The reigning Mid-Essex Premier Division young player of the year is up next, all-rounder Shane Barwick adding that award to his trophy cabinet last season where it resides alongside the same award from the ECCL in 2012 and the Essex Recreational Player of the year award in 2013.

Shane has been a fixture at the club since about the age of 3, facing about 40 overs on the sidelines every Saturday from various family members and Goresbrook players whilst Dad Scott led the 1s. With plenty of cricket under his belt and the top of his pads well over, Shane made his Colts debut at the age of 6 and played his first senior game at 10, progressing to regular league cricket in 2010 from the age of 13.

It took him 2 ½ seasons to work through the XI’s before he made his 1st XI debut midway through the wet season of 2012, a strong first half of the season ensuring that he broke into the 1’s who by that stage were struggling to recapture the title winning form of the previous summer. That form returned the next season however and Shane was the dominant bowler in the Premier Division with 35 wickets at 8.57 and a stifling economy rate of 2.36 as the 1’s held off Barking to win the league in our last season before joining the Mid-Essex.

That 2013 summer was somewhat of a golden one for Shane as he led the under 16’s to Chelmsford where they gave a fine Loughton side a run for their money in the Matchplay final, Shane playing match-winning innings’ at Wanstead, Newham (where he made a ton) and in the semi-final against Saffron Walden.

Although Shane’s batting was dominant at Colts level, it took him a while to break through at 1’s level, as he initially batted 6/7 before being pushed up the order towards the end of the 2013 season. That left him in prime position to plunder in 2014, however unfortunately (for him) he spent most of that campaign with his pads on watching Kurt and JC batter Division One attacks and after a back injury made the 2015 campaign somewhat of a battle, 2016 therefore became Shane’s breakthrough season as a genuine all-rounder as he scored 467 runs at 33 and took 27 wickets at 19.7.

Those were the sort of numbers that Michael Rooke, our last genuine automatic selection as either batsman or bowler was putting up in his early 2010’s peak years and Shane is well capable of pushing that on towards 600 runs and 30 wickets should the responsibility of taking on the vice-captaincy remove the 2 or 3 games a season where he turns up of no practical use to the team after a night on the lash.

Batting

Name	Apps	Inns	NO	Ducks	DNB	Outs	Runs	4s	6s	50s	100s	Avge	Best
S Barwick	221	190	40	12	31	178	3,651	418	18	16	3	24.34	105

Bowling

Name	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wkts	Econ	Str Rate	Ave	Best
S Barwick	1,304.2	159	4,504	344	3.45	22.75	13.09	6-23

Fielding

94 catches
6 WK catches
7 stumpings

BASICS

Name: Shane Barwick
GCC Number: 249
Nicknames Shaynal, Gaynal, Radio
Tekkers: LH top order bat, LA orthodox spin
Age: 19
Job: Accountancy apprentice
Hobbies: Every sport, getting drunk the night before a game

QUICKFIRE

Favourite Football Team: West Ham
Favourite Music: Anything really, drum and bass on certain occasions (surprised Suspicious Minds doesn’t get a look in here)
Favourite Movie: Law Abiding Citizen
Favourite TV Show: Game of Thrones
Favourite Holiday Destination: Egypt/anywhere with a clubbing strip
Favourite Meal: Indian
Favourite Drink: Sex on the Beach
Who would play you in the film of your life: Justin Bieber

GORESBROOK

When did you make your Goresbrook debut? Senior Debut Belhus 2007 aged 10 blocked out an end Whilst Brian Kulasena plundered at the other. Colts Debut: Sometime during the 2003 season aged 6 was rained off half way through the game. (That game against Belhus was on Sat 6 Oct, making Shane one of only three players to debut for Goresbrook on a Saturday in Oct, the others being Anthony Ellis of Belhus who made up 11 for us in the same game that Shane debuted and Dapper Dan O’Sullivan on Sat 4 Oct 2008, although he may have started his run-up on the Friday)

Describe your Goresbrook career in 10 words or less. Largely Successful and always eventful

Who is your favourite GCC Teammate (current or retired) & why? Kane Messenger – Good mates, Mid-on and Mid-off, both hate losing and love moaning, which goes well together on a cricket field. Got to love recreating all of WWE wrestling’s best moves on the side whilst Kurt blocks and leaves. (Things to do whilst Kurt blocks and leaves is a column in itself, with “watch him bat” being along way down the list)

Most memorable game(s)? Matchplay Semi-Final – Had a great game on a personal level and as a team and was just a great day to be a part of. Beating Bow Rovers 2’s as a young and inexperienced 4th team also always stands out. (Ah, the Matchplay semi….Saffron Walden 55-0 off 10 overs, enter the spinners to bowl them out for 168 & then Shane and Ben Irving smashed it about like they used to do as 6 year olds on the sidelines putting on 99 as we cruised home by 7 wickets. Happy days.

The Bow Rovers game was Keith ‘Dhoni’ Maund, Chris Wilding, Jeff Williams and a cast of mainly under 13’s who bowled tenaciously to restrict that year’s champions to 192 and then chased it down in the final over with Connor Jennings hitting 74, Bobby Gaymer 40, Jeff 26 and Shane chipping in with 23 after taking 1-30 from his 8 overs. It was the only game Bow lost all season.)

Which GCC player do you hate facing in the nets? Israel Ochwo – bowls quite quick to say the least.

What’s the best thing about Goresbrook CC? Unity. Stick together through wins and losses it’s like one big messed up family.

CRICKET

What other clubs/XI's have you played for? Jo Richardson and Robert Clack Schools. Barking and Dagenham Schools. League rep team in current and old league. Had a couple of Essex age group games and captained the District side.

All-time cricketing hero? Shane Warne – best spinner there’s ever been and such a clever player.

Favourite cricket ground & why? Orsett – Nice Ground and always seem to do well there. (we can agree to differ on this one)

Describe the best catch you have ever taken? Peter Coe cup game against Springfield run the length of the pitch and a full-length dive to take a caught and bowled. (unconfirmed reports that this was his last wicket against Springfield)

Best player played against? Joe Joyce hooking Izzy for 6 always sticks in the memory.

MISCELLANEOUS

Best sporting achievement outside cricket? Won Gold Medals at Swimming When I was younger. (there’s a joke about still not being the best breaststroker in the family there somewhere)

Where would you live if money was no object? Dubai or Australia

What would you rescue first if your house was on fire? Phone or Dog (Which is it? I’ll accept an either/or answer on the question above, particularly as to my knowledge you haven’t been to either place….but surely you either want to save the dog at all costs or you don’t)

Give us a sporting tip for 2017? MVG to win Darts World Championship/ Goresbrook 1’s to win the league (Seriously, this is winding me up now, just pick your best answer)

Tell us something about yourself that nobody at Goresbrook knows? I once bought a beer. (only because he hadn’t paid his subs that day)