In a posting I made at the beginning of the month 'Not a new problem' 'Anonymous took advantage of the comment box which is available at the bottom of each posting to inform me that Craythorne CC, founder members of the Langbaurgh League had resigned ahead of the 2017 season citing shortage of players as their reason. Just two days later anonymous was in action again adding another postscript to the effect that Skelton Castle CC, also longstanding members of the league had given up the fight and had folded. The writer added that Westerdale had applied to join the Langbaurgh which would involve leaving them the Eskdale League, a competition he/she believed to be struggling.
Such turbulence is not unknown in this part of Yorkshire, I have posted on several occasions about clubs folding and this time last year reported the closure of the Cleveland League. Anonymous added the Langbaurgh AGM was scheduled for the 7th of November 'where all the changes should become clearer'. Alas that meeting is still being advertised as a forthcoming event and more than three weeks on there is no news that I can find from the league as to the various comings and goings and no fixtures for the soon to be with us season. The darkness was lightened a little by the Skelton Facebook page which although it had confirmed as far back as December 3rd that it would not be running a Saturday senior side in 2017 'due to the dwindling number of senior players in the area' it will continue to promote junior cricket. Evidence that it is committed to this worthy aim is clear from its subsequent Facebook postings.
My wife and I have been away for a few days in Upper Teesdale this week and I chanced upon an interesting snippet in the Teesdale Mercury, which has good coverage of local cricket including reports on Barnard Castle of the NYSD, Evenwood (Durham Cricket League) and Middleton-in-Teesdale (Darlington and District). It is perhaps this last connection that led it to report yet another club going out of business, namely Brompton on Swale CC, relegated from Div A of the D&DL last year and unable to raise a side to play in Div B this season. Their ground is visible from the A1 and from now on it would appear that the local footballers will have full use of the previously shared facility.
There can be few followers of club cricket that are not aware of the decline in participation, particularly amongst the upper teen and early twenty age groups and followers of The Archers, of which I am one, will be aware that Ambridge CC are facing the same problem, namely a shortage of players. Here skipper Harrison Burns has proposed the radical solution that women should be allowed to be members of the club. Not over our dead bodies said enough of the more dinosauric members this week, so where to now? Harrison is a man not to be trifled with for as well as captaining the cricket team he is also the village bobby. Watch this space or listen to Radio Four.
Not for the first time the photograph accompanying one of my postings has no connection with the article. It was taken on a fine summer's evening in 1972 at the playing fields of my old school showing the players in a match between staff and students. Staff, with the help of a couple of ringers, managed a win. My dad is by some distance the older of the two umpires, those who know me may see the resemblance, but I am not sure it will help you recognise me on the photograph.
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