Evening leagues become the new norm.

Posted by Tony Hutton

The lack of any spectator access to county cricket, which seems to have worsened yet again today, as well as no Minor Counties, county second eleven, university cricket etc etc, has left many professional cricket watchers dependant on Saturday league cricket and evening league cricket in mid week. So it was last night, for the second night running, back to the evening scene at Adel cricket club in Leeds on a pleasantly warm night for a match with local rivals Horsforth Hall Park in the Headingley evening league. In fact every match in this tightly knit league is a local derby and the move to an earlier start of 6 p.m. gets things over with before it gets too cold on occasions.

The one blot on proceedings was the appearance of the visitors in their all black coloured clothing against the traditional whites of Adel. (Hence the 'library' pictures of Adel). It was a bit like watching the New Zealand rugby union team which certainly did not add to the occasion for the handful of spectators. However beggars can't be choosers in the present situation and all were grateful of the opportunity to watch cricket again.

The visitors batted first and kept the scoreboard ticking over over quite well until the advent of Sam Wilkinson at number five brought the required acceleration with an innings of 53, which included six fours and two sixes. Gavin Thorpe, slow left arm, was the pick of the bowlers with 3-42. There were three catches for Sam O'Sullivan, whose moment of glory was still to come. Hall Park were probably happy with 141-5 in their twenty overs, leaving Adel a target of seven runs an over.

Adel's response started badly, losing two early wickets and a fine attacking innings from Zeeshan Siraj turned the tide back to the home side when he scored 45 from just 23 balls, including three sixes. When he was out at 76-3, opener George Harrison took over and provided the mainstay of the innings with a sound 44 against some tight bowling. The required rate hovered around eight runs an over for a while and with wickets falling at the other end, Harrison stayed until the final over when he was clean bowled from the penultimate ball of the innings.

Two runs were still required from one ball and betting seemed to favour a tie, but enter the hero of the hour Sam O'Sullivan, who calmly hit the ball over mid on for a comfortable two to win the match. No trouble at all! Delight for Adel and despair for the All Blacks.

Wensleydale Evening League

Posted by Tony Hutton

This outpost of evening league cricket in North Yorkshire has continued to flourish for the last three weeks with two divisions, one of eight teams and the other with seven. Full marks for the organisation involved in getting all this up and running, even with the addition of one new side in the shape of R.A.F. Leeming.

The Scruton pavilion.

On Wednesday this week I called first at the ground of Scruton, mid-way between Bedale and Northallerton, with it's own railway station on the privately operated Wensleydale line. I had spotted the ground some years ago when visiting the local village pub and found out that this small village team had a very long history. Possibly laying claim to being one of the oldest clubs in Yorkshire, a game in 1773 is mentioned in John Major's book, 'More than a game', between West Auckland and Scruton played at Piercebridge. Jeremey Lonsdale's book 'A game taken seriously' also mentions a game with Wetherby in 1797 and Ripon in 1810.

Rural surroundings at Scruton.

The present spacious ground, was only opened I believe in the 1970s, after cricket on other grounds in the local country estate had gone. The team played in both the old Saturday Wensleydale League and the Langbaurgh League into this century, but now only competes in the evening league. Their admirable website mentions a long room on the first floor of the pavilion with lots of memorabilia, but in view of current restrictions felt it was not appropriate to investigate further at this time. However nice to see this memorial to Charlie Hoare who was secretary of the club from 1946-1962.

A lengthy memorial at Scruton.

Wednesday's action sadly saw Scruton lose their third game in succession to leave them firmly rooted at the bottom of the table. Despite their enthusiasm they could only muster 65-7 in twenty overs, hitting just one six, which was quite an achievement on a ground with such long boundaries. In reply Masham, a much stronger looking team, who operate two Saturday sides in the Nidderdale League, made short work of things to win by eight wickets in just thirteen overs. Visiting skipper Andrew Sturday did most of the damage with 34 not out, including four fours and two sixes.

A corner of the Scruton ground where the view from a lonely bench almost obscured by a willow tree.

Before the end of proceedings we had moved on to scenic Thorp Perrow, on the other side of Bedale. A ground which I last visited as long ago as 1999. Although it was almost eight p.m. when I arrived, still managed to repeat my picture of the stately home, which boasts a very well known Arboretum. Again the very large playing area surprised me, as did the news from one of the home players who greeted me with the news that opponents Richmond Mavericks had started their innings with a score of 4-6 which included four wickets in four balls.

Thorp Perrow.

I felt lucky to have found cricket still going on, but Richmond recovered well to score 94-7 and seemed well on top with home wickets falling at regular intervals following our arrival. My host, obviously not used to spectators at all, certainly not at this time of night, felt I might be an old player. When I admitted this was not the case and just a collector of cricket grounds, he showed me the memorabilia in the pavilion, with a couple of very old bats and team pictures going back as far as 1912.

