The Cricket season has well and truly started …

What a fabulous start to the cricketing season. Our Second X1 had their first victory of the season, our Sunday X1 got their season off to a great start , we’ve had two fifty’s, a ton, our under 11’s notched up their first win, and our Under 10’s had their first runout for the season. Lots to talk about in this week’s news with some great match reports (including two from our junior players aged 9 and 10 ) ..

Every week we welcome teams to the Green and every week we receive the same positive comments about our beautiful grounds – how privileged we are to be able to call this our home ground ..

Thank you to all those who come and support our teams every week

Honours Boards

Congratulations to all those who made it on to the Honours Board this week.

Parking on Friday evening

Just a quick reminder about parking. We all look forward to our Juniors training sessions on Fridays, but with this comes a pressure on parking around the Green. We therefore ask you to walk to the Green if possible and be considerate when parking avoiding the verges around the playground area and Butts Meadow. Please also be mindful of the implication of your parking on the flow of traffic around the Green – we obviously want to avoid any unnecessary risks caused by the build-up of traffic. There is additional parking to be found in the Village Hall car park and Songhurst Meadow so please do make use of it if you can.

Can you help in any way ?

We are expecting over 200 juniors to enjoy playing cricket this year which is in itself a major undertaking. There is an increasingly smaller group of volunteers who put a lot of effort to keep the show on the road and we would welcome support from parents – particularly scorers , umpires , tea makers etc etc . If you are able to help in any way please do let us know. We could do with a lot more help – even if its on an occasional basis

Information on each age group and registrations

We have a lot of useful information about our various age groups on our Juniors web page – Please click here 

Existing members should have received their renewal emails a few weeks ago. If you missed the email and would like to register again this season, please let us know and we will resend the email to you.

New members can register via the Wisborough Green Sports MyClubhouse site by clicking here.

Kit

We have lots of information on our ‘Ordering Kit ‘ web page including a link to the Gray Nicholls Store online store where kit can be purchased. The web page includes some useful videos on how to choose the right junior bat , how to choose the right bat size and how much you should spend on a junior bat. We have also included details of helmet sizes and a pads size guide.

We have run out of junior caps and are awaiting on stock which should hopefully be with us next week. Senior and ladies caps are still available. Junior caps are £10 , ladies caps are £12 and senior men are £15. We would like all players to wear the new Wisborough Green hats which enhances our identity as a team. Hats can be purchased from the BBQ guys on Friday evening.

Upcoming Fixtures

Hard copies of the Fixture Card are available in the Pavilion – please click here for an electronic version of the fixture card

All of our age group fixtures are available on the ECB’s Playcricket website – please click here

A busy week on fixtures ahead :

• First X1 are at home to Chichester Priory Park at 1pm on Saturday
• Second X1 are away to Findon at Oscar Romero School in Worthing at 1pm on Saturday
• Under 14’s are away to Slinfold on Sunday morning
• Under 13 girls are away to Haywards Heath on Tuesday evening
• Under 12′s have an away friendly at Steyning on Saturday morning
• Under 10’s are away at Horsham on Saturday morning

Team Selections

Date for your diaries

RunWisborough

RunWisborough is returning this year, and we already have a fantastic number of entries! Your support is essential for making this event a success.

Set for Sunday June 8th, 2025, at 9:30am, RunWisborough is an important fundraiser for our village and a great chance to strengthen our community connections.

We need over 60 volunteers, and your assistance on the day would be greatly appreciated. If you’re available to help in the morning, please reach out to Michelle Kilford at kilford@btconnect.com

Community involvement is key to the success of this event and as a thank you, all volunteers will receive a free bacon bap and a drink.

Let’s work together to make this year’s event a tremendous success! Thank you for your support, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Michelle Kilford

Match reports

Second X1 vs Littlehampton

The second X1 got the season off to a rollicking start with a keenly contested 4 wicket victory over Littlehampton, the team that everybody loves to hate.

Early season selection dilemmas ensured a strong team lined up on the Green in glorious warm and dry conditions in a rematch of last season’s final washout. Toss on, skipper opted to make first bowling use of a green, grassy wicket.

Probing opening spells from Dave Griffiths, Phil Maggs and Wolfie ensured a slow start from the oppo, WG fielding making the dry, wobbly outfield look like Lords, and great catching from Juan, Phil Maggs made early inroads. Josh did Joshy things from the Ken Vickery end and yielded 3 wickets, all bowled top of off stump. Monty Palmer justified early season nepotism from the captain and bowled with precise aggression down the hill, even Jack Dixon managed a few overs of his bamboozling leggies. Littlehampton limped to 159 all out in the 39th over.

