15 matches, 34 different players and 296 wides later the debut season of the 4th team has come and gone.

If you view the season purely on results, the season was a complete disaster, with only 2 wins. However, I like to take a more positive view that the 4th team was one of the successes of the club last season.

The two main objectives of the team at the beginning of the season was to field a full side in every game and give the opportunity for the younger members of the club to play league cricket on a regular basis. Not only did we manage to field a full side every week, albeit by the skin of our teeth on occasions, but most weeks we had at least six or seven 'younger' members of the club in the side who not only got the chance to play regularly but also took the opportunity with both hands, and progressed to the 3rd team, and kept their places on merit.

All of the colts who played regularly performed well throughout the season, with Josh Curtis, Jake Scott, Sean O'Toole, Michael Cripps and Harry Walkin all starring with bat or ball or in some cases both throughout the season. Dan Millward should also be congratulated for his wicket keeping, never letting his enthusiasm wane even when the bowling was more like a scatter gun rather than gun barrel straight.

Some of our less impressive moments were the day we bowled nearly fifty wides, and lost by a mere 15 runs, and the day I chose to bat and we slumped to 1 for 4, which prompted thoughts of why am I doing this!! However the highlights far outweighed the down sides, with the outstanding highlight of the season, being the partnership of over 150 between Michael Cripps and Harry Walkin, culminating in Michael's first hundred.

I must thank everyone who helped from start to finish throughout the season, Penny and Elaine, for ensuring everything was in place for the start of the season, for Bob Joyce and Paul Cripps standing in for me when I was off watching football. To the numerous club members who stepped in at the last minute to ensure we had a full team. And finally but not least the regular 'oldies' of the side Leon Furlong, Colin Billson, and Dennis Dowsett who on numerous occasions spent long periods umpiring and never complaining.

I feel the selection committee merit a special mention, for their pearls of wisdom, but in particular the week it took 45 minutes to pick one team, only to end up making just one change from the week before, marvellous!!

This season has given many players the chance to progress, which can only be beneficial for the club. Almost every other team we played were impressed not only by the effort we are putting into the youth of the club but also with the spirit with which we played. The 4th team really is not just about winning games, but helping to ensure the long term future of the club, however a few more wins next would be much appreciated next season!!