The match in question

The photograph I posted earlier in the week is actually a postcard and on the address side states that the ground is Cheriton Road Folkestone. I made my one and only trip to the ground in August 1986 and I suspect that I bought the card as a souvenir of my visit. When, a couple of weeks ago, the card dropped out of a book I set about trying to identify the teams and the result of the match.

At first I was put off the scent by the banners advertising John Player Special cigarettes, the then sponsors of the  40 over competition played on Sunday afternoons for I assumed that such a match was the one taking place and I spent sometime trying to find an innings where the score had been 129 for 3, last man 16, although I did not rule out that 16 might be the number of overs bowled. This idea did not tie in with the time shown on the clock and the short shadows cast by the players persuaded me that it was close to noon and the that the clock was telling the correct time.

The John Player League became 'Special' in 1983 and only four matches under this banner were played at Cheriton Road, 1983, 84, 85 and 86 and at no point in any of these games did the score match that shown in the picture. Thus assisted by my friend John Gawthrope I concentrated on championship matches played there during those four years of which there were seven. The second of these fitted the bill, 24th to 26th August 1983, with Leicestershire the visitors. It was the second championship match at Folkestone that week for Warwickshire had played there earlier with a three day game wrapped round Sunday's 40 over entertainment. Quite a week for Folkestonians.

The 1983 match was won by Kent by ten wickets. The action shown on the postcard is during Kent's first innings in reply to Leicestershire's 206 all out, top scorer Clift with 70 not out. Kent reached 93 before Hinks was out for 16 and there followed a stand of 116 between Benson and Chris Cowdrey. Bowlers were 6 and 11, Clift and Ferris, and Kent were eventually dismissed for 337, a lead of 131. With Underwood taking seven wickets, the fourth time he had achieved that in the season, Leicestershire struggled to avoid an innings defeat. Taylor and Benson knocked off the twenty two needed for victory. The other player that can be confidently identified in the picture is the Leicestershire keeper, Roger Tolchard.

The championship that season was won by Essex, their second title in five years. Leicestershire finished fourth and Kent seventh.

Final Clues

posted by John Winn

Today's clues for the picture puzzle

1. the batsmen are Mark Benson (on strike) and Christopher Cowdrey

2. George Ferris is bowling

Sorry I was late logging on today, answer will now be posted on Sunday

Some help with the puzzle

posted by John Winn

As promised here are some clues to help with the identification of the match details in the photo I posted on Christmas Eve.

1. Concentrate on the clock, not the cigarette advertising

2. Kent are batting

3. '16' on the board represents last man's score, not overs


More clues tomorrow, answers on Saturday

A Christmas Puzzle

posted by John Winn

I am in the habit of using old photographs as bookmarks and recently the one posted above fluttered out of a book I had not read for sometime since when and with the help of some friends I have been trying to identify the ground and the match. I think this quest has been sufficiently successful that should Call The Midwife not be your cup of tea tomorrow evening, you might like to supply answers to the following: 

a) the ground

b) the date and teams involved

c) the striker

d) the non striker

e) the bowler

d) the wicketkeeper

Should they be needed some clues will be provided on Boxing Day. In the meantime Happy Christmas to all our readers. 

Winter reading

Posted by Tony Hutton

Christmas has come early this year and I am already the proud possessor of three splendid cricket  volumes to see me through the winter months. The first one to arrive was the sports book of the year - 'The Great Romantic' by Duncan Hamilton. This is the remarkable story of Neville Cardus, thought by many to have been the greatest cricket writer ever, as well as being a classical music critic. I had already purchased another Cardus volume earlier in the year, which I can also heartily recommend. This is an anthology of his cricket writing, edited by Gideon Haigh, entitled 'A Field of Tents and Waving Colours'.

The chapter in this volume which I probably enjoyed most was entitled 'Cricket at Dover' and is a description of the match between Kent and Lancashire in July 1926. The first two sentences set the tone - 'The distance from Lord's to the Dover cricket field is farther than the crow flies or even than the train travels. Here we find a different habitation than cosmopolitan Lord's, here is Kent and real England'. His account of each three days of the game make fascinating reading, with Frank Woolley's century on the final day being in vain as the Australian McDonald bowled Lancashire to a narrow victory at precisely five o'clock on the third day.

