Gone but not forgotten.

Posted by Tony Hutton

The number of famous sportsmen who have died recently, not all due to the virus, is sadly growing.
The two most recent in the Yorkshire area have both been former Leeds United footballers, Norman Hunter the legendary defender and Trevor Cherry, almost a contemporary at Leeds United, who also played for Huddersfield Town and Bradford City.

In the cricketing world one or two have slipped through almost unnoticed. January saw the death, aged 84, of Eddie Legard, who some will remember as a Yorkshire second XI wicket keeper. He played for several years during the 1950s but never had a chance in the first team due to the consistency of Jimmy Binks. He joined Warwickshire in 1960 but again his opportunities of first team cricket were blocked by A.C. Smith, who not only became the regular wicket keeper but also captained the side for a while. Legard stayed at Edgbaston for eight seasons but played in only twenty first class matches. He remained a regular member of the Warwickshire Old Players Association.

Terry Spencer (Leicestershire)

In February Terry Spencer, the former Leicestershire opening bowler and first class umpire, also died, aged 88. A whole hearted long time servant of the club, he took 1320 wickets which was the third highest total in the club's history. He is perhaps best remembered for his part in the famous tied match between Leicester and Yorkshire at Fartown, Huddersfield in 1954. He bowled unchanged throughout the Yorkshire second innings taking 9-63 in 23 overs, the best performance of his career.

Needing 137 to win Leicester were at one stage 29-5, but Spencer was at the crease with the last man and seven more were required from the remaining two balls of the match, to be bowled by Johnny Wardle. Spencer hit the first one for six to tie the scores. After a long mid-wicket conference with last man Brian Boshier, Spencer told him to run whatever happened. Boshier, the non-striker, set off early and could have been 'Mankaded' by the bowler. However Spencer could not get the ball clear of the bowler and was run out by a direct hit only inches out of his ground. Match tied!

Dan Woods (York C.C. and Cheshire)

Early in March we saw probably the most upsetting loss for many years when Dan Woods of York cricket club and Cheshire Minor Counties died of cancer at the early age of 32. Dan was a slow left arm bowler, who I had the pleasure of watching throughout much of his career with Leeds/Bradford University, Cheshire and particularly York cricket club who he captained through such a successful period of their history. He won seven Yorkshire League titles in a period of ten years from 2009.

Woods was remembered, despite the virus restrictions, by countless former cricket colleagues and opponents throughout the north of England and indeed abroad, running 5K in his memory to raise funds for York Hospital's Magnolia Centre.

At the other end of the age spectrum John Manners, once of Hampshire, died at the grand old age of 105, the oldest ever first class cricketer. His cricketing appearances were severely restricted by his career as a Royal Navy officer, including the Second World War. He first played for Hampshire in 1936 but his next game was eleven years later in 1947 when he made a brilliant century against Kent.

Peter Walker (Glamorgan)

Early in April, Peter Walker of Glamorgan, another top cricketer died at the age of 84. Although born in Bristol he was brought up in South Africa and as a young man hitch hiked a lift on a potato boat to Cardiff. Apparently he and another passenger passed the time throwing potatoes to each other and this catching practice helped him to become such an outstanding close fielder. There is no record of how many were lost overboard. He joined Glamorgan in 1955 and became a mainstay of the team as a consistent all rounder and outstanding short leg fielder, helping them win the county Championship in 1969. He made just three appearances for England against South Africa in
1960.

Peter Walker second from left on the front row of the county champions team 1969.

After retirement in 1972 he became a familiar figure on BBC sport, featuring regularly on coverage of the Sunday League competition as well as many other sports programmes on BBC Wales. His broadcasting career lasted for almost twenty years and he then became chief executive of the Cricket Board of Wales and introduced a nationwide coaching plan for the whole of Wales. He was also President of Glamorgan county cricket club in 2009.

The Sugg Brothers part 2

posted by John Winn

When he joined Lancashire in 1887 Frank Sugg's golden years lay ahead of him and by 1890 Wisden had included him in what was a predecessor to their Five Cricketers of The Year, on this occasion portraits of 'Nine Great Batsmen of the Year' where Frank kept company with such greats as Arthur Shrewsbury and William Gunn. In their essay on Frank, Wisden introduced the idea that they were to repeat in his obituary 34 years later, namely that he was a batsman who relied on eye rather than technique.

In the early months of 1877 Frank was playing Lancashire League cricket for Burnley interrupted by a series of games in Scotland. Finally on the 15th of July he made his debut for Lancashire at Old Trafford v Northants. It was not an auspicious start for in his one innings he was bowled Mold 0. Mold, who later played for Lancashire was the subject of a throwing controversy in 1890. I wonder if Frank Sugg as he walked back to the pavilion was amongst those who suspected Mold threw*. Things certainly got better for Frank for in just over a year he was playing for England against Australia at The Oval. Batting at seven he made 31, a decent enough contribution to an innings victory for England. Two weeks later he was selected to play against Australia again, this time at Old Trafford and in what was another crushing victory for England he contributed 24 in his only knock in a low scoring match. Australia's two scores 81 and 70. By no means disgraced that was the end of Frank's test career.

Walter in the meantime was plying his trade with Derbyshire, a career that did not finish until June 1902 when he played his last first class match at Glossop v Worcestershire. In a drawn match Walter batted only once and was out for 8.In what was one of Derbyshire's better seasons Mr W Sugg played only four matches and was bottom of the batting averages with just 44 runs at 6.28. There is no record of him playing any form of cricket after the Glossop match.

