Issue 60

As you will see from this issue of The Arrow, the 2023 season has been one to remember for the junior section at Carlton! The highlight is undoubtedly the truly amazing success of the u15 team at Lord’s but it’s also been a pleasure to witness the support that they have received from the wider club who have followed and supported their journey. This is definitely not the only highlight of the year and has been followed by the various successes of our other junior members from the Cubs, kwik cricketers, u12s, u14s, u16s and girls’ teams who have provided many more highlights and top moments during the year. A number of our juniors participate in the regional and national pathways and this is a testament to the unique junior programme and section that we have at Carlton. One of the events that I enjoy watching most is the annual junior sixes event (photo below) which is expertly organised by Martin and involves all of our junior hardball cricketers mixing in and playing competitive games against each other - the youngest gaining invaluable cricket/sledging skills from the older juniors! It has been enjoyable to meet our new members this year and it was great to see so many people at our end of season bbq and prize-giving in the glorious September sunshine (let’s hope to repeat that in 2024!). Well done to all of the 2023 prize winners. As always, there are so many people to thank for their help in making the junior section at Carlton thrive. Firstly, to the coaching staff, led by Stevie, who work tirelessly to help our junior members improve their cricket skills whilst having fun. Secondly, to Alasdair and Russell who always have the correct pitches marked out for the different junior matches and keep an eye on the master fixture spreadsheet for any clashes (not an easy task!). Next, a huge thank you to the members of the junior committee – Charles, David, Euan, Joe, Kelly C, Kelly F, Keith, Malcolm, Martin, Mary, Stevie and Val who all help out in so many different ways. Lastly, to all our parents for their ongoing support and help throughout the season. Just a note that we are always delighted to welcome new volunteers so please do get in touch if you would like to be more involved with running of the junior section of the club. Lastly, the junior committee would be delighted to receive any feedback on what has worked well this year and also what we can do to improve for next year and beyond. Please drop me an email (juniors@carltoncc.co.uk) or a pitchero message if you have any helpful suggestions. Thanks and see you all in 2024! Siobhan A BIG THANK YOU FOR A BIG YEAR

The Carlton junior set up wasn’t always the dynamic force that it is today. Junior members were at times encouraged and at other times seen as a bit of a nuisance. While the club records for 1933 note a mere 6 junior members, the position had improved the following year and a full team could be fielded. No u13 or u15 designations - just juniors across a range of ages. NL Stevenson welcomed the revival of the Carton Juniors in 1934 noting that they had been defunct since 1905. But there is no commentary on their success on the field. the photo below. It is the only surviving photo suggesting junior cricket in the distant past. Little is known about any of the youngsters pictured - several bear the names of prominent senior members at the time (Heath, Phillips, Currie) and can be presumed to be sons following in father’s footsteps although none seems to have gone on to achieve anything significant in the First XI. DJ Cowperthwaite went on to a career in the Senior Civil Service and to be a stalwart at Edinburgh Accies CC, playing against Carlton on a few occasions. He followed his playing career by umpiring for many years. CARLTON JUNIORS 1934

CARLTON JUNIORS - 2023 Many congratulations to all this year’s Junior Trophy Winners U16 Batting - Oliver Stones U16 Bowling - Shreyas Tekale U14 Batting - Tom Hathorn U14 Bowling - Hamish Foley Fielder of the Year - James Stronach U12 Players of the Year - Tom Sweet, Ollie McAllum Kwik Cricketer of the Year - Rajveer Shelar Kwik Cricketer of the Year - Holly Newton Kwik Cricketer of the Year - Ross Kirk Primary School Cricketer of the Year - George Barry Girls’ Hardball Cricketer of the Year - Keira Ansell Most Improved Girl Cricketer - Elsie Fraser Most Improved Boy Cricketers - Benji Risi, John Gill Maurice Murphy Award for Significant Potential - Gabriella Fontenla Outstanding Performance - u15 Cup Squad

