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John Mitchell OBE

Sun, 03 May 2026 09:21:30 GMT

Tributes to former Club President

Fernhurst Cricket Club was saddened to hear of the recent passing of its former President, John Mitchell OBE. John was an inspirational figure around the cricket club and the mastermind behind most of the facilities improvement initiatives that have provided Fernhurst with its fabulous new pavilion, cricket nets and football pitch over the past decade or so.

John took over as Club President in 2009, taking the reins from Trevan Hingston, and had an enormous influence over the club's many successes until he handed over responsibilities to Bill Gourlay in 2023. He was a highly accomplished cricketer, golfer and even played tennis at Junior Wimbledon. His love of sport continued long after his playing days and he loved to debate the latest thinking of the English cricket selectors.

Current Club President, Bill Gourlay, said; "John was a real force of nature when it came to all things sporting around the village. Everyone who uses the pavilion, or is fortunate enough to play on the Fernhurst recreation ground, should remember him for all of his hard work over several decades in regenerating our facilities. He was such good company, an extraordinarily successful fundraiser, always had some wise opinions on any issues that we might be facing, and was dedicated to making Fernhurst a fantastic place to live and play sport. He will be enormously missed."

Club Chairman, Jon Meier, commented; "I was saddened to hear of John's passing. When I took over as Chairman of the cricket club he was of great support to me, His wise advice, stories and chats over a glass or two will be sorely missed by myself and many others across the club".

Flaming Success

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:48:12 GMT

Fernhurst Flames gear up for season

“Playing cricket at Fernhurst with like-minded women is one of the best things I ever did.”

It was the quote of the season when one of the Fernhurst Flames players said this to Libby Adey, who chairs the team and represents it on the main committee. "We pride ourselves in having a fun and friendly atmosphere," said Libby. "As generic as that sounds it really is true! We have the most supportive and welcoming coaches, all of whom trust and believe in our mission. One of the most important things is to ensure this environment is safe and nurturing, not only for our junior players but for our women too. I strongly believe our women and girls section has the most incredible dynamic. Fernhurst CC is home to strong, independent women who back each other and work together to do something we all enjoy."

Club Captain

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:49:18 GMT

Rob Unwin accepts revived role

We are delighted that Rob Unwin has accepted the revived role of 'Club Captain' after a two year break from the committee: you can check-out but you can never leave! Rob was manager of the successful junior section for many years and will now oversee talent ID and selections for league cricket. He plays regularly for the 2nd and Sunday XIs.

How do you see your new role?

I see it as a support to the team captains, to oversee the selection process for matches and to champion juniors with promise and encourage their promotion into senior cricket.

You have returned to the committee after a couple of years away, has that given you a new perspective on the club?

Yes, I've certainly gained knowledge as to how other clubs are run and see opportunities to develop members' experience of Fernhurst for the better. It is important though that we don't ever forget the ethos of the club, to be competitive but most importantly that all teams play with a smile on their faces and in the true spirit of cricket.

The 1st XI has yo-yoed between Divs 2 and 3 - where do you see them?

Frankly, I think we should be a strong Division 2 team, challenging for a spot in Div 1, we have the infrastructure and the pathway with a strong junior section. Last year we did suffer from a bit of bad luck but I know the players in the 1st XI will all agree that our batting wasn't up to scratch and it is something we must improve.

Fernhurst used to be seen as a club punching above its weight, is that still the case?

I've always enjoyed that label, and from my past role as Juniors' Manager I took great pleasure in overseeing victories over supposed "big" clubs. Our track record, especially within the youth set up would suggest we have moved on from this now but it's not a bad thing for the giant killing spirit to always be there. Everyone likes an upset and I look forward to seeing more this season. One of my key tasks is around player recruitment and we are working hard at attracting new players to FCC, if anyone fancies dusting off their pads then there will always be a warm welcome at any of our indoor training sessions. Please come and talk to any of us or contact via the website form. Outdoor nets will begin in mid-March.

Fernhurst CC 2025 Awards

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 07:09:42 GMT

Packed pavilion for annual awards

The most glittering night of the West Sussex social calendar saw a big crowd pack the pavilion for the Fernhurst Cricket Club annual Awards Dinner. The full list is below but a special mention must go to 2nd XI lynchpin Abdur Rahman who scooped all three team awards. Sam Meier received the Captain's Award for the 1st XI while his sister Ella won the bowling trophy for the Fernhurst Flames. The Players' Player trophy for the women went to Kate Ashdown: the prize is named after pioneering England player Molly Hide who lived on Blackdown.

Young leg spinner Charlie Langridge won the Sunday bowling shield while fast bowler Hamish Unwin was named the 'Best Junior' playing in senior cricket. The ground staff team of Will Dyer and Jack Whittington were deserved winners of the Fernhurst Diamonds award. They responded to all the usual challenges of a season, with a couple more loaded on top, with typical dedication and good humour. Congratulations to all.

Captain's Award Sam Meier

1st XI

Glazier Shield: Most Runs Jack Whittington

Lambert Shield: Most Wickets Jack Kidd

M&J Shield: Most Catches Joe Unwin

Hingston Shield: MoMatch Jack Kidd

Bishop Award: Players' Player Joe Unwin

2nd XI

Belfry Shield: Most Runs Abdur Rahman

Pope Shield: Most Wickets Abdur Rahman

Bucket Trophy: Most Catches Abdur Rahman

Sunday XI

Evans Shield: Batting Avg. Sam Meier

Warren Shield: Bowling Avg. Charlie Langridge

VPs Shield: Catches Chris Williams

Fernhurst Flames

Players' Player Kate Ashdown

Flames batting Libby Adey

Flames bowling Ella Meier

Club Awards

President's: Most Improved Kai Hunter

Fernhurst Diamonds Will Dyer& Jack Whittington

Brunger Award: Best Junior Hamish Unwin

Trevan's Terrace is open!

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 06:57:16 GMT

Club VP unveils new facility

One of the club's Vice Presidents officially opened the refurbished terrace before the final Saturday game of the season. Patricia Hingston made a generous donation to ensure we could make big improvements to the 'high traffic' area within the picket fence. Patricia unveiled the plaque in honour of her late husband Trevan, who was President of Fernhurst CC from 1987-2009. It includes the famous quotation from the great cricket writer Neville Cardus, "It is far more than a game, this cricket."

This photo shows Trevan in 2009 on his retirement as President, with FCC Vice President Sir Tim Rice.

Before the unveiling, FCC President Bill Gourlay said "Trevan saw the club through some very successful times, the glory years of successive promotions to Division One and then those slightly difficult years going into the 2000s when the 2 ^nd XI folded and the 1 ^st XI dropped to Div. Three. He saw us in good days and bad, which is always the role of the committee members and the President. But he put us in a position where we are today, a really important man in the history of the club. We saw him quite a bit after his retirement. Despite having lost his vision he would still sit here following the game with many of us trying to do 'Test Match Special' commentary for him and probably failing miserably! Trevan was a really special person to have around the club and we're delighted to have this fine facility here in his honour. Thank-you Patrici a."

League preview

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 09:18:29 GMT

1st XI Captain looks ahead

The first Saturday in May means the return of men’s league cricket to the Rec, with the 2nd XI at home to Brook and the 1st XI travelling to Worplesdon. The I’Anson League is the oldest, continuous village league and was a closed shop for many years, before opening up in the mid-1990s, which is when Fernhurst joined. Frensham, Grayshott & Headley are among the opponents and, much more recently, Haslemere have joined the fray.

Jeff Ingrams

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 21:56:47 GMT

Tributes to Fernhurst stalwart

Fernhurst Cricket Club is saddened to learn of the death of former player and Chairman Jeff Ingrams, who was a stalwart of the side in the 1980s and 90s. Jeff won the Evans Shield for batting average three times and the bowling shields twice. He was a key member of the team (24 wickets at 8.75) when Fernhurst were finally admitted to the I’Anson League in 1997 and runaway winners of Div. 4, heralding successive promotions to Div. 1.

Those who played alongside Jeff include Vice President Graham Heath and Honorary Life Members Geoff Howe and John Allen. These are their fond tributes:

"We are not sure when Jeff started playing for Fernhurst, he just seemed ever present during the 80s and 90s. Turning out on Sunday having played for Grayshott in the I’Anson on the Saturday, and of an evening in the Ashurst Cup.

As a wicket-keeper it was exciting keeping to Jeff. He would sprint to the wicket, gold chains (Archer style) bouncing around his neck, bowl (hurl) the ball towards the wicket (and batsman), occasionally missing both, only for the keeper having to take the ball above his head.

As he “matured” the speed gave way to slow bowling and he was the main slow bowler for the Fernhurst side that played in the First Division in the early 2000s. Jeff was also a useful middle order batsman with excellent timing, winning the club batting trophy three times.

As everyone who knew Jeff knows, when he had a view, he would persevere with it. He decided that the club ought to have an annual awards dinner. So, the club did. He decided the venue, the cost, made sure members attended, collected the money and made sure it was a success. Over the years, with the help of Stan Cobbold and Trevan Hingston, he had Sir Tim Rice and Barry Foster speak at the dinner. During the 1990s Jeff was Chairman of the cricket club for a time and organised a colts team prior to his son, James migrating to the senior sides.

Those who played with Jeff know he played to win but looked to enjoy the game and discuss any and everything else afterwards."

Geoff & Graham

"Jeff was a good all rounder – a pace bowler to start with but at Fernhurst he became a very steady and reliable off-break bowler. Jeff made a memorable start in the 1997 season by topping the I’Anson bowling averages, 93 overs at 8.75. In the following two seasons he was runner up.

In 2000, Fernhurst CC reached the dizzying heights of Div. 1 and Jeff posted an average of 17.51 off 70 overs. Best figures were 5-43 against Tongham.

Jeff was a really nice chap and so important when we entered the I’Anson. He had already played for Kingsley and Grayshott so he had very good knowledge about local league cricket. Everyone liked him."

John Allen

Bill Gourlay, President of Fernhurst CC , said “I joined the club after Jeff’s playing days but it is clear from these tributes how much he was liked and respected by our players – and feared by our opponents! We are ever grateful to Jeff and send our condolences to his family. As we approach the 30th anniversary of our admission to the I’Anson League, I am sure he will be cheering on another push to Division 1 by the Green Army.”

Who runs the Rec?

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 08:50:26 GMT

Volunteering at the heart of the organisation

Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust

fernhurstrecreationgroundtrust.org.uk

Does the cricket club run it? No.

Does the football or tennis club run it? No.

Does the Parish Council run it? No.

There are some misconceptions about our wonderful Rec so it is worth saying at the start that not a single penny from your council tax goes towards maintaining it. It is run by volunteers, which is how it all began in the middle of the Second World War when locals clubbed together to buy two fields from the Blackdown Estate … for £970! Since then villagers have provided the members of Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust (FRGT), which is a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation). FRGT Chairman Charlie Scott says “One of our stated aims is to ensure the facilities are accessible regardless of age, infirmity or economic circumstances. We want the whole village to enjoy the Rec but I think everyone needs to understand there is a cost to maintaining the facilities. Visiting teams regularly compliment Fernhurst on its fantastic Pavilion and Rec and, of course, these don’t just happen by accident: a lot of hard work, by volunteers, goes into it.”

So where does the money come from? Membership subs from the three sports clubs pay for the running costs. This covers everything from cutting the grass to the dog waste bin. The Fern Café in the pavilion is contracted out to South Downs Coffee Ltd. The Recreation Ground receives a fee and a share of any rental income. Members of the clubs run their own operations and also form an executive management committee (ExCo) to run the pavilion and the rec. ExCo is overseen by the Trustees. Meanwhile, the children's playground is the responsibility of the Parish Council.

Charlie says “Cricket, Tennis and Football are all rent-paying tenants and are all involved with the running of the Rec. We are delighted with the Fern Cafe, which we think is an excellent facility, and that the Pavilion is being hired out for both private and business functions.”

Much local fundraising was needed to build the new pavilion: again, no money came from the county or district councils. The campaign ran from 2017 and continued despite lockdowns and the spike in inflation. Fernhurst is rightly proud of what it achieved. The large grants came from South Downs National Park Authority, the England Cricket Board and Sport England. There was also a grant from the Parish Council but much of it was by individual, private donations. Charlie says “The Rec is completely run by volunteers and we are always looking for additional help so if anybody would like to be involved please contact any of the Trustees or the Sports Clubs."

Email: contact@fernhurstpavilion.org.uk

FRGT Trustees: Charlie Scott, Bill Gourlay, Natalie Owles & Graham Heath.

Ex-Officio Trustees: Vicar of Fernhurst & Chair of Parish Council.

Bowled over by Fernhurst

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 08:37:45 GMT

Reflections of our overseas player

Chasing summer around the world seems like a pretty good idea right now so let's head to New Zealand where Fernhurst CC's overseas player is based. Off spinner Saveen Gunarathne contacted us in 2023 and, after a bit of paperwork, he came to play for us in the English summer. From junior coaching to taking most wickets for the 1 ^st XI, signing Saveen was a great success. Most importantly, he's a really nice bloke!

What was the standard like? Easier or harder than you expected?

Honestly, the standard of cricket was tougher than I expected. The players were sharp, displaying skills that really challenged me. I found myself pushed to step up my game, which was both exciting and a bit daunting at times!

What is different about club cricket in England?

Club cricket in England has a real sense of structure and tradition that I found refreshing. The facilities are generally top-notch, and there’s a strong community vibe that makes it feel special.

What was Fernhurst CC like - how was the welcome, how were you supported?

