posted by John Winn
As a schoolboy in the 1950s it was a point of honour with me that I would commit to memory the names of the members of touring sides whose visits at that time were so eagerly anticipated. They would arrive in April, usually after a sea voyage and would be pictured coming ashore at Tilbury protected from the chill of the English spring by gabardine raincoats. Traditionally their first class programme opened at Worcester and for the next five months they would play up and down the land, six days a week finishing at Scarborough in September.
The process by which their names of the sixteen or seventeen tourists became part of one's essential knowledge was rather like osmosis for reports of their matches were printed in the national press and soon became familiar. Some names would be a little more difficult to retain than others and I confess to some problems with the Pakistanis in 1954 but even now I can recall the names of many of those who filled the county grounds and against whom the counties turned out strong sides. Ramadhin and Valentine, the three Ws, McLean, McGlew, Ring and Hole, Phadkar, Divecha, Fazal Mahmood, etc etc. Perhaps a little less well known than this illustrious company but still with a splendid resonance are three West Indians from the 1957 tour, Ganteaume, Pairaudeau and Asgarali, a well known firm of solicitors with branches in Port of Spain and Georgetown. More seriously they, along with Rohan Kanhai made up a quartet of opening batsmen whose failings, according to Wisden, contributed much to West Indies downfall.
Seven years had elapsed since their last visit when Goddard's men had triumphed by three tests to one but with the same captain their experience this time was in great contrast, losing three tests inside three days, without reply. My three musketeers played just four tests between them. Ganteaume was not selected and the other two totalled only 82 runs in the series. By the third test Worrall and Sobers were openers and although Asgarali opened with Worrall at The Oval and scored 29 in the first innings only Sobers offered real resistance to Laker and Lock on a shocking pitch.
My interest in Andy Ganteaume has been revived by the discovery of his short and rather quirky autobiography. He is the oldest living West Indies test player and in' My Story The Other Side Of The Coin' he hits back at what he calls 'the establishment' and gives his explanation for why he played only one test in which he scored a century and finished with an average higher than that of Bradman. Intrigued? I hope so for I have this controversial figure in mind as the subject of a future posting.
There is a nice personal postscript to the 1957 tour for I was present on the opening day, a Saturday, of the last first class match of the tour, the traditional end to tours in those days against T N Pearce's XI at Scarborough. Because school restarted on Monday we saw only the first day when the 'home' team declared on 355 for 9, PBH May 119 DB Close 50, leaving The West Indians to see out a few overs against Tyson and Trueman. Ganteaume opened with Asgarali and the latter was lbw Tyson for 0. Joined by Sobers, Ganteaume was still there at stumps and went on to make 75 on the Monday, his third highest score of the tour. He played only two more first class matches after this, his only tour of England, but curiously played against the 1963 West Indians for Constantine's XI in a 12 a side one day match when he opened the batting with Len Hutton. Neither was particularly successful but what an honour for Ganteaume and for Sir Len to open with a man with a test average higher than The Don's.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Central Yorkshire League
posted by John Winn
The Central Yorkshire League will have three new clubs for the 2013 season. Wakefield based Azaad, previously of the Huddersfield Central, Thornhill, also HCL and Rodley who resigned from the Dales Council midway through last season make up the trio. Azaad and Thornhill will start in Div 2 and Rodley in Div 3. Fixtures for this league start a week earlier than for most other Yorkshire Leagues, on April 13th.
There are two departures from the CYL, New Farnley who will begin life in the Bradford League Div 2 with a trip to Yeadon on April 20th. The other club leaving the YCL is Moorlands CC who have joined the Huddersfield League and will test the water at Armitage Bridge, 8 weeks today.
The incident that led to Rodley's mid season exit from the Dales Council saw two clubs expelled from the league. I note that one of these, Apperley Bridge have been accepted into the Bradford Mutual (Group B), what has become of the other expellee, Hyde Park, I know not. Their players are suspended from participation in the Dales Council until 2015. Their expulsion followed a poor disciplinary record dating back to 2008 and was a decision of the league executive. Apperley Bridge, however were thrown out as the result of a vote (25 to 5) by the clubs. 'Bridge now find themselves in their third league in five years having previously been in the Bradford Central. Their players may sign for other Dales Council clubs. Full details of this pretty sordid stuff are available on the web where the minutes of the Dales Council are recorded and the expulsions were also reported in some detail by The Telegraph and Argus.
