Swardeston is delighted to announce Alfie Cooper as its new 1st XI captain.
Twenty-four-year-old Alfie takes over from Lewis Denmark who has stepped down after three years in the role.
Alfie played his first game for Swardeston as a seven-year-old in 2007 when he made his debut for our Swardeston CEYMS Under-9 team. In subsequent years Alfie has played through all the Swardeston age groups, making his adult teams debut in 2014.
Alfie made his 1st XI debut in 2015 and it was in 2019 when he duly cemented his place in the first team in our record national double-winning year. In the Royal London Club Championship final at Lord’s he was promoted up the order to steady the innings at 25-2 and hit a 66-ball 61 which laid the foundations for Swardeston’s match-winning total of 280-7.
A regular now for Norfolk, Alfie’s last two summers have been hit by injury with separate broken fingers forcing him to miss several weeks of each season.
A former Norwich School 1st XI captain and now working there in a Sports Professional and Sports Marketing role, Alfie will have the support of Jordy Taylor, who remains as vice-captain and former skipper Lewis Denmark as the three will make up the 1st team leadership group.
Swardeston Chair of Trustees Stuart Bartram said: “We are thrilled Alfie has taken on the 1st team skipper’s role. The club’s trustees have watched him develop from his early days into a very accomplished all-rounder with a fine cricket brain and we believe excellent leadership strengths. We are excited for what the future holds and are eagerly awaiting the 2025 season.”
Alfie said: “I was delighted to be asked to lead the club I’ve grown up playing for. Becoming the first team captain has always been a dream of mine, and I’m eager to take on the challenges ahead.
“Joining Jordy and Lewis in the leadership team, I’m excited to work towards our 2025 goals of reclaiming our spot at the top of the EAPL table and competing nationally once more. I have every confidence that our squad, with its mix of youth and experience, is more than capable of achieving these ambitions. I can’t wait to get started.”
Swardeston 1st XI Captains
2022-2024 – Lewis Denmark
2018-2021 – Joe Gatting
2005-2017 – Mark Thomas
2004 – Carl Rogers
2003 – Michael Parlane
2002 – James Walker
2000-2001 – Neil Fox
1990-1999 – David Thomas
1973-1989 – Peter Thomas
