Pembury Cricket Club – a club to be proud of

On the field, the First Eleven season can probably be summed up in one word – inconsistent. One week, we were dispatching title-contending and keenest of rivals Cowdrey, the next collapsing to defeat against much less heralded opposition. The team never won more than two games on the trot, yet still finished comfortably in the top four of Kent Cricket Feeder League 1A thanks in the main to the bonus point system which awards points for wickets taken and, for the losing side, the closeness of the result. The team has now mastered this point scoring system without necessarily mastering some of the more basic skills such as batting. In fairness, as a result of wet and difficult pitches throughout most of the season, the batsmen were always likely to struggle and it was a mark of the tenacity of the side and the excellent bowling that games remained tight despite the low scores that Pembury often posted.

The Second Eleven also enjoyed mixed success and finished mid-table in Kent Cricket Feeder League 2B. The team continues to blend youth with Ralgex-reeking experience but the pleasing aspect of this season has been the increasing emergence of the junior members of the club. The likes of Matt Rice-Tucker, Nick and Elliot Forward and Deeyam Patel will surely be pushing for First Team recognition sooner rather than later.

The Sunday side, with its eclectic mix of seasoned cricketers and young bucks, has always provided entertainment for the crowds and remains an excellent environment for junior cricketers beginning to make their way in senior cricket without the pressures that sometimes accompany Saturday league fixtures. The same can be said of the Tuesday Evening side with Pembury’s policy firmly directed towards developing junior talent.

The Junior section itself, which can now utilise the services of seven qualified coaches and covers the age range 7-17 years, continues to grow in strength, numbers and popularity. Such has been the popularity, in fact, that the cricket club has had to use the facilities at Pembury Primary School to safely accommodate the younger members. Coaching takes place outdoors between May and August on Saturday mornings and is open to boys and girls.

The club entered four competitive sides in the Mid Kent Youth League at Under 11, 13, 15 and 17 age groups. The Under 13 team won their League Cup competition and the teams at Under 11, 13 and 17 all finished second in their respective leagues. All in all, it was a very creditable playing season and reward for the players and coaches who have invested so much time and effort. It is hoped that next year additional qualified coaches will enable us to continue to expand the junior membership.

Pembury CC has worked tremendously hard over the last few years to focus away from the old image of cricket for the men with the wives doing the teas (although the teas are still especially good) and towards junior development and inclusion for all the family. We now have dedicated members on the Committee actively seeking grants to improve the club facilities and a social events organiser, Sandy Crouch, who has created a year-long diary of functions which has helped not only to swell the coffers but also to integrate the whole of the family within the club. The club is also in the fortunate position of having what is now one of the best squares in Kent, a result of the amazing devotion of Colin Buckle and his ground staff. These achievements have culminated in the club being awarded Clubmark status, a prestigious reward given only to those clubs that have shown and can continue to show excellence in the provision of facilities and support for the junior members of its community.

This is indeed a club Pembury should be proud of.

If you would like to learn more about Pembury CC, please contact Andy Dawes 01892 822862