Chairman of the Bedfordshire County Cricket Club Ian Smith looks back at the 2019 season and forward t0 2020:
We look forward to the 2020 season.
We are down to four Championship fixtures, based on 2019 results we are in the Second Division of the Eastern Division, along with Buckinghamshire, Cumberland, Hertfordshire and Northumberland.
These games will be played in July and August.
Buckinghamshire CCC with be the visitors to Bedford School on Sunday12th July for President’s Day (we look forward to seeing many of our members on the day).
We start the season with a T20 competition which is in Groups of five counties, with us playing each county in our group twice on the same day (one game before the meal break and one after).
The winners of the group progress to a finals day.
The middle part of the summer is taken up with the a 50 overs a side competition, that is changing from straight knock out to Groups of five Counties; with the top two going into the Quarter Finals. We have been placed in the same group as Berkshire (who hold the 50 over & three day crowns).
The highlight of the Summer promises to be a 50 Over game against Northamptonshire at Bedford School on Friday 17th July. We will be offering hospitality for the day, these games against first class Counties will become an annual event.
Mike Green’s account of the 2019 season tells of another challenging year for the County. The main highlight was our first home win in the Championship for nine years when we defeated Hertfordshire at Bedford Modern School.
“The MCCA Trophy competition was again played as a straight knockout and Bedfordshire failed to survive the first hurdle, being comprehensively beaten by Oxfordshire at Ampthill. This ground has been the scene of some record-breaking batting exploits in the past, but not on this occasion.
On paper Bedfordshire had as good a batting line-up as they were able to field all season, but they failed to adapt to the pace of an early season pitch with only George Thurstance (49) looking at ease.
A score of 122, which took 37.5 overs to accumulate, was never going to be enough and Oxfordshire made their target look ridiculously simple. Shabaaz Alam led the way, hitting six sixes and six fours in a blistering innings of 76 not out and they got home in just 18.3 overs.
Scores Bedfordshire 122. Oxfordshire 123-2.
The 20/20 competition saw Bedfordshire eliminated at the group stage. They lost both games against Hertfordshire despite half-centuries in both matches from Kettleborough, and finished honours even against Suffolk with Reynoldson hitting 74 in the victory and Keeping 68 in the defeat.
Against Cambridgeshire it was a double defeat although Reynoldson (57) and Ajay Morni got them close in the second encounter chasing 158.
It was one game each against Norfolk, Keeping hitting 55 in the defeat.
Scores
Bedfordshire 160. Hertfordshire 164-2; Bedfordshire 156-4 Hertfordshire 158-1.
Suffolk 145-5 Bedfordshire (revised target 105) 101-4; Bedfordshire 146-4. Suffolk 75.
Cambridgeshire 182-7 Bedfordshire 99; Cambridgeshire 158-5 Bedfordshire 149-6.
Norfolk 77 Bedfordshire 78-8; Bedfordshire 127-5 Norfolk 130-3.
A rise of one place in the Minor Counties Eastern Division table was a step forward if hardly a giant one. Bedfordshire had the better of the games against the two sides who finished below them, beating Hertfordshire and being well on top against Northumberland when the weather wiped out play at the end of the first day. These were the first two games of the season so it could have been two wins from two. Who knows what that would have done for confidence. As it turned out though, an overall record of one win, two draws and three defeats was not enough to gain them access to the top table when the Eastern Division is revamped next season.
Availability was a little better in the 2019 season with five players playing in all six games, one in five and four others in four, but the old failings on the field were still there. Only ten batting bonus points were obtained, the fewest of any county, while the bowling attack relied on left-arm spinners Tom Brett and George Darlow. They shared all 20 wickets - admittedly on a pitch which turned from the start - in the win over Hertfordshire and Brett finished the season with a haul of 27 wickets while Darlow, who also finished third in the batting averages, bagged 18.
There was little joy for the quicker bowlers. Mark Wolstenholme gave it his all in the 130 overs he sent down and Al Mahmud Hasan bowled splendidly and tirelessly to take 5-26 in the first innings in the drawn game with Buckinghamshire, but skipper Andy Reynoldson was often forced to take the new ball himself.
James Kettleborough comfortably topped the batting averages with 314 runs at 44.86 which included an innings of 154 against Lincolnshire. Drew Brierley (against Northumberland) and Patrick Harrington (against Buckinghamshire) also scored centuries, but Luke Thomas and Reynoldson struggled to find their best form. On the plus side, Fayaz Homyoon and Ewan Cox looked comfortable at Minor County level and Jack Kilduff also played a couple of useful knocks. On several occasions it was the belligerent Darlow who came to the rescue.down the order. He hit 279 runs at a strike rate of 88.57.
Next season it is all change with two Eastern divisions and only four Championship games. Promotion will obviously be the number one target and it is time to be optimistic”.
In 2020 Minor County Cricket will be renarned “National County Cricket”.
We continue to have to meet an age qualification, this encourages the playing of Young Cricketers.
A new qualification we have to meet is the requirement to play eight home grown cricketers. Home grown being either born in Bedfordshire, educated in Bedfordshire (after the age of 13), playing for a Bedfordshire club or having played for a Bedfordshire Age Group team from Under 13 upwards.
We have also been given dispensation to include any cricketer that would meet the requirement to play for Huntingdonshire by the four requirements listed above.
2020 will see us with a new Captain in all three formats George Thurstance (Captain of Flitwick CC). His knowledge of Bedfordshire cricket will greatly assist us in getting the required eight home grown cricketers.
The Club sincerely thanks Andy Reynoldson who has lead by great example during his time as our Captain.
Thank you as always to our wonderful Clubs & grounds that host us.
I look forward to the season and hope to see many of you during it.
Ian Smith
Chairman
Bedfordshire CCC
