Author: Ad Min

Robot

15 June 201315 June 2013 By Ad Min

Match Report: David Adams Charity Tournament, Thursday 23rd May 2013

2 games out of 5 won.
4th place of 6

Comrades!

It is with great pleasure that I can declare that we did not come last. We did last year but this year, we left two other teams trailing behind us! That is the most important piece of fact from this day of pleasure that I can report, the rest is less fact and more comment:

The David Adams Leukaemia Appeal Tournament is a great day of cricket in which six teams get together at The Bank of England Sports Centre and play each other at cricket – duh! Sometimes a struggle to get a team together and sometimes not – this year the latter. Last year’s day was blogged about and caused a stir and so we were able to get our team together el-pronto. The lucky players were: Yuri, Ilyeva, Robski, Hooperski, Stewin Apotoff, Chipmunkski, Andropov Sewellski and of course, captain Cobramovich.

The day was divided into 5 games of 6-6 overs and a final. Wicky doesn’t bowl but everybody else does. There were some other oddish rules, such as, you cannot be out first ball, no-balls and wides to count as legal until the last over, but on the whole it was a fairly normal set of rules. The fields of course were generally set very wide but this gave one a great chance of appreciating the outstanding ground that the BOE has at Roehampton. Lovely!

Cobramovich had some clever ideas set up and we tried our damnedest to stick to them, but great adaptation was required from match 1 onwards. As our desire to not come last grew stronger, our batting order remained fixed for number 1 and number 2 with the remaining positions varying. The openers were Hooperski (David Hooper) and new comrade, Stewin Apotoff (Stew Barnes). Both were able to hold stirring partnerships and produce enough runs to prevent depression setting in and of course, fear!

SCC v Graylings. This match was on the top pitch and nearest to the commentator John ‘Fingers’ Fingleton
The following match notes are from our captain and the scorecards are compete except for one match where we don’t have all of the TalkTalk scorecard. I am trying to get this sorted out.

1. GRAYLING PR Toadies (47) – SCC Batted 2nd (48) and quite easily WON
Robski missed this one.
MAIN PITCH

SCC v Grayling - Them — SCC v Grayling – Them

SCC v Grayling - Us — SCC v Grayling – Us

2. TALK TALK Mobile Device mongers – SCC Batted 1st (66) and LOST
Rasputin missed this one?
SMALLER PITCH

SCC v TalkTalk - us — SCC v TalkTalk – us

3. SLAUGHTER & MAY – Organs of Capitalism (75) – SCC Batted 2nd (76) and (just, with 2nd last ball?) WON(Then Lunch)
Cobramovich missed this one
SMALLER PITCH

Slaughter May v SCC - them — Slaughter May v SCC – them

SCC v Slaughter May - us — SCC v Slaughter May – us

(Then Tea)

4. DEUTSCHE BANKER Lackies (80) – SCC Batted 2nd (55) and LOST
Ileyva missed this one?
MAIN PITCH

(Then Tea)

5. OSBORNE & CLARK Lawyer-Thieves (58) – SCC Batted 2nd (47) and – possibly due to Bullski’s departure pre-match – narrowly LOST.
(This match was only 5 overs a side, unlike the others which were all 6.)
Unknown to us at the time due to fatigue, if we had indeed won, we probably would have made the final against the ghastly financial Imperialists!
Bullski missed this one.
SMALLER PITCH

(Then Tea)

Our team truly shone I thought. The opening bats of Bulleroff and Stasia regularly gave us a hope on the batting. Followed well by us all and Robski deserves a great mention and all of us who prevented a slide.

In the field were some truly great fielding exhibitions and Ilyeva bravely sacrificed the use of his hand to try to prevent another boundary. Sewellski exhibited his ever improving throw, Cobramovich’s cunning plans were executed and adapted superbly, Chipmunski nib nib nibbled at the bats.

Comrades! I salute you all. A great day for a great cause and we must all be proud of the SCC’s performance.

Do Svidaniya!!!

24 February 2013 By Ad Min

Umpiring, Nets and THE COLD

Comrades, I thought you would like to learn a little of the backstage drama that happens whilst some of us come together to build the excellence of the team! I know you can’t all make it along to these events, but do try, comrades, do try. You will find yourselves being picked more readily for a team, nobody likes a shirker!

February Nets

Oh yes we did. Last Tuesday 19th Feb, Brandonovski, Cobramovich and myself Yuri, went along to the illuminated nets at Paddington Rec. The lights took a while to come on to be honest, but when they were, they looked great and the nets shone! We were wearing thermals, 20-20 kit, jumpers and thick socks. But to be honest, after a damn good bat and some bowling, our heads were steaming hot.

