Junior Awards 2025

The sun has gone but the Cricket carries on at the Junior awards night. Despite the autumnal weather conditions, players and supporters gathered at the club on Friday 12th September to celebrate another successful Junior season at Thame Town CC – ‘The Home of Oxfordshire Cricket’.

The turnout was impressive, even by my standards, with a steady flow of parents and friends making the most of the club bar prices and the kids queuing excitedly anticipating the delights of a Javery BBQ! (thanks to Justin, Laura and Darcy).

Ordinarily, we would hold the event outside, but due to the weather conditions an executive decision was made to host the ceremony upstairs in the Pavilion. Such is the size of the junior section, now 150 members (U9s to U17s Boys & Girls – excludes All Stars /Dynamos) we split the event into two sessions. A total of 30 trophies were awarded. Thanks to Lucy for taking the trophy winner photos.

The first floor was buzzing with excitement and that was just the Mums at the back of the room having a natter, whilst the kids sat quietly hanging on every word of their team manager, just as they do during their coaching sessions!

Kicking off the first session with the Girls U9s & U13s and Boys U9s & U11s presented by Andy Hobbs, Steve Shaw and Justin Avery, who provided a summary of the season with stats, highs and lows and champagne moments along the way. This followed by the second sessions led by James Tilley and Nick Fuller who presented awards for the U13, U15s and U17s.

The trophies, were presented to the kids alongside our principal sponsor for the event, Kubota.

We would like to this opportunity to once again give big thanks to Kubota for sponsoring the event and for everything they and all of our other sponsors do to support the club, it is much appreciated.

U9 Boys

Steve Shaw – U9’s Team Manager

Season Summary

A fantastic season built on the foundations of fun and respect. The fundamental asks of the boys being to enjoy their cricket, and to be respectful throughout (towards each other, their coaches, opposition, equipment, etc.). Every single one of them has been a pleasure to coach and credit to the club, showing real potential and improvement across the season.

  • Squad of 20 boys across 12 league games
  • Fantastic availability and commitment to matches
  • ‘Selection’ balanced across the entire squad
  • ADCML U9 Playing record = Won 6, Lost 6
  • League position = 4th
  • Highlights –
      • James C 30* vs. Bledlow
      • Jack M + Stan R brilliant catches vs. Chearsley
      • Oliver F bowling vs. Dinton
      • Rory S & Oscar H last wicket partnership vs. MP
      • Finley Y, Thomas H, Miro J & Archie H, all round enthusiasm & more than holding their own with the year above boys!
      • Max W supporting his team (and trying to play) with broken finger!
      • New additions – Cooper, Ollie, Luca, Jack
      • Finding someone to lead the team next year… Tom Y 😉

Awards

  • Players’ Player of the Year – James Constant
    • Chosen by the players’ themselves. Brilliant recognition of James’ cricketing ability (with bat, ball and in the field) but equally of how he has really developed his cricket ‘maturity’ this season as a team-mate and in supporting others, as well as handling any setbacks and continually seeking to learn and improve.
  • Match Player of the Year – Rory Shaw
    • Based on a combination of batting and bowling stats from across all our league matches this season. Rory scored 113 runs (only player to score 100+) and took 4 wickets, performing consistently strongly across matches.
RUNS WICKETS POY Points*
Rory Shaw 113 4 193
Albie Bloomfield 81 5 181
Finley Youens 56 6 176
Oscar Harold 65 5 165
Max Weller 39 6 159
Thomas Hart 52 4 132
James Constant 78 2 118
Cooper Veasey-Mackenzie 28 4 108
Jack Markham 25 4 105
Stanley Quin 13 3 73
Leo Idle 47 1 67
Louis Long 27 2 67
Oliver Field 23 2 63
Archie Higgs 21 2 61
Miro Jones 20 2 60
Ollie Penny 20 1 40
Jack Doig 19 1 39
Luca Costello 13 0 13
*Runs scored + 20pts per wicket
  • Rising Star – Finley Youens
    • Presented to the then Yr 3 based on effort, commitment and performances over the season. Genuinely all the younger boys were fantastic and never looked out of place in terms of their attitudes and behaviour, or performances on the pitch. Finley however, as joint leading wicket taker (6) and his fearless stroke-play (aka commitment to ‘whacking it’), is a very deserving winner.
  • Coaches’ Player of the Year – Max Weller & Albie Bloomfield
    • Impossible to split – both have shown great enthusiasm and commitment across the season… extremely coachable and wanting to learn and improve. Equally both performed very well across matches – Max 6 wickets (joint-highest), Albie 81 runs & 5 wickets (2nd POY pts)

Thanks

  • Support crew: Dan W, Dan H, Dan C, Tom Y, Ethan (DoE), Vickie (Scoring), Laura H (Safeguarding / general keeping in check)
  • To all the parents – lifts, logistics, dealing with a combination of my comms + Teamo, fantastic support from the boundary… Massive thank you!!

