Horribly cold and windy

Posted by Peter Davies

An unpleasantly cold and windy day. At Hall Bower, high up in the shadow of Castle Hill, the winds were even stronger than usual. The kind of weather when the bails fall off all on their own. Clayton West 2nds were the visitors and for the first time in a long while we arrived as the umpires, rather solemnly, were walking out to the middle at 1.30pm. It was quiet in the clubhouse. Sky's Soccer Saturday was offering Manchester United-Arsenal updates - the Premiership champions were about to be crowned - and the barman was selling the occasional packet of crisps. He told me that Huddersfield Town legend Andy Booth - the club's president - was rather shy about playing for his beloved Bower this season because of his new ambassadorial job at the Galpharm but was all set for the 2010 season. Clayton West stalwart Ian Gibson was circling the boundary's edge, getting a good view of his son opening the bowling. He told me that the club's success in the Huddersfield Central League in the 1980s and 1990s made them as disliked as Manchester United are currently in the soccer world. He also gave me a CWCC 2009 handbook - produced by he himself.

At Almondbury Wesleyans there was no let-up with the weather. Cartworth Moor were the visitors and the hardy visitors from Holmfirth were batting. Those not in the middle perched themselves on a bench on the opposite of the ground from the state-of-the-art pavilion - a real posse. Maybe they were huddled together to keep warm? In the kitchen five women were preparing teas: a very friendly lady called Julia and her mum, daughter, sister and friend. A real family effort. The cheese salad rolls were top-notch and there were even scotch eggs to go with them. The caterers were building up to teatime - when they would also serve pizzas (they said they also did chips sometimes). The new pavilion still has a wonderfully 'new' smell about it. So well kept and maintained. There were a few spectators on the veranda but not many. The Cartworth batters were hitting with gusto and were on the verge of setting a decent first-innings total.