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Once described as the original product of the clubs youth development programme, Charlie resided in the village during his early years where he was encouraged in his cricket by resident and former Ipsden player from the 40’s and 50’s, Bert Butcher. Making his debut as a thirteen year-old, Charlie has literally grown-up with the club; becoming the first player to notch up 300 appearances in 2006.

A hard hitting, counter attacking batsman, for many years Charlie inhabited the middle-order but in more recent seasons has made an opening berth his own, crowned by a record breaking 2004, when he set a new club record of 714 runs in a season, including a century and 6 fifties and he now stands second only to Phil Houseman in terms of career runs.

There’s a second string to his bow, by no stretch of the imagination a regular bowler, he’s found a niche as a partnership breaker and his unorthodox yet effective ‘dibleys’ have now deceived in excessive of seventy victims and more recently spawned a nickname; The Vicar.

Charlie the player is only half the story and it’s not exaggerating to say he is the lifeblood of the club, involved in almost every organisational decision and action and this despite living between 2004 to 2008, some 30 miles away in Slough.

Three Clubman awards to go with two for Player of the Year, demonstrate that all-round commitment; he was Captain for five seasons from 1998 and has been on the committee for the last ten years and until recently held three different job titles simultaneously.

His desire to be constantly involved does have one drawback; he’s an uncomfortable spectator, indeed a vociferous fidget, hollering advice and encouragement that doesn’t aide the batsman’s concentration particularly in a tight run chase.

The best stories regarding Charlie seem to date from club tours before my time so you’ll have to ask him yourself about the occasion in the hotel bar when it was pointed out to him by a helpful (that should have sounded warning bells) Lenny Pearson, that he’d dropped his room key and it was under the chair. Gratefully picking it up, he thought nothing more about it until he went to bed, where on opening the door; he found the room stripped bare, no bed, wardrobe or removable fixing remained, it was only then that he realised that his key may have been absent from his person for rather a longer period than he’d appreciated.

The 1993 Nottingham Tour, a rather sad tale of billy-no-mates, having travelled, as a group, by taxi to a local club, Charlie was the only tourist refused admittance due to a lack of a collar. His ‘team’ mates all piled into the club suggesting to Charlie that he head back to the hotel and keep the bar open and they’d join him later. An expensive return taxi ride was further exasperated by finding that the hotel bar had already closed leaving a forlorn Charlie no option but an ‘early’ night.

That’s not the only time he’s had trouble with his attire on tour, as in 2001, we were all gathered in the bar ready to go out when one of the hotel staff took one look at Charlie’s creased shirt and came over all maternal. In a blink of an eye she’d convinced him to take it off and after five minutes of Charlie sitting topless on a bar stool it was returned to him freshly ironed.

Topless wasn’t enough in 2004 as a late night group stroll along Weymouth beach saw Charlie go skinny dipping. The predictable outcome was that the rest of the party nicked his clothes, leaving him run naked up the beach, though it was reported that Charlie didn’t seem to care.

Personally I miss the times we’d stop for a fry-up on the first morning of a tour and get out Charlie’s wallet, although not necessarily to pay. In those days he was an on the road salesman and his wallet literally bulged with petrol, loyalty, business and credit cards making it too big to fit comfortably in his pocket. He would therefore leave it in someone’s charge at the table while he visited the gents and every time, without fail, he’d come back to find members of the team, usually led by Ian Lock, enthusiastically using the contents for an impromptu game of snap.

Recent research has discovered that Charlie leads the way when it comes to Ducks; he’ll argue that he’s batted more than most but the stats still reveal an impressive count of 40 zeros (correct at end 2007).

(MH 2008)

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	536	Catches:	184
Runs Scored:	9,169	Wickets Taken:	84

Full Career Record

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Name: Justin Fanstone

Cricket:

Debut: 2017

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	62	Catches:	9
Runs Scored:	144	Wickets Taken:	98

Full Career Record

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Name: Alex Haycock

Cricket:

Debut: 2021

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	24	Catches:	9
Runs Scored:	97	Wickets Taken:	24

Full Career Record

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Name: Dan Houseman (AKA: Bungalow)

Cricket: RH Bat; RA Leg Spin

Debut: 1999

Son of Phil, Dan first played for the club aged eight, making three appearances in 1999 as we struggled for a side but as a result of a lack of opportunity and perhaps interest he wasn’t to play again until 2003.

