Once you've prepared your cricket stick there are some things that should always and never be done to make sure the bat lasts awhile. To begin, extremely hot weather can be detrimental to all cricket gear. Be careful not to use cheap cricket balls with your higher quality cricket bats. Always store your bat in a cool, dry place, away from moisture. Do not over-oil your bat. And if it happens to get wet, always dry immediately. Also, one should always keep the bat in as close to its original condition as possible. If it is used often, keep it well-oiled, about every three weeks.

Another common practice in cricket is the facing of your cricket bat. Facing is described as a thin, polyurethane sheet placed on the sides, edges and the face. Facing is always under discussion as some find it essential to the life of your bat and others feel it can be harmful to your bat. Some manufacturers feel it protects those areas and other think it affects ping and weight of the bat. The good news is that the material used to face today is much thinner and lighter than it used to be.

In conclusion, it is imperative that one cares correctly for their Cricket stores near me and follows the essential instructions, this will ensure that the cricket bat leads a long life. Cricket can be an expensive game if one is constantly replacing their essential cricket gear.

Talking to Vic Clarke, born in Freshwater around 1916, I got some idea of the path of cricket in the West Wight, and how we have arrived at the current club, West Island C.C. Vic was an avid player of all sports especially cricket and football. When at School he was not only the captain but also in charge of selecting the team, and went on to captain the Island representative side. In the winters he would play football, and he ended up being paid to play for Cowes football club. Due to work commitments and having a job on the mainland he went on to play cricket for Cowes, before leaving the Island. Before the war, he remembers cricket games taking place at Totland Recreation ground on a grass wicket. One of his memories was that whilst they had stopped for tea one afternoon, the players glanced out across the wicket and could see a mound of earth rising from the ground below. A mole in action. From minutes taken in 1948, of a West Wight Cricket Club meeting, there is reference to an inquiry into the cost of having the moles removed from Totland Recreation ground. They were obviously a major problem before and after the war.

Although Vic can't remember the name of the cricket club through those years, I have been lent a book containing the minutes from West Wight Cricket Club. Formed in 1948 they unfortunately finished in 1957. The minutes begin "That the Freshwater & Totland C.C be reformed under the name West Wight Cricket Club". SO before 1948 there was a Freshwater and Totland Club, that existed, but we are not sure if that was the original club that went back to before the war or quite when it was formed or indeed when it ceased to function.

West Wight Cricket Club in 1948 was looking at various options of where they were going to call home. They were looking into the possibility of playing at Totland Recreation ground, Mr Starke was offering a field at Brambles, Mr Ramsden of Kings Home was willing to plough up some of his land to make a wicket. Miss Lewis of Camp Lodge also offered use of a field. However, in August, the Club decided to set about laying a concrete Strip at Totland Rec.Come Sept 1948, they had received an offer from The Norton Chalet Hotel, to use the grounds there. This was accepted. The team would play its usual fixtures there, plus on Sundays they would play a team made up from the holiday makers. After the game, all of the players were invited to the evening meal, and encouraged to stay on for the Dance and entertainment that the Hotel put on. Around this time, 1948, Mr Richard Hutchins, was lodging in Avenue Road, and having an interest in cricket he managed to find the cricket team and indeed played a few games. He was an avid writer of letters to his fiancé and in them has recalled some of the games he played.

A photograph believed to have been taken around this time has been donated to me by his wife Mrs Elizabeth Hutchins. Mr R.Hutchins is second from the left back row, but unfortunately Vic Clarke could not identify anybody else from the photo. It is believed that Mr Hutchins did not play any cricket after leaving the Island, and that is why it is assumed it is of West Wight C.C. Some other historical memorabilia has also survived, including two West Wight C.C caps and a large flag which was flown during home games at Stroud. The owner of the Hotel was very much into his cricket and there was talk about having a pavilion built, but things changed and soon the club was looking for another home again. This time they were looking at moving to Stround playing field.