This has been a difficult season for the 1st XI. The team was reliant on the captain William Cornish and Edward Palmer to score the runs and the bowling attack was led manfully by Barnaby Wood ,but he lacked consistent support and was injured in mid season. We also played against some good teams and yet again their big players often came off against us. When we did have chances, we dropped catches at the crucial moment or missed a run out chance when a good throw would have secured a wicket. The boys were a delight to coach and they tried hard. Progress was certainly made and the performance in the final match, when we beat Malvern with ease, was a satisfying way to finish the season.

Two early matches tested the troops and Dean Close and Beaudesert proved too strong for the frail batting line-up. After a week off for some coaching we made a better fist of it scoring 146 at Bromsgrove but 95 from the opposition opener, dropped on 40,was enough to bring another defeat.It would be another week before the next game at Cheltenham. Chasing 170 we bravely clung on for a draw against fast bowling scoring 120. Two more weeks passed by as the weather decided that wednesday was a good day to rain. We needed a win to get the ball rolling and it duly came at the Elms. Chasing 101 William Cornish finally used his brain and scored a matchwinning 47. An away trip to Bilton was the next adventure. Again the bowlers were a little toothless and Bilton cut loose at the end of their innings to score 170. At 59-6 a dreadful defeat looked likely but Ed Palmer with 45 and Harry Hickman with 25 took us to 140-6 and a creditable draw.

After half term lots of cricket was scheduled for the first two weeks. An excellent performance by a Leavers XI at a Shrewsbury School 20-20 tournament saw us come third out of eight with excellent wins against Yarlet and Prestfeld.Palmer led the way with 32 against Yarlet but it was William Cornish who would begin a run feast against Prestfeld with 51 not out. At Birchfield the following weekend he would whack another 53. Birchfield clung on for a draw with 9 wickets down as Abberley finally came to life with the ball and in the field. The next day saw our show piece annual game with Clifton Durban. The South Africans were their usual selves, charming off the pitch, ruthless on it. There was some good bowling interspersed with bad balls which were soundly punished. A dropped catch at the end of the first over set the tone for the day, that batsman scoring 75 ! Our reply to a daunting 220 was quite good but a woeful collapse to 81 left everyone depressed.

A response was required and it came of sorts at Packwood. A good Packwood side were reduced to 85-6 but their recovery to 153-6 rather summed up our season. We were capable of sublime and ridiculous in the same game. We tamely chased the runs, "value your wicket " ringing too literally in the boys' ears. Cornish cut loose in the final over scoring 26 to complete a third half century in a week but a turgid draw was the result.

Yet more miles were clocked up the following day with a trip south to Pinewood for a Leavers 20-20. Cornish again cut loose smashing 60. A great game ensued with Pinewood crossing the line in the final over. 22 wides was the problem this time but it was a competetive game.

The final game saw Ed Palmer return to form as he accumulated 67 not out in a season best total of 153. A dynamic performance in the field with three run outs and some promising leg-spin from Rupert Kettle saw us comfortably home to end the season on a high.

William Cornish ended the season with 355 runs and Ed Palmer with 261. Only two other batsmen made it passed 100. Barnaby Wood took 19 wickets and Capatin Cornish 14. Perhaps the most remarkable statistic is that Dan Larkan took 11 wickets, having begun the season in the 4th XI ! We won 4 , drew 4 and lost 6 but this was a great set of boys whose company I thoroughly enjoyed.