Whitchurch Cricket Players

Current players

Below is a distinguished selection of our regular players. We are always keen to welcome new players, so contact us to find out about joining us for a game.

	Lyn "Look You" Williams | Club Captain Signed from Tonypandy Tonkers in the 1986 transfer window, Lyn is the team's token Welshman. He started his career with Whitchurch as a fielder in the same mould as Colin Bland and Jonty Rhodes but since then has learned to bat and bowl.
	Cormac "Liam" Neeson | Saturday Captain Signed from Ballykissangel Barbarians, Cormac bears an uncanny resemblance to Hollywood legend Liam Neeson, which is no doubt why he is the self-styled leader of the Whitchurch 'brat pack'. Not the most sartorially elegant cricketer due to the lack of an iron in the Neeson household.
	Duncan Seward | Saturday Vice-Captain Unconfirmed rumour has it that as a tour virgin, Duncan was the perpetrator of the Northamptonshire Toilet Disaster 2002. When not disgracing himself, he likes to open the batting.
	James "Jimbo" Shanahan | Sunday Captain Leading light in the 'international' squad, James joined us from Mandela Maulers. Used to the harder tracks of South Africa, his technique is to pitch the ball short. A big mistake at Whitchurch!
	Mike "Buttie" Butt | Club Chairman Transferred from Ruislip Manor at the start of the 1977 Season, Mike has been virtually ever present ever since. A useful opening bat in days gone by and a tricky slow bowler with a useful wrist action, he is now Club Captain and Number One in the Whitchurch Boat Race Team.
	Andy Arthur A recent signing for Whitchurch who topped the batting averages in his first season with us.
	Ian Ashworth
	Dominic Attard Now a regular in the Sunday side, Dom's also our resident West Ham fan, ruling him out of Whitchurch's transfer market dealings.
	Alastair Batchelor
	Matt Chapple Matt made a welcome debut for us at Aldermaston this season.
	Musab Chaudhary Outstanding in the field: don't even think about that quick single if the ball's heading in Musab's direction.
	Tim Close Closey's our one-man Australian division (and don't we know about it) and a leading light in establishing the Whitchurch Colts programme.
	Matt Cook The reluctant keeper almost tops the season averages after one game behind the stumps.
	Robin Cotgreave Once removed the stumps of two batsmen in his opening over, prompting the opposition to play for a draw with just 5 balls gone. Has still not been forgiven by his teammates as it was bloody cold and they froze their nuts off.
	Owen Darbishire Owen was dispatched to Lord's to see what we could learn from England or the West Indies recently. When the answer came back 'not much' we were a bit surprised. Now all is clear.
	Dodsey
	Chris Ellard
	Matt Flood
	Chris "Grogie" Grogan Chris likes to take his cricket seriously: a fact normally attributed to his Yorkshire upbringing. He's famous for refusing to walk on the 2001 Devon tour when the snick was heard in Cornwall, as well as for going on a celebration run around the Whitchurch Oval shouting "Yes, yes, yes!" after bowling a 10 year-old. No wonder he was once tied up and left to repent in a phone box whilst on Tour.
	Richard Hand
	Rob Hayes
	Dave "The Horse Waterer" Hill Banana Boy hails from South Africa and is the Whitchurch's official Resident Comedian. Bucket hands can be found fielding in the slips, and thinks he can still leap like a Springbok. A heavily sedated one, perhaps. -Ed.] Dave's most significant contributions to club are perhaps introducing James Shanahan and possibly being the only "Quinquagenarian" [tr. fairly old man - Ed.] to score a century for the club.
	Geraint "G" Jones Missing in action. Last spotted a long way down the M4. Failed to turn up for breakfast on tour in France. Large fine still accruing.
	Ronnie Khan The first, and possibly only, Whitchurch player to have proposed in front of the team in a restaurant in Cape Town.
	Alan Kydd
	Richard Leach
	David Mattimoe | Secretary Quick in the field, though not quite quick enough at the AGM to avoid re-election as Club Secretary. Best known for his ability to conjure any form of step from a few bits of old decking.
	Jamie Nixon
	Jim Power | Treasurer Originally found his way into the team on the "having a pulse" criteria, Jim has rapidly moved up to fill the all-important "specialist number 11" slot and now has his eye on promotion to 10 and possibly 9th-change bowler.
	Sid Rashid
	Sean "Foxy" Renard Sean is our Zimbabwean International... at Sudoku. Formerly a child prodigy with Bulawayo Bouncers, he soon moved on to Mugabe Mashers. It was from here that he transferred to Whitchurch for a club record signing on fee of 985 trillion billion Zimbabwean dollars (10p). Keeps wicket. Owns the smartest kit in the club. Rarely to be seen without a pipe stuffed with Old Jockstrap tobacco in his mouth.
	Chris "Rusty" Russell Rusty loves driving... not through the covers as one might hope, but in his car as he travels up from Petersfield in Hampshire for every game. A mean left arm over and a swishy right hand bat.
	Pete Shufflebotham
	John Steward Topped the bowling averages in his Whitchurch debut season. Not a bad start then...
	Paul Struthers Wicketkeeper and scorer of a fine early-season century.
	Travis McRae
	Pete "Horse" Welch "Horse" is so named not because of any appendage about his person but because he has bred them. A true fast fit all rounder who has progressed from the middle order to be one of the club's most consistent openers, he is also a man of mean pace. Talking of which, don't make him cross!
	Harry "Bandana" Williams A leading alumnus of the Whitchurch academy system, Harry is his father's son and hotly tipped to be an even better player. Cool under pressure, Harry even makes time to adjust his hair before taking a catch.
	"Scooby" Williams Scooby is the latest in the long line of Williams' starring for the club, following father Lyn and brother Harry. Expectations are high.
	Steve "Long Hop" Willis | Fixture Secretary Signed in 1985 from Gillingham Football Club where he was a goalscoring legend, Steve earned his nickname when two amazing overs at Wallingford cost Whitchurch a match they were cruising. Can't bat, can't catch, can't run... but incredibly still allowed to bowl. Acting Fixture Secretary "I'll do it just for a few seasons" since 1988.

Some Past Players

We'll be endeavouring to track down some old Whitchurch players and let you know what they are doing these days.
In the meantime, here are some names to savour...

Graham "Why Is My Foot On Fire" Weeks
Malcolm "Oooh Ma Bloody Leg" Parkinson
Chris "Round The" Horne

News

Incoming Season! Nets

Lyn has organised nets at Bradfield College to help us make a good start to the season. The dates are:

Monday 22nd March 21:15

Monday 29th March 21:15

Wednesday 14th April 21:15

Wednesday 21st April 21:15

Wednesday 28th April 21:15

All sessions are at Bradfield Sports Complex, which you'll find on this map. The cost is just £3 per session.

See you there.

The Williams Show

Lyn tops the batting and Harry tops the bowling figures for 2009.

Read all about it in the accurately, if unimaginatively, named Averages: 2009 Season download.

We're so 2009

We're on Twitter. If you know what that means, you can follow us at whitchurch_cc on Twitter where your Twitmaster will try and keep you up to date with what's happening at the club.