Antelope End of Season Dinner – November 25th

The season may be over, but now the counting has started.

Save the date. Friday 25th November at the Antelope, SW1, is the night of the Annual Antelopians Cricket Club Dinner.

A full three-course meal plus a bottle of wine per person will be provided.  But the entertainment doesn’t end there. We will announce the season’s player stats – and award coveted prizes to each of our on-field heroes, including the 2011 Player of The Year – whose name will be unveiled on the famous Wall of Honour.

It’s also a family night. WAGs are most definitely welcome.

Please save the date, and let us know if you and your missus can make it.

RSVP to Junior  . More details will be available shortly.

Poll : Winter Nets

An Important Message from the Captain

Dear Antelopian

Another season has drawn to a close – in the case of the Antelopians, in ignominious defeat, after being bowled out for 46!  Thank-you for everyone that has played for us this season and we look forward to revealing who the stars have been at the end of season dinner – details of which will be announced soon.

Before then, we need to ask you for one-off support for the club in regard to its finances.  Through no fault of anyone, we have ended the season with a significant deficit which has been caused by loss of revenue through abandoned games, increased charges from opposition teams, subsidised net sessions, increased costs of kit and insurances etc – none of which have been offset by an increase to you in terms of match fees, last year’s end of season dinner or net sessions.   As a result, our club President – AP, has throughout this season effectively financially carried the club and we now find ourselves just over £700 in debt to him.

We are sure you would agree that it is not right for one person to organise most of our Sunday cricket and to carry what are the costs of us all. We need to pay him back urgently and with little club funds left available to us to do this, this is where we need to ask for your help.  Not only do we need to clear our debts by the start of the new season, we also ideally need to start the 2012 season in surplus so we can pay the club’s insurance, invest in new kit and pre-pay for any ground hire we are required to rather than certain individuals carrying the cost for several months.

We therefore propose that any current or past player or friend of the club may wish to make a small donation via the ACC bank account, for this to go to AP to hopefully clear the debt to him.   This is entirely a voluntary payment and in order not to embarrass anyone, we propose a cap of £40 per donation – regard it as an end of season sub if you like! . All donations of whatever sum be will be received very discreetly and not disclosed to anyone else other than the undersigned.

We realise that this is an unusual request and comes at a time when the cost of living is rising, but your support to the club would be greatly appreciated at this time and will put us on a much firmer financial footing going into next season.

Anyone wishing to make a donation please do so by transferring funds direct to the ACC account, details of which can be obtained from Junior or Norts, please see the Contacts section for details.

 

Many thanks all and best wishes

John & Mark

Junior & Norts

Antelope vs. Gazeley, 24th September

MATT KAMSTRA RESIGNS BUT VOWS NEVER TO PLAY FOR THE CHURCHILL

The Antelopians’ final game of the season, versus the ‘village’ team of Gazeley in Suffolk, was one Matt Kamstra will never forget.

The sorry scoreboard

The left arm Kiwi spin doctor took a nasty tumble at deep long off.

Shaping up nicely under a huge lofted drive, he took the catch cleanly with both hands.

But then fell over backwards, bruising his coccyx and bouncing his head violently on the sun-baked deck.

Concussed, he sat out the rest of the game with a sore arse and a massive headache.

Two days later he was admitted into Chelsea & Westminster for overnight observation.

No noticeable brain damage, but punters soon realised all was not well.

Matt has taken the Assistant Manager job at The Churchill Arms. But only on condition that he plays cricket for the Antelope. Churchill management are understood to have assigned Matt to weekend duties, so that he never gets to play cricket ever again.

All of which is obviously designed to draw attention from the worst Antelopian defeat of the season.

Skittled by Gazeley for 46 runs from 25 overs, having won the toss and chosen to bat.

A repeat of 2009.

Gazeley cruised to the target in seven overs for the loss of just two wickets.

To make up for the embarrassment, a good Twenty20 match was then played.

Which the Antelopians also managed to lose, but only by 11 runs chasing a target of 151.

Max Murray top-scored with 46 not out to put a bit a bit of pressure on Gazeley at last towards the end.

The Gazeley wicket is lovingly prepared and they do put out some very useful players late in the season.

So beware 2012. This is no ‘village ‘team.

(Matt, semper damma – sic, Latin)

Andrew Porter