Who is your Player of the year for 2023?

What Moment from the 2023 season deserved Champagne? Vote below…

Because, let’s be honest, we all know what will win ChamMo this year, the Awards Committee have decided two have an unprecedented TWO moments for 2022 – a playing moment and an AOB moment…

Here is the list of Champagne Moment nominations as taken from match reports. Add your further nominations below and voting will take place soon…

Afzal arriving during the 15th over, taking a wicket with the first ball of the 16^th vs Knowle Away 9^th June

The pavilion cheering the Ten Up in the 4th over vs Knowle Away 9^th June

Galpin running to the batter’s end, turning back to run two for no score vs Shirley Away 15^th June

Meering’s hard low four vs Shirley Away 15^th June

Galpin’s first over maiden vs Shirley Away 15^th June

Lowe going to the middle for the toss without a coin vs NOC Away 22^nd June

Grimes retires on 25 including six fours vs NOC Away 22^nd June

Wythe 3-16 including 2 in 2 balls vs NOC Away 22^nd June

Two parent/child pairings in the Blades side vs Brookfield Away 20^th July

Patel returning to Blades action vs Brookfield Away 20^th July

Adamson F taking a catch on his debut vs Brookfield Away 20^th July

Lowe calling “see out the over” before a hat-trick vs Knowle Away 11^th August

Grimes 28* two catches and a stumping vs Knowle Away 11^th August

Tubb’s wicket maiden vs Knowle Away 11^th August

Terry appearing on TV and “signalling” four at the Bowl 2nd Sept

So that’s another season under the Blades belt. And now all eyes turn to awards, curry and beer.
We have been collecting potential Champagne Moments throughout the summer and there is a list of them below. Please feel free to add your own nominaton in the comments below and I will then arrange a poll.
NOTE – don’t vote here, ths is just for nominations!

The list so far:

25th May 2021 – Crawley AWAY:
Marsh direct hit run out
Whythe on a hat trick in the last over
Reiss of Crawley surviving one delivery then hammering the next

2nd June 2021 – NOC AWAY:
K-Dog taking Twitter shade from GT
K-Pup’s debut wicket
Hurst and Marsh partnership
The Lordswood youth and the mystery of “who pushed Emily”

9th June 2021 – Deportivo HOME:
Meering’s big four to close the Blades innings
Farmer’s catch so low down that worms were ducking
Kumar’s 1-1 reply to the 16 off him in the previous over
Hall’s debut 17 with the bat / 2-12 with the ball combo

16th June 2021 – Shirley AWAY:
Humphrey’s 37 not out
nothing else this week came close

23rd June 2021 – Knowle Village AWAY:
Hall’s 27 not out in difficult circumstances
Andy ‘Safe Hands’ Lowe shelling pea
Harry Fay’s soothsaysong prediction

27th July 2021 – Brookfield AWAY:
Grimes hits three fours in the eighth
K-Pup’s respectable 0-6 with the ball
Grimes 25 not out

11th August 2021 – Quilter HOME:
Hurst’s 29 not out
Meering fixing his own dislocated finger and going back out to field on the boundary

ADD YOUR OWN SUGGESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW…

My fellow Albanians

Yes, you read that right, there are now THREE more chances to don the baggy blue this summer:

Wed 2nd Jun vs NOC @ The Sporty

Wed 9th Jun vs Knowle Village (venue tbc)

Wed 2nd Jun vs NOC @ The Sporty

Click on each fixture above to register, or click HERE to go to the full fixture list and register for every game this season. You will also* be entered into our mega-draw where you could win one of these amazing prizes:

A popadom of your choice at the end of season curry
A mention in a match report
A chance to keep wicket for a over
One million pounds in cash**
An all-expenses-paid trip to Tirana***

#ALMFB, MFs

* probably
** you won’t win this
*** or this

My fellow Albanians

Thanks to the excellent and dedicated work of our beloved HOFF Emma, we have a(n almost full) list of fixtures for this Summer and we all hope that weather and pandemics permitting we will be able to get back to cricketing some cricket in 2021.

Of course the other variable is sufficient Blade sign-up, so let’s make sure we give the selection committee a headache every week by all registering for as many games as possible. Of course if you don’t play one week then there is always space on the North Stand for the travelling army. Let’s face it, the more people that can remind Ade not to leave the flag behind the better.

Click HERE for the full fixture list, and get your names down!

#ALB