Welcome to the Gingins Cricket Club

It’s been more than 2 weeks and someone has to capture the memories and events before they are forgotten.

Gingins Cricket Club at Junior Swiss Cricket Championships at Zuoz, 2012.

This year was a year with lots of new faces. We have nearly tripled in size for our teams since last year, now having at least one competitive team in each age category except U17. A stray Basel player even joined the U15. Not only have we grown in players but also in supporters. Around 55 supporters joined the Gingins crusade. That is on average 1.7 supporters per player! In manpower we would have easily beaten the other teams, but are we good enough in Cricket to defend the title?

Day 1: A fresh set of cricket clothing is taken out of the suitcases as the kids gear up for their first match. As I am an U15 player, I can’t record all the U11 and U13 matches, but I know that the first Gingins match played was Under U11 vs GRYCC. The first Gingins U15 match was in the afternoon versus Cossonay. Cossonay had played earlier that day against Zurich and won, so we could not afford to underestimate them in the first match.

The first innings has started and Gingins are bowling. It being the first match the bowling was rusty and we let too many wides slip. However this does not count for everyone and we managed to pick up a few wickets. Cossonay had to defend a reasonable score as we came into bat. The magic pair, as they were called throughout the tournament, opened. Aidan Andrews and Ruwan Jayakody (the stray Basel player) played magnificent innings and basically won the match for us when Aidan retired and all Alessandro Poynton had to do was score a single.

The second match however was a bit late due to a previous match that went overtime. Gingins bowled again to start the match and although the wides were limited (speaking on the team’s behalf), Zurich still managed to score a decent amount. The magic pair got us off to a good start in the second Innings. However after they got comfortable Ruwan was dismissed and the magic was broken. The players lower on the batting line up did very well with Simon Pearce even scoring close to 20. But we only lost by about 30 runs. The second day was going to be better, we decided, as it was already turning dark.

Day 2: One of us did not make it today. He had to return home sick. We had to borrow an U13 to fill in. We were scheduled to play the other two teams again in the same order. We were stronger against Cossonay, most of us bowling less wides and restricting more runs in the field. However, the magic pair was broken quite early and Alessandro had to keep the order. However, soon we were losing more wickets and it was down to 2 wickets to go. Floris kept the innings relatively steady, until he got out near the end with only one more run to go, which Rohan Jain scored to win the match. After feeling happy about beating Cossonay for the second time, we prepared ourselves for Zurich. We played on a fresh pitch which we haven’t played on yet and we were all well prepared. It being only a 16 over game, the Zurich opposition wanted to score even faster than in a regular T20 match, which probably led to the early run-out of Zurich’s opening batsman. Our bowling was very good compared to previous matches, and even though we were smacked for a huge six, we managed to stop them at an attainable score. As our magic-pair came into bat, the other batsmen were waiting to go in. And waiting. And waiting. Until we finally figured out that our magic-pair has once again batted throughout nearly the entire batting innings, and eventually led to one of them scoring the winning runs. All of a sudden, the remaining batsmen did not mind not going in. They won.

As the coaches huddled us together at the end of the match and brought us to the middle.

“We’ve been doing some math, Scott and I, and we found that; Cossonay only won one- can only win one more. Zurich one one-can only win one more. And we won 3.”

That’s when it hit us. We had won the Zuoz U15!! One more friendly match against the Lyceum, and we will be on the bus back, bringing home at least one trophy.

On the last day we were more relaxed. We won the U15, and the final game was just a friendly match. The afternoon before Cossonay got Zurich all out for a very low score. The morning was spent watching the U13s and U11s. Just before lunch we had the U15 trophy ceremony. Even though we knew we had won, we still cheered as our name was called for 1^st place. Lunch shortly after suddenly tasted better knowing that we had officially won. All we had to do is wait until our friendly match against the Lyceum U17s started.

