The World is Not Enough!

Record Turnout
NCI CC is proving to be a magnet for lady cricketers in Cambridgeshire. We had SIX new faces last week who all enjoyed themselves and have promised to be back for more. So thanks to Gen, Lucy, Hannah, Sophie, Natasha and Zara for turning out and playing the game with such enthusiasm. We are becoming a little constrained by space and time at Fenners I think. Maybe one of our several astrophysicists can come up with an Einstein style solution to that one. Eh? Natasha? Emily? Jill?

Two Counties League Fixtures 2007
A spreadsheet is available with the fixtures for 2007, both the Ladies League and the Fourth Team fixtures. I don’t expect everyone to play every game but you are all most welcome to play Saturday and Sunday, as often as you wish. The fourth team games are a higher standard than the Ladies League because we are playing against men. Last year we had 5 or 6 women playing in the fourth team every week. It is great experience to play a 40 over game against some tougher bowling. When you face the women’s bowling afterwards it seems really slow and 30 overs seems a doddle. If you didn't get the emailed Excel file let me know or check the fixtures on the NCI CC Play Cricket website.

At the end of season dinner I said my target in our first competitive season was to finish in the top three in the Ladies League. In view of the talent we have attracted to the club already (and it’s only January) Paula has recommended a revised target. Ladies - we are now gunning for the Top Spot. We start with an away game at Woodbridge on Sunday May 6th. They finished second in the league last year so we need to be ready for them. (Monday 7th is a BH so no going away for the weekend!!) The league winners were Ipswich so please make sure you are available for those Grand Finale weekends. (Sundays 2nd and 16th Sept.) You can see the 2006 League Table on the link below but you need to scroll to the bottom of the page when you get there. (we are underneath all the men - suprise, surpise!) We played friendlies last year against Battisford, Woolpit and Ipswich. http://www.twocounties.com/leaguetables.html

Challenge Cup 2007
Even more exciting is our bid to play at Lords!! Yes Annette, THE Lords. The National Challenge Knockout Cup culminates in a semi-final at Lords and a final at Loughborough. Paula and Caroline both played in last year’s winning team at the semi finals (Cambridge Papworth) and I got to run on with the drinks. So exciting! (See the Blog entry for August 2006.) So please keep free all the Sundays in the fixture list for the knockout games. Our first challenge is away to Downham Market on Sunday 27th May.

Fun & Friendlies
I will be adding some more friendlies and some fun evening games to the list. We have enough players in NCI for an 8 aside evening game amongst ourselves. This gives everyone some useful match practice before facing the real thing. And it’s a great way to spend a summers evening on Parkers Piece. The forecast is for a record summer so let’s plan to enjoy it outdoors.

Thanks for all the replies to my little survey. I will report back on the committee meeting on Thursday. Red Bull will be served when it arrives as part of my official sponsorship deal. In the meantime if there is someone you think might cough up some dosh for sponsorship for us do let me know.

C u Thursday 7pm.

The Captain