Cricket
MORE than 90 players and supporters gathered at the Scarth Hall, Staindrop, for Raby Castle CC’s annual awards evening.
The club remained unbeaten in the league during the 2019 season winning the Darlington and District Cricket League A division title.
The event began with junior team development co-ordinator Scott Hedley receiving his club cap.
Secretary Steve Caygill described the excellent work Scott is doing with the club’s juniors, adding: “You only need to watch these sessions to see the amount of enjoyment the youngsters get.”
The cap was presented to Scott by Bernard Poole who for many years trained and coached the juniors at Raby Castle CC.
Guest speaker was Raby stalwart Peter Jackson, who has performed all the roles on the club’s committee as well as having a long playing career which included a haul of 10-69 in a second team match against Heighcliffe in 1981.
He talked about the memories of his 60 year involvement with the club.
He wondered if a cup match he played in the 1980s was worthy of an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
Raby fielded a team of five sets of fathers and sons. For the record they were Bill and Chris Scaife; Colin and Simon Oates; Bernard and Mark Poole; Ken and Nick Jones and Peter and son Chris. The final team member was Brian Scaife, Bill’s brother.
Following a few words about each of them from Scott Hedley, all the juniors were invited on to the stage to collect an engraved medal from Peter Jackson.
The Players’ Player of the Year trophy was awarded to Beth Poole.
Most improved player was Sam Haslam.
The Coach’s Player of the Year went to Finlay Kirkup.
Peter then presented individual trophies to all the players who had been involved in the first team title winning team. He the presented awards as follows:
Michael Leonard Players’ Player of the Year Trophy: Matthew Dent; RJ Caygill First Team Fielding Award: Joe Beadle; Peter Jackson Second Team Player of the Year Trophy: Jamie Simpson; Eddy Padgett Second Team Fielding Award: Josh Wade; Winston Elliott Trophy Most Improved Player of the Year: Adam Harker.
Peter was presented with a copy of the book Remarkable Village Cricket Grounds, which contains a couple of pages on the picturesque Raby ground.
Tea ladies Catherine Forster, her mam Joan Heslop and Bryony Kirkup received the thanks of all players.
Betty Poole also received to thank you gift for her work as club treasurer.
There then followed a raffle, an auction for a signed cricket bat and the evening was rounded off with a music quiz on TV Themes prepared by John Mumberson.
Chairman Paul Hedley thanked those who was involved for organising the evening and the staff and volunteers at the Scarth Hall
Stephen Caygill
