A Losing Start and hard Lessons Learned from the ‘nuggety’ Aussies.

Well, our much anticipated Match up with the Gold and Greens of Australia has come and gone and sadly for us ended in a narrow defeat.It could have been a lot worse if Neil Brathwaite (49 no) and Phil Deakin(25) had they not nearly dug us out of a large whole of a mainly self induced nature!

Having Won the Toss Australia elected to bat first an option England captain Richard Merriman would have also selected.As it was we did not seem to learn the lessons of watching the Aussies having first use of the wicket.We thought that we had put up a good team bowling and fielding performance by restricting our opponents to 142.There were some stand out performances with the ball and in the field and perhaps we neglected a little bit not to apply ourselves properly to our individual and collective task of batting. None of us batsmen intended to get out, of course, but through a combination of rash shots and a very slow wicket we found ourselves 50 for 8 with 18 of the 45 overs gone.

At this point Phil Deakin (‘Deaks’), joined Neil’Nelly’ Brathwaite in the middle and started to develop a partnership with him which gradually brought us within touching distance of the Aussie score. Ultimately falling just 15 runs short of their total. In itself this almost ‘heroic’ partnership proved to everyone else that you can bat on these wickets but that we have to learn the nature of batting on the slower wickets quickly. ‘Nelly’ and ‘Deaks’ showed us the way and the rest of us need to recognise and change our mentality and technique accordingly.

I hope Losing this game won’t turn out to be too critical and that the harsh lessons have been learned in time for our encounter with the USA tomorrow!

Great News is that there is Live screening on You Tube for most of the games we are playing.The Live Streaming will be loaded on here

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiZ16vh6PL8AhUXkIQIHZLBB0IQFnoECAsQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fenglandseniors.play-cricket.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw1YJ_Qm6y6bApwBjl7OjmEg

Feeling Sky High

The England Seniors Squad were clapped off the plane yesterday which set us all off with a pride about playing for The Carib Cup in Barbados.It was a nice touch by the airlines Capt to announce Good Luck to the England team for the Tournament ahead.

Today was our practice day where 16 of us batted and 11 of us bowled.It was an acclimatising day as a prelude to the real deal starting tomorrow versus Australia in our first game of the inaugural Carib Cup for seniors.

The team to play Australia was announced on the Coach by Captaincies Richard Merriman.Not an enviable task given that all 16 Squad members would like to play in the match with England’s oldest adversary’s Australia.

Not easy for the cat or player’s that at least 4 members of squad would have to be disappointed going into this game.

Now it is game on though and I am sure all of the squad will be backing and encouraging all day tomorrow.

To follow live scores, our games will be updated frequently. follow the Link to best if binighs

Best of British combines with a flavour of Barbados

Having just eaten my Fish Supper, before turning in for the Night. I thought I would just share passing notes on looking ahead.

Margie and I enjoyed the traditional Friday night meal complete with mushy peas and a Glass of Mount Gay Rum with Coke to get a taste of the destination to come.

I finally Got the Kit packed and the suitcase is almost full as well.

It has been a long time coming since Selection back in June and it has taken many hours of preparation both physically and raising the fare etc.I owe a lot of gratitude to those who have supported my efforts to raise the money to join the Carib Cup Tour and now I intend to do my best to contribute to the efforts on the field, with all the other lads in the squad.

We fully intend to do our best to bring home the Big Man Carib Cup trophy!

Our focus will be immediate as after arrival tomorrow evening we will be preparing for our first Match on Monday. With a full squad practice on Sunday starting at 9.30 am

I’m sure the Climate will help with our preparations. Although it will also be a bit of a shock coming from our recent sub zero temperatures at home. I’m sure once we have hit the ground tomorrow we will all start relaxing and looking forward to playing.

My final preparations have gone well and i’m just excited to get going now!

Hopefully there will be some exciting news to come, with our first match up with Australia at The Pickwick Ground on Monday, starting at 9.30 am Local time.

I will do my best to keep up with the posts as we get into the Tournament and the culture of Barbados.

Look out for updates in your inboxes.If you want to subscribe to receive emails please ‘comment’ under any of the posts and add your email address.You’ll then be notified automatically.

See you in a months time!

Cheers,JB

Almost Ready for Take Off!

Well the excitement has been ramping up in the long lead up to heading off this Saturday to our Carib Cup destination. Barbados here we go I have been ruminating whilst finishing some last minute deadlines today. Packing is not an easy task for a notoriously Indecisive Individual like me!

Luckily though we have the luxury of taking a large Kit bag and the equivalent in Luggage.This is just as well for me as I’m going to be packing paints& art materials for an extra week after the cricket. So even though we have capacity for up to 56 kgs I’ll still have to pay attention to quantity’s!

I hope other members of our tour group don’t get so fussy but I often tend to overload on long distant trips just incase. However as most of the first 12 days will be spent in training or cricket gear maybe one should be more ruthless with the personal baggage allowance.

