Free food and beer while the money lasts (!) A message from your friendly neighbourhood captain of Superstars, Barry Gigg: "This is just to remind you that this year's (Superstars) social and awards night is in the Jugged Hare (Vauxhall Bridge Road) starting from 5.30 on Friday - Free food and beer while the money lasts. We have the first floor for our own private use. The Jugged Hare is 300 yards from Victoria Street on the left hand side as you walk down Vauxhall Bridge Road." Map

Management by Committee So that you all know to ask about official matters, the new Dodgers Committee is:

John Adey - Chairman
John Carr - Captain
Andrew Crawford - Treasurer
Kim Matthews - Fixtures Secretary
John Cooper - Secretary
Neil Benn - Member Without Portfolio

Nets at the Oval 2004 Thanks to Andrew Crawford (and to The Oval) for confirming our Net dates for next season. They are all on Thursdays as follows: 4, 18 and 25 March, 1 and 15 April. All from 6-7pm at the Ken Barrington Centre, The Oval. Details on how to reserve your place will follow.

Roll of Honour



Chairman John Adey presents the Dodgers Awards 2003 to (left to right) John Hilary (Best Bowler), Phil McBarron (Best Batsman), Kim Matthews (Best Fielder) and Guy van der Westhead (Most Improved Player). Your humble photographer apologises for the piss poor quality of the pics.

The Dodgers Unofficial Awards 2003

A grand total of eleven (count 'em) people voted in the inaugural unofficial awards through the Dodgers website (you're reading it). A notable mention must go to Dirk Diggler for making the effort to vote. JC read out the awards at the AGM and Social but for those of you who couldn't make it here they are in full.

Champagne Moment of the Season

14 August v Ombudsman. Oppo batsman turning ball behind square straight to Will, 10 yds from bat. Calls "TWO!" and makes it easily

Nominations: Whitrod being hit for 4 consecutive fours by Stage Door Amanda, Creation of Dodgers website, No rain! and "I'm retiring" Neil Benn

Champagne Moment of All Time

The David Pope run out.

Nominations: Sian bowling Barry Gigg, Dave Sealey fielding the ball deep in the outfield and then accidentally throwing it over his shoulder and the boundary for 4 whilst attempting to return it to the keeper, summer without rain and "I'm out of retirement" - Neil Benn

Champagne Moment of All Time excl Pope

Ian Murray (worst cricketer of all time) catching Barry Gigg

Nominations: Tony Whitrod being bowled by Stage Door Amanda first ball, Imran Khan bowling Chris Tavaré - can't remember which one was playing for Dodgers, Picture of Mr. Doyle on his bike, "I'm out of retirement" Neil Benn, going to have to nominate my catch at slip from the 1st ball against BSI (I think). I guess I'm also bound to nominate my bowling Conway en route to 5-11 to beat the Rats a few years back. Sorry I can't think of any non-Benn ones!

Innings of the Year

Neil Priest's 100 vs Science Museum

Nominations: Crawford's unbeaten 70 against Warwick Castle down at Eltham, Cav v St Andrews on an awful wicket

Bowling Spell of the Year

John Hilary on any number of occasions

Nominations: Doylee's five for against Stage Door, John Cooper's 3-1 against MOD, Crawford @ Buckhurst Hill

Catch of the Year

Guy's 3 in a match

Nominations: Tawhid's 4 (!), ummm, all of the Cat's, JC’s in self protection against the Stage Door when it was going to hit him in the face

Those Dodgers Awards 2003 Winners in full

Players' Player - Neil Benn
Batsman - Phil McBarron
Bowler - John Hilary
Fielder - Kim Matthews
Most Improved Player - Guy Westhead

You're crackers! Geddit!?

Chris Jacobs and John Carr at the Dodgers AGM 2003

Out of retirement The 2003 Dodgers AGM and Social was a great success, being very well attended by players, partners and the occasional Superstar. Full report to come but for the moment let us savour the handing over of the Blue Riband award, Dodgers Player of the Year, to Neil Benn (and one of the few pictures I managed to get in focus!)

Neil Benn - Dodgers Player of the Year 2003

Batting averages up! (Bowling averages up too!!) An extremely unscientific analysis of the 2003 and 2002 seasons shows that the average Dodgers batting average improved from around 22 to nearly 27. However, this admirable apparent improvement was shadowed by a rise of similar proportions in the bowling averages. The average bowling average rise from 15 to nearly 27! Mind you, in 2002, by some freak of nature nearly everybody averaged less than 15 in the bowling stakes...

News Flash - first game of 2004 Season booked. Don't get too excited - it's away to St Andrews on Sunday 6 June 2004 which, as those of you who've been before will know, generally means a long walk from some obscure Croydon Tramlink stop to the ground. Still worth it for an assured victory I suppose.

Cat

The All Time Dodgers Stats Of All Time Now available for your perusal: complete batting, bowling and fielding stats since records began (and that's a mighty long time). Thanks to McB for curation.