The AGM of Timsbury Cricket Club opened on a sad note with members observing a minute’s silence in memory of a much-respected former player and current committee member Jerry Thompson who had recently died.

Jon Strand was unanimously re-elected as first team captain and Adam Brinkworth will continue as his vice-captain. Ben Hosford who is celebrating three successive promotions as second team skipper continues at the helm with Rob Clothier as his assistant. There is a change at third team level, however, with Laurie Jones taking over from Ashley Davis who has looked after the side for the last seven years although Davis will keep involved as vice-captain.

Mike Passingham has decided to stand down after many years as secretary with Richard Davis stepping up. Treasurer Ben Curtis is taking over running the club’s 200 Club from Roger Lane who was thanked for his efforts by chairman Austin Sage.

Sage said that overall the club was in a strong position and he was delighted that although the first team had been relegated there had been a strong team spirit throughout the season. He congratulated Hosford on another promotion for the seconds and thanked Davis for all his years as third team skipper and for providing a pathway for youth players into adult cricket.

Lloyd Davies had led some excellent training sessions for the senior players and Adam Brinkworth was thanked for all his work with the youth players. Matt Brinkworth’s All Star sessions had attracted 42 young participants and next season the club will be supporting the new ECB initiative for the 8-11 year olds known as Dynamos.

Sage was pleased that the presentation evenings and social events had seen the clubhouse packed and plans continued to extend the clubroom with an upgrade of changing facilities in conjunction with the village football club. Subscription rates remained unaltered but to keep them as cheap as possible Sage appealed for more senior members to help with youth training. Sage thanked Curtis for his work as treasurer and all members of the Management Committee and other club helpers.

Malcolm Tucker, on the recommendation of the Management Committee, was unanimously reappointed as Club President. Also on recommendation of the Management Committee Yvonne Bird, Ann Sage, Kelly Roper, Simon Roper and  Nic Gapper were to be invited to become club Vice Presidents.

The election of officers were as follows

Chairman                                A. Sage

Vice Chairman                       Mark Sage

Treasurer                                B. Curtis

Secretary                                 R. Davis

Fixture Secretary                   Martyn Sage

1^st Team Captain,                    J. Strand

1^st Team Vice Captain,           A. Brinkworth

2^nd Team Captain                    B. Hosford

2^nd Team Vice Captain,           R. Clothier

3rd Team Captain,                    L. Jones

3^rd Team Vice Captain             A. Davis

Child Protection Officer          Adam Brinkworth

Auditor                                     A. Davis

Timsbury saved their worst performance of the season for this away trip to fellow promotion hopefuls Uphill Castle, where they were soundly beaten 2-0 in a very competitive Uhlsport Somerset County Div 1 match.

In a frenetic first 15 minutes both sides made chances without really troubling either goal, before Uphill took the lead. Timsbury failed to clear their lines when a strong challenge from Mckenna led to a fine cross from the right reaching an unmarked Sneddon Coombs in the centre of the goal to head home.

Cook was unlucky not to level the score soon after when his goal-bound shot was cleared by the legs of Beresford in the home goal. Mckenna was guilty of missing a great chance to increase the lead when he beat Timsbury’s  offside trap, but with only the keeper to beat pulled his shot wide.

Uphill almost gifted Timsbury a goal when their keeper’s clearance was closed down by Cook on the edge of the box but he was lucky enough to scramble back and claim the ball before it ran free again. Beresford then produced a fine save to tip a Lutwama free kick from the edge of the box over the bar.

Timsbury’s defence somehow managed to stop Uphill increasing their lead when a goalmouth scramble in their six-yard box resulted in five or six shots on target without out ever crossing the line. Late in the half Uphill finally increased their lead after Timsbury keeper Wilcox was unable to reach another through ball before the Uphill striker Mckenna who was able to walk the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0.

Uphill continued to handle the conditions better in the second half. A Hartley corner hit the top of the bar direct from the kick, then Wilcox made a fine save from a Mckenna shot. A long ball from Swarbrick found Cook through on goal but a last ditch tackle meant his shot was easily saved.

Cook then pulled another shot wide of the target from the next attack. Despite plenty of the ball in the second half Timsbury were unable to make their possession count, rarely troubling Beresford in the home goal and Uphill ran out worthy winners. 

A special mention should be made of referee Steve Luxon who handled the game brilliantly, allowing a very competitive game to flow whenever possible.

Star Man  Aiden Mckenna (Uphill Castle)

Rob Veater

Timsbury Athletic strengthened their position at the top of the Uhlsport Somerset County League Division 1 with a 2-1 home win against second placed Burnham United. It was a game that more than lived up to expectations with referee Steve Densley playing his part in a thrilling encounter.

