By Dale Budge
Weymouth Cricket Club is working hard to make a return to Premier cricket next summer as the club looks to play in the top grade for the first time since 2014-15.
Founded in 1984 as a junior club from a group out of Weymouth Primary School, Weymouth has enjoyed a successful time playing in Counties Manukau competitions. They have won the Duthie Cup one-day competition on three occasions (1995, 2010, 2011) and the W.H Taylor Shield two-day competition in 1991.
While it was disappointing to drop out of the Premier grade six years ago the club has done a good job of rebuilding in the seasons since.
With six teams playing senior cricket – two each in Senior A, Senior B and T20 – and a solid core of exciting players, that goal is looking a lot more attainable all of a sudden.
The aim for the club is to become the fifth Premier team and compete in all three formats as early as next summer, joining neighbours Manukau City, Karaka, Papakura and Pukekohe Metro in the top grade.
The club was given a taste of Premier cricket by playing in the Inder Lynch Counties Manukau T20 tournament at the start of summer, where they performed with distinction, beating a number of the existing clubs and going down to champions Pukekohe Metro in the final.
The team’s captain Karam Thiara has tasted Premier cricket at Manukau City, where the majority of this side has come from.
“Last year we played for Manukau City – our whole team was playing in the Senior A grade,” Thiara told Counties Sports Hub. “Three or four of those guys spent some time playing Premier games for Manukau City.
“We have been together for four or five years and want to play together as a group. We want to play prems and we think we are good enough to do that.
“We played really well in the T20 tournament last year and we have been winning the Senior A grade while we were at Manukau City.”
Weymouth also had some players that harboured ambitions of playing in the top grade as well and were well advanced in putting the foundations in place to become a sustainable premier club.
Committee member Sam Whimp, grandson of Weymouth club founder Alan Whimp, got together with Thiara to turn the discussion into reality.
“I’ve known Sam a long time and, with the help of Mike Halliday – the Manukau City club manager), we came up with the idea of going to Weymouth with the thought of trying to become the next premier team,” Thiara explained.
“We need some help from Counties Manukau Cricket especially when it comes to growing the knowledge and the coaching of existing players but also ensuring we have younger players coming through.
“We see this as a long-term plan and not something just for the next couple of years.”
And what do Weymouth need to do to get the right to play in the premier grade next season?
“I think from the Counties Manukau side of things we have ticked all the boxes,” Thiara said. “We have been playing in the area for the last three or four years, so they know what we are capable of and we’ve had success to back that up.”
CMCA Cricket Manager Peter Zanzottera said the organisation was delighted with what Weymouth were doing and confirmed they would consider adding to the four Premier sides next season.
“Weymouth are one of many of our clubs who are making great strides in terms of organisational structure, playing depth and quality, and it is great to see,” Zanzottera said.
“The CMCA board and management are sitting down shortly to assess criteria for clubs wanting to enter the Premier grade. This will be communicated to the clubs showing an interest in moving up early in the off-season to allow them to see what is needed and give them the best chance to make this step.”
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