A record number of participants and impressive team performances were highlighted at the annual general meeting of Mill Hill Village Sports Club, though administrators, themselves all volunteers, called for increased support from others to sustain momentum.

Record participation
Members assembled online and in person at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield to hear Chairman Sam Smith open the meeting by acknowledging the club’s record participation in the cricket section, noting unprecedented levels of training attendance and match-day involvement. "Participation looks like it’s at an all-time high," Smith said. "The sheer number of members using the nets, even at short notice, is fantastic to see."

The club even fielded a Saturday 5th XI, marking a notable expansion in adult participation.

On-field success
It was noted that Mill Hill Village FC secured promotion to Senior North 1 of the Amateur Football Combination, the team’s ninth promotion in 11 seasons. The promotion from Senior North 2 puts the club just one division away from the Premier League within the Amateur Football Combination.

Director of Cricket Phil Smith also reported significant accomplishments on the field, with two of the club’s four teams, the 1st XI (pictured above) captained by Devraj Ray and the 4th XI captained by Pryank Patel, securing promotions, and a T20 team clinching a cup title for the lower/regional divisions. "Any season where you get two out of four teams promoted and a cup win counts as a good season," he said. The 2nd and 3rd XI teams finished in fourth place in their respective divisions.

Juniors cricket
On the junior front, the Under-11 squad claimed second place in the top division behind perennial champions Winchmore Hill, with the Under-13s finishing fifth in a tough Division 1, and Under-15s and Under-17s placing mid-table and fifth in their respective divisions.

Excitingly, girls’ cricket made its debut in 2024 under a partnership with Finchley Cricket Club, resulting in the formation of the Mill Hill Finches team. The program, which will shortly begin its winter training programme with around 24 players expected, fielded an Under-10 softball team in the league and aims to expand to three teams in summer 2025.

Social offering
Sam Smith also highlighted opportunities to enhance the club’s social offerings, encouraging members to create more diverse events to foster a closer-knit community. "I think the social aspect of the club could improve. Efforts could be put into branching out and getting different types of evenings at the club so we have more people sticking around.

"But overall I’m extremely happy with how the club is going but let’s keep improving and keep working hard next year."

A lack of volunteers
With robust achievements across all levels, the club leadership remains optimistic about sustaining growth. But as the club expands, members emphasised the importance of strengthening volunteer support to help keep pace with the demands of its larger community.

In a recent article for this website, Director of Cricket Phil Smith made a direct plea for more volunteers to help run the club. At the AGM, chairman Sam Smith followed up on the theme, stressing that current support was insufficient for the growing membership. “It’s really noticeable how few volunteers there are,” he said. “There’s not enough people putting their hands up to help. We have a massive membership now, there must be people with skills within our membership who could contribute," he urged. Anyone interested in volunteering can get in touch with Phil Smith on 07976 297721 or via email: info@millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk