Guildford Cricket Club – 2026 Was Unusually Disappointing for the Men – Triumphant for the Women

Published on: 23 Sep, 2026
Updated on: 23 Sep, 2026

By Chad Murrin

For Guildford Cricket Club the 2026 season was unusually disappointing for the men’s 1st and 2nd XI’s, both were relegated.

Having been promoted back to the Premier Division of the Surrey Cricket Championship, the 1st XI added some new recruits and we felt the team would be competitive. After losing by one run to eventual champions East Molesey on the first day, we then beat Sutton and Normandy.

However, the “Prem” is a tough and unforgiving league. Guildford soon tumbled down the table, not helped by numerous injuries which unsettled the side and we ended up bottom of the 10-team table.

Fred McMillan

As the averages show, the batting was weak. Finn Gordon and the overseas Blake MacDonald produced acceptable statistics and Fred McMillan made a century against Spencer. Will Hamilton will have benefitted from the experience, but the others mostly struggled.

Olly Birts was the mainstay of the bowling with 29 wickets. There was a welcome return by Duncan Selmes, and James McMillan was consistent. Otherwise, the attack lacked penetration.

Fred McMillan has been appointed to Captain of the 1st XI for the 2027 season and he is looking forward to a successful campaign in Division 1.

The 2nd XI were beaten by Chobam on the final day of the season, meaning they finished 8th in Division Four West and were one of the three teams relegated. This was disappointing as Isaac Morse led the team impressively but he was not helped by the high turnover of players in the 1st XI.

Callum McLean’s 3rd XI were generally competitive and finished mid-table in Division 8 West.

Peter van Eeden’s 4th XI narrowly missed promotion from Division 12 West. They beat Woking by one wicket in a thriller on the last day but it was not quite enough and they finished fourth.

Van Eeden said: “The 4th and 5th XI’s continued the club’s glorious tradition of introducing juniors into men’s cricket. Many juniors made their senior debuts and produced good statistics.

“In one 4th XI match we only had three players aged 18 or over.”

Woodbridge Road Cricket Ground

Outside of the Saturday League programme, there was a notable performance for the Academy XI by Dominic Ortlepp-Atkins. On July 5 in the Surrey Trust League Tier 1 West, he made 210 (not out) against Chobham. Dominic also played seven matches for the 1st XI in the Premier, with a top sore of 59.

Women’s Cricket

In contrast to the men, Guildford’s Women’s 1st XI enjoyed a highly successful season.

They finished as champions of Division 2 West and are promoted to Women’s Division 1 in 2027.

The Women’s 1st XI

Director of Women’s Cricket Neil Garrett said: “It’s a fantastic achievement and the culmination of an enormous amount of hard work throughout the Winter and across the Summer.

“Perhaps the statistic that best demonstrates the progress we’ve made is that 23 different players have represented the 1st XI this season. That depth is a great reflection of the continued growth of women’s cricket at Guildford, the commitment to training, and the strength of the wider squad that has developed around the team.”

The co-captains Robyn Bentley and Grace Perkins led the team with distinction, and our overseas player Darcey Whitefield made valuable contributions. Overall though, it was a collective effort.

Junior cricket

It was another busy season for the junior section.

Highlights included:

For the first time in many years, we fielded an U-8 league team, which finished top
Our U-5/6 group membership increased to over 60 players
Our U-13’s were notably strong and won tournaments at Valley End and Horsley & Send
There was also an increased number of Guildford juniors being selected for County
representative squads, including three from our U-12’s
Our U-15 girls reached the County Cup Quarter Final, which is a massive progression.

Information about Guildford Cricket Club

See the Club’s website at www.guildfordcc.com. New players for the 2027 season are welcome. Indoor winter training will commence in January. In first instance, please make contact via email: adult men players contact Directorofcricket@guildfordcc.com); women players contact guildfordcc.wg.doc@gmail.com; and juniors and parents contact
gccjuniorchair@outlook.com.