To return to Duncan Hamilton's book, which to some extent corrects the current fashion of denigrating the great man's writing. It is of course true that he exaggerated at times and put words into the mouth of cricketers suggesting what they ought to have said, rather than what they actually did. He tells Cardus's remarkable life story from humble beginnings to reaching the pinnacle of his profession in the fields of both cricket and classical music with detailed research which indeed makes this a most readable book and well worthy of the award.

Earlier this week I attended the Northern Cricket Society's Christmas lunch which provided not only first class entertainment, but an excellent lunch as well, to a full house at Sandmoor Golf Club, Leeds. We were there to listen to the wonderful double act of Fred Rumsey and Stephen Chalke. The main purpose of the exercise was to promote Fred Rumsey's recent book 'Sense of Humour, Sense of Justice'. This is yet another tales of the unexpected, published by Stephen Chalke's Fairfield Books. Rumsey has a most interesting story to tell not only of his career as a left arm quick bowler, but how he came to form the Professional Cricketers Association off his own bat so to speak.

Chalke provided the perfect foil to prompt Rumsey into endless stories of his life and times while keeping a low profile himself. His own wonderful books over the years never got a mention and neither did his impending retirement after an amazing career writing and publishing numerous volumes to delight the cricket connoisseur. This are all listed in an article in the current edition of the 'Cricketer' which is well worth a read.

My partner kindly bought not only Rumsey's book, but Stephen Chalke's final volume 'Through the Remembered Gate' as a further Christmas present. Nothing could have been more appropriate. Have only just skimmed through Rumsey's book but came across some very interesting photographs recalling his early days with Worcestershire before moving on to Somerset. A picture of the Worcestershire second eleven of the early 1960s shows three players I remember playing against. One being Rumsey himself, who I faced as a club cricketer in the Edgbaston nets one winter night. All I can remember is that he was quicker than anything I had faced before.

The other two, Ken Arch and Ted Hemsley, both played for Bridgnorth cricket club in Shropshire. Arch was yet another very quick bowler, but did not make the first class game playing Minor Counties for Shropshire. Ted Hemsley of course became a Worcestershire regular as well as a very good full back for Sheffield United. The book is full of stories including having to share a room with Geoff Boycott when playing for England. Great memories for all who remember that particular era.

I still have to get round to Stephen Chalke's final volume, but am certain it will be of the same standard as those which have gone before, including of course the stories of Bob Appleyard and Geoff Cope. Geoff, complete with wife and guide dog, was present at the lunch together with Brian Close's widow Vivienne. A very special occasion for all concerned and plenty of good reading for the winter months ahead.

Nostalgia continued from August 2000.

Posted by Tony Hutton

To continue my marathon trip around the Oxford colleges during the Wandering cricket teams festival of 2000 I can pick up the threads in Abingdon, where the first match of the day was The Sunday Barbarians versus the Gloucestershire Gypsies at Abingdon School which produced a fairly easy victory for the Barbarians. Just down the road however there was a further attraction with Abingdon Vale cricket club hosting the full Essex county side in a benefit match. Stuart Law, the Australian, provided the major entertainment with a quickfire century and after the home side looked like getting somewhere near the Essex total of 244, Ronnie Irani took matters in hand with 6-25 to give the county a win by 50 runs.

Abingdon School.

Abingdon Vale cricket club.


Still time to call in at nearby Radley College for two more high scoring games between more of the festival sides. The big match of the tournament however took place the following day at the Christ Church College ground with possibly the first ever meeting between two of the most distinguished of the striped blazer variety sides. Free Foresters and I Zingari had both been going for over a hundred years without a previous meeting. The Christ Church ground with it's very modern pavilion had staged first class matches regularly at one time, particularly when touring sides played Oxford University here.
The reason being that no admission charges were allowed at the University Parks, whereas Christ Church were able to charge for admission.

