simpleblog RSS feed

Hard Work Begins

Most of the players are now arriving back on the Island after the winter so we are practicing every Tuesday & Thursday in April from 2pm-5pm. There were 10 players last time out and I am expecting a few more for next time. The most important thing is to get everybody thinking about cricket and then step up a gear as the Cup approaches. All things considered everything is going to plan so far.

First Practice 2008

We will be meeting up at the ground on Tuesday 11 March for an informal practice session to blow away the winter cobwebs. All welcome

BALEARIC CUP 2008 DATES CONFIRMED

Fri 2 May MALLORCA V IBIZA

Sat 3 May MENORCA V IBIZA

Sun 4 May MENORCA V MALLORCA

End of Season Awards

It was a really good night at Villa Mercedes on Sat 8th December for our Xmas dinner and awards ceremony. It was also good that one of our own - Ben 'Kiwi' Morris - was in charge of the food.

I presented Bob Short with a framed photo as Batsman of the year. It was an easy decision seeing as he averaged over 100 runs and Bob is a Captain's dream and a class act, he does very well to accept some of my more bizarre decisions as Captain but never stops supporting me and giving me encouragement.

Jim Harvey is Bowler of the year. He has won plaudits from every team he has played against and with a bit more luck could have doubled his wicket tally this year. His left arm over the wicket, coming back in at you, is nearly always on the money and if you miss he usually hits.

I took great pleasure in awarding Player of the year to Martin Cooper. Nobody deserves it more and here is a player who gives his all and usually comes up with the goods when you need him to. His 33 runs under immense pressure at the Balearic Cup proved to be the difference and he has done great work behind the stumps as wicky.

Well done to all the team for making 2007 our most successful year ever.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all.

Shaggy x

Benidorm Fireworks

Our weekend trip to play Sporting Alfaz on the outskirts of Benidorm was an up and down affair. Saturday's match against the 1st XI, Spanish champions was always going to be difficult but with them scoring 320 off 40 overs and us being 12 for 4 of 7 overs it could have been a complete disaster. However our middle order, namely Stu Browne, Martin Cooper, Jim Harvey and yours truly , managed to get some valuable time in the middle and contributed significantly to take the score up to the 160 mark so instead of spiralling into depression we took some positives out of the game. Eventually losing by 150 odd runs was no disgrace against an excellent side and I, somewhat strangely, came away from the game feeling quite satisfied.

Sunday's game against the 2nd XI was totally different with Alfaz fielding an emerging side boasting several of Spain's top youngsters. Alfaz scored well but too slowly and our bowling and fielding was right on the money to restrict them to 161 from their 40 overs. We achieved the target in the 38th over with 3 wickets to spare. It was a great team effort from us with Robin Parmenter and Martin Cooper being the standouts with a 60 run stand to take the team to within touching distance, two cover drive boundaries by Martin at the business end of the innings will be remembered for many years to come.

Any victory over a Sporting Alfaz team has to be earnt and this performance capped an excellent season for Ibiza Cricket Club on the ptich - winning 8 matches and losing only 6 and also bringing home the Balearic Cup for the first time in 17 years. Many thanks to all who have played, supported and helped us over the last season, we go into 2008 with confidence.

Annual General Meeting

Tuesday 6 November at Hotel Blau Park, San Antonio, 9pm.

Please come and give your views and ideas for the future.

Zamigos, Old Lincolnians and Alfaz in Benidorm

After the disappointment of the previous games it was good to get 4 wins under our belt. The Dutch team Zamigos were an experienced side who decided to bat first in both 30 over games. Ibiza got home in both games with a few balls to spare but the games were mostly memorable for the way they were played - hard but fair, just the way we like it and it really felt like we earned the victories.

Old Lincolnians brought a mixed touring team over but still made it difficult for us over the two games. The scores don't really reflect the games as it was really down to Samy Feasey and Bob Short who both batted beautifully for Ibiza - Sam scoring his maiden century in the first game. Old Lincs' big hitters did their job but we had a bit too much in the locker over the two games. It was a good cricketing week with lots of supporters enjoying the October sunshine.

We just have two games left against Spanish Champions Alfaz in their own backyard. We are taking a weakened side over on the boat to Benidorm however I am confident that we can put up a good fight and maybe even cause an upset.

Taking the Positives

It was hard week of cricket and we ended up losing 4 games in 6 days but I am focussing on the positives rather than the negatives. Cheam Wanderers were a good, young, organised side counting a first class cricketer amongst their ranks and edged both our games. We probably fielded our best ever Ibiza XI in the first game, and it was needed as we ran out of overs and came up just short. We could and probably should have won the second game but we just ran out of steam at the death coming up a handful of runs short. Cheam were a cracking bunch of lads who played very competitively and seemed to enjoy the Ibiza experience. I look forward to seeing them again.

Sporting Alfaz are the champions of Spanish cricket and they bought over an emerging side with a good mixture of youth and experience. We battled hard in the first game losing by a few runs and were soundly beaten in the second when we fielded a scratch team. Alfaz were as 'up for it' as ever and I was impressed with their desire. It was a big ask for us to field four teams in 6 days and frankly I was just thankful we managed to fulfill our obligations by the time the last game came around. Not an ideal mindfame for the skipper but a reality.

