As the 2024 approaches we are pleased to announce our Juniors Subs for the season. This year we have taken a new approach to subs for juniors and incorporated all costs into a package.
There are 3 different packages available depending on your child’s age.
All Stars (Ages 5-8) £40
All Stars Kitbag inc Bat and Ball
All Stars Shirt
Full year of All Stars designed sessions
No SCC merchandise is part of this package however parents are welcome to order separately.
Any current all stars players who want to attend indoor training at Lancashire are welcome to as part of this package.
SCC Softball (Ages 9&10) £84
All Winter Training Sessions included
All Summer Training Sessions included
All Match Fees Included
1 Match Shirt & Training Top included
SCC Hardball (Ages 11+) £120
All Winter Training Sessions included
All Summer Training Sessions included
All Junior Match Fees included
1 Match Shirt & Training Top Included
This package does not include senior match fees any child if selected for a senior must pay a matchfee.
The event is sold out so no entry without a ticket. Our advice is to park on Urmston Lane or, if you are able, walk to the club do so (which is located down Lesley Road (M32 9BG)
Welcome to the much-anticipated bonfire and fireworks display at The Boundary, hosted by Stretford Cricket Club! We are thrilled to have you join us for an evening filled with warmth, excitement, and dazzling spectacles. As the night sky illuminates with vibrant colors and the crackling bonfire casts its mesmerizing glow, we invite you to gather with friends, family, and fellow community members to celebrate this special occasion. Prepare to be captivated by a breathtaking display of fireworks that will paint the sky with brilliance and create unforgettable memories. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your presence and hope you enjoy this magical event at The Boundary.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed sponsors, TCD Medical, for their generous support in making our firework display a resounding success. TCD Medical, renowned for their exceptional expertise in providing bespoke transport services, logistics, and storage solutions, have been major supporters of the club for many years. We would be grateful if you could support them too! Website here….
We’ve tried to improve the event based on feedback from last year, to reduce queues, have more food available and an outside bar and bottle bar.
Gates Open at 5pm Fire Lit at 6pm 1st Display 7pm 2nd Display 8pm
Bonfire Goodies & Tuck Available from Stretford CC Food Vendors on Site – Birchwood Pizza, Salt n Pepper Shack, What’s Cooking & Dev’s Ice Cream,
Site Map
Join the club! Join our vibrant community cricket and social club today and unlock a world of exciting opportunities! For just £15.00, become a valued member and gain access to a host of exclusive benefits. Immerse yourself in the camaraderie of our club as you enjoy the thrilling sport of cricket, cheering on our talented team during matches held throughout the year. But that’s not all – as a member, you’ll also have the privilege of participating in a loyalty scheme at our bar, where you can indulge in your favorite beverages while earning rewards. Additionally, our club hosts a variety of events throughout the year, ranging from social gatherings to live entertainment, ensuring there’s always something to look forward to. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of a welcoming community, forge new friendships, and create lasting memories. Join us today and experience the true essence of our cricket and social club! Join here
Hire the club! Looking for the perfect venue to host your next event? Look no further! Our function room, bar, and grounds are available for hire, catering to a wide range of occasions. Whether you’re planning a memorable birthday celebration, a professional conference, or any other special gathering, our facilities have got you covered. With fully equipped kitchen facilities, you can easily cater to your guests’ culinary needs. Moreover, our venue offers disabled access, ensuring inclusivity for all attendees. The highlight of our location is our fantastic cricket field and practice nets, providing a unique backdrop for your event. Whether you’re a cricket enthusiast or simply appreciate the beauty of a well-maintained sports ground, our venue will exceed your expectations. Choose from hiring the space for the whole day or evenings, allowing you the flexibility to plan your event according to your preferences. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to create unforgettable memories at our exceptional venue. Contact us today to book and make your event a resounding success!
