A T20 against another Cricket Coffee Co team, with a view to this being an annual event and to raise awareness for Runs4Research, it is fair to say this was a success both on and off the field with a good game played in the right spirit, and plans made for next season: a T20 fun day, a pre season game and support for Runs4Research.
A good game of cricket, and excellent tea and a great chat after the game: what more could you want?
Green Lane were tremendous hosts and whilst it is generally unfair to name names as it can offend those not mentioned, Tom Goodings more than deserves to be mentioned for his before and during the day in ensuring that we were made so welcome and had such a great day.
We saw old timers returning, a teenager making their debut in adult cricket (and taking their first wicket), father and son opening the batting, representatives from Senior Cricket, the LGBTQ+ community, refugees and a tremendous umpire in Liam Cope. Cricket really can be inclusive and diverse when it wants, or is allowed to be and Green Lane deserve a huge pat in the back for the work they are doing.
Green Lane fielded a well balanced team of players and their youth and ability were far too good for our motley crew, but we gave it a go and if nothing else our batters learnt that ‘giving it some’ because it was a T20 was a lot easier said than done!
Off the field (which is where we do most of our ‘good work’) we made initial plans for a 2024 Festival of Cricket Day centred round a T20 competition promoting Runs4Research, how we could work together to introduce girls and womans hard ball cricket to Green Lane, some initiatives to get more community involvement, and a pre season mini tour to Staffordshire.
A truly great and very enjoyable day.
Craig Irvine took some great photos of the day which he has shared on Google Drive. If you use them please give him credit and you can follow him on Facebook. They really are worth a look and he captured most of the players with some close ups showing the spirit the game, some catches (and drops) a stumping or two, some elegant shots and some out right ugly thrashes!