GABRIELLA FONTENLA MAURICE MURPHY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING POTENTIAL* It’s been had an action packed summer of cricket full of fun, learning and development and I was delighted to end the season with being presented with the Maurice Murphy trophy at Grange Loan. I’ve been asked to share some highlights,and lowlights, of the season. The high moment was undoubtedly being selected for the Scotland u17 team, claiming my first international wicket and scoring 29* against Ireland in Dumfries. It was great to be involved with the team, which included my Carlton team mates, Maisie and Zara, and culminated in winning the tri-series against Ireland and the Netherlands. . *The Maurice Murphy Award was inaugurated in 2019. Maurice served for many years as the club’s auditor and at the time of the first award he was the club’s oldest living member. Sadly he died in 2020. Previous winners are Zaara Dancu, Max D’Ulisse and Ben Stronach The low point was the Carlton women’s team losing to Watsonians in the Scottish Cup semi-final after not being able to put enough runs on the board. It was a tough loss to take as we had played so well together as a team but we’ll be back next year to get the trophy back to Grange Loan! Thank you to all of the amazing coaches at Carlton who have supported and helped me over the year, especially the women’s captain, Sam, who has been encouraging and guiding throughout. I’m delighted to see so many girls joining the club, improving their skills and having fun. I’m already looking forward to the 2024 season to see what the club can achieve

Benji Risi I really enjoy cricket and Carlton. I enjoy training and going to the nets after school with my friends. I also go a lot at weekends, there’s always a game on or someone there to practice with. I like batting on a good wicket and scoring loads of runs, as well as bowling and taking lots of wickets. At the Grange tournament, I hit two sixes over the wall - with one of those the ball was lost! Although the highlight was my 52 at Bass Rock. I really enjoy the social side too, it’s great to catch up with all my friends at training or during a match. We always have a laugh, even when we’re fielding! I appreciate being part of a successful club. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of the teams involved in winning the U13 Cup as well as the U15 ECB trophy at Lord’s, what a day! We took taxis everywhere, had a tour of Lord’s, full use of the pavilion and winning the trophy. It was fantastic! The senior players in the 4ths and 5ths are always very helpful, but my favourite players are Lewis O’Donnell for his consistency and speed and Dan da Costa for his ability to annihilate anyone who bowls a full toss. I’m an all-rounder but this year I’ve been working more on my batting, becoming more controlled and trying not to hit big all the time. John Gill I’ve been coming to Carlton for longer than I can remember because when I was really young I always came along with my brother Pete. When I was 4 the under 11s used to let me hang out on the boundary with them and sometimes I got to change the numbers on the scoreboard. My favourite thing about the club used to be Lucky Bags (what happened to them?) but really I just love coming down to the nets any time. My best match this year was against Holy Cross when I scored 27 and took a wicket and more importantly we won by 8 runs! I’ve really been working on my bowling this year – I used to bowl seam but this year I’ve been bowling leg spin and I managed to get a few wickets for the 5s. I also really enjoy fielding. My favourite senior player has to be Pete but also Keith is a great captain who always makes sure the juniors get a bowl. Most Improved Boy Cricketers

Cricket is my favourite sport because it’s a team game. You have your team to support you, friends to cheer on and the excitement of fielding, batting or bowling. It’s especially great in the summer when the sun is shining! Carlton is super because it provides such an excellent pitch, extremely supportive coaches, plenty training sessions for all ages, tons of camps, loads of matches to get involved in and especially the club house which is great for the BBQ’s! I’ve got to play some amazing matches over the season, but my favourite so far was the tournament in East Kilbride in Glasgow. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates and want to thank them for all their support. I also want to thank Sarah, Sam and Amelia for being so supportive of my cricket and giving me the chance to play so much this year. This has been Elsie’s first proper year of hardball matches and she has made great strides in her batting and bowling, and general enthusiasm, making herself available for lots of matches, playing in U14 girls hardball team and the women’s 2s. (Sam) I have lots of friends at Carlton. Cricket's very fun and if you like being outside and doing sports, then cricket is a good option. I like cricket because its non stop, so you're always doing something as part of the team. I really want to improve my bowling and batting, and can't wait to return to the nets with my friends or do some winter cricket. My favourite match this season was the final match against each other, with some parents joining in to make up numbers, so I got to bat with my Dad. We got 40 runs together. (Keira is waving behind her Dad in the photo below.) Most Improved Girl Cricketer Elsie Fraser Girls’ Hardball Cricketer of the Year Keira Ansell Hard working and committed to improving her skills, esp her bowling this season. Keira has taken all feedback on board and been open to trying new things. She has taken to senior cricket with ease and has started to apply those skills in match situations. I have been so impressed with her enthusiasm this season and am so excited to see how she progresses over the next year. She has great potential to be a genuine fast bowler and has a bright future ahead of her here at Carlton, and perhaps even beyond with her positive attitude and work ethic. (Sam)

