Uphill Castle recently held its annual youth presentation, in honour of the achievements of it raising stars in the 2022 season.

A game was played using The Hundred format. Mixed teams from both the Under 13s, under 15s and even some parents enjoyed an entertaining game that ended out finishing in a tied match. After the match, the players enjoyed a b-b-q and presentation.

The 2022 season has been a tough season for the youth section. Although tough, there have been many positives. The club is always keen to promote from within when it comes to senior side selections. It’s been pleasing to see so many of our youth players make themselves main stays of the senior sides. This year has seen Under 16s players Charlie Huke and Myles Bliss become regulars for the 1st XI. Charlie Beal has also played a number of games for the 3rd XI. From the Under 15s Harry Frake cemented his place in the top order of the 2nd XI. Harry was 2nd highest run scorer for the club across all formats for the club with 551 runs and hit his maiden senior 50 in June this year. Special mentions must go to Under 15s players – Toby Robinson, Rory Butson, and Ethan Roberts, all of whom have played several games for the 3rd XI. With the 3rd XI securing a mid-table finish, it was great to see Harley Dixon from the Under 13s play his part in a number of victories.

Under 13s manager, Rob Skeen started off proceedings by giving the packed clubhouse a rundown of his team’s season. Rob had a tough job on his hands in his first season, starting the season with just 2 registered players. His hard work in attracting players and seeing us with over 15 players at the end of the season, is a testament to his amazing commitment and hard work. With so many new players to cricket, the season was just about getting used to the game, playing with a hard ball, and learning the laws of the game. They didn’t win any games, but they never dropped their heads and played every game with great spirit.

Under 13s Award winners –

Batter of the year – Harley Dixon – 83 runs, HS 33no, ave 10.38

Bowler of the year – Jacob Joules – 9 wkts

All Rounder of the year – Oscar Parkinson – 45 runs and 5 catches

It was then left to Under 15s manager and Youth Chairman Ade Gardener to review the Under 15s season. The season didn’t go to plan, with the squad being hit by a number of long-term injuries. Again, very much a year of adjusting to playing on the larger pitches and coming up against much quicker bowling will stand the team in good stead for next year. Winning just the one game was flustering for players and coaches alike, with a number of games looking like they could go each way and Uphill coming a very close second.

Under 15s Award winners –

Batter of the year – Tom Ashcroft – 99 runs, HS 26, ave 12.38

Bowler of the year – Toby Robinson – 14 wks including 4 in 4 balls against Cheddar

All rounder of the year – Harry Frake, 165 runs, HS 43, ave 20.56 kept wicket and bowled

Ethan Roberts – 7 wkts and breaking into senior sides

One of the highlights this year for the introduction of the new Under 16s Somerset Smash. The Castle Thunder had a great season finishing runners-up in the North Somerset division to near neighbors Weston-super-Mare. On qualifying from this, Uphill had the pleasure of hosting the finals day with WSM CC. Due to unavailability, The Thunder were given a bye to the semi-final of the competition. Unfortunately, Castle came up against eventual winners Taunton Deane.

Deane who had a team packed with county academy players showed their class and won a one-sided semifinal. Once again, The thunder showed amazing spirit and kept fighting to the end. It was worth remembering that the side was made up of a number of under 25 players.

Under 16s Award winner –

Player of the year – Toby Robinson – leading run and wicket taker.

Final award winners were awarded to the youth players who gave so much to the club, but not necessarily on the pitch. These club person awards go to players, who commit whole heartedly to the ethos of the club and offer more than just performances on the pitch. This can be anything from being fully committed to training, being the team joker, or helping the other players and coaches when they need help.

Club persons of the year – Dan Thurlby and Will Rooke

The night was ended with a number of thank you’s from the Club Chairman. He spoke of his pride in the hard work that goes into keeping the section going. This includes the coaches, admin staff, and grounds work.

With the 2022 season coming to a close, work is well underway for the 2023 season. It was announced that youth Chairman Ade Gardener will be stepping down from the role. Pete Frake will be stepping into the role in the new year. Exciting developments are well underway with the Castle set to announce more youth engagement than ever before. All Stars, Dynamos, Under 13s, Under 15s, Under 16s, and Under 19s are all being run for 2023. Youth training is set to start in January at Hans Price academy.

We always welcome new players and get in contact via our website and Facebook pages.

#upthecastle