Fernhurst CC felt like home from the moment I walked in. The welcome was warm and genuine—everyone was eager to make me feel part of the team. I was really touched by how supportive everyone was with everything I was able to do during the season.

What is the club getting right and what needs some work, in your opinion?

I think Fernhurst CC really nails the community spirit; it’s evident that they care about each member and creating a friendly atmosphere. Their coaching setup is fantastic, too.

How realistic is it coming back for 2025?

Returning for 2025 feels very doable! The connections I’ve made there mean a lot to me, and I know I’d be welcomed back with open arms. I’m looking forward to staying in touch and hopefully rejoining the team—it would be great to build on what I started.

How does the English cricket tea compare to Down Under?

Oh, the English cricket tea is something special! The spread is impressive—sandwiches, cakes, and biscuits that really hit the spot. We do not get teas in NZ, its more “Let’s go to the bakery for a sausage roll and a Fanta”. Thank you Fernhurst CC for this incredible opportunity – miss you all already!

1st XI 2024 review

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 08:32:51 GMT

Back in I'Anson Division Two

It is 'Mission Accomplished' for our men's 1st XI, who had a strong finish to their first season back in I'Anson Division 2. On finishing fifth, captain Joe Unwin said "This is exactly what we wanted from this season, to consolidate and to allow juniors to become a real, integral part of the team. Div 2 is more or less what we expected. We had more competitive games compared to last year. Our best game was our last of the season against Headley, Whitehill & Bordon. After scoring below par in the first innings, our bowling and fielding managed to claw the game back, winning by just four runs!"

There were some close defeats too, including against the eventual champions Puttenham. "We gave it everything in the field", said Joe, "but lacked runs with the bat. 10 or 20 more and the result will have been different. Since 2022, when we were relegated from Div 2, the team has really come together to create a positive atmosphere, where everyone enjoys each game, win or lose."

One of the new recruits this year was overseas player Saveen Gunarathne from New Zealand. Joe said "Saveen has been a great addition to the club and the 1st XI. He has offered a lot of insight into coaching and gameplay. He played well this season, almost topping the league wickets table. He very quickly became an integral part of the club and we hope he comes back next year."

Fernhurst Fawkes success

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:44:31 GMT

Raising money for the village

More than 600 people enjoyed Bonfire Night together in what is becoming a great, new tradition, Fernhurst Fawkes down Hawksfold Lane East. £2500 was raised for good causes, including Fernhurst Recreation Ground and Fernhurst Primary School.

The money for the Rec will go towards a badly-needed new mower which, of course, benefits everyone who uses the fields, not just the sports clubs. The Mitchell family, who started and run Fernhurst Fawkes, would like thank everyone who helped to make it such a success - in particular from the clubs at the Rec. They say they're sure it will continue to grow and be even bigger next year.

Thanks for your support.

Fernhurst CC 2024 Awards

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 08:12:58 GMT

Winners celebrated at annual presentation

Another bumper season was celebrated at our end of season Awards Dinner at the pavilion on October 12th (full list below).

Top batsman Alex Andjel collected the 1 ^st XI's Glazier Shield, one of the oldest and most prestigious awards. Our overseas player Saveen Gunarathne had already returned to NZ so was unable to collect the awards for bowling (the Lambert Shield) and the Captain's Award. Abdur Rahman was the big winner for the 2 ^nd XI and also claimed the bowling shield for the Sunday XI: top batsman there was Joe Unwin while his younger brother Hamish won 'Catch of the Season' for an astonishing 70mph take - and it was a wet ball too!

'Best Juni or' playing in senior cricket, for the third and final time, was James Vigar while young keeper Ruari Watt took 'Most Improved'. Sarah Roberts and Isabel Jennings won for batting and bowling in women's cricket and the special 'Fernhurst Diamonds' crystal was shared by Lisa Freeman, Lisa Langridge, Elizabeth Vigar and Jill Westley, who, every Sunday, without fail, lay on the best cricket tea on the circuit.

Fernhurst CC 2024 Award Winners

Captain's Award Saveen Gunarathne

1st XI

Glazier Shield: Most Runs Alex Andjel

Lambert Shield: Most Wickets Saveen Gunarathne

M&J Shield: Most Catches Hamish Unwin

Hingston Shield: MoMatch Jack Kidd

Bishop Award: Players' Player James Vigar

2nd XI

Belfry Shield: Most Runs Abdur Rahman

Pope Shield: Most Wickets Abdur Rahman

Bucket Trophy: Most Catches Jon Meier

Sunday XI

Evans Shield: Batting Avg. Joe Unwin

Warren Shield: Bowling Avg. Abdur Rahman

VPs Shield: Catches Hamish Unwin

Fernhurst Flames

Players' player Lauren Tye

Flames batting Sarah Roberts

Flames bowling Isabel Jennings

Club Awards

President's: Most Improved Ruari Watt

Fernhurst Diamonds Sunday XI Tea Ladies

Brunger Award: Best Junior James Vigar

Honours for Geoff & Mike

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 20:06:45 GMT

Fernhurst CC thanks two club stalwarts

Many congratulations to Geoff Howe and Mike Allen who have been made Honorary Life Members of Fernhurst CC. The rare honour reflects many decades of work and play for the club, in both good times and bad. Geoff's demon spin is legendary while Mike is estimated to have racked up 14,000 runs for the club. Off the pitch, they have put in countless hours in committee, admin and grounds work. They were honoured at a lunch hosted by FCC President Bill Gourlay and presented with their honours caps by I'Anson League President Keith Ellis. Sadly, the President's XI match against an I'Anson XI was rained off before a ball was bowled but it will be rescheduled for next year.

Bill Gourlay said “We’re honoured to have two players nearing the end of their careers who have made enormous contributions to the club, so we wanted to take advantage of the I’Anson President’s visit to recognise this. If you look up the top batsmen on I’Anson website you’ll find Mike Allen at #1 on 8,000 odd runs, but we know the actual figure is nearer 14,000 - but records from earlier years are a little patchy. Mike’s contribution to the club over several decades as captain, club captain and star performer have been huge as he created the next part of the Allen family dynasty.

Similarly, Geoff Howe has been a firm fixture of the club, and Trust, over several decades. Bamboozling generations with his miserly and metronomic bowling, in addition to playing the latest late cut imaginable. A true scientist of the game it’s fascinating to watch as he sets out his pinpoint fields. He also invented the highly complex algorithm that calculates annual club rental numbers, but which is so complicated that even Stephen Hawking couldn’t unravel it.

We are truly privileged to be able to share the field with such loyal servants of the club, and are delighted that they are still able to occasionally turn out for us.

We are, therefore, delighted to give them the highest honour of Honorary Life Members of the club.”

Keith Ellis paid tribute to the club's renaissance in the past 15 years, built on a strong membership. He said "You've become a bit of a template of how a cricket club can thrive and can be run. You have a beautiful new pavilion, you have a ground that's one of the nicest in the league, without any doubt, and also occupies a fabulous position within the village. There are few younger 1 ^st XIs around and that will stand you in great stead over the next few years as they mature. They will grow in Division Two and should be pressing to go into the highest division. You have thriving youth and women's sections, you've got it all. These thing do not happen by accident, they only happen because people who care take the time and the trouble to make them happen. It's absolutely fabulous."

Geoff and Mike become HLMs alongside Mike's father John, and also Stan Cobbold and John Mitchell.

Saveen signs in

Fri, 10 May 2024 19:56:11 GMT

Fernhurst CC welcomes overseas player/coach

We are delighted to welcome Saveen Gunarathne, who will be with us all season, playing for the 1st XI and coaching the juniors. Here is his message:

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining you as the overseas player for our 2024 cricket season. Originally from Sri Lanka, my family made the move to New Zealand in pursuit of greater educational and sporting opportunities when I was 10. Currently, I'm proud to represent the University of Waikato Premier Men’s cricket team in New Zealand. Excitement is in the air as Fernhurst 1st XI gears up for what promises to be an exceptional season. I'm eager to tackle the challenges ahead and lend my skills to the team in any way I can. Building on the success of last year, let's aim to make this season even more memorable.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Fernhurst Cricket Club for the warm welcome, especially Jon Meier and Mark Langridge, whose support has been unwavering since day one. The club's culture and sense of community have truly captured my heart. Here's to an incredi ble season ahead!"

Info below on coaching options.

Saveen is offering one-to-one coaching sessions for all members in return for a suggested donation to the club of £20. Please make your donations through the club store on your FCC Membermojo profile. So if you are looking to brush up on your skills or work on something specific, why not book your one hour session with him? To reserve your slot, please use the email options on the contact tab above.

NB: All sessions involving a junior must have the parent present for FCC to comply with current ECB safeguarding guidelines.

Rob signs off

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 10:24:19 GMT

Juniors' Manager reviews his decade

A strong sports club is built on its junior section and Fernhurst CC is no different. Rob Unwin has masterminded junior cricket for a decade: organising, coaching and umpiring hundreds of sessions. As he stepped down, we gave him our thanks ... but only after a quick debrief!

What was the proudest moment?

Seeing our then U13s giant-kill their way through to the Sussex County Cup semi-finals beating much bigger clubs en route. Plus seeing so many of our juniors progress to senior cricket, which was the reason why the junior section was formed. Mission accomplished!

What was the unexpected challenge?

Our numbers grew very quickly so it was ensuring all the children received quality coaching with the opportunity to participate in competitive matches.

How important is junior cricket in instilling standards and good behaviour?

Very. We always instil the importance of respect and good sportsmanship, we are not 'win at all costs' but we always want to be competitive.

How do you describe Fernhurst now they are no longer 'underdogs'?

A small village club punching well above its size! A place where the bigger clubs get caught out by our strong team spirit.

How important are clubs in filling the state school 'gap'?

Huge. Unless they are very lucky, little cricket is offered to children in state education, putting them at a huge disadvantage. FCC offers opportunities not available to some in terms of coaching and match experience.

If you had a magic wand, what is the main reform you would like to see?

Cricket not being a sport traditionally viewed as an upper class game with more children from state education participating, something that must be led by the county.

On retirement from the committee Rob became one of our Vice Presidents. He has left a strong team in place with the various age group managers co-ordinated by Mark Langridge. Rob says "I'm looking forward to seeing the junior section go from strength to strength and being able to sit and watch matches without the coach/manager's hat on!"

Pavilion volunteers

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 10:08:09 GMT

1st XI preview

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:29:33 GMT

Targetting strong start in Division 2

Our men's 1 ^st XI can't wait to get going after their barn-storming 2023 season when they won the I'Anson Division 3 title. They are back in Div. 2 at the first attempt. Captain Joe Unwin says "The new season brings a lot of excitement to our league teams. After a very strong 2023 we are looking to solidify and show we deserve to be near the top of the I'Anson".

Formed in 1901, the I'Anson is the oldest village league in continuous existence. Fernhurst was admitted when it opened up to more members and created more divisions in the mid-1990s. "The jump from Div. 3 to 2 will be huge," says Joe. "Playing many teams we have previously faced in Division 1 a few years ago! We expect to face stronger competition this year. As a team, we feel we deserve to be in Div. 2 and can, at our best, push for the top of the league. However, solidifying our place in Div. 2 is the main aim."

Familiar names like Frensham, Peper Harow and Puttenham await them. Joe says "We had multiple juniors make their first team debut last season. I am looking forward to seeing them become a core part of the team as they continue to improve." The season begins on May 4 ^th with a trip to Brook and a home game the following Saturday.

The fixture cards will be printed soon so please pick one up when we put them on display in the pavilion. All fixtures and scorecards will be on Play-Cricket.com, just search 'Fernhurst'. Fernhurst CC (play-cricket.com)

There will always be a home game on Saturdays as the 1 ^st XI and 2 ^nd XI alternate their weekends in the village.

With juniors, Flames, Sussex Senior men and friendlies too, it is shaping up to be another record-breaking season of fixtures ... which starts on April 21st with the Sunday XI!

Sunday XI 2024

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 17:47:58 GMT

Full fixture list of friendlies

"I won't practice too much", says one of the shining wits of the Sunday XI, "It stifles natural talent". And so indoor nets are underway for the 2024 season: the team with the longest fixture list is always the Sunday friendlies team. April 21 ^st will be the traditional curtain raiser against the Ancient Mariners but we won't hold our breath because, traditionally, it gets rained off.

Fernhurst's Sunday XI has always been a very important part of the club (the team photo is from the Ventnor match during our 'overseas tour' to the Isle of Wight last year). The younger members of that team all now play for the Saturday league sides - but they got their first taste of senior cricket on a Sunday, where the atmosphere is more relaxed. We like to win but the amusing repartee and the actual tea are bigger deals. The new pavilion bar was much enjoyed last season for a post-match chat with the visitors.

A lot of hard recruitment work over the past 15 years means we now have a squad of more than 40 players which is great because people can pick and choose which weekends they want to play. We are also very lazy and won't travel too far - in fact the furthest we go on a Sunday is to the Arundel Castle villages festival in May, which is definitely worth the trip. We are lucky that so many wandering teams want to spend an afternoon in Fernhurst: the Mariners are the longest-standing 'nomad' fixture, followed by Sir Tim Rice's Heartaches. We also have local derbies with villages like Ebernoe and Lynchmere.

So if you fancy dusting off your pads, please come on down or get in touch via the website. And if you want to watch the newest Fernhurst youngsters starting out in senior cricket then do pop by the Rec on a Sunday afternoon. Probably not April 21 ^st though ...