Free Foresters 2000

I Zingari 2000

It certainly proved to be a high scoring encounter with Free Foresters making 295-2 of which R. Jones made 200 not out. I Zingari came very close, but finished 25 runs short on 270-9. By this time I had of course left to take in three more grounds at Jesus College, Brasenose College and Queens College. After this fascinating but exhausting schedule it was off further south the next day  to Northlands Road, Southampton to see Hampshire taking on Leicester in a county championship game. The main interest in this game, which Leicestershire won, was the performance of Alan Mullally who had just returned to Hampshire for a second spell after a period with Leicester. He took nine wickets in the match, which proved a match winning performance.

Brasenose College, Oxford.

Northlands Road, Southampton.

After an Under 19 game between Hampshire and Middlesex on the Friday, in which a young Nick Compton scored a century, it was a day of league cricket in Hampshire on the Saturday, clocking up another half dozen grounds including Beaulieu, Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst and Pylewell Park. More club cricket on Sunday with a touring team from Bombay at Lymington, followed by Reigate Priory from Surrey at the same ground on Monday.

Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst.

Lymington cricket club, Hampshire.

Pylewell Park, Hampshire.


The rather roundabout route home then took in two days at Hastings for a second eleven game between Sussex and Kent, a day at the Saffrons Eastbourne for Sussex v Northants and finally two days at Colchester for Essex v  Gloucestershire. The game at Horntye Park, Hastings was notable for three relatively unknown wicketkeepers taking part two of whom went on to play for England in Geraint Jones for Kent and Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose for Sussex. In a low scoring game at Eastbourne, Sussex were bowled out by Northants spinners for just 65, the visitors winning by 162 runs.

 Horntye Park, Hastings.

The Saffrons, Eastbourne.

The final game at Colchester's Castle Park was more high scoring, but strangely enough the highest individual score of the four innings was only 58 by Stuart Law one of four fifties in the game. Gloucester won that one by 104 runs. So a long haul home but no further cricket until well inside the boundaries of Yorkshire where I managed to see the end of a couple of league games.

Castle Park, Colchester.

So a wonderful fortnight's holiday in all with some excellent cricket and a long list of beautiful grounds to add to what was already a rather substantial number over the years.

More nostalgia from years gone by.

Posted by Tony Hutton

Resisting the chance  to comment on the performances of the South of England XI (with the token addition of Root and Stokes) in New Zealand and having lost track of the number of outside signings by the Rest of the World XI (formally known as Yorkshire county cricket club), I will once again retreat to a nostalgic trip from the past.

The year 2000 was probably the peak period of my long cricket watching career, with more cricket seen and more grounds visited than ever before, or since. One of the most memorable trips was a southern tour in August which took in a rather special tournament for wandering cricket clubs based around Oxford University with an absolute plethora of fixtures and grounds to visit. After that it was on to our then regular holiday haunt of Lymington in Hampshire with a good deal of club cricket and a final visit to Hampshire's old ground at Northlands Road in Southampton. The trip home by a rather devious route took in further county cricket in Sussex and Essex.

It all started with a couple of Minor Counties games on our way south. Firstly Campbell Park, Milton Keynes where Buckinghamshire were playing Suffolk at this quite modern ground, before travelling on to the delightful Thame ground where Oxfordshire were playing Herefordshire. The highlights at Milton Keynes were a fifty from Derek Randall, seeing out his career with a spell at Suffolk, and a century from Bruce Percy, who played with distinction for both Buckinghamshire and Rawdon in the Aire/Wharfe league.

 Campbell Park, Milton Keynes

Thame cricket club.

Oxfordshire had a very easy ten wicket victory over Herefordshire at Thame thanks mainly to the bowling of veteran paceman Keith Arnold who took fifteen wickets in the match including an incredible 9-19 when Hereford were all out for 80 in their second innings. Arnold was a true Minor Counties legend who played for Oxfordshire for thirty years from 1980 taking well over 600 wickets.

The next three days, with the very necessary help of a detailed street map of  Oxford, were spent touring the many college and neighbouring school grounds for the wonderful millenium festival of wandering cricket teams from far and wide. It got off to a good start with two games on neighbouring grounds at St Edward's School - Incogniti v The Stage on the main ground and The Cryptics v The Butterflies on the other ground interestingly known as 'The Piggeries'. The most famous old boy of the school was Douglas Bader, the RAF fighter pilot and hero of the film 'Reach for the Sky'.

