Juniors Update - June 2023
Under 9s
The start of the season has been a mixed one weather wise meaning the U9s have only had 3 tournaments so far this season. The format for U9s is each team plays 2 games per evening, 6 v 6 with 3 batting pairs facing 3 overs so it’s a 9 over innings. It’s a softball format. The aim is for the kids to learn the fundamentals of cricket whether that be batting, bowling or fielding. The main aim is to get them enjoying the game, to participate and set them on what will hopefully be something they want to do as a hobby or even profession for years to come.
We started off the season with a tournament at Denton West where we played Denton West B and Denton A. Against Denton we fielded really well against a strong team. Some rustiness showed and we couldn’t match their high score, losing the game by 40 runs which at this level is a lot. Wickets really do win games at this level because you lose 4 runs for every wicket lost. In our second game, Freddie who is already playing hard ball in our U11s really showed up, hitting 40 to set us up for a win. Always nice to beat West at any level.
Our second tournament was at a sunny Saddleworth where we played Micklehurst B and then their A team. We played really we against their B team restricting them to 24 in their 9 overs. We managed to score 46 in our 9 overs so a comfortable win. Some really tidy bowling and excellent catching won us the game! In the second game we came up against a strong side with a couple of their players already playing as high as the U13s. It showed and we couldn’t really score enough to trouble them. 50 played 31. We didn’t look out of our depth but a couple of their players really did make a big difference.
On to Denton playing against Droylsden and then Denton B. We really turned up for these games, showing a lot of the skills we’ve been practicing on a Friday and displaying them in the games. Against Droylsden we bowled well restricting them to 41, taking 3 wickets. Young Aiden really set the tone taking 2 wickets in the very first over. We started off slowly with the bat but that was expected. Izzy was playing her first game but batted solidly. It was great to see Izzy playing, its so important we get girls into cricket and hopefully Izzy is the first of many who start playing. She really enjoyed it which is of course the main thing. After 6 overs we needed 24 runs which is a lot in 3 overs. Sam and Ted batted brilliantly to get us to 51 though meaning they scored 34 as a pair. They won us the game and loved doing so. Against Denton B we bowled first again and it was our best team bowling display of the season so far. We rescripted Denton to 11 off their 9 overs. Some great catching, ground fielding and tight straight bowling really set us up for victory. In our batting innings, Izzy and Ted started off really well getting us to 36 off 3, Fred and Aiden took us to 67 off 6 and then Sam and Ted (batting again due to illness for another player) finished the 9 overs off with us scoring 93. In that 93, Ted scored 51*, yes he batted twice but a phenomenal achievement to score 50 off 6 overs (in c.22 balls). 2 great wins on the night for us!
Its been a really encouraging start to the season. Hopefully the weather will be kind for the rest of the season but especially on Monday 12th June when we host a tournament of 6 teams on North Rd meaning around 42 players & coaches, plus 36-72 parents, a great opportunity to showcase our facilities.
The Glossop Glass & Glazing U9s Player of the Month goes to: Freddie Townsend for his excellent all round displays in all 6 games. Batting Fred gives it a whack, bowling he’s accurate and has pace and his fielding is second to none.
Under 11s
The Under 11s are continuing to develop and grow in confidence using the hard ball in the 2023 season at North Road.
Whilst the first few matches were a tough learning curve, the players have really started using the skills and knowledge gained at Friday Night Training and then apply them into match-day scenarios.
The players are beginning to grow as a team and are understanding more and more about the tactics of the game, which will be useful during the second half of the season’s fixtures as they go into the performance league.
It is especially great to see the young players coming down and supporting the senior teams on Saturday and no-doubt some of them in a few years will be turning out for those senior teams!
Standout performances in the early season must go to Henry Marsh who is averaging 32 with the bat and has been central to the onfield captaincy decisions. In addition to this, young Fred Townend, who is still an U9s player, has put in some brilliant spells of bowling and is fearless when it comes to facing older, quicker bowlers.
Under 13s
The U13s have started the season positively after reaching a cup semi-final, they now sit top of their regional league table, meaning they will likely qualify for the top tier of the performance league in June. Whilst there have been notable contributions, the thing that has stood out more than anything is the togetherness the team has. The facilities at North Road are getting good use with most of the team spending nights in the week and large chunks of the weekend in the nets.
