It doesn’t seem that long ago since the pre-season trip to Hatherley & Reddings the day after Ice Road failed spectacularly in the inaugural Ice Road challenge.
That day was a microcosm of the season a whole, offer the opposition to bat on the basis we don’t think we’d score 100 batting first, let them score 250, Nelly contemplated retirement after bowling like Road. Then in very unlikely Bristol fashion both Spinky and Lord smash 100s to knock off the runs 2 down with 4 overs left.
Then we come to the last weekend of the season, some things never change – Birch, run out, Lord, who loves cricket and has played continuously for two years – once again run out prancing between the wickets like Boy George.
As far as performances go it was probably the most rollercoaster like season I can remember.

The 1st team who used 24 players in league encounters this season were the catalyst of this.

From bowling Clevedon out for 94, Bridgwater for 98, Penzance for 40 (who were effectively 13 for 7) and scoring 360 on the final day at Lechlade. To being ploughed for 390 at Bath and going from 40-2 to 49-9 at Downend.

The mainstay of the side was the previously reported on James Bracey with 833 league runs (the only player to play all 18 games), with Finn Trenouth and Louie Shaw 2nd and 3rd with some late season runs.
As said previously some things never change, with Rudge 24 wickets and Pollard 21 the top league wicket takers even though they may not be at the peak of their powers (not that Nelly will ever be described as powerful). They were supported by the miserly Herman, Slingshot, Tommy and Lakhani who all provided valuable contributions with the ball.

The 1st team finished 4th with 9 wins and 9 losses, with games against Bath at home, Frocester and Clevedon away where the team was very much on top and couldn’t secure the victory, the season could have been an excellent one, although no one was going to topple worthy winners Bath.
The team has a young core, with some older statesmen and with the addition of an experienced quality middle order batter (not Redders) could be a very competitive side in 2018.

The second team (Tommo’s team) used 34 players during the league season, Lordy playing all 16 games with Spink and Jones 15.

The season started so positively with, a win against Winterbourne thanks to a Graham Herring 100 (the one century of the season!), and potentially without cancellations against Knowle could have been challenging for promotion.
In a side where most weeks you could pick the batting order out of a hat, I have never seen a team win so many games with batting ineptitude!

For example 47-6 vs Pak Bristolians, 60-6 vs Chew Magna, from 204-3 to 214-9 against Winterbourne - That was in a three week stretch! They won all three games!
Then it rained for two weeks, and this was finished by the coupe de gras, being 49-9 against Ob’s and winning!

If you consider the run of wickets in 4 games the second team were 167 for 27 (that’s 6.18 runs a wicket) and won all four games! As ex club member Dan Pointon would say the opposition must have been ‘SEEETH’

Part of the reason why the team did manage to win these games was Lordy who took 37 wickets in the league at 14.26 with an economy of 3.54rpo, he also scored 297 runs (he was run out 3 times in 14 innings!).

Tony Osman was leading run scorer with 345 runs and Spinky in second with 297.
The second team finished 3rd with 9 wins and six losses.

The third team used 42 bodies during the season some able some not so able. Space played the most with 15 appearances.
Sam Matthews was leading run scorer with 499 runs at an average of 62.38 and the Vicar who returned after a 6 year absence scoring 407 runs at 101.75

Ultimately the last few weeks of the season batting was dominated by Vicar, Whale and Sujan.

Over the final four games where either Vicar or Whale played, along with Sujan scored 780 runs out of the teams 1,057. Kins also got 86 of these- take off wides etc, they basically let no one else bat.
The Whale was also the leading wicket taker with 18 wickets at 30.89, with a best bowling of 4 for 108.

The season for ever be remember for the Whale going for back to back 100s with the ball, famously when Woodpeckers scored 405, Sam figures of 9-1-119-1 were quite spectacular, take off the wicket and maiden that’s 119 runs off 47 balls!

However I suspect he felt better the following week after the Vicar ploughed 166, chasing down 318, 1 down with 10 overs left!

As ever the 3rd team is governed by availability, which ultimately led to missing out on promotion and finishing 4th winning 11 games and losing 7.

So, a 3rd place and two 4th place finishes, as always some good cricket and some very indifferent cricket.

Many thanks to Stov for coaching the club even though he did seem to spend most of the time with his head in his hands!
Keith and Tommo for scoring. Also Sarah and Ice Road (when he managed to pull himself away from his Kleenex) for standing in when required.
AB for umpiring the 3rd team, a massive help.

Paul and Lordy on the ground.
Coxy the social badger.
Steve, Sarah and Kate for spending significant amounts of your personal time running the bar and all aspects of the club.
Hopefully I haven’t forgot anyone!
Until 2018 toodlepip