Ep 1 - Choose your Captain
Ben Stokes. An English cricketing marvel. Dependable seamer, fantastic fielder, and box office batsman.
Simon Bath. Right arm medium (If there is a decent breeze with a downhill slope) and wayward seamer, solid pair of hands, can hold a bat according to a dictionary definition.
The comparison between these two men is there for all to see, most of all this season will be their first time they take control of their team as a full-time captain. The stakes might be slightly different between a 4th XI and the captain of the English Test side but both of us have a responsibility to our players to lead by example.
After a winter that seemed to last longer than a Leonard Cohen song and watching my beloved AFC Wimbledon get relegated to League Two after not winning for over 20 games, it's safe to say that I am glad the cricket season is here and in full-swing.
Much has changed at the club since last season. With the 1s and 2s both enjoying promotions, more off-field responsibilities and requirement have come to the forefront. We have a new overseas pro, we have black sightscreen covers for the 1s white ball endeavours and second team skipper Sami finally grew to 5ft 1.
Club Captain and legend Trevor (seen below) led from the front in terms of getting the club ready for the season with his horticultural endeavours. These tasks are so vital in making sure that everything is ready to go and that cricket can happen.
The social side of the club is also in full swing with a well-attended quiz night already in the book (the 4th team being truly dominant victors) and huge scope to get another organised in the not too distant future. The bar prices have finally been amended so that drinking at the club doesn't cost an arm and a leg - meaning that hopefully the social side of things can regain it's strength.
Speaking of social side we have a number of things in the pipeline for the season including a summer social on June 25th (save the date) and also the return of the Bowl Off.
Elsewhere in the club, we managed, for the first time, to have all 4 girls age group teams playing with wins a draw and a loss. It's quite a brilliant thing that the girls teams are becoming such an asset to the club. A huge well done needs to go out to the volunteers and coaches who have helped to make this possible.
I started this off talking about captaincy and leadership ahead of my first full season as a team captain. Whilst I've captained a cricket side many times, I've never had the