18/09/2026
🏏 MGCC 2026: The Season That Was, The People That Matter, Go Well…Cheers! 🏏
Friday evening saw the MGCC End of Season Presentation Evening descend upon The Recreation Ground, bringing the curtain down on the 2026 season in suitably MGCC fashion. With nearly 50 people in attendance, it was one of the biggest turnouts we have seen in recent years and a fantastic way to round off another season of cricket, questionable decision-making, questionable batting, questionable fielding and, most importantly, an awful lot of good people coming together.
2026 also saw the introduction of something rather revolutionary to the MGCC calendar, the Presentation BBQ… Leonard, of the S variety, was appointed Head of Meat & Outdoor Catering, while Leonard, of the J variety, took responsibility for Director of Indoor Catering, specialising in the more refined side of proceedings, namely salads, surprisingly… and, naturally, cheese. Between them, they produced a rather splendid spread, with only one minor BBQ mishap, which by MGCC standards can officially be classified as a resounding success.
It was brilliant to see so many players, supporters, followers, family members and friends of the club there to celebrate the season together. Because while the scorebooks may tell one story, the people gathered around the pavilion on Friday told a far more important one.
With everyone suitably fed, Chairman Carl ‘Kyle’ Needham stepped up to begin the formalities, welcoming everyone to The Recreation Ground on a fabulous September evening and taking a moment to reflect on the season.
Were the results on the field what we wanted? Not necessarily. But, as Kyle rightly highlighted, cricket is only one part of MGCC. The club continues to grow, continues to attract fantastic new people and, crucially, continues to retain the culture, friendship and values that make MGCC such a special place to be.
First up was Midweek XI Captain, Mikey ‘Turbo’ Timms, who took us through the trials and tribulations of another Midweek campaign.
Having narrowly missed out on the desired top-six position, the Midweekers were left agonisingly short of one of the coveted ‘European’ spots and the opportunity to contest the various end-of-season finals. Nevertheless, it was another excellent term under Mikey’s stewardship, with the Midweekers enjoying plenty of cricket, plenty of laughs and, well, almost every minute of it. The final game against Westcott perhaps being the notable exception. We shall gloss over that one…
Attention then turned to the Midweek trophy winners, with two thoroughly deserving recipients. The Midweek Batting Cup went to Jacob Chambers, who really came of age with the bat in 2026, finishing with an excellent average of 38.67. A fantastic season from Jacob and thoroughly deserved silverware. The Midweek Bowling Cup was claimed by Dean Giddy, averaging 25.67 with the ball. Dean has become a hugely valued member of the club since joining a few years ago and is exactly the sort of club man that MGCC is built around. He is also particularly useful if your phone suddenly decides it no longer wishes to participate in modern society.
Mikey also took the opportunity to thank everyone who helps make the Midweek XI happen, with a particular mention for his old man, Barry Timms, for his sterling work organising the Bucks midweek cricket. And, once again, a massive thank you to Mikey himself. The work he puts into organising and captaining the Midweekers is immense, and he continues to do a sterling job.
Next up was Club Captain Stuart Leonard, once again at the helm of the Originals. It would be fair to say that 2026 wasn’t quite the season we had envisaged on the field, particularly after the unexpected promotion into Division 4, courtesy of the wisdom of the Cherwell League. Stu talked us through the campaign and the rather solitary pair of victories, before revealing perhaps the most damning statistic of his entire captaincy career. Despite an entire season of cricket, Skipper Stu managed to win just two tosses. Two!! After approximately seventeen calculations, several independent checks and the intervention of people who actually understand probability, this was confirmed to be statistically horrendous. Quite simply, he was an awful tosser…!! By the end of the season, Stu had apparently abandoned the concept altogether. He would simply walk out to the middle, have a chat with the opposition captain and save everyone the trouble.
But despite the results, Stu was keen to emphasise that 2026 has still been one of the best seasons for MGCC when looking at the bigger picture. The club continues to grow, the positivity around the place remains strong and we welcomed a fantastic group of new members into the MGCC family. A huge welcome to Anant ‘Peshy’ Peshavaria, Alfie ‘Pivot’ Weedon, Jon ‘Farmer’ Bone, Iain ‘IDM’ Docwra-Moorhouse and Andy ‘Nickname TBC’ Collard.
And then, of course, there was Mark ‘Saint Mark’ Benzing. With MGCC desperately in need of a scorer and the ECB increasingly concerned about drinking cultures within English cricket, Mark arrived at precisely the right moment. A scorer who enjoys a drink? The ECB may have been looking for tighter drinking curfews. MGCC was simply looking for someone who could operate a pen but excels at the bar, it was a match made in heaven. All jokes aside, Mark has become an invaluable part of the club and we are hugely grateful for everything he has done.
Stu also had a number of special mentions. First, a huge shout out to Hikz ‘Wildman’ Jan, who quite simply never stopped running in. Week after week, Hikz charged in with the same fire, enthusiasm and heart, regardless of the scoreboard or the conditions. That commitment is exactly what MGCC is about.
There was also praise for the top order, who, despite Stu’s apparent inability to win a toss, regularly found themselves navigating some very good bowling attacks on some particularly tricky pitches early doors. There were plenty of tough days, but there was also plenty of heart, guts and determination shown throughout the season.