I’ll update you when I am packed but meantime there has been lots going on in promotion terms largely through Our England Media friends from Gloucester University. Harrison has put together a very engaging short review of our two days training camp at Loughborough University’s wonderful elite training facilities.

Check the Link out below.

Hope all of the bonding and practice will hold us in good stead for the contest. I have been keeping up with my personal training preps with Club& Individual nets this week which has helped get my head into match mode for the w/end& beyond.Thanks to Club coach Dave Fulton for feeding shots and facing some bowling from me last evening.

Reviving the engine& raring to go now. Just make sure the car is full before we set off for Heathrow early on Sat morning!

Whoa we’re finally going to Barbados 🇧🇧 👏🏏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

https://www.youtube.com/@ENG60S

Indoor Promotion Sharpens my Preparations

Like any competitive match it tends to galvanise my focus and intent.

Playing Indoor League in Canterbury with my mates from The WLCCC has proved to be No exception to this rule.

The Competition comprising of 6 teams each playing 10 matches started back in October and i have managed to play most matches.We suddenly realised that we were in striking distance of a promotion spot just two weeks ago.Win both our remaining games and we would gain automatic promotion.So suddenly the stakes were raised for our team of mixed ages.

It transpired that out two remaining Fixtures would be against the same team due to their having been a week’s Cancellation for Our Late Queens burial Service.

Both Games turned into nail biting encounters with both of them going down to the wire.We won the first encounter by 10 runs in the end, which is too close for comfort if you know the rules of Indoor cricket. Literally 2 hits as in any outdoor game but the straight wall is the boundary and is much near as well!

Our bowlers held their nerve and ultimately triumphed. So all down to the rematch and needing to win again. We batted first and managed an under par total of 96. Still defendable but only if on our game.The atmosphere had ramped up during our innings and it was largely down to our skipper Myles and number 4 bat Phil to rally the scoring late on after a tally of wickets left us a bit short.

Their reply was restricted by decent and accurate bowling Including my own Opening spell.With all the bowlers doing exceptionally well under the pressure of the prize!

It was a thoroughly Intense but exciting atmosphere and even the balcony of spectators were visibly hooked into the drama.The final overs brought more twists and turns in a keenly fought contest.

Again going into the last over they needed only 14 to win but we ultimately triumphed by 6 runs.A great team effort when up against it.

I felt the competitive adrenalin pumping again and my focus sharpened by this experience and it felt good to be Winning with my mates!

Let’s hope this is a happy prelude to success as an England Team in The Carib Cup Tournament Starting in just over a weeks time now.

Winning is a habit and it don’t half feel good when you do.

Cheers JB115

The Full Kit and Caboodle!

I am feeling very fortunate to be only one week away now from Taking off with my England Seniors Team mates to the Tropical Island of Barbados to play the game that we all still love playing!

Fortunately for us in the Tour Squad (16 players +Manager and Assistant Manager)We have all been selected to represent England Seniors in a Tournament designed to pit the best in our age group from other cricket playing Nations and Invitation Sides.

The Excitement ramped up for me this tues night when my Kent Colleague Jim Phillips handed me over my England Kit bag with what turned out to be an extensive array of Kit for the Carib Cup Tournament.I will include a photo of ‘some of the Clothing’.Our Manager Paul B and Captain Richard M had worked hard to Secure the Kit Sponsors ‘Stonehill sports’ who have provided the Playing kit for us all.With our own names (or abbreviated in my case) on the Playing Shirts with our Cap numbers presumably for Identification purposes.There may at some point be the need for Identification if we are involved in Matches with Commentary.

The recent Carib Cup 50+ Tournament also played in Barbados had a running commentary of the Final played at The National Cricket Stadium at The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.Will be nice if we can reach the Final and maybe get that opportunity as well.What a treat that would be.A full International Stadium which has hosted many great West Indies Test Matches.

I slightly digress from the main point of this blog which was really to show off the fact that I was excited to go through my Kit bag to find every eventuality covered from Shorts and training tops, trousers for training and two more pairs for Matches, there are 2 Match day shirts both Long and short sleeve.Track suit top, a hoodie top and tank top, in the eventuality of the freezing Caribbean Weather no doubt! Lets hope that doesn’t happen!

So already to go with the all the colour clothing and cap and all to be packed in a proper sized England Kit bag..I’m beginning to feel like a proper cricketer..

Thanks again to all the Sponsors and Management of this Tour which has been impressively handled.It is fast becoming a reality now!

Whoa were going to Barbados!

Butters115

Are you ready to Sing!

Introducing the Carib Cup Tour Song Book

Well here’s a treat for all, the Tour Song Book has arrived!

I was asked by England Seniors Manager Paul Bradley(AKA The Maltese Falcon) if i would like to Compile a Song Book to accompany us on Tour. I think the Inspiration came to him having seen that the Wales Seniors Team had created one for a recent tour they had been on.(Obviously the welsh have a reputation for being able to sing as well!)