Simon Vigar

Captain, Sunday XI

Howzat! Winter Quiz

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:09:26 GMT

Feb 3rd :: Save the Date

Paul Cobbold

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 16:59:56 GMT

Tribute to former Fernhurst CC player

Everyone at Fernhurst Cricket Club was sorry to hear of the recent passing of Paul Cobbold, whose nickname was 'Rabbit'. Paul was the son of Stan, a former FCC Chairman and now one of our Honorary Life Members. Paul played alongside his brothers John & Carl in the team just prior to the I’Anson era. We send our condolences to the Cobbold family.

2023 Club Awards

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 07:21:56 GMT

Full list of award winners

They say it's not all about the winning but it is certainly more fun when you do. We celebrated a great season for the club, the first in our new pavilion, with the Annual Awards dinner in a packed main lounge. There is a full list of winners below and you will see Jack Whittington (pictured) won three for his batting heroics, which helped the 1 ^st XI to promotion. The Trevan Hingston Trophy (named after our former President who died this year) is for the player with the most Man of the Match nominations - this year shared by five players, so the engraver was very happy!

The Molly Hide Award is relatively new and named after the trail-blazing England player who once lived on Blackdown. 'Fernhurst Diamond(s)' is for the person or couple who have gone 'above and beyond'. Club stalwart Mike Allen was thanked as he steps back into the ranks after many years as 1 ^st XI skipper and, recently, Club Captain. There was also a presentation for Rob Unwin who stepped down as Juniors' Manager after a decade at the helm. Like Mike, Rob's contribution to the club has been immense. Just one example would be coaching the lad who worked his way up through all the junior teams, the Sunday and 2 ^nd XIs to become a star player for the 1 ^st XI. You've guessed it, Jack Whittington.

Fernhurst CC 2023 Award Winners

Captain's Award Jack Whittington

1st XI

Glazier Shield: Most Runs Jack Whittington

Lambert Shield: Most Wickets Sam Meier

M&J Shield: Most Catches Harry Lambert

Hingston Trophy: MoM Andjel, Crowder, Lambert, J Vigar, Whittington

Bishop Award: Players' Player Harry Lambert

2nd XI

Belfry Trophy: Most Runs Matt Westley

Pope Trophy: Most Wickets Abdur Rahman

Bucket Trophy: Most Catches Abdur Rahman

Sunday XI

Evans Trophy: Batting Avg. Bill Gourlay

Warren Trophy: Bowling Avg. Chris Williams

VPs Trophy: Catches Sam Meier

Fernhurst Flames

Molly Hide: Players' Player Jo Butler

Flames batting Stacey Allen

Flames bowling Stacey Allen

Club Awards

President's: Most Improved Hamish Unwin

Fernhurst Diamonds Shiobhaun & Alex Watt

Brunger Award: Best Junior James Vigar

1st XI Champions!

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 12:03:24 GMT

Fernhurst men win instant promotion from Division Three

The men’s 1 ^st XI at Fernhurst Cricket Club is celebrating promotion to I’Anson Division Two after just one season in Div Three. A barnstorming run of wins means they are going straight back up as champions.

Captain Joe Unwin said “This year has been a huge success. The squad have all pulled together to create a well-performing team but also one that everyone loves being a part of. The atmosphere within the team this season has been great, which has allowed us to start bringing a couple of junior players into the squad, who have exceeded expectations. Heading into Division Two we will be aiming to compete with the top.”

One of the main reasons for relegation last year was a lack of consistent player availability; something which has been corrected this year. It coincides with the opening of the fantastic, new pavilion, for which Fernhurst CC raised so much money.

The President of the I’Anson League, Keith Ellis, presented the squad with their medals and then Joe Unwin with the Miller Cup. Keith Ellis said “You’ve dominated the division this year. Rarely have there been more worthy winners of the Miller Cup than Fernhurst today. It’s brilliant to be here in front of your wonderful, new pavilion. This is a proper club, with a proper ground full of proper cricketers and on that basis alone you deserve this trophy. Your cricket has obviously been outstanding this year, after a couple of difficult years. It’s great to see you back on an upward trajectory.”

It is the first time Fernhurst CC has won the Miller Cup, which was first presented in 1922 to Shottermill CC. After several ups and downs for FCC, this is the first time the 1 ^st XI have been promoted as champions since 1999, when they won Division Two. The I’Anson League is believed to be the oldest, continuous league in village cricket. Fernhurst CC applied to join when it expanded in 1996.h

FCC Chairman Jon Meier said “After two challenging seasons for the 1 ^st XI, this year has been fantastic. New skipper Joe Unwin and Vice Capt. Sam Meier have led selflessly all season and created an excellent atmosphere among the team. Welcoming back some established players has given them a solid foundation, enabling us to integrate some of our talented youngsters into the set up and give them their first experience of cricket at this level. The club as a whole is rightly proud of their achievement and the future looks extremely bright as we look ahead to challenging in Division Two in 2024.”

It has been a very busy season for the club and the 1 ^st XI are not the only champions. Fernhurst Under 15s won their division in the Surrey Junior Cricket Championship (Tier 2 West). They have travelled far and wide since the start of May and put several ‘big’ clubs to the sword.

Fernhurst CC has been transformed over the past 15 years from one with no junior section and which was struggling for members. It now has several junior teams, the ‘Fernhurst Flames’ women and girls team and three men’s teams. Excellent nets and square and the new pavilion attract members from across the district. FCC even has an occasional playing member who is resident in Texas! New members are always welcome. Fernhurst CC believes in Sport for All, low membership fees and finds a team or a role for everyone.

U15 Champions!

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 16:55:30 GMT

Fernhurst top their division

Many congratulations to our Under 15 team for securing the title in their division of the Surrey Junior Cricket Championship (Tier 2 West). Confirmation of other results finally came through today. Since the beginning of May they have travelled far and wide, putting much 'bigger' clubs to the sword. They have done it with great Fernhurst Spirit, which has been wonderful to see. The smiles and the teamwork say it all. Several U15s are already playing senior cricket on Saturdays and Sunday s.

Juniors' Manager Rob Unwin says "It is a fantastic result and reward for the effort all the U15s put in this season. Every single member of the squad contributed in some way to their success, be it a smart bit of fielding, a catch, runs or a wicket or just a supportive word to a team-mate. I am immensely proud of them. They are a fantastic group and it’s always a pleasure for myself and Colin to manage their matches.”

Well done Ella!

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:40:22 GMT

Fernhurst player wins at Lord's

Is this a Fernhurst first? An FCC player on the main pitch at Lord's? Probably* ...

On Saturday, Ella Meier turned out for the MCC Foundation 'Guildford' team in the national U16 final at Lord's.

Ella, a stalwart of the Fernhurst Flames, is on the right of this picture, on the balcony of the Home dressing room. Guildford beat Bolton by four wickets in the final. The trophy was presented by MCC President Stephen Fry and the medals by England skipper Heather Knight (pictured below). Well done Ella - we are very proud and look forward to more trips to NW8!

**UPDATE** one of our Vice Presidents, Dr Chris Taylor, represented Rugby School at Lord's in 1968; they beat Marlborough. Chris has sent his congratulations to Ella.

Pavilion Video

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 07:37:58 GMT

Sports Clubhouses promo :: May 29th

This video was shot on the day of the internal T10 tournament and features our President ...

Official opening announced

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 07:17:06 GMT

Bank Holiday Monday 29th May

We are teaming up with the tennis and football clubs for the Pavilion's official opening on May 29 ^th :: three tournaments across three sports across the whole day.

Teams and captains are now confirmed:

Rix’s Renegades (yellow)

Meier’s Mayhem (red)

Owles’ Outlaws (blue)

Mitchell’s Marauders (green)

Please sign up now on Membermojo if you want to be part of the epic T10 tournament (go to the bottom of the 'Visit Store' page and remember to press checkout and then 'free checkout') - rules very similar to the Arundel Castle festival (i.e. retire on 20, max two overs per bowler, etc.). Jon, Rob, Joe and Simon will skipper the four cricket teams and a draft will operate to ensure a good spread of talent from all our teams, senior and junior, male and female. The first two matches will decide who goes into the third place play-off and then the Grand Final.

Just to be clear - you don't get to play in the other sports ... unless you really want to and the scheduling falls in your favour! The winning colour will be the team which accrues the most points across the three tournaments.

Dynamos sessions for girls

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 20:36:23 GMT

The perfect intro for girls

Trevan Hingston

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 21:15:09 GMT

Tribute to former Club President

We are saddened to report the death of our former President Trevan Hingston. Long-standing members will know how important he was to the club and we send our condolences to his family.

The picture shows Trevan (left) on his retirement from the Presidency in 2009. Sir Tim Rice, who remains a Vice President of FCC, presented him with six Waterford crystal tumblers.

Trevan's successor, John Mitchell, said "He was a wonderful President of FCC. Although it was long ago since he was able to see cricket played, he both attended and followed Fernhurst and England [an MCC member] with a rare passion. He was a great man who will be hugely missed."

There will be a private family funeral, with a later memorial service, probably in April.

In Trevan's honour, the pavilion Union Jack has been half-masted for a few days. His name lives on at Fernhurst CC in one of the 1 ^st XI trophies, which he donated years ago; it is for the player who achieves the most 'Man of the Match' nominations in a seas on.

New Year Message from Jon

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 14:41:28 GMT

by Fernhurst CC Chairman, Jon Meier

A new year brings a new pavilion. I cannot wait to use our fantastic lounge, bar and changing rooms and know I am not alone. The new pavilion is bigger, brighter and more beautiful than the old.

We should be rightly proud that Fernhurst Cricket Club members raised and donated so much and that we earned the financial backing of Sussex Cricket Foundation and the England Cricket Board at a critical juncture. Throughout 2022 we were at our adaptable best to get the game on. In fact, it was the busiest fixture list in the history of Fernhurst CC. No senior matches being rained off must be a first. We dealt with the lack of changing rooms and losing balls into the building site with typical Fernhurst fortitude.

A quick list of highlights:

# New mobile practice net, two more sightscreens, ropes for the second pitch and a full set of women’s hardball equipment all added to our inventory.

# 141 matches recorded on Play-Cricket

# Frog Box video streaming acquired and used in several I’Anson league matches

# Flames (pictured below) winning the I’Anson softball league for the second year in a row with three of the team making the rep team, winners with Petworth of the Sussex softball league and being named Team of the Year (again) in the Sport Haslemere awards.

# Record attendance at the end of season dinner. We were determined to be the first ‘club event’ in the new building and we were!

# another great year for all our junior teams and the Fernhurst youngsters who also play county cricket.

A lack of consistent player availability was one of the main reasons the 1st XI was relegated to Division 3 of the I’Anson league. I want to thank everyone who pitched in. Juggling team-sheets also impacted on the promotion push of the 2nd XI from Div 5. We all know Fernhurst should not be in Div 3 and we are all going to make a big effort to go straight back up again.

The Sunday XI had another extremely long season, stretching from late April to late September! Having a fun time went hand-in-hand with winning and, of course, keeping the tradition of the cricket tea. It is great to see so many of our juniors get their first taste of senior cricket in the Sunday friendlies. They return to Arundel Castle, Goodwood and Petworth Park in 2023 and there is even talk of an overseas tour …

Two special events this year: we are hopeful of hosting the I'Anson League Women & Girls Finals Day in mid-summer so it would be great to have a big turnout for that. Can the Flames do the hat-trick on home turf?! Earlier, on Bank Holiday Monday 29 ^th May, we will be running a large, internal T10 cricket tournament as part of the main community Opening Day event for Pavilion2022.

Finally, I want to thank John Mitchell who retired as our President at the AGM. Since 2009, John has been a prominent supporter, spectator and adviser to the club and I have found his counsel invaluable in my time as Chairman. It is fitting that John is able to see the fruits of his labours in being a key member of the trustees driving the pavilion project and knowing the club is in such good shape.

John is now one of four Honorary Life Members of Fernhurst CC and is succeeded as President by Bill Gourlay. I am delighted that Bill accepted our offer; he has played for Fernhurst for years, was instrumental in reviving the junior section and getting the nets constructed and, like John, has been absolutely key to the Pavilion2022 project.

2023 is a new era for our club. We know times are tough which is why there is no change to membership pricing. So, as I wish you a Happy New Year, I also encourage you to renew on your FCC Membermojo profile now!

Best wishes,

Jon Meier,

Chairman, Fernhurst Cricket Club.

2022 Awards video

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 10:40:20 GMT

Our highlights reel for 2022

Due to licensing, the music has been changed from the edit shown at the Awards Evening.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll

License code: HLHGH4XX5OGEZ5HI

Presidential change

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 13:50:45 GMT

John Mitchell bows out

Amid much thanks and applause, John Mitchell OBE stood down as our President at the club's Annual General Meeting on Thursday 17th November. John had been in post since 2009 and has helped to transform not just the club but the whole recreation ground. It was wholly appropriate the meeting took place in the new pavilion.

FCC Chairman Jon Meier presented John Mitchell with a framed honours cap and a bottle of his favourite malt whisky. Jon said "Since 2009, John has been a prominent supporter, spectator and adviser to the club and I have found his counsel invaluable in my time as Chairman. It is fitting that John is able to see the fruits of his labours in being a key member of the trustees driving the pavilion project and seeing the club in such good shape. As he stands down as President, a new era for the club is on the horizon."

The AGM approved Honorary Life Membership for John Mitchell, who is now one of four HLMs, joining John Allen, Stan Cobbold and Trevan Hingston. John expressed his pride in the club and his confidence in our future. He said he deeply appreciated the gifts along with honorary life membership.

