Supporting the community is one of our Sustainability Strategy Pillars. One of our 2024 initiatives has been the sponsorship of a player at Norfolk cricket team Horsford CC.
Following our news story at the beginning of summer when we announced US2U Consulting was sponsoring Will Bryan, we asked him to review his 2024 cricket season as the bats and balls are put away until 2025. Have a read of our interview below:
How was your season overall?
My season was OK overall - my personal performances were steady without being spectacular, however we had a great season as a club with our 1st team achieving their highest ever finish in the East Anglian Premier League coming 3rd, our 2nd team getting promoted from Division 2 of the Norfolk Alliance, and our 3rd and 4th teams improving on previous years.
(Click the full story to read more)
On a personal note, I came top in the Norfolk Alliance Division 2 fielding statistics, with 22 league dismissals for the season – a feat that placed me 4th in the county across all of the leagues. With the bat, I scored 264 runs in the league (average of 24.00) which placed me in the top 20 run scorers in Division 2 – I feel I slightly underachieved with the bat this season, and I feel like I can push further towards the 400/500 run mark in the future.
How many matches did you play? Home and Away?
I played 18 matches overall – 11 at home and 7 away, of which 6 were for the 1st team and 12 were for the 2nd team
What is your usual role in the team?
My usual role changes depending on which team I am in on the day. This season my predominant role has been Keeping Wicket in the 2nd team and batting in the middle order.
What was your season highlight?
My season highlight was helping the 2nd team gain promotion into Division 1 of the Norfolk Alliance League.
We notice you were legend of the week in Gameweek 5 at the beginning of June. What did you do to achieve that?
To gain legend of the week, I scored 75 off 65 balls with the bat and took 4 catches in the same game against North Runcton CC.
How did you celebrate this?
I celebrated this with my teammates, which was made much more satisfying given I had contributed to a team win.
What things did you find most challenging this season?
The most challenging part of this season was definitely the weather – we lost 4 league games to the rain this season, which, combined with missing the odd game due to holidays etc, meant I only played 12 out of the 18 league games this season. Cricket is a sport where rhythm, form and momentum are key, and a stop-start campaign curtails all 3.
What are your plans for next season?
My plans for next season are to try and establish the 2nd team in Division 1. We can definitely push for back to back promotions with the squad we have, and I feel like I can play a big role in doing so. On a personal level, if given the chance, I would like to regain my spot in the 1st team through consistent performances for both sides and help us achieve our goals as a club.
Enjoy the off-season, Will, and see you in the 2025 campaign!