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REVOLUTIONARY

England could host Pakistan Tests

Wickman Junior has found something very interesting. So interesting in fact that he has decided to stop official work for 5 minutes to post this story.

The intro para couldn't be clearer. Perhaps it could be more definitive now that i think about it. But whatever....

Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, has floated the idea that England could host Test matches for Asian countries who struggle to fill their grounds, or fail to attract opposition in the first place owing to security fears.

This opens a can of worms. Bangladesh versus Kenya at the Oval. Simply: wow. The likes of Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo from Kenya, whom i've described in other media commitments as the "Durham" of the cricketing world taking on the might of Abdu Razzaq. You'd get 30,000 there for a 5 day match - FACT.

As a side note, doesn't Giles Clarke look like a shabby version of Geoff Lawson, the former Aussie superstar?

League Dinner - November 7th

No sooner have we got one Wick related event out of the way but another springs up. Its the League dinner. Friday November 7th is the date and the venue is Sandown Park. It'll be about £30, pay on the night, reasonable food and one year they had a really funny comedian who told black jokes. Luckily he was black. Still felt a bit funny laughing at some of them. Last year David Graveney turned up and bitched about the England players. Went down like a cup of cold sick. But Fudgey at least got to pick up a shield and runners up pennant for the 2s. This year we'll be picking up two trophies as you know and probably a batting prize for the absent Fudgey who topped last year's 2nd xi run chart... If you want to go please RSVP to Alison quicksmart.

Club Dinner 8 - Club Man of the Year

Ah Club Man of the Year. If you think of the Oscars most people are interested in which lovey is going to pick up best actor and crap on for five minutes about how their dear old mum fed them at the breast until they were six years old to give them the confidence to pretend to be someone else for a living. Then some skinny sort in a ridiculous frock will get up on stage and blither on and weep until the producer manages to drown her out with the advert music. In the same way, batsman and bowler are the best actor and actress; player of the year is probably best film. erm. probably.

If you are still with me at this point do hang on. The pain will eventually go away, Wickman promises.

Club Man of the Year is something like Best Director. It's not the glamour award. Nope it's not about the runnssssss or wickets. It's about what goes on off the pitch. It's about every time you look around, that person is there. Often not leading the charge. But there. Natwest weekend that person will be there. They'll be at all the socials. They'll probably have done something to put the social you are at together. Perhaps its only organising the food one week. Maybe the next time its the invites. Or the music. Collecting the cash. Something.

This year Lownsy won Club Man of the Year by a country mile. This correspondent can't think of a facet of club life that he was not involved in. He played a sackful of games. He put massive amounts of time into getting things publicised, getting things fixed, getting socials to happen. Every time a call went out to turn up to the club and do a bit, Lownsy was there. And this year on top of all the "minor" bits and pieces he gets up to and pies he has fingers in he organised the Club Dinner itself. At the club. And not only did he coordinate it, he actually did 90 per cent of the physical work too.

It would have been far far easier to organise it at a local hotel, turn up, collect the hats and coats and enjoy the evening. Instead he put himself out so that the club could make money. Frankly this correspondent thought the evening knocked spots off the Sandown and Kingston events and will now set the standard for future events. In a post coming to a blog near you soon, Wickman will reveal how much money was raised, who donated what and who else we have to thank for that evening and then we will be able to put a figure on Dom's contribution. And it will be very, very impressive.

[One of the greatest Wick Men of all, Neville Marshall, presented the award to Dominic but not a single photo of the moment exists. So here's Dom winning a competition to see who looks the most like Leggsy... beating Leggsy]

Club Dinner 7 - Player of the Year

Player of the year is the primo cricketing award. This year competition was stiff. Joey picked up fielding and bowling which was pretty special. Wrighty came in for consideration and nomination. What a season for the dark spectacled one. Runnnnnsss, 307 of them at 50 and, mid season, a couple of revelatory bowling performances to go with (Sisso would have been proud of Fudgey bowling him for 17 unchanged overs against the Vandals). He even found time to impregnate his wife too although technically that must have been when he was supposed to be netting in February...

And then there was Charlie High. Scourge of 3xi bowling attacks everywhere. And some 2xi attacks too. Runs on runs. As mentioned elsewhere it was death or glory stuff and when it came off... early on in the season there was talk of a sixes league. Charlie had destroyed it inside a couple of games getting into double figures before the end of May probably. What a season. Go on and build on it my son.