First of all, thanks for navigating to this newsletter! You’ve either followed a QR code off a leaflet at bonfire night (we hope you are having a good time!) or have simply surfed here along the waves of the information superhighway (yikes, not heard the internet called that since the early 00s)
As all the leaves turn brown and the sky turns grey, it appears to be a long walk to next cricket season however, the club is working hard to make progress.
South African Luke Smith Joins as Overseas Player for 2023 We are delighted to welcome Luke Smith as our overseas player for the 2023 season. The 24 year old, from Kimberley, South Africa, is a left handed top order batsmen and top quality wicket keeper. Luke has enjoyed sucessful seasons at Prestwick CC and Helensburgh CC in Scotland and, last season, at Ainsdale in the Liverpool Comp.
Luke has been schooled in the Northern Cape High Performance Academy and has spent time as a player coach in New Zealand for Takapuna CC in Auckland and is spending the winter playing in Melbourne Australia.
The well travelled yougster is hungry for runs and is keen to immerse himself in the club and offer support to our own youngsters within the junior section.
MembershipPrice Drop We are looking for new members!!!! – that’s players both junior and senior of any ability to boost our ranks and social members. If you are new to the area, get on board and make new friends, if you are not getting a fair crack of the whip at your current club, come along! We have loads of opportunity. Our 1stXI finished a respectable 5th last year after promotion to the Championship in the GMCL so if you can join us and make a difference to push us that further forward, please get in touch! We have slashed playing membership for senior players to £90 and students to £70. Junior membership is currently £30 and includes training. We are reviewing the junior rate and details will be available soon because we want to offer winter sessions and increase the number of coaches to aid development for our young people. Anyone of any ability is welcome along. We have 3 senior league teams, a Sunday friendly team and bustling junior section. If you like to join in socially, we have associate membership available from only £15.00. We are launching our full social calendar shortly so stay tuned but upcoming events are listed below. Follow this link to start joining up so we have your details
Winter Nets We will start our winter practice program a little later than usual however we have been lucky enough to be able to secure slots at Lancashire County Cricket Club’s Indoor Centre. I understand only four clubs in the whole county were able to use the Centre, whose facilities are one of the best in the UK. Seniors – every Monday at 9pm from 13th February to 27th March. £5.00 per session Juniors – every Friday at pm from 27th February to 31st March. £5.00 per session including coaching
Ground & Room Hire Our cricket ground, complete with pitch, scoreboard and changing rooms is available to hire starting at £50.00. It’s ideal for a charity cricket game, business match or school games. Why not book the whole field and bar for a fun day? Are you more interested in just having a party? Our bar has been newly refitted and our main room will undergo refurbishment following bonfire night, it’s an ideal space for a birthday, anniversary or social gathering. We can accomodate any requests if you need music or food and we are more than happy to let you cater for yourself. Head over to our contact page or email sccadmin@stretfordcricketclub.co.uk. We offer very competetive rates for playing members and social members!
Sponsorship Sponsors are key to the club’s survival and help us to reinvest in our own facilities. Recently we have re-laid our playing square, gained two new sightscreens, improved outdoor seating and refurbished the bar. Next on our agenda is to install Solar Panels to reduce our expenditure on electricity and reduce our carbon footprint. If you would like to support the club with sponsorship, we have packages available from £30.00 and with a social media following of over 2000 and 5000 different people through our gates every year we hope to help you with your promotion too!
Bronze – Match Ball Sponsorship £30.00 Silver – Social Media & Weblinks £50.00 Gold – Social Media & Weblinks/Advertising Board at Ground £120.00
All sponsors will be invited down to the club for a day of hospitality at a first team match with food, drink and entertainment.