So, who next? Well, it is someone who has worked very closely with John in the Pavilion2022 project and is already one of our Vice Presidents. Jon Meier told the meeting the committee had invited Bill Gourlay to become President of Fernhurst CC and was delighted to say he accepted. Although a non-executive role, John has demonstrated the President's importance as a figurehead who is able to give guidance and to fundraise.

Sadly, due to the date of the AGM changing, Bill wasn't able to attend but he later said "I am honoured to be invited to take up the baton from John Mitchell as President of the club. The changes seen during John’s tenure have taken us from a club on the brink of extinction, to one of the most successful in the area, with teams thriving across men's, women's and junior categories. Our fantastic, brand new pavilion was only possible through his vision, influence and leadership. Thanks for all of your hard work John, you’ve left some incredibly large shoes to fill!”

Bill is a regular player for the club, a former captain of the Sunday XI and one of the army of junior coaches. Ten years ago he was instrumental in getting the nets funded and constructed. Thanks to Bill and, while we are at it, thanks to our other Vice Presidents for their roles in the Pavilion2022 project.

2022 Awards Dinner

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 19:59:59 GMT

First Club event at new Pavilion

The first club event in the fantastic new pavilion took place on Saturday 12th November. We filled not just the Main Lounge but also the East Lounge, where the juniors dined before joining the main group for the presentations.

2022 was another record-breaking season for our growing club and we celebrated in style. The Women & Girls team, the Fernhurst Flames, continue to burn brightly, winning two cups this year. Stacey Allen’s key role was recognised with two awards while young Ella Meier won the Players’ Player vote.

Ella was one of several juniors who featured on the night; Ruari Watt won ‘Most Improved’ for his assured work behind the stumps while James Vigar’s razor-sharp all round game for the 2 ^nd XI earned him ‘Best Junior’. Archie McCreadie’s gobsmacking, match-winning catch for the Sunday XI saw him snaffle that award. The revamped ‘Clubman’ award is a splendid, engraved crystal for the ‘Fernhurst Diamond’ – this year it went to a couple of diamonds, Lisa & Mark Langridge, for all their work across every weekend.

Captain's Award Will Dyer

President's Trophy: Most Improved Ruari Watt

Fernhurst Diamonds Lisa & Mark Langridge

Brunger Award: Best Junior James Vigar

1 ^st XI

Glazier Shield Most Runs Alasdair Kidd

Lambert Shield Most Wickets Crowder/J Kidd

M&J Shield Most Catches Joe Unwin

Hingston Trophy Most MOM James Crowder

Bishop Award Players' Player Jack Kidd

2 ^nd XI

Belfry Trophy (runs) Steve Tytler

Pope Trophy (wickets) James Vigar

Vice Presidents' Trophy (catches) James Vigar

Sunday XI

Evans Trophy (batting av.) Chris Williams

Warren Trophy (bowling av.) Mark Langridge

VP Trophy (catch) Archie McCreadie

Fernhurst Flames

Molly Hide Award: Players' Player Ella Meier

Batting Stacey Allen

Bowling Stacey Allen

FCC Juniors 2022 report

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 08:35:08 GMT

Season review by Juniors' Manager Rob Unwin

2022 proved to be another successful season for the junior section. We saw numbers grow across most of the age groups and, very pleasingly, we had new members in our U8/9 age group which was really positive. Training commenced at the end of April and continued until August 20 ^th , we lost a couple of Saturday sessions to the weather and, in a first, not always due to the rain – in August we cancelled a session due to the heat!

In the league we entered the Surrey Junior Championship in U9, U11, U12 and U14 age groups and all the teams performed commendably, there are reports from the team managers further down. To summarise, the U9s in their first season of hard ball finished 3 ^rd , the U11s finished 4 ^th in an extremely competitive division, whilst the U12s, U14As and U14Bs finished runners-up in their respective leagues. Well done to all the children who competed and took part in matches this year and a massive thank you to the team managers, without whom we wouldn’t be able to enter age groups into the league. My thanks in particular go to Natasha Powlesland (U9), Shiobhaun Watt (U11), Mark and Lisa Langridge (U12 and U13) and Colin Butfield and Fleur Sinclair (U14B) for taking on the admin.

I will now leave you to enjoy the managers' end of season reports and pictures and I hope that we will see you all back in 2023. Please remember sign up for 2023 begins December 2022.

U9 – Natasha Powlesland

The U8/9 have had a great season with plenty of keen players. Turnout on a Saturday has been tremendous and they have enjoyed starting their cricket career with some league matches. Some great cricket has been played, with all players bowling and batting well and learning to play as a team in the field. Thank you to all the parents that have helped run these matches too! It has been a great season and shall look forward to next year's season.

U11 – Shiobhaun Watt

The U11s have had a great season with a squad of 25 enthusiastic and capable players. Each Saturday we’ve had a good turn-out for training with many committed players wanting to play matches every week.

The start of the season saw a couple of matches cancelled and disappointed children. The kids needed to show their resilience after turning up at Churt only to wait an hour in the rain for the match to then be called off! However, by mid May we were off and enjoyed regular matches until mid July. Of the 10 matches played, we won six and ended up finishing 4th in the league of nine teams.

We rotated the captaincy each week to allow as many as possible to have a turn and making the on field decisions of who should bowl next. The highlight however was leading the three cheers at the end.

It’s always hard to name particular players but recognition must go to U10s Rufus Priest and Eddie Thompson for playing up and holding their own, to U9s Brendan Watt and Toby Bowden for stepping in when we were short of players during holiday season and playing their first hard ball matches and to big hitters Ed Bowden, Felix Ghosh, Leo Corps and Dougie Watt. Particular mention should go to Leo who was playing his first full season of cricket and proved quite the destructive batsman! An enormous thank you to all the parents who helped score and umpire. We look forward to next season!

U12

Our Under 12 season started with a new experience for the team – a Cup Match! Away at Tilford, the boys cruised to victory winning by eight wickets and taking us through to the next round to face Guildford, again away. On paper this looked a tougher match, particularly with only 10 players available, so we knew we would have to be at our best, and I think the boys got the memo. Harry Owles bowled well taking 3 for 12. Charlie Hay got us off to a good batting start with 29, but with 4 wickets falling cheaply around him, it was the 6 ^th wicket stand of 39 from Dougie Watt and Harry Owles that saw us home to victory by 4 wickets. But our Cup run soon ended as we came up against the formidable Valley End Tier 1 team. Again away, (would we ever play at Fernhurst?), and again with only 10 players, Valley End put on a batting masterclass amassing 185. We were never at our best, and despite a valiant performance, were beaten by 101 runs.

Over in the league we had our usual strong start, with a comfortable win against Brook, where we bowled them out in 11 overs for just 33 runs, Charlie Hay and George Phillips surpassed Brook’s total in just under 4 overs with a commanding batting performance. Against Farnham, our bowling attack was again too strong, the first 3 wickets falling for just 1 run, bowling them out for 47. In reply, Dougie Watt showed everyone how to bat scoring all the required runs! An unusual scorecard.

Our home matches against Chiddingfold and Cranleigh were much more competitive affairs and narrowly won both matches. We knew the return away fixtures with these two teams would be tougher and they were in more ways than one! First up Cranleigh. With many of our team unavailable due to a school residential, we scraped together a team of 9 for a close fought match. We batted first, losing only one wicket, and with retirements from Charlie Langridge and Dougie Watt we brought up a seemingly defendable score of 158, however, with 9 players the gaps in the field seemed huge and despite taking 7 wickets, Cranleigh just managed to reach the required number of runs in the last over. Ouch!

Winning ways returned against Farnham, but our final match was away at Chiddingfold in the first week of August. This was the league decider, so we knew they’d put out their best and with many of our usuals on holiday and a few at the Southern Braves' first match, we could only scrape together a team of 9, with Rufus Priest (U10) making his debut for the U12s. Chiddingfold batted first, bringing up 151, a good score on a tricky wicket. Fernhurst took 5 wickets (2 for William Gateshill, 2 for Charlie Langridge, 1 for Finn Reeves). With the ball jagging around, keeping was tricky and despite a valiant effort from Ben Langley, extras were an added enemy. Our batting was similar to an England top order collapse and at one point we were 19/7. However, Frank Taylor and Sam Walker put on an admirable final wicket stand of 44, showing some dogged determination, to bring up a respectable 63.

Heads high, we hosted Brook for the final U12 match, again with few of the U12 regulars available! Brook were also struggling for players, but keen to play so we agreed 8 a side across several age groups. Eddie Thompson and Harry Jones made their U12 debuts, Rufus Priest joined us again and we also welcomed Isabel Jennings. Batting first, Charlie Langridge, Charlie Hay, Isabel Jennings and Max Cripps all retired as we brought up 164. Our bowling attack was again simply too strong for Brook, Eddie Thompson, Harry Jones and Rufus Priest each taking a wicket, with 2 each for Charlie Langridge and Charlie Hay.

The U12s have been captained this season by Charlie Hay who has risen to the challenge and led the team by example. Thank you Charlie. We welcomed some new players this season, Fraser, Fran and Tom and all the boys have put in some great performances, always playing the game in the right spirit and having fun.

Charlie Hay was the U12’s top total run scorer with 164, 90 of which were scored in our Cup matches, Max Cripps had the highest single score of 33. Charlie Langridge was Fernhurst and the U12 league’s, leading wicket taker, with 14 wickets, and best bowling figures of 3/1.

The title wasn’t to be this year, but there were some fine performances all round and every player should be proud of how they played. League runners up is a great achievement, with just two points in it. We look forward to seeing you all back next year!

U13

As the U12 league only consisted of 6 teams, we wanted to give our players more opportunities to play, so also entered an U13 team into a Sussex League. The team mainly consists of Under 12s, with a few U13s who usually play in U14s and is captained by Ruari Watt.

We had some lovely trips around the Sussex countryside to Ferring, Findon and Worthing on Sunday mornings. Our first match was against a 9 a side Findon who we bowled out in 13 overs for 42. Charlie Hay took 3/3 and there was a wicket each for Harry Owles, Dougie Watt and Jack Bailey. Our batting was a little mixed, but with retirements from Ruari Watt and Charlie Langridge, the required runs were made. Closer fought matches followed against Worthing and Ferring. Against Worthing, we batted first, with Hamish Unwin (30) and Charlie Hay (22) the pick of the batters and set a target of 124.Our bowling was simply superb! Hamish Unwin bowled 4 overs (2 maidens) for 13 runs and Isabel Jennings bowled 2 overs for 3 runs. George Phillips, William Gateshill and Charlie Langridge took the wickets and with two fine runs outs from William Gateshill and Fraser Anstey, Worthing finished on 100. A great match and a wonderful team performance. Next up Ferring who had proved to be our nemesis last year! We won the toss and elected to bowl first. Max Cripps made the breakthrough with 2 wickets in 2 balls and after Ruari Watt was relieved from keeping duties, he bowled beautifully to take 3 wickets in one over. Ferring set us a total of 155. We started well with Hamish Unwin (21), Charlie Hay (10), Ruari Watt (33 rno) and Charlie Langridge (21), but then the wickets tumbled and we were bowled out for 130.

Both home and away matches against West Chiltington, the subsequent league winners, were tough. Away, we only managed to post a score of 66, 20 of which were scored by Dougie Watt, which West Chiltington knocked off in just 7.1 overs. We fared better in the home fixture, making a total of 96 all out, and at least made West Chiltington bat through to over 18!

Sadly we didn’t get to play Broadwater, they conceded the match and we still have one fixture against Ferring to play. The result won’t change our league position, finishing a creditable 4 ^th , a great achievement, which all the players should be proud of, considering most of the squad were ‘playing up’.

Ruari Watt took the most wickets for the U13s with 6, with Charlie Hay best figures at 3/3. Batting wise, Ruari Watt also topped the batting with 109 runs and a top score of 33.

As a footnote to the U13s season, we finally played Ferring late in August and we were able to record a victory against them (at last) with no little thanks going to captain Ruari Watt's sensational bowling as he ripped the Ferring batting apart with figures of 7/10 in a destructive 3 over spell.

U14B – Colin Butfield

To B or not to B? That was the question at the start of the season. A fantastic collection of U14 cricketers but would there be enough interest to sustain two teams? After five months, six commanding victories, two heart-in-the-mouth wins …… and, ahem, Godalming, the answer is a resounding YES.

As a new manager it was an intimidating start. Godalming was the first game and it turned out they were a bit good. But there was something in our team spirit - chasing every ball in the field, encouraging each other and the early murmurings of what would grow to be a lot of good natured mickey taking. In time I was sure Peter’s optimistic running between the wickets would become as well timed as his striking of the ball, Connor would play a defensive shot and everyone would bowl as dead on target as Ella. What actually happened was something far more impressive. They really became a team. One that played in the best spirit of the game - highly competitive but always with smile and laugh.

Whilst on paper there was an A and a B team, in practice many of this great group of U14s played for both teams over the course of the season and the quality of cricket just grew and grew.

The two games against Frimley particularly stood out. The sides were evenly matched- either could have won. But in the home match Fernhurst didn’t give away a single extra- not one wide or no ball. Every single player bowled and everyone bowled brilliantly showing all the practice they put in over the season. I kept thinking surely one ball’s going to go a bit wayward…but to paraphrase one of the team as he threw in for a dramatic runout “NOT TODAY”

In the away fixture it came down to 1 run and the last ball. It was so tense I had to keep reminding myself I was umpiring not just watching. But seeing the Fernhurst team all hold their nerve, deliver when it really counted, run towards each other to celebrate and then quickly turn around to applaud the Frimley batters should make everyone at the club proud of the way they approach the game.