By now playing youth cricket on Sunday mornings he was a late injury call up for his second debut, an aspiring slow bowler he was given the last over of the match and promptly picked up two wickets.

A genuine spinner of the ball he benefited from coaching at Didcot and has developed several variations, including an extremely quick ‘quicker’ ball, a product of the frustrated fast bowler that lurks within him.

He has been encouraged to stick with the spin though, not only because of ability but also because of variety as at our level not many batsmen will have faced a quality slow bowler.

He had taken 50 wickets by his 16th birthday and is closing in on the century, physically he has shot up, as well as filling out and those levers and increased strength have seen his batting explode during the last couple of seasons. He uses a Kookaburra Beast and seems to bat in the same style, at times falling to a rash, impetuous shot but as a string of half-centuries testify, once in he’s hard to contain. He’s not bad in the field either with a strong arm and a safe pair of hands.

Dan had a remarkable 2007, having hit his maiden fifty he averaged 40.4 and took 20 wickets cleaning up on trophy night with the Batsman, Bowler, Parkinson and Player of the Year trophies, an improvement on the Mallard the year before.

Emerging as a match winner with both bat and ball, he has already made his mark on the record books, becoming the third Ipsden player to take a hat-trick (2005) and just the fourth to score a fifty and take five wickets in the same match (2008).

A laid back and amiable character off the pitch, Dan is unique in having his own fan club at Ipsden, for several years it was mum Sally, but now it is usually his maternal grandparents. 2009 will see Dan old enough to tour so an update to this profile may be in order later in the year.

(MH 2009)

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	257	Catches:	100
Runs Scored:	4,785	Wickets Taken:	412

Full Career Record

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Name: Mark Hughesdon (AKA: Bomber)

Cricket: RH Bat; RA Medium

Debut: 1994

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	457	Catches:	92
Runs Scored:	1,940	Wickets Taken:	658

Full Career Record

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Name:Josh Hunt

Cricket:

Debut: 2019

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):

Matches Played:	20	Catches:	0
Runs Scored:	118	Wickets Taken:	14

Full Career Record

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Name: John Hyde (AKA: Brillo)

Cricket: RH Bat

Debut: 2021

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	25	Catches:	2
Runs Scored:	197	Wickets Taken:	0

Full Career Record

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Name: Imad Syed

Cricket:

Debut: 2021

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	35	Catches:	9
Runs Scored:	296	Wickets Taken:	25

Full Career Record

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Name: Chris Rudling

Cricket: RH Bat

Debut: 2014

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	81	Catches:	20
Runs Scored:	2,009	Wickets Taken:	19

Full Career Record

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Name: Will Simpson

Debut: 2015

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	89	Catches:	26
Runs Scored:	292	Wickets Taken:	120

Full Career Record

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Name: Chris Strange

Cricket:

Debut: 2015

Career Summary (up to end of 2022 season):
Matches Played:	34	Catches:	2
Runs Scored:	181	Wickets Taken:	45

Full Career Record

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Name: Richard Turner

Cricket:

Debut: 2012

Career Summary (up to end of 2022 season):
Matches Played:	23	Catches:	4
Runs Scored:	179	Wickets Taken:	28

Full Career Record

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Name: Theo Tustian

Cricket:

Debut: 2023

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	8	Catches:	4
Runs Scored:	33	Wickets Taken:	6

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Name: Jonathon Watts (AKA: Jono, Golden-Arm)

Cricket: RH Bat; RA Medium

Debut: 2003

Jonathon James Watts is one of those current rarities, an Ipsden cricketer who actually lives in the village.

He first came to our notice when he played in the 2003 pre-season Members match but we had to wait until the July for his debut with educational studies taking priority.

