2026 Pre-season edition
The covers are coming off, the whites are being dug out of drawers, and that can only mean one thing – the season is fast approaching. Welcome to the very first edition of the Milton Cricket Club Newsletter.
President’s introduction – Mark Barton
As ever, winter hasn’t stopped things ticking along behind the scenes. While there has not been any cricket at the Sycamores, there has been plenty of planning, organising and general cricket-chat to keep on top of.
I’d like to thank everyone particularly on the committee who’s put in time over the off season, whether that’s attending meetings, maintaining the ground or responding to the club emails.
Pre-season always brings that fresh-start feeling, and this newsletter is new for us as a club. New signings, returning faces, and the year-on-year belief that this might be our time. Here’s to competitive league cricket, sunny Sunday friendlies and pub trips after wins on a Wednesday that keeps us all as busy as the scorebook.
From the Chair – Chris Day
A big focus this year is continuing to grow the club both on and off the pitch, developing players, supporting captains, and making sure Milton remains a welcoming place for all cricketers. Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM. The key takeaways are that the club remains financially stable, and committee roles were confirmed for the season ahead.
All Stars and Dynamos will take place again this year. On a Sunday morning from 10-11am and people can register their kids from next week. Any help with All Stars and Dynamos would be appreciated – please speak to Mark if that’s something for you!
Another topic of conversation at the AGM was how to best get people more deeply involved in the club and keeping people up-to-date on the latest goings on, hence why I’m delighted to write in this first edition of the newsletter! We’ll shortly be announcing a day to come and help out get the ground ready for the season ahead so look out for this.
Treasurer’s Update – Will Jupp
The good news? The club finances are healthy heading into the new season.
Thank you to everyone who paid subs promptly last year, you can make the most of the pre-season discounted rate for subs, of only £30. After the end of April, subs will be £35. Please respond to the treasurer’s email before 1st May 2026 if you’d like to take advantage of the pre-season subs rate.
Winter spending has been sensible, and investment has been targeted including spend on grounds equipment, more about that later.
Welcome to the Club!
A huge Milton welcome to all our new members joining us this season. Whether you’ve moved to the area, starting out on your adult cricketing career, or finally decided it’s time to show us how it’s done, we’re delighted to have you. We pride ourselves on being competitive but friendly. Our home grounds are the Sycamores and North Lodge, and we get together after matches at the Waggon and Horses, in Milton.
Nets update
Indoor nets at Hills Road have been well attended, and continue on Tuesdays. This is a great sign for the season ahead. Outdoor nets will be announced as soon as the square is ready. Keep an eye on WhatsApp for details.
A message from the new 2026 captains
First XI Captain: Pradeep Gowda
“It’s great to see so many youngsters joining the team this season. Let’s aim to keep all three teams strong every week, put out our best sides, and push to get all three teams to the top of their leagues!”
Second XI Captain: Ed Pinches
“We’ve got a great crop of players, and I’m really looking to us spending Saturdays together having fun both on the cricket field and off it. Hopefully with a smile on our faces we can go for promotion!”
Third XI Captain: Pete While
“I’m looking forward to the new season. We’ve got an exciting crop of juniors coming through to introduce to adult cricket and hopefully we can notch up enough wins to challenge for promotion in the process.”
From the scorer’s hut
An update on the scoreboard –Andy Race
Club legend Andy Race has been hard at work once again thinking about the next evolution of Milton’s scoreboard. After building the original LED version (including soldering nearly 1,200 LEDs by hand), Andy has been exploring ideas for a Version 3 – potentially using mechanical flip-style digits to improve visibility in bright sunshine and even make the board portable so players and supporters can see it more easily.
It’s an ambitious project (with some wonderfully creative ideas along the way), and while it may not arrive in 2026, watch this space. You can read Andy’s full deep-dive here.
Ground update
We’re delighted to confirm that James Drummond is now officially Head Groundsman.
“All in all, things are looking fairly positive on the pitch front at the minute.”
“It’s been fairly quiet on the pitch front since the end-of-season renovations, but things are slowly starting to pick up pace as we move towards the new season. Pre-season rolling will be getting underway shortly to start firming up the square.
“The roller itself is ready for action after a full service and a few repairs, kindly carried out free of charge by Nigel from Goddens Garage in Milton — many thanks for keeping the heavy machinery in working order.
The square has already had a few cuts with the larger cylinder mower and is looking good for the time of year. The two new net wickets are also coming along nicely, although they still need a bit more work and will require extra rolling compared to the rest of the square.
There’s also a new bit of kit in the shed – the new pitch mower was delivered last week and should be getting its first outing soon.
Alongside the roller service, the two older mowers have also been serviced and are running smoothly again, thanks to Lee from Lees Garden Machinery.
All in all, things are looking fairly positive on the pitch front at the minute.
— James Drummond (Head Groundsman and, a very depressed Spurs fan)
Here’s to sunny days at Milton, tight finishes (preferably in our favour), and plenty of reasons to celebrate. See you at nets!