First XI
The First Team played with excellent camaraderie throughout the season. Good team spirit often gives you that extra edge in tight games, and this was certainly true for us—several close matches went our way because of it.

It was great to welcome Matt Brewster, son of former FCC player Scott Brewster, into the side this year. Matt played with real confidence, giving the batting a much-needed lift and finishing with an impressive 526 runs.

We also saw improved consistency from Matt McGowan (466 runs) and Ruben (362 runs)—
encouraging signs for the coming season.

Our bowling attack was led superbly by captain Seb, who took 26 wickets at 13.58. Strong
support came from David Burton (18 wickets at 28.56), Dan McGowan (26 wickets at 16.65), Charlie Hoban (16 wickets at 24.38) and Zain (14 wickets at 9.21). These are just a few names— there were important contributions right across the squad which helped secure promotion to the Premier Division next year.

Well done, lads. Let’s be ready for a big 2026 season!

Second XI (The Dinkys)
Unfortunately, the Dinkys didn’t fare as well this year.

Player availability made the step up to the higher division a real challenge. I’m confident, though, that we can come back stronger next season with a blend of experienced players and some highly promising young talent pushing for places. With my coaching hat on, I can assure you that the players will have every opportunity and all the support they need—and I’m sure this will pay dividends next season.

Third XI
The Third Team had an inconsistent year, particularly with the bat, and two cancelled fixtures due to pitch availability certainly didn’t help. Finishing mid-table was a solid achievement for Rishi and the team, and it’s fair to say we might well have been in a promotion race had those matches been played.

Fourth XI
Jon Mather and his merry men powered to the league title in style.

I won’t run through the stats—you’ve probably already seen them, and if you haven’t, Jon will undoubtedly find a way to show you! A tremendous season and congratulations to the whole squad. Here’s to Division 4 next year.

Juniors
We delivered a full programme of junior cricket this year and made excellent use of our hybrid pitches, which are now the envy of our opponents. Our young players are showing real ability and competing with the best.

Congratulations to the U12s, who reached the Middlesex Cup Final and narrowly missed out against a strong Teddington side.

We continue to see more players progressing through both the Middlesex County Pathway and the London Schools Academy, which will only strengthen our senior sides in years to come.

Special congratulations to our Junior Centurions:

Nico Kirkam (U13)
Aveer Nagpal (U12)

Well done, boys.

Also, huge congratulations to :

Sachin Tibarewale (U12) for surpassing 1,000 runs, and to
Rishi Mehta (U14) on his selection for the Middlesex Academy Squad.

Mill Hill Finches (Girls’ Cricket)
Our girls’ section continues to go from strength to strength, competing in both softball and
hardball formats. We now have four girls’ teams, including a newly-entered U15 side.
This partnership with Mill Hill Village CC has been a hugely valuable joint venture, and long may it continue.

Special congratulations to Anisha, who was named Middlesex Coach of the Year. A fantastic
achievement and a testament to her leadership of the Finches.

Smash Cricket
Another successful season of Smash Cricket has come to a close, continuing to provide
valuable opportunities for players to enjoy matches at Arden Field while enabling our juniors to gain experience alongside senior players in a relaxed and safe environment.

This year, six teams participated in the competition, including a new corporate side from Coutts Bank. Over the course of two months, a total of 18 matches were played, culminating in the Vikings being crowned champions of the fifth season.

We are already seeing strong interest for the sixth season in 2026, particularly from corporate teams, indicating that the franchise model continues to grow successfully.
A special thank-you goes to Rishi T and Vamsi for their exceptional work in organizing and
managing the tournament.

Schools Cricket Day
Our local schools cricket day was a huge success. Boys and girls from several local schools
enjoyed a softball competition at Arden Field, with Wren Academy emerging as winners.
Planning for next year is already underway, and with increasing interest there is every chance the event will extend to two days. It is a brilliant way to introduce more children to the sport. Well done to Jon Mather for organising such a great day.

In Memoriam
We were saddened by the passing of David Hays, a much-loved club stalwart and an
outstanding player. Bazball wouldn’t do David justice—he would hit balls all over the ground (and out of it) with seemingly little effort. He was also known, on occasion, to dispatch a yard of gin and tonic with equal ease!

Wonderful memories. He will be greatly missed.

Club Development & Governance
The club is now officially a registered charity, the result of fine teamwork and many hard yards led by Amitav and few members of the EC. Further thanks go to Mike, Amitav and Dave Foskett for their work negotiating a new 150-year lease and securing agreement from the council. This puts the club on a firm footing for the long term and strengthens our relationships with our local MP and councillors.

We can now begin planning for the redevelopment of the site, including a two-storey pavilion with a balcony. The thought of enjoying a cold drink while watching cricket from the balcony is certainly an appealing one!

Finance & Future Projects
The club’s financial position continues to improve. We made a reasonable profit this year, which will be reinvested into ongoing projects. However, our sponsors remain vital to the club’s success. If anyone has contacts who may be interested in supporting FCC, please get in touch with Romil, who can provide full sponsorship
details.

Current and future projects include

Refurbishment of the far nets, with a new surface planned for completion before the start of next season
Installation of a borehole, pending approval of an ECB grant
Pavilion decoration and improvements, supported by an additional grant and expected to be completed before the season begins

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to a successful 2025 season.

Special appreciation goes to

The Executive Committee
Our Sponsors (North Finchely Tutors, Copping Joyce, Atlantic Electrics, KA Cricket, Greene King, Winkworth, Allsop, Savills and Klynstone)
Our named and anonymous donors for their generous donations
Our Junior Age Group Managers and Coaches
Lauren and the Bar team
Manoj, Keerthi, Peter and Mike for their countless hours preparing and maintaining the ground

Go well, everyone—and here’s to an even more successful 2026.

Up the Finch!!

Graham