Badgers Cricket Club – What’s New Archive 2023

A return to a once regular opponent in Stoke D'Abernon saw the Badgers notch up yet another defeat, this time in a game that we really should have made a better fist of. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

Last Sunday saw the Badgers visit a new opponent in Bookham, who play on one of the oddest shaped grounds I have ever encountered, and go down to another defeat in a close fought contest. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

PLEASE NOTE that the game originally scheduled for this weekend has been replaced by a visit to old foes Stoke d'Abernon. Usual details on the fixtures page.

Last Sunday’s scoring record is still being worked on due to issues with both Play-Cricket Scorer and the paper scorebook. I am nearly there but needed to announce the fixture change before it was too late, so there may be another update before we leave for the game tomorrow.

There was no game last Sunday, due to our inability to raise even half a team, and the yearly pilgrimage to Ruxley Lane did not go well for the Badgers the weekend before with a heavy defeat on the field being followed by Ollie’s motorbike being stolen from the car park. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

We have all been saddened this week by the news that one-time Badgers stalwart Patrick Redding – who in addition to being a truly nice person and the best batter to have turned out for the club also had spells as Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and (a sometimes frustrated) Vice Captain during his eleven seasons – passed away suddenly on 8th July. Details of the funeral have been circulated within the club, current and former members, so please let me know if you have not received those but would like to attend.

We first played Sunbury a couple of years ago in a last minute fixture and Darrell was most disappointed when he was unable to arrange a date with them for last season. However, this year he was able to do so and we had another enjoyable visit even though we were relegated to the back pitch this time. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

PLEASE NOTE that the start time for tomorrow’s game has been brought forward to twelve thirty for Association Football related reasons.

There is nothing else to see here as last Sunday’s visit to Oxted for the beer festival game was called off just as we were arriving in the village, so I didn’t even get the afternoon to work on the (long) to do list for the sites and database.

PLEASE NOTE that we have no game for this coming weekend, which was originally reserved for tour, as we are once again unable to raise a side.

Our third visit in three seasons to the delightful confines of Chipstead, Coulsdon and Walcountians and once again our hosts were most welcoming with an entertaining afternoon ensuing. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

PLEASE NOTE that tomorrow’s match at Tatsfield has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch and therefore we are without a game again this weekend.

A new opponent in Merstham and a lovely ground, with a lightning fast outfield, tucked away on Earlswood Common but with an unfortunately long trek from the parking to the pitch that my back is still telling me about, where the Badgers notched up their third win of 2024 in workmanlike fashion. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

PLEASE NOTE that Darrell has filled an empty slot on the calendar for us this Sunday at a new opponent in Merstham. Full details on the fixtures page.

PLEASE NOTE that this Sunday’s game against Hook & Southborough has had to be cancelled as the Badgers were unable to raise an eleven. Next week is a TBA (to be arranged) in the calendar so fingers crossed that Darrell can find us a game.

Our annual trip to Woodmansterne, a local game for many, was graced with the presence of several former club stalwarts but sadly that was not enough to inspire the current generation who fell to their first loss of the season. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

A return visit to Warlingham, who we played for the first time in many years last September and who we are slated to revisit in the same slot this year, saw Badgers record a second win of the season on a sunny afternoon (no need for my umpiring blouson for the second week running). The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

PLEASE NOTE that the scheduled trip to Dormansland this coming Sunday has been cancelled, due to ground preparation issues, and we will instead be returning to Warlingham who we are also slated to play again in September. The fixtures page has been updated accordingly and the Google Map with opponent locations already has a map marker for the club which I have moved to the top of the list for now.

The new season finally got underway with our annual trek to the northerly climes of Ham Common, where the weather was, thankfully contrary to recent weeks, unexpectedly warm and sunny. The usual summarised details of the game can be found on the results page along with a statistical notes only match report, the detailed scorecard, and the traditional Badgers’ focused scorecard.

Whilst almost all of it is automated these days the start of the new season brings a large number of changes to this site, most of them in the plumbing behind the scenes, and paradoxically that probably means that things do not get checked as thoroughly as they might in the past. Therefore if I have missed a mistake or other discrepancy that you spot, please shout.

PLEASE NOTE that today’s match at Long Ditton was called off on Thursday due to the wet weather and since we have been unable to find a replacement fixture at short notice we have been left without a game again this week.

PLEASE NOTE that tomorrow’s game against Beechwood has been called off already due to an unplayable square so the start of the new season will have to wait until next Sunday at Long Ditton.

PLEASE NOTE that this coming Sunday’s contest with Beechwood has been moved from Otford to the main Sevenoaks Vine ground at the “bottom of Sevenoaks High Street” where we have been told “parking bottom paddock” whatever that entails. Full details have been added to the fixtures page and the Google Map with opponent locations has also been updated accordingly.

With the new season looming less than two weeks hence I have managed to tear myself away from other (more interesting) activities and get the fixtures added both to our Play-Cricket site and the fixtures page here.

In trying to get things up to date I have also completed various bits of housekeeping such that you will find the trophy winners from last year have been added to the Honours Board cup winners page following the presentation of the awards at the dinner back in November.

The likelihood is that the next update to the site will be after the first game of the season has been played which enables me to roll everything over to the new season in terms of adding 2024 pages for the week-to-week detail.