Meet the Team: Cam Newton-Grain

The latest in our Meet the Team feature comes from another young Tiger who became a regular member of the ambush in the 2011 season. Playing alongside his dad, John, and Uncle Chris, Cam has demonstrated through his bowling that he can more than hold his own with the more senior members of the family. So Cam, what have you got to say for yourself then mate?

Name: Cameron Newton-Grain

When were you born? 1st October 1997

Where were you born? Chipping Norton Hospital

How do you earn a living? People pay to come and see how great I am. I babysit when needed, but that’s really just me being a great guy

What do you do cricket-wise?  Who knows? I was a spinner, but I’ve stuck with fast for a while now. It varies wildly in pace, and I’ve got quite a lot of swing in pre-season, which basically means no one knows what’s going to happen in the first cricket match.

Your favourite cricket team?  England? Can I say that? I went to watch T20 finals day and my favourite was Leicester, because Mathew “Hoggy” Hoggard played for them, and he’s long been a favourite.

Favourite ever cricketer? Hoggy

What's your earliest cricketing memory?  Probably my orc of a father taking a massive run up and trying to injure his 6-year-old son. Other than that probably the 2005 Ashes, which really made me realize how great cricket is. 

Best and worst grounds you've ever played at?  Best and worse com from the same place, Magdalen. At one point I was on a perfect pitch, good bounce, the sun was shining… At another I was under overcast crowds, walking back after being bowled by a ball that barely reached, and rolled the majority of the distance. 

What's your favourite fielding position?  Boundary/ fine leg/ 3^rd man, because we’ve usually got some brute at the crease doing his best to smash the (usually wide) ball into nearby tiger’s heads. If I was somewhere without that though, probably slip/ next to the batsman, because I do like taking catches (Apparently unlike the other tigers!!), I’m just not very good at it!!

What's your favourite other sport?  Football, with a bit of fishing with Baz “all the gear no idea” Floyd

You any good at them?  Football, I play at centre back with a tendency of not scoring from corners and fishing? Not even I can pretend to be decent at that…

Which sport do you find most boring?  Formula 1, though even that can be good in parts, I’m not a fan of swimming

Who's your all time sporting hero?  Definitely Ji Dong-Won, but I am a big Hoggy fan. I also find it amusing how Messi just seems to take opponents apart with and destroy them. Annoying how people keep mistaking me for him…

What's the strangest or funniest thing you've ever seen on a cricket field?  Probably, playing a team, of which the majority of which had never played cricket before, hitting 25, and, after irritating the opposition’s umpire, being given out LBW after the echoes of the huge nick and the sound of no-one appealing had faded.

You can have four people to dinner, past or present, who would they be and why?  Probably Messi, Jimmy Carr, Muhammad Ali and my father. That could get interesting, especially with Jimmy Carr being so funny, Carr and Messi could explain why dad is neither funny nor good at football, then Ali could ... well ... depends on how good my mood was at the time

You have £100 to spend. What do you buy? My Dad the biggest bat possible, but he’d probably still find the edge!

Errrr, yes, thanks Cam. I think. By the way, Uncle Chris and I didn't tell you that your dad was taking over the captaincy of the Tigers for the 2012 season, did we? Don't fancy your chances of getting a bowl after what you've said here mate ... or a bat for that matter! 

 

Summers Past: SE Tigers CC v London Badgers CC Scorecards

Well, thanks to either my mate John Grain or Chris Grain (I can't tell their writing apart nowadays .. I suspect Chris' is neater considering he based his handwriting style on mine) we do have the scorecard for the SE Tigers CC v London Badgers CC game from May 2009.

Please accept my apologies if your name has been spelled incorrectly ...

So, first blood to the Tigers. But the London Badgers came back at us with a vengeance. That's for a future post!

Cheers

Summer Past Feature: 2009 season

As many of you know, for some inexplicable reason, the old Tigers blogsite was taken down without warning in July last year. With it went all the old match reports, scorecards etc.

So, over the next few weeks, in a Summers Past feature, I'm aiming to get the records of past Tigers' matches back up on the blogsite. Well, the records I still have anyway.

We're going to start with the team photo from our first ever game in May 2009 against The London Badgers. On a blisteringly hot day at Charlbury CC the Tigers beat an under-strength Badgers side.

Anyway, here's the line up from that day ...

Back row: Steve 'Alan' Brackley, Chris Grain, John Grain, Baz Floyd, Mick Donegan
Front Row: Dave 'Herby' Williams, A.J. Smith,Tom Buswell, Bill Donegan, James Harrison, Nic Yeoman

Happily, most of the Tigers pictured still play for us regularly.

Herby Williams and A.J. 'Hands Please' Smith were two of the stars of the day, putting on a stand of sixty-odd. Both have since hung up their Tigers shirts but we still hold out hope of seeing them in the orange and green again one day.

Tom Buswell, a superb quickie who formed a hostile attack alongside Steve Brackley has since moved to the United States with his wife. Darn those Americans!

All the other Tigers pictured are still part of the ambush.

I shall try and find the scorecard for the Tigers' debut against The London Badgers and get it up as the next Summers Past feature.

Meet the Team: Chris Grain

Today's Meet the Team is one of the founder members of the SpecialEffect Tigers CC, Cap'n Chris Grain. Superb bat, great bloke and a young Nigel Havers if ever there was one. Take it away, Chris ...