U14A – Robert Unwin

Fielding two U14 teams this season offered a multitude of matches for the players. Although called A and B teams, in reality many played in both teams. For the As one player from Elstead was the difference between us winning the league and finishing runners up as the league was decided by head to head results between Fernhurst and Elstead. In both matches, our nemesis was their talented wicket keeper Joe Ryman, scoring 44 not out and 45 not out across both fixtures; without him, I believe both matches would have swung in Fernhurst’s favour. Enough about Elstead, how about Fernhurst!

The U14s, captained by James Vigar, provided us with many evenings of entertainment over the late spring and summer from Oli Sutcliffe’s last- gasp winning runs in our first match of the season v Wonersh and Shamley Green, Hamish’s maiden 50 v Blackheath (7 fours and 2 sixes), in the same match skipper Vigar took four wickets which included two sensational run outs, both direct hits from distance (he was to repeat this sort of devastating form for the seniors later in the season), Toby Hunter's debut match v Hambledon smashing a six with his first ball faced, his batting continued in a similar vein all season with a swashbuckling all-or-nothing approach which was a joy to watch. To the last game of the season v Valley End where Noah Walker took four wickets and Dominic and Connor both won the game with not out innings of 41 and 20 respectively, Connor cheekily trying to win the game with an attempted ramp shot, which didn’t quite come off.

For the statisticians amongst you Play Cricket recorded the following facts in the Hall of Fame for the U14s:

Highest run scorer and highest individual score with 142 and 50 not out – Hamish Unwin

Highest Strike rate (not surprisingly) of 144.83 – Toby Hunter

Highest wicket taker with 15 – Charlie Langridge

Best bowling figures with 4-9 – Noah Walker

Best bowling economy 2.2 – Jack Bailey

All the matches were played in excellent spirit with a great team camaraderie and sense of humour throughout. The U14s were represented by players from the U11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups and a couple of games would not have taken place had it not been for the willingness of the likes of Jonny Raymond, Dougie Watt and Max Cripps to step up and play when they were needed, all three playing brilliantly against much bigger opposition. A special thanks goes out to Nick Sutcliffe for scoring most of the matches and Joe Unwin, Mark Langridge and Alex Watt for helping with team management and umpiring duties.

AGM date chage

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 11:47:05 GMT

Now 17th November

It will now be held a week later on Thursday 17 ^th November at 7pm, at the pavilion.

We have had to change due to an important I'Anson League meeting scheduled for the 10th.

All members are encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting as we review 2022 and plan ahead for 2023. Questions, ideas and volunteers are very welcom e!

Fernhurst Flames do the Double

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 09:52:11 GMT

Another scorching season for the Flames

The ambition to make our village a hub for women and girls cricket is well on course after another scorching season for the Fernhurst Flames. They have done 'the double' this summer, winning both the Sussex and I'Anson titles.

First up came the successful defence of their I'Anson crown. The I'Anson league comprises clubs like Chiddingfold, Grayshott, Grayswood and Farncombe. The Flames beat the latter in the final at Farncombe. For the Sussex games, Fernhurst has a partnership with Petworth Park CC. They qualified for Finals Day with a 100% record in the Sussex women's softball league. The finals took place on the first weekend in September at the Southern Vipers training facility in Brighton.

Flames coach Jon Meier said, "The semi-final was against Rottingdean and, following a close run chase, set up a final against Chiddingfold. An excellent batting display saw the Flames post 281. Chiddingfold lost a series of wickets early on so victory was comfortably achieved by 25 runs to make this a double winning season. With the section proving their quality again this year we now look forward to playing in the new I'Anson hardball league in 2023 to add this to our growing list of trophies."

If you want to get involved - or know someone who might - please get in touch.

Fernhurst Juniors 2022

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 09:49:17 GMT

Another busy season beckons

The arrival of April will mean the long, winter months of waiting are over. Cricket will be back at the Rec and that means very busy Saturday mornings with a field full of junior training. Fernhurst CC Junior Manager Rob Unwin says he hopes to build on a great season in 2021, "I want to offer greater opportunity for all players to participate in league cricket, with more teams spread over a number of divisions, meaning players of all abilities can get involved regularly and gain valuable match experience.”

March saw the start of indoor nets at MRC but the first outdoor training session for the juniors will be on the morning of Saturday 30 ^th April, with the senior league season beginning that afternoon. The Sunday XI play their first match a week earlier on the 24th, the traditional and sometimes chilly curtain-raiser against Ancient Mariners. “We also welcome three new coaches, who we hope will bring greater flexibility and challenge the children with some fresh ideas,” says Rob. All three are products of the junior set-up at Fernhurst who have now gained their ECB Level 1 qualifications. Well done to Libby Adey, Sam Meier and Joe Unwin.

Following the success of the Fernhurst Flames last year. Rob says “We want to encourage as many girls as possible to join this year in line with FCC being a key Sussex hub for women and girls cricket.”

We are going to have to be at our adaptable best while the new pavilion takes shape but the construction is symbolic of how far we have come and how we are building for the future. If you want to be part of the club, we would love to have you. Please come along any weekend or you can contact us through the 'contact' dropdown menu above.

Happy New Year ... and pavilion!

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 10:42:52 GMT

Work is underway

As you can see from the photo, work is already underway at the pavilion. After 50 years of great memories there, it is finally time to make some new ones in a new building. We don't know when Pavilion2022 will be ready so this season will see us at our adaptable best. I am delighted that the grant application to the England Cricket Board, on which we have been working for so long, came good in November giving the whole project the green light. Thanks very much to everyone who has already donated but we have to keep going due to escalating costs in the construction trade. When you renew your subs on your Membermojo profile (no time like the present!) you will see an option to add a donation.

The final season in the old pavilion was memorable for all sorts of reasons. With Covid restrictions still in place, we took the experience of 2020 and delivered the busiest season in the club’s history. We had a record number of members at 189, purchased a new LED scoreboard and sightscreens and staged a remarkable 73 home matches. Our very young 1st XI gained valuable experience in almost staying in Division One and I am sure they will bounce back, promotion beckons from Div Five for the 2nd XI and the Sunday XI had a bumper season of friendlies including the Arundel Castle T10 title. The U13s reached the semi-finals of the Sussex ECB National Cup and won Junior Team of the Year at the Sport Haslemere awards. The U11s won their league while the new Women & Girls team, the Fernhurst Flames, won the inaugural I’Anson league, were runners-up in the Sussex league and named Team of the Year by Sport Haslemere.

Thank-you to all the members and supporters and especially the volunteers who put in so many hours. Thank-you to our President John Mitchell, whose support to the club and myself is invaluable. And last but not least thanks to Mischa Allen who's leaving the committee after ten years sterling service as Secretary. Here’s to 2022 as we continue to build this great club.

Kind regards, Jon Meier

Chairman, Fernhurst CC

Pavilion2022 - Message from Jon

Sat, 27 Nov 2021 18:27:23 GMT

Construction gets formal approval

I am thrilled to share the news with you that Pavilion2022 has been given the formal go ahead. After several years of hard work, Fernhurst CC has secured a grant of £150,000 from the England Cricket Board. It is a major vote of confidence in the cricket club and all we are trying to achieve. The ECB decision is hot on the heels of major grants from Sport England and South Downs National Park Authority. At a meeting on Monday, Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust (FRGT) formally approved the construction project. The original budget of £700,000 has now been achieved but due to soaring costs and quotes in the building trade our fundraising will have to continue.

In another boost for the club, the ECB approved a further grant of £50,000 for the development of Women & Girls cricket. They and the Sussex Cricket Foundation have earmarked Fernhurst as a centre of excellence in this part of the world. Needless to say, I am delighted. The news follows the inaugural season of the I'Anson W&G league which was won by the Fernhurst Flames.

So, money - the fundraising simply must continue to guarantee the quality of facility we deserve. We, Fernhurst CC, are the leading sports club on fundraising for Pavilion2022 and we should be proud of that. We have guaranteed FRGT another £25,000 over five years (other clubs have made similar commitments).

If you would like to make a donation please email me in confidence (using the 'contact' tab above). On membership renewal on Membermojo we will be adding an 'opt in' button for £20 towards Pavilion2022. The new committee has agreed a modest rise of £10 in membership subscriptions for 2022. A £70 sub still means that membership of Fernhurst CC is well below every other local cricket club. We believe in Sport for All and that inclusive ethos is very important to all of us on the committee.

Many people have been involved in the fundraising but I want to pay a special tribute to our President John Mitchell and Vice Presidents Bill Gourlay, Peter Bristowe and Graham Heath. My predecessor as chairman, Derek Pope, got the ball rolling on this back in 2017. Thanks Derek.

The existing pavilion will soon close. Many happy memories were made there but, at 50 years old, it simply isn't up to the job anymore. I have no idea how long the building work will continue but 2022 will be a special, unusual season. Let's look forward to making some new memories when we finally get a pavilion to be proud of.

Kind regards, Jon Meier

Chairman, Fernhurst Cricket Club

Pavilion2022 gets green light

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 17:44:40 GMT

Final fundraising push is on

Fantastic news here from FRGT ...

"Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust is delighted to announce the building programme for a new pavilion has received the green light. South Downs National Park Authority has approved the crucial grant of cash needed to allow building to commence on Pavilion2022. The planning committee has approved £200,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Despite Covid, the Fernhurst fundraising team had already scored some major successes, including a pledge of £100,000 from Sport England, in addition to many donations from local people. Further grants and donations are still being sought to allow the best possible facility to be delivered. John Mitchell OBE of Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust said “We are thrilled to bits but we haven’t finished fundraising. We really need some final pledges to ensure we can make this a pavilion we are all proud of. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped and donated but we need a final push now.”

The various lockdowns of 2020 and early this year thwarted fundraising events but, behind the scenes, many applications were made to various charitable trusts. Planning permission had been granted in 2019 for a much improved pavilion to cater for the large increase in membership of the various sports clubs. Cricket, football and tennis have all thrived in recent years, and a new, independent on-site caterer, Green Café, has proved very popular in 2021.

Donations are still very much welcome: search ‘Fernhurst’ on GoFundMe.com

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/fernhurst-pavilion-2022

Big wins at Sport Haslemere awards

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 08:35:26 GMT

U13s and Flames both honoured

Many congratulations to the Fernhurst CC Under 13 team and coach Rob Unwin who won 'Junior Sports Team of the Year' at the Sport Haslemere awards. It reflects an epic season for the boys who had a great run in the ECB National Cup and, later in the summer, the Sussex Festival. (Sport Haslemere covers all the clubs in all the sports in the district).

Winners of the overall prize for 'Sports Team of the Year' were ... the Fernhurst Flames! It caps a debut season in which our Women & Girls won the inaugural I'Anson league title. Three of the youngest players, Daisy, Ella and Isabel, collected the Sport Haslemere trophy during the ceremony at Haslemere Hall on October 13th. Well done to all - how do you follow that?!

2021 Fernhurst CC Awards

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 09:28:15 GMT

The Molly Hide Award presented for first time

Incredibly important to the development of women's cricket and yet not widely known, Molly Hide was a local woman who captained England both sides of WWII. We thought there could be no better name for one of the awards for our all-conquering Fernhurst Flames. This new, framed honours cap is now the Players' Player award and, by popular vote, the first ever recipient is Daisy Langridge. Also collecting awards at the club's presentation evening, both for most runs and wickets, was Stacey Allen.

For the men's teams, Will Dyer and Jack Whittington were the big winners. Thanks to all who organised another excellent awards night at the pavilion and congratulations to all the winners.

1st XI

Captain's Award: Will Dyer

Glazier Shield (most runs) Jack Whittington

Lambert Shield (most wickets) James Crowder

M&J Shield (catches) Joe & Jude Unwin

Hingston Trophy (Most Man of Match) Oscar Henderson

Bishop Award (Players' Player) Jack Whittington

2nd XI

Belfrey Trophy (most runs) Steve Tytler

Pope Trophy (most wickets) Jack Kidd

VPs Trophy (catches) Abdur Rahman

Sunday XI

Evans Shield (runs average) Jack Whittington

Warren Shield (bowling average) Ben Geddes

VPs Shield (catches) Matt Westley

Club awards

President's Award (most improved) Jack Kidd

Brunger Award (best junior) Harry Adey

Clubman Award: Will Dyer

We are the Champions!

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 09:46:26 GMT

Winners of inaugural I'Anson competition

The Fernhurst Flames are champions of the inaugural I'Anson league competition for women and girls - what a way to end their debut season! It all came down to finals day at Farncombe. Fernhurst CC Chairman Jon Meier has been coaching the Flames ...

Jon said "Following on from one of the most dramatic matches I have been involved in, where the Fernhurst Flames beat Blackheath by one run off the last ball of their semi-final, I was immensely proud to watch them produce the almost perfect team performance to sweep away Farncombe in the final. Every batter made a meaningful contribution and the total of 341 for 3 always looked a tall order, which it proved to be as we restricted Farncombe to 260 for the loss of 11 wickets in their 20 overs. Winning the first ever I'Anson women and girls league is an incredible achievement for the club and the development of the section and the players this year has been outstanding. I must also give special mention to the joint Fernhurst/Petworth women's side which was playing simultaneously in Brighton in the Sussex league finals day. They beat Crawley on their way to losing a keenly-contested final against Burgess Hill. This relatively new section is going from strength to strength and I am sure there will be more trophies in 2022."

