Hales Cricket Club celebrated an amazing year at their presentation evening at the Jubilee Hall, Loddon, on Saturday 8th December. Club Chairman Pete Dye invited David Pearce, Jimmy Dye and Mick Kinnair to join Club sponsor Derek Barnard, of Barnard Sports, in presenting the awards. Dye said, ‘The club has had the best year ever, winning Norfolk League Division 1, the Coronation Cup, and the Sunday league, securing a new ground and taking a place in the Norfolk Alliance, but I felt it important that people who have worked tirelessly for the Club in previous years should be here to enjoy this occasion.’ The Club’s new ground is being started in Spring 2008, with new modules being put in later this month to see us through the next few years until our new pavillion is erected.

Trophy winners were:

U8 Player   Harry Mclean

U10 Player   Jake Rolph

U10 Most Improved   Ryan Claxton

U10 Coaches Award   Alex Jary

U11 Player   Chris Read

U11 Most Improved   Josh Pitcher

U11 Coaches Award   Megan Knights

U13 Player    Jamie Weston

U13 Most Improved   Jack Cook

U13 Coaches Award   Tom Watts

U15 Player   Chris Andersen

U15 Most Improved   Lewis White

U15 Coaches Award   Aaron Beaumont

U17 Player   Rob Andersen

Most Improved Girl   Kirsty Andersen

Best Girl   Jessica Weston

Young Club Person   Max Mclean

Young Player of the Season    Chris Andersen

Most Improved Young Player   Jonno Wright

Colts Batsman   Josh Knights

Colts Bowler   Jamie Weston

Colts Player   Mark Minns

Colts Coaches Award   Chris Ayre

Sunday Player   Dan Andersen

Sunday Young Player   Rob Andersen

A Team Batsman   Chris Andersen

A Team Bowler   Dan Andersen

A Team Man of Matches   Todd Jones

A Team Player   Dan Andersen

1st Team Fielder   Martin Cornish

Captains Cup   Jon Vale

1st Team Batsman   Gary Summons

1st Team Bowler   Graham Squire

1st Team Man of Matches   Dave Harmer

Players Player   Rob Andersen

1st Team Player   Rob Andersen

Best Bowling Performance   Matt Lovick (6 for 17)

Highest Individual Score   Dan Andersen (168)

Clubman   Steve Claxton

There were presentations of bouquets to Kirsty Lovick, Belinda Rowe, Carole Claxton and Carrie Walker, and Roger Chubbock received a shield to mark over 30 years as Honorary Scorer for the Club.

Thanks to to Rory's Disco for the entertainment, Loddon Jubilee Hall and the Daniel Andersen modelling agency for providing the model to show off the new Hales CC leisure range!

Hales were  crowned Coronation Cup champions in a thrilling last-over victory against a tough Ashmanaugh side. Graham Squire stole the show with a top-class bowling performance as he bagged another 5-wicket haul for the club.

Ashmanaugh won the toss and elected to bat on a hard, bouncy-looking track at Winterton Cricket ground. Starting cautiously against some excellent bowling from Graham Squire and Matthew Lovick, Ashmanaugh looked to work the ball around for singles before taking a more aggressive approach.

As the Ashmanaugh openers became acustomed to the bounce, they began to open up and put together a strong opening partnership. Bernie Everett was first to depart, being bowled by an excellent delivery from Lovick to temporarily dampen the fast scoring run-rate. Sallis continued to blast the ball to all parts of the ground until Squire cleaned him out with a fine delivery. Hales began to gain some sort of control towards the end of the innings as the run rate slowed down and Squire cleaned up.

Squire was in awsome form as he returned with figures of 5 for 42. Lovick bowled with great consistency too as he conceded only 28 runs from his 5 overs. The Ashmanaugh innings finished on 133 for 6 wickets from their 15 eight-ball overs.

Hales set about chasing down the huge total with Harmer and Gary Summons going out with all guns blazing. Summons timed the ball sweetly as Harmer took a more blunt approach going for the  big shots.

Summons departed for 20, and soon after Phil Squire fell for 2, which introduced Aaron Jones into the game. Jones didn’t hang about as he hit Ashmanaugh’s overseas bowler out of the ground first ball, just as he did with his third ball.

Every time Hales fell behind with the rate, they clawed their way back into the game with big shots, perhaps a bit ignorant of the fact that singles would have done it. However, they got themselves in a good position, and as Harmer departed for a very fine innings of 46, the Hales lower order kept their heads to finish the game in the last over. A stunning win as Hales were crowned Coronation Champions with a 2-wicket victory.

Coronation Cup Man of the Match goes to Graham Squire for another top performance.