He was seen as a bowler in his first few seasons, indeed he won the bowling trophy in 2004, not always in complete control and often delivering from way behind the popping crease he never the less had the knack of swinging the ball. Jono took two four wicket hauls during that second season and earned the nickname ‘Golden arm’ for his repeated trick of taking a wicket with the first ball of a new spell.

The pattern of not seeing much of him early season continued as having completed his A-levels it was off to Warwick University, but come the holidays and he was back amongst our ranks. It was during those university years that the bowling became more erratic and less called upon by the captain but Jono the batsman emerged to compensate.

His Ipsden batting career had started inauspiciously with three successive ducks but Jono has since developed into a durable middle-order anchor and partnership builder, he has the ability to rotate the strike and manufacture singles, whilst being one of the quickest between the stumps (it also helps being one of the youngest).

Jono toured for the first time in 2006, quickly showing an appreciative eye for the female form but also that other well known student attribute of being able to sleep anytime anywhere.

Over the years he has ‘suffered’ so much leg pulling about being privileged that he now seems to look forward to it, acting the part and fabricating a butler into his imagined lifestyle.

Had a 2008 tour to remember, aided by the fact that good mate John Ramsay had now come of age but will have to improve on the boxing skills if he’s going to take the judge on again in 2009.

(MH 2009)

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	91	Catches:	38
Runs Scored:	1,873	Wickets Taken:	30

Full Career Record

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Name: Jason Withers

Cricket: RH Bat

Debut: 2017

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	72	Catches:	16
Runs Scored:	654	Wickets Taken:	105

Full Career Record

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Name: Dave Wood

Cricket: RH Bat

Debut: 2007

Dave’s recruitment in 2007 was yet another fortuitous knock on effect of Dave Passmore joining the club, not to mention swelling the ranks of players named Dave that seem to proliferate on our roster at the present time.

A brief cameo appearance with the bat on debut didn’t properly prepare his team mates for his second appearance as Dave smashed 96 not out to lead us home at a canter at Aldworth. Dave admitably rode his luck but those that witnessed his clean hitting were awe struck.

However with the rest of the season disrupted by the weather and work commitments, a sequence of low scores left us wondering whether the innings was a one off, that was until Dave rediscovered some form, with 42, in the final fixture of the season.

Those work commitments see Dave employed as a co-pilot with BA, flying Airbuses on European routes and although his shift patterns rule him out for about half of a season he does make every effort to play.

More than once he has flown a round trip to Germany and having landed back in London, jumped straight in the car and arrived at the ground still wearing his pilot’s uniform just in time for the start of the match.

Following on from the promise of 2007 Dave settled into the top three and had a memorable 2008, playing eleven times he struck seven half-centuries together with a further three scores in the 30s to register 555 runs at an average of 61.7, winning both the Batsman and Player of the Year trophies to cap a memorable season.

Although tall, Dave doesn’t strike you as being particularly powerful but his hand-eye co-ordination produces remarkable timing and at times our ground didn’t seem big enough to contain him. Equally comfortable off the front or back foot, the majority of his scoring shots went in the classical ‘V’ as he equalled the club record of 20 sixes in a season.

All this natural ability comes without an ego and Dave has very quickly settled into the team getting involved with pitch maintenance and work parties so vital in running a small club.

(MH 2009)

Career Summary (up to end of 2023 season):
Matches Played:	178	Catches:	70
Runs Scored:	6,178	Wickets Taken:	0

Full Career Record

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The Regulars	Jason Withers
Matt Andrews	Dave Wood
Jatin Bhatt
James Church	The Irregulars
Charlie Cox	Gary Booker
Justin Fanstone	Sam Bennett
Alex Haycock	Ben Davies
Dan Houseman	Josh Hunt
Mark Hughesdon	Sam Simmonds
John Hyde	Will Simpson
Imad Syed	Chris Strange
Chris Rudling	Richard Turner
Theo Tustian	Jono Watts
Full A to Z of Ipsden Players