Frank Sugg made his last first class appearance in a roses match at Bramall Lane in June 1899. He played only six matches that season but a score of 95 at Taunton in his penultimate match gave him a respectable average of 25.00. His county career behind him, Frank, by now settled on Merseyside continued to play league cricket until 1910, mostly for Bootle in the Liverpool and District Competition. Again he made a decent score in his penultimate match, run out for 52 against Sefton. He had signed for Everton in 1886 by which time the brothers had a sports shop in Liverpool although as this advertisement shows the better known brother's name was used.

The business was at first very successful, it moved to Lord Street in 1905, but post World War 1 the curious decision was made to open branches in Holland and Belgium and the business folded in 1924, just nine years before the brothers died within eight days of each other in May 1933. 

* there is wonderful film of Mold bowling in the Old Trafford nets in 1901 on YouTube. Post Muralitharan he looks ok to me. 

St.Chads 1899

By Brian Sanderson

Recently I purchased on Ebay the above summery of matches
 played by St.Chads cricket club in 1899.They started on the

St. Chads cricket club in 1899. They started on the 22
 April against Davis Burrow @ Co who were brush makers.
 The weather was not ideal cricket day stated the local press
as the air was very cold and searching. St Chads won the
 match by 8 wickets as Davis Burrow side only scored 17.

The ground is between St.Chads Church and Otley Road in Headingley.
It is quite a small ground but the club is a progressive club and is
 a very busy running a number of sides.

In 1899 they played on a weekly basis until 17 September when
 they played St.Columba Church which is on Headingley Lane

Other teams they played were The Brewery, Meanwood, Roundhay
Horsforth St.Mary,Taylor Drug Company, John Barron@Sons
 Artington and Illingworth Ingham.
All together they played 23 matches winning 8,losing 5 drawing 5
and not playing 5.

They were not in a league but there numerous operating at this
time which are no longer existing including Leeds West  Yorkshire,
Leeds Church League , Leeds Primitive  Methodist League
Leeds Temperance and the Church Leeds Brigade.
 Where have all the grounds gone and their records ?
At least these records will go back to the club after lockdown

Frank and Walter Sugg part 1.

posted by John Winn

As a postscript to a posting I made last week I gave a brief summary of the talents of Frank Sugg. He had come to my notice as the man who scored a century in the first county match played  at Northlands Road Southampton. A Derbyshire man, born in Ilkeston, he took the term all rounder to new heights for besides playing cricket for three counties, in itself unusual at that time,  he played professional football for five clubs, Derby County, The Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley and Everton,  and excelled at a whole range of other sports.

Such were his achievements he merited a full page in Wisden marking his death in 1933, aged 71. Following him in 'Deaths in 1933' is his brother Walter who had died a week earlier and who Wisden believed to be the better batsman. Whilst not as far as is known excelling at quite the same range of sports as younger brother Frank Walter also played professional football for three league clubs, was a scratch golfer and like Frank a top class billiards player. Although born in Derbyshire the family moved to Sheffield when they were young boys both started their cricket careers with Yorkshire but then switched to their native counties. They had a more middle class background than might be expected for their father was a solicitor and indeed both sons entered that profession without achieving full qualification.

Frank's record with Yorkshire was unimpressive for despite playing in fifteen matches in the 1883 season he scored only 50 runs at an average of ten. Surprisingly for such a strapping man Wisden attributed this poor form to ill health  Walter played only once for the white rose, a match against Kent at Park Avenue in 1881 when he was out for 9. After a two year gap and with the exception of season 1885 he played for Derbyshire continuously from 1884 to 1902 receiving a benefit in 1898 when Yorkshire came to Chesterfield and when Brown and Tunnicliffe added 554 for the first wicket. The beneficiary bowled five expensive and fruitless overs and recorded two modest scores. The proceeds of the match lined Walter's pockets to the tune of £340, worth over £50,000 at today's prices.

Back to Frank who in 1884 joined Derbyshire and for whom he played for the next three seasons and although not exceeding his 187 against Hants he twice finished second in the batting averages. In his history of Derbyshire cricket John Shawcross describes Frank as a 'fine aggressive player who excelled in leg-side hitting and powerful driving...….a poor starter he could turn the course of a match, particularly on a bad wicket.' He was also like his brother a brilliant fielder. Why he left Derbyshire is not clear but his football career gave him a residential qualification for Lancashire and beginning in 1887 he was regular until 1899 during which time he played in two tests and also against The Gentlemen. More of which next time. 

Golden Jubllee Test Match

 By Brian Sanderson

Graham Barry Stevenson, only played in two Test Matches , the first one being at Wankhede Stadium in Bombay. This was the Golden Jubilee Test Match .He had been brought into the English squad on the Australian tour as a replacement for Hendrick.Bob Willis was unable to play because of a stomach upset so Stevenson was brought in to play. He was born at Ackworth on 16 December 1955.He had a fine easy action as much talent as Botham but never quite lived up to early expectations.

The match started on the 15 February 1980 in extremely hot weather. The pitch was left well grassed and give a big advantage to a bowler like Botham. He made the most of it by taking 13 wickets in the match. also scoring 114 runs.

The turning point of the match was when Bob Taylor had been given out caught at the wicket  by Kirmani off Kapil Dev ,but the Indian captain Viswanath has asked the umpire to accept that the appeal is withdrawn.Taylor than only 7 was allowed to continue, and the score was taken from 85 to 229 before Botham was out. Bob Taylor also claimed 10 victims in the match. Stevenson took two wickets and was 27 not out.

England won the match by 10 wickets. However Stevenson only played one more Test Match, in the West Indies in 1981. In 1986 he moved to Northants after playing 177 matches for Yorkshire. Another talent lost..

