ABERGAVENNY Cricket Club has begun its preparations for the forthcoming season with the start of regular Sunday net practice, (12-2 pm) at the Ebbw Vale Indoor Cricket School.
The sessions are being led by Lee Herring, a highly qualified Level Three coach, who has taken on significant coaching responsibilities for the season, and by the club's new player coach, the ex-Derbyshire and Middlesex county cricketer, Ali Bukari.
With these two 'on board', as well as the established club's junior coaches, led by Colin Knight and Len Wilcock, young players will have every opportunity to progress in the game. Any new players interested in joining the club, please just come along to nets or, alternatively, ring either John Roberts (01873-853509) or Ryland Wallace (01873-810085).
The club's annual general meeting, held in December, elected the following to key offices: president – Brian Shackleton; chairman – Brian Mayers; secretary – Kevin Schofield; treasurer – Richard Bradley; fixture secretary – Mike Bruton; subscriptions' secretary – Ron Collett; 1st XI captain – James Schofield; 2nd XI captain – Mike Heames; Crickhowell captain – Mark Coles; 4th X1 captain – Mark Winstanley; chairman of youth – Colin Knight; chairman of ground – Richard Brown; chairman of cricket – John Roberts; chair of clubhouse – Sharon Woolley; '200 Club' secretary – Steve Denning.
The season commences with three weekends of friendly fixtures (Saturdays and Sundays, all at Avenue Road) with the first match taking place on Saturday April 13. League games begin on the first Saturday in May. Junior registration evening will be on Friday April 5 at 6 pm, with the regular junior training starting on the following Friday. An open evening and quiz will take place on Friday April 26 at 6.30 pm.
Mark Wallace, who came up through the junior and senior ranks of Abergavenny CC before going on to professional cricket and is the current Glamorgan captain, has been awarded a benefit by the county in 2013. The club is enormously proud of Mark's cricketing achievements, and its contribution towards it, and will be strongly supporting the various activities being arranged during the year – the first being an informal 'Question and Answer' evening at the club on Friday May 31. Mark's benefit tie and other items of leisure wear are currently available for purchase from Paul Sussex - [email protected]">[email protected]/ 07792 105582.