The Players of GDCC

Mark ‘Ginger’ Childs (Grantham League Captain)
Right hand batsman, Wicketkeeper
Mark is among the most talented and consistent bats at Dalby. Technically sound and a good temperament makes Mark a vital cog in the machine. His keeping is always tidy and most importantly makes good use of his father’s umpiring decisions.
Ambition – To allow his dad to be his full time agent and biographer
Epitaph – “I’ve just got to go home for my tea”

Tom 'Mmm Bop' Hansen (Friendly Team Captain)
Right hand batsman, Right arm off spinner
Tom has come into the club and taken on the role of Friendly Team captain. Tom's bowling has provided on many occasions a much needed change in pace to the attack. An excellent fielder, and a willing batsman, although is in the mold of an early Village Idiot, where patience has passed him by like a ship in the night.
Ambition - To gain more caps than Fred.
Epitaph - Spin it to win it

Fred ‘The man in the brown suit’ Parker (Midweek Captain, Fixture Secretary)
Caps: 37,217
Right handed Batsman, Left arm (formerly) medium
In the Indian summer of his career Fred confounds the sceptics with seemingly countless displays of batting gallantry. Combining stoic defence, dashing stroke play and a bit of whining he emerges with a run-scoring formula. Can still roll the arm over when necessary.
Ambition – To finally find a buyer for the yellow Escort
Epitaph – “Well, we better have a look for that ball men”.

Melvyn ‘Moneybags’ Picker (Grantham League Vice Captain)
Right hand batsman, Wicketkeeper, but not a bowler
Melvyn has without doubt added stroke play, confidence and a little banter to the Dalby 1st XI. A belligerent batsman with good technique and a great eye. A cheeky-chirpy keeper and a useful backup bowler.
Ambition – To start a personal finance scheme with the money men of GDCC
Epitaph – “Its Melvin, not Mervin”

Andy ‘The Big Easy’ Cross (Friendly Vice-Captain)
Right hand batsman, Wicketkeeper
The old adage – ‘he gets down well for a big man’ applies to Crossy. An inspirational fielder and keeper who rarely puts a foot wrong. His batting is solid as a rock and has guided Dalby’s innings on many occasions, an invaluable performer.
Ambition – To see Kent achieve something, anything, please….
Epitaph – “I’ll play if you need me”

Billy ‘Billy Flop‘ Johnson
Right hand batsman
Billy has consistently been one of Dalby’s best batsmen, a number 3 who scores runs prolifically and quickly but has an Achilles heal of being caught at long-off (and eating too much tea). Bowling is of course underrated, but fielding/flopping, is on the wrong side of average.
Ambition – To write his own player profile
Epitaph – “Maybe just another mini roll…”

Ian ‘Harry Potter’ Perks
Right handed Batsman, Left arm medium pacers
Compact, solid and high pitched, Ian is a dependable opening bat and occasional lynch pin…. An occasional left arm bowler and reliable catcher when height allows. Earn't the nickname 'Harry Potter' due to some excellent specs once seen at Dalby, but have since been discarded to the boundary.
Ambition – A Harrow bat with a mini handle
Epitaph – “Proudly sponsored by Talent Sports”

Nick ‘Village Idiot’ Mace
Right hand batsman, Right arm fast
The heir apparent to the Houghton crown. A rapid bowler maturing into a genuine wicket taker. A few more power shandy’s to bulk up the spindly frame and we will have quite a player. Potentially a fine middle order bat but patience seems to have passed him by like a ship in the night.
Ambition – To release a depth charge and simultaneously open a can of wuup ass.
Epitaph – “Two closed gates are worth a cow in a bush”

Gez ‘Magnum P.I’ Moore
Right arm swing
The most prolific swinger since Elvis Presley, Gez provides much needed variety in the pace attack with a mixture of swing, seam and pace often too good to catch the outside edge. A reliable performer and much improved clubber.
Ambition – To buy the car to match the glasses.
Epitaph – “You’ve got to swing it, to win it”