Jardine leaves early twice

By Brian Sanderson

Whilst looking through  the Wisden magazines for 1979 .I found
 article on the England tour to Australia in 1928-29. The
 photograph above is of Douglas Jardine catching Jack Ryder in
 the First Test in the series.

England won by 675 runs and four Tests to one.

A month later Jardine was playing at Bendigo .A umpire called
 Pearce was honoured with a job of umpiring in this match. He 

was standing at square leg when Jardine hit the ball in his
 direction.It came to him so temptingly (says Reuter message)
 that he could not resist its appeal and recovering for a second
 the not resist its appeal and recovering for a second the
 spirit of his former playing days ,he shot out his arm
 and caught it.

The Cricket Association would not accept his plea that he was
carried away by the picnic spirit in which the match was played.
and suspended Pearce from umpiring.

In the Final Test match with England wining the series 4-0.
Jardine  out was for a duck in England's second innings and did
not field in the Australian second innings.It was reported that
Jardine left in the afternoon by train to Adelaide ,where he
embarked for India. Chapman acted as substitute fielder.
The match went on for two more days and Australia won
by five wickets.

Jardine then when on to captain England. What would the
press today make of these incidents.

Remembering Paul Gibb

By Brian Sanderson

Paul Antony Gibb was born on the 11 July 1913 in Bransby
 near York.

He was a dour opening batsman and a capable wicket keeper
 who earned a Test place in 1938 and toured South Africa

 Africa with success in the following winter.He was England
 first choice keeper when he went to Australia after

the War but soon lost his place to Godfrey Evans.

He played 36 matches for Yorkshire as amateur from 1935-46.
 He was captain of Yorkshire on the West Indies Tour in 1936.

He turned professional and joined Essex were he played 145

from 1951-56.

Whilst looking through the 1979 Wisden magazines I found a 

couple of stories about him.

Dickie Dodds, the Essex player was at Paul's memorial service
when he met by one of his brothers.They were all six feet tall
and large with it  and he could not square this up with Paul's
small statue. When the boys were all young it was Paul who
was big ,strong ,tough one.Then he got rheumatic fever and
more or less stopped growing.His heart was in such shape that
the doctors said he must always go carefully and not take
violent exercise.

He got the impression that his heart remained suspect ,and he
retorted to all sorts of subterfuge to get round medicals.
Ice cream was his greatest weakness ,he once had a
competition with Joe Hardstaff as to who could eat the
most .He certainly liked his food and carried round a bottle
of liquid paraffin to aid its disposal.

Old Ebor

By Brian Sanderson
Alfred William Pullin is one of my favourite cricket writers .He was
born on Abergwilly in Carmarthen on the 30 July 1860.
When his father moved to Wakefield ,in 1880 he joined The
Wakefield Express and two years later he wrote on Yorkshire
cricket for the first time.

When he was 32 ,he established himself on Yorkshire Post and
Yorkshire Evening Post.He wrote with authority on cricket
and rugby football.Impressive in appearance -not tall but
thick set and bearded.

Lord Hawke expressed complete confidence in his judgement
and considered him"a prince of goodfellow"

He wrote four cricket books each invaluable to researchers.They were

1-Talks with Old Yorkshire Cricketers

2- Talks with Old English Cricketers

3- Alfred Shaw His career and reminiscences

4- History of Yorkshire County Cricket 1903- 1923.

When he was writing his talk books ,he found some of the old cricketers
ekeing out a precarious livelihood ..Including Luke Geenwood and
John Thewlis. Thanks to his advocacy in print Yorkshire improved
matters my giving grants and annuities were given to old players.
Also winter pay and talent money were increased and more
businesslike approach was made to the organisation of benefits,
So that in no circumstances  would the player or his dependants
suffer.

When he retired from the Yorkshire newspapers ,he wrote for
The Observer.On June 24 1934 he died on the way to watch cricket
at Lords.He was buried  after a church service in Wakefield.

A ground I enjoyed visiting

posted by John Winn

'Hampshire's old County Ground at Northlands Road in Southampton was cramped and rundown. with no room to expand.' from 'Summer's Crown The Story of Cricket's County Championship' by Stephen Chalke.

Between 1996 and 1999 I made four visits to Northlands Road, all of which I enjoyed and certainly never got the impression that it was 'cramped and rundown'. Clearly as it was surrounded by houses there was no room to expand but the sun usually shone and I always seemed to gain access to the pavilion bar. The quotation from 'Summer's Crown' is an extract from a piece devoted to The Rose Bowl to where Hampshire moved in 2001 thanks to the generosity of Rod Bransgrove and where ten years later they were added to the list of counties hosting test matches.

Northlands Road, Southampton.

Hampshire first played at Northlands Road in  1885 and Derbyshire were the first county to visit for a game that only lasted two of the scheduled three days. Derbyshire batted first and after being 0 for 1 made 427 with Frank Sugg* hitting 187. Hants were bowled out for 135 and then made only 49 in their second innings with William Cropper taking 7 for 25. Cropper came to a very sad end for while playing football for Staveley against Grimsby Town he died from a ruptured bowel sustained in a tackle, aged only 26.

My first trip to Northlands Road came in August 1996 for the fourth day of a championship match with Gloucestershire, a meeting which became known as Cardigan Connor's match when in the visitors' first innings he became the first Hampshire player to take nine wickets in an innings at Northlands, including four for nought in six balls. The last day began with Glos on 27 for 0 needing a further 351 to win. They fell 63 short with Udal the main threat taking five for 82 including last man Courtney Walsh with the fifth ball of the last over.

Northlands Road - end of season 1996.

