Our cricket society is quite capable of generating differences on occasion, although usually of opinion or viewpoint. For this meeting, we tried a slight change when we stood the visiting 6’ 8” Oliver Hannon-Dalby next to our (whisper it) slightly more petite chair and secretary, Maggie. A quite arresting visual!
And quite an arresting speaker too.
Olly’s height undoubtedly gives him the command of the room. But, when combined with an interesting life story told in a straightforward and slightly self-deprecating manner, he held our attention completely.
His first cricket match came at just 5 days old, when his mother took him to watch his father play.
He took up the game aged 10 or 11 and has been involved in it ever since.
As the only cricketer in a rugby-league playing school, an invitation to send pupils for trials at Huddersfield naturally went his way.
He made his professional debut at the Oval in 2008, where his first wicket – that of Mark Ramprakash – temporarily stopped our January 2025 speaker from making his 100th hundred.
Olly’s chances at YCCC were in part down to the many changes made at the club in 2010, but he subsequently had his ups and downs there.
In late 2012 his Yorkshire days came to an abrupt end, and on the advice of his PCA mentor he rang round the counties in search of a new contract.
In early 2013 Graham Welch, the Warwickshire bowling coach, offered him a chance – Olly claims on the basis of his own good manners – and that March found him on a pre-season tour and rooming with Jonathan Trott, who chided him for ‘breathing too loudly’!
From there his Warwickshire career has progressed in the white- and red-ball games, including a Championship win in 2021 under the captaincy of Cottingham’s Will Rhodes.
As chair of the player’s union, the PCA, Olly currently represents all professional players, male and female, and finds it a very exciting and challenging role, with lots happening.
In a lively Q&A, Olly acknowledged that he’s nearer the end of his playing career than the start, although he still has ambitions he’d like to achieve.
Joe Root is a slightly younger and was a teammate for a while. Joe had the correct techniques from the early days but needed to grow taller to gain the power needed for some shots.
While the domestic schedules are organised by the ECB, the PCA is at the table and regularly canvasses players on their views and preferences.
In recent years women’s cricket has changed greatly and for the better, and the players also express their views via the PCA. Something they would like to see is an increase in the amount of red-ball cricket.
Your reporter Cathy Rennison gave the vote of thanks to Olly, and thanks went also to all who contributed to raffle proceeds of £182.
AGM 2025 report
This meeting began with our Annual General Meeting 2025 - kept as brief as possible in tribute to our late Chairman Michael Hardwick. By unanimous vote the 2024 minutes were passed, the 2024/25 officers and committee re-elected for 2025/26, and the membership fee (£20) and guest fee (£7) set for 2026/27. The chair thanked all members and guests for their support of our meetings (average attendance 55) and raffle, and the treasurer reported that we made a small profit of £165.35 in 2024/25 and that our overall financial position remains strong.