Without being particularly exceptional in terms of results, 2008 could well be described as a remarkable season for West Eleven Cricket Club. There were two overseas tours (Malta and Menorca) which made the club's season the longest ever , a week short of six months, and a record equalling 25 matches were played, although two were abandoned at the halfway point when conditions became impossible. The Bob Ashton Memorial Cup was retained, thanks to a nail-biting second rubber, though on the down side the Nelson Cup, now something of an anachronism, was given up to the London Saints.

The team won thirteen and lost ten of the games that were completed, making a sixth winning season on the bounce, but this doesn't tell the full story of some outstanding individual performances and a number of records and milestones achieved. The batsmen scored more runs (4026) in 2008 than in any previous season, although co-incidentally lost more wickets (197) then ever before. The team's average total score of 167-8 was also a record. In the only comparable season (1992), when 25 games were played, the team scored 3826 runs at an average of 153-7, although only five matches were lost.

There were some remarkable individual exploits, none more so than Chris Wright's astonishing match-winning innings of 135 not out in the final game of the season in Menorca, arguably the greatest ever by a Beggar batsman, at least in terms of the match situation, though those long enough in the tooth to remember Jim Irvine's 179 19-six blitz against Sunderland at Hampstead Heath Extension in 1992 may beg to differ. In any other season Cameron Vine's superb 137 against The Plums in Winchester would have taken the laurels, equalling the second highest individual score by a West XI player in a mammoth total of 273-4, the second best in club history. Prabhu Bapu also hit a maiden hundred, 105 before retiring hurt, out of 211-3 against Sunderland in Berkhamsted, though his batting had a certain feast or famine aspect, two more half-centuries and three ducks! Rowan Allerton posted a career-best 56 not out in the same match and a week later at the same venue Steve Rennie cracked a best-ever 79 off London Saints. Chris Wright topped 500 runs in a season for a record fifth time, though he also made a number of low scores and was only fourth in the averages with 28.56 behind Cammy Vine (47.00), Prab (37.09) and the indisputable all-round star of the summer Chris Dane (44.92).

The Danester was at the top of his game all season with both bat and ball. Besides a record 584 runs, including four half-centuries, he also took 23 wickets at 16.04 (also a season's best) and held 10 catches (yet another!) equalling his 2005 bag). His 97 not out In Dinder was also a personal best, a maiden hundred denied only by the weather and some tardy umpiring, whilst his 82 against Marsa in Malta was a match-winning knock. Though still not quite the finished article Rowan Allerton had his best season yet, with 281 runs, 20 wickets and 12 catches. Steve Bignell contributed with some useful runs and as stand-in wicket-keeper and occasional leg-break bowler, but Neepam Bhatt was disappointing by his own high standards, though still managed 278 runs and 14 wickets. The wickets were spread around amongst a strong bowling attack, with six bowlers taking 15 or more victims. Phil Hill was almost back to his best form, keeping his nerve in a dramatic last over against The Gents at Old Tenisonians which West XI won by just 2 runs, whilst Dave Laing was a model of consistency and John McGirr's bowling was naggingly accurate despite his lack of wickets. Laing topped the averages with 19 wickets at 15.36 each, closely followed by Bignell (18 at 15.88) and Dane (23 at 16.04).

The rest of the squad also played their part; Stewart Taylor bowling well and batting solidly in the few games he played; Dave Bender hitting 100 runs in the season, an impressive achievement for someone who is basically a tail-end batsman. Andy Cox is a useful all-round player but needs to get involved more, as does Damien Zachlod, who kept wicket well and hit a career-best 27 not out in the first Menorca game. Phil Walton had a long overdue batting renaissance but Justin Norcott has yet to fulfil his potential as a batsman, though his fielding was excellent. The fielding was generally good with Prabhu Bapu an accomplished if occasionally irritating keeper, with Justin, Rowan and Neep providing much needed youthful vigour amidst some creaking bones elsewhere, though Kevin Allerton was as athletic and powerful as ever in the outposts.

The glut of runs was reflected in three new club record partnerships. Prabhu Bapu and Rowan Allerton, (then briefly Martin Drake after Prab had retired hurt) put up 165 for the fourth wicket in the Sunderland match, the 4th highest partnership in club history; Phil Walton and Chris Dane posted a new best 2nd wicket stand of 147 in the rain-affected contest in Dinder, then finally came the epic 10th wicket partnership of 67 between Chris Wright and Dave Laing to beat Menorca, Dave's contribution being much stoic defence and 0 not out! Steve Bignell became the first West XI batsman to accumulate 5000 runs, though Chris Wright is not far behind and looks certain to overtake Steve some time next year. In addition, three more batsmen (Bapu, Walton and Rennie) passed 1000 runs for the club, whilst Daney sailed past 2000. Steve Bignell also became the first fielder to take 100 catches for the club. The main theme in this area is the increasing dominance of bat over ball (see Miscellaneous Records, etc.). Of the 11 occasions where a West XI batsman has scored 500 runs in a season, only three of them were in the 20th century, as were just six of the 17 individual scores of over 100. Conversely, there have been only eight instances of a West XI bowler taking five wickets in an innings since 1999, out of a total of 30, a clear reflection of the general improvement in pitches during the second half of West XI's history.

