How do you join this merry band of men?
If you would like to join the club, in 2017 we will have four senior sides to choose from:-
Old Farts XI
To qualify for the celebrated Old Farts XI you must be over 40 and suffering from something beginning with the letters “IN” – INcompetent, INcoherent, INcapable, INebriated, INanursinghome etc etc.
The team plays a few very social games usually on Friday evenings.
Friendly XI
Our Friendly XI welcomes players of all abilities (as long as you have a pulse and something off-white – you’re in!)
We play our evening 20:20 games mainly on Thursdays (with an occasional Tuesday or Friday) and have a growing number of Sunday 40:40 fixtures against local village and pub teams.
Unless stated otherwise, all evening fixtures start at 18:00 – Sunday fixtures start at 14:00. To ensure a timely start, please make sure you arrive 20 minutes before the game.
Calne Evening League XI
These boys are far more competitive – losing just one game in their inaugural season and coming second in the league (losing top spot only due to runs scored) again in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Youth, talent and a cheeky line in banter are essential.
Unless stated otherwise, all fixtures start at 18:00. To ensure a timely start, please make sure you arrive 20 minutes before the game.
Wiltshire County Cricket League XI
These are the elite of the club. Young (mostly), fit (occasionally) and willing (always). Having won the league last season, 2016 will see the team play in Division 6 (in conjunction with Potterne CC 4th XI). We are keen to welcome as many of our BCCC Youth Academy players back into the club fold and give them the platform to build the clubs reputation as a serious contender.
Whatever your age or standard, just come down to see us when we are playing at home (see fixtures page) or give Ed Davies a call on 01380 860305 any time.
We look forward to welcoming you to our club.
A brief history of Bishops Cannings Cricket Club
In case the team descriptions above have not been enough to tempt you into coming down to the Coate ‘bowl’, here’s a brief history of the club that might just persuade you that we’re serious about cricket for all – regardless of age and, especially (in)ability.
The club took custody of the field at Coate in 1988 thanks to local farmer Roy Stokes’ generosity and now we are long term tenants of the field thanks to Ann Stokes. A new tenancy was agreed in 2016 for a further twenty-five years.
A basic pavilion was erected costing £450, and with subtle and incremental developments to improve the facilities with showers, veranda etc. it was a comfortable home until the development of the now present pavilion, which was completed and opened in 2013. The building represents our ambition for a traditional cricket pavilion structure, with all the modern facilities.
The pitch and grounds have equally continued to be upgraded over the years. The club now hosts over eighty games at the ground each season, with over one thousand players playing each year.
As a result of our mutually beneficial relationship with Potterne CC, their two league teams, thirds and fourths play every Saturday at our ground over the last ten seasons. The pitch in the Wiltshire League is assessed by the opposition every game, and the club pitches have been voted the best pitches in Wiltshire in those leagues for the last six years.
The county junior teams host most of their coaching at the ground using the astro wicket and the three full length nets. The club has had the honour of being awarded several junior and senior games to host each season. The ultimate testimony to the ground and the facilities was received when Roger Knight, a senior ECB executive watched a West of England Premier League game between Potterne and Goatacre in 2015. He described it as the best pitch he had seen at non-professional level cricket, in particular, the way in which the pitch played on the day. He particularly made mention of the picturesque setting, the pavilion and hospitality.
Junior coaching started at the club in 1996, under the supervision of coaches GavinMoss, Phil Alsop and Ed Davies and it quickly blossomed with the club being part of the county initiative of county junior leagues. The club has had teams at under 11, 13 and 15 in these leagues for the last eighteen years. Latterly, a combined youth section with Potterne Cricket Club has continued to flourish. A massive fillip to the work of the club and its coaches was when four boys from the youth section represented the full county side in the same game against the Royal Navy in 2014 – Owen Alsop, Tom Alsop, Neil Clark and Jake Roberts.
It is with great pride that as a result of the enthusiasm and dedication of the coaches at the club, that many of those boys play senior cricket around the county for many different clubs, in particular, Potterne.
Tom Alsop has represented England at under 19s for three years, and now has a full contract with Hampshire County Cricket Club. Most recently, he went on the recent England Lions tour to Dubai – with all the one-day games against the UAE and the four-day test against Afghanistan being won. In February 2017, Tom goes to Sri Lanka with the England Lions, for a full test and one-day series tour.
Tom has also been selected to pay for the South team in the new 50-over ECB North v South competition, which takes place in March.
