Drawing a Blank!

Posted by Peter Davies

Bradford League

A weird day!

First up Saltaire - a friendly fixture publicised on the Web but when we arrived at the ground there was nothing doing. A couple of club officials doing the ground and a few locals loitering around the parkside ground, but absolutely no cricket.

So I had a wander and, with my friends David and Heather - up for the day from Hinckley, Leics - we had a cup of tea in the Roberts Park cafe. Some excellent SCC team photos on the wall - all from the early twentieth century.

And a bit of history:

'Saltaire Cricket Club was founded in 1869, just 16 years after the opening of the famous Saltaire Mills in 1853. Ever since the club has been in existence it has played in Roberts Park.

'The local history of Saltaire, records that Roberts Park was not officially opened until July 25, 1871 by Sir Titus Salt, and there is no record of them having played elsewhere, so it is assumed that the club must have played the first seasons on the pitch by the riverside during the period when the park was being laid out.

'Sir Titus Salt bought the cannons which used to stand on the parade in the park in August 1869.

'The area of Roberts Park, intended as a recreation games area, is 14 acres. The cricket ground covers five acres approximately 900ft long and 350ft wide with the river running the along whole of the west side of the field.

'When the ground was first laid out it was subject to flooding from the river in high water, but the situation was improved by widening the river to 60 to 70ft which avoided flooding.'

From there, and after David and Heather had set off home, it was across Bradford to Idle. Lots of jokes here - the Idle Workingmen's Club etc - but the joke was on me as the friendly game seemed to have finished early. Lots of folk still around but no cricket.

Again, some interesting photos on the pavilion wall. A full pavilion with locals enjoying a hearty drink. Lots of club notices on the wall and not a bad turnout, and atmosphere, for a pre-season friendly. But another blank.