If you can support us, please email sccadmin@stretfordcricketclub.co.uk or call Vinny Walsh on 07908 555 454
Remember, Remember the 5th of November. Bonfire Night returns! After a break in 2020, the Bonfire night returns to Stretford Cricket club on Friday 5th November. The itinerary for the evening is:
5:30pm – Gates Open
6:30pm – Fire Lit
7:15pm – 1st Firework Display
8:15pm – 2nd Firework Display
We will be operating our usual system of pay at the gate; this year, however, we will be accepting card payments as well as cash. For safety reasons we will be limiting the amount of people into the ground so make sure to get here on time to avoid missing out. Cannot wait to see you all down at the club for a great night!
I’ve always tried to live by the principle of giving 100% in everything that I do. If you give 100 % and it is not good enough you cannot question yourself. Thats exactly what I try to do from day one when I joined Stretford in 2015.
I have been involved in cricket for many years and whilst Junior Chairman of a thriving junior section at Brooklands,I was approached to see if I would be interested in overseeing all cricket at Stretford in the role of Director of Cricket .I could see massive potential in taking the club forward and jumped at the chance to try to fulfil that potential .I had already had a good rapport with Stretford over the years whilst both playing and in a coaching junior teams against them .
Being such an active club member natural to me.We are getting a very good core of club members not who are willing to help in all aspects of the club now which is very encouraging.
I would hope that I was approachable to everyone and if they need
any advice I am always available. There is not one style of management,certain
players need an arm around their shoulder or others need to be encouraged in a
slightly stronger way .
Bonfire night was a prime example of what the club does well.It is
such a massive event for the club and the number of club members who
volunteered in many capacities to make it such a success was absolutely
fantastic.We are always looking for more
volunteers and new ideas coming into the club so if anyone is willing to help
in any way we would love you to get involved.
There are many things that can be improved at the
club but I feel better communication is needed.We are doing an awful lot of
work on our new website to make it easier for players to advise their
availability and paying memberships etc at the moment.
My vision for the club on the field is to keep
improving and to continue to give opportunities to younger players in the
senior teams.All our senior teams have players who have come through or are
still in the junior section and I am very keen for this to continue.We are
always looking to increase our junior and senior members so any new members
would be made more than welcome.
I would say the highlights would have to be the
1st team getting promotion in my first season and the Under 18/19 having great
successes in reaching the the Lancashire Cup final and winning the South
Manchester League .
I have had my own opticians practice for 30 years in Stretford Mall,’Specialeyes Optical Centre which keeps me very busy and all club members get discounted rates for all their optical needs!! I love all other sports and have been a ‘massive’ Manchester City fan all my life so watching the style of football we are playing now is fantastic.
We are delighted to announce that Australian, James Leary has signed for the club for the 2020 season to fill one of our overseas slots. The highly regarded 19 year old from Sydney is an innovative right handed batsman currently playing for UTS North Sydney Bears.
It
has been no ordinary journey for James who has already achieved so
much at a young age both on and off the pitch. His story is one of
defiance, stark realisation and triumph over adversity. His passion
for the game has never been brighter and he is intent on giving it
his all in trying to achieve his dream.
I’m left feeling
humbled very quickly only seconds into our conversation and it
becomes clear that this Aussie is someone who thrives with his back
to the wall. He has a serious will to win and passion for the game
along with with a clear perspective on life that developed early;
“I’m
from Sydney and I currently live on the Central Coast in New South
Wales. I was born with a heart condition called Aortic Stenosis,
which is a narrowing of the aortic valve opening. I’ve already had 3
open heart operations in my lifetime when I was one, fifteen and
another at the start of 2019.
I live with my Dad and Granddad
and have two brothers and two sisters (Duan, Lilly, Kiara and Jezzie)
My mum passed away in 2009 when I was 8 and it was about that time I
first started playing cricket.”
A young James instantly took
to the game of cricket and managed to bag 3/3 off 2 overs and scored
21* retired in his first game. His most cherished moment in cricket
as scoring his first century as a 13 year old with his Dad (who is a
bloody legend) batting at the other end.