New tea from The Cricketers Arms proved an excellent 2025 innovation… look out for the flapjack at a tea near you in the future.

Fairly standard WG run chase. After Tarni’s fell early after missing a straight one, Jack and Watts steadied the ship putting on 70 odd for the second wicket. A briefly flutter of the heart might have got the better of us who three quick wickets fell in the 13th to 18th overs but Big Jack was there (almost) to the end with a great knock of 82 . Phil showed off his winter work with a nice net practice in the middle and Monty hit the winning runs in the 29th over.

As the troubled opposition captain noted, they would have won if we didn’t have the bloke who scored all the runs and the blokes who took all the wickets. But we did, so that was that. Big 30 points in the bag. Top of the league after opening round.

Please click here for the full scorecard

Tim Palmer

Thanks to Chris Marshall for these great pics

Sunday Supplements vs Ancient Mariners

On Sunday May 4th we had our first Sunday fixture of the season on The Green. The weather in the week leading up to the game had been warmer than Barbados. The hottest day ever recorded in May had been seen. Shorts and flip-flops had quickly become the norm, and sunscreen was on the verge of being rationed. The anticipation was for a sweltering day of cricket on The Green, surrounded by swarms of people gasping for their next beer.

The reality couldn’t have been more different. It’s like the world remembered that it was only the first week of May and let’s be more realistic. I’m not sure what the temperature was but it felt Baltic. The major decisions being made were to wear 2 or 3 jumpers. Anyone watching the game would be drinking tea rather than beer, possibly wearing a bobble hat and gloves.

A 2pm start was slightly delayed as by 2:05 there was no opposition. They gradually emerged from the Cricks one by one and ambled across to the Pav, having had a hearty lunch and possibly some pre-game refreshment. This is how Sunday cricket should be.

The coin was tossed and The Mariners opted to bat. Possibly as numbers 5-11 were still in the Cricks. Our opening bowlers were a youthful Harry Maggs and a mildly less youthful looking Frank Vickery in immaculate WG whites and jumper……… and brown work boots. If anything screams village cricket, it’s an opening bowler wearing brown shoes.

The Ancient Mariners made a slow start, mainly due to the tight bowling of our opening pair. Frank’s boots didn’t seem to hinder him, and what he might lack in pace as an opening bowler is more than made up for by his accuracy. Figures of 7 overs for 29 show hard he was to get away.

Harry Maggs came steaming in from the Ken Vickery End, causing all sorts of trouble. A sharp catch (even if I do say so myself) woke Captain Marshall up at gully, followed by a clean bowled and a miss hit to James Rainford at cover, and suddenly Maggs had the Mariners in trouble. 26-3 after 8 overs looked a strong start for Wisborough. Sadly this brought together a pair that proved harder to remove.

Bowling was shared around the young talent of Harry, Josh Braddock, Buddy Edwardes and the not so young Frank, Phil Maggs and Chris Marshall. Josh Dixon teased and tempted for his 7 overs and deserved greater reward, while Nick Reed was immaculate behind the stumps. It’s a real treat to have a keeper of Nick’s quality on a Sunday. In days gone by we’ve had to borrow gloves and pads from the opposition and pad up a reluctant non bowler.

26 for 3, eventually became 158 for 4. Their two batsmen got their eye in and the boundary suddenly seemed a lot smaller. James Rainford provided the comedy fielding moment of the day, by looping a short underarm throw straight over the keeper’s head while throwing himself full length to the ground. Much laughter made up for the overthrows. Junior also caught two high catches to redeem himself.

The Ancient Mariners made 197. Tea followed – a joint effort. Tarni Dixon provided the sandwiches. Chris Marshall the savouries and sweets. While Phil Maggs rocked up with some cream and jam filled scones that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Great British Bake Off. Tarni’s sandwiches were (as you’d expect), exemplary. The chicken ones in particular were top tier. Egg mayo, tuna – he didn’t let us down. Marshall’s savouries included pork pies, scotch eggs, quiche, chicken dippers and sausage rolls. Swiss roll to finish, with the option of half a chocolate roll. My strawberries and ice-cream idea was very much born in the sweltering heat of the previous few days. Umpire Klein still devoured his favourite sweet, but I wonder whether crumble and custard might have been more temperature appropriate.

