NOMADIC side Waverley Cricket Club had an average 2017 season, winning eight of their matches, losing eight and drawing just one.
A noticeable problem became the availability of players. Waverley had seven fixtures cancelled due to a shortage of players on either side and, more than once, fielded just nine or ten players.
Overall, 27 different players turned out for the club and all got to the crease at some time, with 21 turning their arm over – testament to the side’s policy of getting players involved as much as possible.
The games themselves certainly varied in nature. At Rudgwick, 533 runs were scored overall for the loss of only ten wickets, while only 212 were scored at Elstead where the home team ran out winners by one wicket in a tense finish.
Captain Jim Wright led from the front with the bat, scoring a magnificent 950 runs. He also set a club record for highest individual score with 158 against Crown Taverners at Minley. Over the season, he scored two hundreds and eight fifties, averaging 53.
Simon Brewer’s 557 runs included five half-centuries, while Chris Beanland recorded his maiden ton (at Rudgwick) and totalled 326 runs. Russ Golding made 193 valuable runs, Ben Harris contributed 165, Adrian Day 161 and Jamie Harris 111. New player Tom Heighes hit 63 not out against Crown Taverners.
Long-time player Adrian Day bowled the most overs – 98 – during the season and claimed 28 wickets (avg 17). Although absent for the middle part of the summer, 70-year-old Peter Brewer still managed to reel off 81 overs and took 17 wickets (avg 19). When available, Dan Litwin opened the attack and bowled well for his 15 wickets. Sam Tempest chipped in with ten wickets.
Waverley held 59 catches in all, Jim Wright taking seven and claiming the only two stumpings, both at Medstead off Adam Carmichael. Chris Beanland, Simon Brewer and Marcus Carmichael each held six catches.
The Player of the Year award went to Chris Beanland and the batting and bowling trophies were won by Alexander ‘Jim’ Wright and Adrian Day respectively.
Jim Wright will continue as captain, with Chris Beanland as his vice-captain.
• Waverley donated £115 to their chosen charity, Help for Heroes.
• The club would dearly love to recruit new, committed players. For membership details, visit the Waverley CC website www.pitchero.com/clubs/waverley and follow the ‘contact us’ link. The site contains club records going back to 1952.
Averages:
Batting
(qual 8 completed innings)
I R HS NO Avg
A Wright 21 2 977 111* 51.42
S Brewer 22 4 755 108* 41.95
A Day 16 4 251 57* 20.92
C Beanland 19 2 266 76* 15.65
M Du Gay 13 2 167 39* 15.18
W Knox 11 1 137 41* 13.70
M Carmichael 9 0 100 52* 11.11
Bowling
(qual 5 wickets or more)
O M R W Avg
A Day 98 7 476 28 17.00
A Carmichael 38 6 153 9 17.00
D Litwin 75 19 285 15 19.00
P Brewer 81.5 11 329 17 19.35
J Harris 50.4 8 163 7 23.29
T Elborough 34 3 157 6 26.17
K Moxham 30 1 161 6 26.83
A Du Gay 28 2 165 6 27.50
S Tempest 76 8 313 10 31.30
Catches: A Wright 7 (+ 2 stumpings); C Beanland 6; S Brewer 6; M Carmichael 6; A Day 5; R Golding 5; P Brewer 3; A Carmichael 3; T Heighes 3; M Short 3; T Wenham 3; N Carmichael 2; T Elborough 2; L Brewer 1; A du Gay 1; J Harris 1; D Litwin 1; A Rooke 1.