When it finally did, we started the match by fielding again. Our opening bowling got the opening batsman from Lyceum out for a platinum duck. This immediately put us all in good spirits. Eventually, we got them all out for 64, which is not bad at all. However, our opening batsman (not the magic pair, because we switched the order around) got out first ball, and also walked back to the side-lines for a platinum duck. 2 platinum ducks in one game. Even if we lost this would still be a historic game. We lost some wickets but eventually stayed in long enough to hit the winning runs. We won 4 out of 5 matches in the end.

We learned that the U13s also won their final against Zurich, and on the way back, everyone had a reason to be happy. When we arrived at the Hippodrome in Divonne, I realised that this trip was over, and I could finally say to myself;

We Won.

Normally after the annual Zuoz tournament, we get an article up on our website pronto, within one or two days. So strong are the emotions generated by the “Zuoz experience” (see last year’s article below), that we have to get them out there, and quick! It pains us to be silent! Our non-participating families want to hear the news. Our participating kids want to read about their efforts and have that final reflection before looking forward to future matches, trainings, fun with their mates, ultimately, to Zuoz 2013.

This year is different. The over-riding emotion this year, heading home and even now, some two weeks after the tournament, is a sense of deep reflection on what was achieved. Last year we just had elation but this year, well, it was something different. We don’t measure our overall Zuoz experience by the number of trophies we bring home. Yes, of course a trophy or two adds a sweetener but we prefer to gauge ourselves according to how the kids played, in what spirit, whether they performed as a team and also how we, collectively, acted as a Club, on and off the field.

By these measures, Zuoz 2012 was a resounding success. We are all savouring the experience; keen somehow, not to let it go. The sense is that words to describe it should not be rushed. Like a health spa; heated waters soothing the soul, it’s been great to just wallow for a bit in the simple happiness generated by having shared a great moment together. In the end though, we do have to write something sometime, the wallowing must stop! So, here then is our Zuoz 2012 article.

So, to Zuoz, where the Magic continues

“Zuoz” –an odd sounding word; an even odder name for a town. With just four letters, two of them zeds, it shares a place in the English lexicon with “buzz”, “fizz”, “jazz”; not words the locals would commonly associate with their sleepy, mountain valley home. Yet for the players and families of Gingins Cricket Club, Zuoz is buzz, it is fizz. Zuoz has become for us something of a “Shangri-La”, a place where, every year, pixie dust sprinkles magic on our lives, our “MCG”, our “Lords”.

“Are we going to Zuoz?” ask starry-eyed kids each year. Families new to our Club hear of this place of pilgrimage and wonder at the enchantment it generates amongst our members. Eight hours by bus and almost directly east of Gingins, you can’t travel much further and still be in Switzerland. Yet for the past three years, Gingins’ families have made the long journey to Zuoz – by car, train, bus, some even by motorbike - to compete in the annual Swiss National Junior Cricket Championships.

Our cricketing calendar orients itself totally around Zuoz. Yes, other tournaments and matches are important, especially our own Indoor National Championships, but Zuoz is to Gingins what Wimbledon is to tennis players, it’s the tournament we must compete in; our players and coaches prepare solely for that long weekend at the end of May.

In our Club’s short life, we have done pretty well at Zuoz, producing strong performances of which the Club can be proud. In our three appearances to this year, we had participated in five age group championships (U11s three times, U13s twice), winning twice and runners-up twice. Not bad! In truth, for us it’s not the winning or losing by which we measure ourselves, it’s our participation and the way the Club represents itself that’s most critical. We always tell our players and parents – and they’re not hollow words – that we don’t care whether we win, lose or draw, what we care about is participating in the true Spirit of Cricket, we care about playing as a team. Of course, the kids step onto the field every time to give it their all and there have been tears when results don’t go as planned, but without fail we remind the kids that this is Zuoz, it’s special. This focus produces not only great cricket but a sense that Zuoz and the cricket festival Cricket Switzerland hosts there, is something outside the ordinary, it’s a life experience we’re grateful for; a gift, and thus one that must be cherished, something to remember.

