#Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Bath University Venturers Cricket Club, 2012.#

The AGM of Bath University Venturers Cricket Club took place in the Saracen’s Head, Bath, at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday 4th October. As usual this year it was raining and there were fewer than eleven people present. They were Simon, Alex, Gregory, Alistair, Paul Snow, Kevin, Dave and Tom, the last named arriving late because he had been delayed by a sick rat. The venue was quiet so we were able to hear what was said.

1. Captain’s report

   In the indoor league, where it didn’t rain, we missed promotion by one point, fortunately. The side that did get the second promotion place did not seem to want it either. We got more bonus points, both for batting and bowling, than anybody else in the division, but we didn’t get many batting points. We also had the fewest people out hit roof, but ten of the thirty catches were us getting out. Three of the top ten in the division batting averages were us, and David Clifford was second in the division bowling averages.

   The outdoor season was described as “eventful”, which is presumably a euphemism for “wet”. Indeed it was the reverse of eventful. We played only four “40-over” matches (and one of those was actually 35 overs and another in theory timed), winning one and losing three. There were fourteen cancelled. Many of these were either rained off or abandoned in the face of hopeless forecasts, one was cancelled by the opposition (it rained anyway) and a few were cancelled by mutual consent, but we found it impossible to raise teams and we had few new recruits. Many people were reluctant to commit to playing cricket on Sunday because they did not believe it would be dry, and they were frequently right. The 20-over cricket was a bit better: we played twelve, winning four and losing eight, but there were still eight cancellations, including the three lost when the Bristol T20 was abandoned under less than optimal circumstances (i.e. everybody had just got there).

   This was a poor playing season by our recent standards. We played well at Hinton Charterhouse but still lost, played badly at Priston but still lost, and played well at Kilmington and won. Beating Canal Taverners was another highlight.

   There were seven scores of 50 or more, the highest being Kevin’s 89 in defeat against Bill Owen. Kevin also made 59 not out against Kingswood, and the other scorers of fifties were David Clifford, Tam, Chris Smith, John Clark and Puneet. Kevin also had the best bowling figues, taking four wickets against Bradford Town, but the next best figues were 3 for 11 by Gregory and by Jay Kay, both against Bradford 39 in different matches. Jay Kay took three wickets in an over on that occasion, but as Adam didn’t play there was no hat-trick this year.

   The fielding was all right but nothing special. Nobody had to be hid in the field, much. Generally the problem was rust, caused both by being left out in the rain and by not being able to play because of it. The captain repeated Gregory’s remark that it felt like April all the time.

2. Secretary’s report

   There is no need to make drastic changes to the fixture list, despite our failure to raise Sunday teams this year. It should be borne in mind that the weather was exceptionally poor and that we had no such problems last year and few the year before. We believe that we can recruit more players this year. Usually we give some new players a game early on, and they have a good time and tell their friends, who then play for us too. This year the first five matches were rained off so the new players had nothing to tell their friends about. Most opposing teams were sympathetic to our reasons for cancelling. In many cases they were struggling for numbers themselves, or had done for other matches. Broughton Gifford, however, said nothing to us and may feel let down. That fixture may prove difficult to keep. So may South Wraxall, who are in danger of folding. We are more in need of weekend opponents than midweek ones, and members are asked to make suggestions (Southstoke and The Ram have been mentioned).

3. Treasurer’s report

   A detailed report is available separately and was tabled at the meeting. We are solvent, having broken even over the year. Our reserves of cash are so large that we could afford to subsidise nets for quite a number of years and we should perhaps do so. Fees should remain as they are, and no attempt will be made to collect unpaid membership fees for this year, as so few matches actually happened. That dispensation may or may not extend to Gregory, whose cheque was found by the Treasurer in his (the Treasurer’s) kit bag but which may have expired by now. Alistair is leaving: he expressed some regret at this, channelling Bradley Wiggins briefly as he said it had been emotional.

4. Election of Officers

   Simon was elected as Captain and Gregory as Secretary. Tom and Kevin were elected as vice-captains and Alex as Publicity Officer. Alistair’s departure leaves a vacany for Treasurer. The name of a member who was not present was put forward and it was agreed to elect him conditionally, to be confirmed when someone finds him and tells him about it. If he refuses an Extraordinary General Meeting (i.e. another visit to the pub) may be necessary.

5. Publicity

   We need new posters, contacts in as many departments as possible (all the staff members who play regularly, except Kevin, are in Mathematical Sciences), posters in graduate housing, and nets at a sensible time. We should make use of the indoor league, and consult Jay Kay, who has some ideas. We also need to mollify Sulis, if we can find out whom to mollify, as we hardly played there this year.

6. Awards

   • Best batsman: Kevin, much to his surprise.

   • Best bowler: also Kevin, much to his embarrassment.

   • Best fielder: more competition for this one but it went to Alistair for the mad dives.

   • Best newcomer: the Secretary is not sure whether this was shared among everybody eligible or given to Dave as a reward for turning up to the AGM.

   • Most Improved Player: this award, normally won by Chris Middup, was won by Chris Middup. Either he deteriorates spectacularly in the occasional years when he does not win it and then climbs back up again, or he is following the Ukrainian pole vaulter who used to beat his own world record every few months by the smallest possible margin, knowing that there was a prescribed reward for a new world record.

   • Best catch: There were several contenders: Simon at Kingswood, David Clifford for two catches at Bradford Town, and Jay Kay at Bradford 39. It went to Alistair for his poaching, from extra cover, of a catch that was dropping between the bowler (Simon) and mid-on, neither of whom was showing much interest in it.

   • Champagne moment: Not many of those this year, but Harsh won it for his unflustered boundary off the penultimate ball to seal the win at Kilmington.

   • Best Dressed: Jay Kay’s black track suit won easily, for giving the completely wrong impression that he is a New Zealander.

   • Duck of the Year: There were a lot of ducks (Gregory and Roger made eight between them) but the one that stood out was Alistair’s off the first ball of the innings at Hinton Charterhouse, He was caught at backward point, waist high, but had to be told by Simon that he was out after he had run a single. He insists that it was a brilliant catch. Other observers think that the fieldsman just shuffled round to his right a bit and collected it a comfortable height.

   • Most IPL-like: Jay Kay, for his Tim Southee impression. (Does Southee play IPL? He ought to.)

   • Best appeal: Simon, for his elongated yell on getting Bill Owen’s Sri Lankan ringer out first ball, improving on Renju’s second-ball dismissal of him last year. We still lost.

   • Best remark in a match report: This is supposed to go to Gregory every time, since nobody else writes them, but the remark that won it, likening the abandoned buildings at the Sulis Club to Pripyat, was actually made by his wife and the award therefore goes to Virginia.

   • A.J. Wolstenholme Prize for Running Between the Wickets: There were several run-outs (including a spectacular pair by Bradford 39 against us) but there is nothing in the rules that says this prize has to be given for a run-out. Indeed, there is nothing that says it has to be given for attempts to score runs, and it was given to the groundsman at Victory Field, scuttling back and forth preparing a pitch in the middle of his tea, like the Mad Hatter.