The Otago Country Cricket Association is thrilled to announce the signing of FMG as a Hawke Cup team sponsor. This is a three year partnership arrangement which is great news for cricket in our district.

"FMG’s mission is to build strong and prosperous rural communities, so it’s important to them to support associations such as the Otago Country Cricket Association."

FMG is New Zealand’s leading rural risk and advice specialist and continues to be one of the fastest growing insurance companies in NZ.

FMG has been an important part of the New Zealand farming landscape for over 113 years, helping rural and provincial New Zealanders protect their farms and livelihoods.
They provide risk advice and insurance to over 80,000 people and have around 30 offices nationwide.

Your local FMG team can help you with everything you need to manage your risks—without any middlemen. Whether you need to update a policy, make a claim or get a damage assessment, you will deal directly with them.

They provide insurance cover that’s customised for you and have a lot of experience to tap into and you can count on getting ‘advice worth listening to’.

Please give them your support where you can by getting in touch with Jarred:

Jarred Andrew
Rural Manager
e: jarred.andrew@fmg.co.nz
m: 027 674 4111
Call FMG Free: 0800 366 466 

Welcome to version seventeen of our newsletters. I hope they help keep all stakeholders in the Otago Country network up to date with the happenings within our organisation.
 
There has been plenty happened since the last newsletter and this one and I hope this version helps cover off most of it.
 
On the 15-17th January 2021 our association will celebrate 75 years as well as 25 years since we took the Fuji Xerox Cup (Hawke Cup equivalent) off Taranaki and 10 years since we won the Hawke Cup against North Otago. There has been a committee set up to organise the Jubilee/Reunion and I’m sure it will be a weekend to remember so keep your calendars free. Click on the links below to remind yourselves of the games,

versus Taranaki
https://archive.nzc.nz/Events/Fuji_Xerox_Cup_1995-96.html
 
versus North Otago
https://archive.nzc.nz/Events/Hawke_Cup_2010-11.html
 
Adrian Morgan has been in his role of Administration Manager for Otago Country now for around five months and has got his teeth firmly into the role. Adrian’s position is part time and part of a Pilot Project role agreed to by NZC, Otago Cricket and ourselves following a review conducted last year. He has completed our Health and Safety Policy and Vulnerable Persons Policy which have been adopted by the board. He has led the development of our Strategic Plan which will be ready for adoption at our July board meeting. Amongst other achievements he has completed a Facility Register for both the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Central Otago District Council going into their Long Term Planning process, completed a Funding/Fundraising Policy and Social Media Paper. He is doing an excellent job and it’s great to have him on board. If you need to contact Adrian he can be reached on 0277333895 or email Adrian@otagocountrycricket.co.nz
 
It was great to see the Sky Sport Cricket Show segment on the Hawke Cup team during their game against the Mid Canterbury side. A top notch look at what Hawke Cup means to our players and supporters. Well done to all involved. I had contact after the show with Lon Anderson (he of the White Coat fame). Lon was chuffed the coat was still going and said he’d had a few messages from some old team mates after the show aired asking if he was still alive, in reference to the “Memorial” part on the coat. I would like to thank Sky TV for allowing us to use the clip on our Facebook page.
 
At our board meeting in May we received a letter of resignation from Graeme Buttar. Graeme had been the face of junior cricket in the Vincent and wider Otago Country area for over a decade (12 years involvement and 10 years on our board) A hugely passionate individual who was prepared to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in. There is no doubt he will be missed not only in the junior area but at the board table as well. Graeme will assist with the transition and I thank him for that. I wish him all the very best and just know the golf course will get a hammering but I also know that there will be an eye being kept in our direction. Thanks for all you’ve done for the association mate.
 
There is a meeting around the junior cricket space at Breen Construction on 7th June at 5-30pm to set up a Junior Committee. This will be important as we move into the ‘Ages and Stages’ initiative from NZC and advance that policy through Otago Country.
 
