Dear All

Many of us have spent the dark winter month following the rollercoaster of the tour of Australia with the highs of the Ashes victory to the lows of the humbling one day series and the World Cup. Closer to home preparations are well under way for the new season with some new faces taking on some new roles this year.

This will be my first season as Club Chairman, and one i am looking forward to immensely having been involved with the club in one form or another since i was 15. I aim to be able to support the club captains and the committee to continue to take the club forward, and develop on the work in the past few seasons.

Rob Waite (aka Slinky) has taken over the helm of the 1st XI, and having gone so close to promotion last season will be aiming to go one better this year. The Second XI will be lokoing for a strong reply to last seasons relagation adn with a lot of the younger players coming through are looking forward to the season ahead. Stempy is back skippering the 3rd XI and Bernie and Hany will be taking the 4th XI into the Surrey Championship for the first time this coming season. Wilko will be seeking to bring some of the younger players through into the Sunday 1st XI, with Carlos taking the 2nd Xi into the Thameside Sunday League and Stempy and his little black book the Sunday 3s. We wish all of the sides well for the coming season!

In addition, there are several developments being planned including a tour to Loughborough, new electronic scoreboard, improved covers, and talk of a supa sopa (answers on a postcard) as well as the annual CricketForce day in April where we prepare the ground for the coming season. We are currently undergoing our clubmark re accrediation, and working with Surrey County Cricket Club as one of Surrey's focus clubs.

On a personal note, I will be seeing if i can remember which way up to hold the bat, preferably before the last game of the season again, nets here I come!

Ian Burrows
Club Chairman