial wicket at the east end of the square to open up opportunities for hire-outs and community use whatever the weather.

SUEZ Communities Trust is an independent, not for profit funding organisation dedicated to making lasting improvements to community life and the natural environment. The Trust is a registered Environmental Body through the Landfill Communities Fund and an Approved Body through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund.

SUEZ Communities Trust distributes funds contributed by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.

The Trust’s funding programmes are designed to improve a broad range of publicly accessible amenities which benefit a wide cross section of the community.  Whether improving a local play area or a nationally significant historic building, each project has the potential to transform the community in which it is based

The refurbished playing square will encourage better cricket and open up the playing of cricket to the wider general public and young people in Trafford. If we are successful in securing funding the work would begin towards the end of August 2020 and we would seek to play the final few home games at a different venue. The club will look to off set any costs and loss of income by utilising the outfield for a music and beer festival, a family fun day and other social activities.

There is a small team working on the project and the club now has ten weeks to submit a final bid having it made it through to round two last week. We will keep you posted on developments.

In the meantime I would be grateful if as many members as possible encourage people to use the club for a function and to take advantage of our very competitive bar prices. We will be required to find 10% of the funding towards the project ourselves so we need the money!!