The hot addition for the night was Brandonovski’s inspired acquisition of the Side Arm. This insures that no matter who is bowling, the ball will get down the net and be playable by the bats person who is practising. Of course, if we are bowling practising then that is a different matter. But tonight we wanted to really improve our bat for the new season. I got my lid on first and faced up to some of Brandonovski’s chucking and boy, it’s fast! Accurate too, and I was facing 90% playable balls. My focus was to Pull shots down the leg side and after a few overs, I was improved. I used to step backwards endlessly just to defend them… duh!

Brandonovski was working on his off side drive although I also think he is looking to up his tally of dots for 2013. But some very nice action and good shapes! But I feel some swinging may add to an excellent quiver of strokes – next nets, comrade. It was good to see that his shoulder was much improved after a recent off spell, tenderly fixed by comrade Samovar.

Cobramovich was stoical in his determination to improve his soft wristed spill to the leg side, giving fine leg a tremendous sprint or the wicky some fractured ribs. He always looks good in his action and most of our comments were to congratulate him on subpplety of wrist. A lesson for us all, comrades. But I wanted him out from and edge and my bowling focused on coming around and across. I know there shall be no LBW from such rash bowling but I want a slip catch or two this season.

Cobramovich was lowering his action in delivery for the height of the nets but Brandonovski and I both felt this gave his balls more speed and improved accuracy to. Could this be a development for the season? We shall see. Whatever, we were all delighted with the nets and will be booking more winter nets very very soon! Come along.

Umpiring Course Week 5

It is hard to specify exactly how cold these Thursday nights at Lord’s have been. The weather has been utterly shocking, howling wind and snow, and freezing chill factors, Batman! The course is good. We are learning, comrade commissar Brandonovski and myself, all about the art and shall we say approach to umpiring required for us to hopefully get our Level 1 qualification from the ACO. We have one more regular week, then a mock exam week and the final week, the exam!

So what does that mean for you comrades? It doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about umpiring at a match in the future. Nope. In fact, the reverse. We need a good core of umpire happy comrades to take part during all matches. Brandonovski and I will go out with those amongst us with years of cricket umpire helping behind them. So we shall learn their feeling and interpretation. We shall impart our more recent knowledge and other comrades will come in and help and learn. This way, our knowledge can be dissipated through the team and we shall all be happier to go out and ump’. Maybe next year, we can get one or two more comrades to do the course – we do subsidise it from membership!

Well thank you comrades for reading up and what’s going down. GET TO THE NETS as the season is starting very soon and you will all be hopelessly out of shape and none of you will have your eyes in. If we see you at the nets, we shall see you on the pitch – it’s that straight forward!

Do Svidaniya

Yuri P

31 January 20134 February 2013 By Ad Min

AGM – Minutes and notes

AGM for the Soho Cricket Collective

Comrades!

Wednesday 23rd January 2013

Held at

The Union Club
50 Greek Street
London
W1D 4EQ

Those present

Mark Blackledge
Marx-B
Peter Brandon
Brandonovski
Tim Graham
Cobramovich
Olivier Lauchenauer
Ilyeva
Philip Richardson
Yuri
Jon Savitt
Jontin

The meeting commenced around a round table that catered for all of the suitable paperwork and provided ample space for food and wine to be laid out. This, comrades, was achieved successfully and was suitably ample.

Welcome and note

As comrade commissar premier, Yuri P greeted all those present. The quorum was achieved and meeting commenced at 19:30

Financial Statements

Comrade commissar Treasurer, Ilyeva provided us with the statement of account, To-whit:

The Revenue was:
In the 2012 season of play there 15 players who paid the subscriptions and one of which was a junior player. This came to a total of £540.00.
Matches and Net fees produced £361.00

The costs were as follows:
Internet fees, including hosting and transfer of domain, £105.50
Ryde BBQ fee for team £100.00
Trophy cost £58.50
Match teas £385.00
TOTAL COSTS £649.00

As of 22nd January 2013:
The bank held £910.65
Cash held £89.98

Charitable donations made:
Royal Marsden and D.Adam’s appeal £1,400.00

Charitable donation to be made:
Parkinson’s UK £360.16

The latter donation shall be made next week and we shall publicise it.

Membership fees will remain unchanged at £40.00 with half of that going to our charities.

Ilyeva concluded.

Quartermasters Report
Comrade commissar Quartermaster, Brandonovski provided us with the statement of account, To-whit:

Serious Cricket have provided us with a very good service this season and many comrades have taken up the colours for us. The scheme that they provide gives us a small kick back for all kit bought and over the course of the season we are due just over £60.00 to go to the bank.

We have decided that all paid up members MUST have at least an SCC shirt.

