Fireworks at Shepley

Posted by Peter Davies

Shepley v Meltham at Marsh Lane - a Bank Holiday 2nd XI encounter. Shepley were batting in muggy conditions and setting a decent target. Two batsmen reached their fifties in consecutive overs which meant that two different teammates had to circle the ground with cap in hand - with the second one apologising for bothering people for cash so soon after the first! Shepley were on their way with some excellent boundaries being hit square of the wicket. The Championship play-off final was blaring out from the TV screen in the bar - Burnley had just gone one-up v Sheffield United - and there was a decent-sized posse of spectators stationed nearby on the boundary's edge. In the tea room, three women were getting ready for the interval, with hot quiche, sausage rolls, pork pies and sandwiches on the menu. One guy I got talking to by the bar said that Marsh Lane was his 'spirtual home'. He had grown up in the village, in a house overlooking the cricket ground, and though he'd played only rarely he loved the atmopshere and peace he found at the place. He had an orange t-shirt and shorts on, and a pint in his hand, and, yes, he looked totally at home! He was also the guy who co-organises the famous Shepley village bonfire every November - a major undertaking.