We are happy to share that junior training for the 2021 season will start on Tuesday the 6th of April at 6pm at Meigle Park. This year, the club will continue to run age groups at under 12, under 14 and under 16 level as well as our All Stars Cricket Programme for 5 to 8 year olds.

Due to current restrictions, there are limits on the number of players that can attend sessions – up to 15 for children under 16 and up to 30 for children under 12. For current junior parents, if your child would like to attend training, please contact Stuart Skeldon at stuartskeldon32@btinternet.com or on 07724824274. Alternatively, please join our Parents Facebook Group which can be accessed through the link below. This is to ensure we can organise sessions to be within the current COVID restrictions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/126078194611136/

Information for Upcoming Season

The club will again run age groups at under 12 (with softball and hardball cricket groups), under 14 and under 16 level this season. This season, we have entered an Edinburgh and Lothians under 12 softball league of which fixtures will take place on Friday evenings with home fixtures at Meigle Park and away fixtures within Edinburgh and the Lothians. We have also entered an Edinburgh and Lothians hardball league and the Scottish Cup at under 14 level. These fixtures will take place on a Monday evening and again, fixtures will take place at Meigle Park and different venues across Edinburgh and the Lothians. We have also entered an under 16 team into the Scottish Cup. Friendly fixtures against other Border clubs will take place throughout the season. However, fixtures for each of these age groups are yet to be finalised due to restrictions and season delay. Under normal circumstances, travel to away fixtures was done through a minibus that the club has access to however it is unclear at the moment if this will be possible this season.

In normal circumstances, junior training takes place every Tuesday evening from 6pm for all age groups, with free juice and snacks following every session. Both under 12 and under 14/16 sessions are led by well qualified and experienced coaches. However, due to current restrictions, numbers per session may have to be limited.

Our All Stars Cricket Programme for 5-8 year olds takes place on Friday evenings 5-6pm from the 28th of May for 8 weeks. More information can be found on our website.

New Members

If your child would like to try a new sport this summer and wants to give cricket a go, please contact us. New members are always welcome! Please contact our junior coordinator Stuart Skeldon at stuartskeldon32@btinternet.com or on 07724824274 or any of our social media pages. You can also request to join our Parents Facebook Group through the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/126078194611136/

The club is happy to have launched another year of All Stars Cricket in 2021 having run the programme every summer since 2017. All Stars Cricket is an 8-week summer activity programme for children aged 5 to 8 years old and is a great opportunity to develop new skills in a new sport but also to meet new friends.

Each session is jam-packed full of fun activities each week based not only on cricket but key skills that can be transferred to other activities. Included in the £40 cost comes 8, one hour long sessions from qualified coaches as well as a child’s own personalised kit bundle which includes a bat, ball, backpack and cap! The club will be running the programme, as it has done in the past, on Friday evenings from 5 to 6pm, starting on Friday the 28^th of May, and ending on the 16^th of July.

Parents and carers are always welcome to come along and join in if they like!

To sign your child up please follow the below link to our registration page:

ClubSpark / All Stars / Course

Or, if you would like more information on what All Stars Cricket is all about then please visit the below link:

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – The Official Website of the ECB

Gala CC Bonus Ball rules

• The bonus ball winner is the owner of the number that corresponds with the National Lottery draw bonus ball
• The selected National Lottery draw will be identified at the start of the competition
• Payment must be made in advance of the selected National Lottery draw date
• If any ball(s) are not able to be sold before the draw, a rollover ball will be used in its place. In the event of a rollover ball being drawn in the selected National Lottery draw, the prize money will roll over to the next round of the competition
• Gala CC organising committee’s decision is final
• The monies raised in competition will be split 50/50 between the winner and club
• Prize determined by entry

Entries (£10 per ball) and payment should be made by contacting Josh Irvine (07891108681 or via social media) or email galacricketclub@gmail.com

Gala CC is registered with SBC under the Scottish Borders Licensing Board under the Gambling Act 2005.

Promoter: Kenny Paterson, Secretary, 27 Roger Quin Gardens, Galashiels, TD1 3NQ.

