Your Committee has met on ten occasions during 2002 and this report summarises the main activities of the year.

The results from the three Saturday senior XIs have been very disappointing with all three teams being relegated, although restructuring of the Thames Valley League was a significant factor for the 2^nd XI. Although we have a good number of playing members of a competitive standard the results demonstrate that we must seek to improve both player availability and management/organisation. Sunday cricket has also been disappointing with availability being poor (in common with many other clubs) - we have deferred a decision on joining a local Sunday league until availability has improved. The annual bowling and batting awards were won by Sam Martin, 41 wickets and fifth in the league averages, and Andy Robertson, our young New Zealand player with 606 runs.

Colts' cricket has enjoyed a resurgent season with membership up from 65 to some 80 boys and girls, improved and extended coaching and considerable success on the field. The U-17s won the Bucks Cup with a fine all round display against Wendover, an U-14s team won the CDC Chairman's Jubilee Cricket Challenge and the U-13s won their league and the first of two play-off games. We were pleased to host Bucks U-13s vs Herts U-13s and Dr Challoner's GS vs an Aussie school touring side during the season. Thanks are due to John Ramsden and all his coaches and helpers for their excellent organisation and assistance.

We hosted a wide variety of social events for which thanks are due to: Matt Ash and Asa Bridle who organised the early season cocktail event and successfully revived the pub matches in August; Jeremy and Liz Fisher for the Quiz Night; Jonny Andrews, Ken Ward and the Stepping Stones Parents Society for the Summer Ball; Duncan Ward and Charlotte for the end-of-season curry night. We have also hosted a number of external events, in particular the wedding of Asa and Ros Bridle and the corporate hospitality day of BDDH. Last, but not least, the Annual Dinner in February at the Market Hall was a great success with excellent speeches from Mark Pougatch and Colin Pegley who received a special presentation due to his impending emigration to the USA.

We have recorded a small operating profit for the year, some £pound;2.4k, and many thanks are due to Ken Ward for maintaining tight control on the expenditure. Plans have been made to replace the scorebox and the artificial surface on the Jackson Field (after 20 years of use) and refurbish the net surfaces with some of the Brian Watt Fund, hopefully topped up from external grants for which applications have been submitted. The Stepping Stones Nursery School which uses the pavilion continues to develop and the Club is very fortunate to have such good and obliging tenants.

We are fortunate to have a good balance of energetic youth and experience on the Committee and all have contributed well to the club in various ways during the year. Harry Heslop had to step down as secretary early in the season due to illness but Mike Furse and Tim Aylott have done a sterling job in ensuring that the key tasks were covered. Particular thanks are due to: John Barnes who is stepping down from the Committee after some 43 years service: Renny Adams who is stepping down as 2^nd XI captain after many years in the job: Jon Marks who works quietly behind the scenes in producing the fixture card: Margaret and Melanie for their excellent lunches and teas: the "dunworkin club" for their sterling work around the ground and to Peter Alexander and his band of bar helpers.

May I finally draw your attention to the Annual Dinner in the Market Hall on Friday 24^th January at which our speakers will be David Goldsmith, the very amusing ex-Bucks player and Roddy Owen, raconteur extraordinaire from Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Club. A reservation form is enclosed within these AGM papers - please book and pay early.

Amersham's third season in the Home Counties Premier Cricket League Division Two west promised a lot. There were potentially 25 players or more to select a starting eleven from.

The season consisted of some very indifferent performances, the odd highlight, never fielding the same team twice throughout the season and being relegated to the Thames Valley League for 2003.

The season began with a home game against Wokingham the third placed team of the last season. Amersham were restricted to 180 for 8 off our maximum allowance of 60 overs on a surprisingly lively early season Shardeloes pitch. The new opening pairing of Jonny Andrews (45) and Rich Stephenson (22) put on 47 for the first wicket and then Jon Atkins (28) and our young Kiwi keeper/batsman Andrew Robertson (20) put on 53 for the third wicket. Jeremy Fisher (28) held the innings together and was ably assisted by Duncan Ward (14*) at the end. Wokingham began poorly and never really recovered to be bowled out for 118 in 45.3 overs. Mustapha Rajabali falling back onto a line and length like only he can was the chief destroyer taking 6 for 33 off 17 overs. He was assisted by the captain Sam Martin who took 4 for 38 off 12. This was the best possible start any team could hope for at the outset of a season. With more players becoming available the following week things looked promising.