We recently held a meeting between ourselves, Otago Cricket, Asplundh Molyneux Park groundstaff and the CODC to debrief on last season and sort out what is required leading into next season. Another positive meeting with all involved. I’d like to take this opportunity on congratulating the council on their willingness to assist with improvements to Molyneux Park to future proof the wicket blocks. There is increasing pressure on the blocks especially now the new decreased pitch lengths for junior cricket mean more use and more renovations. We appreciate the work that Ian Mann, Gary and Guy are facilitating to accommodate this change.
 
At our last meeting we welcomed prominent Alexandra business woman Liz Perkins to our board. Liz has a background in competitive cycling and has been involved in Ice Skating and Figure Skating administration at local and national level. Liz is the granddaughter of Jack Alabaster who coached our Fuji Xerox Cup winning side back in 1996. Jack of course played many seasons for Otago and had a distinguished test career for New Zealand. Liz will be an excellent addition to our board.
 
Our two Cricket Development Officers are in winter mode at the moment but I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their contribution to our association, they play the most valuable role in the development of our game in our region. They are the face of our association and work with the most impressionable people, our youngsters. They are the experts in their role, use them. Willie Miller who is based in Dunedin over this winter can be contacted on 0212790979 or email Willie @ otagocricket.co.nz. Emma Campbell although off contract at the moment can be reached on 0211242266 or email emma@coachingsolutions.co.nz If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact either of them, or myself.
 
While it is almost impossible to hold an awards function because we are so spread out it is most important we still recognise the efforts and achievements of our players. At the end of the season the players below were recognised for their efforts by their coaches.

Here are the Otago Country Award winners for the 2017-18 season. Congratulations to all the award winners.

Hawke Cup:
Batsman of the Year, No award.
Bowler of the Year, Bailey Andrews-Kennedy.
Player of the Year, Bailey Andrews-Kennedy.

U17 Boys:
Batsman of the Year, Reece Collin & Cam Jackson
Bowler of the Year, Lachie Weir
Spirit of Cricket, Matthew Nevill
Secondary School Girls:
Batsman of the Year, Olivia Hall
Bowler of the Year, Georgia Heffernan
Spirit of Cricket, Eden Carson
U15 Boys:
Batsman of the Year, Blake Cormack
Bowler of the Year, Fergus Reid
Spirit of Cricket, Damian Carson
U15 Girls:
Batsman of the Year, Anna Duncan & Caitlin Scherp
Bowler of the Year, Bridget Mullaly
Spirit of Cricket, Paige Loggenberg
Y7-8 Boys:
Batsman of the Year, Maz Cameron
Bowler of the Year, Brooklyn Smith
Spirit of Cricket, Fletcher Marshall
Primary School Girls:
Batsman of the Year, Anna Duncan
Bowler of the Year, Nina Hamilton
Spirit of Cricket, Bridget Mullaly
Y5-6 Boys
Batsman of the Year, James Dougherty
Bowler of the Year, Xavier Small
Spirit of Cricket, Alfie Omelvena-Flame
​
I couldn’t let the end of the season pass without thanking ALL our volunteers whatever role you play within the Otago Country Association. Without you we would be nothing. We really appreciate your most valuable contribution. Hard to put into words what you mean to us but “You guys Rock”.
 
 
Keep up to date with any news of the association by checking out our Facebook page at   https://www.facebook.com/Otago-Country-Cricket-Association-133940846657978/
 
If you have anything you need to convey to the organisation feel free to contact any of the above. We are open for business.
 
Cheers,
Malcolm Jones (Jonesy) Chairman  

Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected in the Under 15 boys team for 2 upcoming fixtures against Southland Country & North Otago. Coach Emma Campbell was happy with the competition for places displayed at a recent trial and has high hopes for this team of young men.

​Thanks to all who trialed and our commiserations to those who have missed selection. 