St Edward's School, Oxford.

St Edward's School - The Piggeries.

On next door to Keble College ground in Woodstock Road where The Frogs were playing against a very historic side, The Gentlemen of Philadephia no less, all the way from the USA. No sense of former glories from the visitors as the Frogs won rather comfortably.

St John's College, Oxford.

Still on Woodstock Road for a visit to St John's College ground where South Oxfordshire Amateurs were playing the Gentlemen of Leicestershire in a a high scoring game with two hyphenated Oxfordians stole the show - M. Winfield-Digby and A. Prior-Wandesford. Finally turning off the Woodstock Road onto Marston Ferry road, we came to the Wadham College ground. Here we saw Hampshire Hogs beat De Flamingos by some margin thanks to the third century of the day so far.
This came from Rupert Cox, who played quite a few games for Hampshire county cricket club in his younger days. 109 not out from a total of 249-4 proved a useful winning score.

Wadham College ground.

This long day was rounded off with visits to Oxford University Press, Trinity College and two grounds at Radley College (Bigside and Secondside). The Gentlemen of Yorkshire were playing at Oxford University Press ground, which always recalls the persistent comment of my Lancashire friends, who wonder where they find eleven men from. Radley College public school was a delight with what appeared to be endless cricket grounds going off towards the horizon. This is of course where England captains such as Ted Dexter and Andrew Strauss learned to play the game. Not quite up to that standard today but The Stragglers of Asia  and The Sunday Barbarians certainly added to the day's remarkable entertainment.

Radley College pavilion.

To be continued in the next blog.

More about Frank

posted by John Winn

'While all the other members of the team returned to England, FW Milligan stayed behind'. Thus reads the last sentence on page 466 of the 1900 Wisden and concludes its report on 'Lord Hawke's Team in South Africa', a tour that began in Cape Town on Christmas Eve with a match against 13 of Western Province and concluded in early April with the second of two matches against South Africa at the same venue.

In my last post I made reference to Frank Milligan who played in both the test matches and who was killed when part of Colonel Plumer's force attempting to relieve Mafeking on March 30th 1900. Thus the match at Newlands was Milligan's last match and a remarkable game it was for England despite being  dismissed for 92 in their first innings won the match by 210 runs. Milligan was dismissed for nought in that innings but batting at eight made 38 useful runs in the second knock. He bowled only two overs in the match but made what Wisden describes as 'an extraordinary catch at long on just securing the ball (while) leaning back on the ropes'. South Africa were bowled out for 35 in their second innings.

Milligan's death is reported in the 1901 Wisden but in fewer than ten lines which seems somewhat parsimonious for a cricketer good enough to represent his country and the Gentlemen and play 95 games for Yorkshire. His last first class match in England was at Scarborough in September 1898 against CI Thornton's XI, a match in which he did not shine but the previous week at the same ground he had taken seven for 61 against The Players in a match won by The Gentlemen. His last championship match was at Hove, a game won by Yorkshire by 192 runs. Spectators at the game would have enjoyed an innings of 179 not out by CB Fry and those favouring the white rose much appreciated 150 by JT Brown. Brown was in decent nick at this time for just a week earlier at Queen's Park Chesterfield he made 300 before being out hit wicket. That 300 was part of what was then the record first wicket stand of 554 made with Tunnicliffe who was out for 243.

Coldham's biography of Lord Hawke gives a fuller picture of Milligan as a cricketer. He is described as 'a cricketer in the nineteenth century mould; all bustle and unthinking aggression He bowled fast, batted with abandon and in the field was a bundle of reckless energy, his whole hearted cricket made him an instant favourite among the crowds'. It is a shame that Wisden could not find space to tell us a little more about such an exciting cricketer.

The Third Man

posted by John Winn

Under Births and Deaths of Cricketers the 1926 Wisden lists 13 players with the surname Hearne, many of whom were related. One of the thirteen was Walter Hearne whose obituary appears in that edition. My interest in Walter stems from the match between Yorkshire and Kent played in the city of York in 1890, the last first class match to be held in the city until this summer when Warwickshire came to town.

