MIKE BANKS- left hand bat, left arm pace. Being the first team captain, and the fact he has ginger hair, 'Banksy' is the butt of many a joke. Mike also has endless nick names such as "flicker" and "mixed bag". A first change bowler who bats in the lower order, Mike is capable of turning a game. A former Ashton Single Wicket winner. 1999 first tam player of the year.
TOM ARCHER- right hand bat, right arm fast. Tom was the 1998 first team player of the year and it is not hard to see why. An aggresive batsman (34 sixes last year) who bats at number six and is opening bowler, Tom has practised with Worcestershire. Brother Will is also more than useful with both bat and ball.
MAT COPE- right hand bat, right arm medium. Matty is one of the characters of the second team and despite not being the most athletic of men is one of the safest pair of hands in the club. First/second change bowler who bowls either over or around Matty is famous for appealing 'How's that uncle Jack?'. Mats batting is never boring, he is either out very quickly or he is hitting the leather off the ball. He is a cult hero and the song 'Matty, Matty, the little man with the tellow hat' is never far away.
JASON HAINES- right hand bat, wicketkeeper. Starting playing regularly at 15 as a spin bowler before taking up the gloves in '91 after admitting that fielding was "boring". Was the second eleven player of the year in '92. Jas usually takes more stumpings than catches. Solid bat who opened when the first won the first division in 1996.
DOM CAPALDI- right hand bat, occassional wicketkeeper, occasional right arm medium. Having been captain of Evesham rugby club, "Big bad Dom" brings much of the rugby banter to the cricket field. He loves thinking up fines for everyone except himself. Has scored an unbeaten 183, a record score for the seconds, and taken 5 wickets in a match.
LES WEBB- right hand bat, left arm slow. Joined Ashton from Fladbury in 1991 and has captained both first and second league teams. Les is always reliable for 40 or 50 wickets a season. In his first year he took 75.
RICH WOOD- right hand bat, right arm fast. Best described as a match winner, if only he could play regularly on a Saturday. When batting there are very few maiden overs (has won the big hit trophy three times) and his batting, like his bowling, can destroy a team.
STUART HODGES- left hand bat, left arm slow. One of the genuine nice guys. Opens and captains the Sunday firsts. Stuart has one of the stranger batting actions due to the fact that he struggles to see the ball. Bowls occassionally and often appeals for LBW before apologising to the batsman saying "sorry but I haven't had a wicket yet this year!!". Stuarts tactical awareness is brilliant, slowing the game down by positioning himself fine leg both ends.
DAVE HUDSON WOOD- right hand bat, occasional leg break bowler. On his day, very classy with the bat. Dave's best season to date came in 1991 when he scored 1225 runs, including 600 in five games. A former player of the year on several occasions, Dave has one of the weirdest bowling actions you are likely to see (this has been copied by Chris Chandler).
THE NEWMAN TWINS- right hand bats, right arm turners. The terrible twins have played for Ashton since the age of 15. Can often be heard arguing who is the better cricketer, one thing is for certain, neither of them could catch a cold!. Always willing to help out when Banksy is strugguling for a team. James has taken 5 wickets in a game and Julian 5 ducks in five innings (although he has had has a 50 to his name.
ROBBIE HAWKER- left hand bat, left arm medium. Ashton stalwart, must have played for more than 40 years. Has captained both firsts and seconds and is heavily involved in the running of the club. Robbie has scored hundreds but now drops down the order. Robs niggiling line and length still causes problems for batsmen in the premier division.
PETE AUSTIN- right hand bat, occasional right arm spinner. The second team captain, Pete often has a job to go through 45 overs fielding without a fag!!!. He has also been known to wear one of those African Safari hats with a built in fan when in the field. A powerful hitter of the ball Pete forced his way into the first team last year.
DARREN HAINES- right hand bat, right arm medium. The youngest Haines. Daz had trials for Gloucstershire under 16s. Scores runs elegantly off the middle of the bat. Doesn't bowl as much as he used to but still retirned figures of 2-7 last year.
STEVE FLETCHER- right hand bat, right arm medium. Opening bowler for the seconds, if Steve doesn't get any runs he will get you wickets. Steve could be described as not the keenest of fielders.
LES HAINES- right hand bat, right arm medium. Another stalwart who has given more than 40 years of service. Les has taken wickets for which ever team he has played for. Also more than useful with the bat with several scores in the 90s.
MARTIN HALL- right hand bat, right arm fast. Joined in '95 after some "ear bending" from his next door neighbour, the second XI captain. Brisk and bouncy with the ball, Martin has added some stability to the lower order.
JAMES BAYLIS- right hand bat, right arm medium. James always talks a good game but often fails to deliver. Caused much amusement by driving into the back of Banksy on the way to a game.
ALAN NORCOTT- right hand bat, right arm medium. Joined last year and became second team player of the year in his first season. Very tidy bowler, solid bat, safe hands, good clubman. Qualified umpire, Brentford fan!!!!!
PETE HANCOCK- right hand bat, right arm medium. Very enthusiastic in the field (thinks he is 20, not 40!). This explains why he generally pulls a muscle every game he plays. Did not play in 99 due to a hernia.
STUART BUCKLEY- right hand bat, right arm leggie. Stu loves his cricket. A very good fielder he could often be heard last year, after taking a catch, saying "that's another 10 points fo my fantasy league team". His leg spin can be deadly if on the right length and he adds vluable runs in the lower middle order.
RICH COOPER- left hand bat, left arm medium. First team opening bat, Rich must have been close to the first team player of the year last year. Not only does he score a lot of runs and take wickets when needed but he is very quick in the field.
CHRIS CHANDLER- right hand bat. Burst on to the scene with an unbeaten 61 whilst still a junior. Chris is a pretty good fielder but still insists that he could become a great bowler. Don't give up your day job!.
DAVE WHEATLEY- right hand bat, occasional right arm slow. Decided to join Ashton from Badsey just days after ripping out ashtons middle order in a mid week match. Dave now mainly concentrates on his batting and is a reserve wicketkeeper.
RICH KEEN- right hand bat, wicketkeeper. Dad retired after a dubious LBW decision, a week after an unbeaten 117. Consistantly scored a lot of runs and took a lot of catches. I always bowl better when he kept wicket and I love to remind him that the only time we batted together that it wa me that scored both the runs in our partnership of 2. I am stil trying to get him to play again.
ALI KEEN- right hand bat, right arm medium. I have played since the age of 14. I took 8-18 when I was 16 and have done nothing since. Proudest moment was getting man of the match for 14 not out and 1-25, we lost by roughly 200!.