All these shenanigans leaves the Dales Council with a three division structure for 2013, with a 12, 12, 8 distribution. A new club Bradford Moor will play in Div B, they will ground share with Halifax Direct. Last year's champions Leeds Sikh were, as at January 25th. looking for a new ground.
Finally for what it is worth the Wetherby League website is still showing Rufforth CC with two teams for the new season. See my posting of the second inst for the details of Rufforth's travails. Their inclusion in the Division Six fixtures seems optimistic given that at the club's AGM last month the decision was taken to fold the second XI.
The Central Yorkshire League will have three new clubs for the 2013 season. Wakefield based Azaad, previously of the Huddersfield Central, Thornhill, also HCL and Rodley who resigned from the Dales Council midway through last season make up the trio. Azaad and Thornhill will start in Div 2 and Rodley in Div 3. Fixtures for this league start a week earlier than for most other Yorkshire Leagues, on April 13th.
There are two departures from the CYL, New Farnley who will begin life in the Bradford League Div 2 with a trip to Yeadon on April 20th. The other club leaving the YCL is Moorlands CC who have joined the Huddersfield League and will test the water at Armitage Bridge, 8 weeks today.
The incident that led to Rodley's mid season exit from the Dales Council saw two clubs expelled from the league. I note that one of these, Apperley Bridge have been accepted into the Bradford Mutual (Group B), what has become of the other expellee, Hyde Park, I know not. Their players are suspended from participation in the Dales Council until 2015. Their expulsion followed a poor disciplinary record dating back to 2008 and was a decision of the league executive. Apperley Bridge, however were thrown out as the result of a vote (25 to 5) by the clubs. 'Bridge now find themselves in their third league in five years having previously been in the Bradford Central. Their players may sign for other Dales Council clubs. Full details of this pretty sordid stuff are available on the web where the minutes of the Dales Council are recorded and the expulsions were also reported in some detail by The Telegraph and Argus.
All these shenanigans leaves the Dales Council with a three division structure for 2013, with a 12, 12, 8 distribution. A new club Bradford Moor will play in Div B, they will ground share with Halifax Direct. Last year's champions Leeds Sikh were, as at January 25th. looking for a new ground.
Finally for what it is worth the Wetherby League website is still showing Rufforth CC with two teams for the new season. See my posting of the second inst for the details of Rufforth's travails. Their inclusion in the Division Six fixtures seems optimistic given that at the club's AGM last month the decision was taken to fold the second XI.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
A step backwards in time
posted by John Winn
I have again spent time this last week digging into records of cricket in Wensleydale. On Tuesday I had a couple of hours in the local studies room at Darlington Library absorbed in the film archives of the local weekly paper, The Darlington and Stockton Times and in particular its cricket reports for 1893, the first season of cricket in the North Yorkshire League (it added South Durham in 1896). The paper's cricket coverage at that time is a bit hit and miss and the film record is incomplete in some areas but I was able to find scores and reports for several clubs that more than half a century later became members of the Wensleydale league, even games between Little Crakehall and Big Crakehall. Those of you who know the village will wonder that there could be anything in a cricketing sense littler than Crakehall, but the stream that flows through the village divides minor and major, although it seems fairly certain that matches between them were played on the present very small ground on the village green.
On returning home I entered Crakehall into a search engine and came across an excellent website devoted to the village's history maintained by Ian Hancock. Late on Friday I emailed Ian to enquire if he had any material relating to the cricket club and was delighted when checking my emails on Saturday morning to find several attachments relating to Crakehall CC. What Ian apologetically called 'not very much' was far more than I dared to hope for. For example there was a report of cricket played at Catterick as early as 1831 between Catterick and Bedale and under this report mention of a game between Bedale Juvenile Club and Crakehall Clarence Club on the '11th inst' and played at Crakehall. Amongst the other reports that Ian attached was one of a match between Crakehall and East Witton, played at Jervaulx Park. East Witton is a village close to Jervaulx and I have a record of another match played there between East Witton and Danby Hall in 1892. The village is probably best known today for its excellent pub, The Blue Lion.
