Will Cutlan-Smyth, Captain of St John’s Cricket, explains why he got involved with St John’s Cricket Club, and encourages others to give it a try.
My name is Will, and I am the captain of St John’s College Cricket Club this academic year.
St John’s College CC is a relaxed, fun and friendly club welcoming players of all abilities. All members of college are free to get involved in the club, where they will be able to train and play games against other colleges without the significant commitment associated with playing sport for the university.
SJCCC only really gets started in Epiphany term, where we start to prepare and practice for our games in the summer. During Epiphany we train once a week (7-8pm on a Wednesday in the indoor nets at Maiden Castle) and have five indoor fixtures across the term. Indoor cricket is a 6-a-side game, played in a sports hall with rules quite different to normal cricket outside. This year we are in the First Division of the Indoor League, and have had a promising start to the season, winning our first game again Hild Bede in January.
Obviously, however, the summer term is the main term for the club, with most of our games (hard ball) happening after the exam period. We train twice a week outdoors (weather permitting) and play T20 fixtures against a range of colleges as part of the College Sport Cricket League.
Sometimes, we also arrange friendly weekend matches with local clubs. For example, a highlight of last season was our 35-over friendly fixture against local side, the ‘Victory Blasters.’ It was a great event, and we were even offered curry in the innings interval (which made the loss slightly easier to swallow!)
I will also be trying to organise a couple of social events in the summer term. For example, I am looking into organising a club trip to watch Durham County Cricket Club at Chester-le-Street in the T20 Blast. The social scene at the club is very relaxed, and everyone is welcome to get involved as much as they want to (drinkers and non-drinkers alike). For example, last year, following a great victory against Butler, we had a team curry in Durham followed by a few pints in John’s Bar. It was a great night, and a really good way to celebrate the end of the exam season!
For me personally, I got involved in the club as a fresher. I play quite a lot of cricket at home, and therefore SJCCC was an obvious choice for me. I have loved my time as a member and captain of the club so far. There’s a great culture where everyone is welcomed, and enjoyment is prioritised. However, most importantly, joining SJCCC (and all of the college societies) is a great way to meet new people in college from across the year groups.
If you are interested in joining, check out our Facebook page (St John’s College Cricket Club) or drop me an email at wzjv75@durham.ac.uk. We’re always looking for new players, whether you’re an experienced cricketer or simply want to try a new sport. We also welcome social members!
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