Well the Cricket season is just around the corner, so the Committee have in their wisdom decided to produce a Newsletter, this will go to press on a regular basis to keep everyone up to date with all the various activities that will be happening within and around the club. In this issue we have different members of the club writing a column along with some new features.

Should you have anything of interest that you would like to share please jot it down or telephone me. I shall also be contacting a player at random, by phone to feature in The Player Profile, be warned!

David Dunn - Chairman’s Report

So here we go again - another season. What’s new and different? Well actually, loads.

A new league and Second Team, a greater emphasis on the Youth Section and we’re close to the starting date for the new league with memories of the Full Monty at Stratton house still vivid. Allegedly, the Quartet have a whole season booked with Saga Holidays!

The club is running on a sound financial footing with a bank balance of nearly six thousand pounds plus Halifax Shares wroth approx £2,500.00. We shall spend part of this on a sight screen that is hopefully still small enough for Scott and myself to bowl from above it.

The First Team chart untried waters, but I expect the same from them as last year with our foreign contingent of Brett the Bok, Page the Aussie and Solly the Stroudite.

We must all back Graham Vinnicombe who, after just on year, has become a very popular member of Poulton and is now Second Team skipper. He has a very important role of blending together a side with experience and Youth - with the emphasis on bringing through the Youth to eventually kick out the whole of the committee into the second team ASAP on Merit.

The only grey note on the season so far is, due to increased workload, the artful dodger Richard Young cannot commit himself to the Youth as he did last year. We will miss Richard’s full on commitment, ideas and enthusiasm but maybe someone else will come through and help. I cannot stress this anymore. The Club has been asked by the County no less to be a leading light in the District. Their idea is to allow players and coaches from both Cirencester C.C. and Poulton to help coach the District Squad, those who haven’t quite made the County Squad and to assist in matches against the other Districts in the County. Over the years, other age groups will be brought through so the benefits to our Club will be enormous if we put in the hard work now and bring through these lads, Who knows? Five or six might even stick with Poulton C.C.

This year we are starting a Family Membership scheme to encourage the Youth section to bring along their parents and family to join in and hopefully actively take part in Sunday mornings. This extra revenue and help will be a great step forward for the Club.

In the meantime, see you all at nets and enjoy your cricket or I shall send that quartet around to your house for an encore. You have been warned!

Andy James - Captains Log

CHAMPIONS! How do we top that this season? Well we have a bigger challenge this year than last, as we have entered a 2nd XI into local league cricket. Winning league championships are a fantastic bonus for the club but this decision of ours is far more important than any league title.

Graham Vinnicombe must have all our support, we must not fall into the common trap of two separate sides within a club, we all play for Poulton Cricket Club. With the pavilion plan’s going so well, this has to go hand in hand with the growth of both 1st and 2nd XI sides, these new facilities are what all Poulton players deserve, young and old!

As for the cricket, the 1st XI are now in Division 4 of the County League and I am totally convinced we can repeat the success of last year. The 2nd XI are in Division 3 of the Cirencester & District and I’m also sure we can have a success there to, too many of our members do not experience the challenge of league cricket so this will be a positive change, don’t get me wrong Sunday cricket has it’s place in our game but competitive 40 over games improve the standard of your cricket.

Once again, all the best to Graham with the 2nd XI and have a good season all.

a.16 years 191 days b. 15 years 124 days c. 16 years 352 days

4. Don Bradman scored the most runs in a Test Series against England in 1930, how many did he score?

a.905 b. 875 c. 974 d. 829

5. Name the former Surrey Bowler who was deported from Guyana in 1981 for his links with South Africa?