Hello and welcome to another edition of TOWIO! The senior season started on Sunday against Hertford and more will follow later in the newsletter 😊. It has been a busy month with contacting and speaking directly with schools. As some schools are very busy, there is no point in just emailing and calling on them so I show my face in the school and the positivity of the schools about our project has been amazing 😊
A massive thanks to some great work from Jordan Carter for producing a fantastic presentation, so all the assemblies I have planned over the next couple of weeks will have the “Hollywood” feel to them 😊
I would like to say a massive thanks to all who helped out over the 2 NatWest CricketForce days. A club is only as good as the volunteers behind the scenes and it was a proper team effort. Hope Tim has recovered from his unfortunate mishap and thank you for the bacon sandwiches!
Come on you Junior O’s!!
Junior registration is less than a week away, on Monday 29th and I am very excited that we are starting the section and creating a legacy for our club. I’m sure the night will run smoothly and we will get lots of excited children down to the club to embark on the start of their cricketing journey that will last a lifetime, and hopefully be the next generation of future league ChampiOOns who came through the Junior ranks. Roll on the 29th 😊
To me and the club every child really does matter and we have the opportunity to achieve something really special.
The Cost of the coaching this summer is £0000 (yes, free!). It’s about reaching out to every child and adult to make a massive difference in our community.
The O’s Schools Community Project
Our first confirmed school Cricket World Cup Day is Monday June 10th at Ladbrooke Primary School in Potters Bar. With assemblies planned in other schools over the next couple of weeks the message will be spread far and wide across our community:
- Stormont
- Oakmere
- Goff’s Oak
- Cuffley Primary School
- Pondersbourne
- St John’s
- Mount Grace
- Dame Alice Owen
- Queenswood
- Fairfields
- Flamstead End
If we can reach out into every single school in the community around us and ensure every child who wishes to play cricket can do, then we have served our purpose.
We have also built relations with the local scout groups in the community, so if we have not got into a community club that you are part of in the locality please let me know on 07885 995414 or oocccdo@hotmail.com
The Senior O’s
Old Owens Seniors season got underway with a glorious 8 wicket win over at the beautiful Hertford CC playing fields.
As ever Brad Lane lost the toss to carry on his fine form from 2018 with the coin. Old Owens were put into the field and bowled incredibly tight, with just 2 wides in the first 45 overs. Brad and Adam Clark got the guys off to a great start, reducing Hertford to 14/2 off 8 overs.
Then came the middle overs of Rick Martin, Chris Whitworth and Lewis Hollett who locked down the Hertford batters and saw Hertford felled for 150 in the 50th over.
After a smashing tea, Owens came out to the crease in the form of Conor Robson and Whitworth who got us off to a flyer in the first powerplay with some very clean striking for a first game of the season. Whitworth was eventually dismissed for 38 with the lads at 108/1 off 14 overs. Conor finished the chase with an exciting 73 not out to give the guys that first W of the year.
A great start to the season and we welcome Cockfosters to Coopers Lane on Saturday 27th for a 12pm start in another preseason friendly. The rest of the club will play a friendly, inter-club game on pitch 2. Absolutely everyone is welcome to join in with this.
Community Cricket Open Day
We are very excited to announce our first Old Owens Cricket Community Day on the 19th May, starting at 12.30. Come down and have your first look around the ground and the club; you will be given a wonderful welcome.
We will be running a softball 6 a side competition for all of the family, whether you are 6 or 106 come and have some fun, with just a tennis ball and a plastic bat and a set of stumps like we all used to play when we were kids. It would be great to get as many families down as we can and various organisations to play in the competition.
There will be a BBQ and many skill based games, with prizes, so bring down the whole family and have a great day. There will be music, maybe even Karaoke!!
Let me or any of the committee know if you can make it or not and spread the cricket word around our community. It would be great to have a couple of 100 people come along to the day.
Calling all helpers
With the Juniors we are expecting a busy season at the club, so we are always on the lookout for people to come on board and help to ensure the smooth running of our club. We have a fantastic committee and other volunteers but any extra input or help is always great to take our club to the next level.
If you would be interested in helping out please either contact me on oocccdo@hotmail.com or 07885 995414, or club chairman Tim Lane on 07977998502 or tlane@cosmur.co.uk
Any help you can give, whether an hour a week or a bit more, we would love to hear from you. As a famous supermarket says: Every Little Helps ……
If you would like to achieve a coaching badge Middlesex are hosting another course this Sunday.
The aim of our junior cricket section will be to get as many people involved in cricket as we can. As mentioned in TOWIO 1, we want as many senior players and family members of The O’s to be as involved as possible, with coaching something we treasure highly.
The Level 1 coaching badge takes just 6 hours to earn and it means that you can assist a Level 2 cricket coach in running a cricket session. It demonstrates the basic planning of how a session should be run and also is the foundation to doing the Level 2 coaching badge.
Please see the link to the scheduled coaching Badges workshop below:
April 28th at Middlesex Indoor Cricket Centre https://booking.ecb.co.uk/c/express/e1fc5b63-8009-438e-a465-c984051d4a5d
THE FIRST FUNDRAISING SOCIAL EVENING
A Quiz Night on the 10th May, being brilliantly organised by the vastly better halves of Brad and Ralph Lane; Emma Fazakerley and Katie Smits. We already have at least 10 teams of 6 entered, with room for only 1 or 2 more spaces left so get in quick.
Finally from me (and sorry for the long newsletter) what we want to create at our club this summer is the start of the legacy that underpins OOCC for many generations to come, building on the fantastic work of Tim and Co. I feel honoured to be able to start the drawing that will become the masterpiece. Anything is possible with such a great club.
Strive With A Will
Jim