Girls

Steve Shaw & Andy Hobbs – Junior Girls Leads

Season Summary

Our third of year of a dedicated girl’s section set out with the same aims of looking to further build on the foundations set in place and continue to encourage as many girls as possible to get involved with the game and with TTCC. The core premise being to provide a fun, safe, inclusive environment for Girls to enjoy the game of cricket, across all abilities.

To this end, we offered 2 separate sessions each Friday across U9’s with a focus on core basic skills (softball) and over 9’s looking to expand on abilities and experience (softball), transitioning and building confidence with hardball formats, and introducing more competitive matches. Aligned to this we attended some U9 festivals and entered teams into the Bucks U11 Softball League, Oxfordshire U11 & U13 Hardball Leagues.

  • Over 60 girls participated in some form over the season – ranging from Year 2 – Year 8
  • Bucks U11 Softball League: Won 6, Lost 1 | League position = 2nd
  • Oxfordshire U11 Hardball League: Won 4, Lost 4 | League position = 3rd
  • Oxfordshire U13 Hardball League: Won 4, Lost 4 | League position = 5th
  • 3 Girls in the Oxfordshire U12 Pathway (Ava, Edie & Olivia)
  • Highlights –
    • >15 girls playing their first competitive matches for TTCC
    • Smiles & camaraderie at the U9’s Festival at Brightwell
    • Last pair partnership of 43 off 4 overs to win away at Wolvercote (U11 HB)
    • All-round team performance away at Chalfont (U11 SB) with a team of young debutants = Jess, Bethy (scoring 24), Esme, Lydia, Connie… winning by 62 runs!!
    • Team spirit and perseverance in defeat against an extremely strong Oxford side (U13 HB)
    • Flo Q – ripping leg spin bowling vs. Eynsham
    • Olivia scoring her maiden 50* for Oxfordshire Pathway
    • Maya hitting 22 off an over vs. Bledlow (U11 SB)

Awards U9

  • Players’ Player of the Year – Lydia Sutcliffe
    • A bundle of energy and enthusiasm throughout the season, with no shortage of skill across all facets of the game. Lydia also excelled in stepping up into the older age fixtures, supporting and encouraging her peers to do likewise. Her talent and supportive nature being fairly recognised with this award!
  • Rising Star – Edie Hollis
    • Always full of energy, throwing herself into exercises and drills with a constant smile and willingness to try. Shows great promise particularly with the bat… one to keep an eye on for sure!!
  • Coaches’ Player of the Year – Maria Swain & Scarlett Swain
    • Impossible to split (literally 😉) – both are an absolute pleasure to coach, always listening, always smiling, eager to learn and improve. Beyond this, they also show great talent and potential with bat and ball!!

Awards U11/U13’s

  • Players’ Player of the Year – Olivia Shaw
    • Chosen by the players’ themselves. Fitting recognition of Olivia’s commitment and contributions across all Thame teams and formats this season – scoring a total of 194 runs and taking 15 wickets.
  • Rising Star – Emmie Weller
    • In her first full season, Emmie has literally thrown herself into everything with a wonderful care-free, can-do attitude. From jumping straight into the nets with hardball bowling (throw downs to warm-up… no thanks!!) to throwing her hand up to keep wicket, her positive approach has been a pleasure to coach.
  • Coaches’ Player of the Year – Florence Harold & Florence Quartly
    • Flo H has excelled this season, taking to the hardball format in no time. Batting with power (86 runs), bowling with pace and accuracy, and an absolute wall in the field. She has developed at great speed with no signs of slowing down
    • Flo Q has been an absolute pleasure to coach showing great commitment, resilience and perseverance in wanting to improve. Bowling leg spin at any age is one of the most difficult (and at times frustrating) skills but she has stuck at it tirelessly, never losing patience and always with a smile! Over the season she has bowled some wicket taking rippers, whilst her batting has also come on strongly (107 runs), particularly through the on-side!