• Keelan Smith, South Otago High 
• Tim Johnston, Wakatipu High School
• Christopher Nevill, Dunstan High School
• Michael Lord, Dunstan High School 
• Marcus Heatherington, Mt Aspiring College 
• CJ Kemp, Dunstan High School 
• Toby Hart, Wakatipu High School 
• Fergus Read, Mt Aspiring College  
• Blake Cormack, Otago Boys High School 
• Ben Johnson, Dunstan High School 
• Damian Carson, Maniototo Area School
• William Casey, South Otago High School

Welcome to the twelfth of our newsletters. I hope they help keep all stakeholders in the Otago Country network up to date with the happenings within our organisation.

We held our AGM last Thursday and the officers elected to run the association over the next 12 months are as follows,
Patron, Stewart McKnight
President, Geoff Blakely
Immediate Past President, Alex McHutchon
Vice President, Malcolm Jones
Board, Malcolm Jones (Chairman), Lindsay Breen, Shayne O’Connor, Graeme Buttar, Fraser Wilson, Jon Lovelock, Rhiane Smith, Donald Jackson (Treasurer and Minute Secretary), Geoff Blakely.

At the AGM two new Life Members were announced with Geoff Blakely and Dave Cummings who have given outstanding service to both the Central Otago and Otago Country associations added to the list. Both men have contributed for over 40 years and continue to do so. They both received a Life Members badge and a small plaque acknowledging their achievements. Existing Life Members Stewart McKnight, Barney McSkimming, Malcolm Jones, Alex McHutchon were on hand to welcome the new members and receive their plaques. Murray Hughes the Chairman of Otago Cricket and a supporter and friend of Otago Country was on hand to make the presentations. Richard Golden was unable to be there but has since had his plaque presented to him.

Prior to the AGM our Board met with Simon Hill from NZC to discuss/question us around the One Cricket review that is being carried out by NZC throughout all cricket associations. Some very open and honest comments were given.  

The Otago Volts were in Alexandra for a training camp last week over four days. They stayed at the Dunstan High School Hostel and walked over to Molyneux Park each day to train on the No 2 block. They were absolutely stoked with what they were presented with by way of the two strips and outfield Andrew Douglas the groundsman had conjured up so early in the season. They also made good use of the Alexandra pool and the Pulse Fitness gym. Simon Forde, head of Performance and Talent at Otago Cricket was full of praise and said, 
“On behalf of the Otago Volts support staff and players I would like to say a big thanks to Otago Country Cricket for the work they put in preparing what were excellent training facilities for last weeks preseason camp in Alexandra. Molyneux Park is a fantastic facility and it was at it's best last week with great pitch and weather conditions as you would expect from Central Otago. A special mention must go to Andrew Douglas, the Molyneux Park groundsman. It was a big ask to prepare quality surfaces in September but he did a stunning job. Some great trainings sessions were banked by the players which will at some point in the season reap rewards. Thanks to Lindsay Breen, Shayne O'Connor for all their work in putting this together as well as the team at the Dunstan High School Hostel who looked after us very well after hours. 
See you at Christmas for two great games of T20 at Molyneux. 
Cheers Simon”
We wish the Otago Volts all the best for their season, which starts with a Plunket Shield game against Central Districts on the 22-25 October in Nelson and as Simon mentioned we look forward to hosting them again on the 26th and 28th December. 

A wee bit of bad news re the relaying of the No 1 block at Molyneux Park. Due to some bad timing and unfortunate circumstances the Kakanui clay that was sourced from North Otago was unable to be used, as it was too wet so the job has been postponed. Good news is that it is in Alexandra and will be in great nick and ready as soon as Andrew is good to go next year.  

