Joel Grabinar

Cricket: 1st team captain

Why change a winning formula?

I stepped up to captain the 1st XI in 2023 in what turned out to be a stabilising year. Yet we still won LUSL handsomely, only 2 very close games away from promotion to BUCS premier south, and led the team to the BUCS indoor finals. That season individually I was both the top run scorer and 2nd top wicket taker in the entire division. These performances led to me being nominated for the Imperial sportsman of the year - top five male athletes accross all sports at the university. That season, we lost our 1st XI coach and many of our star players were injured or otherwise unavailable across the season.

This year, we are 1 win away from the BUCS div 1 title and favourites to win the division (playing against bottom of the league GKT tomorrow) and on course to win a second successive LUSL title. Additionally, I have led the 1st XI to a second successive BUCS indoor national final. My record makes me the most successful 1st XI captain in IC history all whilst dealing with many off the pitch issues.

Outside of the IC, I play Premier League cricket - the highest level of amateur/semi pro cricket in the country (the only non-ex academy/pro player in my team) and have been offered to play cricket internationally.

If its not broken don't fix it.

UTIC

Joel