SOME NOTES ON THE SEASON FROM CARLTON’S 12 TEAM COACHES A really enjoyable season....great to see the players develop and put in some impressive performances with bat and ball. The highlight was a 30 run win at Grange! Another highlight mentioned was Daniel Smith’s hat trick against Watsonians. It was a wonderful year. I loved the team spirit - all the boys really supported one another and that also showed in the performances. Huge improvements with the ball this year - with the boys even getting a bit of seam and swing in the right conditions. I noticed real confidence and maturity in the batting. Many thanks to the coaching and dmin team of Neil, Anish, Alison, Andrew, Euan Murray, Euan Sweet, Rahul and Swati U12 Players of the Year - Ollie McAllum,Tom Sweet, Ollie McAllum has had a fantastic first season at the club and is showing some real talent with his pace and hard hitting. Tom Sweet is a real all-rounder, he has batted with great technique, bowled pace, leg spin, kept wicket with great skill. However, it’s not just all about what you can do with bat and ball, Tom’s enthusiasm and commitment are second to none, he was available for 100% of the matches and had one of the highest attendance rates at training. … Everyone at Carlton loves cricket but it looks like no one loves it more than Tom! U12

U14 Hamish has frightening pace and skills for a 13 year old. 11 wickets in senior 4th XI, including a 5 fer, 3 wickets in the 3rd XI, 2 for 12 in the U15 ECB cup semi final, Hamish took the first over of the innings in the final at Lord’s, bowling tightly and later picking up a crucial wicket of one of Banstead’s best bats. Tom was not only dominant in age group cricket but also had many impressive performances in the senior 5th XI including two half centuries, a total of 290 runs at a healthy average of 36 and is in the top ten batters in the league - easily the best junior performance in recent memory. While the u14 Cup side had a disappointing loss to Watsonians and the ECB u13 side an agonising one run reverse against eventual winners Grange, they will come back stronger next year. Overall the u14 squads played hard and with great enjoyment. The Coyotes had notable and dominant wins over Grange, Penicuik and Watsonians, Pete Deakin reports that we had all bases covered with some extreme pace with the ball and others bringing consistency with the bat and ball. For the Caimans Ian Thompson mentioned the impressive running between the wickets and fielding especially the number of direct hits and great backing up. The Cobras only lost one match all season, Domenic Risi reports that they were a very supportive team making a sporting gesture against Penicuik by agreeing that the younger Penicuik players could not be dismissed in their first over. Many thanks to the coaching admin team of Pete, Brian, Domenic, Iain Hathorn, Ian Thompson, Linda, Joe and Swati U14 Players of the Year Batting - Tom Hathorn Bowling Hamish Foley

Carlton u16 Winners Scottish Cup Ollie was the leading run scorer in the u15 cup team with two 50s retired, 43 v Perth, 38 in the semi v Leamington and a crucial innings of 28, our top score, in the final. He also scored heavily for the u16 Cup winning team. Shreyas took 28 wickets in senior cricket (20 of them inDivision 4), including 7-21 with a hat trick. For the u15s he took 3 for 10 against New Rover and bowled 3 overs to an extremely short legside boundary in the final. U16 Players of the Year - batting Ollie Stones bowling Shreyas Tekale

An innovation this season has been competitive Girls’ U14 hardball cricket, teams of 8 playing in a pairs format. The girls have played a total of five games - they won two and lost three (all very narrowly). Has it been a success? Judge for yourself from the following comments following a victorious outing against MDAFS: From Graeme Caton: ‘The only day with rain in the last three weeks was not going to stop the Carlton Girls from playing on Sunday. Keira called correctly deciding to bat. A strong opening stand set the tone for an excellent batting display, and some late hitting took Carlton to a net score of 85. There were no run outs! The MDAFS team bowled well, and then on their turn to bat, despite losing early wickets, still kept up the run chase so with three overs to go 30 were required. A couple of fours got Murrayfield closer but some excellent fielding ensured Carlton got over the line. Team spirit was excellent and it is noticeable the quality is improving on almost a weekly basis’. From parents watching on the boundary: ‘It’s great the girls having the opportunity to play in an U14 girls hardball league this year - they are all enjoying it, having fun and developing their skills!’ From Phil Yelland MDAFS: ‘Thanks for hosting us today. Everyone enjoyed it and the girls learned a lot - including the challenges of hitting fours up the hill.’ From Alan Ansell: ‘It's great to see the progress they're making as a team as well as individually, and in all aspects of the game. It's testament to the effort they're all putting in at training as well as the invaluable opportunities that some have had to play with the senior team. Highlights for me today were: the tight, supportive team dynamic and energy throughout the game; that the girls didn't concede that many extras (pretty sure the fewest I've seen); hit a good number of boundaries throughout the team (pretty sure the most I've seen); and a high number of wickets (pretty sure the most in a game that I've seen)! I also liked the mature competitive edge they showed today.’ And Carlton women’s Captain Sam Haggo is impressed, ‘It has been amazing to see this group progress this season. We have a core group of players now who are getting more opportunities to play together, supported by the addition of the women’s 2nd team. I am very excited for next season and beyond and am looking forward to more players staking a place in the women’s teams. This season we had Sonia and Aggie making their WPL debuts. Long may it continue.’ Girls’ Hardball Carlton and Grange pose together before the last match of the season.

