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Knowing me, knowing you - Neale Whitfield

Knowing me, knowing you - Neale Whitfield

Earlswood CC27 Apr 2020 - 05:57

Ah ha!

How long have you been playing at Earlswood?
I have been involved with Earlswood for about five years and got roped into playing again three years ago – first for the over 45s and then for a mixture of teams. I prefer to play with Ben or Holly, but Thorney has super powers of persuasion, so I normally just go where I am told to go.

What do you enjoy most about playing at Earlswood?
It’s a proper ‘old school’ club with a real family atmosphere, and the way the club promotes female participation at all levels is great. What really stands out is how people are willing to give up their time for the enjoyment of others:

Dave Snipe never appears to be away from the ground and that is one of the reasons it is always in such great condition.

When I first came to the club Paul Fitzgerald and Mark Dixon did huge amounts of work on the Junior section and Female section of the club, and now Jez Ward and Lyn Perrin do the same.

Karen Jenkins seems to spend her whole summer making sure we are all catered for, and it's great to see how much opposition players appreciate that.

Players like GFB (Geoff Brown) and Steve Shale could play at far higher levels than they do, but instead choose to help the youth coming through. Ian Hughes does a wonderful job setting up money raisers and club awards nights, while Neil Thorne does an unbelievable job of making everyone feel part of a family, not just a club.

There are many more individuals that I could mention, but this unity comes together on a weekend when everyone seems genuinely interested in how the other teams and individuals are doing. It’s really quite unique.

Highest Score
Highest score for Earlswood is 93 against Winchcombe. The only thing worse than the ball that got me out was my shot. England were playing Sweden in the World Cup, so thankfully no one saw the shot.
91 v Winchcombe, 07/07/2018 [Ed - sorry Neale, the scorer must have deducted two for the poor shot!]

Best Bowling Figures
I think I have bowled one over for Earlswood. That is only because I could not sub myself. My bowling days are long gone.
0 - 12 v Droitwich, 13/08/2017

Best Moment in Cricket So Far?
Playing a pre-season game with Ben and Holly two season ago. We fielded first and the first three wickets were caught by Ben, then Holly and then me. The game was rained off, but it was still great to play with them both.

Watching Warwickshire girls age group cricket last season and seeing how many Earlswood girls are involved. Last season’s Warwickshire Under 13s team was the most successful ever (only losing their last game) and Ffion Purviss, Natasha Smitten, Cerys Brown, Katie Brown and Holly from Earlswood were major players in the team.

The 2’s great escape was spectacular last year. A bit like Leicester in 2015 … so I expect the league to be won this year (even if it is a 6 game league).

James Taylor’s last over in the league decider last year … Ragley had someone smashing it all over, but James came on and the guy could not hit him off the square.

Favourite away ground
Winchcombe

You Need to take a road trip …
Any three of Ben Whitfield, Louie Green, Ben Earles and Dan Empson. The utter nonsense they come out with is hysterical.

Banned from touching the car stereo
Holly … judging from the dross I have been exposed to during lockdown.

Who is captain in the making
Easiest answer ever – Louie Green. He has been captain of a very good side and they have won a lot … and being successful while keeping that many good players involved is tough.

Dressing room joker
If Kieran is playing and Mia is watching … it’s always a giggle when they start chatting (arguing)

Who cant step away from the mirror?
Chris Harrison, but I am sure James Massey has an imaginary mirror when he is bronzing himself whilst umpiring.

Worst time keeper
I though this meant worst wicket-keeper and I thought Murph was spot on … me. Being 6 foot 3 and almost 50 are not key ingredients to being a wicket keeper.

Then I realised what was meant, and I’d have to say big Kevin Price. We were about to go out and field with 9 against Kenilworth Wardens last year, and with me keeping wicket that would have been ugly. He turned up with 5 mins to spare.

Dedicated trainer
Callum Bennett … and it is good to see that dedication getting rewarded

Potty Mouth
GFB … especially when he gets talking about Man United when they play poorly, which has been a lot recently.

Least likely to help out with the rope
The Bush didn't have a rope … but it was usually the old fellas who brought in the flags. So I’d say the youth.

Who do you need to be ahead of in the tea queue?
Colin Murphy … especially if we are about to have meringue with strawberries and cream (thanks Kaz)

Best Away ground tea
K&D at Lugtrout Lane and Thimblemill

Funniest thing seen on a cricket pitch
There have been a few funny ones recently.

Coombswood 2018 in an Under 11s game … their opening bowler has a 35 yard run up, keeper stood 25 yards back. Noah asks me if I reckon he’s quick. I told him ‘he is an Australian on a scholarship, so I expect so’. The look on Noah's face was priceless. Anyway, the boys and girls quickly realised he was English, slow and that there was a single to the keeper every ball. The same kid gave us 16 runs with overthrows and when Holly got him out later in the game he told her to ‘die in a hole’. Callum Graham burst out laughing which wound him up even more.

Lapworth 2018 in a 4th team game. Chasing a lot after a great 90’ odd not out from Richard Jackson, their opening batsman walks out adorning MRF kit from head to toe. Ben Whit, Ben Earles and Dan Empson start winding him up asking if he has a shrine to Kohli at home, will he raise his bat if Kohli scores a ton today (Kohli was batting against England at the time)etc... This guy proceeds to block it endlessly and the more he did, the more the boys got on him ‘I bet Kohli would not have blocked that’. The guy ends up complaining to the umpire who asked what was wrong. ‘They are calling me Kohli’ was the reply. Suddenly the 50 year old man realised what a numpty he was for whining about being called Kohli by three 14 year olds. Empo bowled him in the 40th over for 33 (in a win/lose game) and he still had the nerve to say ‘it took you long enough’.

Kidderminster 2019 in an under 14s pairs game. Jez asked me to umpire and walking out I suggested to their coach that we may want to bowl from one end for each pair to save time, as it was early in the season and we were starting a little late. He replied ‘I don’t know about you young man, but I am here to play a proper game of cricket’. I agreed that was his prerogative as his team had won the toss and opted to bat second. They took an eternity to bowl their overs and by the time Nathan Owen was steaming in for the last over, it was pitch black. We won the game, and whilst driving home we heard that he had resigned ?

Best cricketer you’ve ever played with
Away from Earlswood I was lucky enough to play two seasons with Damian Martyn and one with Nathan Astle. They just had so much time when batting and hit it incredibly hard. Amazing players.

At Earlswood, Paul Fitzgerald would be the guy I would want to bat with if in a hole. Never flustered and cherishes his wicket – a trait too many youngsters don’t have.

I think Callum Bennett is going to develop into a fantastic player. If he can start to find gaps with more regularity he is going to score a bundle of runs.

Grumpiest team mate
Mike Weir when someone bowls a wide or if there is a misfield … not to mention if we lose!

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