Thorp Perrow pavilion.

Late evening sunshine at Thorp Perrow.

Sadly the home side succumbed very rapidly and were all out for 51 in just ten overs, which was obviously a major turn around from the beginning of the game. Again a ground which has seen better days with regular Saturday league cricket having ceased and only the evening league now keeping things going. I had been waiting for a fine Wednesday evening to accomplish this visit and although it clouded over somewhat later, it was well worth the effort to find cricket still flourishing off the beaten track.

Another close finish at Harrogate

Posted by Tony Hutton

On the opening day of Yorkshire League North's season last Saturday Harrogate's game at Castleford was the only one abandoned by the weather. Despite today's original poor forecast, the whole area managed to survive and Harrogate's home game with Clifton Alliance, winners last week, provided another last over finish.

Harrogate, with a very young looking side this season, batted first and although losing two early wickets they were indebted to a slightly more senior recruit in the form of opener Henry Thompson to get runs on the board. Thompson, a Lancastrian, is remembered from the time he turned out for Leeds/Bradford University back in 2013. He was certainly in good form today and made top score of 62 against a varied Clifton attack. He was given good support by new skipper Harry Stothard with 39 and later in the innings Corrie Keable made a quickfire 33. Unfortunately the others made little impression at all.

Henry Thompson batting for Harrogate.

The home side finished their forty over innings on 190-9, which perhaps seemed about par. The young spin bowler Tom Brown, who we have been impressed with over the past two seasons, had the best bowling figures with 3-44 from his ten overs. At the interval it was possible to visit the improved facilities in the upstairs balcony bar, despite the one way social distancing system, which seemed to be working quite well.

Unusually Harrogate used their left arm spinner Stothard as an opening bowler, which became more understandable when the other bowlers made little impression. Ahmed the main pace bowler was rather erratic and bowled a series of wides, as did some of the spinners as well. In all Harrogate used four spinners, two of whom are very youthful. They all stuck to the task manfully but the experienced Clifton batsmen all contributed well, particularly opener Andrew Simpson with a solid 48. Thompson, as well as top scoring, had the best bowling figures with 2-38.

The visitors were somewhat behind the rate as the game entered the final stages but pace bowler Sam Grant, coming in at number six, soon put things to rights with a splendid 52 not out, including three sixes and two fours to secure victory with just three balls remaining. So Alliance claimed the points winning by five wickets.

Harrogate fourths in action.

On the junior ground behind the pavilion the game in progress was Harrogate fourths against Knaresborough Forest seconds in the Nidderdale League division six - not quite the lowest of the low. However, some of the home club's enthusiastic youngsters got their second victory of the season quite easily by the margin of 97 runs.

With all this going on you would have been hard pressed to realise that just across town Harrogate Town of the National League were playing in the semi-final of the play offs against Boreham Wood, with a Wembley final awaiting the winners next Sunday. When news filtered through of a 1-0 victory there was no dancing in the streets or fireworks going off as we have seen in Liverpool and Leeds during the last week. Instead a form of calm acceptance and one life long supporter of Town seemed rather reluctant at the prospect of them reaching Football League status.

Trip round North Leeds

By Brian Sanderson

I decided to stay local today and started off at St. Chads who were

playing Leeds Modernians  . The home side batted first and were 

struggling at 59 for 6 with the help of a very bad LBW decision.

However it was great to see two umpires at the third division 

level. One of the reason I called in was to give them a sheet of

paper showing results for the 1898 season. I understand rhey

played on Becketts Park and did not move to the present ground 

till 1922. I found out later ST.Chads reached 194 but still lost 

by 6 wickets.

Moving on to New Rover who were playing Pool who was fielding.

While there wasv a break I noticed that John Goldthorpe was still

wicket keeping. I played with him over thity years ago. The home 

side were bowled for 65 and lost by 4 wickets.

Next match was  Adel who were playing Beckwithshaw with

the home side been bowled for 90 on a every uneven wicket.

It was good to see the club had come ut of the lockdown with four 

teams still playing. The third team were playing Mayfield in 

the Dales Council League and they lost their match by 8 wickets.

Moving on Leeds Modernians Seconds who were playing St Chads

seconds. When I arrived the home side were bowled out for 27.

So I quick match finish. This was sixth division.

Moving on Horsforth Seconds who had scored 206 in the 45 overs 

against Bardsey seconds who were bowled out for 140.

I arrived at break time as there is no teas supplied in the new era.

I used to look forward to a great cricket tea.

Moving on to my last match was Kirkstall Education Seconds against 

Addingham .Another great wicket with the away side scoring 279.

When I left it looked the home side would win on 134 for 2 but that 

was not the case and lost by four runs.

Great to see some old friends and a mixture of cricket.

