Fair Oak look set for a return to Southern Premier League cricket next year on the strength of vastly improved pitch marks at their Lapstone Park ground this season.
Demoted twelve months earlier when marks were so low the ground lost its accreditation altogether, Oaks swept all before them in the Hampshire League this summer, winning every one of their 16 matches.
They took the County Division 1 title by storm and, subject to rubbing stamping at the Premier League’s annual meeting later this month, Oaks will return to Division 3 cricket in 2016.
Fair Oak’s performances on the field – culminating in opener Ed Kemp and paceman Andy Mash finishing top of the Hampshire League batting and bowling charts, respectively – came on the back of a lot of hard work to knock the ground back into shape.
Captain Mash, who took 38 wickets in Oak’s title triumph, said: I’m not too sure on the exact work that took place, but we brought in help from Ian Tulk (from the Ageas Bowl) while Tony Oxley returned to the area after two years working away in Belgium.
“These two were instrumental in helping the pitch get back to old ways.
“Even though we felt hard done by last year, we did concede that the pitch wasn’t up to previous Fair Oak pitch standards and with a lot of hard work from both Tulk and Oxley, plus further assistance from all club members, we are delighted with how the pitch performed and looked this past season.
“I think the evidence showed with the amount of runs scored on the Lapstone pitch.
“Not only did it give all teams a great pitch to play on, it also gave our batsmen confidence that they may have lacked in the previous year.”
Once stumps were drawn on the 2015 season, the Hampshire Cricket Board’s accreditation team inspected Lapstone Park and provided a favourable report recommending Fair Oak’s re-admittance to the Premier League.
Fair Oak, who pick up their County Division 1 awards at the HCL presentation dinner on Friday week, don’t intend to rest on their laurels from this summer’s successes when all four of their adult teams won promotion.
“The on-going plans with the pitch continue so that we can keep up and improve on the good standards we set this season,” Mash added.
“We were delighted only see one player leave last season - it could easily have been a fair few more - with the calibre of our players attracting interest from other local clubs.
“The vast majority of our team consisted of Fair Oak players that have come through the youth set up at the club, and we are all very proud of that.
“Numerous games this summer, ten out of the 11 players had come through the youth teams.”
Fair Oak will be accompanied into Southern Premier League Division 3 next term by County Division 1 runners-up Ryde.
The 2016 league programme will begin on Saturday May 7.
Demoted twelve months earlier when marks were so low the ground lost its accreditation altogether, Oaks swept all before them in the Hampshire League this summer, winning every one of their 16 matches.
They took the County Division 1 title by storm and, subject to rubbing stamping at the Premier League’s annual meeting later this month, Oaks will return to Division 3 cricket in 2016.
Fair Oak’s performances on the field – culminating in opener Ed Kemp and paceman Andy Mash finishing top of the Hampshire League batting and bowling charts, respectively – came on the back of a lot of hard work to knock the ground back into shape.
Captain Mash, who took 38 wickets in Oak’s title triumph, said: I’m not too sure on the exact work that took place, but we brought in help from Ian Tulk (from the Ageas Bowl) while Tony Oxley returned to the area after two years working away in Belgium.
“These two were instrumental in helping the pitch get back to old ways.
“Even though we felt hard done by last year, we did concede that the pitch wasn’t up to previous Fair Oak pitch standards and with a lot of hard work from both Tulk and Oxley, plus further assistance from all club members, we are delighted with how the pitch performed and looked this past season.
“I think the evidence showed with the amount of runs scored on the Lapstone pitch.
“Not only did it give all teams a great pitch to play on, it also gave our batsmen confidence that they may have lacked in the previous year.”
Once stumps were drawn on the 2015 season, the Hampshire Cricket Board’s accreditation team inspected Lapstone Park and provided a favourable report recommending Fair Oak’s re-admittance to the Premier League.
Fair Oak, who pick up their County Division 1 awards at the HCL presentation dinner on Friday week, don’t intend to rest on their laurels from this summer’s successes when all four of their adult teams won promotion.
“The on-going plans with the pitch continue so that we can keep up and improve on the good standards we set this season,” Mash added.
“We were delighted only see one player leave last season - it could easily have been a fair few more - with the calibre of our players attracting interest from other local clubs.
“The vast majority of our team consisted of Fair Oak players that have come through the youth set up at the club, and we are all very proud of that.
“Numerous games this summer, ten out of the 11 players had come through the youth teams.”
Fair Oak will be accompanied into Southern Premier League Division 3 next term by County Division 1 runners-up Ryde.
The 2016 league programme will begin on Saturday May 7.