This year was like no other for our Club. Until now, our largest Zuoz delegation consisted of 16 players and another 20 or so parents – given the journey to get there, impressive enough! But this year, an incredible THIRTY ONE Gingins’ players and SIXTY of their family members packed their kit bags and travelled, many again by bus but others by car and train, to Zuoz, to give it plenty in the annual Junior Championships.
And what an experience!! Played over three days this year, it was something that none of the participants will ever forget. Great cricket, beautiful surroundings, hearty cheering – thousands of kids, it often seemed, running hither and thither, playing, watching, dreaming cricket in a mountain playground far removed from anything you could have possibly imagined.

Teams from across Switzerland participated – Geneva, Cossonay, Basle, College du Leman (near Geneva), Gingins, Zurich and the hosts, the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz. Up for grabs were trophies at U11, U13, U15 and U17. We don’t know how many kids were playing altogether but we know that there were many and that our Gingins kids participated in five different teams and played in 25 different matches in the U11, U13 and U15 Championships. Exhausting!

It had been a huge logistical effort just to get us there – massive and enormous thanks right up front go to Monica Winckel and Karen Vlassopulos for organizing the bus, the meals, the hotels – for beautifully organizing the lives of 91 people! With those ladies behind us, coaches, kids and parents could focus on the cricket. THANK YOU Monica and Karen.

And what of the cricket? First thing to say is “enjoy the photos” here in the article but also on our Teamsnap page. What an incredibly beautiful location! The Lyceum has three all-weather pitches and a fourth coconut matting strip – Swiss cricket heaven! The weather was great the first day but turned a little funny on the Sunday/Monday; a fresh, sometimes forceful wind alternating with sunshine and hints of raindrops seeing players, umpires and families putting layers on, taking them off, putting them on, taking them off.

No problem though! We were there for cricket and cricket we certainly had in abundance! Here’s a summary of how the kids went:

Under 11 Championship Notes:

Eleven of our thirteen participating U11 kids were experiencing Zuoz for the first time. The kids participated in the Gingins U11 team but also in a composite “Wanderers” team with kids and coaches from Zurich Crickets CC. Our kids did a great job! The Gingins U11s came in third, behind winners Basle and runners-up Zurich and the Wanderers, featuring many U9s from Zurich and Gingins, finished a commendable 6th. For most of our kids, this was their first outdoor tournament let alone first Zuoz so they’ll be better placed next year to build on those experiences. As in previous years, we’ve written a paragraph below about each of our kids and how they performed.

Here’s how they went:

Ricky Bucheli: First trip to Zuoz! Keen little fella Ricky, he’s U9 but we wanted to get him a game or two in the Wanderers team, thinking it a great place to start his Zuoz experience. Ricky ended up playing in 5 of the Wanderers games, bowling, batting and fielding as if his life depended on it. Smiles all round for this little bloke as he had great support from coaches, his family and his GCC teammates.

Leo Clairs: Another first timer to Zuoz, Leo had his whole family with him, including his Nan over from Australia! Leo got 3 wickets in his first Wanderers match and also had a game with the Gingins CC U11 team. Leo has a great batting technique, front foot determinedly forward, and bowlers struggle to get him out. In 6 innings, he was not out 4 times – great stat. Next challenge is to hit the ball that bit harder to clear the field and amass the runs. Good job Leo!

Charlie Martin: What to say about Charlie? Knee high to a grasshopper, Charlie too was experiencing his first Zuoz. He had his whole family with him and after his games for the U11 Wanderers, Charlie had the whole of Zuoz behind him. Great little bowler and keen little batsman, Charlie was looking to impress at his first go to see if he could be picked for the Gingins U11 team. No flies on Charlie. Great little cricketer of the future!

Gregor Wellard: His first Zuoz and a graduate from our Nippers program, Gregor, like all our players, gave it his heart and soul. With dad and coach Simon alongside, Gregor had a great tournament, rich in experience and will be a big contributor to the U11 squad next year. Good on you Gregor!