I returned to Southampton the following year when Warwickshire were the visitors in what Wisden describes as 'a dreadful match for bowlers'. Warwickshire 631 for 7 and 252 for 1 Hants 548 for 6 and 274 for 9 tells the tale.Warwickshire's second innings was inflated by the use of occasional bowlers Robin Smith and Matthew Hayden. It was perhaps justice that Hampshire's last pair played out the last seven overs to deny the Bears victory. Proper cricket was played on the second day when I saw Matthew Hayden in  dominant form.

1998 provided me with the opportunity to see Durham at Northlands Road when a drawn game meant that Hampshire retained the dubious title of being the only side not to have beaten Durham. I was there on the first day when my native county were bowled out for 203, top score of 48 for John Morris. On the last day when it seemed inevitable that Hampshire would be able to claim the same bragging rights as the other 16 counties with a victory rain prevented any play until after lunch and an unbeaten 97 from Martin Speight who contributed all but three to an unbeaten partnership of 61 for the last wicket with Lugsden extended Durham's lead until more rain ended proceedings.

Northlands Road - view from the pavilion balcony.

My last trip along the A27 came in 1999 on the 8th of September for the first day of  the last home match of the season. Somerset were in town and there was added spice in the fixture for this was the season when final positions would determine whether teams played in Division 1 or 2 of the reorganised county championship in 2000. On the first day only two wickets fell as Tasmanian Jamie Cox batted throughout the day for 165, finding support from Trescothick, Holloway and Bowler. A drawn match meant Hampshire slipped below the dividing line but scrambled back above it in a feisty match at Derby the following week.

Stephen Chalke's piece about The Rose Bowl which set me thinking about my visits to its predecessor, comes on page 290 of Summer's Crown  and on page 291 he turns his attention to Hove where Sussex  like Hampshire found themselves in funds from a benefactor, In this case the money came from Spen Cama who died in 2001. Chalke suggests that they considered following Hampshire's example by moving out of town but instead upgraded what had been their home since 1890. A short drive from the County Ground Hove takes you to what was Brighton and Hove Albion's old football ground, The Goldstone, which they left in he most acrimonious of circumstances in 1997 and it was 14 years before the Seagulls finally landed at their present home in Falmer. I wonder if those troubled years influenced the thinking of the powers that be at Hove.

* Frank Sugg played in two tests for England, played for three counties, Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire. He was also a professional footballer with five clubs, a weighlifter, shotputter, long distance swimmer, reached the final of the Liverpool amateur billiards champioship, was a crack shot and held the record for throwing the cricket ball. It is not known what he did in his spare time although he was also a mean hand on the bowling green and umpired first class cricket.

Fenner Trophy

By Brian Sanderson

1981 was the end of the Fenner Trophy at Scarborough
and had been going since 1972.
It was sent up by Sidney Hainsworth who was the President of
J.H.Fenners @Co Ltd based in Hull. He was also a Vice President
 of Yorkshire and a life long friend of Herbert Sutcliffe.

Every county except Derbyshire played in the Fenners .Another
 Director of the firm was Sir Leonard Hutton

The Fenners ended in 1981 because  their was a drop off spectators and

the players thought it was a competition to late in the season.

The 1981 final was between Yorkshire and Essex on  the 4 September.

Yorkshire batted first scoring 264 for 5 in the fifty overs.The

innings was dominated by Hampshire and Sharp,Hampshire ending

16 short of his century.In a exciting finish, Essex needed 10 of the 

last over,then 6 of the last two deliveries.But with everyone
 including wicket keeper Bairstow ,back on the boundary.

they fell 3 runs short.

The man of the match was John Hampshire.

There was another three day Festival in Yorkshire at Harrogate.
This was the Tilcon Trophy which was won by Worcestershire.
Jackie Birkenshaw taking  six consecutive wickets against
Northants. This festival carried on till 1992

German Cricket Visit 1930

By Brian Sanderson

Looking through the Wisden magazines ,I noticed article about
  a visit of a  German cricket team to England in August 1930.
This reminded me of a book that Dan Waddle wrote  called
Field of Shadows about a trip of Worcestershire Gentlemen
 visit to Germany in 1937.

The tour was organised by an Englishman, George Henderson
who was a long resident in Berlin.There were four matches
arranged in the South of England.

The opening match was on the emotive date of August 4
at Hesketh Park.At the opening ceremony ,the tourists
looked smart in their white caps and blue blazers
emblazoned with a bear rampant in red.

They lost all the matches but they had a pleasant tour .but it
could have been otherwise.On the 2 August at The Oval ,the
team was refused access to the pavilion (a courtesy which
continental clubs extend to British teams).The Surrey secretary
R.C.N.Palairet son hasten to apologise  and were invited to
lunch.They also took tea at Lords.

I found the above photograph in Archive Newspapers with
the team at The Oval. It is a pity cricket has never established
in Germany.

Another Yorkshireman from Teesside

Posted by Tony Hutton

Brian Sanderson's interesting blogs on two cricketers from Teesside, Alan Ramage and Chris Old, made me think about a third player from that area. Bill Athey started his career with Yorkshire in 1976 as an eighteen year old. He had a very correct technique and certainly looked destined for a long and successful career from the word go. Yorkshire brought him gradually into the team with the regular openers still Geoff Boycott and Richard Lumb at that time. He was kept well clear of the John Player Sunday league in that first season and really blossomed with an innings I remember well against Sussex at Headingley.

Bill Athey playing for Yorkshire.

