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Welcome to Eccleshall Cricket Club
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY, UPDATE on NEW PRACTISE NETS and WINTER INDOOR COACHING
On Saturday 13th December 2008 the club will be holding a Christmas Party for all members of the club. Senior and Junior awards for 2008 will be presented, the 2008 Christmas Raffle will be drawn and the new Christmas 200 Club prize winners will be announced. There will be food and music and everyone is welcome.
At last week's committee meeting, it was decided that the 200 Club winner's payouts would be changed. There will be 3 winners each month of the cricket season (April-September). The prizes will be £50, £25 and £25. There will also be a draw each December (at this year's Christmas Party) and first prize will be a whopping £300, second prize £100 and third prize £50. If you are not a member of the 200 Club join now so that you have a chance to win.
Next April, the Club will run another Race Night on Saturday 4th April. A number of parents have suggested that Junior Registration is combined with an event and, therefore, Steve and his team will be there taking bookings from Parents and Juniors during the evening of Race Night.
New Practice Nets.
The Club applied for planning permission to install 2 Lanes of Practice Nets in the field to the west of the cricket pitch. Stafford Borough Council have informed us that the new facilities will be too near to trees with protection orders. Therefore, after meeting with SBC, we are re-applying for permission to build the nets against the hedge of the field (opposite the scout hut). Steve Lightfoot is working very hard and anticipates having the nets available from the beginning of the season or May at the latest. To be able to afford this development, which will cost over £30,000, the club will be running a number of fund raising events which will need your support. Don't forget to sell your raffle tickets.
Indoor Coaching
The North Staffs Branch of Staffs Cricket Board are again running cricket coaching at Clayton Indoor Sports Centre, Newcastle on various courses running from mid November. Softball courses are available for children under 11 and hardball from 11 upwards from any clubs within travelling distance of Clayton - enrolment will take place on Saturday 1st November from 9am. From personal experience, please note that as these sessions are so popular, all the places will have gone by 9.15am as parents/grandparents are queuing from 8am just to ensure they get the number of places they would like!
There are 2 x softball courses, one before Xmas, the other after - both for 6 weeks on a Friday evening 6.30pm-8.30pm (at Newcastle School). Each courses costs £40
There are 3 x hardball courses, all 8 weeks duration, one Saturday morning starting on Saturday 15th November, 10am-12am, Saturday evening before Xmas starting on 15th November, 6.30pm-8.30pm and Saturday evening after Xmas starting on Saturday 17th January, again 6.30pm-8.30pm. Each course costs £60
There will be a number of coaches from different clubs actually coaching so everyone benefits.
As part of the coaching team, I know how useful these courses are in improving cricket skills - if you want any more information, don't hesitate to give Steve Lightfoot a call on 07790 495365.
Latest Welcome to Eccleshall Cricket Club News
THANK YOU!
A big THANK YOU to all those who turned up this Saturday to help put the ground to bed for the winter. Well done Eileen for excellent bacon butties and copious cups of cha! and thanks to Steve
Latest Play-Cricket News
Overseas players-coaches information
Under the government's new Points Based Managed Migration system, cricket clubs will now need to obtain a sponsor licence from the UK Borders Agency in order to bring cricketers and coaches from outsi
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Junior Club
Each Tuesday evening, over 70 children from Eccleshall and the surrounding villages are coached by the club’s 7 trained coaches under the watchful gaze of Staffordshire Coach, Steve Lightfoot. Each coach is qualified to at least Level 1 of the ECB Coaching Pathway. In addition all coaches are CRB checked.
The Junior Club runs 5 cricket teams.
Under 9 Softball Team Manager Steve Lightfoot
Under 11(Mondays) Team Managers Andy Buttery and Brendan Donnelly
Under 13(Wednesday) Team Manager Chris Marshall
Under 15(Mondays) Team Manager Steve Lightfoot
Under 17(Sundays) Team Manager Jon Derry
A number of players have gone on to represent Staffordshire and Shropshire at both Junior and Senior level. Indeed David Boden went on to play First Class Cricket with Essex and Gloucestershire.
Junior Club Policies and Procedures
Senior Club
The 1st XI captain, Paul Cox, joined the club as a junior when he was 12 years old. Paul is in his second year as captain.
The 2nd XI captain, Tony Mansfield, has been in charge for a number of years now and has been with the club for almost 40 years.
With over 40 active players over the age of 15 in the club, selection meetings can be lengthy affairs. The club continues to attract new members each season and welcomes Arris Ziad,Luke Gessner and Jamie Lymer in 2008.
History of Eccleshall Cricket Club
There is evidence of previous versions of the cricket club playing at the top of the Newport Road and next to Fletchers Garden Centre on the Stone Road. However, it was destined that the club was going to play at the Dogcroft Ground as one of the founder members; Mr Mark Carter, owned the land. Indeed it is still owned by the Carter family today.
In the 1970s the club had an influx of younger members and the first junior side was established. By the end of the 70s, Eccleshall Cricket Club had joined the South Cheshire Alliance League. Although, the club had reached the final of many cup tournaments and had won the Norton-in-Hales Cup in 1982, its first real success came in 1983, when it won the South Cheshire Alliance league title.
In 1993, the club knew it had to redevelop the pavilion and a determined fund raising campaign began. The refurbished pavilion was opened by Mark Carter the following year.
In 1997, the club joined the Staffordshire Club Championship, before moving to the North Staffs and District in 2000. After being relegated in the first season, the club immediately bounced back in 2001 by winning the Stone League title. It was an invitation from the North Staffs and South Cheshire League in 2004 to join their newly expanded structure that saw Eccleshall Cricket Club enter Division 3.
In 2006 the club saw promotion to Division 2, but this was a step too far and the club was relegated at the end 2007.
Over recent years, the club has employed a professional cricketer to play in the 1st XI. Mohit Goyal of Jharkand State in India, played for the club between 2004 and 2007 and in 2008, the club has recruited a colleague of Mohit from the same State, Ratan Kumar.
In The Pavilion
This includes people doing teas, preparing the ground, coaching junior players and raising money.
Please click on "In the Pavilion" for more details on contacts, sponsors, policies and other information.
