2011 Season
The 2011 season proved to be a tricky one for Doncaster Town both on and off the field. We have come out of it a little bruised but in one piece and looking forward to what next season has in store for the club.
At the beginning of the season, the club lost a dear friend in George Jessop. George’s service to the club spanned over 55 years with him being president for 40 of those and he was also an avid supporter. He will be sorely missed by everyone at DTCC.
On the field matters-
Due to a decline in players at the beginning of last season a number of juniors had the opportunity to make their 1st team debut. 28 players played for the 1st team throughout the season under captain Nick Morley. Unfortunately the team finished at the bottom of the Yorkshire League table but on a brighter note they did make it to the semi final of the Solly Sports Yorkshire League T20 Cup Competition. Despite the teams troublesome season, there were achievements on an individual level. Gareth Cox and Felix Odell both had an extremely successful season with the bat and were one of the best opening partnerships in the league. Gareth finished the season with 848 runs (11th in the Yorkshire League) and Felix finished with 805 runs (14th in the Yorkshire League). Alex Gosney must also get a mention for his work and effort as vice captain.
The 2nd team, led by Rhys Mann had a great season but unfortunately they just missed out on promotion into division one of the South Yorkshire League. There were many encouraging performances from the 31 players that represented the 2nd team throughout the season. Ryan Capsticks’ 109* at Warmsworth was among the many highlights. Aidan Hall’s bowling was another highlight of the season and he went on to win the Division 2 junior bowling award after claiming 29 wickets. Matt King did a great job as vice captain when Rhys was injured during the season.
The 3rd team captained by Fraser Bennett had a middle-of-the-road season. On a number of occasions Fraser was left searching for players on a Friday night due to losing players to teams above. In total 36 players were selected for the 3rd team and there were a number of individual highlights. Alan Stoves’ 7-16 against Maltby, Lewis Elwood’s 6-36 against Dearne and Scott Exleys 93 against Rossington stand out as some of the many successful moments of the season. Andrew Jessop must get a mention for the work that he put in when he was vice captain for a couple of games during the season.
The Barnsley League side which was captained this year by Chris Cusack finished 3rd in division 1 of the Barnsley League. The Barnsley League is a great opportunity for young players to develop their game and this season was no exception.
The Evening League side, again captained by Jonathon Redfern continued their form from the 2010 season and came 1st in division one.
I would like to thank all those that played for Doncaster Town during the 2011 season, be it for one game or twenty games. There are differing views within the club but once a DTCC shirt is put on its time to come together and play as a team.
A game of cricket doesn’t just consist of players and I would like to thank Tim Hawkins for continuing to represent the club as an umpire in the South Yorkshire League. Scorers also play a vital role in the game and without them the games simply wouldn’t be able to go ahead.
Off the field matters-
At the end of the season Steve Ward resigned as Secretary of DTCC. Steve was in the position for 13 years and was a great asset to the club. He did a huge amount of work and he will be greatly missed but I wish him well in his new ventures.
I must thank Ian Bird, Phil Gosney and Mark Dickinson who all work very hard in their positions and continue to put the club first.
I am sure many will already be aware that the Solly Sports sponsorship has come to an end after a year. The club is now in the process of finding a new sponsor for the upcoming season.
The club depends on sponsorship during this difficult financial period and I would like to thank Jim Cremer for arranging sponsors and all those that have sponsored a match or a ball and those that have a board at the club. Thank you also to everybody that has helped to fundraise for the club. In particular Nick Hutton and Shaun Cowan who have again this year done a great job in organising events to help raise money.
Beef has done a great job with the wicket this season and as a result he was named grounds man of the year in the Yorkshire League, this is a great achievement and he is a credit to the club. Joe Horrocks has also done a great job at Finningley and the club is thankful to them both.
I must also thank Lynne and Sue for again doing the teas at Town Fields and also to Aileen Horrocks for doing the teas at Finningley. On a number of occasions the opposition have said that Aileen’s teas are the best in the league, something that I have to agree with.
The junior section continues to be one of the best in the area and next season will see the u17 side reinstated. Dave Wilson, head coach Chris Cusack and all other coaches and managers have yet again done a great job this season and there have been some great results. The junior section continues to support the senior section and without them I am not sure what position the club would be in today.
Next season will see the introduction of a 4th team on a Saturday. The team will play in division 3 of the South Yorkshire Alliance league and will be captained by Mark Harris. The idea is that more junior players will be able to get involved in senior cricket at DTCC rather than playing for another team in the area.
DTCC now has a side in the All Saints Indoor League. Jem Free is running the side and the team are doing very well.
I would like to welcome all incoming players to the club and wish all those players that are departing the best of luck for the future.
On a final note I would like to thank all those that have helped me in the past number of weeks. I do hope you all have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Hannah