In the first innings he had been out for nought, caught Greig bowled Snow. In the second innings it was a very different story when opening together with Richard Lumb the pair put on 132 for the first wicket. Athey really took the Sussex bowlers to the cleaners and was particularly severe on England's then number one bowler, John Snow. I remember him hitting a straight six over the bowler's head much to his surprise. Snow was not a happy man and finished with figures of 0-72. Athey went on to pass the century mark and was 131 not out when Yorkshire declared.

He continued to develop with Yorkshire and made his England debut in 1980 in the centenary test match at Lord's. He was never really a regular for England at that stage, but it came as something of a surprise when he moved on to Gloucestershire in 1980. The highlight of his test career came on the 1986-87 tour of Australia when he opened in all five tests alongside Chris Broad. England, after being written off, managed to win the series 2-1 under Mike Gatting's captaincy.

England's squad to Australia in 1986-7. Some unlikely names including Jack Richards, Surrey wicket keeper, James Whittaker of Leicestershire and Wilf Slack of Middlesex. Athey is second from the right on the back row.

After making his only test century at Lord's against Pakistan, Athey captained Gloucestershire for one season but moved on again to Sussex in 1993 for four seasons before moving on again as coach of Worcestershire in 1998. Now in his sixties he is still involved in the game as coach at Dulwich College.

One interesting story related to Athey's well known support of the Conservative Party. Gloucestershire were playing in Yorkshire at the time of the 1987 general election. Athey and his more left wing team mate Jack Russell decided to travel back to Bristol to vote. As their journey neared it's conclusion they suddenly realised that their two votes would cancel each other out, so their journey was not really necessary.

New Captain

 By Brian Sanderson

Christopher Middleton Old  who was born on 22 December 1948 in
Middlesbrough chosen to be Captain of Yorkshire in 1981 after the
resignation of John Hampshire. He was the third player to captain
Yorkshire in four years,

 Old stated at the start of the season he wanted to attack and the
 team would do well.
The regulations had changed again which included
the removal of the 100 over first innings limit and reintroduction
of covered wickets..His deputy was Richard Lumb and team
manager Ray Illingworth.
During the season he felt he was not in control of a lot of things.
Richard Lumb called him to informed he was dropped for a match.
Illingworth had made the decision without telling Chris Old.Lumb
resigned from being vice captain which was taken over by Neil
Hartley.

In the County Championship Yorkshire slumped from sixth to tenth .
They had only ten capped players available for one Championship
match-against Derbyshire in August and Chris was affected by injury.
Old, in fact took only six championship wickets i the second half
of the season  Top of the batting was John Hampshire with 1415
runs.Top of the bowling was Sidebottom with 46 wickets
even though he missed a month with a groin strain.

During the winter of 1981/82 Chris went on the rebel tour of South
Africa.Also on the tour was Geoff Boycott but they did not talk
to each other.

In 1982 he started as captain but half way through it was taken
 away from him.
Next season he moved on to Warwickshire were he played
for three seasons.His best bowling figures for them was 6-46
against Yorkshire at Headingley in 1984.

Another victim of the Boycott era.

Another Shooting Star

         By Brian Sanderson

         Another article in 1981 Wisden magazines was on Alan Ramage                         
  He was born in on the 29 November 1957 in Guisborough.

He made his debut for Yorkshire Seconds in 1974,having played
 for  Yorkshire Schoolboys in 1970 at the age of 12,
the youngest boy ever to do so.

. He first played for Maske in 1971 were he remained until 1978.

This is a photograph taken by Tony Woodhouse and I think
the ground is Maske .He played  23 matches for Yorkshire
up to 1983.He was a left hand bat who bowled fast medium.
He had the ability to become a leading all rounder.

However he was better known for nagging series of injuries.
which included strained rib muscles and a damaged
achilles tendon. he was also a good footballer who played
for Middlesbrough and Derby. he found the demands of
cricket to much for him and also the money in football
was to much to turn down. Injury finished his football
career .So his cricket and football carrer finished at the
age of 25. Another tragic waste of talent.

Will you sign please?

posted by John Winn

My career as an autograph collector was short but stellar for over the course of a couple of years in the fifties I collected the cream of England's cricketers and some Australian and South African test players. Scarborough at Festival time was my hunting ground and in my desk drawer I still keep the treasured green covered book in which the great names are to be found.

Above are six of the 1956 Australian tourists who played TN Pearce's XI at North Marine Road on the 5th, 6th and 7th of September in what was the last first class match of their tour. If memory serves tourists came from their hotel in taxis which dropped them close to the dressing rooms while English based players parked opposite the main entrance to the ground in a car park which became a pub and is now a block of flats. The six on this page are Ken 'Slasher' Mackay ( bottom right and upside down). To his left is Ian Craig, on his second tour but still only twenty one and a future captain, and above and at 90 degrees keeper Len Maddocks. Above Maddocks is skipper Ian Johnson and to his right Alan Davidson and senior keeper Gil Langley, the only one of the six not to play in this match but who had the honour of being one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year.

With all due respect to the six players who signed on the left hand page it is the two who wrote their signatures on the opposite page who are the gems from that tour. Top is Keith Miller (trust me) and below and more legible Richie Benaud, two of the greatest cricketers of my lifetime and in Benaud's case high on most people's lists of great commentators. While I am a little uncertain as to precisely where I collected Slasher and the other five, but probably at close of play when they sought refuge in their taxis, I recall very clearly where I picked up Messrs Miller and Benaud for it was when they were leaving The Royal Hotel to cross the road to a reception at The Grand. When Keith Miller appeared I was some what in awe of this brilliant cricketer but a firm shove between my shoulder blades from my mother sent me forward and to my delight he signed. Confidence boosted I got Richie Benaud's signature as well which meant my collection included almost half of the seventeen strong party. 

