Draycott sport, sport – and sport!

Well, it may have been a lousy summer in terms of weather, but, for our local teams, it’s been a year of almost soaraway success.
This summer has seen high profiles for Draycott in The Moors’ cricket, also bowls, then of course tennis and even cycling efforts. Plus – there’s now a welcome return for football…
Let’s have a look at what’s happening in all those sports, one by one.

Tennis

It’s certainly turning into a remarkable year for the Draycott Men’s Tennis team  – managed by coach Craig Leese – which has shot up to the top of the main Staffordshire Tennis League Premier Division with only a few matches to go till the end of the season.  The deciding match is on Sunday 19th August at the Draycott ground. It will be a tense occasion.
Of course, the side really is a formidable one anyway. Last year they won the ‘Quadruple’ – the city and county leagues and the two cups – so they know what success is all about.

It seems unlikely now that the Draycott Women’s Tennis team will match them to be champions too (in the Ladies Staffordshire Tennis League Premier Division,  but they have battled there or thereabouts this season – and it will be an exciting run-in for them for the runners-up spot!

Fifteen year old Ryan Baxter, runner-up in the Draycott Open

Incidentally, congratulations are due to Jamie Bourne (Hilderstone) who took the men’s singles title in the Draycott Open Tennis Tournament in mid-August, just sneaking past his fellow finalist Ryan Baxter (Trentham).  Ryan is just 15 years old.
(The women’s singles did not take place this year).

Cricket

As we’ve already reported, the Blythe Cricket Club First XI has reached mid-table safety in the NSSCL Division 1A, and look to have settled for that. After a rocky start to the season, the team has done a great job in pulling itself together.

But the women’s team are flying the flag too – with a stunning performance in the Div 2 (North West) of The Midlands League, where they are currently top. Go Ladies!

Bowls

Local people often forget that there is an excellent bowls green here in Draycott, on the Blythe Park Business Base.  Although based here, the bowls club (by an historical oddity) are called ‘Checkley’ Bowls Club.
Once again, it’s a story of great success.  The A team look set for promotion into the Uttoxeter & District Bowls League First Division and the B and C teams are also flourishing.
As the new secretary Sue Stepek told us, the club’s also now got a qualified coach in their midst, and the addition is clearly making a difference…

Cycling – and more

We said that cycling was also doing well. Erm, that was a little bit of over-enthusiasm from us, as the club only started up two months ago, and is yet to form a competitive team as such.
However, don’t tell that to the dozen or so men and women who meet every Sunday at Draycott Sports Centre (9am start) to bike the local lanes and byways.
What with the success of British cycling recently, this club is sure to grow – for further information, contact Draycott Sports Centre.

Incidentally, if you prefer ‘sport’ of a gentler kind, a weekly Tai Chi For Beginners class starts up at Draycott Sports Centre on 18th September (7.15pm start) – for further information, contact Draycott Sports Centre.

Phew!

And, as if that’s not enough, football returns in two weeks (on September 2nd). After a very successful year last season, the Draycott Potter side will want to see more of us as spectators on Sundays at their Cresswell Old Road ground.
We’ll bring you a fixture list as soon as we have one.

All in all, we think you’ll agree that there is enough sport around to keep any spectator – or participant – happy.
We hope that you too are enjoying this summer of sport (between the rain showers!)

If you have any news, or sports organisation reports, just contact us and we’ll happily publicise it on this site.