Headingley Evening League (part two)

Posted by Tony Hutton

During Thursday afternoon called in at the Leeds University ground at Weetwood, where there appears little chance of any competitive cricket this season. The University season never started and now that the Yorkshire Academy have opted out of the Premier League North it appears there will be no competitive games for them. However the Academy squad were in action, having a game amongst themselves in strict quarantine conditions. We did a circuit of the ground watching from a distance feeling that may be the only action we see here this season. Groundsman Richard Robinson as ever has kept the ground trim and tidy throughout lockdown but is very despondent at the lack of any cricket.

Later in the day we were able to see competitive cricket just a little further down the Leeds Ring Road at New Rover where the home side were playing Adel in the second week of Headingley Evening League fixtures. This really was a hard fought game which could have gone either way right to the last over. After a cloudy, drizzly day yet again, it brightened up later on with even a glimpse of evening sunshine.

Evening sunshine at New Rover.

Adel after their victory in this league last week and a first win in the Aire Wharfe league at the weekend must have been in confident mood, especially with newcomer George Hogg, from the Nottingham area, who scored a century on debut last Saturday, in their ranks. They compiled a useful first innings score of 158-4 in their twenty overs with fifty from opener Tom Harrison and the help of 39 extras.

As New Rover had been bowled out for fifty last week, Adel must have been confident of victory at the half way stage, but the reckoned without veteran batsman Michael Richmond, recalled to the ranks after last week's fiasco. After three early wickets had fallen, one of which being an outstanding one handed catch in the deep by James Thorp, Richmond took command and was only dismissed for 77 shortly before the end. Two more wickets had already fallen before then, with some more outstanding catching. One of which got rid of the man with the longest name seen for some time in Christodoulos Bogdanos no less.

New Rover made the winning runs with just two balls remaining to earn a worthy victory and it must be said they made more use of the short boundary on one side of the wicket, at the very edge of the square, than their opponents. New Rover hit six sixes in total, three by Richmond, against just one by Adel.

In the two other games played there was a second win for pace setters Rawdon who made 230-4 and restricted Leeds Modernians to 96-8, whereas St. Chads had a narrow victory over Cookridge in a low scoring game.

My first matches

By Brian Sanderson

Originally I was going to go to York but the rain put me off so

I went closer ie Kirkstall Education who were playing Bardsey 

in the Second Division of the Airedale and Wharfedale League.

When I walked through  the gate Bardsey were batting  well.

The two Wainman brothers were out and Mohammed Altaf

was batting on a good wicket and a short boundary.

I was able to talk to a number of people I had not seen for 

it seems months ago.On of those was Brian Senior who 

was watching his first outside match of 2020 .

The match had been reduced to 44  overs but Bardsey 

still reached 318 runs for 9 wickets. Harwood Williams,

the West Indian captain scored a very entertaining 50.

The Kirkstall side seemed very young and bowled

28 wides. The innings took about three hours.

James Wainman, the ex Yorkshire left arm bowler was told 

by the umpire he could not fulfil his overs because he was 

running on the wicket. However Bardsey bowlers soon picked up 

wickets .However Kirkstall hung on for a draw scoring 231 for 9.

Good to see two umpires and Dave Hodgson the Kirkstall 

groundsman and artist.

On the Sunday I drove up to New Rover who were playing 

Adel thirds in the Airedale and Wharfedale 3rd X1 

Conference B league. New Rover had a mixture of young 

and old including a young girl  who bowled medium right arm.

Good to see. Also there was Brian Senior enjoying the sunshine.

Adel batted first and scored 136 for 9 in the 36 overs. There 

seemed to be more stoppages and the innings finished at 4.45pm.

Another long innings time wise .Later I found New Rover finished

finished two runs short.

Great to be able to see some live cricket but the forecast is not

 great for this weekend but it may change hopefully.

Yorkshire Premier League North

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday brought the first games in the new format of the Yorkshire Premier League North with just ten teams taking part, in the absence of both Scarborough and the Yorkshire Academy. Now reduced to 40 overs a side, instead of the normal 50 overs, and the start times put back to 1 p.m. from the original 12 noon. However at Clifton Park, York where the home side were entertaining Sheriff Hutton Bridge, they had decided to revert to 12 noon, which was just as well on a day punctuated with drizzling rain which in fact delayed the start by about half an hour. With the endless sanitising breaks after every six overs, the match went on well into the late evening, but did produce the only full overs game in the league.

 

Play gets underway at Clifton Park.

After a minute's silence marked with both times lining up in the centre in respect of Dan Woods, the former York captain, the home side were put into bat and lost prolific opener Duncan Snell early on. His partner Guy Darwin pulled things together with an innings of 59, despite losing Harry Adair, a Durham second team player for only 7. Darwin was given good support by Nick James with 24 and later by Alex Lilley, on debut. Lilley's excellent running between the wickets kept the innings going almost to the end with a fine knock of 52 from only 48 balls.