Few readers will need reminding that this was Laker's summer and that the Australians felt they had been 'stitched up' on the spinning wickets at Headingley and Old Trafford. The test series had finished on August 28th at The Oval but the tourists played a further three class matches after that  at Lord's, Hastings and Scarborough before travelling to Jesmond to play Minor Counties, Hamilton Crescent Glasgow to play the first of two matches against Scotland, the second of which was Mannofield Park Aberdeen which finished on September 15th thus ending a tour which had begun at Arundel on April 28th. I wonder how many times in those almost five months they were asked, 'Will you sign please? 

Captain Extraordinary

By Brian Sanderson

Even Wisden spells his name incorrectly .It should be Brian Sellers.

Arthur Brian Sellers died on the 22 February 1981 just 11 days
 short of his 74th birthday.
 He set standards of captaincy which arguably,have not
been matched by latter day English county captains, other than
 maybe Stuart Surridge. .In his nine seasons ,beginning in 1933
 and ending in 1947
Yorkshire won the county championship six times.

Although in attitude in an era when discipline was not considered
anti-social.He was surrounded in the Yorkshire team by players of
much greater cricketing talents but quickly overcame their
 suspicions of this newcomer to their ranks and grew to
 admire his forthright leadership.

When  Hedley Verity took 17 wickets against Essex in a day
at Leyton in 1933,Sellers took seven catches of the England
left arm bowler,in the neighbourhood of silly mid-off and
forward short leg.

Sellers completed 1000 runs in a season three times.Scored
his first class century against the Australians at Brammell
Lane in 1934.Subsequently he added a further hundreds
against Kent, Nottingham and Cambridge University at
Fenners where he made 204.
In his 334 matches for Yorkshire he scored 8949 runs.

He served as a Test selector ,for varying times between
1938 and 1955.

When he was Chairman of the club he made many
 decisions which effected it for many years.
What would have happen if he had renewed Illingworth's
contract and not sacked Close.

Bill Bowes tribute to him was"His entire life was cricket
He was a great character"

The photograph above is wine glasses given Sellers on his wedding by the
players.There are autographs and caricatures of the team.It can be seen
in the Cricket Museum at Headingley when it reopens.





.

A Man made of Modesty

 By Brian Sanderson

Another article in the Wisden magazine by Alan Gibson was
 about  Cyril Turner.He was born in 1902, made his debut in 1926,but stayed on the
fringe of the Yorkshire side until 1934,when in his first full season
and won his county cap.
In that season he scored a 1000 runs and took 30
wickets.In the Warwickshire match on a difficult wicket he scored
51 out of a total of 101.In 1935 ,he scored two centuries and had
his best bowling figures ,seven for 54 against Gloucestershire.

In his career of 200 matches he scored 6132 runs and took 173
wickets at average of 30.75. He was one of  only three of the Yorkshire
team from 1937-39 who did not play for England. The other
two were Sellers and Robinson. After he finished playing in
1946 he became the Yorkshire scorer.

He introduced Fred Trueman to Sheffield United and gave him
guidance on his grip and his  follow through.

 The photograph above shows Turner and Sellers going out to bat at
Scarborough. Turner died on 19 November 1968 when Wisden gave
him a eight line obituary.He deserved better as he was another
 backbone of Yorkshire cricket.

What happened next

posted by John Winn

Tony's latest posting asked the question 'Was it really ten years ago?' and it would have been not inappropriate for me to follow his example and use the same title today for while the 2011 Wisden, with its reports of the previous season,  is on the table it seems like a good time to delve a little further into what happened in 2010 and in particular the events at Headingley on the morning of Thursday September 16th.


Yorkshire under new captain Andrew Gale, the youngest skipper since Brian Sellars in 1933, had made a good start to the championship season with victories over Warwickshire and Somerset, Gale showing excellent form with the bat in the latter of these. Such was their good form that they arrived at the last match of the season against Kent and that fateful morning with only one defeat to their name. That had come at Taunton when acting skipper Rudolph (Gale was with England Lions) came to an agreement with Trescothick which after some joke bowling saw the home side chase down 362 to win for the loss of only four wickets. Top scorer was Hildreth who hit over 1400 championship runs that season and who would finish high in any poll seeking 'the unluckiest batsman not to play for England', particularly if the sample was skewed towards Somerset supporters.

Yorkshire came into the match v Kent on the back of a win at Trent Bridge where on the first day Gale had won the toss, put leaders Notts in and saw Shazad, Asraf and Hannon-Dalby justify his decision by bowling them out for 59. By the end of the first day, a day on which 18 wickets fell,  Yorkshire were over 200 ahead largely thanks to Gale who was 147 not out. Notts fared much better in their second innings but Bairstow saw Yorkshire to a three day victory which closed the gap at the top to seven points with Somerset the other team in the mix, just two points behind Notts who were singing along with The New Christie Minstrels as the wheels came off their wagon.They came into the last round on the  back of two defeats.

And so to that fateful morning, indeed fateful 44 minutes, when Yorkshire went from 93 for 1, a position from which they hoped to set a target and then bowl Kent out, to 130 all out. They began the day, a sunny one as I recall, on 51 for 1 and Lyth, who passed 1500 runs for the season, and McGrath scored quickly until the latter was removed by Nel. Gale lasted only two minutes, 95 for 3. Calamity then ensued with James Treadwell taking six wickets ( including a hat trick) for fifteen, fifteen runs from two sixes and a three which suggests Yorkshire did not know whether to twist or stick. The sixes were hit by Shazad who was the only one of the last 8 batsmen to reach double figures.

