Harrogate Summer of 1947

By Brian Sanderson

I recently purchased the above scorecard in respect of a cricket match on the 27 August to 29 August 1947 .This was the first match of a Cricket Festival at Harrogate organised by Maurice Leyland.

The headlines in the Yorkshire Post were Hatfield Miners sent an ultimatum to 2600 miners to report back to work. There had been no rain in Harrogate for 21 days and temperatures
of over 71 degrees. A proper summer after an extreme winter. Yorkshire were playing Essex at Southend with Len Hutton scoring hundreds in both innings.

The North side comprised the following

Arthur Mitchell Yorkshire and England.

Wilfred Barber Yorkshire and England.

Eddie Paynter Lancashire and England who had not played any first class cricket since the War. The left hander, who batted three hours in the first innings for 154 out of 276, gave no chance and his powerful hits included three 6's and nineteen 4's. He went from 50 to 100 in fifteen minutes. In the second innings he scored 73 in ninety minutes which contained three 6'sand five 4's.

Horace Dollery Warwickshire and England who batted effortlessly in the second innings to top score with 80 out of the North's score of  248.

Maurice Leyland Yorkshire and England and captain .

Vic Wilson Yorkshire

Johny Lawrence Yorkshire and Somerset.

Thomas Pritchard Warwickshire and New Zealand.

Charles Foord Yorkshire

George Duckworth Lancashire and England wicket keeper.

Percy Jackson Worcestershire  whose match figures weretwelve for 148. who was a off break spin bowler

The South side was the following

George Gunn Nottingham

Miles Coope born in Gildersome Yorkshire but played for Somerset.

Reg Simpson Nottingham and England. who topped scored in the first innings of 77 out of a total of 232.Second innings he top scored again with 57 which included two sixes and seven fours
 out of 250.

Joe Hardstaff Nottingham and England.

Richard Howorth Worcestershire and England took seven wicketsin the first innings bowling his left arm slow.

George Heane Nottingham captain.

Bill Voce Nottingham and England

Bill Andrews Somerset. I have his scrapbooks for time in theAir force during the Second World War whilst he was based at Blackpool.

Charles Grove Warwickshire took four wickets in the second innings.

Harry Crick Yorkshire wicket keeper. He must have been brought to
cover that position.

Bill Hollies Warwickshire and England.

The North won by 86 runs and the match was over an half an hour
before lunch on Friday.

The second match which started on Saturday was Leyland X1 v The Rest who won the match by nine wickets. Paynter scored another century.