I love many things about cricket but one of the main things is the team aspect of it. The conversation on and off the field is always animated and friendly everyone is always ready to have a joke. The atmosphere is always relaxed which makes the game so much more enjoyable. What I like about Carlton is that all the coaches and players are always so friendly. On the field and off the field everyone is so encouraging and willing to help. My favourite game was against Grange CC when I took four wickets in four balls and a five for, it was a really exciting game in which Carlton managed to take the win. There was one thing in particular that helped me with my bowling this season. This tip came from Stevie and it was to jump into my bowling action more which helped gain momentum in my follow through and gives extra pace. Read about the Primary School XI Season in The Arrow Issue 57 PRIMARY PLAYER OF THE YEAR GEORGE BARRY CARLTON CUBS This has been a fantastic season for the Carlton Cubs with almost 20 kids playing cricket for the first time. The sessions were every Friday evening and were great fun with the kids always full of enthusiasm and energy! The most popular games included tennis ball tig, relay races, catching tennis balls and of course batting. Their skills developed massively over the season and it will be exciting to see them progress over the next few years. I have loved coaching the Cubs and it was a great experience to coach alongside some of the Carlton First XI players. Thanks to Jamie Beattie, Finlay Thornton and Lewis O’Donnell for coaching and also to Martin Firth for organising. I am looking forward to seeing some of the Cubs playing for Carlton teams in the future. Carlton’s youngest coach Tom Hathorn reports on the season’s fun for our youngest cricketers.

How did it feel walking through the Long Room to the toss/to bat/to lead the team out? Walking through Long Room was pretty special. We’d all had a good look around the day before but still - seeing the paintings on the wall going down the stairs and into the Long Room - seeing all the really famous cricketers painted in all different styles looking down on us - very cool! We did the toss during warm up - so I just had to walk over and meet everyone. When we started our innings the opening batsmen (Shreyas and Lewis) went out first and then we followed out a bit later and sat together in the “dug out” A CAPTAIN AT LORD’S U15 SKIPPER FERGUS FOLEY ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ECB CUP FINAL How nervous was the team? We were pretty mixed - with some more obviously nervous than others. We all felt really excited. Were you always going to bat if you won the toss? Yes. We always prefer to defend a total. I knew we had a really solid bowling attack and also that as a team we are excellent fielders. We didn’t want to be chasing a total in a pressured situation. Out of the Long Room and down the steps - a tingle in spine for Lewis and Shreyas Fergus recalls events at the Junior Prizegiving

It looked quite hard to score runs and the bowling looked pretty good - any comment? It was a good pitch and good standard of wicket. But the bowling was good by both teams so maybe that kept the scores down. There was one huge boundary to one side, with a shorter one on the other - which obviously needed defending! What was the message in the huddle before you bowled? A few of us spoke - but the main message was the same: DON’T GO QUIET! We decided to be as loud and as positive as we could - from ball #1 to ball #120. Whatever happens - and however its going - we needed to stay loud. The noise would help us stay focused / in the zone - and would also let them know we were still there ;) Did you think that you had scored enough runs at the end of your innings? I thought our total was pretty good. We have certainly defended lower scores than that. I remembered we scored 99 in the National semi-final v Leamington CC and defended that. Oli did a great job and really grounded our innings - lots of singles or twos. There weren’t very many boundaries scored at all (by either team) but it didn’t matter. I was also really delighted for Hamish Turner scoring a VERY useful 20 which really helped boost our total in the final overs. A ramp from Hamish Turner Don’t go quiet….. How did you feel taking the first wicket in your first over? Brilliant! It was exactly what we were hoping for. It was a great take by James at wickie and we knew it was so important that we got one of their talismen out. From my own viewpoint I was a bit relieved after my own innings :)

