Well, the cricket season is long over, the square has been dug up and re-laid, and England are in Australia defending the Ashes. We've been celebrating, though, and what a season we've had to celebrate. The 1st X1 won the Stevens Cup and finished third in the league and the 2nd X1 won promotion to Division 3. Great stuff and at our annual dinner we made the most of it by having a good time and awarding a host of trophies.

So let's all applaud the worthy winners:-

1st X1 Batting     Khalique Ahmed (solid performer throughout the season)
1st X1 Bowling     Jehan Yapa (our very own Murali)
1st X1 Fielding     Mark Wycherley (mainly for his 'sledging' apparently)
1st X1 Best Performance  Mubarak Ahmad (100 runs and 6 wickets at  Cranleigh)
2nd X1 Batting     Simon Wade (the rock on which so many victories were based)
2nd X1 Bowling     David Tye (5 wickets or more four times, best of 7 for 23)
2nd X1 Fielding     Richard Jones (wicketkeeper / captain - say no more)
2nd X1 Best Performance  Mark Gibbons (couple of unexpected 50s  mid-season)
Overall Bowling     Mubarak Ahmad (over 70 wickets, leading wicket taker in I'Anson
      Division One)
Under 18 Player     Josh Berry (excellent all round contribution to the Twos)
Under 21 Player     Chris Mude (terrific performer for the Ones, with the bat, in the field,       even behind the stumps)
Furthering Junior Cricket   Gary Simmons (three years managing the youth section)
Player of the Year    Simon Wade (fantastic heart of the successful 2nd X1 batting, unflap      pable and an astonishing average of nearly 70)
Sportsman of the Year   Sam Egan (player, groundsman, youth coach / umpire, committee
      member, and all that while getting good enough A Levels to get into Oxford)

There were other notable contributions too! Jonah's runs for the Twos, David Tye's sprightly knocks for the Twos and in the Stevens Cup, Mubarak's two fine centuries for the Ones, the wickets of Mike Butler and Pat Murphy for the 2^nds, the list goes on. Principally, though, the club owes a big thank you to outgoing 1st team skipper, Morgan Pearse. He's led the side from behind the stumps to great success in the last three seasons - promotion from Div 2 in 2004, 2^nd place in Div 1 in 2005, 3^rd place this year and Stevens Cup wins in 2005 and 2006. That's a brilliant record, probably the most successful period in the club's history. Well done, Morg!

Finally I can't close without recording a massive vote of thanks to Denise Murphy and her team for providing a superb meal at the dinner held in our excellent new pavilion.  We're really settled into our new home now and that meal capped it off. Thanks, Denise!