Over the four games there were several performances that were very positive such as Martin Cooper with the gloves and Ryan Way with the bat with the only negative being that our bowling needs to be a lot tighter if we are to be competitve. You can't give teams of this quality a 30 run start.

As we head towards five games in 2 weeks in October we need to stay focussed and to get our big players firing on all cylinders - that way we can end this season on a high.

September is Here!

August is gone and the island is already calming down a little. We have lots of cricket this month and I am really looking forward to getting all the lads back together so we can continue the hard work from May. You are only as good as your last game so we need to dust off the cobwebs and come out all guns blazing for the games against Cheam and Alfaz. Cheam are an unknown quantity but we certainly know that Alfaz are the best team in Spain. We soundly beat them last year and will be looking to do the same this time round. Bring it on!

July in Ibiza

The island is getting very busy and very hot. Most of the cricket team are working very hard over the peak summer months and with the weather nudging up all the time, this is why we don't play in July and August. I am looking forward to September where we have a few games so we can get the team back together and carry on the good work from early season.

Summer Break

Ibiza Cricket Club is now taking a well earned break until September but I will still be updating the blog with any gossip, hearsay and conjecture so please keep logging on. Please feel free to contact myself or any members of the committee should you require information on how you can get involved with Ibiza Cricket Club.

Springwood CC - 2 Great Games

It was good to get back to competitive cricket after a couple of weeks off. Springwood CC from King's Lynn came over and we played out two really good games. Adam's 125 not out was the highlight on Tuesday but it was not enough to stop a good batting side getting over the line with 6 balls to spare. Roshan of Springwood is a special player, as we have seen before, but they also had a few others who weighed in with valuable runs. Truth be told, we ran out of steam in the last 5 overs and were a bowler short on the day and Springwood deserved the victory chasing down 233 (although I sulked all the following day - I am not a good loser).

Thursday's game was all about the Vicar after his rare off-day on Tuesday and I think he wanted to put that right. His 144 not out (off 35 overs!) ranks up there with the very best innings seen in Ibiza over the years. He took some fine bowling to the cleaners and was ably supported by Andy 'Kiwi' Davies who scored a superb 53 on his debut as we set 283 - which is a big ask of the chasing team. We took some early wickets with Scrappy doing the business with the ball but were still nervous until Bob got Roshan out LBW and I managed to get Dave Beck out, caught at short leg from a ridiculously wide delivery. Winning by 63 runs was very satisfying after Tuesday's narrow defeat and 1-1 was a fair reflection of the weeks cricket. A special mention of thanks to Springwood CC who are a good team and a super set of lads and also big fans of cricket in Ibiza. The fact that we are competing with a team of this calibre shows how far Ibiza C.C. has come.

Celebration Dinner - Monday 21 May

Ibiza CC are holding a dinner on Monday 21 May at the Curry Club in San Antonio to celebrate winning the Balearic Cup for the first time in 17 years. Everyone involved with the club, all friends and everybody who has helped raised funds are cordially invited to come to this low key event. Please contact Lyn Carpenter on 677630514 or lyncarpenter@tiscali.es for details.

Personal Message from the Skipper

Now that the dust has settled I would just like to thank everyone for all the hard work they have put in over the last 6 weeks which culminated in last weekend where we were better drilled and hungrier than our opposition. We brought the Balearic Cup home after an emphatic win over our arch rivals Mallorca and a nervous win over Menorca, who were both gracious in defeat. Special thanks to Adam and Bob for all the coaching and advice, to Kiwi George who's will to win was awesome, David Climent, an adopted ibicenco, who's a lovely lad and plays cricket in such a simple way, Lyn, Adrian and Peter who's support has never been questioned and all the lads who played with such distinction - teams win matches but squads win tournaments and so it proved with Brader's work ethic, Ian's experience, Stu B's bowling, Pabs' catch, Cocoa's fielding and Martin Cooper's magnificent 33. Jim is the biggest swinger in town and Scrappy kept his head to lift the trophy in his own backyard. Also a big thankyou to Mike Charlton, our umpire, who gave me three justifiable warnings. Sorry Mike but it was nice to be a bad winner for once as opposed to being a good loser for the last 17 years. However this is only the beginning so let's enjoy the moment - it has been a long time coming - but also not forget that you are only as good as your last result so let us all use this as a springboard and take the club forward to the next level. Thanks and Regards Shaggy.

IBIZA CC - BALEARIC CHAMPIONS!

Ibiza CC have won the Balearic Cup for the first time in 17 years. On Friday 4 May they beat arch rivals Mallorca CC by 7 wickets with 8 overs to spare and the next day beat Menorca CC by 4 runs in a nailbiter that went down to the last ball. All the squad contributed to what was an excellent overall team performance to make sure that the cup went back to Ibiza after fast bowler (and ex-Menorca player) Ryan Way had collected it on behalf of the Club. All the players met up on Sunday night back on home soil to celebrate where champagne was duly drunk from inside the coveted trophy. See the Gallery section of the website for photos of what proved to be the most memorable day in Ibiza C.C's 21 year history.

