Following the release of the ECB’s guidelines for the safe use of outdoor cricket facilities, we’ve been working hard to come up with a plan that will allow players to begin to use the facilities at Chesterton.
Here is some general guidance, along with more specific instructions relating to what must happen during these training sessions. A B&NOCC representative has to be present at all sessions. For the beginning of this process this will be either Ryan Moore, Dan Murphy or Gary Sansome. Their instructions must be followed.
You will also find a list of FAQs that will hopefully answer any questions you may have. If you have a question that isn’t answered here or wish to provide any feedback, you can contact a Committee Member via bnocc.com.
Outside of this guidance, a few key points are:
- Players are encouraged to book nets in pairs, with both players batting and bowling where possible. This will both maximise the number of players able to access training, and allow us to get used to how the system works before introducing resources such as the bowling machine. You can use the Club WhatsApp group to find a willing companion if necessary.
- You must be a member of B&NOCC to use the facilities; non-members aren’t covered by our insurance. Social Memberships are £15, or you can pay a half-season subscription in the hope of some games later in the Summer. Membership forms are here.
- This booking system is currently only open to senior members. This is to allow us to embed the practices and procedures outlined here. Once we are confident how everything works in practice, we will open up additional sessions to junior players.
- The success of this system and any ramping up of practice opportunities is dependent on the Club and its members being able to show we are using the facilities and equipment safely, responsibly and in line with these guidelines.
- B&NOCC will not condone any use of the cricket facilities at Chesterton outside of the stated opening hours. These Club guidelines are in place to make sure that members are able to practice at B&NOCC whilst remaining within the ECB guidelines.
Please read them before making a booking. They will also be displayed on the BNOCC website.
Our online booking system can be found here. Please remember to complete a membership form and send payment to the B&NOCC account prior to making any bookings.
Today the ECB have released guidelines for the safe use of outdoor cricket facilities in groups of no more than two people, and in line with existing social distancing rules issued by the Government.
The ECB have stated that ‘outdoor facilities should only re-open if those responsible for them are ready to do so’. At this moment in time we are not ready, and so the facilities at B&NOCC MUST NOT be used.
Prior to today’s announcement work had already begun to plan for the safe re-opening of the facilities in the expectation of receiving guidance we were able to do so.
We need a few days to ensure our plans are in line with the ECB guidelines, and to ensure we are able to provide all necessary PPE etc. before we can share these plans with you.
Thanks you for your continued patience, and we hope to have something in place very soon.
B&NOCC members will put the club on the map – literally – to raise money for the club and for a local Coronavirus Helpers and Supporters group.
Members of the Club’s Strava group will use the GPS tracking app and their daily exercise next week to spell out ‘Bicester & North Oxford CC’ on the road and paths in and around Bicester.
Any money raised will be split between the support group and the Club, so if you’d like to find out more about the group, and/or contribute a couple of quid, you can do so here. There’s a ‘Share’ option on the Go Fund Me page, so why not send it out to your friends and family?
Will anyone be able to topple reiging champions ‘Quarantina Turner’ in this Saturday’s instalment of the B&NOCC Zoom Quiz?
Starting at 7pm on May 2nd, the theme of this week’s quiz is ‘A-Z’ so only a basic knowledge of the alphabet is required.
Join the fun using the link below:
And use:
Meeting ID: 482 294 3051
Password: BNOCC
For those unfamiliar with Zoom, it’s an online video conferencing tool. There’s no need to download anything (although you can if you like), and the set up instructions are simple to follow.
Following today’s Government announcement that the public should avoid non-essential contact, we’ve taken the decision to cancel the remaining Junior and Senior winter nets at The Cooper School.
This decision will help protect B&NOCC’s players, their families and their friends from the Coronavirus.
Thanks for understanding, and there’ll be more to follow as the situation develops.
Updates will be shared via our Facebook page, Twitter and here on the website.
The 2019 season has drawn to a close, and it’s been another successful one for B&NOCC.
Having secured the Division 7 title the previous week, the 2nd XI ended on a high with a resounding 7-wicket home win over East Oxford, depriving the visiting side of promotion at the same time.
The 1st XI fell to defeat at Division 2 winners Cropredy, but that result had no bearing on the final promotion places in that division, as Banbury’s thumping of Minster Lovell confirmed their promotion back to Division 1.
A fourth place finish and taking the promotion battle to the final game of the season no doubt represents another successful season for the side, but they’ll look back at dropped points – in particular losses to the bottom two clubs – and wonder what might’ve been had their performances been more consistent.
