As a club, we have never had so much cricket lined up as we do this year—it’s going to be flat out
from late April through to late August.
Coaches
The coaches for each age group are the same as last year, with three newly qualified additions: Mark
Goodwin (Dynamos/All Stars), James Feilden (U11s, and helping on Sunday mornings) and Seamus
Rowles (U13s). I don’t know of another club that offers the depth of coaching we have at MLCC.
We have set days and times for training and matches, but cricket is weather-dependent and plans
can sometimes change—along with school match clashes and, occasionally, opponents being
unable to fulfil fixtures. Coaches will keep everyone informed, so please keep an eye on Spond.
With the volume of matches the club is playing this summer, we’ll be using the Recreation Ground
at Brize Norton more than in previous years.

Here’s the plan!

Dynamos/All Stars – Activators Aaron Lee, Nathan Harris, Elliot Graham, Mark Goodwin
Training is on Friday evenings as part of our Friday Family Night, with festivals on Sunday mornings.
This year we have entered a girls’ team. U13 player Emma Gardner will join us on some evenings to
help mentor them.

U11 – Coaches Chris Jones/John Manning/James Feilden
We have a great balance of players: those who made their hardball debuts last year and those
stepping up from Dynamos. This year we’re entered into the T16 tournament and, for the first time,
The Hundred. Matches are on Sunday mornings, with training on Monday evenings.

U13 – Coaches Paul Ridler/Marc Summers/Chris Jordan/Seamus Rowles
We have two league teams, plus a single team for the KO Cup, The Hundred and— for the first
time—an entry into the Long Format competition. Short-format matches will be played on Thursday
evenings, with Long Format on Sunday afternoons. Training is on Wednesday evenings.

U15 – Coaches Kevin Clue/Tom Pollard
We’ve entered a team into the Performance League, the KO Cup and The Hundred. Playing in the
Oxfordshire Performance League will provide the strong competition they’re looking for. Matches
are on Monday evenings, with training on Wednesday evenings.

U17 – Coaches John Manning/Chris Jones
Six T20 league matches against strong competition from across the county, all played across a few
weeks in June and July. Training is with the seniors on Tuesday evenings, with matches on
Wednesday evenings.

U19 – Coach Charlie Driver
The format is changing this year, moving from T20 to The Hundred. There will be four matches over
the summer holiday period. Training is with the seniors on Tuesday evenings, with matches on
Monday evenings.

In addition to the coaches, we will have Duke of Edinburgh students supporting us as well.
On match days, coaches are busy getting the team ready and setting up the wicket and scorecard.
Please support us by helping to get facilities and equipment out, and by putting everything away
afterwards. If you’d like to get more involved—perhaps as a future activator, coach, scorer,
administrator, BBQ helper, or by supporting the Sport and Social Club on the bar—please reach out.
What we do works because we share the workload; the more we spread it, the more sustainable it
is. Don’t be shy!

A specific request from our fantastic Safeguarding Officer, Rachel: she would be very grateful if a
parent/guardian could share the role with her.
Youth & Senior Team Alignment
The youth coaches and senior team captains work closely together to ensure both sides of the club
benefit. Youth coaches may recommend players who would benefit from playing as part of the
senior teams, considering both player safety and their ability to contribute. Final selection is solely
at the discretion of the senior captains.

Some updates for 2026
We’ve been spending some money. Our covers at Wash Meadow had reached the end of their life,
so we’ve purchased new ones. They are a three-piece set rather than the previous four. They cost
the club a lot of money and we hope to get many years of use from them—so please treat them with
care.

We have two new groundsmen: Paddy (who also tends Oxford Downs) will look after Wash Meadow,
and Nick will look after Brize Norton.

Membership

The link for the U111, U13 and U15’s. Membership form
The link for the U17's and U19’s. Membership form

Match fees will remain at £3 per match. These will be collected online midway through the season
and again at the end of the season. No cash is needed on match days, allowing coaches to focus on
the game.
Please share any medical/behaviour information on the membership form. Be assured that they will
only be shared with the applicable coaches.

Safeguarding/behaviour expectations
Safeguarding requirements are continually evolving, and our Officer, Rachel Beynon, has reviewed,
revised and strengthened our rules—not only to ensure we operate compliantly, but also to be clear
about what we expect of players, parents/guardians and everyone associated with the club. The
membership form asks you to confirm that you understand and will adhere to these expectations.
Please take five minutes to read them before you confirm your agreement.
Team Clothing and Equipment

For all youth matches we will be playing in coloured shirts: the new shirts for U11/U13/U15, and the
original coloured shirts for U17/U19.
Coloured shirts need to be paired with black trousers. These are available via our team store at
Serious Cricket, but I’d suggest buying a cheaper pair that can be used beyond the cricket pitch
too (Decathlon, for example, has options around £12–£14).
If you are selected to play as part of the Saturday or Sunday senior teams, then cricket whites
are to be worn.
The shirts wear and wash well, and players are more likely to grow out of them than wear them out. If
you have a shirt that’s now too small, please consider passing it on to a new owner.
Link to the club kit on Serious Cricket:
https://www.serioussport.co.uk/teamstores/minster-lovell-cricket-club

You can spend as little or as much as you want on equipment—just make sure your player is
comfortable and protected. Please feel free to bring any outgrown equipment or clothing (including
surplus kit) to training to pass on to another player (cricket helmets must have an impact-free
history).
For players, I would strongly recommend cricket shoes for support, traction and protection. My
guidance is that the ones with ‘astro’ soles will get more use as we may end up playing on artificial
strips over the season.

Our Website
Now in its second season and improving all the time. This year the committee has decided to
discontinue the fixtures booklet and focus efforts on keeping the website up to date.
https://minsterlovellcricket.co.uk


Finally, the bit that never changes, how we play the game:
• We are good hosts and welcome everyone
• We play fairly, understand and adhere to the rules, respect the umpires and the spirit of the
game
• We clap new batsmen onto the pitch and clap them off when they retire on a maximum score
• We are silent when the bowler is running in
• We play for our Captain
• We don’t respond to any verbal provocation from the opposition
• We celebrate individuals’ success
• We support teammates when it’s not gone to plan
• We are tough competitors – whether batting or fielding, every ball matters-from the first to the
last
• We smile…a lot!

Chris Jones
MLCC Youth Cricket Coordinator, Youth Coaches and the MLCC Committee