2018 AGM report: Challenges ahead but club well placed to deal with them

Swardeston held it’s first annual meeting since becoming a charitable incorporated organisation in 2017.

Held on 5 December 2018 at the clubhouse, the meeting was well attended.

Chairman Mark Taylor looked back on the 2018 season with great pride. The 1st XI reached their fourth national final since 2010 and missed out on winning the East Anglian Premier League by just one point. The women’s team had won the Shell Indoor League for the second time and the Under 19s had won the Norfolk T20 competition.

Mark informed the meeting that he was stepping down as chairman and a trustee and thanked all the players, trustees and members for a memorable 14 years. Swardeston faced some tough challenges ahead, but Mark believed that the club were well positioned to deal with them.

Following the AGM the club trustees met and Stuart Bartram was unanimously appointed as new club chairman. See Chairman Mark Taylor steps down after 14 years.

Senior teams

In his review of the senior teams, club captain Peter Thomas reported that the 1st XI had a very successful season, winning the Norfolk T20 competition and contributing to a great day at the T20 national finals. The 2nd XI finished fifth in Norfolk Cricket Alliance Division 1, but often found it difficult to field a strong team.

The 3rd XI finished mid-table in Norfolk Cricket Alliance Division 3, often fielding a weak team and Swardeston CEYMS (4th XI) finished lower mid-table in Norfolk Cricket Alliance Division 5, usually competing with a team comprised of a lot of youngsters.

The Sunday XI finished third in the Mid-Norfolk Sunday Cricket League Premier Shield Division and were well managed and lead by Sam Thelwell in his first season of captaincy.

Captains appointed for 2019

1st XI captain: Joe Gatting
1st XI vice-captain: Lewis Denmark
1st XI selection committee will consist of Joe Gatting, Lewis Denmark and Peter Lambert.

2nd XI: Ben Hogg
3rd XI: Matt Hogg
Swardeston CEYMS: Cameron Clarke
Sunday XI: Sam Thelwell

Youth cricket

Mark Taylor said that the club’s All Stars Cricket programme was the largest in the region, by some distance, and this had been recognised as the club had won a NatWest OSCA as a Regional All Stars Cricket Centre of the Year for 2018.

Mark explained that the start of the club’s Tuesday youth coaching had been delayed due to the weather, but once underway over 100 children regularly attended.

As far as the Norfolk Cricket Alliance youth competitions were concerned, Mark said: the Under-9s had lost in the final of their competition; the Under-11s and Under-13s lost at the quarter-final stage: the Under-15s got to their final but lost to Great Melton: the Under-19s won their T20 final.

Women and girls cricket

Women and girls manager Katie Treutler reported that the club had entered two teams in the Shell Indoor League, with the ‘Swifts’, captained by Beth Harmer, winning the competition and the ‘Swallows’ losing at the semi-final stage.

Katie said the summer competition had been a bit disjointed, partly due to call-offs by other teams, but the women’s team had emerged victorious.

In the Norfolk Cricket Alliance, Beth Harmer, Caitlin Dye, Maddie Reynolds and Abi Flatt had all played open-age cricket.

Turning to Tuesday youth coaching, Katie said that there were 59 girls registered, out of a total of 142 registered and, although this was hugely encouraging, the large number caused its own problems.

Katie said that the club would enter just one team in this year’s Shell Indoor League, but would also be playing in the women’s national T20 competition; the first game being against Old Buckenham.

Clubmark and Trustees

Club secretary and Welfare Officer Lee Beadman reported that the club had successfully gained Clubmark re-accreditation, which lasts for a three-year period.

Lee also explained that, as part of our Clubmark re-accreditation, the Club was obliged to re-elect three out of the eight trustees. Consequently, Lee Beadman, Tony Bailey and Kevin Cooper offered themselves up for re-selection.

Mark Taylor proposed that they be re-selected, this was seconded by Mark Thomas and passed unanimously.