CHAMPIONS 2025

Season Review from the 1st XI captain - Chris Holmes

It’s been a long time coming for us! We’ve fallen short on quite a few occasions, but this season definitely felt different, even after only a few games in.  Although we were rolled for 60 By Dunstable in the 2^nd game, vibes were high as we knew the quality we had. Bringing in Saahil and welcoming back Matt and Jim Stead and with Kieren returning after being out for all of last season with a knee injury.  We felt that these additions over the winter were huge for us, filling in the gaps that we needed, improving our depth of players and this was what ultimately got us across the line.

We managed to win 9 games in succession after the Dunstable setback, including a win at Old Camdenians, where we were completely depleted with 7 regular 1^st team players missing! It was around this stage of the season that ‘Carts’ gave the boys an incentive to win the league… Announcing that he would “Shower with the boys” for the first time if we got across the line – what a treat ha-ha!

Our ability to pick 4 quality spinners during the season absolutely terrorised opposition teams, with Saahil in particular, finishing on 46 league wickets in his debut adult season. An absolutely incredible achievement, for our young superstar (Look out Bones, there is a new kid in town, though he does call you ‘Sir’)

As well as Saahil, we are very fortunate to have so many bowling options, which as a captain makes life easier, though does also provide many headaches as well as some dirty looks – Sam, Jim, Matt, Herby, Joe, Alex, AJ – to name a few!!!

We also had a dominant batting line up and in reply to the bowlers I would like to mention the self-proclaimed GT3 (Will, Joe and Carter) who were exceptional throughout our campaign. They repeatedly set up run chases at the top of the order and allowed some pretty early finishes. With this base provided it allowed both Sam and I to nudge 1s and 2s before handing the strike over to the big man …… Yasir. A 50 ball 100 at Cheshunt Rosedale and several other innings of pure fireworks put watchers, and the people minding their own business along Cockfosters Road in constant danger – always a fantastic watch.

When asked to look back over the season for my favourite moments for this article, I struggle to go any further than the last game of the season against Letchworth Garden City. Needing one wicket for promotion, defending just over 200, Will Edwards took a screamer at short cover off the bowling of Jim Stead (moments after a lengthy dispute about whether the short cover was needed) which was met with feelings of pure elation, promotion which we as a club had been waiting years for.

Fast forward a couple of hours, and we now had the opportunity to be crowned Champions. With 35 needed to win, the Letchworth Number 11 thrashed hard at a delivery from Saahil, it took the edge and was claimed dramatically at slip by Matt Stead. I don’t think I’ve ever run faster and I’m pretty certain all 11 of us would say the same, jumping all over each other, screaming nonsense, Absolute Scenes. A moment that I will never forget and one that is spoken about daily on the 1s group chat. As we got tour feet and realised what we had just done, we looked around and noticed the nearly appointed League Runners up who had driven for an hour in the hope of watching us lose silently sidle back into their cars and drive home.

I know I wasn’t the only one who was crying tears of joy in the Clubhouse that evening, after 27 years of hurt. What followed was an evening of chaos, Central London Carnage (well Finsbury Park), Champagne, Celebrations, hugs and, most special of all…. The presence of Alex Carter in the team shower.  Cockfosters CC are once again Champions