John ‘Groucho’ Mace (Club Chairman and supplier of chairmans chips)
Right arm medium
A useful pace change bowler, John provides guile and caddishness to the Dalby attack and often roots out wickets at priceless times. This was proved as John took home the bowling prize for 2002 (lowest average). A gutsy lower middle order batsman who plays with purpose and always brings the best out of his partner.
Ambition – To float GDCC on the Stock Exchange
Epitaph – “Here lies the broken and penniless Chairman of the Bank of Mace”

Neil ‘Gower’ Gildove
Right hand batsman
Gower has emerged from the Sunday friendly side as a talented youngster with a good future at Dalby. Sprightly in the field and gutsy at the crease, Neil confirmed his 1st XI arrival with a match-winning knock against Pedigree in 2001 and some sensible cricket last term.
Ambition – To become left handed
Epitaph – “Here lies D.I.Gower”

Nathan 'Run like the wind' Picker
Right hand batsman, Right arm swing bowler
Nathan has emerged into the Dalby team and is now a regular bowler in the Friendly team. Nathan has a very good arm and is a natural swing bowler. The future is bright for this one. All that remains for Nathan is to conquer the art of fielding. This is something that will come with time, but in the short term, Nathan will just have to earn a few 'badges'.
Ambition – To go six months without getting another ASBO.
Epitaph – "They're not canoe's they're my shoes"

Jamie ‘ASBO’ Picker
Left arm medium, left hand batsman
Jamie is part of the youth development squad from Dalby. A young consistent bowler, that many a batsman has come unstuck against. Jamie is a solid fielder, and a developing batsman. Jamie is currently studying at ASBO college, where he is being taught practical skills.
Ambition – To become the quickest bowler in Dalby history.
Epitaph – “See, they do teach you things as ASBO college…”

Simon 'Knotty' Knott
Right hand batsman, wicketkeeper
Knotty has found a home at Dalby, especially behind the stumps, where he excels mostly because he doesn't have to run. Knotty has become the number 1 'keeper in the club, and is always a reliable man to have on your team. A quality batsman who will build an innings and not give up his wicket without a fight (unless the tea bell rings!).
Ambition - To loose more weight than Houghton.
Epitaph -

Alan ‘The Bomb Dropper’ Burdett
Right arm bomb dropper
Alan is a mainstay of the Sunday Friendly side and a regular wicket taker with the patent pending bouncing bombs. A little chipper of a batsman and a quite extraordinary fielder who prefers to sacrifice his shins to stop the ball rather than ruin his craftsmen’s hands, a painful sight for his team-mates.
Ambition – To play more Grantham League games than Derek
Epitaph – “That came down with snow on…”

James ‘Daisy’ Mann
Cack handed batsman, occasional fielder
What can be said about Manny that has not already been said? Impeccable time keeping, stunning fielding, dashing strokeplay and an unfailing commitment to the club. Well, none of the above really. However with regular cricket Jim Bob could show some real form
Ambition – Demolition Derby
Epitaph – “Sorry, I’ve got a young farmers barbeque’

Myles ‘The Dentist’ Wilcox-Smith
Right hand digger, Right arm scary
Having recently returned from a long injury lay-off Myles has emerged as a very useful all-rounder. A keen eye with the bat, often chipping in with valuable runs. A bullet like, if a little wayward throwing arm and solid catching. It is with the ball where most improvements have come, he is fast, and apart from the odd ‘gullet ball’, pretty accurate.
Ambition – To convert pre-match clothing to brogues, chinos, checked shirt, blazer and cravat.
Epitaph – “To do without style, is not to do it at all”.

Andy ‘Where are we playing?’ Tildesley
Right hand batsman, right arm medium-fast
Another newcomer for the 2002 season, Andy has bolstered the Burrough League side with positive batting, wicket taking bowling and great catching. We only wish he wore the trousers in the marriage.
Ambition – Unfortunately, NOT to play in the Grantham League.
Epitaph – “Bill, I’m actually a batsman not a bowler”.

