Jubilee pavilion undergoes major work

We are delighted to announce that the £480,000 refurbishment of the Jubilee pavilion is now underway and expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2009 season.

The work started at the beginning of November and involves a complete renovation and extension of the building. For the first time since the 1960s the entire pavilion will be available for use.

The main change is that the entrance will be through the middle of the downstairs (where the umpires' room was) into a hall with new dressing-rooms leading off it. Upstairs is accessed by internal stairs into a landing with doors leading onto the balcony ahead. To the right the existing dining room will become a club room, while the other side will be converted into a big dining room. Partition doors will allow the dining area to be extended into the landing.

The stairs leading to the balcony at either end downstairs will be removed, meaning access will come via the building. The wooden balustrade, which has been at an inconvenient height ever since the dreadful 1988 refurbishment, will be replaced by glass. It promises to be spectacular.

The pavilion was built by the OCs in 1924 as a memorial to those who fell in the Great War, something that has been increasingly overlooked. This aspect is being restored with the building becoming a memorial to all Cranleighans who have died in wars. Honours boards will form a stunning part of the upstairs landing.

Outside there are plans being discussed to improve the landscaping between the pavilion and the main drive.

The work so far has been made possible by a remarkable donation of £300,000 from the Old Cranleighans. However, we still need to raise £180,000 to make this possible and the OCCC are embarking on a major fund-raising exercise starting now so that we can enjoy our amazing new cricket home in time for next season.

OCHC to play School on January 3

After several years of trying, we are delighted to announce that the annual fixture against the School, which was first played in 1921, seven years before the official founding of the OCHC, will resume on January 3 when the School XI play an OC side mainly made up of leavers from the last two years. The game will start at 2.30pm at Thames Ditton.

"I appreciate the efforts of all concerned to ensure this game occurs which will be played for the Roger Loveland vase and will I hope become an annual event," said David Knapp.

Waters excels on international debut

A remarkable fortnight for Seren Waters who made his national debut for Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup match against Ireland in Nairobi and followed with his full ODI debut a week later.

Against Ireland, Waters made 18 and 75 opening the innings, the latter described as being an innings of tremendous maturity which outshone efforts by many of his more senior colleagues. His second-innings effort was the highest by an OC in first-class cricket

He then scored 41 on his ODI debut, followed with 20 against Zimbabwe. In the two-match series in South Africa, he made 15 and finished with an excellent 74, more than double the next best by his team-mates.

Waters captained the school last summer and scored more than 900 runs, as well as playing some vital innings for Old Cranleighans, including a battling 68 in the Cricketer Cup final. He has played for various Surrey age groups and last summer played his club cricket for Weybridge in Surrey, a side captain by Kenya reject Abeed Janmohamed.

Click here for the Cricinfo report and here for Cricinfo’s profile of Seren.