Fernhurst Flames make finals

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 08:26:19 GMT

Women & Girls go from strength to strength

On another weekend blighted by rain, we were fortunate to finally stage our Women & Girls Festival on Friday night before the storm clouds appeared. 40 players took part in the soft ball festival. It has been a fantastic debut season for the Fernhurst Flames in league competition. At time of going to press they are looking forward to an appearance in Sussex Finals Day in Brighton after beating Steyning in the quarter-finals. They have also entered the I'Anson league which includes the same local clubs that the men play, including Grayshott and Chiddingfold. The Flames made it through to finals day there as well. Congratulations to all the players, manager Helen Hayward and coaches Stacey Allen and Jon Meier. There is a great Fernhurst team spirit and more women and girls are encouraged to get involved in 2022.

Speaking of team spirit, it is something our junior coaches foster right from the start. It is good to hear opposition coaches pass comment on it. Many of our junior teams had a great summer (rain permitting) including the Under 13s who made it to the semi-finals of the ECB National Cup competition in Sussex. They beat some much bigger clubs on the way and it is fair to say that 'Little Fernhurst' have a growing reputation. The boys also entered the Sussex Festival in mid-August and 11 of them, from various age groups, have been playing county cricket for Hampshire or Sussex this summer.

2021 Summer Camps

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 08:49:21 GMT

August 2nd, 3rd, 16th & 17th

Our fabulous Summer Camps are back for ages 5-12 :: fun training and mini-competitions with prizes :: 9am-3.30pm :: £35 per day (members can pay via the 'Visit Store' part of their Membermojo profile) :: ECB and First Aid qualified coaches :: please email juniors@fernhurstcricketclub.org.uk

New sponsorship deal

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 07:30:35 GMT

Juniors partnership with Highfield & Brookham

We are delighted to have teamed up with Highfield & Brookham Schools in a new partnership focussed on our junior section. You will see their logo on the shirts of coaches and a branding presence at all the home games.

Fernhurst CC Chairman Jon Meier said “This three year deal is fantastic news for the club in general and the booming junior section in particular. There is so much crossover between the club and the schools, including plenty of players. All the junior coaches are looking forward to working closely with Highfield & Brookham. We have so many games now we may need to ask a favour for some overspill fixtures!”

Several shirt sponsorship deals for teams have ended so it is a natural time to look at other partnerships. If your company or organisation is interested in backing Fernhurst CC then please get in touch.

***for parents of U7-U11 players***

Highfield and Brookham Schools’ next Open Mornings are on Saturday 24th April and Friday 18th June. They are a Nursery, Pre-prep and Prep school with day and boarding options for boys and girls aged 2-13. They are in Liphook on the borders of Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex in the heart of the South Downs National Park. Book your place on their Open Mornings at https://bit.ly/39cjdsF

Green Cafe at the Pavilion

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 11:10:51 GMT

Extra value for your shots

We are delighted to confirm a major, caffeinated boost to catering at the Rec. Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust has teamed up with South Downs Coffee to improve the offer at the pavilion.

‘Green Cafe at the Pavilion’ will be open for take-away drinks from Monday 29th March to align with the return of cricket nets and tennis. A full rollout of sandwiches, ice creams and much more will occur over the following days. A proportion of all money spent at the cafe will go towards Pavilion2022. Please support this new venture and spread the word.

Easter Weekend

Good Friday – 8am – 4pm

Saturday – 9am – 4pm

Sunday – Closed

Easter Monday – 11am -3pm

Tuesday 6th – Closed

Wednesday 7th onwards until further update towards the end of April we are open:

Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 8am-4pm

Saturdays 9am-4pm

Sundays 11am-3pm

Sport England backs Pavilion2022

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 13:39:37 GMT

Big vote of confidence

Sport England has delivered a decisive boost to Fernhurst’s campaign for a vastly improved sports pavilion. The country’s leading body for grassroots sport is making a grant of £100,000 to Pavilion2022. It follows a series of smaller awards from charitable trusts.

Bill Gourlay of Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust said, “This is a massive vote of confidence in what we are trying to do and gets us so much nearer to the target. The fundraising team have been busy for four years now and the pandemic hasn’t stopped them. Our old pavilion has become a victim of our success and Sport England recognised how many people are trying to access it. This really vindicates our ‘Sport for All’ strategy.”

He continued “As if we needed a carrot, the grant from Sport England is provisional upon our raising the rest of the required funds, so now the incentive really is there to take this opportunity whilst we can.”

Pavilion2022 is Fernhurst’s campaign to rebuild at the village recreation ground. The pavilion is the last piece in the jigsaw after major improvements to the pitches and the addition of tennis courts and cricket nets. Traditional fundraising events remain on hold but the ambition is to stage the Blackdown Hill Challenge later in the year, when it is safe to do so.

Before the latest announcement more than £220,000 had been raised towards the Pavilion2022 target of £700,000. Individual donations are welcomed at gofundme.com/f/fernhurst-pavilion-2022

New 1st XI Captain

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 21:32:48 GMT

JJ takes over from Tristan

Fernhurst CC is delighted to unveil James Johnson as the new captain of the 1st XI. He takes the reins from Tristan Rissik who has masterminded the transformation of the team's fortunes in recent years. Jack Whittington has been appointed as Vice Captain.

FCC Chairman Jon Meier said " After five very successful seasons, including two promotions, Tristan has decided it is time for him to stand down. He will remain an integral part of the team in Division One this season and beyond. His efforts in getting the I'Anson league teams to where they are has been a huge part of the club's growth and success over the past few years and the thanks of myself and the committee go to him for all that he has done. Big shoes to fill but I have every confidence that 'JJ' will make a big success of the position."

JJ won two club awards in 2020 including the Glazier Shield for most league runs. James said "It is an incredible and dedicated family at Fernhurst Cricket Club. I'm thrilled at the opportunity to be responsible as Captain with this amazing team. Massive shoes to fill but I am very grateful that Tristan will be staying with us, focussing on his tremendous skills. Looking forward to a top finish in 2021!"

The committee is also pleased with the appointment of Jack Whittington as Vice Captain. Jack is a product of the thriving junior set-up at Fernhurst and won the Clubman Award in 2020. JJ said " Jack is highly dedicated and works hard on and off the field. He understands the dynamics of the players and the club and is a class performer. Besides some tidy keeping, Jack has an excellent eye and we’re looking forward to him scoring some important runs this season. I know I can rely on him and look forward to Jack lifting every game to its highest level."

Another big pavilion pledge

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 09:12:20 GMT

Pavilion2022 campaign

Pavilion2022 is delighted to announce another big pledge of £25,000. The fundraising team has been busy bidding for grants from charitable bodies and this latest pledge comes from an institution which prefers, at this stage, to remain anonymous. Other major grant bids are also in.

Pavilion2022 is Fernhurst’s campaign to rebuild at the village recreation ground. The pavilion is the last piece in the jigsaw after major improvements to the pitches and the addition of tennis courts and cricket nets. Graham Heath of Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust said “When you know that others outside the village, having read and considered our plans, support it with a pledge of £25,000, it is very encouraging and spurs us all on to get it done.”

Traditional fundraising events remain on hold but the ambition is to stage the Blackdown Hill Challenge later in the year, when it is safe to do so. More than £220,000 has been raised towards the Pavilion2022 target of £700,000.

Get your hat!

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 18:35:12 GMT

Look the part this season

We encourage all members to get their own, personalised cap or sunhat: they are made for Fernhurst CC by Gentlemen & Players, top suppliers to national, county and club sides.

The cap is £25 and the design is 'traditional English' (i.e. not as baggy as the Aussie 'Baggy Green'). The sunhat or 'Brimmer' is a new line at £20. Both can be monogrammed, sizing chart is below.

An order will be going in pre-season so please pay via the 'Visit Store' section of your Membermojo login. Then advise a committee member of your size and monogram preference.

Big pledge for Pavilion2022

Sat, 12 Dec 2020 16:34:16 GMT

New building another step closer

Traditional fundraising may have taken a back seat during 2020 but the hard work has continued behind-the-scenes in the campaign for a new sports pavilion for Fernhurst. The organisers of Pavilion2022 are delighted to confirm a wonderful pledge of £10,000, which is another big step towards the total. It has been made by the Bernard Sunley Foundation which supports fantastic community projects across England & Wales.

Pavilion2022 aims to update and upgrade the building at Fernhurst Recreation Ground which has been outgrown by the many clubs which now use it all year round. The campaign wishes to put on record its thanks to the Bernard Sunley Foundation as the pledge will make a real difference to upgrading a vital village resource.

If you would like to donate please go to our crowd funding page, https://www.gofundme.com/f/fernhurst-pavilion-2022

Fernhurst CC 2020 montage

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 09:08:59 GMT

Half a season but a lot of games!

2020 AGM report

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 08:37:09 GMT

'Full of pride' for the way the club coped

FCC Chairman Jon Meier told the Annual General Meeting he is 'full of pride' for the way the club coped during the Covid-amended season of 2020 (see below for his full report).

At a well-attended Zoom meeting it was great to see new people stepping up to take on committee roles. James Crowder is the new Treasurer while James Johnson is now Vice Captain of the 1st XI. After ten years fantastic service to the club, Mischa Allen is stepping down as Hon Secretary. We need someone to volunteer as Mischa's successor.

The new committee (which is very much like the last) agreed to freeze member subs and match fees for another year.

Chairman's report

Looking back a year to the 2019 AGM no one could have predicted the events of the past 12 months. Challenging to everyone and pretty challenging to a village cricket club but I am full of pride and admiration for the way in which Fernhurst CC dealt with everything and produced a memorable season for all its members.

We started the year bedding in a new website, new membership database and a new payment system. All of these have proved to be invaluable tools in making the club smoother to run and as we learn more about their capacities this will only aid us further; the significant investment of 2019 was well worth it. As spring came, we looked forward to a busy season; the square was prepared early, the nets were refurbished and then came lockdown. We then looked at the challenges ahead; would we play at all, would we play part of a season, could we run junior coaching & matches? All this whilst the sun shone and we had one of the best starts to a season weather-wise in recent times. Hope appeared to be beckoning and then came that announcement; ‘a cricket ball is a vector of disease’. The Fernhurst press machine was in full flow and before we could blink, in 34 degrees of heat, Sky Sports News came to the village and put us on the map as we went out several times in their news programme that weekend. More was to follow as BBC South Today picked up the baton and we featured on the evening and late-night news shows. Who knows what difference we might have made but then suddenly cricket was back on and we sprang into action.

Covid protocols were put into place, socially-distanced coaching sessions were arranged, nets booking systems were established, the outside bar was built and we finally started in the middle on the 11th of July. From this point on it was non-stop; both Saturday I’Anson teams playing half seasons, the Sundays cramming in almost a season’s worth of fixtures and the many junior teams playing a large number of matches. The membership numbers increased across all ages and the senior teams especially benefitted from an influx of new players; we must keep them next year and build further. The season finale of a three-way triangular tournament that finished in the near dark with the result going down to the final ball with the senior Saturday & Club awards afterwards was a fitting sign off. The

Sunday XI managed a socially-distanced curry awards night and the junior awards will return next year.

I want to say a very special thanks in this most difficult of years to all my committee members who put so much in to getting the season on; we were the envy of many a visiting team and a source of great pleasure to the many people from the village and other spectators who came to watch matches or buy a drink at the bar. Also, I would like to thank all the volunteers & helpers behind the scenes for the work they do on the grounds, the bar and coaching. This doesn’t go unnoticed and is a big part of what make the club successful. It is great to now have helpers from the colts right through to the old stalwarts doing their bit.

The club is, in my opinion, as strong as it has been since I have been fortunate enough to be a member. I look forward to 2021 for us to continue the success and ethos of Fernhurst Cricket Club whatever challenges may be thrown at us.

Jon Meier, Chairman, Fernhurst CC

Sunday XI awards

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 18:56:25 GMT

Wham, bam, thank-you Sam

Sam Meier was the big winner at the socially-distanced yet glittering Sunday XI awards do. No longer can we describe him as a ‘rising’ star because in the season of 2020 he was The Star. Sam won the Evans Shield for batting with an average of 72, amassing 436 runs in a truncated season. When I tell you the next two batsmen on the list averaged 29 it gives you a measure of what Sam achieved against some very handy attacks. The Sunday XI may not play in a league but don’t be fooled into thinking the opposition is low quality.

The Warren Trophy for bowling went to a player with 21 wickets, 11 maidens and a best of 4-6. His average was 7.19 and his name is ... Sam Meier. Sam’s deadly swing bowling impressed and trapped many visitors, including a former captain of Hampshire, Mark Nicholas. Never let it be said the Sunday XI is a one man team but in 2020 it sometimes seemed that way. In fact, 16 new players debuted for the Sunday XI this year with a total squad of 44. We added Arundel Castle to our away grounds so, along with trips to Goodwood and Petworth, we are getting quite lah-di-dah.

The Vice Presidents’ Shield for catch of the season was again close-fought with another strong claim by 2019 winner Chris Williams in the autumnal match at Lynchmere. However, minutes later, Rob Unwin took a spectacular, Stokesian one-hander in the slips. The look of shock on our faces was trumped only by the look on Rob’s. Next year it could be you: whether you fancy two games or 12, do join us for 2021, there is a team or role for everyone at Fernhurst CC.

