Saturday, 25th October 2025 saw the club launch its third book, written by club historian, John “Frizzle” Cochrane. The book commemorated the best 50 1st XI cricketers in 50 years, from our beginnings in 1970/71 to 2019/20. As an added extra, Frizzle also named his best ever 1st XI team of 50 years.
A considerable number of attendees were present at the clubrooms, including several club legends from bygone years. The atmosphere was positively influenced by the success of our three senior teams, each securing wins in their respective round two matches, notably highlighted by the 1st XI’s dramatic victory on the final ball of the match. BHRDCA president, Peter Rosenthal, got the night off to a great start when he announced that both Steven Young and Luke Mason had been inducted into the BHRDCA Hall of Fame.
The night progressed with the 50 players individually announced. After the completion of the announcement of the greatest 50 cricketers, it was time for Frizzle to introduce his greatest 1st XI team. In batting order, here is his team:
| Name | Cap No. | Games | Runs @ Ave | Wkts @ Ave. | Catches | Stumpings | |
| 1 | Michael Amor | 178 | 233 | 6,908 @ 29.02 | 65 @ 28.94 | ||
| 2 | Darren McDonald | 168 | 49 | 2,190 @ 48.68 | 124 @ 19.19 | ||
| 3 | Ian Simpson (vc) | 115 | 38 | 1,493 @ 43.91 | 113 @ 13.36 | ||
| 4 | Steven Young | 131 | 164 | 5,218 @ 39.16 | 10 @ 33.80 | ||
| 5 | Jack Berry | 205 | 161 | 4,994 @ 36.19 | 61 @ 26.48 | ||
| 6 | Harry Young | 56 | 116 | 3,600 @ 35.88 | 260 @ 14.73 | ||
| 7 | Luke Mason (Capt) | 179 | 210 | 4,999 @ 28.90 | 255 @ 19.84 | ||
| 8 | Adrian Tabacchiera | 190 | 113 | 2,734 @ 28.48 | 178 @ 17.76 | ||
| 9 | Tony Stagg | 106 | 1398 | 2,563 @ 19.13 | 3 @ 46.33 | 145 | 29 |
| 10 | Tim Arnold | 169 | 246 | 2,997 @ 23.23 | 394 @ 19.66 | ||
| 11 | Lee Woolcock | 196 | 135 | 610 @ 10.17 | 260 @ 22.11 | ||
| 12th Man Bat: | |||||||
| Robert Chaplin | 40 | 141 | 3,911 @ 29.85 | 26 @ 21.54 | |||
| 12th Man Bowl: | |||||||
| Dean Weedman | 65 | 78 | 638 @ 19.91 | 136 @ 22.38 | |||
| 12th Man Wicketkeeper | |||||||
| Mark Coulston | 202 | 104 | 297 @ 10.61 | 1 @ 25.00 | 173 | 9 | |
| Scorer | |||||||
| Jack Miller | |||||||
It is expected that the selection of this team will prompt discussion and possibly differing opinions. If an alternative player is suggested, Frizzle will typically respond by asking, “so who are you going to drop to get your selection in this team.”
At the end of the night, the club held an auction for a cricket bat featuring the names of all the selected players. Robert Chaplin placed the highest bid and donated the bat back to the club for display in the clubrooms.
The launch of our “50 Best Cricketers in 50 Years” book was a night to remember. The event drew a fantastic crowd of past and present players, life members, and supporters, all gathered to celebrate our club’s proud history. Stories were shared, friendships rekindled, and the achievements of generations recognised.
Finally, is there any truth in the rumour that Frizzle is already working on book number four……