Scorecard

Ashmanaugh

B Everett        b Lovick                 25
Sallis              b Squire                 57
S Khan           not out                  21
Mollen            c&b Squire               2
D Inglis          c D Harmer b Squire   2
D Flint            b Squire                  0
S Warminger   b Squire                   1

Total 133 runs, 6 wickets

G Squire 5-0-42-5 M Lovick 5-0-28-1 S Rowe 5-0-52-0

Hales

D Harmer        b Khan                         46
G Summons     c Everett b Mollen          20
P Squire         c Everett b Inglis             2
A Jones          c Flint b Mollenn            20
M Ramsdale     c Mollen b Warminger       0
M Cornish       c Everett  b Warminger     8
M Lovick         not out                        16
G Squire         b Khan                           0
J Vale            b Warminger                   0
D Andersen     not out                         7

Total 134 for 8 wickets

KKhan 5-0-22-2 D Inglis 3-0-40-1 Mollen 3-0-24-2 Warminger 3-0-21-3

Beccles & Bungay Roll of Honour nomination: G Squire 5 for 42

Hales entertained the Chairman's XI on Sunday in a game that celebrated what has been an excellent season for the Club. Chairman Pete Dye won the toss and elected to bat. First to go was Bradenham's Luke Findlay after a mix-up with his brother Ryan. Brooke's Jon Andrews played some delightful shots before occasional seamer Jon Vale produced an unplayable delivery. Ryan Findlay (22) and Andy Knights (15) restored the status quo before Quorn Handley produced a cameo 27. It was, however, much-improved Mark Roe who took on the Hales attack, taking advantage of the attacking field to crash 10 boundaries in a career-best knock of 59 that had to be seen to be believed. The Chairman then demonstrated that he can play on the off-side with one well executed straight 6 as the Chairman’s team closed on 229 for 9.

The Hales team made a lively start with skipper Steve Rowe scoring freely off the Chairman, but next over he rolled back the years by bowling Rob Andersen round his legs and having Graham Squire caught; lack of fitness then spelt his withdrawal from the attack. Josh Knights and Jamie Weston bowled excellent spells before the Chairman's involvement was ended – going for a spectacular stop, his Simon Jones slide resulted in a trip to A&E for ligament damage. Mark Roe took two wickets, with Kevin and Andy Knights supporting well as Hales fell short by 41 runs in a game in which the result mattered not, the Chairman just being thankful to Steve Rowe and his side for going easy on his team.

Thanks to go to Gary Weston and Mary Dye for providing a tea of the highest order. The Fluffy Fish Bar man of the match went to Mark Roe for an excellent all-round performance.

Hales Geen was the venue as Hales played their annual game against Sir Nicholas Bacon’s President’s team.

President’s skipper Bacon won the toss with his double-sided coin and chose to bat first on a well-prepared track. The bloated Hales team, who had feasted on king prawns and the finest meats and foods in the pre-match lunch, then returned the favour and served up some buffet bowling for the President’s team to feast on.

Mark Keer-Roe and Jaymarr Vale bowled exceptionally well at the start, accounting for both openers, Keer-Roe taking the prize wicket of dangerman Nicholas Bacon with a decent delivery. Former Hales star Ricky Martin, batting at number 3, weathered the early storm and began to look dominan as the rain came down.

A heavy shower meant that the covers had to come on, and play was stopped for around 20 minutes until it brightened up. The strip was reasonably dry, but the bowlers run-up areas were completely soaked, which meant the spinners had to come on. Makeshift spinners Harmer and Cornish took some punishment from Martin as he displayed fine stroke play and manipulated the field well for ones and twos.

His only support came from another former Hales player, Robin Konieczny (22), and Roger Middleditch (19 no). Martin eventually departed, being well caught behind by Dan Andersen for a classy 77. The President’s innings closed on 169 all out in the 39th over with Vale the pick of the bowlers (3 for 30).

After another long tea interval, the Hales batsmen weaved their way out to the wicket to chase down the target. Unfortunately, Hales lost both openers cheaply, but Graham Squire and Dan Andersen posted a third-wicket partnership of 99 to score the majority of the runs needed to give the President’s team a beating. Squire was in awsome form, hitting four 4s and four 6s in his aggressive innings of 53 while Andersen played the anchor role. Andersen did a fine job, but eventually fell just four runs short of his half-century.

As wickets started to tumble and the innings was rocking, cool heads were needed to finish the game off, and it was Canadian all-rounder G. Cameron (11 no) and Sri Lankan-born Vale (5 no) who guided Hales to victory.

Scorecard

Hales Youth was formed in 1987, playing in the Fitness Exchange League, under the guidance of Mick Kinnair.  In 1996 Steve Squire and Pete Dye started Kwik Cricket, before Stesh emigrated to Australia in 1999.  In 2000 an U11 team was formed, with the U10’s and U13’s arriving a year later.  2002 saw an U15 team formed, then in 2003 the Colts became the club’s third Saturday league team.  With the U’18’s then becoming the U’17’s the current structure of the teams at five age groups was formed.