Teams : Preston Village Cricket Club

Teams : Preston Village Cricket Club

1st XI

Captain : Dougie Russell

Broke the club record fee when signing in the winter of 05/06 – with an astonishing 9 pints and 2 fish suppers – Ok in true PVCC tradition he had to buy the lot himself but if nothing else it taught him the ethos of the club.

A dodgy slogger of limited ability he has hit the ground running (perhaps just hit the gound as he has Russell knees) and has scored a few runs already. Add the fact that he’s a useful tweaker and is not the worst fielder we ever seen (too much competition) and you see that he could seriously threaten the previous all rounder records set by Boycs Davie and Raps.

The Bald Eagle tag came for the obvious reason that he has no hair and lives at altitude in Belterland.

Vice Captain :

Players

Graeme Barrie

The force is strong in this young all rounder but unfortunately the bones aren't. Graeme has the weakest, Knees/shoulders/ankles in the world. Famously pulled a hamstring and missed a match whilst picking up a stapler in his office. Extremely useful swing bowler (he swings it both ways) and a future high scoring opening batsman if we can keep him fit.

Graeme is the club treasurer and has in Shylock mode re-modelled the club finances in the aftermath of the Black era of excess drinking. Has been roundly abused ever since, but financially the club is now in secure and sensible hands.

His likeness to Yoda led to the nickname although in fairness he is taller if not as talented as the Star Wars Character

Kenny Black

A Preston Village legend, Black famously captained the club from 1993 until 1999 guiding them from grades into the main East League. A useful left handed bat and cunning spinner Black has consistently performed admirably both on and off the field, and was the second player in the club to reach 100 appearances. He continues to star in the first whilst now modelling an interesting pair of hernia protection whites.

Blacks captaincy was famous for the ability of the club to lose score books generally in Peebles which somehow was always the tour match for the Village People.

Mike Brunton

Signed in the 2006 season the Mike also enjoyed a great deal of success in 2007, in short he’s a quality all rounder and unusually for the people a more than reasonable fielder.

We can also forgive his close season playing of badminton as apparently it helps the hand eye coordination which is a reasonably logical excuse, reminiscent of the sort of comments we used to get from David Gow aka the bus spotter.

The dresser when on form with the bat is all over bowlers like a cheap suit.

Jason Davie

The "Village People's" most successful cricketer ever. Opening bowler and batsmen, Jason was the first player to score 1000 runs for the people, and still figures highly in all of the club records. Famously missed out in the 1994 match against the "Blind Nuns" XI where his contribution to the club record 318 for 2, was 4 runs. Obi-wan still talks him through his dismissal at every opportunity.

Now plying his trade in Kent, on proper wickets, his last appearance for us at Drummond was a first ball duck.

Davie is one of only a few batsmen in the world who could claim that they have lapped their batting partner running either a single or for two. To be far the times he lapped his partner he was batting with Mano.

Chris Dixon

Younger brother and total antipathy of the Organiser, so laid back off the field that he would be asleep if he were any more cool about life.

Promising all rounder, fast bowler, extremely hard hitting batsman and a very good fielder, in short he's a multi-talent pain. Chris also plays the bagpipes, has a clutch of academic qualifications and despite playing for an obscure club has managed to get into the Scottish Under-18 Rugby squad.

Like Stephen will be a valued member of the club for years to come.

Stephen Dixon

One of the growing band of youngsters who moved into the first XI in 2004. Captained the 2nd XI in 2003 and was famous for having his team picked 2 weeks before the match and his mid-winter reconnaissance of the rival wickets to ensure he was aware of the prevailing wind, grass types etc. Has trouble contacting oppositions with unobtainable numbers and has to ask fellows to try the number, just in case.

The Organiser was the club captain in 2005 and it was interesting to say the least to see how some of the more experienced (older) players reacted to being organised.

He is known as the grass cutter by some due to the way he signals a boundary. His hand starts at shoulder height and ends in the grass. Developing into a promising opening batsman the Organiser will be an integral part of the Village set up for years to come.

Alistair Dobie

The club "Ginger", (every club should have one), wicket-keeper, and opening batsman. Alistair was captain of the club for 4 seasons from 1999 including the victorious Division 5 winning team in 2002. He was also the first player in history to play 100 games for the Village People.