One innings that caught my eye on the card for East Witton v Crakehall was that of the Reverend HH Stewart, vicar of East Witton between 1874 and 1876. Why his vicarship was so short I have no idea: his parishioners would surely have tolerated lengthy sermons in exchange for his skills on the cricket field. In this match he carried his bat for 63 out of a total of 98, with extras the next highest scorer with 10.Even in two innings Crakehall could not surpass East Witton's total and the Reverend took seven wickets in the match, all clean bowled. The brief report of the match said that 'Mr (sic) Stewart batted exceedingly well.' Not half.
Looking a little further into the life of Henry Holmes Stewart one discovers a man of considerable sporting prowess for talented as he appears to have been as a cricketer his skill at football far surpasses this. Stewart was a member of The Wanderers XI that won the FA Cup in 1873* and he represented Scotland against England the previous year in what is described as a 'pseudo international'. Educated at Repton and Cambridge he does not appear amongst the list of Cambridge Blues. In spite of this he must have been more than a welcome member of any village cricket team. In the year of his FA Cup glory he represented Turnham Green CC and in the history of that London club he is described as 'a useful all rounder'.
As well as the cuttings Ian Hancock sent me two photographs. The older shows Crakehall as champions of The Northallerton and District League. It is not dated but I would guess it is early twentieth century. The second is 1960s vintage and I have been put in touch with George Pocklington who is on the photograph and who played for Crakehall for more than 50 years and he has kindly agreed to let me visit him to chat about his cricket career.
The upshot of all this is that I have had to readjust my ideas about Wensleydale Cricket for the knowledge that organised games took place as early as 1831 is much earlier than I had anticipated and goes back before the first publication of The D and S Times. The relevant cutting is from The York Herald which was published from 1790 which should be sooner enough, but you never know!
In last week's posting I referred to changes in the composition of The Central Yorkshire League and that I would report these in my next posting. Conscious that this one is already long enough I will hold that over until next week. My wife and I are away for a few days in Upper Teesdale this week but not wishing to miss an opportunity I have arranged a visit to see Derek Hammond who lives in that area and, aged over 90, is a legend in the history of Richmondshire cricket. Watch this space.
* a nice connection to cricket here is that the final was played at The Oval.
Crakehall Hall with cricket gound
I have again spent time this last week digging into records of cricket in Wensleydale. On Tuesday I had a couple of hours in the local studies room at Darlington Library absorbed in the film archives of the local weekly paper, The Darlington and Stockton Times and in particular its cricket reports for 1893, the first season of cricket in the North Yorkshire League (it added South Durham in 1896). The paper's cricket coverage at that time is a bit hit and miss and the film record is incomplete in some areas but I was able to find scores and reports for several clubs that more than half a century later became members of the Wensleydale league, even games between Little Crakehall and Big Crakehall. Those of you who know the village will wonder that there could be anything in a cricketing sense littler than Crakehall, but the stream that flows through the village divides minor and major, although it seems fairly certain that matches between them were played on the present very small ground on the village green.
On returning home I entered Crakehall into a search engine and came across an excellent website devoted to the village's history maintained by Ian Hancock. Late on Friday I emailed Ian to enquire if he had any material relating to the cricket club and was delighted when checking my emails on Saturday morning to find several attachments relating to Crakehall CC. What Ian apologetically called 'not very much' was far more than I dared to hope for. For example there was a report of cricket played at Catterick as early as 1831 between Catterick and Bedale and under this report mention of a game between Bedale Juvenile Club and Crakehall Clarence Club on the '11th inst' and played at Crakehall. Amongst the other reports that Ian attached was one of a match between Crakehall and East Witton, played at Jervaulx Park. East Witton is a village close to Jervaulx and I have a record of another match played there between East Witton and Danby Hall in 1892. The village is probably best known today for its excellent pub, The Blue Lion.
One innings that caught my eye on the card for East Witton v Crakehall was that of the Reverend HH Stewart, vicar of East Witton between 1874 and 1876. Why his vicarship was so short I have no idea: his parishioners would surely have tolerated lengthy sermons in exchange for his skills on the cricket field. In this match he carried his bat for 63 out of a total of 98, with extras the next highest scorer with 10.Even in two innings Crakehall could not surpass East Witton's total and the Reverend took seven wickets in the match, all clean bowled. The brief report of the match said that 'Mr (sic) Stewart batted exceedingly well.' Not half.