Meanwhile Tarni Dixon and James Rainford were walking out to bat. The runs came quickly and convincingly from the start. Tarni enjoyed showing his former club what they were now missing, with classy cover drives and punching square cuts. He fell for 38, bringing young Nick Reed to the crease. A quiet, self-assured young cricketer – Nick goes about his business with the minimal of fuss. He waits for the bad ball and dispatches it when it comes. Nothing fancy. He never looked in trouble. At the other end, Junior was enjoying the freedom of playing his season in without the pressure of a league fixture. Dispatching the ball to all corners of The Green, this was exactly what he needed – time in the middle. Saturday league cricketers are most welcome in the Sunday side , and it’s a great way to play yourself into form.

With the target approaching and just one wicket down, it started to become apparent that mathematics could make or break this day. Nick needed 2 for his first ever 50. Junior was on 83 and we were running out of runs needed. I don’t know if they planned it meticulously or it just wprked out, but Nick scampered through for his half century, and Junior left himself in a situation where a single would win us the game, but a boundary would earn him a century in the process. Of course he dispatched the ball to the sightscreen and the target of 198 became a final score of 201. A win, a first ever 50 and a century for the club’s most modest hero.

Sunday cricket is up and running on The Green with a victory. Many thanks to Suzana Braddock for her meticulous scoring, and to Peter Klein for umpiring after an already full weekend. Next game is on May 25th. I can’t wait.

Please click here for the full scorecard

Chris Marshall

Thanks Chris for these great pics

Under 11 vs Southwater

Match report by Freddie Boxall (age 10)

Our first match of the season was at home against Southwater. We won the toss and I chose for us to field first so that we would know what score we needed to beat when we batted.

Everybody bowled brilliantly because everyone was getting it on target with very few wides. James bowled with power to hit the middle stump clearly and take our first wicket. Eddie did a fantastic bowl to take another, and this continued with Seb who also hit the stumps with power. We had some tight fielding and great wicket keeping allowing James and Jack to pair up to run out two players from Southwater. Our final wicket was taken by Leo with the last ball of the last over. We all fielded really well and I was proud of the team. After a long (and slightly cold) 20 overs, we had a well deserved break with juice, tea and biscuits.

Charlie and Reuben were the first pair batting with a solid performance, losing no wickets. Myself and Eddie were up next and used clear communication to add on some runs. Jack and Ethan followed with Ethan hitting a 4, and then came Seb and James. James did extraordinarily well scoring a few boundaries to hit Southwater’s runs total. The last pair were Leo and Buddy who just needed to not lose too many wickets for us to win. Luckily, Leo not only hit a 4 but got his first ever 6, winning the match. There were lots of cheers from our team and our spectators.

Despite being their first season, Southwater played extremely well with some very fast bowling and good communication when batting. The player of the match was given to Leo who really deserved it and showed top level cricket.

I loved being the captain, it was an honour to lead the team in our first match of the season. There is a lot to think about when you are the captain including bowling order and fielder’s positions but my coach was there to support me.

Freddie Boxall (Captain)

Under 10 vs West Chiltington

Match report by Finlay Pickford-Griffiths (age 9)

This was our first U10 cricket match of the season playing against West Chiltington at home.

It was a sunny Saturday morning, Wisborough Green won the toss and we decided to field first. After a warmup and team talk with Peter the team were ready and excited to play.

I opened the bowling against two very good batsmen who got 46 runs in their 4 overs. We were more successful against the second pair limiting them to 12 runs, with some great fielding from Henry, George, Gus, Jack H and Jack B.

A great moment came when Seth bowled and Barnaby made a lovely catch for our first wicket. This was then followed soon after by an excellent ball from Thomas to get our second wicket.

West Chiltington played extremely well and finished with a score of 336.

Thank you to the parents for our nice cold drinks and choice of biscuits (Maryland’s were the best) during our break. Then we were ready to get going for the batting.

We opened the batting with Henry and I facing two strong bowlers and Henry got our first four. Jack B and Seth followed with some good runs. Jack H, Cooper, Thomas and Gus continued batting well with Cooper getting another four for the team. George and Barnaby were the last pair to bat and did brilliantly considering they were up against two very strong bowlers.

It was a fun and exciting game even though West Chiltington won (but they did have four Sussex players). Well done to Cooper who was chosen by the other team as man of the match and I want to say well done to everyone on the team and thank you to Peter.

I really enjoyed being captain for the first time, arranging the batting, bowling and fielding positions and thank you to the parents for bringing the boys and supporting us.

Finlay Pickford-Griffiths (captain)

…and finally – spotted out and about …

That’s it for this week.

If there is anything we need to know you know where to find us

Have a great cricketing week 🏏😊

Cheers

Wizzy