Your Committee has met on nine occasions during 2006 and this report summarises the main highlights from a very successful 150^th Anniversary Year.

The year started on a beautiful New Year’s Day with a good crowd watching an excellent match on the Jackson Field and it ended at Lord’s on another brilliant day in late September when a strong Club XI defeated Cross Arrows in a terrific 600 run match.

However the year was also tinged with great sadness with the deaths of three of our Club stalwarts, Brian Atkins, Mike Furse and Simon Ripper, all of whom will be sorely missed. Brian was associated with the Club since 1949 and there were few Club offices that he did not hold in that time. Mike, as well as being a former player and Club Secretary, was the instigator of the most successful Anniversary Book which gave him great pleasure. Simon was a player, Colts Secretary, Hon Auditor for the last eight years and a terrific supporter of the Annual Dinner and Summer Ball and his death at the age of fifty-one is so untimely.

Performances on the cricket field were as good as the Club has experienced for many years – the 1^st XI, under Chris Owen’s excellent leadership and with great camaraderie and team spirit, were 4^th in the Thames Valley League (TVL) Div 1; the 2^nd XI, under Paul Weston’s tutelage and competitive spirit, narrowly missed out on winning TVL Div 4 but were still promoted in second position; the 3^rd XI, under Huw Thomas’s consistently unassuming approach, were the best team in the TVL Div 7 but came 3^rd after not putting out a side on two occasions due to a variety of circumstances. The Sunday XI under Evan H-P and Rob Viney had a very good season, winning most games including that against The Class of ’96 captained by Peter Butler. Luke Jackson won the Batting Award with 984 runs and David Atkinson, the Bowling Award, with 54 wickets.

The Cricket Week was great in all respects – two wins against the MCC and TVL XI and a narrow defeat to a Bucks XI, all played out in the most glorious weather conditions. It was great to see many ex-Amersham stalwarts turn out in the special games against Pete Butler’s XI, Howard Atkins’ Sons of Amersham XI and Bill Tyrwhitt-Drake’s President’s XI.

The Colts section also had a very good season with numbers up to nearly 120 and over 60 matches played – a very demanding challenge for the Colts Secretary, Philip Ketteringham, who somehow seemed to manage to smile throughout and even found time for several excellent BBQs on Monday coaching evenings. We were competitive in all age groups although, apart from the U-17s winning the Middlesex League, we did not bring home any silverware. Further developments are planned for 2007 with probably some B sides at some of the younger age groups.

Your Committee has worked enormously hard to deliver such a successful year and they are all due our considerable thanks. The ground has consistently looked a picture all year and the wickets have generally played well – this is all due to the hard work put in by Jim Sanderson, ably supported by Nick Piper. Our teas are amongst the best in the TVL thanks to the excellent work of Margaret and Melanie.

We enjoyed a very high standard of off the field activities including:

• The Anniversary Book, the brainchild of Mike Furse and edited by Jon Marks.
• The gallery of Club photographs so carefully compiled by Simon Ripper and available to view on the Club website (www.amershamcc.ndo.co.uk) and now enhanced by a gallery of Anniversary year photographs.
• The new on the field and off the field Club kit with the Anniversary logo.
• The very successful Anniversary Dinner for 200 guests at The Bellhouse with three marvellous speeches from Richard Bray, Alan Pegley and Sir Tim Rice.
• The equally successful Anniversary Ball for some 300 guests beautifully organised by Matt Ash, Asa Bridle and Mel Weston.
• The President’s Champagne Reception so well organised by Richard Gray and his team and held on yet another beautiful July day.

As ever we are indebted to Ken Ward for, not only managing the finances so expertly, but also for his unstinting support during this special year. Although we did not set out this year with the aim of increasing our financial surplus, this is in fact what has resulted from the many successful initiatives and events – the surplus for the year prior to depreciation is almost ??£11,000 which is nearly ??£9,000 more than last year. Your committee will be considering alternative investment options with priority being given to the wicket, ground, nets and pavilion but with due consideration to the need for an adequate reserve.

As Peter Alexander is moving to the West Country, he is stepping down from the Committee. Peter’s dry wit and contribution to the Club as Bar Secretary will be hard to replace and we thank him for all he has done and wish him well in his new adventure. As Chris Owen is now a medical student in Southampton, he is stepping down from an excellent year as the 1^st XI captain but I am delighted to say that he will take on the captaincy of the Sunday XI next year.