Regular readers may recall that in previous postings about this match I have commented on the fact that three Kent players arrived too late to bat in their side's first innings. I have posted potted biographies of two of the late arrivals, Stanley Christopherson and William Spottiswoode in earlier postings, Walter Hearne, a man from a very different walk of life, was the third to turn up late. Hearne's career seems to have been plagued by injury and illness and he died at the relatively young age of 61 at Canterbury on April 2nd 1925. His playing career had been cut short by a knee injury and Wisden says that but for that he might have 'played nearly as long for Kent as did his brother JT Hearne for Middlesex'. He had trials for Kent as early as 1887 but it was some years before he gained a regular place in the side. The game at York was one of only two that he played that year and in 1895 he missed a whole season. The cruel end came the following year when batting against Yorkshire at Headingley  and 34 not out, he was forced to retire hurt and that effectively ended his career. For the record Yorkshire won the match by 9 wickets with Lord Hawke unbeaten on 110 in the first innings. Seven wickets in the match for Mr FW Milligan.

 Frank Milligan is an interesting character I have not come across before. Despite having been born in Hampshire he played 95 first class games for Yorkshire and two tests for England on their 1898-99 tour of South Africa. He did not return home after the tour and holding the rank of lieutenant he was killed during the Second Boer War at Ramatlabama near Mafeking in 1900. There are too memorials to him in Bradford. 

Walter Hearne

Hearne was a right arm medium pace bowler whose best season was in 1894 when he took 116 wickets at a cost of 13.34. His playing days behind him Walter became Kent's scorer a position he held until the end of his life. 

Finally I have this last week I have been in touch with David Thorpe who is currently in New Zealand and who has been watching cricket on South Island. David raises the interesting question whether Invercargill at 46 degrees south is the furthest south first class cricket has been played. A glance at the map suggests that it is highly likely. If so what is the furthest north? 

1996 and all that (Part two)

Posted by Tony Hutton

Continuing the nostalgia theme of my previous blog from July 1996, when I toured the West Midlands and Monmouthshire on what might be called a vintage cricketing journey, we re-start proceedings on day five. The first half of the day was spent at the Bulls Head ground, home of Coventry and North Warwickshire, where Warwickshire seconds were playing Kent seconds. This was day two of a three day match and we had missed a hat-trick by Darren Alltree for Warwickshire on the first day. He was a left arm quick bowler who played regular second team cricket but never quite made it as a first team player. Kent, coached by Alan Ealham, recovered from early set backs to win the game with help from another left armer Tim Wren who took five wickets.

Coventry and North Warwickshire.

Later in the day we moved on to Old Hill, just in Staffordshire, where the home side were playing Buckinghamshire in a Minor Counties game. This was a low scoring encounter which Bucks eventually won by five wickets. Old Hill has produced several county cricketers of note, none more famous than Warwickshire and England leg spinner Eric Hollies.

Old Hill cricket club.

Day six was a Nat West Trophy game at New Road between Worcestershire and Hampshire and the hero here was Robin Smith with a wonderful innings of 158, taking the visitors well past 300 in their sixty overs. Worcester never threatened and were bowled out for 203 thanks to Cardigan Connor and Kevin James.

Day seven was a much more light hearted occasion, at yet another new ground, The Bottoms at Pershore, which staged a benefit match for Stephen Rhodes, the Worcestershire wicketkeeper. Back to New Road the following day for another one day Bain Hogg Trophy game with Worcester seconds comfortably beating Glamorgan seconds. Further entertainment was provided on the ground next door where Kings School, Worcester were taking on their old boys' side.

Pershore cricket club.

Saturday then provided us with the chance of visiting four league grounds which were all new to me.
Firstly Stourbridge, which used to host county championship games, and also produced many Worcestershire players over the years. Then onto Barnt Green, a very pleasant spot which became a regular second eleven venue. Then Ombersley, just outside Worcester, who ran up a huge score on a ground which also hosted a few Worcester seconds' games. Finally back into Herefordshire to visit the Full Pitcher (name of the pub adjoining the ground) where Ledbury were taking on Knighton in another close encounter..