Despite
his remarkable duck to water introduction into cricket it was by no
means easy. He already overcame a number of odds to begin playing but
it was not until his dream was threatened that James began to
properly focus on his game
“Dad tried to keep me off the streets as a young kid but I grew up in a really tough area so it was hard up until around 15 when I got into some trouble. I got selected in a touring team to play cricket in Sri Lanka. My Dad had told me that if I ever got into trouble that I would not be able to travel. That was a scary moment and was a bit of a wake up call. I got my head together and needed to be more mature. I got my life on track and completed school and now I’m training exceptionally hard to hopefully one day fulfilling my dream of becoming a professional cricketer. In the end I went on tour and its the only time I’ve ever left Australia but I did score the most runs on that tour including three half centuries at an average of 38 ”
“I love the game, there’s not a day that goes by where I haven’t either trained at the nets or played backyard cricket with my mates, I work very hard on becoming the best cricketer I can be and I hope to bring a focus and will to win to Stretford. I wear my heart on my sleeve and will do anything required to see the team over the line for a win and sing the team song.
“I take my cricket seriously but I love to see people laugh and having fun, I think I’m also very easy to get along with and I love meeting new people, getting to know my teammates and club mates really well. I think my teammates would say that I am a fighter at the crease. I love it when it’s tough and difficult that’s when I bat the best especially when I copping a lot of sledging from the opposition about my unorthodox shots and shot selection I love a celebration when I take a wicket and when our team gets a wicket you will hear my “whoooooo” in the next suburb!”
Over
the last few years consistent run scoring has been an issue for the
club. The bowling has generally been good and we’ve managed to bowl
teams out. I spend a few minutes talking about the club and I ask
what he knows already:
“I
heard you guys finished third last season and just missed out on
promotion however due to a league restructure the standard will be
better than last season. So on the field I’m hoping to contribute
runs and wickets to drive us up the league and win games. Winning a
comp with your teammates has to be the best feeling in the game of
cricket! Personally I am setting my targets very high and hope to get
a couple of centuries and some wickets!
I
briefly tell James about what he can expect in Manchester and at
Stretford. I inform him that there is something for everyone whether
you like music, sport, art, eating, pubs, clubs but such is his focus
on cricket that the conversation again turns to what he can do
better;
“Off the field I want to experience some good nights out in Manchester and London. I have a couple of mates from my club in Sydney who play in th Lancashire set up that have told me those places are good for a night out. I’d like to travel a bit to places like Paris, Amsterdam, Ireland and I would like to go to some place with snow. Despite this I do want to start eating a lot more healthier in England than I do in Australia and become a lot fitter than I am at the moment”\ which I think will help my game”
We are looking forward to James joining the Stretford team and can guarantee that he will be well looked after at the club. We wish him luck for the rest of his summer in Australia as our search for new members and players continues.
Danie van Schoor played for Stretford in 2015 and 2016 and is another member of the southern-African contingent who enjoyed stints at the club. Danie took time out from his training with the Namibia national team and work to chat about his road to Manchester and being part of the national team
The
van Schoor family has a fine cricket pedigree with father Melt, uncle
Ian, brother Raymond and cousin Anneri all playing for the National
Team. As a result Danie was always going to be involved in cricket
from a young age
“ I was taken to
the field as a young kid, like 5 or 6 years old and I would be
playing with my toys next to the field watching my dad play. I didn’t
really play any mini cricket. When I reached the age of 8 or 9 that
is when I started to play big boy cricket and at 13 I played my
first game in the Premier League in Namibia. It was a quick rise but
I have never looked back since then. I played my first first class
game at the age of 17. I think youngsters in England have a bit more
of advantage because the age groups start at U7 and U9 and it gets
them involved earlier” (indeed Stretford has u9 cricket so take
advantage people of Stretford! -ed)
His first 1st class
game was a proud moment for Danie and the excitement and expectancy
he felt was a result of hard work over the years however, his first
memory of the match was a reminder that you can’t do it all on your
own in cricket and its a team game.