The Crosby Morris kicks of this Saturday at Molyneux Park No’s 3 & 4. The games start at 11am and are 50 over per side. The draw for the tournament is as follows;
October 8th, Maniototo v Vincent @ MP No 3. Umpires Ian Henderson and Mike Potter. Lakes v South Otago @ MP No 4. Umpires Russell Anderson and TBA.
October 15th, Lakes v Vincent @ MP No 3. Peter Pasco and James Blunt. South Otago v Maniototo @ MP No 4. Ian Henderson and Mike Potter.
October 30th, South Otago v Vincent @ MP No 3. Kannan SJ and Ian Henderson. Lakes v Maniototo @ MP No 4. James Blunt and Tanyaradzwa Mungure (TA)
Good luck to each competing team and for those of you with aspirations to play Hawke Cup cricket take the opportunities that present themselves. 

KiwiSport through Sport Otago have given us a grant of $10000 to assist us in running our ‘Skills’ package in schools. Willie Miller and Emma Campbell will be full on in the next two terms as they deliver this program. We are very grateful to KiwiSport for this assistance.

As mentioned in the previous newsletter we are looking for a few volunteers to assist with some preparation and helping out at times with covers up at Molyneux Park during the season. If you are able to help out in any way at all please contact me ASAP. The old saying ‘many hands make light work’ is particularly relevant at cricket grounds.

Good luck to the three teams from Otago Country that are heading down to the McCullum Cup in Dunedin this Thursday and Friday. Wakatipu High, a combined Dunstan High side and a team from South Otago High. Good luck to them all.      

Our two Cricket Development Officers, Willie Miller and Emma Campbell are as busy as. Emma started her school visits at the tail end of term three and they will both be flat out next week as the new term starts. Willie is back based in Alexandra and is working out of the Trail Journeys office at the Clyde turn-off and he can be contacted on 0212790979 or email Willie @ otagocricket.co.nz. Emma is still based out of Queenstown and can be reached on 0211242266 or email emma@coachingsolutions.co.nz If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact either of them, or myself.

We are approaching 500 ‘likes’ on our Facebook page so get on and support it. There is plenty of interesting stuff going up. Also have a look at our website otagocountrycricket.co.nz for all your info around Rep programs, registration info, holiday programs etc etc.

Cheers,
     Malcolm Jones, Chairman  

Welcome to the 1st of our newsletters for the new season. The aim is to keep all stakeholders in the Otago Country network up to date with the happenings within our organisation. 

Huge news just released that Molyneux Park will host the SBS Otago Sparks on the 2-3-4 December against the Canterbury Magicians and then later in the month the SBS Otago Volts play two T20 games, 26th v Canterbury then on the 28th they take on the Wellington Firebirds. This is great recognition for the area and shows great faith in the work of the Molyneux Park groundsman Andrew Douglas and the quality of surfaces he provides. I can’t wait to see those banks packed with spectators both local and visiting. A huge thanks to Otago Cricket in having the faith in our organisation to support them in hosting these games.
​
While on the subject of Molyneux Park, Andrew Douglas and his team from Asplundh are currently in the process of re-laying the No1 block. This is the first time since the late 80’s that such a major resurfacing has taken place and should reinvigorate the quality of the block. This work will cost around $20,000 and is a collaboration between the CODC, Otago Cricket, OCCA, Asplundh and the Central Lakes Trust. This is a big investment into the future of cricket and will benefit all players in the Otago Country region and I want to thank all those involved.

Molyneux Park No 2 will host the SBS Otago Volts for a 4 day training camp during the last week in September 26-29th. This will be a full on training camp for the full squad and there will be opportunities for some community involvement. This part is TBA. Another show of faith in the work of Andrew Douglas who is working hard to make this happen.

The OCCA playing program has been completed and is available on the website otagocountrycricket.co.nz It is a really busy time leading up to Xmas including two age group boys tournaments, U17’s in Oamaru over Labour weekend and U15’s being held again at Molyneux Park 19-20-21 December and our Secondary Schoolgirls have a two day tournament in Dunedin 29-30 October. 

