The Cricketer looks at a selection of the stories from around the club cricket scene
Maiden century for Mustafa
Mustafa Fahd had a Saturday to remember for Glasgow Accies Second XI (Anniesland), scoring his maiden senior century for the club.
The Under-15s batter came in at No.4 against Galloway 2nd XI in the Western District Cricket Union Division 4, batting from the ninth over until close.
He passed fifty in the 28th over – also a first for the youngster – before ramping up his scoring in the final few overs with a flurry of boundaries.
Heading into the final three balls, the youngster had 89 runs to his name but wasn't content with passing just one batting milestone and proceeded to smash two fours and a three to reach three-figures off the final delivery.
Fahd finished the innings on 100 not out from 103 balls, including 10 fours, and Anniesland closed on 191. Galloway were bowled out for 91 to seal a 100-run win.
Young Mustafa Fahd [with thanks]
Tom Morton's manic weekend
Grassroots cricket only survives thanks to the tireless commitment of players, members and volunteers to give up every weekend – and often several evenings in between – throughout the summer.
However, last weekend, Tom Morton took that dedication to the extreme.
At 6am on Saturday morning, he began the Salty Sea Dog Triathlon in Bournemouth – a 750m swim, 23km bike ride and 5km run – before driving 30 miles to Salisbury to represent South Wilts against Bashley in the ECB Southern Premier League.
During the match, he scored 110 runs (13 fours, two sixes) – his 20th Southern Premier League century – and shared a a 127-run second-wicket stand with fellow triathlete Jack Mynott (60). He then kept wicket for 57.3 overs and took two catches to help his side to a 125-run victory.
24 hours later, he was behind the boundary rope in his capacity as head coach of Wiltshire for their NCCA 50-over Trophy clash with Buckinghamshire. Wiltshire lost by six wickets after being bowled out for 187.
You can only wonder what he has planned for this weekend...
Loose CC fold in centenary year
2022 should have been a landmark year for Loose CC, with the club celebrating 100 years since its formation back in 1922.
Unfortunately, this year will be remembered by members for a very different reason, with the Maidstone-based club resigning from the Kent Village League due to a shortage of players
It's been a slow death for the Kent club who were forced to leave their home ground, at Old Drive, in the early 2000s and subsequently lost the Clubmark status which they had worked so hard for three years earlier.
As a result, their 50-strong junior membership was lost to surrounding clubs and without a conveyor belt of players coming through, the player availability issues which have plagued the club in recent seasons were unavoidable.
Former club chairman and president, Cyril Davey, told Kent Online: "To say I'm disappointed is an understatement – and in our centenary year. It's such a shame to see it end like this.
"For a club to survive, you've got to get youngsters involved and run a junior section. If you don't have youngsters, you've had it."
❤️ A big THANK YOU to @flintoff11, our players, umpires, scorers, everyone who worked hard to make today a huge success & to our members & spectators for supporting #TeamSaints & generously donating to the @alzheimerssoc - you’re amazing! 🙌
— St Annes CC 🏏 (@StAnnesCC) June 2, 2022
It was the BEST of days! 😀 pic.twitter.com/SX8vKvXvvg
Andrew Flintoff returns to his roots
Former England captain Andrew Flintoff returned to his childhood club, St Anne's, on June 2 for a charity cricket match.
Flintoff played the event in memory of his grandad and former club president, Harry Hargreaves, and club legend Brian Standing and raised nearly £2,000 for the Alzheimer's Society.
The crowd were treated to a big-hitting T20 match, featuring St Anne's players past and present, as well as a beer, gin and prosecco festival.
"The Alzheimer's Society is a charity very close to our hearts," club chairman John Cotton told the Blackpool Gazette.
"Brian Standing, who was our club president, and Andrew's grandad Harry Hargreaves – two finer gentlemen you could not wish to meet – supported our senior and junior teams for many years while sitting on a bench on the boundary, merrily chatting away."
Does your club have the UK's Greenest Ground?
The search for the UK's Greenest Cricket Ground is back for 2022, celebrating the promotion of sustainability and biodiversity at local cricket clubs.
Have you left an area of your ground wild? Do your junior squad go litter picking? Have you planted native trees or invested in an electric mower? We'd love to hear from you!
More information on how to enter is available via the link at the bottom of the article. The closing date for entries is August 30. Good luck!
Last Wednesday we marked our 40th anniversary and official opening of our refurbished clubhouse with a game v our friends @NewboroughCC. We also had a special guest who was so generous with his time. Thank you 🙏 pic.twitter.com/04P6VHQVra
— Nassington CC (@nassington_cc) May 30, 2022
Happy 40th to Nassington CC
On May 25, Nassington CC, near Peterborough, celebrated their 40th anniversary with the grand opening of their refurbished clubhouse.
Former England international and BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew was on hand to cut the ribbon before a friendly T20 game was played against Newborough.
Congratulations to everyone involved with the club and good luck on reaching your half-century!
Main photo: George Honeybone, with thanks