Before the game both sides stood for a minute’s silence in memory of former Timsbury player Jerry Thompson who had recently died.

Burnham made the brighter start and Curtis Bradshaw gave them the  lead after 11 minutes when he turned well in the box and shot past Jack Scrivens. Rhys Cook then came close to equalizing when he intercepted a wayward back-pass only to be denied by keeper Fraser Mcdiarmid who followed it up with a fine save again from Cook.

Timsbury continued to press and after Ellis Hancock had shot over Mcdiarmid was in action once more saving well from a Jem Lutwama header. Cook saw another effort blocked but Burnham showed they possessed danger at the other end with Bradshaw just over as he looked for his second goal.

Scrivens had to be at his best to deny Bradshaw early in the second half before Timsbury grabbed a well deserved equalizer when Cook raced clear to shoot past Mcdiarmid. The impressive custodian then made a great save from a crisp shot from Lutwama who created a great chance for Cook after showing good skills on the right but Cook was unable to convert the cross.

Timsbury continued to have the better of the play but Jamie Merrick came close for the visitors shooting over the top. As the home side looked for the breakthrough Lutwama shot well over while Toby Neilson was just wide with a good effort. 15 minutes from the end Timsbury at last earned the reward for their efforts when Callum Taylor met a Jack Nix free-kick with a firm header that gave Mcdiarmid no chance. 

Malcolm Tucker

Just a week after knocking Street Reserves out of the Somerset Senior Cup Timsbury Athletic were beaten 3-0 at home by the same opponents who claimed the double over the Uhlsport Somerset County League Division 1 leaders. Trailing 2-0 at the interval Timsbury dominated the second half but failed to make their territorial advantage count.

The visitors took the lead after just seven minutes when striker Sheik Njie burst through the Timsbury defence to hammer an unstoppable shot past Josh Wilcox in the home goal. As Street continued to press Wilcox saved an effort from Oliver Walby and captain Toby Davey shot wide. At the other end Rhys Cook burst clear but his effort proved fruitless before Street doubled their lead after 20 minutes with a fine individual goal from Richard Fowler.

Cook provided Jem Lutwama with Timsbury’s best chance to date but the striker shot well over the top. Street continued to look the more dangerous unit and it needed a timely intervention from Liam Craze to deny Njie his second goal. Alessandro Costanza missed two good opportunities to increase Street’s lead first heading wide from a dangerous position and then shooting past the post.

The second half saw Timsbury come right back into the game with substitute Corey Rawlings making an immediate impact down the right flank. Cook was just over with a crisp shot while Toby Neilson was well over with a free-kick. The home side’s best chance fell to skipper Ellis Hancock who shot over from point blank range after keeper Luke Roberts had parried Cook’s free-kick.

As the home side continued to press Jesse Bishop headed against the bar and Roberts saved well from Cook who had been put through by Lutwama. Street had offered little threat in the second half but in a rare visit to the Timsbury goal Davey found himself unmarked inside the box and tapped in for Street’s third goal. Late efforts from Rawlings and Lutwama were well handled by Roberts as the visitors comfortably saw the game out.

Malcolm Tucker

Timsbury claimed all three points, winning 2-1 in a very competitive game away at Somerton, to go top of the table in this Uhlsport Somerset County Div 1 match

Timsbury were grateful early on to their young keeper Wilcocks who managed to tip a low shot from Brown on to the post, with the rebound clearing the bar from the on rushing Holland. This proved a rare excursion for the home side. Timsbury having the advantage of both slope and wind kept them penned into their own half for long periods.

After 15 mins Timsbury took the lead when a cross from Midegley  on the right was headed back across goal by Cook. This was only half cleared to Nielson on the edge of the box who volleyed an unstoppable shot past Hardy in to home goal to make it 1-0.

In difficult conditions Timsbury failed to make the most of their advantage with the home defence limiting them to long range shots and half chances even when they were reduced to 10 men when Dyer was sin binned for 10 minutes. Wilcocks was called upon again to make a fine save with his legs after Brown found himself with a clear shot on goal. Hancock ended the half with a goal-bound shot only to see it parried away by Somerton keeper Hardy.

The roles were reversed in the second half with Somerton taking full advantage of the conditions and pressing hard for an equaliser. Brooks was called upon to make a last ditch tackle to thwart Dyer who was through on goal. The inevitable happened barely 10 minutes in when a low cross from the right by Brown across the six yard box fell to Holland who made no mistake in making it 1-1.