A review of the club’s 2020 can be found below to view. Thanks to all of our players, members and volunteers for their efforts over 2020 and to sponsors and supporters for their continued support of the club. We continue to greatly appreciate this.

Annual General Meeting – ONLINE
Friday 5 February 2021, 7.30pm

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus restrictions, the AGM will be hosted online on Zoom.

Members should have received an email with details inviting them to the meeting.

Any members who do not receive an email, should register to attend by emailing us at galacricketclub@gmail.com.

If you are interested in being a member of the committee please submit your enquiry to galacricketclub@gmail.com by 4 February 2021.

It is expected that 2021 will again be a challenging year, and we hope that we can count on your support.

Thanks
Michael Halls
Gala Cricket Club Chairman

A full list of Gala Cricket Club players who served and sacrificed during World Wars I and II has been compiled for the very first time.

Thanks to help from the Heriots Cricket Archive, Gala have been able to track down 10 players who were killed during both World Wars.

And to honour their memory, the Meigle Park club will lay a poppy wreath bearing each players’ name this week, and ask its members to pay their respects at home this weekend for Remembrance Sunday.

Amongst those players who were identified was Ernest Samuel Roberts, who signed as a professional for Gala from Kent and played in 1914 before the season was curtailed by World War I. He was killed in August 1916 while serving in France.

There was also Thomas Dorward, who was capped by Scotland at rugby but sadly passed away in 1941 from wounds received in World War II while serving in the Royal Air Force. His brother Arthur also played for Gala CC and the Scotland rugby team.

Two former captains – Charles William Brown and Alexander Douglas MacLachlan – are also amongst the fallen during World War I and World War II respectively.

Kenny Paterson, Gala CC Secretary, said: “We believe this is the first time a comprehensive list of players who passed away during World Wars I and II has ever been complied on behalf of the club.

“We must thank Charlie Clark from Heriots Cricket Archive for his assistance recording all of these players.

“While Covid-19 restrictions mean we cannot hold a ceremony this year, we still wished to honour these men, majority of whom were under 30 years of age.

“Alongside the wreath bearing their names being laid, we ask our members to take part in Remembrance Sunday’s two minute silence at home.”

The full list of Gala CC players who served and sacrificed in World War I and II is as follows:

World War I

·         James Stewart Andison – Kings Own Scottish Borderers

·         Charles William Brown – Kings Own Scottish Borderers

·         William Oliver Bennett – Kings Own Scottish Borderers

·         Robert Gordon – Machine Gun Corps

·         William Paterson – Kings Own Scottish Borderers

·         Ernest Samuel Roberts – 1^st Kent Cyclist Battalion

·         Adam Smail – Kings Own Scottish Borderers

World War II

·         Alexander Douglas MacLachlan – Merchant Navy, M.V. Scottish Maiden

·         Thomas Fairgrieve Dorward – Royal Air Force

·         Joseph Watson – Scots Guards

Gala’s under 16s ended their season on a high note with a nailbiting one wicket win against East Lothian.

The Gala youngsters helped restrict their opponents to 105 for 9 thanks to some excellent bowling with Robbie Paterson taking three wickets and Liam Skeldon, Maisie Maciera, Sam McAneny and Jamie Bell all taking one each.

Jamie Bell and Ashley Robertson got the Gala innings off to a good start, with Ellie Wilkie, Robbie Paterson, Maisie Maciera and Sam McAneny also contributing.

Samuel and Matty Lindores then added some vital runs but wickets also continued to fall. 

Going into the closing overs either side could have won it, but Ruaridh Anderson, Finlay Skeldon and Bailey Paterson took Gala home, with Bailey striking the winning boundary with three balls left.

The club would like to thank coach Stuart Skeldon, who has also been part of our covid-monitoring team, for his considerable commitment to the junior section during this difficult season, as well as all the parents/carers who supported the club with transport to comply with Covid-19 restrictions.

A first hundred by Sid Siddhu helped Gala to a comfortable friendly win over Peebles County at Meigle Park.

Siddhu scored the ton off just 64 balls, notching 16 fours in his innings as Gala made 255 for five from their 30 overs.