The treasurer must purchase and the quartermaster must present or make able to be borrowed two XL SCC shirts for every match. This way we can maintain a good image on the pitch and provide spares for those who forget or those who play unusually for us!!!

Jumpers to be ordered Before the end of February. ILYEVA is to proceed with ordering.

Blazers would be a welcome addition and some research should commence throughout the season by the quartermaster into a good source and design.

Cultural attaché’s Report
Comrade commissar Quartermaster, Brandonovski provided us with the statement of account, To-whit:

Comradery in the field and increased skills will be achieved by improving our knowledge of field positions. This will speed up positioning and produce and over all feeling of well being amongst a confident and suitably located player.

Again, a binding and culturally significant level of knowledge will be in us all in understanding Umpiring signals. This will benefit scoring and bring us together as a tight, cohesive unit.

More fanaticism is required. Let’s build the brand and drive more zealotism into our comrades. Fashion items should be designed and made available. Reference to http://www.bodylinetshirts.com

Cobramovich accepted continued nomination as cultural attaché and wants to work with Brandonovski in developing a training schedule as a joint responsibility.

Cobramovich concluded.

Captains’ Reports
Comrade commissar Captains provided us with the statement of account, To-whit:

Captain Marx-B is very keen for us to improve our decision making in the field as umpires. There were some shocking decisions made last and particularly in regards to our own team players. Hopefully this will improve this year as Brandonovski and Yuri are doing their level 1 umpiring course and will spread knowledge. Also, we should use square leg umpire as an opportunity to train lesser experienced officials through observation of the other.

Captain Cobramovich wants to see “stick ability” and all were suitably antagonised by my comment that I may as well swing out and go out for two as opposed to stick in and go out for two. His point being that our will improve greatly from time in the square scoring not much than a brief walk in and out and scoring not much. Fair point.

Equally, he noted with suitable admiration the captain of Stonor CC comment he “doesn’t care for pavilion pressure”. The underlying truth is that batting trading and heads down to follow the ball will strikingly improve our scores.

Also, more team building chat is required in the field. Perhaps some chanting, singing and glue type vocalisation.

Captain Yuri is up for more captaining and by the end of the season would like to captain a full day match.

Comrade Jontin was nominated and accepted to be a field captain for at least a match in the season and was warmly greeted into the commissariat thereby making him comrade commissar captain Jontin.

Commissariat positions
Comrade commissar Premier, Yuri provided us with the statement of positions, To-whit:

No comments were submitted to change the nature of the commissar roles, so no change in name or number shall be made. So the 2013 commissar roles are accordingly:

Comrade commissar Premier, Yuri
Comrade commissar Treasurer, Ilyeva
Comrade commissar cultural attaché, Cobramovich
Comrade commissar quartermaster, Brandonovski
Comrade commissar captains, Marx-B, Cobramovich, Jontin, Yuri
Comrade commissar adjutants, Soldya, Antonov. NB the latter TBC by Antonov.

Commissars, Cobramovich and Brandonovski have been voted for to jointly look after the training rosta for the SCC this season. Cobramovich securing all boot camp and field activities and Brandonovski supervising all net bookings. Details to follow very soon.

Nobody desired a vote to change the holder of premier or treasurer positions in the 2014 AGM and so none shall be offered. However, a vote can be held in 2014 AGM to make the same decision for 2015.

Fixtures
Comrade commissar Premier, Yuri provided us with the statement of fixtures, To-whit:

All of the fixtures were agreed as was also the desire to find an April match. All fixtures are available on the blog.

Sponsorship
Comrade commissar Premier, Ilyeva provided us with the statement of need, To-whit:

It was thought that the SCC may not yet need sponsorship. When we have more members then perhaps we shall have a need.

What would any sponsorship be needed for? Not items or kit necessarily it perhaps some exuberant fixtures? We talked of creating a match in Red Square in Moscow fuss a local team and comrade commissar Jontin was going to investigate such a fixture. Smirnoff could sponsor such an event under the line “worth a shot!”

Pre-season drinks
Comrade commissar Premier, Cobramovich provided us with the statement of thirst, To-whit:

Cobramovich vigorously nominated his home for a preseason drinks event TBC.

Any other business
Comrade commissar Premier, Yuri provided us with the statement of rules, To-whit:

Founder members are those players who played in the season 2010/2011 seasons however they are provided with no special acclaim in selection anymore.

Selection will work hence:
First choice will go to fully paid up members of the SCC up until 23:59 three days before the match. So for a Sunday match, Wednesday 23:59.

Second choice is all non members and guests.

If an over subscriotion occurs by accident or otherwise, the captain of the match will decide the players to take part on the field.