Jonny Cater Has Discussed His Recent Appointment As The New 1st XI Skipper At Great Brickhill.
Cater, who has stood down as the captain of Oxfordshire Cricket Men’s 1st XI this week, takes on the role at Horsepond with enthusiam.
It is an honour to take over the captaincy at Great Brickhill for the upcoming season. It’s a role which delivers a huge responsibility; most importantly to continue the excellent work of Garth Davson’s leadership and to progress even further. I am excited to work with both young and experienced players to deliver the best possible results on the pitch. On a personal note, leaving the captaincy role of Oxfordshire will give me the energy and drive this role deserves.
It is the right time for Cater to take on a new project.
When Garth decided to step down after four years of service, James Clark (Director of cricket) and Peter Critchley (1st team manager) approached me to see if I was interested in the role. It seemed the right decision for the team to have another experienced player lead from the front.
Cater undertakes the role from a successful period under departing captain Garth Davson. Brickhill has seen promotion from the Cherwell League to the Home Counties, division 2, stability for a season, then another promotion to the league’s top division, followed by stability in 2024. This sees the club now arrive at a new challenge.
We have an exciting group of players, which after a year of HCPCL Div 1 experience under their belt, now have the understanding of what it takes to become a consistent performer at this level. We have brought in Aum (Raykar) and Sai (Boorghu), both young players who provide quality and athleticism in the field, something I am looking to improve in preparation for 2025. The exciting thing is that the vast majority of the team have come through the Club’s junior pathway, or have been a member for some years. This is an area I want to continue pushing, to ensure the club continues to recruit from within, to make it a sustainable system moving forwards.
The new man at the helm is keen to get going with plans already in place for next month.
Initially, pre season will start at the end of January with the hope of getting a combination of both indoor/outdoor training. One of the key areas needing to improve is our athleticism across all facets of the game, so this will be looked at under various conditions. The club is also praying for good weather during April to ensure we have a full practice fixture card.
In closing, Cater knows the challenges they face, but believes they have the skills set to take that next step.
All in all, I am happy with where the club is at. Great Brickhill is a small village competing at the highest level of club cricket. Some would say we are punching above our weight, but with the hard work of Garth and other fellow senior players, we have achieved an enormous amount. I am under no illusion that 2025 will bring further challenges as we try to improve our 8th place finish last season, but I want the players to know that as long as they maintain the high standards we set, they can leave any ground win/lose/draw with a smile on their face.
