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January 2024 Newsletter

Merton Cricket Club

5 Jan 2024

Happy New Year, Mertonians! Everyone at the club hopes that you had a peaceful and enjoyable festive period, and are entering the New Year full of vim and vigour...and not too affected by the January blues!

We have some important dates for your diary to remind you of, as well as news regarding the League fixtures, our teams and some big news ahead of the AGM

Your winter nets commence on Saturday, January 13th 2024. They are based once again at Wimbledon College Sports Hall in our usual time slot of 10am until 12pm. The booking of places will be done via the Spond app, so make sure you've downloaded it! Places are like hot cakes and sessions will be uploaded on a weekly basis, so get in quick when the spaces become available.


2023 members train for free; all others will pay £5 per session or £3 for under 16’s. James Prebble has kindly agreed to once more be the winter nets Overlord, and will be accepting payments from non-members - he will communicate his details to those who need them in due course. Please arrive from 9:45am to help with setting up.


27 is the current capped number of spaces - any more, and it becomes unworkable - which works out at nine players per net during the two hours. If you book a space but have to withdraw, please amend your situation on Spond as there is a waiting list.


5th XI


After a full season of friendlies in 2023, which included handing out some whoopings to teams that didn't fancy a return fixture, our Saturday 5th XI will take their place in the AJ Sports Surrey Championship Division Six Central in 2024. Their first game is on May 11th away to Malden Wanderers, and their final fixture will be a home game against Bank of England. We will be one of the handful of clubs in Surrey to be fielding five or more teams on a Saturday - a sign of how much we have prospered as a club over the last few seasons. Home games will be played at the club's spiritual home of Nursery Road Playing Fields, a stone's throw from the clubhouse (10-minute walk). Records indicate it is the ground where the club played its first games in 1890!


2024 Fixtures Update


The season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 20th, with as yet unconfirmed fixtures for as many of our Saturday teams as possible.


Then, the following day, Sunday, April 21st, the Sunday friendly season begins will all three teams - the Hawks, the Eagles and the Boars in away action. The Hawks will be entertained by West End (Esher), the Eagles by Kempton and the Boars by Banstead 3rd XI.


Saturday, May 4th is currently scheduled to be Interclub day, with the 1st XI v 2nd XI happening at John Innes Rec and the 4th XI v 5th XI at Morden Rec, with the 3rd XI away TBC.


Bank Holiday Monday, May 6th, sees Morden host Merton in part one of the Egan/Ballard Challenge at Morden Park


Saturday, May 11th is match day #1 for all five of our League teams:-


1st XI (Surrey County League 1st XI Div 1) v CROYDON


2nd XI (Surrey Champs Div 4 2nd XI) v THAMES DITTON


3rd XI (Surrey Champs Div 3 East) v SANDERSTEAD


4th XI (Surrey Champs Div 5 East) v OLD RUTS 5th XI


5th XI (Surrey Champs Div 6 Central) v MALDEN WANDERERS


Bank Holiday Monday, May 27th sees Christchurch entertain a Merton XI at the Cricket for Change Centre while Morden once again host Merton in the second leg of the Egan/Ballard Challenge


ANNUAL TOURNAMENT DATES

Six a Side Tournament - Sunday, June 23rd

Boom Boom League VII - Sunday, July 21st

Ackerman/Gould Memorial Match - Sunday, August 25th

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