Season So Far - Part 2

Posted by Peter Davies

Saturday 4 June

A tour of Leeds grounds with Mick Bourne. He knows these places so well and it was great to get the benefit of his knowledge as we travelled around. Kit was Woodhouse, Whitkirk, East Leeds, Amaranth, Crossgates and Colton Institute. Really interesting stuff. Some nice food too – and we met some interesting characters along the way.

Friday 10 June

What a game! A late decision to go to Old Trafford for the 20/20 game against Yorkshire and probably the best limited-overs game I’ve seen for a long while. It ebbed and flowed throughout – with Rafiq cleverly winning the game for the visitors with some amazing improvised strokes in the last over.

Saturday 11 June

A tour of Scarborough League grounds in the company of our good friend Brian Heywood, who now lives over there.

Saturday 18 June

I attended a film course in Bradford in the morning and early afternoon, so I met Dad when it finished and we popped into Lightcliffe on the way back home. Wakefield Road was looking glorious. No sign of our friend Bob Horne, but as always a very pleasant visit. We also popped into Brighouse on the way back into Huddersfield. Always a pleasant place to visit and I even enquired about how much it would be to hire the function room which looks out onto the ground. Quite reasonable, I thought. Then a final stop at Blackley, looking glorious in the mid-summer sunshine.

Sunday 19 June

A couple of hours at Golcar – a very busy, sunny afternoon. Met David Thorpe and enjoyed sitting on one of the picnic tables outside the pavilion.

Sunday 26 June

A short visit to Almondbury Wes followed by an even shorter sojourn to Cumberworth.

Saturday 2 July

A super Halifax tour calling in at Greetland, Barkisland, Elland and Blackley. I had plenty if reading matter with me so I had a really good time. Trying to get into Dickens so dipped into a book that allegedly makes him simple. Not so sure about that!

Sunday 10 July

Popped into Shepley for half an hour. Said hello to Ian Watkinson and enjoyed the mid-afternoon sun. Did a couple of laps of the ground.

Tuesday & Wednesday 12 & 13 July

Met up with Brian Heywood at the ground for days two and three of the game. Stayed over at his place – very pleasant indeed. Yorkshire went on to win this game – Worcestershire, as ever, look a pretty poor team at this level. A few wobbles for the home side, but Gale and his middle-order batters eventually saw them home.

Saturday 16 July

A Bolton tour in the company of my good friend Malcolm Kinder. We did six or seven grounds and Malcolm, an ex-league umpire, seemed to know everyone at every ground we visited. Amazing.

Thursday 21 July

Headingley for the Roses Match. Arrived late because I fell asleep on the train from Halifax to Leeds (I’d had a lunch date in Halifax) and had to get a train back from Cross Gates to Leeds. When I arrived Yorkshire were fighting back with Richard Pyrah close to his century. But Lancashire finished them off. They then, worryingly, lost three wickets before the close.

Saturday 23 July

A whistlestop tour of the Saddleworth |Club in the company of league official Phil Taylor. We did 14 grounds – an amazing effort: Uppermill, Friarmere, Heyside, Hollinwood, Bamford Fieldhouse, Glodwick, Saddleworth, Shaw, Staley, Micklehurst, Moorside, Droylsden, Austerlands and Greenfield. Amazing effort.

Tuesday & Wednesday 26 & 27 July

Southport for Lancs v Nottinghamshire. This venue is a lovely one and one that I associate with my youth – lots of trips up the coast from Manchester. Really beautiful place and so good that Lancashire are now playing games here again. Lots of wickets falling and nip and tuck in terms of the overall balance of the game. Doesn’t look great Lancashire with their shaky batting.

Sunday 31 July

The Heavy Woollen Cup final at Spen with my local side Shepley in contention for the trophy. Really pleasant afternoon: a full house, Huddersfield League president Roger France doing the rounds with his wife Judith, and Alan Birkenshaw on the PA. We had a cup of tea and had a look at the club bookstall just outside the tearoom. Had a lie down on the boundary edge and very much enjoyed the atmosphere.