Kibworth Cricket Club
Kibworth Cricket Club celebrated another remarkable year in 2024, with impressive performances across the men’s, women’s, and junior teams, alongside hosting several high-profile external matches that reinforced the club’s standing as Leicestershire’s premier cricket venue.
Men’s Teams: Kibworth’s men’s section, comprising four teams, continued to build on past successes.
The 1st XI, following three consecutive Premier League titles, consolidated their position with a commendable 3rd-place finish, demonstrating the squad’s potential and resilience as they integrated younger players into the side. The 2nd XI enjoyed a thrilling run in the National Village Cup, reaching the last 16 before narrowly losing to Dumbleton CC.
Meanwhile, the 3rd and 4th XIs played a pivotal role in developing the club’s emerging talent, blooding many youngsters and finishing mid-table. This season’s focus on growth and integration bodes well for the future.
Women’s Team: The women’s section continued its rapid expansion, bolstered by a burgeoning girls’ section. The long-format 1st XI shone brightly, hopefully winning Division One of the East Midlands Women’s League – as this is written we have two games left to win – showcasing their skill and determination to win back-to-back titles following last season’s promotion from Division Two. The short-format teams also enjoyed strong campaigns, narrowly missing out on league titles but consistently displaying the depth and talent within the squad. The growth in participation and performance levels underlines the exciting prospects for women’s and girls’ cricket at Kibworth.
Junior Teams: Kibworth’s junior programme remains a cornerstone of the local sporting community. The club has 15 teams for boys and girls ages 10 to 19. They focus on helping young players grow; many did really well this year. People enjoyed playing and watching the games, and the club’s youth programme is essential for the club’s future. We have embedded several juniors into senior cricket this season which is the ultimate success for the club.
The club also hosted some big matches this year, including one between Leicestershire CCC and Surrey, which drew a record crowd of over 1300 people. Huge thanks to Stamps and Sons for sponsoring the match balls, a huge group of volunteers on the day and the local community.
We recently hosted National ECB club and county finals matches for U18’s boys and girls, showing off talented players from around the country and regularly hosted matches for the Leicestershire 2nd XI and Academy U18s, helping to strengthen the club’s reputation as a leading place for cricket.
Overall, 2024 has been a successful year for Kibworth Cricket Club. The men’s and women’s teams did well, and the club is building a good reputation as a host for big events. With many talented players coming through, the club looks forward to doing even better in the future.
Kevin Messenger
The Kennard Pedigree