Practice Tuesday 24 April & Thursday 26 April at 2pm - See you there!

A couple of good practice sessions last week. On Tuesday we were filmed whilst batting in the nets - nice viewing for some but a video nasty for others. On Thursday we played in pairs with Jim and Adam coming out on top but more importantly the running between the wickets was much improved. If this week's practices are as productive I will be happy. We had a fundraiser on Friday night to celebrate St George's Day which was really good fun. Lots of people dressed in red and Club Nautic put on a fine spread. Lyn Carpenter's organisation was first class (as always) and I am sure there were a few thick heads on Saturday morning. Photos are in the Gallery section of the website

Practice Tue 17 April & Thu 19 April

It was a good turnout at the last session so we are now going to 2 practices a week in preparation for the Balearic Cup which starts on May 4. I was really pleased with the application of the players and the thought process going into the sessions. Adam went back to basics and I think a few players learnt some new things - I know I did. Roll on Tuesday.

Practice - Thursday 12 April

Unfortunately the last practice was cancelled due to inclement weather however our next practice will be after the easter holidays on Thursday 12 April - 2pm at the ground. We will have a training session to ease in all the players turning up for the first time this season who have been away for the winter.

I have had a dozen text messages from 'Scrap Iron' Ryan Way who is champing at the bit to come over from Menorca, had a blog message from Stu Browne and also spoke to Andy 'Minty? Brader . Things are moving along nicely.

Practice Thursday 29 March

Next Practice will be on Thursday 29 March, 2pm-5pm at the ground. I am really pleased with how practice is going so far this season. We have had at least 6 players turn up to each session and the emphasis has been on technique and development. Bob (The Vicar) Short and Ian (healing hands) Gourlay are helping the players with their batting and Jim (lefty) Harvey will be trying to develop the bowlers and bring them on. I have tried to explain to the players that we all need to work on our individual game for this year and how we need to do to contribute to the team. I am very excited about our potential for the coming season. Shaggy.

Practice Thursday 22 March

2pm at the ground - see you there!

Next Practice

Will be on Thursday 8 March at 2pm at the ground. See you all there! Regards Shaggy

Practice 2007

First Practice of the season will take place at our ground in San Jose on Friday 2 March. We will meet at 2.30pm and have a net to ease us in gently. All players, old and new, are more than welcome. For more information call me directly on +34 660662222. Regards Shaggy.

Dennis Carling Memorial Service

Dennis' memorial service will take place at San Rafael Church at 12pm on Tuesday 13th February 2007. Please pass on this information to all his friends who we cannot contact by email. The club will be having a collection so please get in touch should you wish to donate - the funds will be going to a charity of Dawn's choice.

Captain's Blog - Practice 2007

I have had a few phone call from the players about practice - a positive sign for the forthcoming season! The plan of attack is to start practice sessions/matches in early March and then carry on every week gaining momentum until we have our final sessions before departing to Menorca to compete in the Balearic Cup in the first week of May. It is very important that we start as we mean to go on this year so practices will be fun but also have a competitive edge so we can ease ourselves in gently but also so we can be as prepared as possible come the first matches. I will be posting a list of practice dates soon on this blog so please keep logging on for details. Regards Shaggy.

Dennis' Funeral & Memorial Service

Dennis' funeral was held in his home town of Oxford on Friday 19 January 2007. Well over 100 friends and family attended to give him a good see-off and it was a joyous yet ultimately sad day to say goodbye to a good friend and servant to Ibiza Cricket Club. The Club sent a wreath and was represented at the service by ex-captain Julian Cobby.

There will be a memorial service in Ibiza sometime soon where the Club members will have the chance to pay their respects to his family and send Dennis off in the traditional Ibiza style - lots of tears (for the loss) and lots of beers (have you ever been on tour with this club?).

The Club will also have a collection before the memorial service to give to Dawn who has indicated that she wishes it to be donated to either the Cancer Association on the Island or the Hospice where Dennis spent his final hours.

I will post details on this blog as soon as I have the date of the memorial service and how members can donate should they wish to. Regards Shaggy

Very Sad News

It is with great sadness that we heard the news that our umpire and friend Dennis Carling had passed away in the early hours of Wednesday 10 January 2007. Dennis had been ill for some time but it still did not stop him from officiating right up to the end of Ibiza's cricket season in October 2006. Ibiza Cricket Club would like to send our condolences to all his beloved family. We will miss him and his itchy trigger finger.

Captain's Blog

Happy New Year and welcome to Ibiza Cricket Club's new blog. Please check here for regular updates on the team, coming attractions, general chit chat , gossip and a personal account of the challenges of being the teams captain. For any new people logging on for the first time you may be amazed to find out that cricket exists on an island famous for other excesses, well it does. For you and all you other regulars please keep an eye on the website, myself and George from IT spend an unhealthy amount of time on it. Enjoy! Best Regards Shaggy

Welcome to our blog

After a lot of feedback members and visitors to the web site suggested we should have a blog. Not wanting to disappoint anyone. We now have a blog. Comments and suggestions can now be posted here.