Summer is incoming (hopefully!). Of course, that means that the cricket season is about to begin, so we can look forward to plenty of action at Sedgefield Cricket Club during the months ahead.
Meanwhile, rugby and football teams are in the latter stages of their campaigns, and I’ll have reports from the local teams in future editions.
The local cricket season gets underway in April, with Sedgefield Cricket Club’s teams ready to begin their campaigns in the North Yorkshire & South Durham League. Fixtures start on Saturday 18 April with the 1st and 2nd XI playing Great Ayton, away and at home respectively.
As ever, spectators will be welcome, with the bar open and all televised sport on offer throughout the day. The 3rd XI begin with a home match against Barnard Castle the following day.
I'll keep you updated on the teams' progress over the coming months, and live scores and results can also be found at nysdl.play-cricket.com.
The Sedgefield Harriers annual dinner and awards night turned out to also be a promotion party for the club’s senior men’s cross country team.
In this season’s Start Fitness North East Harrier League, the men were competing in the huge 34-team Division 3. Heading into the final race of the season, Sedgefield had finished first or second in every previous fixture, and had a comfortable lead at the top of the division.
At the time of writing this, the full results have not been confirmed, but to guarantee promotion, the Harriers only needed to turn up and have six counting finishers at the race in Eltringham near Prudhoe. On the day, the men turned out in force, with 12 runners completing a challenging new course. It looks like Sedgefield will have topped the division and the men will hope to build on the success next season.
Later the same day, the club held its annual dinner in Ceddesfeld Hall, when a variety of awards were handed out. The big winner on the night was Sadie Abel, who was crowned Club Runner of the Year and also picked up the Individual Performance of the Year and Track and Field Athlete of the Year awards. Sadie has enjoyed another phenomenal season in all disciplines, setting multiple club records and personal bests.
Other winners on the night were:
• Newcomer - Emma Lee
• Cross country - Emma Lee
• Volunteer - Gary Forster
• Endurance - Rosie Warnett
• Ali Horton trophy for Club Member of the Year - Chris Lines.
Time trial winners and Grand Prix winners can be found on the Harriers website at sedgefieldharriers.co.uk.
The club is grateful to the local businesses that supported a raffle on the night - Core Reformer Pilates, WB Coaching, Wilkinsons Landscapes and Back of Beyond Bookshop. The raffle raised £328 for Alice House Hospice.
Club chair Sue Dobson comments: “Here's to another year of amazing achievements, whether you are volunteering, coaching, walking or running.”
The next event hosted by Sedgefield Harriers will be the annual Neptune Relays, in Hardwick Park on Wednesday 29th April. The event features races of four stages of around 1.7 miles each around the park, starting and finishing in the temple field. There will be a staggered start to the relays, with the men’s teams (including veteran categories) setting off at 6:45pm and all other teams starting at 6:55pm.
There will be trophies – and the traditional prizes of fruit – in numerous senior and junior races, including one for teams of non-club runners. The entry fee per team is £20 for club/affiliated teams and £24 for unaffiliated teams.
Teams can register in advance by emailing neptunes@sedgefieldharriers.co.uk. Registration and entry on the night opens at 5:00pm at the visitors’ centre. Find out more about the event at sedgefieldharriers.co.uk/neptune-relays.
Every athlete from a local taekwondo club who competed at a regional championships has come home with a medal. Blade Taekwondo, which is based in Bishop Middleham, sent five members to the Ultimate North East Open Championships at the start of March, and between them they secured two silver medals and three bronze medals.
The second edition of the Ultimate North East Open Championships were held in Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre on Sunday 1 March. Over 250 athletes took part in the competition, in Olympics style taekwondo. Blade Taekwondo sent five young athletes from the club’s elite competitive team, plus their coaches. Darcee Brown and Aiden Ward won silver medals in their events, while Jake Gent, Georgie Luke and Flynn Probart claimed bronze medals.
Lead coach Corey Wilson comments: “Not only was this great progression and success for our athletes, but also their first time competing in an open event. We saw some of our team fighting national squad and champion level athletes from around Great Britain. I was also proud to have fellow coaches James Gent and Matthew Donne there with me, playing a huge role in the great achievements of our young team.”
Blade Taekwondo runs its sessions in Bishop Middleham Village Hall on Mondays from 7-8pm and Saturdays from 10-11:30am. Anyone wanting to join Blade Taekwondo or try a free session can contact the team on bladetaekwondogbr@gmail.com or by calling 07923 951681.
