Wokingham CC prepare for debut at new groundBy Adam Lee
May 17, 2012
Wokingham Cricket Club will write a new chapter in their history, weather permitting, when the 1st team takes to the field in a competitive match at their new ground for the first time on Saturday.
Having left Wellington Road, the club’s home for 125 years, in 2011, Wokingham moved into a brand new multi-million pound ground at Sadler’s End in Sindlesham.
With excellent training facilities, a huge pavilion and two excellent pitches, Wokingham have set their sights on boasting the No.1 cricket ground in Berkshire.
And with the club’s infrastructure in place, Wokingham are also making waves on the pitch as well, having edged their Thames Valley Cricket League Division 1 season opener with Finchampstead on Saturday.
The Oaks set their local rivals a hefty target of 224, but Finches held on at 187-7 to earn a losing draw.
And captain Dan Reddyhough’s men will be aiming to maintain that good form when they christen the new ground against Basingstoke and North Hants.
Basingstoke lost their opening game to Reading at the weekend, falling to an eight-wicket defeat, and Wokingham will be looking to pile on the misery this week.
However, Reddyhough admits that the wicket will take some bedding in over the course of the summer.
A new wicket can prove rather unpredictable, making it something of an unknown quantity for both Wokingham and any visitors.
However, during an interclub match last month, Wokingham's players did get the chance to try it out, and will need to use that experience to their advantage on Saturday when the game begins at 1pm.
“We are very keen to get out and play on the new pitch and the one game that we did have on it, it actually played okay,” said Reddyhough.
“It will take some bedding in, but it’s as new to us as it will be to the opposition so it will be an even playing field.
“From what we have already seen, we can tell that it’s not going to be an overly lively deck, but we just have to get on there and see how it plays.”