And then there was Sam ‘Cossie’ Costello. There weren’t an abundance of ch*****ne moments on the field in 2026, but Cossie provided perhaps the biggest of them all with a magnificent 106. What made it even more special was the timing. Cossie’s parents and sister Rosie had literally just arrived and were getting out of the car as the MGCC pavilion erupted from its seats as he reached three figures. Cricket, family, friends, noise from the pavilion and people genuinely delighted to see one of their own succeed. That’s what this club is all about.
Stu then took the opportunity to thank everyone who continues to make MGCC the envy of many clubs around the area, from those preparing the grounds and pitches, to those cleaning the pavilion, organising admin, providing teas, support from senior players and, of course, every player who pulls on the MGCC shirt.
The Originals Batting Cup went to Sam Costello, who finished the season averaging 27. The Originals Bowling Cup was awarded to Joe Leonard, who finished with 23 wickets at an average of 18.3. Then came the Fielder of the Year award, voted for by the players. There was really only ever going to be one winner, Cossie Costello. Our resident spaniel-cross-whippet has patrolled the covers, boundary and everything in between with a level of energy and speed that most of the playing XI could only dream of. A thoroughly deserved winner. And, as the Ring doorbell screenshot from later in the evening demonstrated, Cossie appeared to enjoy the rest of his presentation evening rather enthusiastically too…The full video footage has been reviewed by the MGCC legal department and has subsequently been deemed unsuitable for public viewing.
It was then back over to Chairman Kyle for the final presentations and, importantly, the long list of people who make MGCC tick behind the scenes.
A huge thank you to our fantastic umpire, Barry Timms, whose contribution throughout the season is invaluable.
The Ground Team of Julian Chambers, Stuart Leonard, Carl Needham, Nick Turner and Mark Leonard, who continue to ensure The Rec remains one of the finest sporting facilities around.
Debs and Grant Cross, for everything they do to keep the pavilion in shape.
Our invaluable scorer, Mark Benzing, whose services have been worth their weight in gold, particularly when the rest of us have been more interested in tea, b**r and arguing about whether that was actually out.
Neil Honour, our resident photo snapper, who continues to capture the moments that become the memories.
And, of course, our two captains, Stu and Mikey, for all their tremendous hard work throughout the year.
But last, and most certainly not least, came the most important people of all. Our magnificent Tea Ladies, headed up by the wonderful Director of Teas, Debbie Cross. Quite simply, cricket cannot function without them. Runs, wickets and catches are all very well, but without tea, sandwiches and whatever mysterious baked goods appear from the pavilion kitchen, the entire operation would collapse within approximately 14 minutes. Every one of our Tea Ladies received a small thank-you gift as a token of appreciation from everyone at MGCC for everything they do throughout the season.
And so to the final two awards of the evening. First, the mighty Duck Cup. There were, unsurprisingly, plenty of contenders. 2026 provided several batsmen with ample opportunity to become well acquainted with the number zero. But there could only be one winner. With a magnificent four ducks across his debut season, the award went to Anant ‘Peshy’ Peshavaria. Chairman Kyle was delighted to present the trophy. Quite some way to announce yourself at MGCC!!
Finally came the award voted for by the members of the club, recognising the individual who has gone above and beyond in helping make MGCC what it is, the Hine Cup.
And while everyone at MGCC plays their part, there was a particularly fitting winner this year. For the first time, the award went to Stuart Leonard. After 20 years at the helm of the First XI, either as Captain or Vice Captain, Stu is stepping down from the Originals captaincy. 20 years. An extraordinary feat. A true leader, an MGCC legend and someone who quite literally bleeds the club. There are simply not enough words, and certainly not enough trophies, to properly recognise the heart, time, effort and commitment Stu has poured into MGCC over those two decades.
From captaining teams, organising cricket, supporting players, driving standards, helping with the ground and generally doing whatever needs doing, Stu has been one of the central figures in shaping the club we have today. Alongside the Hine Cup, Stuart was also presented with a silver salver as an additional acknowledgement of his outstanding leadership and contribution to MGCC. A thoroughly deserved recognition for someone who has given so much.
To polish off the presentations, Chairman Kyle had one final surprise up his sleeve.
With huge thanks to Mrs Needham for her patience and, more importantly, her hand stitching, commemorative MGCC caps had been produced for members who had reached the rather significant milestone of 100 appearances for the Originals, and some into the several hundreds! Each was presented with their own hand-stitched commemorative cap. A brilliant way to recognise longevity, commitment and the sheer number of Saturdays sacrificed to the cricket gods over the years.
And so, with the awards handed out, the caps presented, the BBQ conquered, the 2026 season officially came to a close.
The results may not have always gone our way this year, but the bigger picture remains incredibly positive. New faces, old friends, families, supporters, volunteers, players and the people behind the scenes have all continued to make MGCC what it is. Because ultimately, MGCC has never been solely about what happens between the white lines. It is about the people, the community, the friendships, the laughs, the tea, the b**r, the occasional decent innings and the rather more frequent batting collapses.
And as another season draws to a close, we can look back with enormous pride at the club we continue to build together.
Same club. Same community. Same spirit! 2026 Over and Out!
❤️🏏MGCC 🏏❤️
