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Burridge Cricket Club - Formed 1968
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Burridge CC Review 2002
Last season was very disappointing for Burridge finishing, as it did, with relegation from the SPL1. It was always likely to be tough for a side with limited resources; however, I don't think we could have anticipated the number of significant injuries and other absences that prevented any sort of continuity of selection for the first team. Before the season started we experienced a dry spell of weather, which allowed pre-season nets and friendlies to be played at the Botley Road ground in April (almost unheard of), this was immediately followed by sufficient rain to disrupt the early season (at home anyway).The season started on a high note with a good win at Portsmouth but, as the wet spell followed the earlier drought, so the remainder of the season developed a depressing familiarity, lifted, only briefly, by the only other league success of the season at home to Calmore - this on a day when almost every other SPL game was prevented by rain (the "drainage ditches" in the outfield, although unsightly, at least proved their worth).
The only other performance of note was a startling win in the Southern Electric Contracting Cup over Havant, played at Havant Park because we were still in the Burridge monsoon season - I don't know who was more surprised us or them! Moeen Cheema was the top run scorer, Paul Ancell our most successful bowler and most notable performance was Simon Creal's 8-81 spell in the time game against Portsmouth.
The challenge through the past winter has been to regroup try to bring in some new blood and to
work hard in order to be competitive in SPL2 - a task likely to be difficult early in the season
as we'll be without four or five of our younger players who will be away at university until mid
June. (In February, Burridge announced the signing of Zimbabwean international seam bowler
Gary Brent as their overseas player for the 2003 season).