For me the highlight of the whole trip came the next day with my first ever visit to Brockhampton, a tiny village between Hereford and Ross on Wye, where Herefordshire were playing Wiltshire in the Minor Counties. What a delightful spot, which remains one of my all time favourite grounds and really sold me on the benefits of  watching Minor Counties cricket. Only time to watch the first day, but pleased to learn Herefordshire eventually won by just one wicket at the end of the game.

Three pictures of Brockhampton in 1996.

Just one more game to add as we headed for home on the Monday, calling in at Seth Somers Park, Halesowen for yet another second eleven game this time between Worcester and Hampshire. This turned out to be a very high scoring three day game with Hampshire winning by just 38 runs. Liam Botham, son of Ian, made two fifties for Hampshire but star of the show for Worcester was Vikram Solanki with 156. Nice to visit again a ground where I once had the pleasure of playing against the great Eric Hollies, well after he retired from county cricket.

Halesowen cricket club.

A wonderful holiday visiting some picturesque grounds in the middle of the beautiful countyside of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Such happy memories which go some way to forgetting the parlous state in which cricket finds itself today.

Nostalgia - the cure for cricket's current ills.

Posted by Tony Hutton

Trying hard to think of something positive to write rather than concentrating on the rather wayward thinking of both the ECB and Yorkshire County cricket club, a further bombshell dropped this week with the announcement that the traditional opening game of the ENGLISH season, between MCC and the champion county, Essex, will next year take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

This is to recognise the fact that MCC's current president is the admirable Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara. We can only hope that the next president is not the man in the moon!

However enough of all that. I have been sorting through some old photo albums in my vast collection of cricket ground pictures and came across some pictures from July 1996. I had embarked on a journey across the West Midlands, and even into Wales, for a wonderful cricket tour which took in twenty different grounds over a ten day period.

Strange to say not one county championship game was on my itinerary, which covered Nat West Trophy, Minor Counties, County Second Elevens, many league cricket games, a couple of school games and a benefit match. Day one, en route to our hotel in Ross-on-Wye, we called in first at St Godwalds Park, Bromsgrove where Worcester seconds were playing Gloucester seconds in what was then the Bain Hogg one day trophy. Worcester knocked up a good score but the game was halted by rain later in the day. By which time we had ventured into Wales to see Glamorgan seconds playing Hampshire seconds at Monmouth School in the same competition.

Two pictures of the Monmouth School ground.

An attractive ground, but the weather reduced the overs with Hampshire winning on faster scoring rate. Remember chatting to Tim Tremlett, then the Hampshire second eleven coach, who told me something about all his players. The following day, Saturday, we managed to fit in two league games and a school game. The league games were both on Herefordshire Minor Counties grounds at Eastnor and Colwall, under the wonderful Malvern Hills and then on into Malvern itself to see the college side taking on Free Foresters. All delightful places to watch cricket and definitely ones to return to in the future.

Two pictures of the Eastnor ground.

Two pictures of the Colwall ground.

Malvern College ground.

Sunday was spent watching Herefordshire play Devon at the Hereford Racecourse ground. A rather strange atmosphere with cricket in the middle of the course and seeming a long way from the spectators. However Worcestershire did play a first class match there some time previously. On this occasion Hereford did well to beat a very strong Devon side captained by Peter Roebuck formerly of Somerset. Roebuck turned himself into a bowler in Minor Counties cricket and took three wickets in each innings.

Then it was back into Wales for a Minor Counties game at Pontypridd (Ynysangharad Park to be precise) Wales v Shropshire for whom former Warwickshire man Asif Din scored a century. On the same day Glamorgan seconds were playing Leicester seconds at Usk (merely The Cricket Field). Here we saw a forgotten man, Vince Clarke, score 189 for Leicester. Despite playing for three counties during the 1990s he never became a regular county cricketer.

 Pontypridd ground.

The cricket field, Usk.

Before I get too carried away with this look at cricket in the past, I will call it a day for now and finish this journey in part two.

