High up in the Holme Valley

Posted by Peter Davies

Scholes v Kirkburton at sun-drenched Chapelgate. The home side's innings was approaching completion with lots of booming sixes landing either in adjacent fields or in one man's unsuspecting back garden (he was doing a little bit of gardening as the hits landed). Lots of spectators by the sightscreen at the bottom end and by the other side of the wonderful new clubhouse. Huddersfield and Castleford were live on TV in the redeveloped building, with the Giants just about managing to squeeze past their Challenge Cup opponents. I bought a raffle ticket but didn't win the cooked breakfast on offer; in fact, the raffle seller said no-one had claimed it! Clifford Oldroyd is one of Scholes' most famous stalwarts. He's in his 90s and was sat on what he told me was his favourite bench: in the shade, by the sightscreen, at the bottom end of the ground. In fact, he said, the house that the sightscreen backed onto was the house he was born in! No wonder it had been second nature to devote himself to the cricket club for decades and decades; and over the years he'd done every job under the sun for the club. The clubhouse was full of excellent framed items: names of sponsors, benefactors and a very old club fixture list. Wasim Jaffer's name was also in lights - the club has a fierce sense of pride that one of their ex-professionals is now an Indian Test star. 'Hardworking' and 'polite' were two of the words most often used by locals about their most famous son. The views from the ground were at their most awesome - way on down the Holme Valley and taking in Hepworth and Hade Edge. Absolutely awe-inspiring.