Rye to plan for new season at club AGM

Rye Cricket Club is putting the building blocks in place for another busy season at The Salts.

The 2016 season was challenging for Rye Cricket Club, both on and off the field, but the club emerged from it with great credit.

On the field, the first XI achieved its highest finishing position in the Sussex Cricket League pyramid and the under-13s won their league.

The players of the year were Harry Smeed (first team and under-21), Spencer Fielding (seconds), Luke Payton (thirds) and Tobias Farrow (under-16).

The clubman of the year award went to James Jury for his hard work in supporting the club to become a limited company.

More than 120 games of cricket for three Saturday teams, a midweek XI and five colts' sides were played, and a winter and summer coaching programme for 60 colts was run.

Off the field the club made great strides forward. Rye Cricket Club became a limited company by guarantee, a 99-year lease was signed for the pavilion, the pavilion social areas were painted and a downstairs kitchen installed. Rye Town FC is also using the pavilion.

A bat and trap night was attended by 160 people and the Clubmark award was maintained. All of this was made possible by the hard work and contributions from many members.

Credit must go to the team captains, Gary Willis, Martin Blincow and James Jury, for getting sides out every week, probably the hardest of all jobs, and the colts' managers, Peter Thomson, Peter Farrow, John Mackenzie and Hugo Nel, for running the colts' fixtures.

Praise is also due for the committee of Kevin Jury (chairman), Mark Cook (vice-chairman), James Jury (treasurer), James Hamilton (website manager) and Darren Smith (bar stocking).

Thanks also go to Chris Ashbee for all his hard work looking after the bar and ensuring the club enjoyed a record year of income, Ross Smeed for sourcing and installing the downstairs kitchen, Zara and David Rhys-Jones for running the barbecue, Nick Paine for his help with the pavilion maintenance and first XI scorer Janet Tiltman for her invaluable support throughout the season.

Rye Cricket now looks forward to 2017, in which the committee proposes that the focus should continue to be on supporting the development of the quality of cricket that is played and the experience of playing cricket for all members.

The club will be continuing to upgrade the quality of the facilities at the Rye Cricket Salts, both the pavilion and the wicket.

Coaching for colts will start on February 14 at Rye Sports Centre, with primary school aged colts from 5-6pm, under-13s from 6-7pm and under-15s/17s from 7-8pm. For details on joining the coaching, contact Martin Blincow on 07535 482006 or email [email protected]

The club will start pre-season adult net practice in March and overseas player Shakeem Clarke will arrive from Barbados in mid-April for the pre-season games.

Rye Cricket Club welcomes new members and invites potential members to come along tomorrow. The bar will open from 7pm.

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