Danby make it at the first attempt

In early June I reported on a visit I made to the north eastern corner of Yorkshire to complete my set of all the grounds in The Langbaurgh League. Two  more contrasting grounds it is hard to imagine and the two home clubs that I saw that day, Dormanstown and Danby have experienced contrasting fortunes on the cricket field since my early season trip.

First call on the first Saturday in June was at  Dormanstown on the outskirts of Redcar where Kildale were the visitors in a match that at that time was between two sides that had found the early season going rather tough. Dormanstown won comfortably that day but the two clubs remained relegation candidates throughout the campaign and only the hapless Ingleby Greenhow who failed to win a match all season saved one from relegation. Both teams finished on 26 points and with five wins apiece were separated only by their run wicket differential which went in favour of Kildale. So Dormanstown, who until recently were members of the now defunct Cleveland League, find themselves back in Division Two after only one season in the top flight while Kildale live to fight another season at least in that august company.

Meanwhile not too far away but in the North Yorkshire National Park, Danby, newcomers to the league in 2019, have won promotion at the first bite. On the day of my visit Danby were easy winners over Thimbleby, a result that left them third and Thimbleby near the bottom. The final table for Division Two shows Danby second to Hartlepool Power Station and thus promoted while only Norton IV keep Thimbleby off the bottom, one place lower than they finished in 2018.

Danby take the field after tea.

Meanwhile although the 2019 county championship season only finished three weeks ago amongst the twitterati at least thoughts have turned to next season's fixtures and in particular the system whereby it will be decided who plays who twice in the now ten team first division. There is even a rumour that Yorkshire might play Lancashire at Scarborough, something that hasn't happened since 1991. Looking back to that occasion on the third to sixth of September 28 years ago, Yorkshire captained by Martin Moxon won the toss and after being 18 for 3 ran up over 500 with centuries for Byas and Robinson (P). Lancashire declared 98 behind and this time it was Moxon's turn to  reach three figures. Needing 343 to win Lancashire slumped to 129 for 8, Darren Gough the main destroyer, but thanks to an Ian Austin century with support from John Fitton and Peter Martin the last two wickets added 165 to keep things interesting. With Yorkshire looking worried Peter Hartley snaffled the last wicket to conclude four wonderful day's entertainment. 1442 runs in the match from 406 overs suggests cracking stuff  and faster over rates than twenty first century crowds are used to.

End of season sunk without trace.

Posted by Tony Hutton

Arthington cricket club's traditional end of season festival was unfortunately curtailed somewhat by the weather. The game at Burton Salmon on Saturday 5th October (which I unfortunately missed) did take place, but the subsequent games scheduled for Harewood House were washed out by the rain. As I have been a regular spectator for almost the full thirty years of this happy end of season event, it is sad to record that the often sunny mid-October weather for once deserted us. We are assured that next season the festival will return to the club's own ground following the recent renovations supervised by the ubiquitous David Hodgson (groundsman supreme).

For the record Burton Salmon were bowled out for a modest 116 with three wickets each for Simon Mace and Nick Briggs and despite another duck for Andy Stoddart, Arthington cantered to a rather easy five wicket victory thanks to 32 not out from Andy Conboy. So there we are all done and dusted, with the next live cricket in these parts not scheduled until Boxing Day when as ever, and whatever the weather, North Leeds will take on the Northern Cricket Society.

Of course we are already well into the various cricket societies evening speaker's events and although the much anticipated visit of Fred Rumsey and Stephen Chalke to the Northern at Headingley had to be cancelled an excellent replacement came off the sub's bench at the last minute in the shape of Brian Sanderson.

Brian, who does an amazing amount of work for the Yorkshire Archives Committee, did a very interesting talk on the career of Ted Peate one of the first of Yorkshire's long line of slow left arm bowlers. He had a long and illustrious career but is most famously remembered for being the last man out in England's second innings of the final Test of 1882 at the Oval. With only seven required for victory he tried a big hit and was bowled rather than giving the more experienced batsman at the other end the chance to get the runs. It was after that game that the famous newspaper quotation created the notion of the 'Ashes' of English cricket which continues to this day.

