Firstly, many thanks to Eppleton Cricket Club for inviting the Stags to take part in their Softball Tournament. It was great to pay a visit to a Club which previously played in the Durham Senior Cricket League. It was also great to see some former players from the Senior League, including Michael Smith, David Abdy and the well respected player and cricket coach, Gary Hulme. It was also nice to catch-up with Margaret Smith.

Saturday’s Softball Tournament at Eppleton was a great learning experience for our Under 9s side, with the Stags being captained by Emily Sirs. All in all, we played four matches. Three in the Group Stage, with one additional match : two matches lost and two matches won.

The Stags were well beaten by a hard playing and well drilled Dawdon A side. Having played against a number of teams across the Summer, Dawdon A were probably the best side we’ve played this year. I think Dawdon A would probably just come out on top against Stockton Sixers. That would be an interesting match!

Learning point one : a cricket ball which is half way between a windy and a cricket ball can hurt. Unlike our previous tournaments over the Summer, a non-windy cricket ball was used at Eppleton. As I wasn’t happy with the type of competition ball that was being used, I politely refused to use the designated ball in our remaining matches : a windy ball was used instead. In summary, I didn’t think the competition ball was appropriate because it was too hard, sometimes causing bruising when a player was struck.

Our next match against Whitburn was a close affair, which, upon reflection and with a bit of good fortune, we could have won, with Whitburn just sneaking a win by a few runs. An appeal for a caught behind, which was taken by wicket-keeper Noah Thompon, was given not out, much to the frustration of our players. Learning point two : umpiring decisions should only be “questioned politely”. Unfortunately, a different interpretation over the rules cost Emily a great six from a hook shot which flew into the upper reaches of the wire fencing! Learning point three : softball matches should be played using boundaries as per the ECB’s Junior Cricket Format Recommendations for Under 9s-11s. All the previous tournaments that we’ve played in have used boundaries, allowing players to hit 4s and 6s. The ability to continually run only benefits those players who are physically strong enough to strike the ball over greater distances.

The Stags then went on to play two very good play matches against Durham City. Here, before the games commenced, the Umpires agreed a consistent approach to be applied in the officiating of the matches. Some great cricket was played between the Stags and the City, with the games being played in the right spirit. Both games were relatively tight, with some great batting, bowling and fielding being on show by players from both sides. Both teams seemed to enjoy these games, which was excellent to see! Very impressed by how the Durham City Captain took the lead with setting fields and deciding who was to bowl and when.

All in all, a testing afternoon for the Stags. However, Finley, Sam, Bobby, Noah, Emily and Matthew should be really proud of how they performed at Eppleton. They tried their very best to adapt to the different playing conditions, with them all contributing in the four matches that were played across the afternoon. Due to their age, this was Sam and Bobby’s penultimate outing for the Under 9s. They progress to the Under 11s next year under Chris Smith and the full time challenge of hard cricket ball. I’m sure Sam and Bobby will enjoy the challenge of hard ball cricket!

Finally, many thanks to all those parents and supporters who travelled to Eppleton to support the Stags! Next stop, Newton Aycliffe Cricket Club on the 18th August, 2019!