“The captain
Nicholas Scholtz threw me the ball and sagely advised “it is your
time now””. My older brother was standing behind the stumps. I
was so excited and fuelled by adrenalin and I knew as soon as I
released my first off-spinner that it was going to rip square. I can
still can feel the ball coming out the hand . The ball took the edge
of the bat but the catch was dropped at first slip. I finished
wicketless in my first spell!”
During 2012 Danie’s
brother, the late Raymond van Schoor, played for Stretford and took
home a Stretford Cap and shirt which was placed in the family trophy
cabinet. It was then Danie knew that he wanted to follow in his
brothers footsteps.
“Raymond played
for Stretford in 2012 and after that one of my biggest childhood
dreams was to play for the Three Lions of Stretford. I always kept in
contact the bloke where my brother stayed for that season because we
had a few FIFA duels over the year. One day I received a mail from
Stretford asking if I would play for them the following season . I
could not believe it! I didn’t have to think twice because I had
heard so many good things about Stretford from Raymond and Craig
Williams who also played there. There is no doubt about it that my
stint at Stretford was a major factor in helping me work towards my
dreams of playing for my country”
Danie was not a
seasoned traveller at the age of 19 and by his own admission
struggled to get to grips with cricket in the first year
“There were many
up and downs in the first season. My cricket did not go as well as I
wanted but the experience was definitely worth it . Primarily I
learned to be more independent and that nothing in life is given to
you . Its essential to understand that you need to put your head down
and work for success. At the age of 19 I did not know much about life
but Stretford welcomed me with open arms and I am still grateful for
all the effort of the members and families who looked after me.
Stretford CC today
means still means so much to me; like a family. Two players who I
played with have been to visit me in Namibia which I really
appreciated . Stretford helped to make me into the person I am today
and I would hope that others would describe me as a honest , hard
working and caring person . Always willing to help and assist where I
can ; that’s the Stretford way in my mind”
The popular
off-spinner may not have accumulated as many runs or wickets as he
would have liked but showed glimpses of real talent and leadership
which he really demonstrated after he was signed for a second season
“I came over to Stretford for a second season and did much better after learning a lot in year one. Things had changed a bit at the club with some old players returning and the strength in depth increasing. We had a new captain and also a new Director of Cricket but the captain left the club due to personal reasons mid way through the season. Following a team meeting , Guy the Director, put his faith in the youngster from Namibia and appointed me captain. We went on a good run in the league winning 10 games on the bounce with all 11 players playing vital roles in achieving promotion which was secured in a brilliant victory away at West Leigh on the final day of the season. It was probably my favourite match for the club – luckily I managed to score a few runs and take a few wickets -but when we turned up at the ground in pouring rain we didn’t think we were going to play. We needed to play and win to finish in the promotion spots having worked hard in the 2nd half of the season to move up from mid table obscurity. The joy on the players faces when Alex took the winning catch was something I wont forget . Personally the season was much better and I managed to take over 30 wickets but it was a great season for the team and my cricket improved.”
“The time at Stretford were two of the best years of my life and playing cricket. I had got to watch city play football which was something I thought I’d only seen on TV. To experience the culture was so enlightening. I had a brilliant time in Manchester and a lot of it was down to the people there and I never forget to catch up with the special people at the club.”
Danie was a
considerate and well respected overseas player who always wore his
heart on his sleeve for the club and although now working in
insurance as an assessor is still involved with the National team and
playing for United Cricket Club in the Namibia Premier League. We
hope that in the future he is able to visit us again.
Follow your dreams like Danie and join the club here…
When Roelof van
der Merwe was asked “where have you been all this time?”
following his match winning Twenty 20 international; debut for South
Africa against Australia in March 2009, his reply was fairly succinct
but you could see the cogs turning for a suitable answer. With a grin
he replied “I’ve been in the wilderness for a couple of years”.