The next four games were lost to Burnham away, Farnham Royal at home, Tring Park away and Marlow at home. The highlights and low points of these games included the captain and Nick Moore bowling 48 overs between them against Farnham Royal to nearly win the game, Andrew Robertson making 42 against a strong Tring Park attack and Mustapha Rajabali taking 3 for 60 off 22.1 in the same game, Alex Hands taking a memorable 7 for 50 off 14.2 overs against Marlow and Sam Martin making 43* in the same game.

The next game saw us at home to Falkland and put in to bat and being bowled out for 116 in 47.4 overs. Not the greatest of batting performances by any stretch of the imagination. Amersham then proceeded to roll Falkland for 87 off 37.5 overs. Sam Martin 6 for 42 off 19, Alex Hands 1 for 30 off 5 and Mustapha Rajabali 3 for 13 off 13.5!

The team was confident and looking forward to the next game against Buckingham Town away. Amersham lost the toss and were asked to bat on a very fast and true batting wicket. The early loss of Rich Stephenson was quickly forgotten as Jonny Andrews (79) and Andrew Robertson (40) put on 99 for the 2 wicket. A mixture of fluid stroke play and excellent running between the wicket made for a great spectacle. Joe Shuttle joined Jonny Andrews for the 3^rd wicket and they put on 46. Sam Martin (21) and Alex Hands (15*) saw Amersham through to 216 for 9 off 60 overs. Buckingham Town were never really threatening with their run chase until the 9^th wicket pairing put on 90* to see them through in 53.5 overs. A combination of some dropped catches, over pitched bowling and an unfortunately high over rate meant that Amersham handed victory to the opposition. This was perhaps the best chance of the season to consolidate our position in the middle of the table.

The following week was a home game against Bletchley Town. They were a young team with a couple of Loughborough University representatives amongst their number. Asking the opposition to bat seemed momentarily wise however there followed a steady stream of aggressive and innovative stroke play seeing them through to 247 all out of 56 overs with Sam Martin taking 4 for 88 off 22. The Amersham run chase began in earnest but never really took off - Rich Stephenson top scored with 59 against a useful bowling attack. Amersham eventually held out for a draw against some very aggressive bowling and obscene and appalling on field behaviour. The resulting inquest saw one of the Bletchley Town players banned from playing two league games and fined. The sort of behaviour that was witnessed that day was unbelievable and hopefully never likely to be repeated.

Three more losses to Oxford & Horspath away, Wokingham away, and Burnham at home brought little in the way of highlights. The most memorable moment possibly being the Burnham N^o. 4 hitting the Shardeloes flag pole mid-mast and bouncing back into the field of play! Batting first on each occasion we were unable to post competitive scores.

The next game saw Amersham posting the highest score for the season 253 for 7 off 60 overs having been put in to bat at Farnham Royal. Jonny Andrews (60) and Rich Stephenson (104) batted magnificently for 44 of the 60 overs on a very hot and dry day. It was by far and away the best batting performance of the year. Fantastic running between the wickets was interspersed with some sublime shot selection. The rest of the team was outscored by extras (29) although the momentum was maintained through to the end of the innings. After making some early in roads into the Farnham Royal batting it became obvious that their intentions were no more than to hold for a draw - on a true and flat pitch they were able to do so - holding out for 168 for 7 off 50. Their attitude whilst seen as negative at the time is probably what helped them retain their position in the Home Counties League for next year. Something that the captain perhaps sometimes overlooked in his quest for playing positive cricket.

