Our first blog from Hornchurch Athletic CC

Welcome back to the Hornchurch Athletic blog. It’s great to have you with us for 2016!

Now, if you’re anything like me, when the last game of the season inevitably rolls around, you toss your kitbag into the car boot and disappear off into the long, dark winter safe in the knowledge that you won’t be seeing your cricketing comrades for the next three or four months, at least.

Occasionally, you’ll happen upon a team-mate, about December time, and, without having bat and ball to converse over, decide to pretend you haven’t seen them. Not that I’ve ever done that, of course!

So it’s always interesting to hear about what some of the personalities have been up to before beginning a new campaign. Here we go then:

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, Stuart Whitaker was appointed chairman of the cricket club back in January. The Macadelic has played an active role the club’s administration for many years and is very much seen as a man who gets things done. The whole club wishes him well in his new role.

First-team batsman Sam enjoyed some time away in Australia where he plans to move shortly for work. His time away was chiefly spent watching Virat Kohli caress the Aussies all around the MCG and forcing a bat into his eldest nephew’s hands. An Athletic oversees player in the making!

Some club members chose to laugh in the face of hibernation and elected to play sport during the winter – sport!

Michael Gooch, goalkeeper at Romford this season, enjoyed a positive winter, keeping 11 clean sheets as Boro secured yet another year in Ryman North.

Ben Turner, a veteran in footballing terms, made the move to Essex Senior League team Ilford and put in mature performances before doing what all old men do and getting injured.

HACC’s claim to fame, Dillon Phillips, secured a loan spell from Charlton to League Two Cheltenham Town but, lucklessly, an injury ruled him out for the final 10 games of the season for the Conference Premier-winning side.

And finally, with the World Snooker Championships having just finished, Steve Hunt was spotted putting in some hours at Romford Snooker Club.

Steve’s frank assessment of his playing ability perfectly summarised why you won’t have seen him on BBC2 last week: “My snooker is about as good as my batting, mate.”

Enough said!