By contrast with Carlton who tried to attack the bowling they looked far more defensive - any comment? Attacking their bowling was our style and mindset. Score runs early. That’s why we had Shreyas and Lewis opening and they did such a great job together. Lewis can be aggressive and take their openers on. Shreyas had a great innings at Lords and they both got us off to a great start. Every run counts. With regard to their being defensive - our bowling was tight ( the very first over (by Hamish F) went for only 1 run) and then I think they were affected by the loss of that first wicket in the second over. The second wicket got them even more worried, I think, as we had heard those batters were the “ones to watch”. Hector then managed to remove the other opener’ off stump (one of their more confident players) which was a great moment and very special for him. Were you worried about their big hitter - (he hit two big boundaries but then seemed to go back into his shell a bit)? I thought he played really well - in both innings actually. He did get two boundaries I think from slightly wider balls - but I backed our bowlers to rein him back in and keep it tight. You could sense their frustration especially when good hits were only managing singles or at best 2s, because of our good fielding. What were your thoughts when James got the run out - did you think you had it won then? That was during the penultimate - Robbie’s last - over. Again good fielding and great awareness from James with the gloves. It certainly helped us but we couldn’t stop there, as Morgan was still at the crease and so we knew they were now going to manage the strike. So still work to do…. What were your thoughts coming in to bowl the last over? They needed 13 from it. So I knew I couldn’t afford any wides and I needed to bowl full and straight - no width - but I could let them have some singles and so needed to stay focussed. Morgan was taking every opportunity and fortunately was out penultimate ball of the innings. Can you remember your feelings when you got your second wicket? Relief! I don't think I actually celebrated much - I was just so focussed on finishing. Hamish made a great catch.. but still one ball left Victory in sight - Hamish takes the catch off Fergus in the 20th over Robbie and James celebrate James’ run out in the 19th over

……and after the last ball? Utter relief!! I can’t really remember very much. I was in a bit of daze. I do remember the others jumping around and hugging each other. Could you hear the Carlton support in the crowd? Yes, at the end especially. I could hear you all during that last over. In between every ball and especially before the last ball. “Carlton Carlton!!!” Brilliant! What was the most surprising thing about Lord’s? Probably the slope. I’d heard about it but hadn’t realised it was so obvious. We had to take it into account when deciding which end to bowl from - and taking into account the boundary sizes. So I decided to give Hamish the first over from the Pavilion End and I took the Nursery End. What is your most special memory of the whole trip? Without doubt being with the team in the changing room afterwards. We were so lucky we were in the Lord’s pavilion away changing room. Just imagining who had used that room before and now we were. We stayed in there all day. We had photos on the balcony and in the changing room which I’ll always treasure. Parents came up too and celebrated with us. None of the other teams on the day had that experience - that was really special. Relief for the skipper……joy in the field

And finally…. What a journey it has been. To have reached a NATIONAL final and to play at Lord’s was just incredible. Lord’s could not have made us any more welcome. On behalf of the team I’d like to send special thanks to everyone at Lord’s who made us so welcome, were so encouraging and let us basically go everywhere. It was incredible! A special thanks to Stevie and Charles, Keith and Finlay, for all their encouragement, counsel and the belief they showed in all of us. We hope (and think) we did them proud! And a FINAL note of thanks to our parents and the wider Carlton community for their constant support. Go Arrows!!!

I’m not sure if it’s easier or harder to support your children when they’re doing something which you love, too. On the one hand – it’s so rewarding to have a shared enthusiasm for a sport or hobby with your kids, and great to watch them do something which you know a little bit about (albeit that Hector has surpassed by many a mile such ability as I ever had as a cricketer). On the other – at an incredible event such as the ECB u15 Cup Final at Lord’s – Lord’s!! – you perhaps feel the enormity of the occasion that much more acutely. Strangely, I found the National semi-final vs Leamington to be far more nerve-wracking an event than the Final. Scoring the first innings was mostly ok – when you’re concentrating on an iPad, working a scoreboard and in conversation with your fellow scorer it’s hard to make much room for “what-ifs”. But watching that second innings – the boys defending only 98 with the knowledge that a trip to Lord’s for the Final would be the reward – was pure torture! As son Hector strode onto Lord’s hallowed turf the field, Euan Murray nervously took his place in the Tavern Stand with the rest of the Carlton support. What went through a proud father’s mind? And so on to the Home of Cricket. How to describe the experience of the Final? Surreal, extraordinary, unique… hard to do the feelings justice, really. Just a procession of remarkable moments, one after another – a glimpse of blue Carlton caps (our boys – really?!) on the Visitors’ changing room balcony up on the Pavilion; names in the match programme; the familiar voices of Stevie, Charles and Keith running the team through their warmup, but in front of the Media Centre; walking through the Long Room and sitting on the MCC members’ benches as the announcer read out Shreyas and Lewis’ names and they strode out to the crease. /cont’d over