Looking a little further into the life of Henry Holmes Stewart one discovers a man of considerable sporting prowess for talented as he appears to have been as a cricketer his skill at football far surpasses this. Stewart was a member of The Wanderers XI that won the FA Cup in 1873* and he represented Scotland against England the previous year in what is described as a 'pseudo international'. Educated at Repton and Cambridge he does not appear amongst the list of Cambridge Blues. In spite of this he must have been more than a welcome member of any village cricket team. In the year of his FA Cup glory he represented Turnham Green CC and in the history of that London club he is described as 'a useful all rounder'.
As well as the cuttings Ian Hancock sent me two photographs. The older shows Crakehall as champions of The Northallerton and District League. It is not dated but I would guess it is early twentieth century. The second is 1960s vintage and I have been put in touch with George Pocklington who is on the photograph and who played for Crakehall for more than 50 years and he has kindly agreed to let me visit him to chat about his cricket career.
The upshot of all this is that I have had to readjust my ideas about Wensleydale Cricket for the knowledge that organised games took place as early as 1831 is much earlier than I had anticipated and goes back before the first publication of The D and S Times. The relevant cutting is from The York Herald which was published from 1790 which should be sooner enough, but you never know!
In last week's posting I referred to changes in the composition of The Central Yorkshire League and that I would report these in my next posting. Conscious that this one is already long enough I will hold that over until next week. My wife and I are away for a few days in Upper Teesdale this week but not wishing to miss an opportunity I have arranged a visit to see Derek Hammond who lives in that area and, aged over 90, is a legend in the history of Richmondshire cricket. Watch this space.
* a nice connection to cricket here is that the final was played at The Oval.
VISITING THE LEEDS PALS
By Brian Sanderson,
On Friday morning I went with my sister to Colsterdale which is about six miles from Masham.Of the main road is a sign for The Leeds Pals memorial which is a stone cairn put in place in 1935.
The Leeds Pals were army brigade made up of people enlisting from Leeds in 1914.Among those people were Major William Booth , Roy Kiner,Abe Waddington , Arthur Dolphin and my grandfarther.At Colsterdale they practise going to war in France and lived in a tented village with some huts.There is still some brickwork were the huts were and at the bottom of the lane was a chaple which is now boarded up.
On the 21 May 1915 they marched from Ripon to Leeds as part of propaganda to recruit more soldiers. Then they played a cricket match at Headingley on 22 May against Yorkshire which the Pals won. Booth taikng five for fifty-one and scoring thirty-one runs. There is a picture in The Leeds Pals book with the soldiers eating in the Rugby ground.
Booth became a second -lieutenant in the brigade.He deid on the first day of The Somme in 1916 in the arms of Abe Waddington but his body was not identified until March 1917 ,by a M.C.C. cigarette case in his pocket.He is buried in Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.He was killed by a shell exploding which caused Roy Kilner to be wounded.Booth had been the best man at Kilner,s wedding and the latter named his son after him.There 900 men in the Leeds Pals and 750 deid on the gentle stroll into the German lines.Please look at the excellent Leeds Pals web-site about these brave men.
My grand-father survived and went back to fight at Passchendaele were the causuaites numbered nearly 400,000.during that offensive.He survived the War to end all Wars and worked for theYorkshire Post.
I live in his house now so it was a visit to Colsterdale that I had to make.
On Friday morning I went with my sister to Colsterdale which is about six miles from Masham.Of the main road is a sign for The Leeds Pals memorial which is a stone cairn put in place in 1935.
The Leeds Pals were army brigade made up of people enlisting from Leeds in 1914.Among those people were Major William Booth , Roy Kiner,Abe Waddington , Arthur Dolphin and my grandfarther.At Colsterdale they practise going to war in France and lived in a tented village with some huts.There is still some brickwork were the huts were and at the bottom of the lane was a chaple which is now boarded up.
On the 21 May 1915 they marched from Ripon to Leeds as part of propaganda to recruit more soldiers. Then they played a cricket match at Headingley on 22 May against Yorkshire which the Pals won. Booth taikng five for fifty-one and scoring thirty-one runs. There is a picture in The Leeds Pals book with the soldiers eating in the Rugby ground.