Thanks

  • Coaching crew: Cate T, Dan W, Manil S, Robin S, Rob J, Simon S, Charlotte, Mel, Caitie
  • Support crew: Vickie (Scoring), Laura H (Safeguarding), Mags (Keeping order)
  • To all the parents – lifts, logistics, WhatsApp + Teamo, last minute changes / rearrangements, fantastic support from the boundary… Massive thank you!!

U11 Boys

Justin Avery – Team Manager

Season Summary

We ran a squad of 28 across U11 Hardball Pairs A and B. No streaming, balanced teams, and a focus on equal game time for all.

Team A – Pool 1

  • Finished 3rd (26 points) with the best NRR in the league (2.82) – higher than eventual champions Brightwell (1.29).
  • Results:
    • Wins vs Tiddington, Abingdon Vale, Goring, Didcot
    • Narrow losses to Brightwell (by 2) and Warborough (by 4)
  • A tough pool, but the data shows: this was the team nobody wanted to face.

Team B – Pool 4

  • Unbeaten champions (7 from 7), two by forfeit, five on the field.
  • Closest game: Oxenford (won by 2). Biggest: Oxford CC (by 52), Witney Mills (by 48).
  • Topped the group on 35 points, NRR 2.14. Next best: 29 points, NRR 0.07. The gap wasn’t just wide—it was a canyon.

Special mention to the first-year hardball crew – Luke, Freddie, Jimmy, Joah, Sam, Tom (Hobbs), Zack, Kai, Daniel, Bobby, and James (Constant)—who strapped on the kit and faced some fierce Year-6 bowling. Brave, coachable, and everything we want to see.

Awards

  • Year 5 Bowler of the Year – Luke Brookes (control, lowest runs per over, wickets, fewest sundries)
  • Year 6 Bowler of the Year – Noah Avery (new ball pressure, best figures 4/15)
  • Year 5 Batter of the Year – Jimmy Rumsey (match impact, trademark off-side strokeplay)
  • Year 6 Batter of the Year – Bertie Meadows (match-winning innings, consistency)
  • Players’ Player – Joint winners: Noah Avery & Noah Beazley (team values, inclusion, support)
  • Coaches’ Player of the Year – Thomas Lowe (attendance, effort, attitude, team-first commitment)

Special Award – Rare Over, Ice-Cold Nerves
Jake Roberts vs Didcot:

  • 2 runs conceded first two balls.
  • Then: bowled, bowled, caught-and-bowled (hat-trick).
  • Next ball wide → run-out mix-up.
  • Four wickets in the over (three to Jake, one team run-out), plus two more catches. Final figures: 2–0–3–13.

That’s how you close out a chase.

Thanks

  • Volunteer coaches: Dave, Andy, Guy, with Dan, Matt, and Steve stepping in.
  • Special thanks to Farid and Dinny from the 1s for specialist sessions.
  • And to the parents – lifts, logistics, scoring, umpiring, endless time on the boundary – thank you. None of this happens without you.

Closing

We finish with the ethos we started with. The kids lived it: worked hard, supported each other, played proper cricket. Skills up, IQ up, standards up. Keep that momentum through winter and next season will be even better.

Results:

  • Unbeaten champions (Pool 4)
  • 3rd in Pool 1 (best NRR in the league)
  • A squad that improved every single week.

Good luck to our Year 6s—lead the next crop of Year 5s to bigger and better things.

U13 Boys

James Tilley – Team Manager

Season Summary

We ran a squad of 35 players and entered two leagues (Oxfordshire and Bucks), one HUNDRED competition and one Knock Out Cup. During the course of the season we played a record 27 matches to enable us to give all of the players plenty of opportunities to play in matches and continued practice and fixtures throughout August.

At this level, and with this particular group of players, we start to select teams based upon ability depending on the opposition and match format. E.g. for the knock out cup we selected our most experienced players with the aim of winning the competition. For matches where we know the opposition will be strong we also pick our strongest available team e.g against Aston Rowant, who we beat once this season. Likewise when playing opposition who were less strong we would balance our selection. This approach allows us to match up abilities as best as possible, keep matches as safe as possible and provide the right level for the players who are at different stages of their cricket development eg. Some need nurturing, some need stretching and some need both.