When were you born, Chris? 20th February 1974

Where? Oxford

What do you do for a living? I'm a local Government grunt

What do you do cricket-wise? RHB, SRA (non-spinning leggies)

Your favourite cricket team? Northants

Who's your favourite ever cricketer? Allan Lamb

What's your earliest cricketing memory? Playing in my back garden and hitting an unbeaten double century aged 4

What's the best ground you've ever played at? New Road, Worcester

And the worst ground?  Finstock Playing Field in the early/mid eighties. This was a fast, bumpy and unpredictable track. With Baz Floyd baring down on you (with 6 slips and 2 gulleys) it was like Sabina Park for kids. Scary, and where I learned about sledging!

Where's your favourite fielding position?  It used to be gully/cover. Now I’m nearly 40 it’s slip…

What's your favourite other sport? Football

Are you any good at it? Magnificent

What sport do you find most boring? I really HATE tennis

Who's your all-time sporing hero?  Very difficult, probably Muhammad Ali or Ray Parlour. Parlour edges it for all round greatness.

What's the strangest or funniest thing you've ever seen on a cricket pitch? The Tigers trying to take a catch…

You can have any four people, past or present, around for dinner. Who would they be and why?  Bill Hicks, Joe Strummer, Willie Nelson and David Cameron

Bill to provide the laughs, Joe to provide music and tales of punk, Willie to bring his guitar and weed while Cameron’s face can serve as an everlasting punchbag.

You have £100 to spend. What do you buy?  A new mask for John Grain

Thanks Chris. 

You did forget a little bit of your childhood on Finstock Playing Field there though mate. It was the bit where Baz Floyd and your brother John were always very kind to younger cricketers in the village ... bowling slow underarm dolly drops and always ready to offer some gentle encouragement to increase their confidence when batting. That sort of thing. It was many years ago and you're forgiven for not remembering.

Cheers mate!

SE Tigers CC v London Badgers CC Venue Confirmation

Following on from the previous post, confirming our match against West Oxfordshire Barbarians on 17th June will be played at Charlbury CC, Charlbury are providing the facilities for a second Tigers match too.

The game against London Badgers CC on 22nd July will also be played at Charlbury CC.

For those of you that played in the SE Tigers CC debut cricket match against London Badgers CC in August 2009, this will no doubt bring back happy memories. Not least because we won it!

Anyhow, we're delighted to host London Badgers CC at Charlbury CC again this year and I'm sure you'll all join me in thanking our local team for fitting us in despite incredible demand for their facilities.

So, to recap on the matches we'll be playing at Charlbury CC: SE Tigers v West Oxfordshire Barbarians (17th June 2012) and SE Tigers v London Badgers CC (22nd July 2012)

SE Tigers CC v West Oxfordshire Barbarians CC Venue Confirmation

Our friends at Charlbury CC have today confirmed that SE Tigers can host the match against West Oxfordshire Barbarians CC at their ground.

This is brilliant news. Partly because Charlbury is such a fantastic cricket venue and partly because, as a Charlbury based charity, most of us Tigers feel that Charlbury is our 'spiritual home'.

While I'm at it, let's put things into a bit of context. Charlbury CC will host over 100 matches at their facilities during the 2012 season. The fact that they have fitted us into their calendar at all is not only a logistical feat but also a clear indication that we truly do have friends in our local community.

Thanks to everyone at Charlbury CC!

Meet the Team: Robbie Nicholson

Our first Meet the Team feature is a new Tiger, Robbie Nicholson, who some of you will remember as the talented young keeper who played for SpecialEffect in the football match against Arsenal Veterans.

Robbie, lets hear all about you mate ...

Name: Robbie Nicholson

Date of Birth: 15th June 1993

Where were you born? Reading

Occupation: Student

What do you do, cricket wise? RHB/RFM (Right Hand Bat, Right Fast Medium Bowler)

Who's your favourite Cricket Team? Hampshire

And your favourite Ever Cricketer? Shahid 'Boom Boom' Afridi

What's your earliest Cricketing Memory: Playing cricket in the back garden and hitting the ball through my next door neighbour's window when I was about six or seven

What's the best ground you've ever played at? Edgbaston, Birmingham

And the worst? Oxford Rescue, Yarnton

What's your favourite fielding position? Backward point

What's your favourite other sport? Golf

Are you any good at it? Yeah! I play off a handicap of 5

Which sport do you find most boring? Fishing

Who's your all time sporting hero? Tiger Woods

What's the strangest/funniest thing you've ever seen on a cricket field? My sister falling over the fence at Charlbury CC on the smaller pitch. She was chasing down a ball from mid-on, back-heeled it to prevent the boundary but couldn't stop herself in time and went head-first over the fence. The game had to stop so she could be retrieved from the ditch and all present were laughing for about ten minutes.

You can have four people to dinner, past and present, who would they be and why? 
Mario Balotelli - some people hate him but I think he's a legend.
Rihanna - Amazing singer and she looks great too.
Nelson Mandela - Truly inspirational man and would have some stories to tell.
Jose Mourinho - What more is there to be said other than 'He's the Special One'

You have £100 to spend. What do you buy? Clothes and shoes

Cheers Robbie. We're really looking forward to playing alongside you this summer.