The team boasts League Representative player Olly Boothroyd and 2 Derbyshire County players, Joseph Bolton and Ben Wilson. These lads have contributed heavily with bat and ball in games to date as well as putting in some good performances in the senior teams.
Big credit must go to some of the developing talent at the club though. Firstly, the left hander Max Mulvey, who has only really picked the game back up this season has really shown his intent to improve his game. He’s picked up some wickets with his brisk seam bowling and has his first ever 30 not out vs Denton St Lawrence in the process. All-rounder Lucas Kenyon has produced good performances with ball and bat as well as demonstrating some outstanding fielding skills of late. The Dyson brothers, Harry and Jacob, have also shone. Harry seems to have hit form with the bat recently scoring runs with some classy shots vs Dukinfield and Greenfield and Jacob has been picking up wickets with some regularity as well as developing a very safe pair of hands in the field.
Alfie Peck has started to develop his game from left arm seam to spin with a little help from Glossop spin legend, Damian Eyre. He manged to capture his first wicket as a spinner vs Woodhouses earlier this month. This could be an exciting development for the bowling balance of the team as the swing bowling of Nathan Allen, Harry Townend and Ryan Smith continues to improve and will no doubt see each of the lads picking up important wickets and runs in the performance league rounds in the coming month.
The Glossop Glass and Glazing Player of the Month goes to 2 players, Olly Boothroyd and Max Mulvey.
Trouble Brews in the Heat It was a sunny evening in the wild plains of the cricketing frontier. The Law Men, leather-hatted and squinting into the glare, took the field first. The opposition Outlaws came out all guns blazing, holstering sixes and firing boundaries. The scoreboard galloped like a runaway stallion, and for a moment, it looked like the Outlaws were in for a long night. But just when the storm looked set to roll in, the sheriffs started laying down the law. Lines were tightened, traps were laid, and the bullets stopped flying. Then came the first duel. The opposition opener, once bold and brash, found himself hog-tied by dot balls. In a moment of panic, he made a break for it. He didn't make it far. A direct hit from Chris Sonczak—clean as a gunslinger's draw—sent him packing. Next ball, Davo drew fast and snared another. Two gone, momentum slowed. Enter young Maltby, the fresh-red-faced deputy on debut. He bowled like he'd ridden these parts before—tight, composed, and full of promise. But the enemy wasn’t done. A moustachioed South African miscreant, fierce and flamboyant, stood defiant in the dust, cracking shots with grit and guile (if only his banter behind the stumps was a cracking). Still, wickets fell like tumbleweeds. Phil Rhodes spun his web, subtle and deadly, and Chris Sonczak—sharpshooter supreme—fired off another direct hit. Across the rolling North Road plane, the ball, it seemed, had made a pact with Matt Sonczak—four catches flew to him like iron to a magnet. The Marshalls had done their job. The opposition Outlaws limped to 118 for 9 from 20 overs—a respectable tally, but short of high noon destruction. A Duel Under the Dying Light As the sun dipped low, painting the sky in oranges and fire, the Law Men’s top guns holstered their bats and stepped into the street. Chris Coll and Chris Sonczak: calm, composed, and short. Coll opened with lusty blows, knocking the dust off the scoreboard with every strike. Sonczak, his partner in justice, rotated strike like clockwork. The scoreboard ticked above the required rate, and the tension in the fielding gang grew. All they could manage were a few bitter mutterings behind the stumps—not funny, not clever. Coll, his work done, retired with a nod, handing over the reins. Sonczak stayed, finally finding his range with a few well-timed shots before tipping his hat and retiring too. Then came a stumble. The Chambers boys—Rob and Tom—rode in but didn't last long. Quick exits, no time for duels. But where there’s grit, there’s always a way. Gino, all flair and footwork, and Phil Rhodes, bringing balance and poise, stepped up. They brought a dash of style, keeping the wagon rolling. Just when it looked like they’d take it home, a twist: Gino retired, and Rhodes fell for 19. The saloon doors creaked open again—Will R and Davo entered the fray. Will, wielding a new weapon, looked the part—but it wasn’t his day. First ball, out cold. Silence fell. But Maltby returned, the debutant with the solution to the Mexican stand-off, and joined Davo. Calm, steady, unshaken—they saw it through. No drama. The Outlaws fought the Law; but, the Law won! Swinging Saloon Doors With the job done and the dust settled, the Sheriff’s holstered their bats, tipped their hats, and headed off for drinks and Italian food. Stories were shared, laughter echoed, and eyes turned to the man of the hour. Maltby, the new deputy, took home the match award—not for wickets, not for runs, but for an enthusiastic throw, which he muscled to absolutely nowhere. Wild. Unpredictable. Glorious. In these parts, they don’t remember the score. They remember the show.