Dylan Cleaveley: First Zuoz and one of the highlights of the tournament, Dylan was nominated keeper for the U11 Wanderers but the U13 Wanderers needed a keeper so we asked Dylan if he was keen. Rat up a drain-pipe, the little bloke went for it and did a great job! He also played for Gingins U11 and for the U11 Wanderers. Upon arrival back in Divonne off the bus, Dylan did 6 laps of his mum’s car with the joy of it. Miracle of miracle, he went the whole time uninjured, perhaps a turning point in his life!

Archer Martin: First Zuoz and find of the tournament Archer. Opened the batting and bowling for Gingins U11 and fielded like a champ too. Look up “unassuming” in the dictionary and there’s a picture of Archer. A pleasure to have in the team, Archer has a keen cricketing brain. Smashed the ball to all corners of the field in the run-chase in our last game vs Basle 2 to secure a nail-biting tie

Alex Bucheli: First Zuoz and another keen little bloke. Played in the Gingins U11s and bowled with distinction. Bats with good technique but needs to get those shoulders working to hit the ball harder. Did so in the last game, hitting some great shots, but was unlucky to get caught. Almost took the catch of the tournament of Basle’s hard-hitting Will Clayton, popped in, popped out again. Good work Alex.

Sebastien Wood: First Zuoz, Sebastien opened our batting with distinction in the Gingins U11 team and was the standout keeper in the U11 tournament. Not easy when balls are flying around – got to work to bowl fewer wides -, he took a couple of good catches behind the wicket but beat himself up unnecessarily when he dropped one. Great team player Seb!

Luca Poynton: Luca’s fourth Zuoz, though only second as a player, he captained the Gingins U11 team well, drawing praise for the way he encouraged his teammates from a number of coaches. After a good first match, he had a shocker with the bat – unlucky to be probably the only U11 player ever to be given out for hitting the ball twice; it just didn’t go Luca’s way. He bowled OK and fielded well. He lost his mojo at some point but came back well and had a great time with his mates

Matthew Shaw: First trip to Zuoz for Matty Shaw, a keen little competitor this bloke. Great fielder, bowler and batsman, Matty contributed well to the Gingins U11 team. Matty made strong contributions throughout, especially with his fast bowling and fielding. Matty gets that steely determined look in his eye and you fear for the opposition sometimes. Like all the kids, great to have him on our team.

Mattia Uras: The second “Matty”, it gets confusing for Mattia and Matthew to know who the Aussie coaches are talking to when we shorten everyone’s names! Mattia’s first trip to Zuoz too and he made a really great contribution in the field, taking an absolute screamer at fine leg off the tournament’s best batsman. He did well with his bowling too, taking a number of key wickets. Like others, he left feeling as though his batting could have gone better but hey ho, that’s the way it goes and overall, a good solid performance.

Ayoush Srikanth: Ayoush’s second Zuoz and again a solid contribution, like last year, with his bowling, taking some key wickets and keeping the number of wides down. Like the other boys, Ayoush struggled with his batting – except in the last game - and fielded well. As always a happy kid who buoys his teammates and makes a good contribution to the team.

Aiden Anderson: First time to Zuoz for Aiden too and he had a good all round performance with both bat and ball. Like all our kids, struggled a bit with wides but can hit it hard and will make more runs in the future once we get him in our new nets and in front of the bowling machine.

Overall, the U11 kids had a fine time of it. There were tears on occasion and disappointment when expectations of defending the trophy won last year didn’t materialize. Some of the kids felt a bit disappointed with some of their performances but hey, that’s cricket and universally all agreed that they had had a good time and all are looking forward to coming again next year; the true measure of success!

Some special mentions:

Individual prizes are given in each age group, decided by the coaches from all the participating Clubs. We were very proud when three of our U11 squad were rewarded for their performances:

Charlie Martin received the Coaches Award for his great effort. Not much higher than the stumps Charlie, he batted with determination and bowled really well too. All U11 coaches recognized Charlie as a bright little talent and were pleased to give him the Coaches Award to encourage him to keep developing his skills.