Within minutes Somerton were guilty of missing the chance to take the lead, when Holland’s cross from the right fell to the feet of Dyer who somehow blazed over with the goal at his mercy. Timsbury were grateful to the pace of Cook and Lutwama who at times were able to relieve the pressure on their defence and in turn causing a threat to the home goal.

Against the run of play it was this combination that gave Timsbury the lead again after 20 minutes. Hancock fed Cook down the left who ran to the by line and crossed for Lutwama, who got in front of the last defender to shoot home and make it 2-1. This unsettled the home side and they lost their way in the second half, resulting in them hitting long balls which were easily dealt with by the Timsbury defence.  Somerton might have snatched a point late on when a goal-mouth scramble was somehow kept out, despite several close range efforts from the Somerton attack.

 Star Man  Gem Lutwama (Timsbury)

Rob Veater

The clubroom of Timsbury Cricket Club was packed for the annual Presentation Evening with all three teams well represented. It had been a difficult season for the first eleven but this had not been reflected in the club atmosphere which remained buoyant throughout the campaign.

 Club Chairman Austin Sage praised the efforts of all the players and was delighted with the number of people working for the club. He thanked Matt and Adam Brinkworth for their work with the youth sides and James Rawlings for organising the under 19s matches.

Lloyd Davies had worked hard training the senior players. Dave Perryman and Martyn Sage had toiled hard to produce good playing surfaces for the teams on the main ground and at the school and Martyn received a well-deserved award for his consistently hard work.

The Chairman announced that there were initial plans to extend the clubroom but stressed that these were still early days for the plans.  In appreciation of their efforts flowers were presented to Ann Sage, Rita Day, Cheryl Bradley, Eve Bird, Claire Sage,  and Mel Hosford.

There were some excellent speeches from the three senior captains. Ashley Davis who is standing down after seven memorable years as third team skipper, and who was later voted club person of the year, said that his side had experienced a difficult year on the field with just three wins but felt that the 27 players who had represented the club had enjoyed their games . Matthew Ball was again the top batsman with Josh Blanchard the leading bowler. Teenager Oliver Hulbert was player of the season.

Ben Hosford in his third year as second team captain said that after a slow start the team was not far from achieving promotion for the third year in a row but the side eventually finished fourth in the Bristol and District League Division 7. He commended Greg Passingham on a fine all-round season and leading run scorer Adam Workman who scored 419 runs and was second team player of the year.

Gary Pearcy was the most successful bowler with 19 wickets. The most important thing he said was that there had been an excellent atmosphere in the side and players looked as though they were really enjoying themselves.

Jon Strand could not have had a more testing baptism as first team captain and the team managed just three wins in the West of England Premier League. The skipper remained upbeat, however, and praised the efforts of the players against sides with overseas players and much greater resources.

Mark Sage had again spearheaded the batting and got the side off to a number of good starts alongside Adam Brinkworth whose batting and excellent wicketkeeping earned him the player of the year award. On the bowling front Sam Hoddinott was praised by the captain for his economical spells and there were good returns from Steve Clothier and Neil Hucker. Despite a challenging year on the field Strand said there remained a vibrant atmosphere throughout the season.

Another successful evening concluded with first team all-rounder Graeme Webb giving his own personal recollections of the 2019 season.

The annual awards were as follows:

Youth section

Most improved Junior (Eddie Strong Trophy) Angus Martin 

Best performance by a Junior (Graham Bryant Trophy) Ben Smith

Outstanding teenager (S G Taylor Memorial Cup) Joe Kinnear

Biggest 6 Under 15 and below (Steve Nowell Challenge Cup ) Ben Smith

Club ties Ben Smith, Josh Blanchard

Senior section

Club caps   Will Rawlings, Oli Davis, Josh Blanchard

Fastest 50  (John Newth Cup) Rob Clothier

Best individual performance  (S G Taylor Cup) Kevin Sibley

First team Player of the Year (Sage Family Trophy) Adam Brinkworth

Second team Player of the Year (Malcolm Tucker Cup) Adam Workman

Third team Player of the Year  (Colin Weaver Cup) Oliver Hulbert

Clubperson  of the Year  Ashley Davis

Junior Clubperson  of the Year  (Roger and Eve Bird Cup) James Rawlings

First Division Timsbury Athletic held Premier Division local rivals Clutton to a 1-1 draw in the Somerset County League Cup for Premier and Division 1 clubs but were then beaten 5-4 on penalties. There was little to choose between the two sides in a hard fought local derby.

