Barbados comes to Golcar

Posted by Tony Hutton

Sunday 22nd August 2010 - Golcar Invitation XI v North Stars (Barbados)

Golcar cricket club have strong links with Barbados having toured there several times and North Stars have been regular visitors to Huddersfield on their tours to England.

Today a party of over fifty players and supporters rolled into Golcar on their luxury double decker coach, after the first two games of their tour had been badly effected by the weather. However today they sun was shining, although not quite as warm as Barbados.

Golcar had got together a strong team, with several guests, which was captained by John Booth from Slaithwaite. However the visitors batted first, resplendent in their red caps in front of quite a good crowd boosted by the West Indian supporters, who were soon expressing their opinions of the players.

After a slowish start and the loss of two early wickets the third wicket pair put on a good partnership both I. Broome and Campbell scoring 44 each. Broome, a larger than life character certainly got the scoreboard moving with some hefty blows.

When his younger brother came in at number six, he looked much slimmer, and one of the North Star supporters told me he didn't get enough to eat because his big brother ate everything!

The scoring rate dropped towards the end of the innings and it took some barracking from their supporters to get North Stars back on track and some late hitting took them to exactly 200-9 in their 40 overs. The last man, Floyd, got the biggest cheer of the day when he came in. I commented that he looked like Mike Tyson in build.

However my West Indian informant said the only similarity was that he batted like Mike Tyson!

After tea the Golcar XI made light of their target and knocked off the runs in only 24 overs, with Broad Oak's Howson top scoring with a fine 81 and local boy Kentish weighed in with 40. So an excellent day of friendly cricket in the sunshine with all the visitors keen to see Golcar, and any supporters, in Barbados again in the future.

North Stars moved on with games to come in Essex, London and Sussex as well as a day trip to Paris. Looks like a marvellous tour for the club which are known as North Stars Cultural and Social Club. As well as being a cricket club they apparently do lots of good work in raising funds for various community projects. So good luck and good weather for the rest of the tour.