from over/ As play began, winning or losing were very much secondary considerations; my only hope was that the boys would all play well, contribute something, and enjoy the game. Just by being there they’d already done more than anyone could ever have expected of them. My only fear was that someone would have an off-day, affected by (understandable) nerves – getting a good one first up, shelling a catch, struggling to hold line and length. Please – let no-one leave here with any regrets... But from my point of view as a parent the very best thing about watching the team’s progress this year has been their exceptional sense of unity and the unfailingly positive, supportive environment which they have created within the group. …from the Pavilion End..Hector Murray If someone has had a bad day the response has simply been a pat on the back and for a team-mate to step up and fill the gap. As the game progressed it became clear that there was nothing here to fear – the boys drew on their experience, their talent, and their trust in each other (and perhaps, a little, on some enthusiastic support from the vocal Arrows Army in the Tavern Stand) to bring home a sensational – and emotional – win. At the end – elation, pride and probably more than a little relief! Wonderful shared memories, and a story which will be retold for a lifetime.

A WHOLE LOTTA CRICKET The Junior Season in Numbers Anyone who spends any time around Carlton CC will know that our junior players play a lot of cricket. Martin Firth has pulled some stats from Pitchero which show the breadth and variety of cricket played this summer. Junior teams played 120 matches this season. Another 16 were cancelled for one reason or another. Players 160 players played at least one junior match. 58 juniors also played senior cricket. Another 65 juniors, mainly our very youngest players, went to training but haven't yet played a match. Junior cricketers are the most active in the club. Only a handful of seniors manage 30 matches a season, James Stronach made a whopping 51 appearances in junior and senior teams. James also had a successful season for school so even that total is an underestimate. James is therefore Carlton’s Mr Cricket - but he is closely followed by Aadi Khadse on 47 and Shreyas Tekale on 41. Tom Hathorn, Benji Risi, Hamish Foley, John Gill and Dan Mowat all played over 35 matches. Closer behind was the leading girl - Sonia Amin who made 30 appearances - a great reflection of the growing strength of our girls’ section. It has long been thought that some of our keener cricketers sleep in their pads, but this year we have evidence that at least one junior member wears his Carlton kit to school just to minimise down time between end of school and getting in the nets. Looking only at junior matches, James tops the list with 27 matches, alongside Tom Sweet. Other members of the primary school team also feature in this list. Aaradhy, George, Hamish F, Sam G and Aadi also all above 20. Finally, two junior players - Aadi & James S - managed to be selected for 17 senior league games (out of a possible 18). Six others - Max, John G, Tom H, Benji, Ben and Shreyas were selected for 15. James Stronach Carlton’s Mr Cricket

Families Carlton is, above all, a family club. We have 63 families in which at least two members were selected for matches this season. Of those, four families - Subr, Foley, Beattie and (Al) Mitchell had four members selected. The Subr family is, as far as I am aware, unique in that each member of the family played significant amounts of cricket for Carlton during this season. They have yet to play altogether in the same team, but Mum, Dad and Atreya all turned out in a Development Game this season. Altogether, they managed 90 games between them, all being selected between 16 and 25 times. However they are not Carlton’s busiest family. The Stronachs (pictured below in a certain place) win that accolade, with 101 selections, closely followed by the Khadses (97), and Foleys (87). Given the amount of junior cricket we play, it's not surprising that the table of families is dominated by families with juniors. However, we also have some very active families entirely made up of senior players. The Beatties lead that list, with 73 selections, followed by the Simpsons on 54 and the (Al) Murrays on 46. One of the wonderful things about a family cricket club is that family members can play with each other when bragging rights are a vital motivator to performance. Multiple family members were selected in 149 fixtures this season, nearly half the total. On five occasions, three families had multiple players selected for the same team. On two occasions - both 5s friendlies against Stew Mel Trojans - four families with multiple players were selected in the same team. Almost all the cases of families with multiple players were pairs. However, on four occasions, three family members have turned out for the same team - Stronachs, Khadses and Subrs.

