Harpenden Cricket Club
Harpenden 1st XI’s final league match of the 2010 season away to Potters Bar CC has gone down in Club folklore. An almost mathematically impossible equation existed for captain Ben Frazer’s team to escape relegation but cricket retains the ability to delight and surprise. Having scored 196-1 with half-centuries for Nick Lamb and Frazer himself, the first innings part of the plan was achieved but what happened next bordered on the miraculous. Fast bowler Ben Mahoney (4-36) reduced The Bar to 5-5 before Nick Lamb cleaned up the tail giving Harpenden maximum points and restricting Potters Bar such that the sides ended equal on points in the table. In this scenario, Harpenden survived by virtue of least matches lost and will play their cricket again in the Home Counties Premier League in 2011.
David Whiteley’s 2nd XI finished a creditable 4th in Division 2 and Simon Wade’s 3rd XI was 7th in Division 3. The remaining three regular league sides also maintained their positions in their leagues which is a source of great satisfaction at the Club. Moving forward there have now been changes in the captaincy for the top two league XI’s with Nick Lamb and Richard Darwin due to take over and try to improve on the records of their predecessors.
On the field there were tremendous individual performances including noteworthy centuries for overseas players Ben Clements and Sam Wiese, Ed Washington and Rob Fahrenheim whilst Richard Darwin, Alex Randall and Ben Dearman all took 7-wicket hauls. However, the season highlight was a monumental 213* in 112 balls from teenage prodigy James Latham in a Sunday Chess Valley league match v. Northwood CC. James broke the Club’s individual batting record that dated back to 1911 and won himself a monthly award from “All Out Cricket” magazine.
Harpenden CC Colts had another successful and enjoyable season with over 270 children registered for both Sunday morning training sessions and league matches with age groups from U-8 up to U-15 plus a separate and highly successful Girls’ section who will play league cricket for the first time in 2011. The Colts Section played over 100 league games last year with over 65% of matches won and five sides reached at least the County quarter finals stage. The Club has increased the number of boys being selected for County winter training as well as at Area/District level too. Finally, Harpenden CC greatly enjoyed providing coaching to an increased number of Harpenden primary schools in 2010 including Crabtree, The Grove, Manland, St. John Lawes and High Beeches.
Chairman Steve Hewlett was recently re-elected at the club AGM where his thanks were recorded to everyone connected with the club’s ongoing success. Harpenden CC look forward eagerly to summer 2011. All potential new players are very welcome and contact details are at the foot of this page.
During the season the pavilion bar is open on Saturday and Sunday evenings and all weekday evenings when a match is being played on the Common (virtually every night between May through to the end of July). Saturday evening "Match Reports" by the various Club XI captains are not to be missed !
In recognition of the work with young cricketers and in the community Harpenden CC is accredited by ECB and Sport England with "Clubmark" status and have been designated as a "Focus" club. The Club is fast approaching it's 150th anniversary in the year 2013 and has proposed putting together a working party to consider how to make the most of this landmark.
Winter nets at the Choice Cricket Indoor School (Redbourn) are now underway :- Wednesdays 8-9pm (all players over 15) and also from Thursday 3 March 2011, 7-8pm
(1st & 2nd XI squad).
