Club have plenty planned for milestone season

CRICKET: A BUZZ of excitement is in the air at Shenley Village CC as they enter their 150th anniversary year.

They have engaged the services of former Zimbabwean international Dion Ebrahim as both their overseas player and head coach for 2011. Ebrahim, 30, played 29 Tests and 90 ODIs - with a highest score of 121, made against Bangladesh during an ODI in Dhaka in 2001.

Ebrahim is a right-handed, top order batsman, who also bowls off-spin and is known for his superb fielding. Having spent a successful winter playing and coaching for Taranaki in New Zealand, Ebrahim will be joining Shenley to take up his coaching duties and to join the 1st XI squad towards the end of April.

Shenley are setting their sights high, with the aim of celebrating this special year by gaining promotion to Division One of the Saracens Hertfordshire League for the first time in their history.

The club will once again field four senior sides in the Hertfordshire League, along with a Sunday side playing friendly fixtures.

Additionally, they have entered the Readers Herts County Cup, with a first round home tie against Old Albanians on May 29. Meanwhile, the thriving junior section will be putting out seven teams, starting at the U9s age group and going right through to Under 15s. The formation of a new girls’ team is also planned.

Both senior and junior sections of the club will be proudly wearing a new club strip to mark their 150 years, as they welcome on board new club sponsors Veolia Environmental Services and Triptych Logistics Ltd.

Several special 150th anniversary events feature on the club calendar. Amongst these, Shenley will host the MCC at the Shenley Cricket Centre on Sunday, 10th July and also have a fixture scheduled at Lords in September against Cross Arrows CC, made up of distinguished MCC members and employees, past and present.

It is hoped the forthcoming season will be very much a local community affair, in celebration of 150 fascinating years of cricket in the Shenley area.

New players, spectators and other willing volunteers are all most warmly welcomed.

A club registration evening for the coming season will be held at the Shenley Cricket Centre, off Radlett Lane, on Thursday, April 14, from approx 6.30pm. Players old and new are invited to attend.

Anyone who is interested in playing this season but cannot make the registration evening can contact the club for further information via the website: www.shenleycc.hitscricket.com