cancelled for various reasons (in an unusual twist, none of the reasons were "rain"). The appetite for playing KwikCricket at Carlton is great. We had about 80 players registered, up to 50% of whom were available every week. Unfortunately, as KwikCricket teams are either 6 or 8 players, it has only rarely been possible to select all the available players, as most festivals have a practical limit on the number of teams they can accept. Overall, we were able to select about 60% of the players available. The Carlton KwikCricket teams have all been wildly successful of course. Since the aim is to have (a lot of) fun and to learn how a cricket match works, we don't keep records. But I am reliably informed by several players that they never lost a match all season. (Well, perhaps not entirely reliably.) Pretty much every Sunday was a highlight, but two particularly notable events stand out: - At our own festival, we were able to enter 3 teams, all of whom definitely (and reliably) won at least 2 of their games. (See Keilas Shelar’s report below) The most entertaining game was played in the shadow of the Sibcas, and came down to the last ball. The enormous cheer that erupted from players and supporters (and somewhat bizarrely from one of the opposition players) when Carlton hit the winning 4 was probably audible across Edinburgh, and showed the great enthusiasm for the game that is the most important thing for KwikCricketers to learn. - Our team at the Rowan Boland Festival at Gala came that close to beating the eventual winners Kelso, and therefore winning the festival. We always get a warm welcome at Gala, and it's great to experience a slightly different event. The Carlton KwikCricket Festival 2023 was a grand success, with over 20 enthusiastic kids joining the event. Their excitement was contagious, reflecting the growing popularity of KwikCricket. Parents played a crucial role, not only ensuring punctuality but also providing valuable support throughout. This sense of community made the event even more special. Martin's guidance was pivotal in hosting these events. The matches were intense, showcasing the budding talent. The close encounters were a testament to the players' determination and skill, filling everyone with pride. While every player contributed, some stood out. Holly's exceptional bowling skills shone brightly, while Ross displayed incredible hitting abilities. Thornton's improved bowling was commendable. Thank you goes out to the Carlton Cricket Club for providing this platform and opportunity for the young cricketers. Your commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a love for the game is truly commendable and deeply appreciated. The KwikCricket Festival of 2023 will be remembered not only for the impressive displays on the field but also for the sense of community, teamwork, and the lasting memories created. As the sun set on another successful season, the future of cricket looked brighter than ever, with these young stars leading the way. KS KwikCricket in 2023 and beyond Congratulations to the KwikCricketers of the Year - Holly Newton, Rajveer Shelar and Ross Kirk. Martin Firth reviews another season’s fun Once again, this year's Kwik Cricket season has been hugely enjoyable. We've played in 9 events, although unfortunately 3 others were

Looking ahead to next year, it would be great to increase the amount of KwikCricket. There are some things that we could do, for example: - Look for festivals outside Edinburgh. In previous years, we've had great days out to Hawick, Kelso, Ayr, Arbroath and others. - Invite teams to Carlton for mini-festivals during Sundays in July. Lots of people go on holiday in July of course, but in the past we've found that Carlton and some other clubs can still field teams. This summer, 4 of the 5 Sunday mornings in July were available at Grange Loan. - Arrange mini-festivals with other clubs on the free weekends in the schedule in May & June. A familiar Sunday sight at Grange Loan - Martin issues instructions to umpires young and old before the fun begins….. Martin Firth has been Carlton’s Mr KwikCricket since June 2013 - during which time he reckons he has organised around 75 events. He offers some pointers for future development to build on those successes. But, as he says below, it is time for him to step back. If you think you could be willing to play a part in managing and expanding Kwik Cricket, please contact to Martin or Siobhan - juniors@carltoncc.co.uk All this will be much better managed by someone - or a group of people - who have KwikCricket aged players. My own KwikCricketer has long since graduated to seniors, and it's time I stepped away again. I'm very happy to offer advice, guidance, experience and other help. One possible arrangement might be for one person to take on managing fixtures, another to handle availability and selection. The real bonus is that you will be managing Carlton's future stars. In years to come, if you are watching our senior sides on any weekend, you will always be able to point at some of the Carlton players and say "I taught him/her to play". KwikCricket CAN YOU HELP?

