Colne Valley banquet

Posted by Peter Davies

Saturday 25 July

An afternoon in the Colne Valley - Paddock first, then Golcar. Almondbury were the visitors at West View and were batting first when we arrived. Wickets seemed to be falling at regular intervals, with the odd ball being struck onto the nearby railway line. The president of the club told me that the narrowness of the playing area - on one side the railway and on the other waste land - meant the club could never be really in the running for staging representative games. The sun was shining and there were a smattering of spectators perched on the railway side of the ground. Paddock's Perth all-rounder Steve Abbott was steaming in from the bowling green end, but then switched ends. He also dropped two catches while we were watching. In the clubhouse, Suzie the barmaid was preparing the teas - for the first time, she said. The food was gradually being laid out on the pool table, starting with three brands of crisps. The clubhouse looked newly refurbished. It also boasted a designer PCC clock and lots of impressive documentation on the club noticeboard. We then met up with Leeds-based Professional Cricket Watcher Mick Bourne - in Huddersfield to proof-read the 2009 Northern Cricket Society booklet which is being printed for the first time at the University of Huddersfield print room. He had had problems finding Paddock's ground - hence his desperate phone call for directions from near Milnsbridge!

Tea was being taken at Golcar with Huddersfield-based Professional Cricket Watcher Dave Thorpe attending to the wicket with two or three colleagues. Lots of spectators and banter outside the pavilion with many Skelmanthorpe followers having made the trip to the Colne Valley. Golcar pin-up boy Steve Whitwam had stroked (yet another) century and the visitors from Shat had been set a stern target. The teatime food was majesterial - with pizza, sausage rolls, pork pie, quiche, red cabbage and various types of sandwiches available. It was a banquet! I ate so well in fact that I didn't even look at the many sweets on display. All I did was pinch a couple of strawberries! Skelmanthorpe began their reply in studious fashion. I did a lap of the ground with Messrs Bourne and Thorpe and then sat on the banking for 15 minutes or so. A really gorgeous evening and Swallow Lane was looking a picture.