His main claim to fame with the bat was establishing his record of being the first opening batsmen in the clubs history to carry his bat in infamous game at Kirkbrae where Alistair was 77 not out as no other batsman made double figures. Guz has still to forgive him for running him out to ensure that the record was achieved.

His habit of taking his wicket keeping gloves on holiday is legendary although quite what he did with them in Mexico is a question best not asked.

Nick Grainger

Luckily for Fred he simply turned up for the training rather than being head hunted ala Dougie and there by saving himself a fortune in terms of the signing on fee.

A talented all rounder from Yorkshire the nick name was fairly obvious even though he is somewhat shorter that the legendary Fred and doesn’t smoke a pipe. However he is a better bat.

Has already produced some astonishing all round performances not least in his trip to Oslo although the nature of this web-site no more details can be given on that event.

Will without doubt rival Rapley as the most talented all rounder in club history and will score tones of runs and take lots of wickets for the club.

David King

David was the club captain for season 2004, as well as being the last remaining Musselburgh member of the new romantics revolution of the late 1970's and early 80's. A classical right-handed batsman who since arriving at the club in 1999 has been consistently one of the top batsmen in the club.

Known as lucky since the start of his captaincy saw a injury list to rival the average British Lions tour casualty list.

Mark May

Another new signing for 2006, a middle order batsman and specialist slip field who has already shown his class with some important innings and some excellent catches.

Has yet to really disgrace himself in a club situation and earn a nickname so we’ve settled for Elton on the basis that he supports Watford , and has a not dissimilar hair style, OK he can’t sing but then again singing never been a requirement for a member of the Village People .

Should prove to be an astute signing for the People

Scott McMillan

Half of the opening partnership with "The Wright Stuff", that saw The Village to the Division 5 Championship in 2002 during which "Macca" won the bowling award with 28 Wickets. He added the the Division 4 award in the promotion season of 2007 narrowly beating "The Wright Stuff" to the title.

This "honest lad" is well known for liking people from Musselburgh rugby and has earned other tags like "Baloo" , landed at Townhill when the comment was made that the sight of himself and "The Wright Stuff" strolling around the boundary in a setting sun was similar to the last scene in Jungle Book.

Mainly a bowler "Macca" has helped spearheaded the opening attack for several years whilst his rumbustious batting has on occasions won games for the Village People.

"Macca" gets the name from a past Kiwi member of the club, Aaron Buckley, who noted that he shared the surname with N.Z. allrounder Craig "Macca" McMillan...... a point not lost on Scott who, while touring N.Z. explained to the ladies there, that he was in fact visiting his cousin CRAIG...... as good an intro as you need ;o)

Tariq Nazir

A wily spinner who gained his tag from young Shiraz’s comment that he’s a real Tandora’s box of tricks when bowling. Seems a classical education hasn’t been totally wasted on Shiraz.

As well as being a brilliant spinner Tariq is a hard hitting lower order batsman and a superb fielder, and his signing in the 2007 season was a critical to the clubs Championship win.

Wirth strong connections to Surrey (he can be forgiven for that) and a thriving cricket business Tandora will undoubtedly be a major influence in the next few years as the club moves upwards

Craig Patterson

Young fast bowler who could develop into an all-rounder. Has managed to overcome the handicap of having Obi-Wan as a father although questions must be asked about the validity of that fact. Patte is tall,fit,athletic and has good hands exactly what Obi-wan lacks.

Like the Dixons represents the future of the club and will develop into a major player for the club in future seasons.

Ian Patterson

The force is definitely weakening with this veteran who became the third player to make 100 appearances for the club in 2003. Holds the clubs batting record for the highest individual score when he took 180 off the Blind Nuns XI in 1994, although in fairness Mother Superior did get Jason “Boycott” Davie out for 4 in that match. Never ever lets anyone forget the feat, so this is a health warning for anyone joining the club don't ask about records.

Famous for his tantrums when given out, has been known to hang around the crease organising a petition against the umpire when adjudged LBW. Somehow managed to play league rugby from 1974 to 2002 without finding a settled position.He has adopted this approach in cricket with a strategy of moving from position to position which has worked as nobody is really sure where he should play or is old enough to work out where he started..