At the time of writing both Christopher Martin-Jenkins and Terry Jenner (Australian Test Cricketer and Shane Warne’s bowling coach) have confirmed their availability to speak at our Annual Dinner, to be held in the new venue of Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Club, on February 9^th. Please complete the enclosed Reservation Form and I look forward to seeing as many of you and your guests there.

So that was 2006 and now looking forward to 2007 and beyond!

Following the previous season’s promotion, Amersham began their TVCL division 1 campaign nervously, as demonstrated by several fragile batting performances and costly dropped catches in the opening fixtures. However, a crushing defeat of Hampton Hill and a close-fought win against local rivals Marlow ensured that Amersham finished the opening half of the season confidently. Thereafter, Amersham enjoyed an excellent run of form, recording a run of five wins and one draw through the second half of July and August, ultimately finishing fourth in the league.

Amersham’s winning streak included away wins against both Kew and Harefield, the eventual first and second place finishers in the league. The win against Kew was perhaps Amersham’s most impressive performance of the season, as they fought back from difficult positions twice during the game; firstly restricting Kew to a modest target after a rapid start and subsequently following the loss of early wickets during their run-chase. Winning performances such as these against the strongest sides in the league must give Amersham confidence for the 2007 season.

Amersham did not rely on the performances of a few individuals during the season, as shown by the fact that seven batsmen passed 250 league runs. The standout batsman was Luke Jackson (574 runs at 41.0), whose consistency and ability to adjust according to the demands of the match situation were vital to the success of the team. Andrew Viney (411 runs at 24.2) enjoyed a productive first season opening the batting. For bowling, Amersham again relied heavily on the trio of spinners responsible for winning promotion in 2005: David Atkinson (33 wickets at 19.1), Mustapha Rajabali (26 wickets at 18.3) and Nick Moore (11 wickets at 14.73). Despite injury, Chris Sowden lead the way for the seam bowlers (24 wickets at 21.1), well supported by Tom Dixon (9 wickets at 17.8).

The team also enjoyed several marquee fixtures to celebrate ACC’s 150^th anniversary. The anniversary cricket week in July fortuitously coincided with the best sunshine of the summer and thus provided the ideal conditions for three excellent fixtures, Amersham recording seven-wicket wins against MCC and a TVCL representative XI and suffering a three-wicket defeat to a Bucks XI. Standout performances came from Jon Andrews (97 vs. MCC), Chris Sowden (101* vs. TVCL XI) and Nick Moore (5-61 vs. Bucks XI). Also of note was the deployment of Amersham’s antipodean contingent to tackle a bush fire that broke out during the Bucks match. I am sure that all of those involved in cricket week would like to warmly thank all those responsible for its organisation.

The season was concluded with a fixture at Lord’s against Cross Arrows, eventually won by Amersham thanks to Paul Weston’s 118* and four wickets from Chris Sowden: an exciting cricket match played in good spirit and with beautiful surroundings and thus a fitting end to the season.

On a personal note, I would like to thank all the members of the team for their enthusiasm, commitment and advice throughout the season that made my time as captain very enjoyable. In addition, I extend my gratitude to the Chairman, David Mackintosh and the committee for their unstinting efforts throughout the year. Finally, the very best of luck to Luke for next season.

It is somehow rather fitting that amidst the celebrations of the 150th Anniversary of the club, Amersham 2nd XI were able to secure a well deserved promotion to Division 3 of the Thames Valley League by finishing in second place just 2 points behind Cove. Whilst all cricket captains are blessed with renewed – though occasionally misguided - optimism at the start of each new season, the ability of the players available to the 2nds this year made the prospect of promotion a very real target, and as the season wore on, the team itself seemed to finally believe in its ability and delivered some excellent performances. From the 1st July, our record of Won 9, Drawn 1 – with 1 match lost to the weather – is a testament to not only the strength of the team, but equally to a really fantastic team spirit that undoubtedly saw several victories snatched from the very jaws of defeat.

