| Castle Park - the place to be… 07:11 - May 25 with 10130 views | noah4x4 |
With the 2024-25 footie season finally over on this Bank Holiday Monday, many boarders on here might be lost for things to do on a Saturday afternoon. I recommended Castle Park Cricket Ground….
One choice is you can pay £50 for each ticket to listen to Texas, UB40, Tom Jones, Pixie Lott, Madness (etc), or listen to any from the cricket pavilion patio for free.
Another choice is paying an exorbitant sum for a can of chemically enhanced lager or instead £4.50 for a decent real ale. How about a burger for £3.00?
Oh, and the cricket……
Unbeaten Colchester & East Essex CC top the Essex Premier League after three fixtures.
Prolific openerJoe MacGregor has now scored unbeaten back to back centuries (admittedly one scored away).
Teenage Essex II’s pace sensation, Daniel Gladwell, is cartwheeling opposition stumps as dramatically as the action in a John Woo movie.
Essex First XI reserve wicket keeper, Simon Fernandes has shown his class.
New Zealand all-rounder, Liam Wheeler has added quality to an already decent squad.
Big games, big personalities, sunshine and beer. Idyllic……
Can even talk to Ray of SparkfilmsTV fame…..or me.
Please read my match reports in the Colchester Gazette on Fridays (not available on-line).
We love it when U’s fans join us!
Always free admission.
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 21:58 - Aug 23 with 1918 views | SparkfilmsTV |
Another easy win for Colchester today against Buckhurst Hill
Watched virtually the entire Buckhurst Hill innings - a quite incredible caught and bowled by Charlie Fernandes and an excellent bowling stint by Ben Stephens who was coming in off about five paces and getting lift and movement.
Colchester are the best team in a formidable Premier Division and are closing in on their first major title win in 40 years.
I sat with a gentleman from Surrey who was instrumental in the career of Jason Roy. He had travelled to Colchester by train from the leafy county early this morning.
Surrey rate Charlie Allison very highly!
He was described as 'One of the most innovative batsmen on the county scene currently'.
I think Charlie might represent England in some form in the future.
Surrey and other counties are also impressed by Essex wicket keeper Simon Fernandes.
This is the best Colchester set up in my living memory on the player front. |  | | |
| Castle Park - the place to be… on 18:46 - Aug 25 with 1829 views | SparkfilmsTV |
Fab event at Castle Park today. Colchester v North Stars Barbados in a 25 over match.
Had to leave a while ago as meeting someone but a brilliantly.organised day and lovely to welcome our very good cricket friends from The West Indies.
The match was beamed out live to Barbados no less with Don Topley assisting Phil Wolski with commentary and Reece Topley also in attendance.
Great to see Sir Bob Russell and Steve Foley at the match today.
The catering facilities were the best since Essex played on the ground. | | | |
| Castle Park - the place to be… on 21:10 - Aug 26 with 1711 views | noah4x4 |
| Castle Park - the place to be… on 18:46 - Aug 25 by SparkfilmsTV |
Fab event at Castle Park today. Colchester v North Stars Barbados in a 25 over match.
Had to leave a while ago as meeting someone but a brilliantly.organised day and lovely to welcome our very good cricket friends from The West Indies.
The match was beamed out live to Barbados no less with Don Topley assisting Phil Wolski with commentary and Reece Topley also in attendance.
Great to see Sir Bob Russell and Steve Foley at the match today.
The catering facilities were the best since Essex played on the ground. |
Thanks Ray.
Yes, the match live stream was heard by a large audience in Barbados and included interviews with Steve Foley and the Topleys.
Prior to the match, Sir Bob Russell gave the 65 tourists a historic guided tour of Colchester and today, Steve Foley gave them a guided tour of Carrow Road. Tonight, most are watching the EFL Trophy game in Norwich as I type before they head to their next fixture. Awesome day!
I have routinely stopped doing audio commentary because the YouTube “police” moaned that we were in breach of copyright broadcasting music from the park. But I can’t help it if my microphones pick up ambient noise from the concerts in the adjacent field, But it did get a tad tricky. I had no such competition when the North Stars, Barbados came to town.
One comment that really struck me was that Colchester Cricket Club has THE most picturesque Beer Garden in the whole of Essex. How true is that! It was great to see so many Colchester United supporters including Jon Burns of CUSA.
My moment of the concert series was a front foot no-ball just as Madness (warming up) announced “One Step Beyond.”. Priceless! [Post edited 26 Aug 21:17]
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 07:25 - Aug 29 with 1587 views | noah4x4 |
Massive fixture tomorrow in Castle Park (11:30 start).