Sebastian Wood: Though down in the mouth about his keeping at the end of the tournament, Seb did a great job in the coaches’ eyes and was duly rewarded with the Best Wicketkeeper award. Throwing himself left and right, taking balls on the body and never shirking, Seb took two excellent catches and saved loads of byes. A constant encouraging voice to his teammates, Seb was a worthy winner – keep up the good work Seb!

Archer Martin: 10 wickets and very few runs from his bowling, Archer was rewarded with the tournament’s Best Bowler award. Nothing much more to say really – Archer is a terrific little cricketer and we look forward to watching his development.

Under 13 Championship Notes:

Our U13s had an absolute blinder! There were four teams competing for the U13 trophy – Gingins, Zurich, CDL and a Wanderers composite team featuring Gingins and Basle players. Altogether we had eleven of our kids competing in the two teams.

The Under 13 squad comprised encouragingly of a broad range of experienced players as well as players who were new to Zuoz, and in some cases new to Gingins!

Our Gingins U13 team went through all their games undefeated; crushing main rivals Zurich in their round robin match, before a strong win against Zurich again in the Final. The U13 lads were undeniable – look up focused in the dictionary and there’s a picture of our U13 team. All the boys worked super hard in the nets between games and looked after each other terrifically on and off the field. The lads won many friends for the way they played. Great individual performances and strong team spirit saw them easily come out as the strongest team for the tournament. It was a super, focused, terrific effort...really.

Our U13 Wanderers had a great time of it too. They came in 3rd, beating CDL twice and putting up a good show against both Gingins and Zurich. The Wanderers team comprised a good mix of Gingins and Basle players and it was great to see these kids playing and gelling together. Again, it was a great experience for all our Wanderers and this taste of serious tournament cricket will help them challenge for positions in the main team going forward.

Our whole U13 squad – Gingins and Wanderers - did the Tournament and our club proud by making it a point to play in the spirit of the game and yet play hard and competitive cricket.

Here are the notes for each of our U13 players:

George Colville: George continued in Zuoz where he left off at coaching this year, in that his hard work paid off! Bowled and fielded excellently throughout and for the Wanderers excelled in all areas, showing that his cricket has really come on. Rewarded for his hard work by being called up to the Gingins team for the Final and taking two crucial wickets at the right time. A real team player and a pleasure to coach! Seeing George at the team dinner the night prior to the final said it all, as his face lit up on being told he had made the team for the Final!

Anna Colville: Anna was the only girl playing in the whole tournament...the WHOLE tournament across ALL age groups. That’s not easy but Anna didn’t let it stop her playing some top cricket. She showed her great competitive spirit and skills, especially in the bowling and fielding departments, taking the catch of the tournament against her school, CDL – good on you Anna! We hope that following Zuoz Anna can kick on with her cricket and continue to show an improvement in her skills.

Devansh Sachdeva: Devansh is new to the club and slotted in really well, following out team plans and his captains and showing the desire to compete and win. Managed to get some good flight and show that in time he will be able to trouble many more batsman with his “back of the hand” spinners! He gained a lot of experience and we look forward to more from him this coming season and next

Leo “Raffles” Vlassopulos: Leo’s hard work paid off as he managed to translate his passion into some good performances, obtaining his highest score of 17 in a match for the Wanderers – good on you Leo! Always a team player Leo bowled some good lines and was able to show us all that he has much to offer going forward

Iain Macdiarimd: Iain worked hard throughout and through his athleticism and enthusiasm earned a place in the Gingins team for the Final. Played a blinder against CDL, top scoring for Gingins with a fantastic knock that took the game away from CDL. His fielding was tight and bowling pretty economical. Though he did not get the chance to bat or bowl in the Final, his fielding was exceptional, saving a bag of runs and putting serious doubt into the batsman’s minds every time the ball went near him. Iain will have gained loads from the Tournament and we expect him to develop into a regular this and in future seasons.