Of the remaining six games of the season it was essential that we won at least three of them to keep our place in the league. With one game being cancelled due to rain against Marlow and scores of 84, 174, 87 and 84 we were completely outplayed by Tring Park, Falkland, Bletchley Town and Oxford & Horspath respectively. The one highlight was sweet revenge against Buckingham Town at home. Winning the toss and putting them in Nick Moore with 5 for 54 off 21 and Sam Martin 5 for 74 off 26.4 bowled the majority of the 53.4 overs and made life very difficult for the visiting batsmen in their total of 176. Admittedly the pitch was helpful to the bowlers but what followed was exceptional - Jon Atkins (97*) wielded the willow like a man possessed - Amersham passed their total in 32.1 overs for the loss of one wicket.

Amersham explored the highs and the lows that a cricket season can bring this season.

Despite our abysmal performance this year there is a positive team spirit and some very talented young players in the club with our U17 side winning the Bucks Cup. Retaining these young players throughout a season is becoming more and more difficult especially with tertiary and vocational education becoming increasingly competitive. Considering these pressures Evan Hamilton-Pike and Chris Owen did very well to play the bulk of this seasons games between them and hopefully others will be able to follow their example in the future.

Having a consistent pool of players to select from and getting consistent practise for all of those who live locally to the Shardeloes are imperative to succeeding next year in the Thames Valley league.

I would like to thank the committee and Chairman David Mackintosh for their help and support over the season both on and off the field any time of day and night. I would also like to mention the huge input and amount of time that Renny Adams has put in over the years as selector, committee member and 2^nd XI captain and thank him for his invaluable support. Next year I am standing down as Captain and will be replaced by Rich Stephenson who is a very astute and capable cricketer. So I expect greater things of the Amersham 1^st XI next year! All the best for next season.

This is not an easy report to write as I think it has to be the most disappointing season I can remember in my long (too long!) Amersham career.

After relegation last year it had been hoped that we could bounce back this year, unfortunately the reverse was true. Even though many of the sides we were playing were 3^rd XIs we managed to get relegated again!

The reasons for this are clear to me; shocking commitment and availability allied to a very soft underbelly that allows far less talented sides to humiliate us regularly.

We are now in the league we deserve to be in, we have not been unlucky we lack the required attitude to win games. It really doesn’t matter to most of us if we win or lose! The competitive element is lacking.

There is just one saving grace, due largely to the efforts of John Ramsden we have a group of very talented boys moving into the senior sides. Ben Ramsden, Nick Robinson and Rob Viney have all played 1^st XI cricket this year. Ollie Clarke, Jamie Toates and Chris Cowley have shown much promise in the 2^nd XI and there are many more in the pipeline.

As a club we must build our future teams around them. We must support them as they are the lifeblood and future of ACC. Without them the future would look very bleak indeed.

As the averages show some players performed well this year. Adam Gibson, Sam Davis, Charlie Holloway, Duncan Ward and Jon Lishman all did well over the season. I am grateful to them for their efforts.

It is time for me to hand over the captaincy to Duncan Ward. I urge you all to help him have a more successful season next year, with more commitment and availability. We must take the club forward. Good luck Duncan.

Can I also take this opportunity to thank Peter Adkins for his umpiring throughout the season.

I trust you all enjoy your Winter break and return in Spring recharged and raring to go.

The decision was taken over the winter that, as a result of the gradual loss of interest in Sunday cricket over the past few seasons, we would not field a Sunday 2^nd XI in 2002. However it soon appeared that the situation was even worse than expected and we often struggled to raise even one team. Of the 20 games arranged, only 10 of these were actually played and on more than one occasion Amersham were forced to play without a full side. However I am aware that this is not a problem that is unique to Amersham, as there were a number occasions on which our opposition could not raise a team either. It appears to be a sad fact that Sunday cricket is on the decline nationwide.

On the positive side, with the exception of one disastrous game against Dinton, we played some good competitive cricket and had some highly entertaining games.

In the National Cup, having collapsed to 120/9, chasing 224 against a strong Shenfield side, Keith Rutherford and Charles Holloway blasted their way to the brink a famous victory against all the odds, finally being dismissed with us just 12 short of the target.

The other cup competition, the Skinner Cup, saw another dramatic finish when, defending a below par score of 145, our bowlers produced an outstanding performance, taking us to the verge of an unlikely victory, before finally being defeated off the very last ball of the match.

