R Knudson (c), Budd, Clelland, Eagles, Frizzell, S Knudson, Ja Lord, A Macdonald, Moir, Morrison, Stuart

Meet at Rubislaw at 12.30 with sandwiches for two

2nd XI (away)

Johnston (c), Davey, Fryer, Karthik, P Macdonald, Marquant, Magesh, Muthu, Phillips, Russell, Whyte

Meet at Harlaw at 12.45

If you have not already done so – please send your subs to Geoff Morrison.

As always – any new members are welcome.

A late but well meant Happy New Year.

Website

As you presumably know as you’re on it we have an excellent website which is updated after every game with results and a match report. We will continue to develop this site during 2010 and you can also follow us on twitter and facebook (coming soon – Ed.) from the links on the site.

Subscriptions

As with previous years it is a requirement for those in the Section to be members of the FP Club Centre. The section subscription has remained at the same level for many years, however as we are now levied £40 by the parent club for members, we have been left with little alternative but to increase it this year.

The rates, which include membership of the Club Centre, are £60 for full membership and £40 for those under 25. For those with life membership of the cricket section who do not intend playing, the only sub payable is via the Section to the FP Club – £40 per annum, regardless of whether you are an FP. Wives membership remains at £10.

Please let me have your subscriptions ASAP as there is pressure from the Club Centre to collect and pass on these subscriptions with their year already started. I would not want anyone refused entry because of these arrangements. If anyone has already paid their subscription to the Club Centre for 2010 then please note this – I do not wish to pay twice. Please contact Geoff Morrison for details of where to send cheques.

You can also pay by direct bank transfer. However, if you do this please reference your payment and contact Geoff Morrison with details.

Past Subs and Match Fees

There are always a few members who may have inadvertently failed to pay last years subscription or missed an odd match fee. As mentioned elsewhere in this letter, finance is vital to our section and all members should pay their dues.

Match Ball Sponsorship

We now have access to the Rubislaw pavilion and with plans to replace the existing artificial pitch, I am appealing to everyone to make a determined effort to deliver a record year of match ball sponsorship. Without the sponsorship, our section would not be viable. The fixture card will be printed in late March/early April and will record all sponsors. Many local businesses and individuals have helped us with this in previous years.

Can I ask everyone to start working on this one now and to report successes to myself. Please be proactive in this – I shall contact you again on this topic should you not get back to me but it certainly makes my life easier if you contact me.

Sponsorship rates are £25 per game for the Grade 1 XI and £15 per game for the Grade 3 XI. I do realise not all have access to sponsors but I’m asking everyone to try their hardest on this. Anyone who wishes me to send a letter to a possible sponsor, just let me know the contact name, company name and address and I shall do the rest – sooner the better.

Finances

Our finances are in good shape but we still need to build up the financial strength of our Section further. We may shortly have to start paying to use Rubislaw for certain facilities and we have plans for some further upgrades. These plans include a mobile net cage and new artificial pitch which may be in place for the new season if we can secure sufficient funds.

The Commitee

The committee continues to meet through the winter months and carries out a great deal of valuable work ‘behind the scenes.’ We still have stability in the section with the same 1st XI captain (Roland) and 2nd XI captain (Ian). Both captains are raring to go in 2010, with both sides keen to solidify their status in their new grades 1 and 3.

As always there is only so much the committee can do and there are many areas where help would be much appreciated. The areas I can think of right now where the committee need everyone’s help are:

1. Junior Team

A vitally important area where we need a lot of help and enthusiasm is with the organisation and running of the junior team. The junior team is the future of our section in years to come and anyone who is able to help with this very important development area please let me know. Any form of help will be gratefully appreciated

2. New Members

Please be on the look out for new members and introduce anyone who wishes to play cricket to come along and try us out. We need new blood on both the social and playing fronts for all teams

Nets

Details of indoor nets will be posted on the website soon (watch this space – Ed.). After these sessions we intend to start outdoor nets on a Tuesday and Thursday evening.

I look forward to receiving your subscriptions and sponsorship and hope to see as many of you as possible during what I hope will be a very successful season.