Craig ‘Middle’ Mace
Right hand batsman and E-technician
After a promising start to his Dalby career, Craig’s form dipped a little. However the 2002 season saw a welcome return to run scoring. Now the Friendly team captain, Craig has brought a tougher edge to the Sunday team, who will now try and win a few games. A formidable fieldsmen and faultless catcher, but bowls as straight as a Welsh B-road.
Ambition – To never win the duck cup again
Epitaph – “It was always a mystery to me”

Colin ‘Greengrass’ Plummer
Right hand batsman / human screwdriver
Colin has been a Dalby icon for years. In his heyday a dashing strokemaker, however now more of a coughing spitmaker. He is a Sunday regular and still a real competitor.
Ambition – To roll back the years and recreate the ‘the faster it comes the faster goes’ style of batting.
Epitaph – “What are all these bloody suitcases doing in here?”

Patrick ‘Ted’ Tagg
Right hand batsman, Wicketkeeper
Pat has started playing again this year and has been a useful performer. A batsman who if in, usually scores at a good lick, and can also keep wicket to a pretty high standard, even if the gloves are ‘not like they used to be, stuffed with horse hair’.
Ambition – To play as well as he dives
Epitaph – “Where shall I put my toolbelt?”

Dave ‘Grogy’ Grogan
Right hand batsman, Right arm medium
Dave is a regular player for the Sunday side. A bowler with natural line and length, with the occasional surprise leg side half volley.... that is a surprise for the person standing at Square Leg! Dave is an excellent fielder and never afraid to show off his football talents when the ball comes at him. ’
Ambition – To do the double, score a hatrick at football and take 5 wickets when bowling all in one day.
Epitaph – “If there's no footy on, count me in ”

John ‘JB’ Bartley
Right arm medium
Last season saw the return of the finest strike bowler since Fred Trueman (apart from against Uppingham), batting is on the same level as Houghton’s…. over rated. Also has a longer sickness record than Michael Vaughan.
Ambition – To bowl at grown ups
Epitaph – “Right chaps, the ego has landed”

Lou ‘The Mole Catcher’ Catling (Head Groundsman)
Left arm slow, right handed sink smasher
Lou has popped out from behind the umpire to surprise batsmen on many occasions, his slow, drifting teasers have fooled all but the best, but the grunt is by far the most potent weapon. Batting has been refined to the one strike and you’re out philosophy.
Ambition – To join the village people
Epitaph – “Catling 2, Moles 1”

Richard ‘Stumpy’ Cowan
Left hand slasher, left arm dobber
Rich is the heart beat of a team. A man never afraid to back down from a challenge. His enthusiasm for the game is second to none. Unfortunately this is often his downfall, especially in the fielding department. A man always happy to put his body on the line, but occasionally, needs to keep his eye on the ball to stop having to put his body on the line. A slasher of a batsman in the middle order.
Ambition – To set up permanent residence in the Sobers Hall, Trent Bridge
Epitaph – “COME ON!!!!!!!”

Lee ‘in the Picklebarrel’ Jamieson
Right hand twonker, Wicketkeeper
The ‘vote Jamieson’ campaign is over, all must unite behind the fearless leader. Lee is an ebullient character and a devastating hitter, solid behind the stumps but not afraid to take a (whale) dive for the team
Ambition – To convince Myles that he and Sophie just hold hands
Epitaph – “Do you want me to go out for a twonk?”

Duncan ‘I’ve got a brand new combine harvester’ Hazard
Left arm chinamen, Right hand bat
Dunc is a talented cricketer who could really blossom if he played more regularly. A quality batsman who has all the shots and bowler that asks real questions….like, how do you bowl?
Ambition – To play cricket in August
Epitaph – “Can’t mate, combining”