And there was Fudgey's batting to contend with too. And his fielding. And his captaincy, taking the 2s up and out of the Fullers in back to back promotion places. Phenomenal stuff.

But Jimmy C picked up player of the year. He did it by showing what, joking aside, a bit of belief can do. Getting over his slight chagrin that there wasn't a regular 2s berth for him he threw himself into the 3s with guts and gusto. He made it difficult to get him out. Only Ol' Soft Hands and Charles High esq scored more 3xi runs. But then Ol' Soft Hands and Charles High weren't the leading 3s wicket taker to boot. And, throwing in Sunday wickets, they weren't the leading wicket taker in the club. Clarky will wager that no one else bowled as many overs either. He also caught more than Bob Nudd does in a year during the cricket season.

What he also did, like last year's Club Man, was to revitalise a team. Actually, an institution. He picked up the Sunday experience, dusted it down, bought it a new suit, shirt, tie and some fancy shoes and he sent it out the door, full of confidence. All of a sudden people wanted to play Sunday cricket again. A really impressive season all round. You couldn't ask much more.

Wickman salutes Wickman Jr. Damn. That cat's out of the bag then...

[Here club legend Mickey McMahon presents the shield to Jimmy. Chairman Nips demonstrates to an off camera Clarky how to make a bunny rabbit shadow puppet]

Aussie Invincibility Slipping? Or is Michael Clarke a bottler?

It wasn't so long ago that Australia were deemed to be largely invincible. There's always some question raised though, when they they go to India. Mostly because they don't always win there owing to the pitches being uncondusive for bullying quicks with bristling moustaches and prancing pony fast bowlers. And don't try playing a couple of spinners because Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS are the best players of spin since Reginald Bosanquet said "here you go see if you can play that delivery".

It's a sad indication of the times when Michael Clarke

pulls a sickie

just before a big game. That's a big enough indicator that all might not be well. But look what the big girl's blouse is wearing in the photo. CATCHING GLOVES.

Now some may say that this is a bit rich coming from the close personal friend of a wicketkeeper, but Wickman reckons Clarky should always field with keeping gloves on because he couldn't catch an STD without them. But an outfielder, wearing gloves, in practice?

What does this mean for the game? Australia have obviously lost it. A retailer of cricket gear describes similar gloves as "building confidence" because the ball doesn't get away. But how confident are you going to feel when Ging Ganguly fences at a Brett Lee snorter and its shooting towards your likkle unprotected pinkies at 170kph? You are going to think "I wish I put my gloves on for this". But probably Clarke will be in his hotel bed anyway, complaining of a runny botty. And you can bet he didn't get it from the hotel's vidaloo. Oh no. He's a bottler... scared of Ishant Sharma digging one in his ribs or having to take a catch off that burly Yuvraj cove...

William Wright

Wrighty, shockingly, missed the club dinner. Apparently Mrs Wright deliberately gave birth a whole month early to stop him going! Dear me. (Actually Wickman made that up). Congratulations to Emma and Wrighty. Wrighty is seen here in scrubs. It was almost certainly his best delivery of the season.

Little William Cole Sayce Golbourn Fudge Clark Soppit High Iqbal Donnelly Powell Webster Wright is seen here dreaming of delivering his first off break at the Wick. He's roughly the same size as Delbert so as long as he can develop the famous pivot...

Club Dinner 6 - Fantasy Cricket Results

Almost as important as player of the year was the fantasy cricket results. The MVP was worked out by total number of points divided by games played to give the player most likely to deliver a bucketload of points. This left Zam in a good position after some of his bowling returns this season, especially the eight for. Well done Zam.

The old Wick adage, you've got to back yourself, didn't pay off for the Fantasy manager of the year, David Fudgey Fudge who didn't back himself and kicked himself as he smashed fifty after fifty. His scandalously quiet second half of the season couldn't be down to not wanting to hand the trophy to Julian Ratnage can it? Did he really only get just enough runs to top the league and then breathe a big sigh of relief when Webbo got rid of Student Ray at Shepperton to confirm his top spot?

And which umpire triggered Student Ray? None other than the mighty Ratnage!

[Here Lownsy attempts to distract Fudgey's attention from the trophy before doing a runner]

Club Dinner 5 - Batting Prize

It was a vintage year for Wick batsmen. Three scored 500 runs or thereabouts. Charlie High just smashed it all over Surrey this year and if he hadn't been run out by Zo at one point might have set some sort of Wick record. 2 tons, 3 fifties. If he didn't have a marked tendency to get big runs or no runs he would have been a shoe in this year.