All out for 130 meant Kent needed 90 to win, a win that would not however  guarantee safety from relegation. When Northeast and Denly were dismissed in the first ten minutes of Kent's innings hopes were raised among the faithful but Key and van Jaarsveld steadied proceedings and victory was achieved in the 25th over with six wickets down. Darren Stevens was at the crease, as he was for much of the time nine years later. Elsewhere Notts gambled that bonus points would be enough and they were proved right winning their first pennant in five years. Somerset had been frustrated by stubborn Durham batting at The Riverside and settled for a draw which gave them second place. Two days later they lost to Warwickshire in the CB 40 final at Lord's and it was the Bears' win on fateful Thursday at Southampton that sent Kent, despite their most unlikely win at Headingley into Division Two.

Elsewhere Essex accompanied Kent into the basement from whence sprang Sussex and Worcestershire. Hampshire had a late rally to finish six points above Kent and in Division Two and perhaps most remarkably of all Leicestershire finished fourth, 40 points better off than Surrey.

1945 and 2020 Wisdens side by side, how many pages in 2021??

Unique Character

By Brian Sanderson

Looking through 1981 Wisden magazines I noticed a number
articles about Yorkshire. This was one of them.

 Evelyn Rockley Wilson was born   on the 25 March 1879 in
 Bolsterstone Sheffield

His achievement of taking 51 wickets at 11.19 in 1921 was
 astonishing in a summer proverbial for hard wickets
 and high scoring.
With  a short ,shuffling run and a round - arm action,he bowled
slow right-hand , with a bit more pace always from the
 pitch than expected.
He had a deceptive flight with a normally a slight bias to leg,but an
occasional one came straight through or even moved fractionally
From the off and this was his most dangerous ball.
He had an extraordinary career, four years as an outstanding
Cambridge all rounder .His first match for Yorkshire was in 1899.
He played 66 matches for Yorkshire up to 1923.
As a batsman ,he had  been a solid player,particularly strong on
the leg .His performances included 117 not out and 70 in his
first class match,a hundred in the Varsity match and a hundred
For Yorkshire which included a six over the screen behind him.
His highlight of his career was to go as vice- captain to Australia
In 1920-21. He played onTest Match at the age of 41.
He was a teacher at Winchester Scool till 1945. He had a
brother Clem who played 9 matches for Yorkshire.

Was it really ten years ago?

Posted by Tony Hutton

John Winn's recent blog reminding us of the events of April, 2010, as well as the origins of this blog, set me off on the nostalgia trial once more. In particular I looked at a memorable day out on Saturday 24th April 2010. The cricket ground at Lancaster Royal Grammar School had long been on my wanted list and with the help of my Lancaster based cricket watching friend Ian Cockerill, I was able to plan not only a visit there, but a detailed tour of league grounds in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.

Lancaster Royal Grammar school ground.

The School ground has wonderful views right across Morecambe Bay to the distant Lakeland fells and is almost overshadowed by the wonderful Ashton Memorial in nearby Williamson Park, which is a landmark you always spot when driving down the M6 motorway. I was able to take a few nice pictures of the game between Lancaster R.G.S. and Woodhouse Grove school from Apperley Bridge before moving on.

I had visited Lancaster cricket club many years previously when my uncle, Geoff Stones, was professional there and a few years later saw Bill Alley make a whirlwind century for Blackpool before he went on to play for Somerset. The object here was to get a picture of the ground with the Castle and the Church on the hillside.

Lancaster cricket club.

After that I was able to visit a series of new grounds, for me, with no less than three clubs situated almost side by side on the outskirts of Lancaster. This was followed be clubs in Morecambe and Heysham before re-visiting an old holiday haunt of mine at Bolton-le-Sands.

Heysham cricket club.

The final call on the way home, after a most interesting and rewarding day, was at the village of Caton in the Lune valley. Nothing very spectacular apart from the wind farm on the distant skyline.

Caton cricket club.

The sun shone all day and this was the sort of day I used to do quite often during my younger days, which contributed greatly to the various books that John has mentioned. Not really a day for watching much cricket but enjoying the sights and sounds of many varied grounds, all very different and meeting the enthusiastic locals who keep clubs like this going through thick and thin.

Very hard to realise that this all happened ten years ago, as the memories are still so clear cut. We can only hope that such days will return eventually in the not too distant future.

Floodlit Cricket

 By Brian Sanderson.

 I recently purchased the above programme from eBay. This was
 the first floodlit match at a cricket ground
.The rules were each side will bat 25 overs before the break
 at approximately 7.00pm.
After the break ,the side that batted first will then bat for a
further 25 overs ,so complete their 50 overs.

As you will see from the scorecard Lancashire batted 17 overs scoring 124

When Yorkshire batted they lasted 15 overs scoring 119. I
 do not know if they reduced the overs as I have never seen
 a report on the match.

In the programme is article of a floodlit match at Gigg Lane Bury
on the 1 19542 and 13 October. 1954. The game started at 6.45 pm
and close would be 9.15. The players would play on a matting track
 using a white ball.

England batted and runs came easily and fine stroke play was the
 order of the evening as they piled up a total of 286. Chief scorers were Geoff Edrich  and Don Kenyon.

The opening bowlers for England were Fred Trueman and Les Jackson.
However the top wicket taker was Brian Close with five wickets.
The conclusion drawn from the whole episode at the time was that
floodlit cricket was not going to take off. Little did they know.