The Hawke Cup team program is as follows;
1st October. Hawke Cup Squad Training @ Molyneux Park No2.
8-15-30 October. Crosby Morris @ Molyneux Park No 3 & 4. All four teams to play each day. This will allow for all prospective Hawke Cup players to be seen by the selectors.
November 27th. Stewart McKnight Trophy, Otago Country v Dunedin Metro @ Oturehua.
December 3-4. Otago Country v North Otago @ Oamaru
January 14-15. Otago Country v Southland @ Molyneux Park No1
January 28-29. Otago Country v South Canterbury @ Molyneux Park No1
February 18-19. Otago Country v Mid Canterbury @ Ashburton 

You will have noticed above that the Crosby Morris is to be played over three weekends in October. This will allow the selectors to see all those who are keen to play at the higher level of cricket. At our last Board meeting each district representative gave the go ahead for this format for the season. It is now up to the players from South Otago-Vincent-Lakes and Maniototo to support this initiative and get into it. The squad is to be named soon.

It’s that time of year again with AGM’s at the various associations,
South Otago Cricket Association and Maniototo TBA
Vincent Cricket Association at the Cromwell Sports Club at 7-30pm on the 7th September.
Otago Country Cricket Association at Breen Construction at 5pm on the 29th September.
Otago Cricket Association at the University of Otago Oval at 5pm on the 26th October.
I encourage you to get along and support these organisations that give of their time freely to make your cricket experience enjoyable. These meetings give you the opportunity to make a difference. Take it. 

Our two Cricket Development Officers, Willie Miller and Emma Campbell are as busy as organising school visits, rep trainings, holiday programs, accelerator courses, coaching courses etc. Willie is back based in Alexandra and is working out of the Trail Journeys office at the Clyde turn-off and he can be contacted on 0212790979 or email Willie @ otagocricket.co.nz. Emma is still based out of Queenstown and can be reached on 0211242266 or email emma@coachingsolutions.co.nz If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact either of them, or myself.

I would like to give a big shout out to Ian Mann and the Central Otago District Council for their help with the running of cricket up at Molyneux Park. We have just completed our ground bookings at Molyneux for the season and it’s been a pleasure working with Ian and his team. 59 ‘cricket days’ booked on the ground so far without any club cricket bookings so this great venue is getting plenty of use. The OCCA and CODC are continuing to build a good working relationship, which will continue to benefit us both in the future. Also the relationship that we have with the council contractor Asplundh groundsman Andrew Douglas is invaluable. As you have read Andrew and his team have a busy time this season and we wish him all the best.

Just following on from that, we are looking for a few volunteers to assist with some preparation and helping out at times with covers up at Molyneux Park during the season. If you are able to help out in any way at all please contact me ASAP. The old saying ‘many hands make light work’ is particularly relevant at cricket grounds.

While on the subject of ‘wanting’ people our Umpires and Scorers Association are always after more members. This is a great way of giving something back to the game once the playing days are over. If you are interested in helping out in any way don’t hesitate to contact me as ‘first port of call’ and I will point you in the direction of someone that will help. There are plenty of resources to assist with developing your skills in these areas, just ask! 

Keep an eye on the Otago Country Cricket Association Facebook page for news updates. You will notice the latest FB posts go on the ‘home page’ of the website as well.

We have just received our latest cricket gear through our sponsorship relationship with Kookaburra and it’s looking sharp. We have also picked up our Kookaburra cricket balls for the season from the Otago Sports Depot. No sporting organisation can exist without support from sponsors and funders and we appreciate the support we get from Blair Franklin and the team at Kookaburra Sport New Zealand LTD and encourage you all to support them as they support us.

Our thanks also to the New Zealand Racing Board for their generous grant to assist with playing equipment. It is greatly appreciated.

Please support these people and organisations where possible as they have supported us so generously.

If you have anything you want included in these newsletters please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 Cheers,
 Malcolm Jones, Chairman