Village cricket 'struggling' despite Lord's win - club manager

Village cricket ‘struggling’ despite Lord’s win – club manager

Posted by Admin September 16, 2024 Cricket

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Paul Carroll Photography Cricket team with trophy in front of sign saying Voneus Village Cup final 2024 — Cambridgeshire’s Foxton Granta lifted the National Village Cup after beating Gloucestershire side Dumbleton at Lord’s on Sunday

Village cricket is struggling in the region that has produced the latest National Village Cup champions, officials have warned.

Foxton Granta, which play in Foxton, Cambridgeshire, lifted the Voneus Village Cup on Sunday after beating Gloucestershire side Dumbleton at Lord’s.

However, the club’s manager Matt Gray said grassroots cricket was not thriving in the county – and an official involved in East Anglia’s top cricket league has painted a similar picture across the region.

Mr Gray said there were “so many difficulties” to overcome.

Village cricket has been a mainstay of English culture for centuries, but has been struggling in recent times

Andy Lloyd/BBC A village cricket match in Ashwell, Hertfordshire, on a summer's day in 2008. Cricketers in their whites are playing on a pitch in front of a church and are being watched by spectators. — Village cricket has been a mainstay of English culture for centuries, but has been struggling in recent times

“I think it is fair to say that even though we have won the National Village Cup, village cricket is struggling in Cambridgeshire,” he said.

“There are always teams dropping out of the junior leagues in Cambridgeshire cricket.

“There do seem to be less and less teams every year.”

He added: “There are so many difficulties.

“Finding enough players is one – cricket takes a long time to play and people can’t spare the time. They have busy lives.

“People have thought of all sort of ways to solve it, but there’s no easy answer.”

Foxton Granta’s opening batsman Adam Webster was on the losing side when Foxton played at Lord’s in 2015

Evan Hill A left-handed batsman hitting a ball towards an offside fielder. — Foxton Granta’s opening batsman Adam Webster was on the losing side when Foxton played at Lord’s in 2015

Andrew Abbott, honorary secretary of the East Anglian Premier Cricket League, agreed.

“Village clubs are struggling,” he said.

“There are so many problems.

“Finding players, finding volunteers to run clubs, preparing wickets.”

He added: “We try to encourage people to play cricket but there are so many issues.”

Foxton Granta finished the 2024 season in third place in the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Premier League Division One – a tier below the East Anglian Premier.

The club was formed in 2021 when Foxton and Cambridge cricket clubs merged.

Foxton made the Village Cup Final in 2015, but lost to Woodhouse Grange Cricket Club based in Sutton-Upon-Derwent, York.