Geoff Morrison
(Treasurer)

Batting Aggregate

1. Roland Knudson – 215
2. Martin Budd – 179
3. Chris Clelland – 156
4. Jerry Moir – 117
5. John Eagles – 79

Batting Average

1. John Youles – 45.00
2. Martin Budd – 44.75
3. John Eagles – 39.50
4. Sam Knudson – 37.50
5. Roland Knudson – 35.83

Batting Strike Rate

1. John Youles – 136.36
2. Glen Miller – 119.57
3. Keiran Whyte – 108.89
4. Sam Knudson – 104.17
5. Jerry Moir – 82.39

Batting Boundaries

1. Roland Knudson – 31 (27 x 4, 4 x 6)
2. Chris Clelland – 21 (20 x 4, 1 x 6)
3. Martin Budd – 19 (19 x 4)
4. Jerry Moir – 18 (11 x 4 , 7 x 6)
5. John Youles – 11 (8 x 4, 3 x 6)

Bowling Wickets

1. Roland Knduson – 19
2. John Eagles – 17
3. Glen Miller – 12
4. Sam Knudson – 9
5. Jerry Moir – 8
   Gary Stuart – 8

Bowling Average

1. John Eagles – 5.59
2. Roland Knudson – 8.26
3. Glen Miller – 9.25
4. Jerry Moir – 11.38
5. Aly Macdonald – 11.50

Bowling Strike Rate

1. John Eagles – 15.94
2. Roland Knudson – 19.68
3. Glen Miller – 24.67
4. Aly Macdonald – 27.83
5. Sam Knudson – 40.44

Bowling Economy Rate

1. Jerry Moir – 1.47
2. John Eagles – 2.13
3. Roland Knudson – 2.37
4. Glen Miller – 2.41
5. Sam Knudson – 2.47

Bowling Extra Balls

1. Gary Stuart – 40
2. Sam Knudson – 23
3. Glen Miller – 16
4. Aly Macdonald – 11
5. James Lord – 9

Please note that “qualification” was 2 innings of batting or 10 overs of bowling respectively.

Junior practice sessions are on Thursday afternoons (4.15-6.00pm) and  Saturday mornings (9.30-11.00am). If you are available to assist at any of the games or practice sessions then please contact John directly or leave a comment on the website.

Fixture List

• Wednesday 6th May – Banchory U15 (H)
• Wednesday 13th May – Stoneywood-Dyce U15 (A)
• Sunday 17th May – Huntly U17 (H) – to be confirmed
• Wednesday 27th May – Stonehaven U15 (H)
• Sunday 31st May – Stoneywood-Dyce U17 (A) – to be confirmed
• Wednesday 3rd June – Mannofield U15 (H)
• Wednesday 10th June – Banchory U15 (A)
• Sunday 14th June – Mannofield U17 (H)
• Wednesday 17th June – Stoneywood-Dyce U15 (H)
• Wednesday 1st July – Stoneywood-Dyce U15 (A)

This website will soon allow you to advise how to access this once available. Fixture lists can be viewed on the website and there are a few cup games on a Sunday and the sevens competition in June.

There will be practice at Rubislaw on Thursday’s from 1800hrs onwards although we will not have the nets available, so we will use the artificial and possibly the bowling machine instead. We should have the nets available the week after.

The nets are currently being upgraded and extended to improve our practise facilities and this improvement will hopefully be worth waiting for.

New playing shirts are also due to arrive this week and will be available for the bargain price of £20.

Finally, anyone who has not yet paid subs can do so either online or by sending a cheque to Geoff Morrison.

The firsts have to go to Crathie twice in the same weekend in the middle of May. If we can win our Bon Accord Cup tie on Sunday 17th May we will then face Fraserburgh or Caledonian in the semi-final. For the seconds their hopes of Johnstone Cup glory start with a game against 2nd St Ronald on Saturday 23rd May. A win in that tie would seem us through to face either Huntly Highlanders or 2nd Mannofield for a place in the final.

The full fixture list for the season has now been updated on the site.