Hibby displayed his sacks full of natural talent in the 2s this year. His 151* has been eulogised on this blog and in bars up and down the county. He also smashed another 50 against the Woodies. In between he almost eradicated the sweep off middle stump to the straight ball.

Once again Matt Davies displayed this season why he is still the undisputed best player in the club. Despite perhaps not notching up the big scored he was due, he still assembled close to 500 runs at more than 30 and was the stand out performer in a year when no 1s bat notched a ton. If it wasn't for the winner he would have been a shoe in.

Boney batted beautifully, as Boney is wont to do. Annoyingly for his many fans the absolute storm of a season that he threatens to deliver at some point did not quite materialise this year. Nevertheless he top scored for the 1s with a late 87 and delivered some lightening contributions at other times.

But the winner was a nailed on certainty from the moment the season kicked off. Fudgey just never looked like getting out. At times his treatment of opposition bowlers reminded your correspondent of Ronnie O'Sullivan playing left handed so contemptuous was it. Despite him getting a ton at Kingstonian's his best innings that Wickman witnessed was at Weybridge Vandals. Set 180 from 43 someone needed to inject pace into the chase. Fudgey looked at five or six balls and then scored off the next 30 consecutively to destroy the opposition attack and reduce the one Vandals spectator to deep depression. The opposition skipper held some sort of group psychological huddle after the game to restore the confidence of his shattered team. 533 at 44. Nice.

[Here Fudgey picks up the trophy for Bat of 2008 from Nips who scored almost 470 runs less - Clarky was going to ask Charlie B to present the award but screwed up]

Club Dinner 4 - Bowler of the Year

There were some cracking performances with the ball this year and some great season long campaigns. Once again Fordy took wickets for fun - 30odd at less than 11 would be a phenomenal result most seasons if only Forday hadn't taken more like 50 a season or so back. Zam missed a few games this year and his figures don't look as good as they might but 8-34 was the season's best return at the Wick in any format.

Playing the most cricket this year certainly helped Jimmy C. Jimmy's use of the gym floor to generate pace in the winter had some of us hopping and hoping he could learn to pitch the thing up. Not only did he do that he bowled with real control and delivered some opposition shattering performances for the thirds.

But the bowling prize went to the most feared bowler in Fullers League Division One - the big man Joe Ewen. Certainly the quickest and most life threatening bowler in the club by some margin, Joey added accuracy to his armoury this year. For a quicky to go for so few runs per wicket - less than 12 - is a testament to fire and control. Truly inspirational stuff. Well done Joe and congratulations on an excellent season.

Sadly OD must have ODed on something because he missed the big man picking up the bowling trophy from Ian Geddes. Here's Nips handing out his team of the year certificate.

Club Dinner 3 - Fielder of the Year

Big Joey picked up the award for fielder of the year. Standing at silly mid off to Zam all season when he wasn't piling in from the Millennium Wood end and ripping oppo bats to bits he was an intimidating figure. Hands like buckets. Doesn't drop them. And he beat off stiff competition in the category from Mr Experience Derek Soppitt, Fudgey who took everything he needed to this year and executed a couple of textbook run outs and James "Jimmy C" Cameron who has plucked some absolute beauties on Saturday and Sunday too. Here Joey picks up the award from Mark Webster allegedly a mean fielder "back in the day".

Club Dinner 2

There were sound cricketing reasons for being there last night. A tradition begun last year was the selection and announcing of team of the year. The team of the year, as you will know, is the twelve players picked to form a well balanced side based on performances during the season. Wickman thanks Fudgey for the following words describing the side...

1) In a season that saw 4 or 5 new faces join the 1xi, the skipper again lead from the front with outstanding performances, culminating in 498 league runs @ 31.13. This impressive haul included four 50s, of which 2 came in the last two nail-biting encounters of the season. A model of consistency, he has now racked more than 1700 runs in the last 4 seasons and remains the best bat in the club. Matthew Davies

2) A much needed experienced head in young a young 3rd XI squad, he could often be found having a quiet word in the bowler's ear at mid-off. A real club favourite, Ol' Soft Hands scored 329 runs @ 29.91, including two 50s and valuable contributions in mammoth partnerships with both Charlie High and Adam Crane. Adrian Risman