RESULTS 2008

19 April Marsa SC 190-7 (Edwards 55*, Spiteri 53, Dane 2-28, Hill 2-40) WEST XI 135 (Taylor 35, Martin 4-26, Sarfraz 3-10)

20 April Marsa SC 218-5 (Ali 64, Naudi 59, Dane 3-37) WEST XI 223-8 (Dane 82, Taylor 29*)

27 April Sutton CC 138-7 (Bliss 48) WEST XI 139-6 (Bapu 62, R.Allerton 31)

11 May Cincinnati 172-7 (Ross 47, Bignell 2-29) WEST XI 153-8 (Dane 48, Bapu 28)

18 May Gentlemen of West London 161-9 (Khan 46, Husain 32, R.Allerton 2-21) WEST XI 79 (Wright 44, Husain 5-13)

1 June WEST XI 189-5 (Dane 39, Walton 34, Bhatt 30, Rennie 29*) Captain's Select 92 (Richardson 47, Laing 3-8, Bhatt 2-9)

8 June Whalers 198-7 (Dickenson 69, Osbourn 51, Bignell 3-45, Laing 3-52) WEST XI 122 (Wright 40, Lucas 3-22, Clipshaw 3-23)

14 June WEST XI 273-4 (Vine 137, Wright 63, Dane 28) The Plums 179-5 (Folley 55, Lowden 52, R.Allerton 2-23)

22 June Lord Nelson Cup London Saints 113-6 (Loomes 22, Cronin 22, R.Allerton 2-21) & 83 (Grimes 30, Hill 3-13, Bignell 2-12) WEST XI 69 (R.Allerton 16*, Rennie 16, Berkeley 3-4) & 105 (R.Allerton 30, Bignell 24, Thomas 3-13)

29 June WEST XI 222-9 (Bapu 85*, Dane 35, Rowe 3-40) London Rams 164 (Patel 43, Hill 2-7, Bhatt 2-29)

5 July North Curry 159-8 (Adam 57, Simpson 42, Dane 3-11) MATCH ABANDONED

6 July WEST XI 178-5 (Dane 97*, Walton 44, Difford 4-18) MATCH ABANDONED

13 July WEST XI 127 (Vine 25, Taylor 20, H.Patel 4-12) Gentlemen of West London 125 (Iqbal 43* Husain 23, Hill 3-22, Bhatt 2-21)

17 July Glaxo Smith Kline 168 (Aslam 38, Van Der Merwe 35, Bali 5-9, Bignell 3-14) WEST XI 145 (Bapu 45*, Bhatt 38, Shah 4-30)

20 July WEST XI 211-3 (Bapu 105*, R.Allerton 56*) Sunderland 186-8 (Stewart 72, Bignell 4-42, Wright 2-26)

27 July WEST XI 210-4 (Rennie 79, Dane 47 London Saints 133 (Shokla 41, Laing 4-26, Wright 2-6)

3 August WEST XI 144 (Dane 58, Bhatt 22, Lombard 5-21) Camra 148-2 (Lombard 67*, Scott 65)

10 August WEST XI 186-8 (Wright 46, Dane 35, Bapu 28) Acme 102 (McGirr 2-13, Laing 2-13, Dane 2-27)

17 August WEST XI 188-6 (Bhatt 63, Wright 58, Rennie 31*) Captain's Select 189-5 (Robson 78, Richardson 65*, Dane 2-20)

31 August WEST XI 164-4 (Bhatt 60*, Wright 43, Boden 37*) Cuddington Casuals 158-9 (Firth 40, Sattaur 35*, Wright 4-18)

7 September WEST XI 153-5 (Dane 62*, Taylor 24) Gentlemen of West London 57 (Taylor 3-13, Hill 2-9, Dane 2-10)

13 September WEST XI 150 (Dane 37, Grabham 3-14) West Farleigh 126 (Barnardo 38, Bhatt 2-12, Hill 2-19, Dev 2-21)

21 September Bures CC 175-8 (Skinner 38, Stanley 31*, Bignell 3-20, Chambers 2-42) WEST XI 135 (Wright 39, Ayers 23)

11 October Menorca 191-3 (Phillips 92, Sturgeon 58) WEST XI 142-7 (Denton 32, Zachlod 26*, Wright 25, Phillips 4-18)

12 October Menorca 181-8 (Morris 109*, R.Allerton 4-21, H.Patel 2-34) WEST XI 184-9 (Wright 135*)

PLAYED 25 WON 13 LOST 10 ABANDONED 2