The Rugby League authorities in their wisdom always seem to choose their Magic Weekend to coincide with my birthday. I have been tempted on more than one occasion to visit St James' Park in Newcastle to follow Leeds Rhinos to this event, especially when there is the chance of Minor Counties cricket at Jesmond as well. This convenient arrangement failed this time around with Northumberland away in Lincolnshire instead.
As usual cricket comes first and so it was that a trip to the Midlands was planned with a variety of county 2nd XI and Minor Counties fixtures available, plus the chance of a few new grounds to add to my collection. So on Saturday 19th May, giving the M1 motorway a wide berth, with a slightly delayed start to cope with the Royal Wedding and all that we landed up at the ground of Kenilworth Wardens in mid-afternoon. Two matches for the price of one in this attractive setting which has been visited by Warwickshire 2nd XI in recent times
Wardens 3rd XI were taking on Badsey in the Cotswold Hills League Division Two on the second ground in a game which the visitors won in the end fairly easily by five wickets. A very attractive league with several grounds already visited in the past. The main event here however was a Birmingham League Premier Division game between Wardens 1st XI and Knowle & Dorridge. Top scorer for the visitors was a J. Grundy, not I am assured Joe Grundy from the Archers, in whose territory we almost were. The home side were comfortable winners by four wickets with four overs to spare.
My next target, which involved a jaunt along the M40 and M42 motorways to Hagley Hall, a ground which I have wanted to visit for many years, having had good reports from several sources. This certainly proved well worthwhile with a stunningly picturesque ground in the parkland of Hagley Hall, complete with a herd of deer, a church just behind the pavilion, the Hall itself with rhododendrons in full bloom and even a tree inside the boundary. What more could you ask for?
Hagley 2nd XI were taking on Cookley in the Worcestershire County League and wickets began to fall regularly soon after our arrival in what proved to be a high scoring game.
This is certainly a ground which deserves the attention of any professional cricket watcher at the home of the Lyttleton family, which has close connections with Worcestershire County Cricket Club in years gone by. The conveniently situated Lyttleton Arms is close by and the house itself is well worth a visit with a fascinating history.
The following day was back to the modern cricket world with a vengeance. Minor Counties Knock out cricket in coloured clothing for the first time. Not really to be recommended but the large ground at Himley cricket club, north of Stourbridge and almost in Wolverhampton was a convenient spot for the game between Staffordshire and neighbours Shropshire. What a game it turned out to be with a place in the quarter finals at stake.
Staffordshire batted first and helped by 73 from the former Notts player, Sam Kelsall they ran up what looked like a winning score with 265-8 in their fifty overs. It might have been more but for a very sad, stop-start-stop run out incident between Kelsall and Hill which sent Kelsall on his way. Hill tried to rectify matters with a solid 44 and a 62 run seventh wicket partnership with Richardson. While all this was going on we were entertained (?) by music and loudspeaker announcements from the dragon boat racing going on at the lake across the road at Himley Hall.
Shropshire in reply did not get off to the best of starts although skipper Steve Leach, brother of Worcester's Joe, made 46, former county player Kervezee was out cheaply and the visitors slumped to 129-6. However, cometh the hour cometh the man in the shape of Robbie Clarke, captain of Oswestry cricket club and only brought into the side at the last minute. His elder brother Joe Clarke is currently doing great things for both Worcestershire and England Lions.
With many of the spectators, including myself it must be admitted, thinking the game was all over Clarke took charge of proceedings in a big way, initially putting on a hundred partnership with number eight Sam Whitney to put Shropshire back into the game. Three wickets then fell quickly, including another former county man Gurjit Sandhu, who has been around the second eleven circuit.
So it was now 251-9, with fifteen more required. Enter the last man, young quick bowler Jack Twigger from Wellington, making his county debut.
Twigger proved up to the task seeing Clarke to a memorable century, with eleven fours and six sixes, and managing a valuable five not out himself as Shropshire won the game by one wicket with two overs to spare. They will now travel to play Norfolk at Manor Park in the quarter final.
Three more days of this memorable trip to follow in the next instalment!
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