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About Us
Brockley Cricket Club is a small village club with big ambitions. The club is passionate about the game of cricket and is striving to progress in all apsects of club life. The club is set in picturesque rural West Suffolk. With the village church as a backdrop, and countryside all around, one could not ask for a nicer place to enjoy the game of cricket.
Directions
Brockley Cricket Club is located between Bury St. Edmunds and Sudbury in the heart of rural West Suffolk. The village of Brockley is referred to as Brockley Green on most maps. Please don't make the mistake of going to the Brockley near West Stow. Our ground is located on the left hand side of the B1066, just north of the village. The entrance is unmarked and concealed, so we advice you to drive slow and keep a keen look out. Most first time visitors drive straight past! We have included some maps on this site to help you.
Click here for a small scale map Click here for a large scale map Teams
The club has three weekend league teams. Our first team play on Saturdays in division three of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties League and are looking to bounce back up to Division two this season. As of 2007, the second team will now also play on Saturdays in the Two Counties league. We also have a Sunday team that plays in the Hunts County Bats Suffolk League. The club also has a successful midweek side, a veterans team and a vibrant junior section with three junior teams.
Youth Coaching
For the last five years the club has held youth coaching sessions on Monday nights throughout the bulk of the playing season. Coach Stuart Fisher has been impressed with the turnouts and the progression made by the youngsters. We currently have three junior teams and are looking to expand on this where possible to give our youngsters as much cricket as possible. Some of the older members are now playing adult cricket and pushing hard for first team places. Details of the 2008 sessions will be detailed as they become available. It is probable that they will remain on Monday nights. Any parents willing to help Stuart in terms of the coaching and/or the transport to matches should contact him at stufisher101@yahoo.co.uk
Social Events and Matches
For many members village cricket would not be village cricket without a beer or two. IPA seems to be the brew of choice around these parts. On top of the excellent general social scene, the club arranges several social matches throughout the season, the most notable of which being the village vs. club fixture and the Presidents Day match, in which the youth of the club take on the old boys. The post-season sees an annual cheese and wine evening, quiz night and Christmas dinner.
Play for Us
Brockley first team could do with a few more decent players for the 2008 season. Our first team play on Saturdays and are looking to bounce back into Division two of the Suffolk and Essex based Two Counties League. Our batting is reliant upon a few key players at the top of the order. We are looking to recruit some batsmen to bolster our middle order. If this is you, please don't hesitate to contact us !
Our second team and Sunday side are also always keen to attract enthusiastic players. We offer weekly practice sessions for our older members, and youth coaching for our junior members. If getting involved as a player sounds too energetic, we are always on the look out for non playing members. We would gladly welcome anybody interested in volunteering their services to any aspect of the club. This includes anybody willing to umpire on any of our match days. To everybody else, we hope you are able to pay us a visit during the season. Our players are always grateful for the extra support. Arrive at tea and you will be able to enjoy a cup of tea with the players. Don't forget to look out for details of our social matches and fund raising events. If you are interested in becoming involved in the club, or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at iseinozz@yahoo.co.uk Alternatively, once the new season commences (late April), feel free to attend one of our practice sessions. Just pop down to our ground on a Friday evening from 6:00 p.m onwards. Officials
Facilities
History
Brockley Cricket Club started in the 1920's with the advent of the charabanc and Saturday afternoons off for farm workers. The Rev Nettleship's nephew was the prime mover in forming the club. The pitch was along the Hartest road next to Clockhouse farm. In those days all the surrounding villages had teams and great was the rivalry between Brockley, Rede, Hawkedon, Hartest and Whepstead. Brockley was famous for the large number of Boreham's the side contained. On one occasion there were 10. However the star of the side was Ernie Pawsey the village postman and black smith. The opposition used to get him so riled that he bowled faster and faster and wilder and wilder until the ball was bouncing over the wicket keeper's head and going for byes. He was a sort of early version of James McKinney. With the onset of the war the club was disbandoned.
It restarted in 1953 with Alf Bishop as captain. The ground was an old meadow behind Mr Coe's farmstead. Alf was a fearsome but indiscriminate hitter. His tenure at the crease was short but exciting. I think Alf could only have been in charge for one year before he was succeeded by Cyril Chalice whose captaincy lasted 15 years. During that time we played friendlies. It was also a period of transition as the old guard was replaced by a crop of very young, very keen, talented cricketers. A very youthful Kenny Boreham helped Brockley to their first cup final victory in the Wickhambrook Cup Competition in the early 1960's by getting seven wickets. Great was the rejoicing that night! In those days scores were low, teas were frugal, we changed in a converted chicken hut and Cyril kept the ball shiny from one game to the next by applying liberal quantities of shoe polish. I can remember Harry Rose scoring the first ever century for the club during this era. In 1963 Mr Coe sold the turf on our ground and we had to move! In 1964 Mr Francis leased us our present ground for ? per annum. We had to put it down to grass and made mistakes preparing the square that are still being felt today! In 1969 Brockley entered the Suffolk League. There were only two Leagues at the time: the Premier and Division 1 with no promotion and relegation between the two. Ken Boreham took over the captaincy at the start of this more competitive era when the annual subscription was ? and match fees 15p. We actually played some very strong sides during this period: Worlington, Lakenheath, Tuddenham, and Bury Railway Club all of which eventually got invited into the Premier League. In 1972 we were relegated for the one and only time in our history. We needed to win the last match of the season but Great Cornard called off. There was weeping and gnashing of teeth! However next year we won all our matches and were back where we belonged. KB's time at the helm was noteworthy for a series of wonderful cup triumphs in the Drakard and Rowntree Competitions. We can all remember Mike Beloe's triumphant on drive for six into the setting sun to win us the Rowntree Cup against the old enemy Nowton. In 1979 Denis Fisher began his 15 eventful years as captain. This was a period of consistent success in the Suffolk League Division 1. We were top of the league on four occasions and were the best village side in West Suffolk outside the Premier Division. In 1986 our playing strength led to the creation of a second team to play on Sundays. During these years Tony Spurling began at long last to improve the wicket with the help in 1988 of our most important purchase ever: a heavy motorised roller for ?00 from Philip Drakard. It is still working! Facilities improved when three portacabins were purchased for a clubhouse and we were licensed to run a bar. Paul Martin has run the bar for the last 17 years - testimony to his great thirst! In 1987 Len Pawsey who had played for Brockley since its reconstitution in 1953 retired. How we missed him for his competitiveness, humour and character. So finally we come to the modern era of Dean Sykes who has been captain since 1994. The most important development has been the re-organisation of league cricket in Suffolk that has allowed for promotion and relegation between the leagues. Brockley have progressed from the first division of the Suffolk McNeil league through the Suffolk Intermediate and Suffolk Premier leagues to division 3 of the Two Counties league. Rapid promotion has stimulated another huge improvement in facilities: new changing rooms, a shower block, sightscreens and finally excellent covers that make us the envy of other clubs. The last 8 years has also seen a new flush of young cricketers and the gradual demise of the stalwarts from KB's time as captain.
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