3 May 2025
By Huw Turbervill
Shamar Anderson, Beddington’s new director of cricket, is clear what type of players we want.
“We need good clubmen… people who are in love with the club… who will bleed for Beddington.”
Anderson, 35, grew up in Jamaica and moved to the UK eight years ago. He now works as assistant head coach for the ACE charity, which helps under-represented groups in cricket, with particular focus on people from African and/or Caribbean backgrounds.
“The two most important roles at Beddington are the captains of the 1st XI and 5th XI,” he said. “The 1st XI are the standard bearers of the club, and we’ve been trying to recruit players to lift the profile and inspire youngsters on and off the field, people like Ryan Cummins."
“The job of the 5th team captain is to be an elder statesmen, to encourage youngsters and give them confidence, as they are the future of the club… it is a crucial role. Not all of them will go on to play for the 1st XI, but they are all important. With all five sides, I firmly believe that if you take care of things off the field, it will impact things on it.”
Anderson helped to recruit the club’s new overseas player, Essan Warner, an Antiguan. He plays for the Leeward Islands and a few years ago was in the West Indies Under-19 training squad. He has had a season in this country already in Nottinghamshire, and is a friend of ACE. “He is a really good player, and a nice chap off the field,” said Anderson. “He saw how well Javelle Glen did at Beddington last year, going on to make his maiden first-class century for Jamaica last winter (140 not out against Trinidad & Tobago), and now breaking into the West Indies A squad.
“Before Javelle came to Beddington he had only played T20 professionally in the West Indies, in the Caribbean Premier League. He credits Beddington with averaging 40-something in the first-class game last winter, and high-30s in List A (50 overs). He was 10th highest run-getter in the West Indies Championship (four-day), with 478 at 43.45. Essan is keen to follow in his footsteps.
“Beddington signed him through the foundation of Rovman Powell (who played 51 ODIs and 91 T20Is for West Indies). He is helping us source a pro every year. Rovman is a great friend of the club, and has watched us play.”
Warner is living at the award-winning The Hope pub in Carshalton, purveyor of marvellous real ales (Ed: I hope my son and daughter, who work there, don’t lead him astray).
Warner hit six sixes in an over last winter, playing for Pigotts Crushers CC against Rising Sun in Antigua’s Two-Day Championship.
He told the Antigua Observer newspaper that he was responding to a dare by the opposing wicketkeeper, Junior Henry (Ed: Sounds like something Sam Owen would do). He hit offspinner Chad Walsh for 36 in the over, on his way to 76 from 40 balls. “After the first ball, I was having a little chat with the keeper [Junior Henry] and after I hit the second one he asked me if I thought I could hit six sixes and I said ‘I can try’. When I hit the third one, he said, ‘You have to go again.’ I was thinking that they [opposition] just wanted to get me out, but in the back of my head I was saying that I could hit six sixes.
“I went down to my batting partner which was Uri Smith and told him that I am going to go for it. I hit the fourth one for six and everyone started bantering and betting I couldn’t hit six sixes. But, after I hit the last two, that was when there was a big uproar and I went back to the keeper and told him that he was the one who started it.”
I wonder if we will see it this year at Beddington…
As to Anderson, his important work goes on, looking for players in the community, and schools between Southwark and Lambeth, with other colleagues coming down to Croydon. Beddington might well be beneficiaries…