Thomas Allen: Thomas opened the Tournament in blistering style with three wickets! Batted as if his life dependent on it (great!) and played the shot of the tournament at Under 13, a cracking square cut for 4! Hit the winning run with a top edge four against Zurich and narrowly missed out on the Bowler of the Tournament Award. His spell against Zurich, taking two wickets in the Group game, allowed others to bowl with little pressure and much effect. It restricted Zurich to a paltry total of around 40, which was chased down by Gingins with relative ease. A real role model for the team and someone who really has developed his game – it shows, so well done Thomas!

James Allsop: Mr Cool as we should call him now, James managed to get his timing well and truly sorted as witnessed by his impressive innings against CDL and Zurich on both occasions. In the Final he managed to hit some rasping drives. Backing that up with some tight fielding and bowling and Mr Cool had a great “coming of age” tournament, an experience that puts him in a great place as he moves to our Under 15s team

Rohan Jain: Rohan captained the Gingins team in a professional and sporting way, having the respect of his team and the opposition. Rohan lead from the front, taking 6 wickets with his bowling and batting solidly throughout, being there at the end in the Final with Thomas. We all knew there was no way he was going to let that Final slip away from Gingins! Was the most economical bowler in the competition, with batsman struggling to judge the bounce and variations. Fielded tightly, and took a blinder of a catch and was able to implement very effectively our team game plans.

Jelle Veenstra: 10000% passion from our Under 13 South African! What a tournament for Jelle, bowling quick and aggressively (knocking over a few established batsman with his trademark short one!), as well giving away nothing in the field. Jelle’s batting was a joy to watch, with him filling the role of pinch hitter brilliantly, setting up Gingins for many a victory. Clearly enjoyed the role of opening with James. Sent a clear signal to Readers that he loves their bats! Great job Jelle!

John Cumberland: The keeper of the Tournament John, who had many a coach talking about him. Stopped numerous runs and went about his business in his normal busy way! Did not get too many opportunities to bat but when required stepped up and followed team orders and kept the scoreboard ticking over. A real team player, John showed us all that hard work in practice can be turned into great performances in matches. Well done John!

Will Robinson: Find of the Tournament! Will amazed us all, not least himself, with his great results. He was quite simply, amazing! With his perfect throwing arm he saved numerous runs down at backward of square on the leg side. He topped that with a tight spell of bowling in the two games against Zurich, as well as some top and powerful hitting in all games, dispatching the bowlers to all parts! Fantastic attitude and a real joy to have in the team, Will clearly benefitted from his approach to the game.

Again, some special mentions:

We were very proud when three of our U13 squad were rewarded for their performances:

Anna Colville – Best Fielder of the Tournament which given the super high quality of skills on display really was no small feat! We’ve already mentioned that Anna was the only girl in U11, U13, U15 or U17 and we shouldn’t underestimate the added pressure that puts on a young player. Really – well done Anna, we were very proud of your grit and determination!

Rohan Jain – Bowler of the U13 Tournament for the second year in a row! Brilliant really from Ro who has added steel to his attitude this year and is producing great results. His caught and bowled was one of the magic moments of the U13 tournament.

Jelle Veenstra - What to say about Jelle? Dedication and hard work at training paid off in buckets. Jelle challenged for the Player of the Tournament award for his lethal bowling and strong fielding but his batting was the standout – aggressive yet patient, steely eyed focus and determination producing runs galore. No surprises when he picked up the Best Batsman of the U13 Tournament award. Well done lad!

Dylan Cleaveley - Dylan didn’t win any official award but he gets a “No Flies” Award from his Gingins coaches for two key reasons. We mentioned above that Dylan put his hand up for the U13 Wanderers keeper role and the first reason for his No Flies award is that he did a cracking job the little bloke. The second reason is – again mentioned above – that Dylan managed to avoid hurting himself throughout the tournament – an incredible achievement really – for goodness sakes, keep it up Dylan!

Under 15 Championship Notes:

Lastly, the U15s. Our seven Gingins U15 lads were joined by Ruwan Jayakody from Basle U15s. Ruwan is one of the best U15 cricketers in Switzerland, excellent with bat, ball and in the field, so he was a very handy addition to the team.