Booth became a second -lieutenant in the brigade.He deid on the first day of The Somme in 1916 in the arms of Abe Waddington but his body was not identified until March 1917 ,by a M.C.C. cigarette case in his pocket.He is buried in Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.He was killed by a shell exploding which caused Roy Kilner to be wounded.Booth had been the best man at Kilner,s wedding and the latter named his son after him.There 900 men in the Leeds Pals and 750 deid on the gentle stroll into the German lines.Please look at the excellent Leeds Pals web-site about these brave men.
My grand-father survived and went back to fight at Passchendaele were the causuaites numbered nearly 400,000.during that offensive.He survived the War to end all Wars and worked for theYorkshire Post.
I live in his house now so it was a visit to Colsterdale that I had to make.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Some cricket news (eventually)
posted by John Winn
Encouraged by a mild afternoon and seeking an antidote to frustration brought on by three successive Saturday afternoons in front of the TV, yesterday saw me make the short journey to Station View, the home of Harrogate Railway FC. The ground is much changed with a splendid new club house and changing rooms, but curiously erected outside the ground. Yesterday's fare was an encounter with fellow strugglers, Radcliffe Borough in the Northern Division of the Evostick League. By chance I attended last season's match between these two teams which was a rather tame affair which ended in a 10-3 (sic) win for the visitors. Yesterday didn't quit live up to that, ending all square at 2-2, probably a fair result.
At the match I enjoyed the company of my friend and fellow Yorkshire member, Dave Masterman. Our winter meetings are usually at the more senior Harrogate football ground, Harrogate Town's Wetherby Road but such have been Town's pitch problems they have played their last two' home' games at Doncaster and York and there has been no match at Wetherby Road since December. As Dave and I went our separate ways at 4:45 I remarked that should Town play at their proper home in the near future that would probably be our next meeting. Dave replied that if not,then he would see me at Headingley on April 10th for the opening of the championship campaign. It was heartening to think that was only just over eight weeks away. Which brings me laboriously to the proper purpose of this blog (allegedly), namely cricket.
In my last posting I described the major restructuring of league cricket in the north east, today's offering concerns more minor changes to leagues nearer home (mine if not yours). Firstly some in The York Vale League which this season celebrates its eightieth birthday to be marked by a special match at Clifton Alliance on Sunday June 23rd. The league comprises 47 teams and they will be organised in four divisions of ten and a fifth division of seven, where teams will play each other three times, giving a total of eighteen games for all sides across the five divisions.
One notable absentee from last season will be Copmanthorpe I who have decided to try their luck in the other York based league, the York and District Senior League, where they have been placed in Division 6 (of 7). Another interesting newcomer are Brandesburton who too will play in the sixth division. This East Riding outfit featured in the league's Eastern Conference which began life in 2012 and mainly comprises clubs from the former East Riding Independent Cricket League. Brandesburton finished third in Division 1 of the Conference behind Walkington and Middleton. The step up to the YDSL will involve a big increase in travelling from YO25 with the longest trip to Whitwell in LS15 a more than 120 mile round trip, which rather stretches the concept of 'district'.
One other notable change in the YDSL is the merger of two York based clubs and fairly close neighbours, Rowntress and Huntington. These two clubs have a combined membership of the league of over 150 years and the new club will play at Rowntrees' Haxby Road ground.
In my next posting I will detail some changes in The Dales' Council and Central Yorkshire League and while I remember there is a new club in the Darlington and District League, namely Oxbridge Cricket Club, previously of The Cleveland League and who will play their home matches at Norton CC.
Encouraged by a mild afternoon and seeking an antidote to frustration brought on by three successive Saturday afternoons in front of the TV, yesterday saw me make the short journey to Station View, the home of Harrogate Railway FC. The ground is much changed with a splendid new club house and changing rooms, but curiously erected outside the ground. Yesterday's fare was an encounter with fellow strugglers, Radcliffe Borough in the Northern Division of the Evostick League. By chance I attended last season's match between these two teams which was a rather tame affair which ended in a 10-3 (sic) win for the visitors. Yesterday didn't quit live up to that, ending all square at 2-2, probably a fair result.
