Players - Adrian Barrett (T); Duncan Barrett; Neil Cooper; Neil Fox; Mike Friend; Steve Hardy (C); Adrian Lamberth; Chris Lyons; Mike Marsden; Derren Martin; Robbie Phillips; Andy Thompson; Howard Turner (S); Stuart Wallis; Clive Winter (W).

    1986 had been a virtual washout; most weeks saw Dave Elliot's valiant efforts raise around six regular players from week to week with a follow-up phone call to say the game had to be cancelled. A recurring lack of players was regularly cited as the reason, a very disappointing situation all round. Other weeks, the weekend would arrive with showers or a downpour literally dampening everyone's spirits. As a result, not too many games were played and led to a few unhappy members leaving the club. 1987 proved to be the year that things really got going again with the cricket club.

    As far as the season goes, Steve Hardy became the new Captain. Steve's main strengths were an ability to study the incoming batsman's form and formulate a gameplan to restrict, if not dismiss him. The plan often ran out of steam when the bowler(s) would tire and allow the batsman to break free. Adie Lamberth moved up from the colts to the men's side and affable all-rounder Mike Marsden made his mark with some tasty bowling spells. Of the five wins this season, the outstanding two - thrashings almost - were versus the "Old West Endians", ex-players from WECC. The delightful idea of two West End teams playing each other at home didn't last too long. Wisley was a new fixture, gained though ex-member Gary Greaver who'd moved over there the previous year.

The artificial strip, now superceed

    After this it was back to business with losses comfortably outnumbering wins. If the format was a "time game", a draw was possible if the team batting second could not be dismissed before the end of play. Most (if not all) matches around this time were "time games". Basically, the team batting first had two and a half hours at the crease before tea was called and although allowed to continue after, most clubs normally declared there and then. To maintain some kind of fairness the team batting second receives a hour of play, then "twenty overs" would be called. The resulting innings *could* match the first innings for time and/or number of overs bowled, but not always. The team batting second could be at a disadvantage, needing to score a better runrate. If unable to keep up there was always the option to bat out the twenty overs for a draw. The fielding side must dismiss all batsmen to secure a win and a shortage of overs may give insufficient time for this.

    Ten of the fourteen games that actually took place occurred at home, an extremely high percentage. Cancelled matches can often be out down to the weather, but not always. The last two game of August and the first two in September suggest that possibly a lack of players in holiday time may have been the reason for a month without cricket. The Captain himself not surprisingly won the batting averages while Young Adrian Lamberth took the bowling honours ith a quite incredible average of less than four!