There were three U15 teams – Gingins, Zurich and Cossonay – and the format was that each team played each other twice with the winning team then playing an invitational game vs the U17 Lyceum team.

The U15 lads were superb. They battled hard against tough opposition the whole time – there were no easy games. They won 3 of their 4 games and their loss to Zurich goes down for many of us as their best game. Again, again, again it was the Gingins team spirit combined with hard fighting skills that saw us win through. That was probably best exemplified in that loss to Zurich. All our boys fought and battled, not giving in and forcing the Zurich lads to work overtime for their victory. Over all of the matches, each and every Gingins player contributed and that determination saw us win both of our matches on the second day to clinch the Tournament trophy – so proud of the lads.

They then went on to score a good win over the U17 Lyceum team – another great result! Each of the U15 lads can feel well proud in their achievement.

Here are our player notes for the U15 lads:

Vince “Graeme Smith” Williamson: Vince started the tournament well on the first day but soon developed a fierce temperature. By the 2nd game he was as sick as a dog with a temp >40. He had a “Graeme Smith” moment though when he said “stuff it” and went out to play nonetheless, keeping and bowling well and being our last batsmen in with Simon, fighting hard to deny Zurich the win. Inspiring stuff from Vince and though he and Lindsey travelled home Sunday morning, they were with us the whole way in spirit and via Twitter. Great team player Vince, soul of the team.

Simon Pearce: Simon’s batting – when he wasn’t getting run out – shone during the tournament. His fighting 16 no vs Zurich in the 2nd game (the one we lost) was played against super bowling. Simon never looked like getting out! Tight in the field and though he bowled few overs, again, Simon, like Vince is a key part of the U15 team – Simon epitomises the Spirit of Cricket!

Abhishek Srikanth: Never short of a word Abhishek, he is constantly encouraging team mates and building our great team spirit. Didn’t get much chance to bat or bowl but when he did he fought hard. Catching practice in order Abhishek but full marks for the spirit in which he plays and the support he constantly brings to the Club.

Ruwan Jayakody: What to say about Ruwan? How we wish he lived in Gingins! A terrific young lad, humble but with excellent cricket skills – batting, bowling and fielding – Ruwan put on a great display in all aspects of the game. His catch to dismiss Jai Singh in the Cossonay match up there with the best catches of the tournament. Took five wickets and scored a large bag full of runs, Ruwan was a great addition to our squad.

Aidan Andrews: Young Aidan! Despite something odd hanging from his left ear, how Aidan has come on as a cricketer! Batted beautifully in opening the innings in each game, he scored 52no to retire in the first match vs Cossonay and a bag full of runs in every other game too. Bowled well – a little short on occasion – and contributed well in the field too. Just a pleasure to have on our team; loved by all his team mates.

Ale Poynton: Ale captained the team with distinction, especially given he had a very bad back injury throughout the tournament. He was severely limited in his ability to move but played each game, fielding well and most importantly, bowling beautifully, very few wides while taking 7 crucial wickets in the tournament and another two in the game vs the Lyceum. Batting was a downer but a key part of our great team spirit.

Floris Winckel: Floris is an U13 player but stepped up to play U15s. He struggled to get consistency in his bowling but batted beautifully and under great pressure – which is when he thrives – in the second game vs Cossonay which we held on to win by a single wicket. Again, as always, fielded well and as always, made a strong contribution to the team spirit.

Alasdair Macdiarmid: Alasdair played for CDL in the U15 tournament last year so he has now won two U15 titles in a row! Alasdair played a vital role in all our games, alternating the keeping with Vince and bowling his tricky left arm pace. Batted really well with Simon in that losing game vs Zurich, setting the tone for our strong fighting loss. A quiet, unassuming bloke, Alasdair, like all our team, plays in with the Gingins spirit and contributes strongly to the overall team spirit that plays such a strong part in us achieving beyond expectations.

Special mentions for the U15s:

Ruwan Jayakody, with 5 wickets, about 130 runs and some superb fielding duly won the Player of the Tournament award. Thanks for your contribution Ruwan.