At the match I enjoyed the company of my friend and fellow Yorkshire member, Dave Masterman. Our winter meetings are usually at the more senior Harrogate football ground, Harrogate Town's Wetherby Road but such have been Town's pitch problems they have played their last two' home' games at Doncaster and York and there has been no match at Wetherby Road since December. As Dave and I went our separate ways at 4:45 I remarked that should Town play at their proper home in the near future that would probably be our next meeting. Dave replied that if not,then he would see me at Headingley on April 10th for the opening of the championship campaign. It was heartening to think that was only just over eight weeks away. Which brings me laboriously to the proper purpose of this blog (allegedly), namely cricket.
In my last posting I described the major restructuring of league cricket in the north east, today's offering concerns more minor changes to leagues nearer home (mine if not yours). Firstly some in The York Vale League which this season celebrates its eightieth birthday to be marked by a special match at Clifton Alliance on Sunday June 23rd. The league comprises 47 teams and they will be organised in four divisions of ten and a fifth division of seven, where teams will play each other three times, giving a total of eighteen games for all sides across the five divisions.
One notable absentee from last season will be Copmanthorpe I who have decided to try their luck in the other York based league, the York and District Senior League, where they have been placed in Division 6 (of 7). Another interesting newcomer are Brandesburton who too will play in the sixth division. This East Riding outfit featured in the league's Eastern Conference which began life in 2012 and mainly comprises clubs from the former East Riding Independent Cricket League. Brandesburton finished third in Division 1 of the Conference behind Walkington and Middleton. The step up to the YDSL will involve a big increase in travelling from YO25 with the longest trip to Whitwell in LS15 a more than 120 mile round trip, which rather stretches the concept of 'district'.
One other notable change in the YDSL is the merger of two York based clubs and fairly close neighbours, Rowntress and Huntington. These two clubs have a combined membership of the league of over 150 years and the new club will play at Rowntrees' Haxby Road ground.
In my next posting I will detail some changes in The Dales' Council and Central Yorkshire League and while I remember there is a new club in the Darlington and District League, namely Oxbridge Cricket Club, previously of The Cleveland League and who will play their home matches at Norton CC.
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Thank you, Murton CC
posted by John Winn
Since last summer I have made several references to the reorganisation of league cricket in North East England in 2013 and expressed increasing frustration about the lack of information regarding the new structure. If you have read my previous posts on the changes you may recall that they involve the formation of a second division of the NEPL and the creation of a new league, namely The Durham Cricket League. Having trawled through numerous websites I have at last some information that goes beyond chat room rumour. My thanks are due to Murton CC, situated a little under ten miles south east of Sunderland, for on their website, murtoncc.co.uk, are the complete fixtures for the brand spanking new, Durham Cricket League.
There are 26 clubs in the new league, stretching from Evenwood in the south west of the county to Bill Quay CC on the south bank of the Tyne near Hebburn. For the first season the 26 will form one division and play each other once. Fixtures begin on April 27th and continue each Saturday until September 8th. There will be a full programme on the three summer bank holidays and on two Sundays, June 23rd and July 7th. On the basis of these matches the league will split into two divisions for 2014.
April 27 will be a historic day for the new league, not just because it is the inaugural day of competition but because the member clubs come from three leagues with hundred of years of history between them. Such a dramatic change does not come without resistance and there will be those who do not wish the new league 'all the best'. It will add to clubs' petrol bills but Evenwood to Bill Quay is a little over 30 miles, a relatively modest journey by the standard of some leagues. A fine day on April 27th would suit all pcws and would give the new league a good start. I, for one wish them well and may even be there to inspect a tea room or two
Since last summer I have made several references to the reorganisation of league cricket in North East England in 2013 and expressed increasing frustration about the lack of information regarding the new structure. If you have read my previous posts on the changes you may recall that they involve the formation of a second division of the NEPL and the creation of a new league, namely The Durham Cricket League. Having trawled through numerous websites I have at last some information that goes beyond chat room rumour. My thanks are due to Murton CC, situated a little under ten miles south east of Sunderland, for on their website, murtoncc.co.uk, are the complete fixtures for the brand spanking new, Durham Cricket League.
There are 26 clubs in the new league, stretching from Evenwood in the south west of the county to Bill Quay CC on the south bank of the Tyne near Hebburn. For the first season the 26 will form one division and play each other once. Fixtures begin on April 27th and continue each Saturday until September 8th. There will be a full programme on the three summer bank holidays and on two Sundays, June 23rd and July 7th. On the basis of these matches the league will split into two divisions for 2014.