Timsbury created the early chances with Matt Brooks heading wide from a Liam Craze corner and Chris Midgeley shooting just over with a fine effort. At the other end Zach Evans was wide with a speculative attempt for Clutton while Ellis Hancock shot past the post for the home side. The deadlock was broken on the half-hour when Brooks rose well to head home a Rhys Cook corner.

Clutton responded with Edward Stowell heading wide from a Steve Greenslade free-kick but Timsbury had the chances to double their advantage with Cook having an effort ruled out for off-side and Hancock heading a Jack Nix cross over the top. Adam Holcombe twice came close to grabbing the equalizer just before the interval but a crisp shot from distance drifted just wide and almost immediately a free-kick from the same player struck a post.

Just two minutes into the second half Clutton were level. A cross from George Perry was stabbed home by Stowell. A fine effort from Toby Neilson forced a good save from visiting keeper Steve Rogers while at the other end Tony Pow did well to cut out a dangerous cross from Ryan Saunders. Rogers denied Cook with a crucial save at the near post and also did well to hold a shot from substitute Lewis Bond-Kendall. Jordan Reeves had a late opportunity to win the game for the visitors but his goal bound effort was deflected for a corner and right on time home keeper Ashton Tucker saved from Holcombe.

Neither goalkeeper was given much chance with the penalties but Jesse Bishop was the unfortunate odd man out putting his shot over the bar.

Malcolm Tucker

A goal right on time from Dominic Barresi saw Timsbury Athletic through to the third round of the Somerset Senior Cup but last year’s semi-finalists made hard work of it. Saltford, who dominated the second half, will find the result hard to take. Timsbury, who led 1-0 at the interval, had wasted several opportunities to establish a more convincing half-time advantage but it was all Saltford in the second period against a strangely disjointed home outfit.

Tom Bennett had an early shooting chance for the visitors but put his effort wide while Ebner Heatley also missed the target for Timsbury. The breakthrough came after 12 minutes when Rhys Cook latched on to a long searching pass from Jesse Bishop and showed good skills to lob the advancing Saltford keeper Joe Stevens.

Home custodian Josh Wilcox, who performed well throughout the game, saved well from Sam Jones and then used his feet to keep out a shot from Sean Seaville. Cook was creating problems for the visitors’ defence and twice presented clear chances for Ellis Hancock but on both occasions the home skipper shot over. Elliott Jones twice tried his luck from distance for the visitors but his efforts were easily dealt with by Wilcox.

Early in the second half Heatley came close to doubling the home side’s advantage but thereafter it was all Saltford. With Bishop spending 10 minutes in the sin bin the visitors piled on the pressure and Wilcox again excelled with a smart save from an Elliott Jones free-kick. He later moved quickly to push a defected effort from Jones around the post.

Substitute Jake Webb made an immediate impact when he was introduced and after 75 minutes crossed for Aaron Messenger to clip home a deserved equalizer. Cook was looking increasingly isolated up front for the home side but continued to work hard. Just as penalties looked certain to decide the outcome Heatley made a decisive run down the left. His cross caused panic and after the bar had twice been hit Barresi struck home the winner.

Malcolm Tucker

A superb strike from Dan Hartley in the last minute robbed Timsbury Athletic of all three points in this entertaining Uhlsport Somerset County League Division One encounter but in truth it was no more than Uphill Castle deserved. It was a game befitting of two sides at the top end of the league table.

Timsbury made the perfect start when Ellis Hancock outjumped the visitors’ defence to head past Sam Beresford with just five minutes on the clock. At the other end Jack Scrivens saved well from Will Sneddon-Coombs but Rhys Cook then missed a great opportunity to double the home side’s advantage when he broke clear but lobbed wide with Beresford stranded.

Just two minutes later Uphill Castle were level when captain Jack Askins was first to meet a corner and headed home. A clever run from Chris Midgeley threatened the visitors’ defence but he was denied by a last ditch tackle. Uphill Castle could easily have taken the lead before the interval but first Dan Hartley rattled a post and then Aiden Mckenna hit the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Early in the second half Ben Harris was just too high with a great effort for the visitors while Hancock was wide  with a header from another Nix free-kick. It was Hancock who was soon to put Timsbury in front for the second time when he hit a fine shot from outside the box past Beresford after good work from Cook.

Hancock was to blot his copy book when he was sent to the sin bin but Timsbury survived the period of him off the field although Harris missed a great chance when he shot over. As Uphill pressed for equality Hartley was well wide from distance and Askins had a free-kick from a dangerous position blocked. It looked as though Timsbury would hold on before Hartley’s late stunner saw the points shared.

Man of the Match Dominic Baressi

Malcolm Tucker