I wouldn’t say that I jumped at the Idea but I do love my music so i did embrace the opportunity of putting a Song List together.

20 songs was the rough suggestion and this would Include versions of our Own National Anthem and perhaps Jerusalem as well.Incase called upon on Match days. Not forgetting that the New National Anthem would be ‘God Save the King’ after the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth.

My Initial List included some 40 numbers some of which were my own favourites not necessarily with a Cricket theme but at least with a tune that most might sing along too?

I did ask a couple of other members of the Squad for feed back during the process and both Kev and Kevin gave useful feedback about some of my more’ obscure choices’.Mainly the Reggae choons which neither had heard of.

So from this point on I thought ok we need to go with a lot of standards ie upbeat and familiar with a few ‘slightly risky’ inclusions for good measure.

So without further ado I put this list out and it has duly been beautifully put together by my mate Dan Patching (No mean Cricketer either) and printed up by another friend and Cricket club Sponsor Simon Stonehouse (father of Alexa who is currently at the Under 19 T20 World cup in South Africa with the England squad.)You might see that the Cricket connections abound in this story.Alexa is another of the success Story’s coming out of my Club of 30 years Whitstable CC.

Both Song Book and Play List are hereby going public and comments should be tempered please!

Do Sing along should you wish to.

Whoa we’re going to Barbados!

JB115

Google Playlists here:

Spotify England60+Carib Cup song Book 1

You Tube England60+Carib Cup Song Book

Live Scores and Link to Fixture from The Carib Cup starts 30th Jan

https://englandseniors.play-cricket.com/home

Cut and paste this Link into you browser to get into the Play Cricket site.Go to Matches in drop down menu and then Fixtures.You will then be able to follow live scores very over.

Hopefully some Live in play streaming for some Matches.West indies Cricket will be streaming their Matches Live so look out for the England Match up with them on the 8th February.

England Over 60’s cricket is on Twitter @EO60s where you can Link up with me too @kingbutterworth if you wish.

@england_cricket_seniors also on Instagram and my account is @buttersoldbean

Finally If you use FB England Seniors page is currently under construction.You’ll find me under my name if you use FB for now.

Well that’s all the current Media issues listed so looking forward to some Nets with my Club Whitstable CC this week.My Kent 60+ Colleague will be joining me too. Hopefully having a hit will bring those muscle memories straight back.Also the professional eye of Whitstable Coach David Fulton will be a handy ally to tweaking my technique.

Two shots to practice will be the On drive and Reverse Sweep..Oh yes been practising that in my Imagination for the Slower Caribbean wickets.!

12 days to Lift off.

Cheers JB115

Fixture List For Carib Cup

Just to update my first post..The Fixtures and dates have been confirmed by England Management.

So here they are in advance and there’ll be in match scoreboards via England Seniors play cricket online. If we’re lucky our scorer David Fisher will be connecting us to live action on YouTube possibly. Updates to follow. I have heard that West Indies matches will be live screened so our encounter with them on 8th Feb should have Visual streaming. As will the Final for sure.

I will make sure to post some Links to how to follow our matches live when I have more details. So things are starting to hot up towards kick off now!

All very exciting! I personally played an Indoor match today in the Canterbury Pharos League Div 3 Whitstable LCCC v’s Sheldwich CC which we Won putting us 2nd in the League and in line for promotion if we Win our last game Next Sat! That’ll send me off to Barbados with a spring in my step! Nets to come this week too and one of my England Seniors colleagues Jim Phillips will be joining us all from Whitstable CC at Polo Farm, Canterbury CC indoor School. Bring your Pink Ball Jim!

Cheers JB115

England Seniors preparing For The Big Man, Caribbean Cup in Barbados.

Only Two Weeks now before England Seniors(60+)Cricket Squad fly off to the Caribbean to play in The Big Man Carribbean cup Tournament. We will be playing for The Inaugural Carib Cup Trophy and there will be Six Sides in all competing.

Our Games Start on 30th Jan 9.30am Local time and first opponents will be the ‘Auld enemy’s we like to refer to The Aussies of course!

Preparation for our Winter Games isn’t Ideal but The Squad and Individual players have been preparing both physically and i’m sure psychologically for some months now.At least we hope so!

We met up as a squad before Christmas at Loughborough University Elite Sports facility which brought home just how significant this Level of cricket is both to Management and players alike.

Thanks to the great efforts of our Tour Manager Paul Bradley and England Captain Richard Merriman we are being afforded the best possible preparations for our First Tournament as a squad together.

We also had the Great input of Professional Coaches Paul Farbrace and Andy Pick to support us and put us through our paces, even at our Young ages there is always more to learn both technically and professionally.

So my plan is to post articles here about how the Final preparations go before lift off and of course how the Tournament is going once we arrive.

Cheers for now JB115