Halstead 2nd X1
Report for Season 2008
The most pleasing element of the 2ND X1 season was the appearance of some new players making their debuts at this level - some from within the club itself making their way up from the Colts section like Will Clark, Josh Wells, Andy Charlton and Goushi Raviendran - and some joining from outside, like Sam Burrett who impressed in his four innings for the club and looks to be a first eleven batsman in the making.
Although, over the season as a whole, availability improved, with a core of players making themselves available for most matches and thus allowing a degree of continuity in the side, but seldom did a week go by without players being promoted late in the day from the 3RD X1, and I would like to thank publically Richard Hume for his unstinting efforts for the club. On two Saturdays in particular, when the County side got through to one day finals, Halstead found themselves in perilous positions with as many as 20 or more playing members unavailable. On these Saturdays, as on all the others throughout the season, Richard Hume worked tirelessly in raising players at the eleventh hour to play for the Club 3RD X1, and for resisting the easy way out and never resorting to cancelling fixtures.
The highlights of the season were two victories over neighbours, Little Bardfield, and close fought wins over Braintree 1ST X1, Clacton 2ND X1 and Sudbury 2ND X1. Although we only won 5 of our fixtures the low placing in the league would have been fundamentally altered if the two games against bottom of the table Frinton 2ND X1 had been played rather than being rained off. Even if we had only taken 30 rather than 40 points from these two games we would have finished 4th in the league. The tally of points we accrued this season (163) was more than last season and shows that in both batting and bowling the team had more players making a worthwhile contribution.
With the league being restructured next season the 2ND X1 will find itself in a league of teams of comparable standard. Rather than pitching ourselves against club first teams like Braintree, Dunmow, Stowmarket, St Margarets, Little Bardfield and Worlington we will be facing club 2ND X1s at Copdock & O.I.'s; Ipswich & East Suffolk; Coggeshall ; Wivenhoe; Woolpit and Ipswich. As well as Boxted; Earls Colne; Tuddenham and Long Melford.
The prospects for a successful season are very good.