The 3rd XI finished the season with a comprehensive 120-run win against 3rd placed Chearsley, confirming their own fourth place finish – their highest for many years. The game will be remembered as the one in which George James notched his first century for the club, his 141 out of our 293 proving far too much for Chearsley. Let’s hope it’s the first of many.
The 2nd XI secured the Cherwell League Division 7 title yesterday with a thrilling 6-run victory over fellow promotion-chasers Minster Lovell.
We got off to a nightmare start batting first, losing Nick Moorman, Steve Handley and Jack Johnson for just one run each as we slumped to 17-3.
But Sam Baker top-scored with a crucial 47, and Matt Collins, Mark Adams and extras scored 35 apiece as we recovered to set Lovell a target of 178.
The hosts got off to a steady start with an opening wicket stand of 58, and kept up with the run rate despite losing wickets regularly, with Sam, Kishan Dave and Justin Colley claiming two wickets each.
Lovell looked well-set at 151-5 and with 27 required from the final 4 overs, but two quick wickets for Kish and Justin took the wind out of their sails, and despite an expensive penultimate over that saw them creep within 15 runs of victory, Matt Clark kept his composure and restricted Lovell to 8 runs to clinch victory and promotion.
To put the icing on the cake, news soon filtered through that East Oxford – the only side who could possibly have overtaken us at the top – had been bowled out for just 103 in pursuit of Witney Mills’s 125, meaning that whatever happens next week, the 2nd XI are Division 7 Champions.
The team photo above, courtesy of Matt Hancock, was taken prior to the team’s victory over Didcot on August 24th.
After defeat to Minster Lovell themselves, the 1st XI will need to beat Division 2 table-toppers Cropredy away on Saturday, and cross their fingers that other results go their way if they’re to make it a double promotion. And the 3rd XI are guaranteed their highest Division 10 finish for many a year regardless of what happens next week, but could finish as high as third if they beat Chearsley.
The 2nd XI continue to fly the flag for B&NOCC, sitting proudly atop Cherwell Division 7 with four league games to go.
Should they finish the season in the top two, 2020 would be the first season the 2nd XI have played outside of Division 7 since 2006.
After a strong start to the season, the 1st XI go in to the final set of win/lose games in Division 2 in 5th place, but with only 22 points between 5th and 2nd – and with a host of games still to be played between the top five – there’s still a chance they could be in the promotion mix come September 7th. The 3rd XI sit in 4th place in Division 10, and while promotion now seems beyond them, they’ll be aiming for a highest finish since they were relegated to the division in 2010.
The Club’s senior sides made a good start to the season, with the 2nd and 3rd XI’s both recording three wins out of four to finish the month in third place in their respective divisions, while the 1st XI’s two wins and two losses sees them go in to the last early-season win-lose game in fourth.
Adam Stapleford-Jones and Markus Jeacock (pictured) got their fledgling opening partnership off to a flying start as the 1st XI notched two 10-wicket wins against Horspath and Wolverton, before defeats to Aston Rowant and Banbury gave them a dose of Division 2 reality. Ben Clark is currently top of the Division 2 wicket-takers table with 11, including 5-17 v Wolverton.
Oliver Ward started the season with an unbeaten century for the 2nd XI, with Haris Naeem also in the runs. Ward has also claimed six wickets, with five each for Tom Avery, Paul Jeacock and Steve Conway.
Runs for Stevyn Jackson and Richard Morris and wickets for Joe Conway, Zara Wyatt and Lee James has helped the 3rds to the best start out of the club’s senior sides, before defeat to Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts last weekend.
The Club’s pre-season ‘proper’ got underway with a pair of home wins against Westbury on Saturday.
Adam Stapleford-Jones (pictured) top-scored with 76 which, along with 41 each for Matt Chilton and Dan Savin, saw the 1st XI post 200.
Tight bowling from Savin (2-24), Ben Clark (1-17) ,Tom Avery (1-36) and Danny Clark (3-24), and a steady fall of wickets meant that Westbury were never really in the hunt.
On the second pitch, Shahin Ali’s 4-28 and two wickets each for debutants Sam Baker (2-37) and Dan Seager (2-32) saw Westbury’s second string dismissed for 171, with Steve Handley (73*) and Mark Adams (53) making short work of the chase, helping the 2nds to overhaul their rivals’ target with 10 overs to spare.