This was our first season in competitive cricket in the South Northants
 Junior Cricket League, playing well established sides that have been
 together for some years. The youngsters considering most have not played
 competitively and their very young age played very well against
 players that were some 3 or 4 years older than themselves and they all
 performed extremely well and to the best of their abilities. This was always
 going to be a transitional season as the inaugural season always is,
 but we have a nucleus of a very good team for the next few years.

Of the nine games that we should have played only five were actually
 played, the others were washed out with the rain and subsequently drawn.
 Of the five games played, all were lost, but as I said earlier, these
 lads were performing against older players and they will be better next
 year for the experience. Of the overall winners of the South Northants
 Junior Cricket League, Byfield, Grange Park were only beaten by 20
 runs. That shows the effort and ability that the youngsters put in.

Of the players who won awards at our recent Under 11 awards evening,
 Sam Garret was the Coaches Most Improved Player of the Year and Harry
 Smith was the Coaches Player of the Year. Both can be seen holding their
 silver platters. All the youngsters who played for Grange Park Under 11
 receive individual medals so as to commemorate the season and their
 taking an active part in the Team's progress.

Grange Park Under 11 team members are, in alphabetical order are;
Sam Baker, Alex Brenan, William Brenan, Nathan Chapman, Sam Garrett,
 Thomas Holmes, Ravi Nathwani, Harry Smith, Justin Trory, Mitch Vian,
 Charles & Ashley Woodfield. Please note that Nathan, Mitch & Ravi were
 unavailable on the evening of the awards and will be presented with their
 medals officially, at the start of winter training.

I would like to thank all the youngsters for putting their faith in me
 their Coach and for the regular attending of numerous coaching and
 training sessions and for making last season a success, despite the rain. I
 would also like to thank all the parents for their support and
 attendance to all the youngsters games and practice sessions and in particular
 for ferrying their sons to all the games, both home and away. Thank
 you all and well done.

A big thank you to PwC who are one of our sponsors and in particular
 donated an Inter Cricket Kit that has helped bring the youngsters on
 considerably last season. Also thanks to Let2Invest for their continued
 support to the cricket club. Last but not least are two major players who
 made this youth cricket possible, Grange Park Parish Council who have
 supported the cricket club since day one and even now are fully behind
 the club with the eventual move to a new ground and facilities at
 Foxfield Park within two years or so and Northants County Council, in
 particular the VSSU (Voluntary Sector Support Unit) who kindly awarded the
 club a grant of almost £5k so as to purchase equipment, arrange training,
 provide coaching etc. Jacqueline Taylor of the VSSU was kind enough to
 take time out of her busy schedule to present the awards to all the
 youngsters on the evening. Thank you, Jacqueline.

Steve Cates
Proud Coach to the future stars of English Cricket, bring on the
 Aussies in 15 years time.