While next season seems a long way off and is perhaps being looked forward to with some apprehension, I am sure that those of us who watch cricket at all levels will always find sufficient games of 'proper cricket' to watch throughout the season. It seems unlikely that we will spend much time watching Yorkshire's first eleven, as we are threatened by the powers that be with even more imports for next season. It did not actually happen last season, but Yorkshire could well have fielded a team of eleven 'imports' from other counties or countries. Hopefully a return to sanity might happen one day but somehow I doubt it. Winter well.

Cricket lingers on in Yorkshire

Posted by Tony Hutton

As John Winn has mentioned cricket in Yorkshire still lingers on well into October with the traditional Arthington Festival, for the first time in living memory, upping sticks after playing only one game at home on Sunday 15th September. Essential work on the square, which has been in constant use until mid-October for more years than I can remember, has meant this year's fixtures being spread elsewhere.

The one home game against Romany was a high scoring affair in which the home team, after the early loss of Geoffrey Barker, put on a second wicket partnership of 125. Star of the show was very much Kamrosh Khan with an inning of 109 before retiring. His partner Ayoub Khan made only 28 of the big partnership but played his part to perfection. This was followed by some big hitting from Tom Conboy who made exactly 50 (with nine fours and two sixes) and 48 from Gareth Meredith (with seven fours and one six).

Arthington completed their forty overs with a grand total of 293-4, which seemed a distant prospect when Romany opened their innings. However the first four batsman all came out with guns blazing and Richard Leach and Thomas Egerton put on 127 for the second wicket matching Arthington's effort for the same wicket. At one stage the Romany score was 201-3 but the later batsmen could not give much assistance and following three run outs, Arthington were winners by the margin of 44 runs.

East Keswick pavilion.

I missed out on the next weekend's fixtures, both of which were played on the nearby ground of East Keswick. Arthington had an easy 7 wicket victory over Cambridge Methodists on Saturday 21/9 after bowling the visitors out for  99, with the help of a Boycott like innings from Andy Stoddart with 24 not out in almost as many overs, together with Steve Bindman's umpiring. I missed this game due to the league final at Headingley and also Sunday's game due to the poor weather.

The weather did not deter the players in the match on Sunday 22/9 with Halifax Nomads, for whom Harry Wilkinson made 123 not out in a total of 185-3. The rain intensified and eventually the game was abandoned with Arthington on 128-3. I was able to see some part of the game with The Hawks on Saturday 28/9, also played at East Keswick, which is a much larger ground than I remembered.

Geoff Barker in hot pursuit at East Keswick.

The Hawks fielded a team of well known league cricketers of varying vintages, together with guest star Steven Bindman. Ian Priestley, together with his son Ricky, and Charlie Parker have all represented Pudsey St. Lawrence. David ('Ted') Lester stalwart with Menston for many years captained the side. Also Dennis Rock, a big hitter, who I remember seeing with Horsforth Hall Park many years ago, together with Damon Reeve now with Otley and Chris Wain another stalwart of the Airedale and Wharfedale League.

The trees beginning to turn at East Keswick.

Despite 51 from Parker, the visitors were all out for 133 in the last over of a 35 overs per side game.
However the Hawk's bowling attack proved far too good for Arthington, although another guest star James van der Merwe made 34 and Andrew Stoddart another backs to the wall effort of 21. They rather crept their way to a total of 113-7 at the end of the 35th over and Hawks were declared the winners by 20 runs. Damon Reeve's figures of 3-8 in seven overs definitely took the bowling honours.

More runs for the Hawks.

I assume that the heavy rain washed out the scheduled game with The Druids on Sunday 29/9, but do not despair yet more cricket is planned for the next two weekends. Arthington will travel further afield on Saturday 6/10 with a game at Burton Salmon and on Sunday 7/10 will face King James' of Bishop Auckland at Harewood House. Suggestions are that play will take place whatever the weather, but that remains to be seen.

Finally the season will eventually come to an end on the weekend of 13th/14th October with a game between Arthington and St. George's Church again at Harewood House. Apparently play will take place on the better day according the weather forecast and may even stretch into a two day affair.