Captain Josh Irvine was also in good form with 46 from 30 balls, while Jamie Crooks (37), Graeme Ormiston (25) and Callum Jenkins (15) also made good contributions.

Slater (2 for 61) and Caddick (2 for 53) were the best of the Peebles bowlers.

Peebles were missing a few regular players and struggled in their innings against a strong Gala attack.

They finished on 41 all out, with wickets shared amongst the bowlers, including an impressive 2 for 9 from young spinner Robbie Paterson.

Thanks to Peebles for the game.

Gala

S. Siddhu retired retired 105

J. Halls ct J. Pace b J. Slater 8

J. Crooks ct A. Brophy b P. Caddick 37

J. Irvine ct J. Pace b P. Caddick 46

G. Ormiston ct A. Brophy b J. Slater 25

C. Jenkins not out 15

D. Tharanga b C. Edwardson 7

R. Patterson not out 4

Extras – 8

Total  – 255 for five wickets

C. Edwardson 5.3-0-30-1; J. Slater 6-0-61-2; F. Burns 2.3-0-16-0; N. Burns 6-0-56-0; P. Caddick 6-0-53-2; A. Brophy 2-0-22-0; C. Entwistle 2-0-13-0.

Peebles County

J. Pace ct J. Crooks b C. Jenkins 1

R. Bhatia ct. J. Irvine b D. Moir 0

P. Caddick ct C. Jenkins b D. Moir 1

J. Slater b D. Tharanga 14

C. Entwistle b C. Jenkins 1

P. Walker run out (D. Moir) 1

N. Burns ct & b R. Patterson 1

A. Brophy ct G. Ormiston b D. Tharanga 0

C. Edwardson b R. Paterson 12

F. Burns b R. Paterson 0

J. Brophy not out 0

Extras – 10

Total – 41 for ten wickets

Melrose captain Rowan Williams led his side to a 13-run win over Gala Sunday XI in their friendly at Meigle Park.

The Huntlyburn side made 144 all out from their 30 overs, with Williams top scorer with 32.

Harris Rutherford made a welcome return with a fine spell of 3 for 13, while Dinesh Tharanga (3 for 10) also on target.

In reply, Gala started well with Jamie Crooks (45), Finlay Rutherford (27), and Stuart Anderson (20) leaving the hosts needing 62 to win from the final 11 overs with nine wickets in hand.

But Gala lost three wickets in five overs to leave them struggling, and in the end finished on 131 for seven.

Williams was best bowler with 3 for 25.

Thanks to Melrose for making the trip to Gala for the game.

Melrose

R. Brett b D. Tharanga 1

D. Crawford run out (J. Crooks) 11

D. King b H. Rutherford 26

A. Scott ct J. Bell b H. Rutherford 0

O. Rilley ct A. Sujan b D. Tharanga 30

J. Loftus st F. Rutherford b G. Ormiston 6

A. Scatt b G. Ormiston 0

M. Barr ct H. Rutherford b J. Crooks 5

R. Williams ct A. Sujan b D. Tharanga 32

M. Rogerson not out 2

E. Barr b H. Rutherford 1

Extras – 17

Total – 144 for ten wickets

D. Tharanga 5-2-10-3; A. Sujan 2-0-13-0; H. Rutherford 3.1-0-13-3; G. Ormiston 4-0-26-2; L. Skeldon 3-1-6-0; J. Crooks 6-0-39-1; J. Boyle 3-0-12-0; J. Bell 2-0-11-0; M. Rutherford 1-0-6-0.

Gala

F. Rutherford b R. Williams 27

S. Anderson run out 20

J. Crooks b R. Williams 45

A. Sujan lbw R. Williams 0

D. Tharanga ct D. King b R. Brett 15

H. Rutherford ct D. King b A. Scott 13

G. Ormiston run out 5

J. Bell not out 1

Extras – 5

Total – 131 for seven wickets

M. Barr 5-0-22-0; J. Loftus 5-1-17-0; R. Brett 5-0-13-1; A. Scott 5-0-25-1; D. King 5-0-25-0; R. Williams 5-1-25-3.