Cricket: Premier Division new boys Berkswell claim top spot in fledgling season

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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May 15, 2012 |

Cricket: newly promoted Berkswell throw down early marker with first Premier Division victory

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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May 7, 2012 |

Rugby: Berkswell overcome staggering odds to clinch promotion

Steve Wake reports on Berkswell & Balsall Rugby Club’s emphatic Midlands West 2 play-off victory against ‘Old Salts’ on Saturday 28th April 2012, which saw them earn passage to Midlands West Division One.  Berkswell’s season will have taken many by surprise, having kicked off on minus 15 points, thanks to a stiff penalty levied by league officials in consideration for a mass-brawl during a league encounter the previous season.

 

Berkswell’s achievement has been widely noted in the sporting press, with the play-off victory seen by many observers as the icing on the cake after an almost impossible achievement.

 

Old Saltleians – 3 Berkswell & Balsall – 27

Midlands West 2 (Play-off)

 

A determined Berkswell earned the right to celebrate their excellent 30th anniversary season in style with a winning performance in this play-off match to see who would earn passage into Midlands West Division 1.  Berkswell’s 15 point pre-season points deduction was not enough in the end to deny this determined squad from continuing their remarkable ascent through the divisions.

 

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May 3, 2012 |

Rugby: Berkswell through to Warwickshire Cup semi finals

Steve Wake reports on Berkswell & Balsall’s Warwickshire Cup Quarter Final victory over Silhillians on Saturday 21st January 2012:

 

Silhillians – 17 Berkswell & Balsall – 34

 

Berkswell eased into the Warwickshire Cup semi-finals with an emphatic victory at league rivals Silhillians. After completely dominating most of the first fifty minutes in cruising to a 27-0 lead, B’s allowed the home team to fight-back in the second half. 17 unanswered points from Sils saw a comfortable lead reduced to a nervous one, before B’s reasserted their advantage in the final quarter.

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January 24, 2012 |

Rugby: BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s team of month Berkswell earn narrow victory

Steve Wake reports on Berkswell’s hard fought victory over Barkers Butts on Saturday 14th January 2012 in their West Midlands Division 2 South encounter. Berkswell’s remarkable season won official recognition as their first XV have flown up the table having begun the season with a 15 point handicap, punishment meted out for their involvement in a mass brawl during a game last season:

 

Barkers Butts – 7 Berkswell & Balsall – 8

 

As the score-line suggests, this was a tight game full of tension, from which Berkswell, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s latest rugby Team of the Month, emerged with the narrowest of victories. There wasn’t a great deal between the sides; Barkers were probably the more creative and had more possession, but Berkswell’s pack handled the Barkers front eight well, providing a strong barrier to Butts’ attack and attacking options from home territory. A red card for Berkswell Flanker Mark Connors with 12 minutes to go created extra pressure for the Bs, in the last few minutes of which Butts squandered three kickable penalties. Eventually the single point lead was enough for Berkswell to secure their second victory at their local rival’s ground this season – having already beaten them in the Warwickshire Cup.

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January 20, 2012 |

2 more world records for Balsall Common World Endurance Champion

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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November 20, 2011 |

Balsall Common cyclist claims 3rd in National Hill Climb

Balsall Common cyclist Matt Clinton rides to 3rd in the 2011 National Hill Climb

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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November 12, 2011 |

Cycling: Matt Clinton heads into National Champs in fine form

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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October 28, 2011 |