Highlights

  • Played 27, won 16, win ratio 59%
  • Semi Final of the Ron Mawdsley Cup
  • 3rd place in Oxfordshire Leage U13 Pool 5
  • 3rd place in ADMCL U13 south
  • 3rd place in HUNDRED Pool 1
  • LWS Year 8 School Cup Winners (9 of the XI were TTCC players)

Awards

  • Year 8 Bowler of the Year – Mukil
  • Year 8 Batter of the Year – Harvey
  • Year 8 All Rounder of the Year – Sam
  • Year 7 Batter of the Year – Charlie
  • Year 7 Bowler of the Year – Dylan

Thanks

  • Volunteer coaches: James, Guy, Dan, Matt, Dave, JP
  • Special thanks to Farid and Dinny from the 1s for specialist sessions.
  • Extra special thanks to Max and Charlie for preparing the ground for us – much appreciated

Closing

We had a very strong U13 section this season in terms of depth but also experience, many of the year 7 and 8 players also play for LWS which means we / they are forging a strong group at both club and school. The year 8 LWS team won the school cup this season and most of the team play at TTCC. There were six Year 8 players who also made their debut playing for TTCC 3rd and 4th XI on Saturdays in the Cherwell League.

With continued focus from the players, the school, coaches and club we have a decent chance of keeping them together to play for TTCC in the 2nd and 1st XI in the not-too-distant future.

U15 Boys

Nick Fuller – Team Manager

Season Summary

We ran a small squad which was augmented by some of the stronger U13s, which we were very grateful to. The team was a pleasure to work with and it was great to see several of the boys play senior mens cricket for Thame. We are looking to build on the momentum we gained this year into next year.

Bucks ADMCL U15 South Competition

  • Finished 2nd out of 5th (60 points) won 3 lost 3
  • Results:
    • Wins against Dinton & Chearsley
    • Narrow loss to Chearsley (13 runs)

Awards

  • U15 Batter: Alex Fuller 183 runs, average 61, HS 61, SR 103, 3 50s. Strong performances from George Blight, Tony Jinks and Joe Tilley
  • U15 Bowler:  Tony Jinks, 5 wickets average 8.4.  Notable performances from Josh Lowe, James Amaranayake, Alex Fuller and Joe Tilley
  • U15 All Rounder:  Joe Tilley

Thanks

  • Special thanks to Dinny, Alex Browne, Jeremy Batty, Guy Holmes
U17 Boys

Nick Fuller – Team Manager

Season Summary

We enrolled into a Post GCSE competition which turned out to be a highlight of the year. The boys all played with a tremendous camaraderie and spirit which was a credit to themselves and their parents.  Similar to the U17s, we had a number of boys playing Senior Mens cricket which was great to see. We hope to do the same again next year as we will have much of the same core team.

Bucks U17 South Competition

  • Finished 3rd out of 6 (60 points) won 3 lost 2 and was only 7 points behind 1st place
  • Results:
    • Wins against Ballinger Waggoners, Great Kingshill, The Lee
    • Losses to Penn & Tylers Green and Wendover

Awards

  • U17 Batter: Dan Tervet 188 runs, HS 83*, SR 147, 3 50s. Strong performances from Daniel Fuller, Alex Tervet and Aaron Watson
  • U17 Bowler:  Josh Lowe, 5 wickets average 3.7.  Notable performances from Lewis Yeung, Ben Batty, Aaron Watson
  • U17 All Rounder:  Aaron Watson
  • Special mention to the 175 run partnership between Alex Tervet 87 and Dan Tervet 83* who helped Thame beat Great Kingshill on 6th August after they posted 199!

Thanks

  • Special thanks to Dinny, Alex Browne, Jeremy Batty, Guy Holmes

Closing out the year:

We now have over 150 junior players in the U9s through to the U17s (excludes All Stars and Dynamos, of which we have a further 166 players). This season we built two new teams in the Girls and U17s. Overall we played 86 competitive matches which is 19 more than last year (has anyone else noticed Groundsman Max’s hair turning grey this season!?) Our overall win ratio was 62%. So we have much to celebrate and look forward to going again next season, starting with indoor nets in February 2026 at LWS (details coming soon).

Thanks to all my fellow Dad coaches who make this possible and who are driving this success, you are all hired again for next season and I have negotiated a 100% pay rise with the club committee…..congratulations!

By Matt Swain

One thought on “Junior Awards 2025”

  • Angus Lachlan
    23rd September 2025 at 7:50 pm
    Permalink

    Excellent end of season reports. The future is looking good !

    Reply

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