Chairman’s Welcome Message – 2026
Welcome to the 2026 cricket season. We are now entering our eleventh year of league cricket, and you find our First XI in Division 6A and our new Second XI, created in 2025, in Division 13 West.
On Sunday’s we continue to play friendly fixtures. These are mainly 40 over games, although we still enjoy the occasional timed game in the grand tradition of English village cricket. We intend to continue to play under special Sunday match day regulations in order to manage the impact that the better players can have on a game. This proved successful last season and resulted in some engaging cricket in circumstances which might otherwise have been very one-sided fixtures. The detailed arrangements will continue to be managed in the week leading up to the fixture and finalized between the captains on match day.
We also plan to compete in the Herts Village Trophy T20 competition in 2026.
On the playing front we look forward to welcoming back not only our regular opposition, but also a number of new teams, although it is always a particular pleasure to see familiar faces. We value your friendly competition and commit to ensuring that the great sporting traditions of our game are maintained.
Welcome back also to our playing members and occasional teammates. We are fortunate to have a thriving club, but we are not complacent, and we continue to seek out new talent to maintain the lifeblood of the club and to play our part in supporting Aldenham Social Club (“ASC”). In that regard I am very pleased that ASC has agreed to sponsor us for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. This has enabled us to acquire new kit for all our players – so you should definitely notice the difference in our attire when we take to the field!
On the captaincy front Chris Munroe and Dush Pandit will continue to lead our Saturday First XI and Second XI respectively. Itty Haque stepped down as Sunday skipper at the last AGM, and we will use this opportunity to give others captaincy experience on a rotational basis. I am sure all the captains (and any vice-captains), will receive the full support of the club members and that this is reflected in the collective commitment to timely attendance and assistance with pitch preparation.
The code of conduct introduced in 2021 was reviewed at the 2025 AGM. No changes were considered necessary, and the meeting reconfirmed the importance of treating each other with both respect and inclusivity. Needless to say, adherence to the code is a pre-requisite for all members of the Club, and there is a disciplinary procedure to enforce this should the need arise.
After a very busy 2025, which saw the formation of the Second XI, the introduction of live streaming for our home matches and the purchase of covers, I was delighted that the enthusiasm of the committee has not diminished although Sachin Sanghvi, Steve Pich and Itty Haque relinquished their responsibilities as welfare officer, social media officer and Sunday captain respectively. I’m delighted to welcome Khurram Chaiwalla to the committee as welfare officer and Kunal Parmar as social media officer. Special thanks to Sachin for his role as welfare officer – in today’s world this is a key part of the Club’s mental health and wellbeing responsibilities, and Sachin has always been willing to extend the hand of friendship when it has been needed. The committee therefore now comprises me, the two Saturday captains, the fixture secretary, Majid Fadra, team selector, Karan Barot, treasurer, Dan Knight, Aldenham Social Club liaison officer, Peter Munroe, secretary and club administrator, Mike Ward, welfare officer, Khurram Chaiwalla, social media officer, Kunal Parmar, and head groundsman, Dave Whitehead. I’d like to thank all the committee for their continued commitment to the Club.
Also, many thanks to all outside of the committee who provide support to the Club, with particular thanks to Basil Letts, for his hard work on our square, which is a great credit to Aldenham Cricket Club. Special thanks are also due to Majid Fadra, who was the driving force behind the introduction of live streaming and who worked tirelessly through the off season to get us ready for this exciting initiative. Little did many of us appreciate that we would find ourselves watching ACC in action from the comfort of our armchairs! Majid has also been the driving force behind the inter-club game we play in September, which after the success of the inaugural event in 2024 was further enhanced in 2025, with the teams playing for the Hewett-Munroe Trophy and the player of the match being awarded the Whitehead Trophy, the trophies being named in recognition of three stalwarts of the Club. The day involved popcorn, candy floss, a bouncy castle and some amazing food and is set to become a key feature in our annual calendar. Also, thanks to our vice presidents, who continue to make an important financial contribution to the Club; and to Aldenham Social Club itself, for providing an idyllic setting for village cricket.
Finally, it was with great sadness that since last year’s welcome message we learned of the passing of Don Bickley. His popularity at the Club can be best measured by the number of cricketers at his memorial service on 21 March 2025. He truly was a gentleman, and a friend to all, and the Club doesn’t quite seem the same on a sunny Sunday afternoon following his passing. I can only add with hindsight how pleased I was that, whilst he was still with us, we celebrated his involvement with the Club in 2024 with the installation of the Bickley Bell, a lasting tribute to a wonderful individual.
Simon Letts
Chairman, Aldenham Cricket Club