I was delighted to be invited to St Cuthbert’s PS recently as they were awarded the Gold Schools Sports Award from the Minister for Sport. This is the first time the Gold Award has been presented and the school has said that having cricket provided by Carlton has been a huge contributing factor to receiving the award. There is a long waiting list to get into the after school class. Over the past year, Carlton coaches (Kyle MacPherson, Jamie Beattie and Rory Ledingham with occasional help from Harry Simpson and non-Carlton Liam Naylor) have coached pupils from Bruntsfield, South Morningside, Buckstone, James Gillespies, Sciennes, Tollcross, Balgreen, Dalry, Stenhouse, Craiglockhart and St Cuthbert’s Primary Schools as well as Tynecastle High School. It is so satisfying to get feedback from pupils and the schools to say how much they have enjoyed the sessions - and even more so when it results in them joining the club. Carlton has been involved with the running of cricket classes in local schools for many years. Without clubs going into schools, children with no connection to cricket would not have the opportunity to try it out. As members of Carlton we can understand the appeal of playing cricket and the benefits from a physical and emotional point of view. It would be so good if we could introduce more children to the sport. This has got harder recently as the schools are not allowed to charge for hire of external coaches. Therefore as a club we have to either fund the coaches ourselves or raise the money by applying for grants or by attracting sponsors- this has had mixed results over the years. I wish we could do more! We are short of coaches and short of money to pay the coaches we do have. If you know anyone who would like to be involved with the sponsorship of this programme, please get in touch. ACTIVE SCHOOLS CRICKET COACHING A CARLTON SUCCESS STORY But Carlton President Kerry Simpson wants to do more. Think you can help? Get in touch COACHING

This year the ever popular end of season Parents v Players tussle was matched by the new attraction of Dads v Daughters

Child Welfare and Protection With so many junior members, Child Protection and safety is of vital importance to Carlton. Ailsa Henderson has stepped down from the key role of of Child Welfare and Protection Officer (CWPO) Many thanks to her for all her hard work in the role. But Carlton is now in the fortunate position of having Malcolm Hay and Mary Rose as co-CWPOs. Mary Rose (pictured on Blackford Hill with Lochie) introduces herself and sets out the role. ‘I have been involved with Carlton for 10 years as the parent of a player who has enjoyed playing through the levels from Kwik Cricket to Senior Cricket. Throughout this time I have been struck by the considerable amount of time spent by volunteers to keep junior cricket running safely and effectively. So when the CWPO post became available I felt I could use some of the knowledge and experience from my former life, as a consultant at the Children’s Hospital, to benefit the club. ‘As CWPO my role, first and foremost, is to help Carlton continue to provide a safe and fun environment in which children can learn and play cricket. I, along with my fellow CWPO Malcolm, will be the main points of contact for anyone in the club who needs support, advice or training in relation to child welfare and protection, as well as being the first point of contact for anyone who needs to report a concern. Martin Firth’s first KwikCricket event saw Carlton fielding an u8 team for the first time - and there are a couple of familiar faces in the line up. ‘An important part of our role is to ensure the club complies with the Protection of Vulnerable Groups legislation - as such I will be in touch with many of you over the coming months to help you apply for or renew your membership of the PVG scheme.’

First Team Shirt Sponsor First Team Sleeve Sponsors Cala Homes Umair Mohammed Cosmetic & Sports Dentist Junior Cricket Shirt Sponsor Junior Shirt Sleeve Sponsor PizzaGeeks Women’s Shirt Sponsor U15 at Lord’s Sponsors Cala Homes, Artemis Fund Managers, Umair Mohammed Dentistry Player Sponsors Artemis Fund Managers , Brass Neck Rum, The Free Company, The Opticians in Marchmont, Ardnamurchan Distillery, Mitchell Glass, Wright Johnson and Mackenzie LLP Other Sponsors Jump Ship Brewing - Player of the Month Wright Johnson and Mackenzie LLP - Junior Prize Giving Board Sponsors Chambers Tutoring, Littlejohns, Womens and Mens 10K, Wright Johnson and Mackenzie LLP Match Sponsors Archie Gray, Frank Millar, Angus & Ann Mair, Colin Campbell Carlton could not have achieved its successes without the support of its sponsors. Thank you for helping us to realise our ambitions.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF CARLTON’S CONTINUING SUCCESS Interest in Carlton grows each year as we succeed at all levels. We will continue to focus on developing the next group of club, regional and international champions. So, here’s an opportunity to share in that success by investing in future winners. Sponsor a player, an event, active schools or secure a pitch side banner promoting your business. Please contact Domenic at sponsorship@carltoncc.co.uk

REMINDERS The next issue of The Arrow will review the 2023 season of senior cricket. The Senior Awards Night is planned for Saturday 16 December. Get it in your diary now!