2020 Club Awards

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 06:52:59 GMT

Oscar wins at the club Oscars

Covid may have stopped large indoor events but it wasn’t going to stop our annual awards do. We couldn’t have the traditional dinner at the pavilion so had an external, socially-distanced prizegiving. One of the big winners at our Oscars was Oscar Henderson (pictured) who had a great season for the 1st XI. Oscar shared with skipper Tristan Rissik the Lambert Shield for most league wickets while taking two more awards including Players’ Player. Cricket resumed in the second week of July with the I’Anson league allowing teams to play one another once without the prospect of promotion or relegation. Fernhurst CC finished mid-table with a 50% win rate – invincible Tilford took the title.

James Johnson bagged two awards including the Glazier Shield for most runs while club captain Mike Allen collected the Hingston Trophy for most ‘Man of the Match’ honours. 2nd XI cups went to Jude Unwin, Abdur Rahman and Steve Tytler with Jude also winning the Brunger award for Best Junior. Louis Eden won the President’s Trophy for Most Improvement, Jack Whittington the Clubman award while Sam Meier got the uncoveted yellow bath toy for Most Ducks.

However, he was always likely to receive cups more coveted. Sam was in scintillating form for the Sunday XI all summer and rightly bagged both the Evans Shield for batting and the Warren Shield for bowling. Sunday XI Catch of the Season was a close contest but the deal was sealed in Stokesian style by Rob Unwin in the penultimate fixture at Lynchmere.

Arundel Castle T10 Festival

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 21:05:21 GMT

Fernhurst's big day at historic ground

On one of the hottest days of the heatwave, Fernhurst CC played at the historic Arundel Castle ground in a T10 Festival for Sussex villages. It was a case of lost one, won one as the Ferns came third but cricket was very much the winner ... along with Madehurst CC.

It was something of a red letter day for Fernhurst as this XI was one of four senior teams fielded over the weekend: a logistical feat which would have been impossible even two years ago.

While this is our main website for the club, the Fernhurst section of Play-Cricket.com is where we now do all the fixtures, selections and stats ...

fernhurst.play-cricket.com

ECB guidance on matches

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 06:45:42 GMT

Socially distanced cricket is on

Cricket is back

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 17:58:10 GMT

Village rejoices as Fernhurst World Cup is saved

Forget Wimbledon and the Lord's Test, the highlight of Britain's sporting summer has been saved in the nick of time. Yes, the Fernhurst World Cup will take place on July 12th, showcasing teams representing the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It will be the first senior match on the Rec in 2020 after the extraordinary, Covid delay to the cricket season, along with every other sport.

Junior training began last weekend and league cricket will return on the 18th. The ECB is expected to publish the restrictions soon but play will be 'socially distanced'. After weeks of confusion the Prime Minister announced last week that club cricket is now permitted.

The Northern hemisphere is represented by Fernhurst's Sunday XI while 'Southern' is a collection of enthusiastic villagers who hail from beneath the equator. South 'won' last year after being granted a ludicrous 100-run advantage. They are holders of the prestigious Fernhurst World Cup but not for long ...

BBC South Today visits Fernhurst

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:50:00 GMT

Get the game on!

Sky Sports News comes to Fernhurst

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 17:12:53 GMT

'Cricket is a safe game to play'

Guess which club Sky Sports News wanted to film for a piece on growing lockdown frustrations? Yes, a crew visited Fernhurst CC on Thursday 25th June and the link to the report is below. There is also a feature in the County Press. Well done to Jon and all the players who took part ... especially the bowlers!

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/cricket/12015189/cricket-is-a-safe-game-to-play

https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/sport/cricket/let-us-play-cricket-or-sport-will-suffer-years-sussex-club-chairman-warns-government-and-ecb-2891505

Covid progress: net on the square

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 17:19:50 GMT

Groups of six now permitted

In line with current ECB guidelines Fernhurst CC is now able to offer to signed up members only a practice facility for up to six participants at any one time. This will be a prepared wicket on the square with the use of a new practice net and spring back stumps. This will commence from Saturday (June 20th) with the following sessions available -

Saturdays

10.30am - 12.30pm

1.30pm - 3.30pm

4.00pm - 6.00pm

Sundays

10.30am - 12.30pm

1.30pm - 3.30pm

4.00pm - 6.00pm

These sessions are available now to book online via the club's membership system. Each participant needs to book their own individual slot to join a session. One booking per member per day only. These sessions will continue to be available until the club is allowed to stage larger group activities or matches. Participants must use their own ball and their own equipment; social distancing is to be observed at all times.

Any problems with booking please contact Jon Meier 07841 397151

Vernon Heath

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 17:56:01 GMT

1932-2020

It is with great sadness we learned of the death of Vernon Heath, a Vice President of Fernhurst CC and one of our staunchest supporters. Our thoughts are with Vernon’s family and the tribute here has been written by his nephew Graham Heath. You will see near the end an incredibly generous decision by the family towards the club and they have our thanks.

“In his playing days Vernon would cycle miles to get a game. He loved both cricket and football. Later, he would tour the area on his motorbike or by coach to the local dances.

He was born in Henley, one of six boys, in 1932. He went to school in Easebourne and moved to Fernhurst during the war. Vernon worked for ICI, formerly Plant Protection Ltd (PP to the locals) all his working life, growing plants for research, chrysanthemums and tomatoes for the market.

Vernon enjoyed cricket, football, fishing and chatting, particularly to ladies! If you wandered down to the pavilion to watch cricket Vernon, inevitably, could be found smiling and laughing in the company of his friends. He played cricket for Plant Protection Ltd and would always much rather be doing that than working. A trip to Fratton with him to watch Pompey and meet up with colleagues and friends on the terrace was always fun. Occasionally we would join the coach for an away match at Charlton or venture off to the Goldstone Ground. In a recent conversation with an old friend, cheese rolling in Easebourne was mentioned as something that happened annually. In 50 odd years that was the first time it had been mentioned. What was going on?!

The private funeral will be on June 23rd with the cortege driving through the village and past the Rec one last time. Vernon's daughter Karen asks that in place of flowers, donations are instead made to the cricket club.

Given the current rules and guidance with respect to Covid-19 the family is tentatively planning a get together for October 13th which would have been Vernon’s 88th birthday.”

ECB latest statement

Thu, 28 May 2020 14:44:24 GMT

May 28th: domestic and recreational cricket

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can today confirm a further delay to the start of the professional domestic cricket season, with no domestic cricket to be played before 1 August.

The specifics of the season remain subject to ongoing advice from UK Government and health experts, but the ambition remains to host domestic men's and women's cricket across England and Wales later this summer.

The Professional Game Group (PGG) will look to outline a number of opportunities for domestic play, which will be presented to the ECB Board in June.

These plans include a number of options for both red-ball and white-ball cricket including matches played at all First Class Grounds, the use of a regional group model as well as consideration for matches played behind closed doors or with a limited number of supporters while strictly adhering to Government guidance on social distancing. The working group is also exploring options where non-televised games can be live streamed for members and supporters.

As the ongoing COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, these scenarios will be worked on and assessed. Learnings from the return-to-training programmes for England Men’s players will be incorporated, in addition to those sourced from any international matches played behind closed doors.

The recreational game currently remains suspended until further notice – with the sole exception of the use of outdoor cricket facilities (nets and pitches) for the purpose of undertaking exercise. The ECB will seek to progress discussions with the UK Government to begin mapping out a return, including the potential for an earlier return of junior cricket.

“We remain hopeful of seeing both domestic and recreational cricket this season and planning with the PGG has allowed us to map a number of potential scenarios for domestic play.”

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer

ECB Chief Executive Officer, Tom Harrison, said: “Naturally we want to see cricket being played at every level. We remain hopeful of seeing both domestic and recreational cricket this season and planning with the PGG has allowed us to map a number of potential scenarios for domestic play.

“While traditional formats of our competitions are the preference, we are not against exploring the unorthodox to ensure that we can return our players to the field.

“That can only happen though when it is safe, and we have said throughout this crisis that the safety and well-being of everyone involved in the game is our key priority.

“We have learned a lot and continue to learn about the safety protocols that would need to be in place to stage international cricket behind closed doors in this environment and those protocols will also need to apply to the domestic game.

“Across the recreational game it has been heart-warming to hear of clubs where players have returned to the nets. As children start returning to school in the coming weeks, we look forward to exploring how those guidelines and learnings can be deployed for cricket. This can then see the recreational game continue its phased return as soon as we have Government approval.”

Covid latest: limited opening of nets

Fri, 15 May 2020 17:57:07 GMT

Free membership and booking system

Message from Chairman Jon Meier:

Following HM Government’s announcement earlier this week and after extensive refurbishment work I am delighted to be able to re-open Fernhurst Cricket Club’s net facilities.

These are available to book for 'SOLE USE ONLY’ for FCC members only at allocated time slots that can be booked on the member system (for free). You must only use the nets if you have booked a slot and bring the email confirmation with you. Only two slots can be booked by a member on any day to make sure there is enough capacity for all who want to make use of the nets.

To register as a member please access the membership options under the Join FCC tab. Until the end of June membership for seniors over 18 and women over 18 is free. To book use the online store on the member system here - https://membermojo.co.uk/fcc/store

When using the nets please observe the following rules so we can continue to keep this facility open and safe for all to use:

· Use your own equipment only

· When using the nets ensure that only one household or two individuals from different households are present

· Observe social distancing when coming to use the nets and leaving

· Refrain from touching any surfaces where possible

· Hand sanitiser is in place in the nets for participants use

Any questions or problems with using the nets or making a booking please contact me either by phone on 07841 397151 or email at jonathan.meier@btinternet.com

Jon Meier

FCC Chairman

Covid-19 update

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 08:33:42 GMT

Lockdown extended

Fernhurst's wonderful participation in the Clap for Carers rightly shows where our thoughts are at this extraordinary time. All sport has taken a back seat with everything cancelled for the time being. However, fun and games and coming together are definitely things to look forward to. Fernhurst Cricket Club has been at the heart of village life for 130 years and we will be back in action as soon as possible. With lockdown continuing into May, any faint hope of keeping to the fixture list has been snuffed out. Fernhurst CC is following official Covid-19 advice from the government and the England Cricket Board.

FCC Chairman Jon Meier said "Despite the uncertainties around the the lifting of the current social distancing and lockdown we have taken advantage of the excellent weather to get the square and outfield into prime condition. We really hope we could have some cricket from the end of June / early July onwards."

E ven when lockdown is relaxed, directions on social distancing will be critical. Although cricketers are generally well-spaced, passing a ball around between fielders is an obvious issue.

We will update this website as soon as we hear anything positive from the ECB, Sussex CCC or the local leagues to which we are affiliated. I dare say we will also hoist a flag in celebration. By now our new-look fixture card should have been printed – it was all ready to go. The image shows you the ‘fixture card that never was’.

Jon is staying optimistic "E ven if we have to wait until late summer, we will be playing down at the Rec again, back at the heart of village life."

Coronavirus: ECB statement

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 18:22:05 GMT

Fernhurst CC will be guided by advice from the Chief Medical Officer and the England & Wales Cricket Board: the latest statement from the sport's governing body follows.

Following the Government’s latest advice around social distancing, it is with sadness and reluctance that we recommend that all forms of recreational cricket are for now suspended. This extends to training, pre-season friendlies and any associated cricket activity.

Sport plays an absolutely vital role in the nation’s mental and physical wellbeing, and it helps people find meaning where there is fear and uncertainty, so one of our goals in the coming weeks will be to explore ways that we can support some levels of physical activity in communities - particularly at junior levels.

Using our cricket community to support others could be one of the most important services we can offer during the difficult next few months.

It will be critical that any decisions we do make are medically-led. And we will continue to work with Government and their advisors to ensure we are informed by science in our decision making.

Over the coming weeks we will work with the game to understand what support is required across the cricket community, particularly local clubs and leagues.

We understand that countless hours of work from thousands of volunteers have already gone into getting ready for the 2020 season and we know how disappointing this will be. We are thankful for the huge role that volunteers play in local cricket, to ensure the game remains at the heart of communities.

We know that you and your clubs can play an important role in bringing your community together once we get past this period of time.

Blackdown Hill Challenge is back

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 07:49:19 GMT

Who will win the race to the top and back?

The Blackdown Hill Challenge is back on April 5th, bigger and better. Well, Blackdown is still the same height (280m/920ft) but this year’s event is going to be even better following on from the success of last year.

88 runners from far and wide were part of the challenge which had been revived for the first time in ten years. Blackdown is the highest hill in the South Downs National Park and the 5 mile trail run from Fernhurst Rec to summit and back involves an elevation change of 657 feet. Winning man in 2019 was Duncan Hay with a time of 34:04, while Rachel Dekker (pictured) took the women’s title at 35:42. Fernhurst Parish honours went to Jonny Denham at 35:08 and Anita Haigh with 52:03.

Organiser Mike Boyce said “We were delighted by the turn-out last year and our aim is to build on last year’s success – we want to make the event a regular fixture in the local running calendar. Along with district runners and villagers we also had entries from much further, including one from Canada.”

The run is part of fundraising for the new Rec building project known as ‘Pavilion 2022’. Graham Heath of Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust said “We’ve added a team award this year along with a veterans category. Another change is the age limit which has been reduced to 14 as long as there is parental consent.”

While the main run heads for Blackdown Hill, the popular kids’ challenge is back with a ‘Run around the Rec’.

Entrance costs £22 for the big one : BHC2020.eventbrite.co.uk

£5 for the kids’ challenge : 2020BKC.eventbrite.co.uk

Mark and Mike are calendar boys

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 07:29:24 GMT

Fernhurst Centre 2020 calendar

This fantastic watercolour by village artist Les Colcutt is on the August page of the Fernhurst Centre's 2020 calendar. He used several photos by Simon Vigar to create this composite. The main action is from the 2018 game against Tilford and shows opening batsman Mark Charman about to run after a cut shot. Partner Mike Allen is setting off at the other end.

