A family affair

Posted by John Winn
In Darlington yesterday on non-cricketing business (Darlington v York City), I called in at Feethams where the local cricket club were about to open their NYSD season against newcomers to the Premier Division, Barnard Castle. Some changes have been made to the league's regulations this season including the extension of promotion and relegation to two clubs and the restriction of bowlers to a maximum of seventeen overs.
My enquiry as to the possibility of acquiring a league handbook were met with something close to astonishment but I was sold a programme for yesterday's match by Tim Dobson, whose son James was behind the stumps for Darlington. Tim's father, Brian, now deceased, was a great servant to the Feethams club for many years. He joined the club from Darlington RA in the late 1950s as a batsman but developed into a fine leg spin bowler, good enough to play one match for Durham in their Minor Counties days. The match,in 1968, was at Feethams against Staffordshire whose team included the former England player, Jack Ikin. Brian might have counted himself unlucky not to be selected again for in the second innings he took 2 for 15 off 11 overs.
Another point of interest in yesterday's match was that Gary Pratt opened the batting for Barnard Castle. Pratt will probably be best remembered not for six seasons for Durham but rather as 'the man who ran out Ponting' in the Trent Bridge test of 2005. Pratt did not play a first class game for Durham that season but one brilliant piece of fielding gained him a page to himself in Wisden. Ponting's dismissal arguably tipped the series in England's direction and the Australian skipper's reaction to being dismissed by a specialist fielder rather than a waiter was strong to say the least.
The Northern Echo ran a double page spread yesterday previewing the NYSD season nd the prospects for the Northumberland and Tyneside league. In addition to mentioning Pratt's switch from Bishop Auckland the article also refers to the Teesdale club's acquisition of James Finch from Scarborough. Darlington's new pro is Rajin Saleh who has played 24 tests for Bangladesh but he was not available for selection yesterday.
To this blogger's delight Darlington won the football but York could feel unfortunate not to come home with at least one point. Their defeat rather scuppers the play off hopes while The Quakers can look forward wtih some confidence to their Wembley date in two weeks, but I would say that wouldn't I?