Other memorable games included the fixture against the Shardeloes XI, in which Andy Robertson scored a magnificent unbeaten 116, Duncan took 6 well earned wickets and former overseas favourite Brent Hutchinson made a brief return to the club, scoring a quickfire 35, then opened the bowling and snapped up a couple of wickets, before donning the ‘keepers gloves and pulling off a lightening stumping the very next ball. A perfect example of how a captain should use his resources to maximum effect!

Perhaps the most remarkable game of the season was against Winslow Town. Initially playing with just 9 men, our bowlers toiled in the heat to restrict the visitors as best as they could. We competed well with the bat but gradually fell behind the asking rate and ended up going into the final over requiring 17 runs for victory with 2 wickets in hand. The wise money was on the draw, but Duncan Ward didn’t see it that way, hitting 6,2,4,6 off the first 4 balls of the over to win the game!

Many thanks to those senior players who did make themselves available throughout the season. Duncan, Jeremy Alwyn, Jon Lishman and Andy Robertson all deserve a special mention. Without the commitment that they showed, it is unlikely that we would have been able to play any of the ten games that did go ahead.

I would also like to thank all of the colts who turned out for the side over the course of the season. They played with great enthusiasm and without exception they all made valuable contributions in every game. They have gained valuable experience of senior cricket and it is essential that these players are encouraged as they are the future of the club. However if interest amongst our senior players dwindles further, we may find ourselves unable to field a Sunday side at all and we will lose these youngsters to clubs who can provide them with regular cricket both days of the weekend. Whether or not this happens is entirely in the hands of the playing members of the club.

Over the season we played 27 matches with 17 wins and 10 losses. The highlight was winning the Under 17 Bucks Cup, beating Wendover in the final. Other notable performances were the Under 13s reaching the final of the League Cup (the final will be played at the start of next season due to weather and unavailability problems this year) and the Under 14s winning the Chairman’s Chiltern Cricket Challenge.

The number of registered colts showed a welcome increase – up from 64 in 2001 to 79 this season, and the number of coaches and helpers also increased, both increases coming about largely through the efforts of the colts subcommittee.

The end-of season review and trophies presentation evening was very popular with over 50 people attending.

The challenge for next season is to recruit more colts, particularly in the Under 9 to Under 11 age groups, and more helpers. The Beacon School sports hall has been booked for a series of pre-season nets in March and April, and meetings of the colts subcommittee will be held through the close season.

Duncan and Charlotte organised the end of season curry night for about 40 people last Friday at the Club. The captains gave their reflections on the season which from a results point of view was very disappointing. All agreed that improved organisation, management and availability were key to better results next year.

The Chairman concluded with some overall reflections on the season, firstly agreeing with the actions necessary for results improvement next year and also commenting on the successes of the Colts' section in the Bucks U-17s Cup, the Chiltern District Council Jubilee Challenge U-14s, the U-13s winning their section of the league and the first play-off game and the overall growth in the number if colts and coaches. He thanked Asa and Matt for their organisation of the Pub matches which will be built upon for next year.

The Batting award was won by Andrew Robertson with 606 runs and the Bowling award by Sam Martin with 41 wickets.

Many thanks to Duncan and Charlotte for organising an excellent evening.

At long last the winter is over and we can get down to enjoying the cricket this spring and summer at Shardeloes, either in a playing or watching and supporting capacity.

Enclosed with this pre-season mailing you will find your new fixture card, a subscription payment form and two blank membership forms, one for playing and the other for non-playing membership.

The fixture card, the production of which has once again been coordinated by Jon Marks (to whom many thanks), contains all the details of the season's fixtures for both the Senior and Colts' sections, details of the social events which I hope as many as possible of you will support, the last and preceding years' statistics lovingly compiled by Jeremy Fisher, a wide range of adverts from our many sponsors (again to whom many thanks) and a Welcome Message from the Chairman.