April 27 will be a historic day for the new league, not just because it is the inaugural day of competition but because the member clubs come from three leagues with hundred of years of history between them. Such a dramatic change does not come without resistance and there will be those who do not wish the new league 'all the best'. It will add to clubs' petrol bills but Evenwood to Bill Quay is a little over 30 miles, a relatively modest journey by the standard of some leagues. A fine day on April 27th would suit all pcws and would give the new league a good start. I, for one wish them well and may even be there to inspect a tea room or two
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Good and bad news
posted by John Winn
My local weekly paper The Harrogate Advertiser in this week's edition carried lengthy articles on two village cricket teams east of the A1. Two articles that brought very contrasting pieces of news. First the good news which was about Whixley CC, just a mile from where I live and now the recipient of a £50K grant from Olympic legacy funding. In 2005 Whixley's pavilion was destroyed in an arson attack and eight years on they still change and take tea in temporary accommodation. During this difficult time the club has not let the grass grow under its feet, far from it for they have bought, levelled and sown a sizeable extension to the playing area. The legacy grant will go towards replacing and improving the facilities that were destroyed eight years ago.
Strongly supported by the local community the club has a thriving junior section, with a waiting list that can be accommodated by the expansion of facilities. More money is required and the next event will be on April 13th, just a week ahead of the playing season, when the club will celebrate the award of the £50K with a dinner in the village hall.
Whixley run two teams in the Wetherby league and the 'bad news' article features another club from that league and a sharper contrast in fortunes could not be imagined. Rufforth CC near York, rather than thinking about expansion are facing extinction. Their recent AGM attracted only six members and led the club to decide to do without a second XI in 2013 but Ed White's article draws an even bleaker picture, namely that the club may not be able to raise even one team. It is not just a question of finding eleven blokes to take the field in eleven weeks time, the club has no captain, treasurer or secretary. Bleak indeed and another blow to The Wetherby League whose loss of clubs I have commented on in previous postings. The fixtures on the league website show a sixth and bottom division of just six teams and one of those is the now folded Rufforth II. Should the first team also disappear this will have ramifications for clubs from Division III downwards and leave the management committee with some awkward decisions.
Let's hope that the worst does not happen, for it would mean the end of cricket on the village airfield where the game has been played since 1946, ten years before the club embraced league cricket. It is hard, however, to see how such problems could be overcome. Rufforth youth set up finished four years ago and there is no shortage of other clubs in that area. This perhaps accounts for 'a spate of player departures' a major factor in the club's demise. I note that the ECB has this week begun a campaign to address the problem of 'teen drop off' and there is an online survey inviting clubs to comment on this problem.
My local weekly paper The Harrogate Advertiser in this week's edition carried lengthy articles on two village cricket teams east of the A1. Two articles that brought very contrasting pieces of news. First the good news which was about Whixley CC, just a mile from where I live and now the recipient of a £50K grant from Olympic legacy funding. In 2005 Whixley's pavilion was destroyed in an arson attack and eight years on they still change and take tea in temporary accommodation. During this difficult time the club has not let the grass grow under its feet, far from it for they have bought, levelled and sown a sizeable extension to the playing area. The legacy grant will go towards replacing and improving the facilities that were destroyed eight years ago.
Strongly supported by the local community the club has a thriving junior section, with a waiting list that can be accommodated by the expansion of facilities. More money is required and the next event will be on April 13th, just a week ahead of the playing season, when the club will celebrate the award of the £50K with a dinner in the village hall.
Whixley run two teams in the Wetherby league and the 'bad news' article features another club from that league and a sharper contrast in fortunes could not be imagined. Rufforth CC near York, rather than thinking about expansion are facing extinction. Their recent AGM attracted only six members and led the club to decide to do without a second XI in 2013 but Ed White's article draws an even bleaker picture, namely that the club may not be able to raise even one team. It is not just a question of finding eleven blokes to take the field in eleven weeks time, the club has no captain, treasurer or secretary. Bleak indeed and another blow to The Wetherby League whose loss of clubs I have commented on in previous postings. The fixtures on the league website show a sixth and bottom division of just six teams and one of those is the now folded Rufforth II. Should the first team also disappear this will have ramifications for clubs from Division III downwards and leave the management committee with some awkward decisions.