Shabaz Ramzan

Crashed into PVCC in 2004 when he suddenly made himself available. A useful hard hitting right hand bat and a more than useful medium fast opening bowler Shaz provides a useful opening bowling option for captains at PVCC for years to come.
Also the brother of Pluto but only owns up to the fact under severe provocation.

Famously took 5 for 37 at Westquarter in 2005 only to find that Face in the Crowd had drunkenly sent the papers the previous years match report fuelling speculation that Obi-Wan who had scored bugger all in the 2005 match but a 50 in the reported match had
bribed or had some undue influence on the scribe.

Known as SESCO as a result of his burgeoning retail organisation, which threatens to be a major sponsor for the club in future seasons

Shiraz Ramzan

A promising all rounder who at 16 years of age has already made himself fundamental to the future development of the club. Medium paced swing bowler who will become a fast bowler when the rest of his body catches up with his feet. A technically secure batsman who will in the future score a shed load of runs for the club.

Earned his nickname of Pluto during a wet, early season game when the slap of his feet covering the wet outfield negated the need or any call to near-by fielders.

Once he fills out this editor will certainly not be facing him after the feet comment as he’s going to be a seriously fast bowler.

Scott Russell

Crazy Horse was one of the major signings during the winter of 2004 specifically bought in to secure a middle order that traditionally had been roughly as secure as a house of cards in a storm. His captaincy in 2006 and 2007 saw the club win the President's Trophy and the Division 4 championship which makes him the most successful captain in the club's history.

A stylish right handed bat, a useful slow bowler and a safe fielder Crazy Horse also has an astute cricketing brain (which makes 2 in the squad). He gives his captain a wealth of experience to draw on as well as completing his main job of scoring runs in the middle order with what for the Village People is monotonous almost boring regularity.

Earned the name Crazy Horse when he produced an astonishing complex support for his wounded knee. He then followed his comment of having to watch the old injury by charging around the field like a demented full back who had been nut megged by a
winger. You can therefore take your choice as to the origin of the nickname either the 19th century emphasis or the late 20th century football analogy

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Andrew Sibley

Secured his nick with an amazing back heel into his own stumps which was truly impressive or would have been if he’d been on a football pitch.

A useful right handed middle order batsman Ronaldo was secured from Bass Rock in 2005 and he has already shown the reasons for his signing with some impressive innings for the club including memorably a cameo appearance for the 2nd XI when he crashed 86 before being run out controversially by Trav . Trav’s comments that he had failed to ground his bat seemed a little unnecessary as he was past the slip cordon when the wicket was broken.

Ryan Skelton

A major signing during the winter of 2004/05 a genuine fast bowler who is also a hard hitting middle order batsman who along with Crazy Horse has ensured that the Village People’s middle order has more depth than ever.

Previously played for Penrith in the north of England and has even been forgiven for being a Blackburn supporter but given his express bowling for many of the more experienced (older) players the nickname Von was established although if had he been the one doing the running he would have caught the train.

Could seriously threaten Davie as the best all rounder ever to play for the club.

Derek Wright

Once the clubs record signing, snared by Kenny Black during the winter 2000/01 and signed for a then club record fee of 7 pints of larger and a fish supper. In true Village People fashion he is still waiting for payment . One lesson he quickly learnt was that when Black offers pints and food its Black who drinks and eats.

"The "Wright Stuff" is particularly popular with Patterson as he is slightly older, he is also more than slightly better and he has topped the league bowling averages on 2 occasions, and on another finished 2nd behind his opening partner McMillan. This opening bowler combination was initially tagged as the odd couple but famously became Baloo and Bagheera after a match at Townhill in 2001

Performance history

Season	Matches	Won	Drawn	Tied	Lost	Cancelled	Abandoned
2006	25	18	0	1	6	0	0
2005	19	7	0	1	10	0	1
2004	14	2	0	0	12	0	0
2003	13	4	0	0	7	0	2
2002	12	8	2	0	2	0	0
2001	14	7	1	0	6	0	0
2000	18	5	1	0	10	0	2
1999	14	5	0	0	9	0	0
1998	8	1	2	0	5	0	0
1994	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
2007	26	13	0	0	4	4	5
2008	5	1	0	0	2	2	0
all	169	71	7	2	73	6	10