On behalf of the Glossop Cricket & Bowling Club Executive Committee, I'd like to warmly invite you to an Extraordinary General Meeting taking place at 8pm on Thursday 22nd May 2025. As per the club’s constitution, the Executive Committee has recently recommended a list of Honorary Life Members, and so the purpose of this EGM is for our membership to approve these recommendations. The meeting should take no longer than 5 minutes. We’d love to see as many members as possible join us. Just a quick note: according to our club constitution, junior members under 16 and social members are welcome to attend but aren’t eligible to vote. We do our best to keep our members list up to date, but sometimes people slip through the cracks. If you know anyone who hasn't received this invite, please feel free to pass it along. Kind Regards Paul Edgar Secretary Glossop Cricket & Bowling Club
The weather Gods were shining brightly as Glossop Vets started their 2025 campaign with a tough away trip to Broadbottom. After an unbeaten 2024 season, the pressure was on to see if the team could recreate the highs of the 24 season……and in this first outing they didn’t disappoint. Glossop gave a debut to Tom Rogers, and after some rather hectic and considerably dangerous catching practise, Broadbottom were put into bat. Glossop opened with Jay Allen and Rick Ingham, possibly the oldest opening pair in the history of cricket, but both started well and in the 3rd over Allen came to life and struck with a lovely length delivery that was played on to the stumps….and the Vets were away. Allen struck again in the same over, clean bowled, and had now claimed both openers to finish with match best figures of 2 overs, 2 runs, 2 wickets. First change saw Richard Marsden and Sam Alder take the attack to Broady. Marsden was steady but it was Alder who was causing issues and he got his just reward for good line and length with a fizzing delivery that took out the middle stump. His first wicket for Glossop Vets …the first of many. Glossop kept the pressure on with good fielding which was paramount on the fast outfield but with Broadbottom middle order starting to free their shoulders abit, Glossop needed to make a breakthrough. Up step Tom Rogers and Steve Kirkham. Rogers kept it tight from one end but it was Kirkham who broke the hearts of Broady fans, striking twice, the first an fat edge to point where Calvert took the catch, this time with his hands and not his face, and the second a lovely dipping yorker leaving the Broadbottom batsman cleaned bowled. The final 4 overs brought some success for Broady with some big 6 hitting but 2 further wickets helped to keep the score chaseable. Taylor struck the stumps and Calvert found the edge, which was gobbled up by Andy Wilde behind the stumps, capping a fine performance by Wilde in the field. Broadbottom finished on 120 for 7 . Let the Chase begin... Glossop’s 20+ fans were expectant of a victory but with the sun going down Glossop would need to get a move on. Ingham and Taylor opened. Taylor took the majority of the strike in the first 3 overs, scoring a quick 14 before being cleaned bowled. Wilde came to the crease and started strong with 2 quick boundaries and some good running with Ingham. Ingham was going steadily along anchoring the team. Wilde was eventually out for 16, coming down the wicket to some spin, the ball dipped, Wilde missed it and was stumped by Broadbottoms very impressive under 15s Wk. This brought Marsden to the crease with Glossop needing a destructive innings from their number 4 to stay ahead of the run rate. Marsden started abit nervously but once he got his eye in, he started hitting the boundaries. Marsden and Ingham dovetailed well and both approached 25. Marsden was the first to reach the milestone with a crunching boundary ending on 28 not out. Ingham was soon to follow with a boundary of his own capping his best batting performance with the vets, scoring 27 not out. Allen and Halpin were now at the crease with Glossop needing around 30 runs for victory. Both batted well, moving the ball around and guided Glossop home with 5 overs to spare. Halpin finishing on 15 not out and Allen on 14 not out. Its shows the depth of Glossop’s team that Marsh, Calvert, Alder, Kirkham and Rogers were left in the shed but there is serious competition for places in this batting line up. Glossop ended on 123 -2 and took their first scalp of the season. Man of the Match: Andy Wilde . A fine performance behind the stumps, taking a catch and topped off with a quick fire 16 runs to set Glossop on route to Victory Up The Vets!