The calendar has several other paintings by local artists and is on sale at the Fernhurst Centre now.

AGM update

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 07:41:57 GMT

Jon Meier elected Chairman

2nd XI Captain Jon Meier was elected as Fernhurst CC's new Chairman at the club's AGM on November 14th. It follows the decision by Derek Pope to stand down after five years in charge. Derek was present to hear fulsome praise from the President John Mitchell and others and there is little doubt he leaves the Chair with FCC in far better shape than he found it in 2014. As one of our Vice Presidents we look forward to seeing Derek at the first match of 2020.

Jon is the outgoing Treasurer and will continue acting in that role until a new volunteer steps forward. He pointed out the weekly spreadsheet workload is now minimal but the club certainly needs more members to help out in various roles. Most of the other committee positions will be continued by those in post. Sunday XI Captain Simon Vigar formalises his PR role with the new post of Communications Manager. This great, new website and a re-designed fixture card will come under his remit.

The AGM also voted to increase m embership subscriptions from £50 to £60 for both juniors and adults (with a discount for junior siblings). Nonetheless, Fernhurst CC still has one of the lowest subs of any local club. Match fees remain the same for another year: £10 for adults and £5 for juniors.

The functionality of this new website will reduce admin for the various office holders. Subs, news and team selections all come through here so members are encouraged to get stuck in.

2019 Awards

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:55:53 GMT

Mike Allen wins again

Club legend Mike Allen was one of the big winners at the annual awards do in a packed pavilion. Mike collected the Captain's Award for his tireless efforts both on and off the pitch. The club's 1st XI is finally back in the top flight of the I'Anson League and it is fitting that Mike, as sole survivor of the 2003 Division One team, was honoured. The Glazier Shield for most league runs went to Leon Fourie while the Lambert Shield for most wickets was won by a fellow South African, the skipper Tristan Rissik. James Johnson was honoured for most catches while Ryan Lewis was confirmed as winner of most Man of the Match awards alongside, almost inevitably, the Players' Player of the Year.

Fantastic catering was again provided from the kitchens of the Red Lion as club members celebrated a memorable 130th anniversary season. The 1st team had a very strong back half to the summer which ensured mid-table respectability. The 2nd XI introduced more youngsters to league cricket while three of them were also in county action for Sussex. The gentlemen of the Sunday XI continued their relentless quest to find the finest tea in Sussex only to realise that, of course, it's here at home.

2nd XI star players Abdur Rahman and Geoff Hobbs collected the batting and bowling shields while young Harry Adey snaffled the award for most catches. Sunday XI stalwart Chris Williams was awarded the shields for most runs and most catches while Geoff Howe's deadly bowling earned him that award.

Keeper Jack Whittington collected the President's Trophy for Most Improved Player thanks to his great performances on promotion to the 1st XI. Another graduate from the colts, Jude Unwin, won the Best Junior award for his 2nd XI performances. All-rounder and top mower Will Dyer rightly earned the Clubman award while Harry Lambert received the uncoveted trophy for Most Ducks.

Back in that 1889 season, Fernhurst played three teams, including Lynchmere. It is somehow fitting that the final fixture of 2019 was 'Lynchmere away'. Let the record show that Fernhurst won.

Goodwood: Badbatting

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 09:06:48 GMT

Sunday XI enjoy visit to historic venue

pictured: Jerry Mitchinson in full flow

Cloudless skies and 26 degrees meant this really did feel like the last day of summer but since we've been saying that for the past three games, who knows? At this rate we'll still be in short sleeves in November. The captain's controversial policy of more matches in September took the gentlemen of Fernhurst's Sunday XI to glorious Goodwood, the very cradle of cricket. The great game was first recorded here in 1702, or just after 5pm. With Goodwood House as the backdrop, Spitfires in the sky and the roar of the Revival's Astons and Jags in the distance it was peak Englishness.

Fernhurst batted first and batted poorly; the top four went swiftly with Alasdair Kidd top scoring on 11. In fairness, the Goodwood attack, including a couple of talented youngsters, was very good but cometh the hour, cometh Sussex Seniors player Jerry Mitchinson, who built some middle order stability. Partnered by Steve Tytler (9) and Tim Freeman (24), Jerry put on 35 runs. At the close of innings, FCC had made just 115 in 33 overs, one of the lowest totals of the season. Tea was taken in the splendid thatched pavilion with special mention for the 'old school' corned beef sandwiches and fantastic cakes.

No-one thought Goodwood would need 40 overs to knock off the runs but there must have been a few concerns thanks to a very tight FCC attack led by Sam Meier (1-17) and Chris Williams (2-10). John Heyworth (42) and Matt Geffen (34*) got most of the runs; young Jack Kidd claimed the former's wicket but it was the last to fall. The hosts crossed the line in the 27th over winning by six wickets.

It is a beautiful and illustrious place to play and we hope to return one day to score a few more runs. Next weekend we are off to Lynchmere for our final game. In our 130th anniversary season it is fitting Fernhurst should play the club we first encountered back in 1889.

Wham, bam, thank-you Sam

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 10:42:32 GMT

A blitzkrieg from Sam Meier clinched victory for Fernhurst's Sunday XI in this match at lovely Lodsworth.

Fernhurst, as holders of the 'Frostbite Trophy', took the mighty penguin with them on their short road trip across the Lickfold badlands. Previous September encounters had been distinctly chilly but for this edition there was warm sunshine. Fernhurst won the toss and elected to bowl on a green track. Sam opened the attack alongside another star of the Fernhurst youth system, Sussex U13 all-rounder Louis Eden. The latter bowled two maidens on his way to figures of 1-5 in four overs. Sam was also in great form with just ten runs off his first five overs. Ed Vass and Geoff Howe made useful contributions while Louis's brother, Henry, bowled many dot balls in an assured 'senior cricket' debut. Keeper Simon Vigar took two catches off the bowling of Paul Eden and Mark Langridge and it meant Loddy's run rate never really accelerated. Langridge closed with figures of of 3-17 off seven overs while Simon Ralfe's death bowling again drew gasps of wonder. The hosts set a winning target of 137.

Armed with the knowledge that they were duking it out for the 2019 batting average honours, Chris Williams and Matt Westley again opened for Fernhurst. Both scored three boundaries before losing their wickets. There followed an all too familiar collapse with FCC at 44-7 and on life support in the 15th over. Two things then swung it in the favour of the Green Army - Loddy's skipper said 'We've got this in the bag' just as Sam Meier strode to the crease. Sam proceeded to give his teammates a Stokesian master class in power hitting and shot placement. His batting partner was a resolute but injured Mark Langridge who required a runner. Louis swiftly padded up and was sent back out to do the legwork. Along with boundaries, the calling and running of the ones and twos was a treat. Fernhurst crossed the line in the 32nd over: Langridge 18 not out and Meier 65.

On this ground in 2017 Fernhurst had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. 2019 was a very welcome reverse. Now we travel to Goodwood and Lynchmere for our final two fixtures.

Ebernoooooooooooooo Part II

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 10:35:20 GMT

This much-anticipated fixture took Fernhurst's Sunday XI back to Ebernoe for the first time in ages.

Their delightful ground literally has a B road running through it, meaning motorists and cyclists have to wait their turn or take their chance. Another reason for the big build-up to this game was the presence of sometime FCC keeper Jack Whittington in the opposing XI.

Ebernoe batted first and batted well, Hunter top scoring with 57. For the final time this summer, the excellent partnership of Joe Unwin and Sam Meier opened the attack. Joe was 1-29 off his seven overs, Sam 2-27. Debutant Alex Watt got back into the swing of things after a 12 year break from cricket, while U13 player Wilby Westley also made his first appearance for the Sunday XI. His father, sporting a 'Derek Smalls' moustache, took a great catch to ensure Wilby's first wicket. Jude Unwin was also in the wickets; big brother Joe took the catch for one of them while Jude saved the best for Whittington. Off his own bowling, Jude deflected a zinger back onto the stumps at the non-striker's end. Jack was out of his ground and it is reported the laughter was heard as far away as Petworth. Ebernoe had set Fernhurst a target of 190.

Matt Westley and Chris Williams opened the batting for FCC but the former was soon back in the hutch, sending Mark Langridge out to the crease. He and Chris developed a great partnership with 'extras' to almost reach 100. Mark made 37 while Chris, much later, finished on 67. Fernhurst's problem was that few stayed with him very long. Jon Meier played a useful cameo, making 15, but in the end it was left to tailenders Jude and Geoff Howe. With two overs to go, Fernhurst were creeping towards the target. 183, 184, 185. However, Jude holed out with the score at 187, just three away from the win.

As the sun set on Sussex, it felt like the last day of summer but it is not the end of the season. The hardy souls of the Sunday XI have three more away fixtures to seek redemption. First stop is Lodsworth to defend the Frostbite Trophy.

Women's softball cricket festival

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 12:04:56 GMT

Over 50 women took part

Our women's softball cricket festival at the beginning of August was a great success. Over 50 women enjoyed a group warm up to music, then a fun evening of fast and fun 6-a-side cricket followed by a bbq just before the rain arrived.

The festival was part of an ECB initiative aimed at getting more women playing cricket and was lead by Linda Bowen from Sussex cricket.

Divided Sunday Dressing Room Can't Finish Off Rainmen

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 07:24:20 GMT

The Sunday XI hosted the annual visit of the Rainmen.

Skipper Vigar put the home side into bat playing the timed format of the game. The Rainmen opening bowler (closely resembling a young Eden) took the scalp of Bill Gourlay after a quickfire 23 but Fernhurst continued to score freely despite loosing the wickets of Westley (58), Langridge (17) and Raymond (30). Joe Unwin and Ed Vass played superbly for their respective 73 and 49no allowing Fernhurst to culminate on 256 at tea.

A bewildering tea then ensued. Players were mentally challenged by yellow fleshed watermelon but then, in a first, the dressing-room turned on itself. An interesting cake was presented which had some hating and some loving it. Debate raged as the team returned to the field, a notably shaken Bill Gourlay trying to work out how he would report cake-gate to his wife. the Irish question dividing politics and village cricket.

An assured opening pair of Rainmen batters faced Joe Unwin (1-21 off 8) and Sam Meier (1-11 off 8) who bowled superbly taking an opener each during their spell. Runs were in short supply for the visitors with Howe taking a quick brace (2-8 off 5) and Rob Unwin pinning them town (1-11 off 3); Langridge, Gourlay and Raymond supported well without wickets. A late flourish from the Rainmen with Cooper driving a fine 31 and Wolmer 20no salvaged a draw with the visitors finishing on 104 for 5.

Next week's skipper Westley must now unite the dressing-room in time for visit of the Heartaches, the Sunday's last home fixture of the season.

Pyestock stick it to the Sunday XI

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 15:11:41 GMT

Superb bowling, batting and catching characterised this match against our newest opponents, the fabulous Pyestock CC.

They used to have a ground near Farnborough under the flag of the National Gas Turbine Establishment but are now a strong nomadic team. It may explain the supersonic speed of some of their ball striking.

Fernhurst won the toss and chose to bowl, with excellent figures recorded by Joe and Jude Unwin (7-1-28-1 and 7-1-39-1). Pyestock's batsmen were on form, though, with Jack Bromley top scoring on 85. He was eventually caught by Chris Williams off the bowling of debutant spinner Niko Dahl. It was one of five class catches taken by 'Magneto' Williams while Niko ended his spell with three wickets (5-0-43-3). 'Harold' Langridge took a jet-fuelled caught and bowled which, if it had gone wrong, would have ensured a trip to Harley Street for the good doctor. The visitors made 223 for 9 in their 35 overs.

Tea was taken with MCC-level sandwiches, garlic bread, rocky road and even some fruit.

FCC Vice Captain Matt Westley is in mid-season form and he struck several boundaries on his way to 82. He eventually holed out and, sadly, no other team-mate came close to a half century. The youth team players all looked in good nick: Max Durrant (14), Niko (13) and Jude (23) but it wasn't enough and, as the shadows lengthened, Fernhurst were all out for 202.

It was a fine match played in great spirit with cricket very much the winner.

And Pyestock.

130 Not Out: FCC anniversary book on sale

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 07:34:26 GMT

Full colour, limited edition hardback by John Allen & Simon Vigar.

Many photographs, old and new.

Chapters include the youth policy, 'Mr Fernhurst' and the ups and downs of the club's history.

All the honour boards are included while a welcome message comes from FCC Vice President Sir Tim Rice.

Only 50 copies, selling fast at £20.

See John or Simon.

Lashings World XI visit Fernhurst

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 06:56:12 GMT

Lashings of rain but lashings of fun too: many thanks to all the all-star Lashings XI who visited Fernhurst on Friday 19th July.

Captained by Martin Bicknell the team included John Emburey, Devon Malcolm, Usman Afzaal, Yasir Arafat, Chris Lewis, Andy Caddick, Saj Mahmood and Niall O'Brien.

They started with a full coaching session which our juniors are sure to remember for a lifetime. The splendid (and waterproof) marquee then hosted a fantastic lunch and auction. The monsoon eventually passed and the T20 game against Fernhurst got underway with commentary provided by TMS legend Henry Blofeld. Lashings won but FCC bowler Bruce Baxendale was named Man of the Match.

It was our main fundraiser of the year for Pavilion 2022 so many thanks to all but, in particular, FCC committee member Jon Meier.