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.