The swashbuckling 48 he made from 30 balls, including four monster sixes was no surprise to anyone at Stretford who saw his raw talent first hand in the summer of 2006 when he signed for the club as a young overseas player at the age of 22 and again at the end of the 2007 season. Far from being in the wilderness, he was making a big name for himself in Manchester.
The year 2006 was Stretford’s most memorable season since their move to the Lesley Road ground and Roelof was massively influential in that title winning year as the club swept aside all comers under the captaincy of Chris Barlow.
“My time at
Stretford was extremely memorable and I have such fond memories of
the club. We played some really good cricket and we were well
supported off the field”
Although Roelof broke all records in 2006 scoring 1349 runs at 71.00 including 8 fifties and 6 hundred and taking 63 wickets at 11 he also acted as a catalyst for home grown talents like Andrew Crowhurst (439 runs) and Chris Barlow (49 wickets) to thrive. His lively and energetic performances and larger than life character provided a spark for the club. Experienced players such as Mike King and Chris Turner (900 runs) also weighed in heavily showing that the club had a great mix of players with plenty to offer both on and off the pitch
“I joined the
club as a young man and I had never travelled away from South Africa
before but the club made me feel right at home straight away all the
way through my stay there for one and a half seasons. 2006 was
immense”
The Stretford
faithful will probably agree that Roelof was an absolute one-off in
terms of his effect on the whole club. The way he played hard cricket
with such a smile on his face was a joy to behold. He left Stretford
with a bagful of runs the size of Jupiter and was the bringer of much
joviality.
He is the most
naturally talented player ever to wear the Stretford Badge but still
reflects that his time with us as being an important time in his
cricket development
“The two years at
Stretford, and the experience it gave me was so important. It gave me
a solid base to work from and fortunately I am still able to enjoy
the game of cricket as a professional 13 years later”
In making his debut for Netherlands in 2011, Roelof became only the 12th player in history to play for two international countriesin ODIs alongside some illustrious names like Kepler Wessels, Ed Joyce and Luke Ronchi however, no matter who he plays for and when, he leaves a lasting mark on any team thanks to his bull dog spirit, will to win and box office talent.
The Stretford faithful always keep an eye out for Roelof and he’ll be representing Somerset in 2020 and playing for Netherlands in the T20 world cup in Australia in October next year. Good luck pal!!
Its almost a decade since Australian Mitch Williams played at The Boundary and we managed to catch up for a chat about his memories of the club
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost a decade since Mitch Williams signed for Stretford as overseas player but he still remembers his time at Stretford very fondly.
“I was fortunate enough to be the overseas player for Stretford CC for the 2010 season and what an amazing experience!”
Mitch primarily signed as a batsman and had a very fruitful season amassing over 700 runs and always batted with distinctive brutality. Possibly to his own surprise he also contributed wickets with his bustling medium pace.
Left handed Williams cites his time at Stretford, playing in the MDCA at the time, as a being important in his development as a player.
” The cricket was very enjoyable and I feel my batting developed a lot playing in different conditions. It was very different from playing cricket in Sydney but just as tough. I still play first grade for the Fairfield Liverpool Lions in the Sydney Premier cricket league and have recently passed 200 first grade games for the club “
Though a hard hitting bully with bat in hand, Mitch was a true gent off the pitch and forged some great relationships with everyone at the club, especially the few long suffering Everton fans.
“The people are what made Stretford so special. It had a great family feel and some of the best memories I have are enjoying a beer in the Clubhouse with the locals. Being on the door step of Manchester was also great and I definitely made the most of it!
It was was definitely box office viewing watching Mitch dismissively swat away bowlers to the rope; more Gayle than Gower and hopefully we will see Mitch again soon
” I look forward to bringing my young family to the UK in the next few years and Stretford will be one of the first stop ”
stretfordcricketclub.co.uk 