BOWLERS ON TOP ON A SUNNY SATURDAY

By Brian Sanderson,

Saturday afternoon is  down as trips to see local leagues. After two telephones calls this morning we agreed to go first to Low Moor who play in the John Smiths Premier League which is in the Halifax Cricket League.
On the  at league web site it stated that the match started at 12.30.Arriving at the ground at 12.00 we found the gates were locked so we decided to move on to the next ground. A few hundred yards from the ground we notice a cricketer going to the ground and who confirmed that they were starting at 1.30, so decided to call back later.

The next ground is my favourite ground in the Bradford League, Lightcliffe. Ron last visited the ground over twenty years ago and since that time the club has purchased the ground and built a new car park .To daysBmatch was between Lightcliffe seconds and Morley seconds in the Bradford second X1 Premier League.

Whilst we were eating our lunch, the team teams were warming up for the match. My warm for cricket was few balls thrown to me before the match. How times have changed. If you wished to take a visitor to show him or her want a local cricket ground should be like then Lightcliffe is the place.

Moving on up the hill we went to Northowarm. There are two clubs next to each other.Here Northowarm Fields were playing Buttershaw St. Pauls in the Bradford Conference. Whilst over the wall is Northowarm Hedge Tops who were playing Warley in the Premier Division of the Halifax League.

Whilst we were there total of nine wickets fell  in the matches. Northowam Fields bowled Buttershaw out for 83.The above Italian Restaurant looks interesting.

Moving on back down the hill we went to Brighouse who were playing Gomersal in the Championship B in the Bradford League. I never played on this ground as the original  ground was sold to Supermarket chain and this ground was built.

It is excellent wicket but the  ground has lost it's atmosphere with the pavilion now used for functions. Above is a painting of the old ground which shows a proper cricket pavilion.

Moving back up the hill we went to Southowarm who were playing Old Crossleyans in the Roy Smith 1 st division of the Halifax League. When we arrive tea had been taken  and the home side were on the way to victory.

So we then decided to go back to Low Moor who were playing Queensbury. When we arrived just after five o;clock the match was over and the home side were beaten by ten wickets. So we will have to return to this ground to see cricket. Thank you Halifax League website. I have sent a email to the fixture secretary asking him to show the correct starting time.

The photograph of the four rollers at Northowarm ,is a tribute to Mick Bourne who started me on trips round league grounds.

I had a reply from the Halifax Cricket League fixture secretary last night. He said that the starting time were put incorrectly at the beginning of the season and he would have to all the times and he will not do this.

So if you go to any Halifax league cricket match it starts at 1.30.