Let's hope that the worst does not happen, for it would mean the end of cricket on the village airfield where the game has been played since 1946, ten years before the club embraced league cricket. It is hard, however, to see how such problems could be overcome. Rufforth youth set up finished four years ago and there is no shortage of other clubs in that area. This perhaps accounts for 'a spate of player departures' a major factor in the club's demise. I note that the ECB has this week begun a campaign to address the problem of 'teen drop off' and there is an online survey inviting clubs to comment on this problem.
TWO WORLD RECORD HOLDERS
By Brian Sanderson,
Recently I purchase a scorecard of C.S.Nayudu X1 against Catterick Sevices dated 18th July 1955.One of the reason I purchased the scorecard was that myself and Ron Deaton visited the Catterick ground in November last year and did a blog on the visit on13 November last year.The match was a testimonial match for Nayudu while he was playing for South Shields and was a evening match which started at 5.45 P.M..
Cottari Subbanna Nayudu was the brother of the captain of the first Test Match (at Lords in 1932 ) for India-he captained India in all four Test in all.Cottari holds two world records for bowling.In a match in India he bowled 917 balls in a match with figures of 6-153 and 5-275.This also is a record of the most runs in a spell in first class cricket.
Another player in his team was Vijay Samuel Hazare who was in partnership of 577 with Gul Mahomed for the 4th wicket in a match Baroda v Holkar in 1946/7 created a new world first -class record.At this time of the match he was playing in the Lancashire League for Rawtenstall .
The third player on the scorecard was Chandrakant Gulabrao Borde who was 20 years old at this time.He was a right hand bat who bowled leg-breaks. He was a the great sucess of the 1959 Indian tour to England ,hitting 1060 runs and taking 72 wickets.In the 1950,s I used to play Howzat cricket game and the above two players were in my Indian side.
The Catterick side who won the match included Peter Marner and also playing for Lancashire scoring over 17,000 first class runs.The top scorer for Catterick was Captain J.D.K.Barnes with 50 not out.It states on the scorecard he played for Free Forester club but I can not find on the internet. He did played for Devon youth team so Cricket Archive states.
I also purchased at the same time another scorecard of a Nayudu,s match at York on 11 th July 1956 and the above three players played.However there was no scores on the scorcard.
I wonder who owned the scorcards and must have been at both matches ?Another piece interesting cricket memorabilia.
Recently I purchase a scorecard of C.S.Nayudu X1 against Catterick Sevices dated 18th July 1955.One of the reason I purchased the scorecard was that myself and Ron Deaton visited the Catterick ground in November last year and did a blog on the visit on13 November last year.The match was a testimonial match for Nayudu while he was playing for South Shields and was a evening match which started at 5.45 P.M..
Cottari Subbanna Nayudu was the brother of the captain of the first Test Match (at Lords in 1932 ) for India-he captained India in all four Test in all.Cottari holds two world records for bowling.In a match in India he bowled 917 balls in a match with figures of 6-153 and 5-275.This also is a record of the most runs in a spell in first class cricket.
Another player in his team was Vijay Samuel Hazare who was in partnership of 577 with Gul Mahomed for the 4th wicket in a match Baroda v Holkar in 1946/7 created a new world first -class record.At this time of the match he was playing in the Lancashire League for Rawtenstall .
The third player on the scorecard was Chandrakant Gulabrao Borde who was 20 years old at this time.He was a right hand bat who bowled leg-breaks. He was a the great sucess of the 1959 Indian tour to England ,hitting 1060 runs and taking 72 wickets.In the 1950,s I used to play Howzat cricket game and the above two players were in my Indian side.
The Catterick side who won the match included Peter Marner and also playing for Lancashire scoring over 17,000 first class runs.The top scorer for Catterick was Captain J.D.K.Barnes with 50 not out.It states on the scorecard he played for Free Forester club but I can not find on the internet. He did played for Devon youth team so Cricket Archive states.
I also purchased at the same time another scorecard of a Nayudu,s match at York on 11 th July 1956 and the above three players played.However there was no scores on the scorcard.
I wonder who owned the scorcards and must have been at both matches ?Another piece interesting cricket memorabilia.
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