May I particularly focus your early attention on the dates of 20th April for the first games, the Colts' registration night on Monday 22nd April (coaching begins on the 29th April), Friday May 3rd for the Pre-Season Supper and Friday 24th May for the Quiz Night. The league games begin on Saturday May 11th and most of the Sunday 1st XI games this season have been arranged as home matches to ensure full use of Shardeloes. Your support will be welcome, particularly for a Saturday and Sunday evening drink.

Please return your completed subscription form to Tim Aylott as soon as possible, noting the discounts available for early payment, as this will ensure a positive contribution towards the early season cash flow. Tim has also enclosed two blank membership forms (one for playing and one for non-playing membership) and I would urge all of you to use these forms to try to introduce at least one new member each to the Club this year and reverse the decline of recent years.

I look forward to seeing you at Shardeloes during the summer and to your support of the Club's activities in whatever way you can manage.

May I extend a very warm welcome to the new season to all new and existing members. Your Committee has been working hard during the winter to define its aims for the season and to try to ensure that the Club "hits the ground running" in late April when the season begins. The Annual Dinner in February proved very successful and ensured that the year's finances got off to a good start.

We are very fortunate to have the services of the "Dunworkin Club", a group of mainly retired members who support the groundsman in ensuring that the delightful setting of Shardeloes is maintained both summer and winter. The benefits of their winter work are there for all to see, whether it be in the renovated sightscreen, the extra support for the flagpole, the new picket fence, the regularly cut outfield and surrounds and much clearing up work around the perimeter of the ground and near to the groundsman's shed in particular.

The 1st XI, under the leadership of Sam Martin who returns to us as captain after two years with the Club in the mid 90s, will aim to hold its own in the very competitive Home Counties Premier League Feeder Division. The 2nd XI and 3rd XI, under the captaincy of Renny Adams and Huw Thomas respectively will both be aiming for promotion from their respective divisions in the Thames Valley League. Will Walsh will be running the Sunday 1st XI and we hope also to be able to arrange a few Sunday 2nd XI games. Some of the more enthusiastic players have been enjoying nets at Lord's in the latter part of the winter.

We are aiming to increase our membership in all categories this year and I would ask each member to try to introduce one (or more) new member to the Club this year. To facilitate this process a membership application form is enclosed with the fixture card and associated contents. New players (both senior and colts), coaches, helpers and social members (spouses and partners) will all be made most welcome.

Under John Ramsden's leadership the Colts' sub-committee have been developing plans to revitalise this key section of the Club. A number of our younger members have enjoyed the opportunity to sharpen their skills during a ten week stint (Monday evenings) at the Lord's winter nets and pre-season net sessions at the Beacon School have also been run. The organisation of the summer coaching sessions will be much enhanced with the support of a significant increase in coaches and helpers and John anticipates a good increase in the number of colts (boys and girls) and parents who will enjoy good quality coaching and games and the ambience of Shardeloes. Relationships with a number of local schools are being further developed, in particular the Beacon School and Dr Challoner's Grammar School.

The Club is always seeking to increase its profile via local sponsorship and PR and I should like to thank all the companies who have either advertised in the fixture card or who have booked to use the Club's facilities for a corporate hospitality day. The income from such means is used to build up a reserve to invest in improving the equipment and facilities for the benefit of members. The social programme, a key fund-raiser for the Club, which is featured in the fixture card is as extensive as ever and you will be most welcome at the various events which are planned. May I particularly draw your attention to the Summer Ball on Friday 28th June which is run jointly with the Stepping Stones Nursery School which uses the Shardeloes pavilion. We plan to get better coverage in the local press this summer, both for the senior teams and the colts.

A planning application for a new scoreboard in keeping with the Shardeloes style has been submitted to Chiltern District Council. An alternative scoreboard option is being prepared in the event that either planning permission is not granted or there is a funding shortfall or both. Either option will prove a fitting memorial to Brian Watt who died last year and I should like to add my personal thanks to all who have contributed to the fund.

This will be the Club's 146th season and it is looking forward to celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2006. Your Committee is determined to consolidate and improve upon the firm foundation of the Club in preparedness for the 150th and hopefully many years thereafter. I look forward to seeing you all in the summer and to your support.