3) Another skipper setting the example, especially early season when he scored 262 runs in the month of May alone. A wrist injury in August halted his charge for Fullers League Honours however, three 50s and one 100 meant he finished 2008 with 533league runs and top run scorer in Div 1 2nd xi. As well as his performances with the bat, David continued to learn in his role as captain and improved tactically throughout 2008. David Fudge

4) The most talented player in the club took his time to get going this year, however still contributed massively to the 1xi's push for promotion. Exemplary behind the stumps, he averaged only 4 byes a game and managed to snaffle an impressive 16 catches & 6 stumpings along the way. Add that to 432 runs @ 30.86 and this was a model season for any young expiring wicketkeeper/batsman to follow. Adam O'Mahoney +

5) They call him Mr Average, and that's not a reflection on his famous post match checked shirt & sandal combo, but more to do with the fact that he is harder to dislodge than Rahul Dravid on a flat deck in Mumbai. 4 not outs would have been 5, if AJ hadn't had run him out with the aid of his "runner" Clarky in the 1st league game way back at the beginning of May. 307 runs followed that @ a massive 51.17 and his innings in the promotion deciding final game will live long in the memory. Alex Wright

6) You can play a long time in a cricket career and never have the privilege of witnessing what the HWRCC 2xi did at Ripley on a sultry June afternoon. Despite being sledged "for only having one shot" Paul Hibberd continued to pull, glide, nudge, blast and caress his way to magnificent 151* at the expense of a bowling attack that could only bowl "one type of ball". Committed as ever the talented older brother of the even more talented younger Hibbo, scored 409 league runs for the 1 & 2xis at a healthy average of 34.08. Paul Hibberd

7) Wham, Bam, Thank-you Mam!! What can we say about Charlie High's season that hasn't already been said. The brawn that Charlie has displayed in recent times, was matched this year with a degree of thought and a sense that he has finally worked out his game and the areas to score his runs. Charlie bludgeoned his way to 499 league runs, at a strike rate in excess of 150. Two huge hundreds and three quick fire 50s left Charlie with a club high average of 55.44. Charlie High

8) Mr dependable and another season to remember for this experienced campaigner. A new bat from ebay and new book on the "art of spin bowling" just goes to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks. A captain's dream, Derek Soppitt excels in every facility of the game. All of his 6 not outs were crucial in either laying a platform or leading the side home and his modest 176 runs where worth double in the context of how they were scored. Add that contribution with the willow to 13 wickets @ just over 10 with the ball and many important catches and 2008 was another great season for the pocket rocket. Derek Soppitt

9) Talk it up!! Passion and desire, matched with improving skills and ability are a dangerous combination. This was displayed in abundance by the 3rd's vice captain and Sunday skipper in what for him will be a season never to forget. 226 nuggety runs and 34 league wickets made Jimmy C a massive fantasy points scorer and the 3xi's most valuable player in 2008. Jimmy also ran the Sunday XI with pride and determination and the club recognises your efforts in what has been a successful season all-round. James Cameron

10) Cut this guy open and Magenta runs through his veins, the longest serving member of the "new guard" and one of the club's original colts. If something, somewhere has happened on a cricket pitch you can bet your bottom dollar he has seen it. The league's most feared bowler, Big Joey clocked up express MPHs on his way to 34 league wickets @ a miserly 11.41 a piece. Experienced, aggressive, yet a gentleman in the bar, Joe is a shining example of how this great game should be played. Joe Ewen

11) A wet season meant conditions were ideal for this talented left arm bowler, yet the skill to exploit such conditions is the reason that David Ford picked up 34 league wickets @ 10.97. A model of consistency in recent years, Fordy has picked up a mammoth 158 wickets in just 4 seasons and his performances are living proof that line, length and patience can triumph. David Ford

12th Man) It is purely a case that this player sets such high standards for himself with both the bat & ball that he hasn't quite snuck into the starting XI despite another fruitful season. 247 runs and 33 wickets are healthy figures for a 1xi all-rounder and although Kamran may have liked more runs with the bat, his contribution and excellent availability have made him an automatic choice for the 1st team skipper in the last two years. Kamran Raza [Here's a pic of the Wick xi + a cupla Websters]

Club Dinner 1

Crikey. What a night. WHAT A NIGHT. Brilliantly organised and delivered by the fantastic Dominic Lown and Mr and Mrs Lown. Catering spot on, venue spot on (who has seen the Wick looking that good?), wine spot on (ahem), company spot on etc etc. The whole thing was spot on. Well done Dommy and to Matty D, Charlie and Clarky for able assistance. Haven't had that much fun at the Wick since the end of the season!