Given that cricket is a team game, it is perhaps wrong to highlight the performances of individuals but mention should be made of Danny Bulman who contributed 485 runs and 40 wickets, and whose support and enthusiasm for the game made the job of this captain so much easier. When Danny returns to New Zealand this winter he will take with him the thanks and best wishes of all those who played with him this year. New skipper Paul Weston took a while to remember how to bat, but finished with a flourish to record over 400 league runs, and Matthew Ash also found form with both bat and ball (243 runs and 21 wickets) as the season went on which augurs well for 2007. Other notable performances with the bat came from Jack Kilgannon who scored 242 runs in just 4 games, perhaps the most crucial of all being 44 not out in the victory over Kew, along with Evan Hamilton-Pike and the evergreen Ian Rogers. The bowling saw a most welcome return to action for Tim Aylott and it is to be hoped that his services can be increasingly called upon next year. James Harmer bowled impressively and is certain to figure more prominently next season, and the skills and experience of Mustapha Rajabali were a welcome addition to the bowling strength of the side towards the end of the season. The fielding of the side was on the whole quite good – in particular some brilliant catches by Glen Saffery and the wicket-keeping of Henry Capper spring most readily spring to mind – though this is one element of the game that is perhaps not given enough emphasis and more time for practice should be devoted in the future. It was also nice to see so many new members joining the club as well as some old members returning, and the way in which they quickly integrated and became valuable members of the team was a particular source of pleasure.

My personal thanks go to David Mackintosh and all those on the Committee for ensuring a superbly run and organized year; to Margaret and Melanie for their excellent teas; to Jim for all his hard work on the ground; to umpires Brian and Phil for their fine support, and especially to all those who played in the 2nd XI this year and helped to make the captaincy of the team so enjoyable and ultimately rewarding. I am confident that 2007 will see the strength of the club continue to grow both on and off the pitch, and am looking forward to winter nets and the new season with more enthusiasm than my advancing years and creaking limbs should perhaps allow!

The first half of the season was frustrating : bad weather and cancelled matches resulted in only four of the first ten matches being completed (won two, lost two).  Strong performances through the second half of the season saw the 3rd XI finish third in Division 7b, missing out on promotion by just 5 points.

New members Peter Jupp and Nik Collison joined James Baxter in scoring centuries, with Elliot Ketteringham and Nick Piper almost joining them.  Seven batsmen averaged over 40, and so the tail was rarely required to contribute much to totals in excess of 200 every time the side batted first.  Wickets were shared amongst the bowlers too, with five bowlers taking 10 or more wickets.

Despite convincing wins in the last four matches, it was the inability earlier in the season to raise sides to play League winners Farnham Common and runners up Slough, that ensured that Amersham would remain in Division 7b for the 2007 season.

Our 150^th year, in which we have much to celebrate.

The number of registered Colts has now risen to 121 from 89 in 2005 and 70 in 2004 – a reflection of the recruitment efforts of many, and also I believe of the spirit of the Club, as one that cares, extends the season after the end of the summer term and provides a good social side.

BBQ’s as well as cricket have been a feature of this year and I know these were much enjoyed and appreciated – I would like to make these a more regular events next year.

Before a review of the season, I would like to thank all of those who have helped out during this year in which an enormous number of matches have been played at the club, putting more pressure on resources and facilities than ever before.

• To Nick Piper & David Mackintosh who have worked like Trojans on the field and surrounding areas, enabling Jim to focus on the improvement of the square itself.
• To Jemima Haddock & Jacqui Napier-Munn, who have frequently staffed the bar on a Monday evening and let us not also forget those who umpired or scored at varying times over the summer (such as it was). Without all of their efforts, we would not be such a strong and growing club and one which continues coaching throughout the summer holidays – some clubs gave up at the beginning of July.
• Finally of course to all of our coaches - their dedication and selflessness cannot be over-emphasised.
• Apart from the age group competitions from U11 to U17, the Colts have also been representing the Saturday Senior teams and the Sunday X1’s, the introduction of the Sunday 2^nd X1 being down to the efforts of James Baxter & Huw Thomas

So a brief report on the season as it was.

We finished either 2^nd or mid-table in the leagues, but apart from the U17’s were knocked out of the cup competitions where we drew the strongest teams in the first rounds.

We had a record 65 scheduled matches this year against 44 last year, since we entered summer competitions for the U13 & U17 age groups and again we have to thank Ian Rogers & David Viney for their running of the extended season for their age groups.

We won 39 of these matches, lost 21 and 3 were abandoned – the win ratio wasn’t quite as high as last year, but still pretty impressive and with the improving numbers and also the experience that has been gained this year I am sure that we can improve on this in 2007.