Looking through some 1981 Cricketers magazine ,I found this photographof Stamford  Bridge London where Essex were playing West Indies in August 1980

April 2010

posted by John Winn

By April 2010* the blog, which had had its beginnings in 2008, was well and truly in its stride with 33 postings in the month. The three correspondents were its founder Peter Davies  and Tony and Brian. All three were busy throughout the month with Brian reporting  from Headingley on Tuesday 6th where he had come across a two day Yorkshire practice match which had attracted 11 spectators. The championship got underway on the Friday of that week with Yorkshire travelling down to Edgbaston. **

Tony had made a shorter journey, to Old Trafford where the weather was perfect (sic) for a two day friendly between Lancashire and champions Durham. Tony reported 'The fireworks came after tea when newcomer Ben Stokes hit a quickfire 70......he looks a considerable asset to the Durham squad.' Wise words from you there Tony.

In the meantime Brian had dropped in at Weetwood  where he sat next to Joe Root's grandfather Don who at that time was acting as the future England captain's chauffeur. Other pcws including Brian Senior and David Thorpe were in the crowd. Peter Davies filed his first report from Old Trafford on Friday 16th April the second day of a championship match between Lancashire and Warwickshire.

League cricket got underway on its traditional third Saturday in April and the title of Peter's posting 'From Shelley to Skelmanthorpe' describes his movements round the Huddersfield League which took in several grounds and an equal number of cups of tea. On the same day Brian saw some of the action from the first championship match of the season at Headingley from where Tony had reported  the day before. Somerset the visitors here.  Brian saw a good stand between Rashid and Shazad then took in some league cricket in the afternoon. Tony made the trip to Chester le Street where Durham were struggling against newly promoted Essex but recovered to draw the game thanks to runs from di Venuto and Benkenstein in the second innings.

So the pattern was set for the season with reports from county matches, both first and second elevens, league cricket and tea rooms, the last mainly from Peter. Although I did not begin posting until the following year my diary shows I saw my first cricket on Friday 15th at The Riverside and the following day enjoyed a whirlwind tour of the Aire Wharf league taking in new grounds at Upper Wharfdale, Skipton, Steeton, Silsden, Addingham and Ben Rhydding. Phew.

* Some readers may not be aware that the blog began life as a book, 'Off the beaten track, Three Men and a Cricket Season' which recorded in diary form the travels and travails of its three authors, Tony Hutton, Mick Bourne and Brian Senior during the 2006 season. Very much a collectors' item and my copy which I bought from Mick at Stamford Bridge in 2007 introduced me to the world of pcws for which I will be ever grateful. The 2010 season was the last year that the reports went into print. Here is the cover.

** Yorkshire won by four wickets

10 September 1930

Faulkner sat in the middle row to the right of the captain

By Brian Sanderson

  After the Eastbourne match described in my previous posting the next first class match  George Faulkner played in was the second test England v South Africa at Lord's in June 1924.He was working for Westminster Gazette as a reporter when South Africa were heavily beaten  in the first  test by an innings and eighteen runs. Surprisingly the South Africans decided to bring back George Faulkner aged 43.

South Africa batted first and were all out on the first day for 273. Faulkner struggled to score 25 and it was only Bob Catteral's 120 which made it a reasonable score

The opening pair of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe put on stand of 268 which put England in a winning position. They went on with the help of Frank Woolley to total of 531for 2. Faulkner bowled 17 overs for 87 runs with no wickets with his googlies.

On the third day South Africa were bowled out for 240 runs with Faulkner run out  for 12 .Again beaten by innings and eighteen runs. So the selection of Faulkner did not work and that was his last match.

After this he opened up a cricket school in London. However during the First World War he had  contracted malaria several times which brought on  bouts of depression. On the 10 September 1930 whilst Wilfred Rhodes was playing his last match, George Faulkner was found ingas filled room in his cricket school.

He left a note stating  "I am off to another sphere via the small bat drying room. Better call a policeman to do the investigating". The verdict was suicide while of unsound mind.A sad end to a great cricketing life.

He is buried in North Sheen Cemetery in Richmond.

Remarkable Match

 By Brian Sanderson

Archie MacLaren brought together eleven amateur cricketers who he said could beat the unbeaten 1921 Australian touring side The match took place on the 27-29th  August at  Eastbourne..

From the outset the England XI team batted miserably although Gregory bowled only two overs before an injured hand caused him to leave the field. Armstrong and Mac Donald  bowled MacLaren's  side out in seventy five minutes for the smallest total against the touring side that season, 43.

The tourists started well with Collins and Bardsley until Collins was out for 19. Macartney  helped to put on a second wicket partnership of 51 but from then on got worse and they were bowled out for 174.The two main bowlers were Michael Falcon who later became a Conservative member of Parliament  and was a fast bowler who played for Norfolk. The second bowler was Major George Aubrey Faulkner DSO who was aged 40. Before the war he was noted as the best all rounder in the world  He was an aggressive middle order batsman and bowled fast googlies. He was born in South Africa.By the end of the day the England side had reached 8 for 1 wicket.

The English side again started poorly before Faulkner and Hubert Ashton, who played three years for Essex and who too became  a Conservative member of Parliament, took the total to 214 before Ashton was leg before to Armstrong. His 75 included seven fours and had taken two hours and forty minutes. Faulkner went on to score 153 which included one 6 and twenty fours and had taken three hours and a half. The Australians were left 195 to win but lost Collins for 12 before stumps.

At lunchtime on the  third day the scoreboard showed 109 and with five wickets in hand the result might well have been regarded as a foregone conclusion in favour of the visitors.On resuming after lunch however, Faulkner and Gibson bowled with such effect that the remaining wickets were quickly captured and the whole side was out for  167. .A truly remarkable victory by 28 runs mainly due to George Faulkner.

It was reported that the Australian missed out on a £10000 bonus for not going through the tour unbeaten.

More about Faulkner to come