2019 Wrap-up
What a great season we had in 2019! Meraloma Cricket has grown to 139 full members including 12 women, 64 BCMCL seniors, 60 juniors including 18 minis, 16 Kangas and 26 junior hardball players in the U13 and U16 BCMCL league, plus 1 non-playing associate member.
This season we welcomed three overseas players to the clubhouse: Joe Loorham, Tem Hodson, and Sam Noster returned for a second year. They all slotted straight into the club and made excellent contributions both on and off the field.
In the BCMCL league competition, our first team has topped the league table and earned promotion back to the Elite division for 2020. Our other teams finished middle of the pack and may also be promoted depending on whether the league decides to restructure.
Women’s cricket continues to develop. A big thanks to Carly Barrett for a tremendous organizational effort again this season and to Laura Jones who was the driving force behind the incredibly successful “first annual” Meraloma Women’s Invitational tournament held in August - which saw players visiting from Alberta and Vancouver Island. The team were able to play competitive & enjoyable games against the Victoria Wicket Maidens both at home and on the island. Thanks also to Chops and Tem for their support and coaching this season.
Our junior program continues to grow and prosper due to the tireless efforts of Damienne and Iain. This season, additional logistical effort was needed to enable our 2 junior hardball teams to get to their grounds across the lower mainland on time! Big thanks also to the members who have contributed to junior coaching this season – Tyler, Fraser, Paddy, James & Jazzy, plus Nos and Tem for the summer camp. Parent/coaches helped tremendously too: Geoff, Sumeet & Pat.
Special thanks to Warren Ackhurst and Duncan Webb who put together one of our season’s most enjoyable events, our Meraloma Cricket Alumni “Legends” Day – which was so great that they have to run it every year now! It was fantastic to see some of the stars of yesterday - that clearly still know how to play!
Our Meraloma family continues to grow with a baby boom this year – congratulations and thank you for producing the cricketing stars of tomorrow! Get those rego forms in!
However, sometimes we also need to say goodbye. Prince Sidhu – a larger than life character and served on the committee as secretary this season has got hitched and moved to Toronto. And everyone’s favourite Victorian leg-spinner, Billy Crossland, is leaving our shores and returning to Australia. Sadly Juhi is also leaving us to bring women’s cricket to the Congo. We wish you all the best for the future and you will always be part of the Meraloma Cricket family!
I would like to pay tribute to our dedicated captains and committee members who volunteer their valuable time to run the club, agonize over selections, harass members for dues, pay the bills, take the minutes, write the reports, send out the emails, make the trophies, argue with the league, and much more.
Thanks also to our wonderful stable of sponsors & benefactors including some special contributions from the main club to assist with the new pitch mat.
And finally, it is the spirit of Loma cricket that continues to set the highest standard no matter where or who we play. Once a Loma, always a Loma!
Len Layton
President, Meraloma Cricket