Aidan Andrews – Best Batsman award. Aidan batted beautifully throughout the tournament and in two games since he’s retired not out to have an average of 105! New nickname – the Don!

Ale Poynton – Best Bowler. Ale’s 7 wickets came despite real pain in his back. He was unlucky not to get more with some dropped catches off his bowling. He got good swing, bounce and turn and got two more wickets vs the U17s.

We should also mention Rohan Jain and Thomas Allen who stood in with Vince’s absence. Both lads made strong contributions in the games they played – Ro hitting the winning run with one wicket left vs Cossonay and Thomas, after a nervous first over, bowling well vs Zurich. James Allsop gets a mention too for fielding for one over whilst Ale was getting treatment on his back!

So...that’s the story of the cricket and the cricketers.

The real story of the weekend was the togetherness we all experienced. On the Saturday and Sunday evenings we all had dinner together. Saturday was a bit difficult as the U15s finished late but Sunday evening was a real celebration for the Club. The U15s had won their tournament by then so we gave them all many rousing cheers – remembering Vince and Lindsey too!

The U13s were psyched for their Final on the Monday and the U11s were just having a fine time. The parents were all together and the girls did us a dance as did, surprisingly, the boys. It was just a great family experience for everyone.

With the cricket all done for another year, we all headed home; bus, train and car. We were too many to all travel together and next year more folk might prefer the train/car option as the bus takes a bit long. But the time spent together in Zuoz really was magic. 31 cricketers, 60 family members, 25 matches, two Championship trophies, 9 individual awards, smiles all around. It doesn’t get any better and quite simply, we can't wait until next year to make the journey again.

Win, lose or draw, Zuoz is buzz, it is fizz, it is special, it really is magical. 91 Gingins players and family members will testify that the pixie dust was scattered in abundance and our lives are the richer for it – not one of our participants will want to miss going again in 2013.

Wallow away people; it was a great weekend; well done everyone!

Gingins U13 player, Thomas Allen, is setting off on a marathon 800 km hike to raise money for the Chance to Dream Foundation.

Thomas is starting his walk on the Atlantic at St Jean-de-Luz on June 24th and will cross the highest peaks of the Pyrenees to end on the beach on the Mediterranean ay Banjul.

The Haute Route des Pyrenees is an “installment” walk and Thomas will complete the first week (approx. 110 km) this year, picking up at the exact same place next year to continue the trek. It will take 5 years to complete. A GPS tracker will monitor his progress for all sponsors whom he would like to thank in advance for their support to the Chance to Dream Foundation.

We are very happy to announce that we have signed our first ever sponsorship deal!

The Crowne Plaza Geneva, a wonderful hotel near Geneva Airport (click on the hotel logo to visit their Homepage), has agreed to be our Gold Sponsor for season 2012. The hotel has agreed to contribute CHF5,000 in season 2012 toward new equipment. We will use this money to buy two sets of nets for the Gingins Centre Sportif. The sponsorship deal also includes a new "We Play as a Team" banner, 8 nights accommodation for visiting coaches and 4 Board room hires for our Committee meetings.

The Crowne Plaza Geneva sponsorship means that we can use our pre-existing funds to buy a rollout wicket and other much needed equipment. In short, it's terrific!

The Crowne Plaza has provided great support to our GCC raffle in the past two years by offering a dinner for 2 in their La Recolte restaurant, a very fine dining experience. When I thanked Cypert Schwartz, the hotel General Manager, for his support to the raffle, he said "Well, we could do more" and that was all the encouragement we needed to open discussions around a possible sponsorship arrangement.

Those discussions led to this great deal and we hope that it can be a win:win for the Club and the Hotel. We hope that all of our parents who work in the Geneva region will consider sending business to the hotel - room nights, events, meals - to send them the message that we really appreciate their support.

The Club would like to thank the Crowne Plaza Geneva for this very generous sponsorship and we look forward to wearing the Hotel logo on our Gingins CC shirts this year!