FORMER chairman, junior co-ordinator and first-team captain, Gordon Grey, is the new president as Monmouth Cricket Club embark on an exciting new era.
Grey is a former chairman of the Marches League and an all-rounder at Westbury-on-Severn, who has been involved in Monmouth Cricket Club since moving to the town 34 years ago.
He succeeds long-serving club president, John Wigmore, another former 1st XI skipper and one of the best batters in Monmouth’s history, who has stepped down after his fantastic stint.
The new season season is one of positive change at Monmouth Cricket Club, sponsored by Bürkert Fluid Control Systems and Latorre Consultancy.
The club has replaced all their traditional white playing clothes with a newly-designed and eye-catching coloured kit in the town’s blue-and-yellow sporting colours.
Monmouth, under Ben McCluskey’s leadership, will be running a senior team for the first time in the Newport and District Midweek League, starting with a trip to Newport Tigers on Wednesday, May 3 (6pm).
In another new chapter Monmouth, captained by Lauren Maguire, will also be fielding a hard-ball women’s team in Division 1 of the South Wales Women’s League, alongside Abergavenny, Cardiff, Radyr, Vale and Ynystawe.
This is in addition to Monmouth’s women’s and girls’ softball team, who will be involved in the South-East Wales Premiership Softball League this summer.
The club are also delighted to be resurrecting their flagship Saturday 1st XI after a difficult first half of 2022.
Last July, Monmouth took the difficult decision to withdraw the 1st team from Division 2 of the South-East Wales League for safety reasons, due to the loss of established players.
The Saturday league programme begins on Saturday, May 6 (12.30pm) with Monmouth 1st XI, under Gareth Jones’ captaincy, lining up in a strong-looking Division 7 away to Undy & Magor 1st XI.
Neil Saunders’ Monmouth 2nds are competing in Division 12 East and will host Sudbrook 3rds at the Sports Ground in their first fixture.
And Monmouth 3rds, skippered by Chris Powles, will be playing in Division 13 East and kick-off their season with a short trip to Glangrwyney 2nds near Abergavenny.
New chairman, Dave Walters, said: “Everyone involved at the club is excited about the start of the 2023 season and it heralds a new era for us.
“We had record numbers during our three-month indoor pre-season training programme for senior players, which was superbly structured and led by Gareth Jones, our Head of Player Development, and we have been working very hard to create a new club culture, from junior to senior level.”
The indoor winter junior programme for boys and girls was also a big hit.
The club will, once again, be running youth teams in the Gwent Junior League.
Junior registration will take place at the Sports Ground on the evening of Wednesday, May 3.
The club will be running an eight-week Summer All Stars & Dynamos coaching programme for 5 to 11 year-olds, beginning at the Sports Ground on Saturday, May 6, from 9.30am to 10.30am.
All Stars Cricket, for 5-8 year-olds, is designed to introduce children to the sport, teaching new skills, helping them make new friends and have a great time.
Dynamos Cricket, for 8 to 11-year-olds, is more focused on developing fundamental movement skills and applying them in an exciting game of countdown cricket.
To sign up for All Stars & Dynamos, junior or senior cricket, contact chairman, Dave Walters, by emailing [email protected]