Colchester & East Essex CC versus Hornchurch. A win almost guarantees CEECC the title as they then need only three points from the final fixture.
CEECC welcome back skipper & wicket-keeper Simon Fernandes who has impressed for Essex in the Metro Bank Cup. Also under County contract, Dan Gladwell is selected, but not Charlie Allison who remains with the County Championship squad.
Also returning, from vacation, veteran seamers, Darren Eckford and Vikas Agawal.
But most eyes will be on Joe MacGregor. Already 1000 plus runs for the season at an average exceeding 100 puts him clear as the top run scorer in Essex across all divisions of the Essex League. Can he outdo Bradman (admittedly over a single season) and retain a 100+ average? Nobody would bet against it.
As normal, free admission and a great selection of bottled real ales. | | | |
| Castle Park - the place to be… on 16:23 - Sep 6 with 1387 views | SparkfilmsTV |
Colchester clinch Hambro Foundation Essex Premier League title!
Very well deserved.
Wanstead 80 All Out
Colchester 81 for 0. [Post edited 6 Sep 16:25]
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 16:24 - Sep 7 with 1286 views | bwildered |
Congratulations to all.
Now the hard work in retaining the title.
When was the last time they won the league ? |  |
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 17:53 - Sep 7 with 1252 views | SparkfilmsTV |
| Castle Park - the place to be… on 16:24 - Sep 7 by bwildered |
Congratulations to all.
Now the hard work in retaining the title.
When was the last time they won the league ? |
1981
1982
1984 ( joint winners )
2000 | | | |
| Castle Park - the place to be… on 09:06 - Sep 8 with 1197 views | bwildered |
Between 2000, ( the last title was) and now, pretty sure they had been relegated from the PL, so a title long overdue . | |
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 21:02 - Sep 9 with 998 views | noah4x4 |
There is confusion between;
1. Essex League Division One (as top division).
2. Essex League Premier Division - Division One (as the new top Division).
3. (New) Essex League Division One - which is actually Two!
CEECC won the (new) Premier Division for the first time in 2025.
The last time CEECC won Division One (when that was the top division) is 40 years ago.
They have won promotion from (new) Division One a few times (and relegated a few times), but have never won the new Premier until now.
It doesn’t help that Essex (and others) keep signing CEECC players and the club then has to rebuild. The marvel of 2025 is that the title was won despite the absence of Charlie Allison, Simon Fernandes and Daniel Gladwell for the whole of August, the latter two replacing Essex players absent in the Hundred.
Charlie is now an established county cricketer, and it would surprise me if Simon and Dan (and possibly Joe MacGregor) don’t get snapped up by Essex or other counties for next season. Retaining the title might therefore be very difficult. However, there is seriously good young talent in the pipeline. [Post edited 9 Sep 21:39]
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 22:10 - Sep 9 with 981 views | SparkfilmsTV |
Thanks for clearing this up Phil - l must admit l wasn't really sure what happened in 2000 as l was in London and referred to a list of achievements in a 2013 fixture booklet.
It's been a mighty team effort and that includes yourself and our groundsman Jez Sadler together with many others behind the scenes!
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| Castle Park - the place to be… on 07:21 - Sep 10 with 912 views | noah4x4 |
For this information Ray, I am grateful to Colin Perkins, co-author of “The First Gentlemen Players in the Area: 150 Not Out - the Official History of Colchester & East Essex Cricket Club”, published in 2012. Sadly, it is out of print, and I’ve not seen a copy for a decade. Fortunately, Colin is a walking encyclopedia .
Colin, a former President of CEECC (and Essex Second XI Player) is one of few remaining links to the previous years of top division success. Lorenzo (Lorrie) Austin, father of current First XI player, Joe, Austin is another. The latter link means that it has been a full generation between the achievements. A third link is current Chairman, Tim Spelling.
Post-Covid,a number of goals were set by (then) new Chairman, Tim Spelling. These included Pavilion Refurbishment (£650k), New Nets (£72k) and winning the Premier League. Under his leadership, all three have been achieved after incredible fund-raising efforts, whilst holding together an under 19 team that had three consecutive county competition successes and have since graduated from various universities to form the backbone of the current First XI.
The club has produced a pipeline of international player success. For England, Neil Foster, Ben Foakes, Reece Topley,. Graham Napier made an England Squad and Charlie Allison has enjoyed U19 honours. For New Zealand, Tom Blundell. Three current players have had 2025 Essex contracts. Retaining the title might be difficult if these get further sucked into the professional game, but the club is proud of their achievements. | | | |
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