Reflecting back on the 2022 cricket season there are plenty of positives to take for Hartlepool Cricket Club. I believe the Cricket Club is moving in the right direction.

The 1st XI, under the leadership of Tom Gavin, had a roller-coaster of a season! The first half of the campaign was a struggle. I put this down to the unavailability of certain players, which was beyond our control. At this time the 1st XI hit a bad run of form. The second half of the season was the complete opposite. The 1st XI had a brilliant run of form, winning eight matches and drawing two. Great on-field performances enabled the 1st XI to secure a 5th place finish and an impressive points haul of 308 points.

Once the 1st XI’s player availability issue had settled, those players that came into the side showed their worth, with excellent contributions from Harry Crawshaw, Jonny Bushnell and Yash Vagadia. I thought Yash made significant strides across the Summer as a batter and bowler. His 179 not out at Park Drive was superb to watch. There were also fine contributions from “Skipper Gavin”. I thought his batting and wicket-keeping improved with every game played. Gareth Shaw played match winning innings, especially away at Barnard Castle. To me, that win changed the 1st XI’s season and we never looked back after that. That victory was the catalyst that powered the 1st XI up the Premier Division table! Alan Tebbett had a very positive second half of the season too.

I also look back with pride on how some of our young cricketers also performed in the 1st XI. Maxwell Jackson, still only 16 years old, bowled at genuine pace. He was a regular front line opening bowler for the 1st XI. I know that Durham County Cricket Club are very impressed by how Maxwell is developing. Charlie Scorer, a leg spin bowler, who has also played for Durham, proved to be difficult for opponents. I also have high hopes for Oliver Martin. He has a lot of ability with the bat and ball. I’m sure that if he continues to work hard, he’ll have a very good cricket career.

The fielding within the 1st XI was of the highest order, especially their ground fielding, which I believe was the best in the Premier League. I attribute this to the hard work and coaching of Club Professional, Paul Braithwaite. Paul is an exceptional cricketer with both bat and ball. His professionalism, drive and dedication has brought about a significant change in standards and mindset. I’m looking forward to seeing how far Paul can take the 1st XI in the 2023 season.

The 2nd XI were led by Peter Rhoden. They finished 7th in Division Two, accumulating 299 points. Young star of the future, Fin Barlow, excelled with bat and ball. Opening bowler, Jamie Rathbone, again proved what an exceptionally good bowler he is with his seamers, out-witting many batters across the season. Young wicket-keeper, Harry Wiles, is also progressing by the match. His batting is developing nicely too. He’s also one to watch for the future. Peter gave a number of our younger players the opportunity to play in the 2nd XI, which can only be beneficial for the Cricket Club in years to come. Harry Wilson also caught the eye too.

The 3rd XI, captained by the ubiquitous Matthew Bowman, had an excellent season in the Sunday Premier League, finishing 4th on 279 points, a single point behind 3rd placed Darlington. Bowman played over 60 games for Hartlepool Cricket Club this season, representing various senior teams, which is a credit to him. He proved himself to be a very good bowler and put other players before himself. He is one of the most popular and well liked players at Park Drive. Ben Scott had another excellent season, scoring heavily across the Summer. It would be great to see him push on towards the 1st XI. The 3rd XI are to be congratulated on being the only senior team in the Club to have won silverware this season, when they won the Arthur Sanders Cup by defeating Marton Cricket Club in the Final! The team had an average age of 19 years old, will all but one player having come through our Junior Section. Can you guess the odd one out?

Our 4th XI, under the leadership of the evergreen Chris Smith, finished the Sunday Conference North on 120 points. Although they finished bottom of the league, it’s important to remember why the 4th XI was established. The 4th XI exists to provide an additional pathway for our junior players to experience senior cricket. The 4th XI was filled with youngsters aged 13, 14 and 15. Many of them had their first taste of senior cricket in 2022! Joe Semple, Harry Griffin and Hayden Hodgson showed very good promise. Let’s hope they develop further over the Winter months. Chris Smith, an experienced cricketer, excelled with the bat and ball, turning back the years to help support his young charges. Again, he was selfless, batting himself down the order and bowling others before himself, thereby giving the youngsters the chance to shine.

I know that our Chair of the Cricket Club, Alan Jackson, has personally thanked all of the senior Club Captains on their efforts across the 2022 season.

All of the Coaches from our Junior Section deserve the highest of praise for all of their hard work. Without our Coaches we would not have all of our very promising youngsters who are progressing to play senior cricket. Our Coaches put in so much time and effort to help our young cricketers learn and develop their skills. They do that by volunteering.

Special mention also goes to Chris Smith who has played a leading role in developing our Womens and Girls Section. The Womens and Girls Section is in such a strong position thanks to him and Kathryn Semple. Across the Summer they have trained in the nets on a Saturday afternoon. They’ve had some great results. For me, Tilly Parker scoring her maiden 100 for Hartlepool Cricket Club was one of the standout achievements of Summer, 2022. Hopefully, it was the first of many.

I’d like to thank David Sinden, our Treasurer, for the hard work that he’s put into managing the finances of the Cricket Club, putting in many hours. Thanks also goes to John Relton, our Secretary. He also deserves much praise for his time and effort in the smooth running of Hartlepool Cricket Club. In the many years that I’ve been at Park Drive I’m really happy with the direction of the Cricket Club, ie. both socially and on the field of play.

In addition to the players I have mentioned in the senior teams, others have showed great promise too, including many junior players. Moving forward, I hope these players work very hard in the future to enable them to continue their progress to enable them to have enjoyable and successful cricket careers.

Michael Gough Senior