TCA Indoor Season Review

Well, well, well another indoor cricket season for our representative teams had come to a close but what an amazing season it has been. Starting off with 6 of our players from last season and 3 of our coaches taking on the world in the Junior World Series with Ed Wackrill's 13&U Bringing home 4th place as well as Matt Dawson led and Assisted by Jordan Croft 15&U side also getting 4th with all of Sam Staley, Kodi Sutcliffe and Edward Dickinson playing crucial roles throughout the tournament. And how could we forgot Isaac Thompson and Jacob Stephens winning the Shield with the 17&U side.

Then we move onto the main bulk of the season. Where do we start. Running our first intense indoor cricket specific programme, for all of our representative team players from the start of October to Christmas played a pivotal role in developing our players throughout the winter.

Then we have fielded a side in ever age group at National Invitationals including our first ever 19&U and Men's side. As well as our constant participation in Derby Competitions at u12s, u14s and u16s.

But as a quick overview this winter we have:

3 x National Invitational Titles

6 x Runners Ups at National Invitationals

1 x Third Place at National Invitationals

3 x Derby League Titles

Starting off with our 11&U side. The very first National Invitational for them ended up in a trophy with them not losing a game and only dropping 3 skins.

The Team was:

Teddy Daly (Tournament MVP)

Tommy Kipping

Max Bhasin

Ryley Coates

Oli Staley

Harrison Turner

Dexter Issot

Archie Hazleton

And then at there second National invitational of the year they finished level on points with Midlands Wildcats but only ended up getting runners up as they lost the head to head clash. The third Invitational started strong beating YNS development convincingly in our first game then in our second game our standards dropped slightly in the field and

we left ourselves a big chase of 91 against Cobras Girls and we managed to get ourselves other the line. But in the end Cobras Boys too much of a challenge for us as they outclassed us in the field and defended 68 to put TCA into another second place finish.

Now onto the u12s at Derby. Competing up an age group in u14s div 2 and wow did they compete. Going through the season sat constantly in second place in touching distance of first and then in the final round of fixtures they best top and won the trophy completing 'the Derby treble' for TCA. Then our 13&U National Invitational side. They begin with a shaky start to the year only taking 3rd place at the first National Invitation but after a few training sessions and improvement to all squad members saw them bounce back and pick up 2nd in the second national Invitational losing out to a strong Derby Cobras side including TCA fielding some players from the age group below. In The third Invitational TCA took a strong 13&U side including 2 of our younger 11&U cohort and in there first 2 Matches they won them both convincing and then a little slip up losing against Cobras Boys didn't stop they energy and intensity and then they went on to beat the same Cobras Boys team by 10 runs in final.

The Team was:

Ed Hazleton (Cpt)

Oli Staley (Wk)

Max Bhasin

Milo Robbins

Luke Hall

Jack Gibson

Harry Pryce

Haider Saiid

Now the u14s coming into the season unknown with a lot of new players but they all responded to the training put on and improved massively and this has ended up in us winning the u14s div 1 by a fair distance with ever player playing a key role in the success throughout the campaign.

The 15&U team now and with a lot of experience at a good level, high levels were expected and throughout the first National Invitational these were maintained cruising through the group without a slip up to qualify for the final against Midland Wildcats... Captain Sam Staley lost the toss and we got asked to Field but we got the advantage of bowling with a new ball and throughout the first 3 skins TCA were on top but them unfortunately a freak accident resulting in Kodi Sutcliffe getting hit in the eye and taken off the pitch resulted in a change in momentum and ended up with TCA finishing runners up. And then the second national Invitational followed a similar script with TCA again finishing runners up to Midlands Wildcats. With the third and final national Invitational comp we fielded a slightly more developmental side due to exams for some of our older and more experienced players. We lost the first game against King Cobras but then due to the 2 Cobras teams we bounce back to beat the other Cobras team and win the comp by 1 point to King Cobras after beating Highgate and Southern Sharks without dropping a skin.

The Team was:

Charlie Palmer

Dan Cutts

Eddie Fordham

Ed Wackrill

Jackson Bentley

Rupert Hallows

Jack Gibson

Edward Hazleton

Ariz Saiid

The fourth Invitational again was another tight scrap with King Cobras but in the end across the double round Robin they proved too strong edging us both times leaving us finishing Second Place ahead of Cobra Kai

Now the u16s being put into u16s div 2 at the start of the season and ended up showing our class at this age group by winning the league by a big amount with some amazing moments including winning a skin off the last ball against second place Swarkstone with a flick to tops by Sam Staley and then Dan Cutts (new signing in the summer) taking a worldie of a catch to ensure a full points win against Brailsford and then u14 Jack Gibson in his first season of indoor cricket taking a Hat Trick also against Brailsford!

Then our first ever 19&U side played in one national Invitational this year and it started off playing pre comp favourites Jamia and getting beat. But throughout the tournament improvements made not losing again in the group and we met Jamia again in the final we bowl first and get off to a good start in the field with a low first skin but they build to

get over a hundred. We then fight back with Sam Staley and Will James putting on 30 in the Opening skin but then Jamia showed there class in the middle but Jacob Stephens and Isaac Thompson dragged us within 30 runs of victory with a classy 40 skin but it was only good enough for runners up.

Finally the Men's team. Our first time ever entering Men's National League and it started well a young and inexperienced team at that level beat the War Pat Mavericks team in there first ever game with Matt Dawson and Jordan Crofts experience followed up by Sam Staley, Edward Dickinson, Kodi Sutcliffe, Issac Thompson, Jacob Stephens and Alfie Kelly's skill proving enough to win. It then got harder with us picking up 3 points against Jamia Dev but ended up losing and then taking a skin off former National Champs Southern Sharks. The

second day was tougher with a few different players playing due to last minute injury and unavaibility we struggled losing every game but lots of areas to improve and develop for this young team. On the third day we get back towards full strength and played a decent game against a stacked Southern Sharks team with multiple England Men's players

but they proved too strong for our young side. But second game we play War Pat Mavericks and after a 28 closing skin from 16 year old Sam Staley and debutant lain Charles- Jones we left ourselves 68 to defend and going into the last 2 balls after some good Fielding and strong bowling War Pat needed 4 to win where Alfie Kelly then holds his nerve to take a good catch off the net to clutch the game for us. The final weekend we were weaker again and this showed as we got beat convincing by Jamia Masters only picking up a single skin defending 70 then got smashed by national champs Jamia but with a positive being we nearly picked up a point losing a skin by a run. Overall for our Men's team it was a developmental year but hopefully our young players keep improving and we get stronger and stronger In the coming years.

Finally with England EPP selections around the corner we are proud to say we have had 34 players selected in Super League, which is a great achievement!

These are:

Robson Wimpenny

Salmon Akhlag

Raafe Raja

Ryley Coates

Dexter Issott

Oli Staley

Harrison Turner

Max Bhasin

Thomas Ingram

Kian White

Tommy Kipping

Teddy Daly

Kasra Taklimi

Jack Gibson

Edward Hazelton

Harry Pryce

Jackson Bentley

Rupert Hallows

Milo Robbins

 Haider Said

Luke Hall

Eduardo Wackrill

Daniel Cutts

Charlie Palmer

Hari Bhasin

Ariz Saiid

Kodi Sutcliffe

Edward Fordham

Sam Staley

Edward Dickinson

Woody Webster

Jacob Stephens

Isaac Thompson

Oliver Henderson

That's it for 2023/2024 season let's hope 2024/2025 is even better and that we have tons of players making the Emerging Player Program with an eye of more national selections in the coming years...