Premier Division new boys Berkswell Cricket Club (2011 Div 1 Champions)
Trevor Jordan reports on Berkswell Cricket Club’s remarkable start to their first season in the top flight of the Birmingham Cricket League, with a victory on the road at fancied side Himley, to leapfrog them into top spot in the Premier Division.
Birmingham Premier Division
Himley (60 all out)
lost to
Berkswell (145 all out) by 85 runs
Another outstanding team display saw Berkswell move to the top of the Birmingham Premier League after a comprehensive eighty five run victory that had skipper Dominic Ostler praising his bowlers:
“We bowled magnificently and kept the pressure on them from the first ball”, said victorious skipper Dominic Ostler. “Last week it was Babar Khan and Tom Milnes who did the damage for us, this week it was Chris Cheslin. Ed and Tom got us off to the perfect start with their control early on and then Chris and Babar maintained the stranglehold. Over the last two weeks we’ve proved what an effective bowling outfit we are.”
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Trevor Jordan reports on Berkswell’s first ever completed fixture in the Birmingham and District League’s Premier Division, a close-fought victory away at Kidderminster, which propelled them to an exciting and unexpectedly early 2nd positioned place:
Birmingham League – Premier Division
Kidderminster 95 (all out) v Berkswell 112 (all out)
After a washout the previous weekend, Berkswell finally experienced their first ever encounter in the Birmingham and District Premier Division on a damp, green Kidderminster Victoria wicket to came out on top in a dramatic and close fought encounter.
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The Brickmakers Arms will be doing the Cheltenham races in style next Friday (16th March 2012) by throwing a Gold Cup Party and inviting everybody to dress up and see all the big day’s races on their big screens on Station Road in Balsall Common.
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Berkswell & Balsall Rugby Football Club (BBRFC) was founded in 1981 by Les and Steve Edwards. The club progressed from modest beginnings borrowing space at the Heart of England School, to fielding three regular senior sides, as well as an occasional Veterans side. (As at 2012) The senior squad currently plays a good standard of rugby in the Midlands West Division 2 (South).
The club also has a thriving youth section, including girls rugby.
For anybody interested in playing or coaching with the club contact Club Secretary Lesley Fahy:
Email: Lesley@bbrfc.co.uk
Tel: 07881 942616
Web: Berkswell & Balsall Rugby Club
Steve Wake reports on how Berkswell’s incredible run of victories in the Midlands West Division 2 (South) came to an end with a narrow defeat on the road to Old Laurentians on Saturday 17th December:
Old Laurentians 13 – Berkswell & Balsall 10
This was a close game in which Berkswell played below par and missed several clear chances. In the end it proved to be Old Laurentians (OL) first half scores which sealed their victory. Berkswell pulled back to within three points early in the second half, but couldn’t take any of their further chances. OL’s had second-half opportunities of their own, but also failed to turn them into points. On a cold, windy day, both sides struggled with their kicking and for once the visitor’s forwards couldn’t turn their dominance into points
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Paddy Doyle on his way to his one arm push up world record complete with 60lb backpack
Balsall Common’s ‘Iron Man’ and World Endurance Champion Paddy Doyle was at it again when he claimed 2 more Guinness World Records at Stamina’s Self Defence Gym in Erdington, Birmingham on 17th November 2011. Paddy’s main target on the night was to reclaim a 60lb backpack push ups record that had been taken from him by his Australian arch-rival Neil Bryant. Paddy surpassed Bryant’s one minute challenge record of 50 repetitions to set a remarkable new world standard of 53.
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Matt Clinton on his way to 3rd place
Balsall Common’s Matt Clinton claimed a brilliant 3rd placed finish behind 2 professional riders when he took part in the National Hill Climb Championships at Whaley Bridge north of Buxton on Sunday 31st October 2011. This extended Matt’s remarkable run in the competition to 5 consecutive podium finishes, including the winners title in 2008.
The man from Balsall Common was the last man to set off in a field of 150 time triallists on a longer (4.4. miles), shallower (3.2%) and warmer ascent than usual riding against a tricky headwind, especially in the final mile.
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Matt Clinton in action (Picture courtesy of Larry Hickmott/VeloUK.net)
One outright victory, one joint first and a third placed finish saw Balsall Common’s Matt Clinton complete a tremendous final round of racing last weekend ahead of this weekend’s National Champs on Sunday.
Matt’s final preparations for this weekends big event saw him take in the Yorkshire Road Club 2 stage race on Saturday, just north of Leeds, a race he went into as favourite and eventual clear winner, before meeting with further success against tough competition at Matlock CC’s double-header on Sunday.
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