NatWest CricketForce 2006 event in full swing at Shiregreen CC

John Baverstock from Shiregreen CC got the shock of his life when he was presented with a new Daktronics electronic scoreboard for his club during the NatWest OSCAs ceremony at Lord's in October 2006. Here he tells ecb.co.uk all about it, and the progress being made at the Sheffield club:

Well the day out at Lord's will live long in my memory. To be in a room with such accomplished people who are striving to make their cricket clubs better.

Your team of people are doing a wonderful thing for the future development of the game and the inspiration they give to people like myself and the belief that anything is achievable if you really want to go out and get it.

At Shiregreen there has been a core of people that have spent between 40 and 50 years at the club who have been used to doing everything regarding cricket. I myself have been involved with the club since March this year. For cricket to survive it needs young blood, fresh ideas and someone to paint a different picture to the one that is hanging on the wall.

Along with this these people who have done a fantastic, thankless job need to welcome this approach. I have been lucky at Shiregreen: I have been welcomed and with the help of these older, wiser people we are starting to move with the times.

I am a massive believer that the kids represent the future of the game and the emphasis should be made on them. Unfortunately, people also believe that all is required is to turn up and bat or bowl or field. This sadly is not the case but has been long standing at Shiregreen and is why the club has got to the position it found itself in.

Finding people to do teas or to arrange fixtures or put the wickets out: these seem like nothing jobs but have been done by these people, their wives and their families for the past 50 years.

What is required is to open the door and let people in and show them the way and then stand back. Most cricket clubs throughout the country have run this way for such a long time and have been successful but they become bogged down and blinkered and then they lose their way.

With the best will they are still playing cricket but all becomes to much and because no-one is interested the club dies. Shiregreen has been playing cricket for over 137 years in that time it has put up with deprivation, vandalism, theft and many knockbacks.

This last year it has had over 160 junior cricketers coming to coaching nights and playing in the junior leagues. So many of these come from poor families but they come with a smile and a willingness to learn about cricket and with the coaching not only do they learn about cricket but they learn about the club, its history, respect and they always say please and thank-you.

What annoys me is that kids get such bad press these days. If a kid is not doing drugs or robbing or smashing things up the papers don't want to know. A stalwart of Shiregreen Cricket Club, the late Mr Ben Jessopp, said if your kid is playing cricket then normally they are good kids.

I have found that the way you encourage somebody is the way they go and in every one there is something to work with. The thing is confidence and the next is belief. So many kids have all these knocked out of them before they come to our club so it makes it more remarkable that they come back.

Eventually progress, time and patience these kids will not only be fine in the sporting field but also in the social field which is where they need to be accepted.

At Lord's I was in a room full of people who have similar backgrounds and are doing the same thing at their clubs and we had been united by this wonderful event called CricketForce. It is rewarding knowing that I am not a freak and society hasn't got it wrong and this tremendous event is spreading and as it grows so does determination, belief and a willingness to succeed.

I have never done things for awards because the reward is staring you in the face but the electric scoreboard that our cricket club has been awarded will be welcomed and appreciated by so many people.

Thank you for this wonderful contribution but this might never have happened if it was not for the CricketForce event.

Best wishes, John Baverstock