The next season started late as I lived in Thetford and only played cricket during my summer break, this was though a very productive season for my self with the bat hitting three scores in the twenty's all not out and taking about ten wickets. I finished the season with an average of 33.3 for the Sunday team maybe not a real average but due to all my not outs it amounted to this amount.

The summer of 98 I had just moved up to Leicester from Thetford and was playing regular cricket and had been called into the second team at Soar Valley Records. The season was not the most successful we had an average team and I never got my hand on the ball for the seconds all year, but took more wickets in the Sunday team and my batting was slowly improving.

The summer of 99 was probably the biggest summer in my cricket history so far, it started at Soar Valley Records playing every week on Saturdays and Sundays. But once again the lack of support from the second team skipper became more and more frustrating, performing well on Sundays but not given the chance on Saturdays. The team were doing really well and we were early pace setters in the league before the biggest move in my career. I decided enough was enough and decided it was time to move on to enhance my career, I choose a near by village called cricket and after talking to their secretary I received a call up by Alan Sommer in to the second team. It was a really wet day and we played GEC Alstom at home I bowled badly lost of wides in my eight overs and didn't get many runs Huncote must have wondered what they had let themselves in for. The next day I was also given a game under Wayne Smith in the Sunday team away to Appleby Magma.

It was a long journey and I managed to get a lift in the back seat of Jamie Smith's car. We got their won the toss and elected to bat getting a good score in a time match, we went out to field and it wasn't long before I was given my chance to bowl. I came up the hill into the strongest wind I had ever bowled into everything went well and in my 9 overs I took 3 wickets for 27 runs a very happy debut. The season continued with me playing in every game for the seconds and Sunday team taking wickets but not batting much. My aim was to prove to the club I could bat and deserved to bat up the order. Over that winter period I commenced to go to nets every week and getting to know more and more people in the club then one weekend my football team were short so we called on Carl Sommer, James Brewin and Paul Knibbs. They all played for us and turned our football team into a bit of a cricket affair.

The season was fast approaching and our AGM was to be held, the role of Sunday captain was unfilled so me and Somner stepped in and took over the reigns. The season finally arrived and the first game I was in the first team for my debut taking 3 wickets and scoring 8 runs in a good victory, Sunday games were fun and the team were performing well winning most of their games. I scored 23 away to Westfields my first decent innings for nearly 2 years and I felt my batting was getting better and better. This season I was also playing a lot of college cricket and scored 39 in one game that we won. I was also taking wickets for the seconds claiming my first ever 5 wicket haul against Great Glen and on Sundays I hit back to back forties.

The following week we were away to Ivanhoe and we were put into bat by them, we only had one opener available so Alan Sommer turned to me and asked if I fancied it and I jumped at the chance. Scoring 36 before being run out by the skipper himself. This was the start of my batting for the club and every week I was up the order and capped off it all with 67 my first ever 50 at home to Great Glen. I finished the season a successful one for both the teams I was involved with, the Sunday team only lost 3 games and the second team finished 3rd in the league.

Off to Uni. this year and less nets that I could attend, although we did have a winter tour to Benidorm where I bowled out the Spanish national captain at cricket and scored a 40 not out on the Sunday. A good tour but more can be read about that in the Benidorm section of the web site.

Once again the AGM threw up some interesting decisions and I was installed as second team captain. At time of writing we have played two games losing the first and a good win in the second but you can read all about these in the 2nd team reports.

The future: Well in the short term future I hope that the 2nd team have a successful season as we have sort of been promoted it will be a tough season but early indications are good. On a personal note hopefully everything will run smoothly and I can keep contributing to the team with both bat and ball. In the long term I hope the young group of players we have assembled at the club will stay together and turn the club into a major force within cricket in Leicestershire and maybe the experience I have achieved so far will put me in a good position to eventually lead the first team in this quest.