The drizzle did not attract many clients to the York beer garden.

York reached a reasonable total 195-9, with the bowling honours for Sheriff Hutton Bridge going to Freddie Collins with 4-34 and Matthew Bird with 3-43. The Bridge were missing two county second teamers who have gone elsewhere in Ed Barnes and Karl Carver, as well as Matthew Fisher, still very much part of the Yorkshire squad, who was relegated to the role of spectator and dog walker.

Not much social distancing here!

The Bridge lost both openers with the total on 26, but skipper Adam Fisher and Tommy Hudson then put on a stand of 99 for the third wicket to swing the game back their way. After Fisher went for 46, Hudson survived a middle order collapse, which saw them reduced to 143-6, and went on to score 90 before being dismissed with only seven more runs required. Wicket keeper Toby Latham saw the Bridge home with 26 not out and only three balls remaining.

Clifton Alliance

The game next door at Clifton Alliance got off to a much later start presumably due to the lack of the same amount of covers available to their more wealthy neighbours. The game with Dunnington was reduced to 24 overs per side with Alliance reaching their target of 149 with only one ball to spare.

The game between Castleford and Harrogate was abandoned due to rain and elsewhere in reduced overs matches Acomb beat Driffield and Stamford Bridge beat Woodhouse Grange.

Dunnington batting at Clifton Alliance.

Stamford Bridge made the highest score of the day with 206-4 from 29 overs, Dominic Rhodes scoring 80 not out and Ben Pearson 61. In reply Woodhouse Grange only managed 120-5 in 21 overs and were thirty short of their target.

Historic Events at Harrogate Road

posted by John Winn

Local cricket was a bit like the proverbial London bus on Saturday. You wait three months for the season to  start and find that the first elevens of the three clubs on your doorstep are all at home. Spoilt  for choice and undaunted by light rain I opted to visit Green Hammerton's Harrogate Road ground on what was a historic day, not just in terms of the playing conditions imposed by covid 19 but because after 100 years the Wetherby League is now The Leeds and Wetherby Cricket League. This new title reflects the fact that of the twelve clubs that make up the league eleven have LS postcodes. The exception to this is Green Hammerton based as it is at YO26 8AB. Green Hammerton is just ten miles from York and twenty five miles from Leeds and it must have been tempting for the club to join the exodus of clubs to the York League.

The reward for this loyalty is a place in the first division of the 'new' league, and asking around it seems that this may well be the first time the club has played at this level. The club has had a somewhat chequered history over the last fifty years, having on two occasions played away from the village but they came home in 2002 and since 2010 have enjoyed the facilities of the new village hall for changing and refreshment, until Saturday that is when players were expected to arrive changed and bring their own teas.

When I arrived and despite the drizzle, play was  underway and visitors Crossgates were batting. I had not been there long when all pretence at normality was abandoned when the fielding side left the field for a sanitising break, the first I had witnessed in seventy years of watching and playing cricket. If not  a red letter day certainly a clean hands day.

This procedure was repeated every six overs throughout the afternoon.

Crossgates made slow progress to start with but the scoring rate was soon stepped up and Hammerton's fielding became increasingly ragged. 215 for 4 off the prescribed 35 overs looked a formidable score and so it proved with Hammerton making a woeful start to find themselves 11 for 3. Things improved a little mainly thanks to a stand between Amit Patel and Ryan Blackburn but with seven batsmen dismissed for single figures the innings closed after 24 overs for 100, a shortfall of 115, a chastening afternoon for Green Hammerton who may feel that greatness has been thrust upon them. 

In closing I must congratulate the two umpires, David Spavin and John Fisher, on the admirable way in which they coped with the extra regulations, and both teams on the good spirit in which the game was played. 

First competitive match of 2020

Posted by Tony Hutton

The Headingley Evening League got underway last night with my first competitive match of 2020.

The league now has only seven teams, so each Thursday night until the end of August there will be three games, with one team without a game. A return to my old stamping ground of Church Lane, Adel saw the home side entertain near neighbours St. Chads, with all start times for this T20 competition brought forward to 6 p.m.

Cricket 2020 style with Adel players locked out of their own pavilion.

St. Chads, not quite resplendent in their now customary coloured clothing batted first against Adel, who at least looked more like cricketers in their more appropriate whites. One noticeable difference to the ground since Sunday's inter club practice game was the strange appearance of the square which looked as if it had been completely shaved very closely by some local barber just returned to work.

The visitors lost an early wicket but looked to have recovered somewhat until wickets fell at regular intervals, particularly towards the end of the innings where Sam O'Sullivan took three wickets for fifteen runs to complete his four over spell. St. Chads ended on 76-8 in their allotted twenty overs.

Not a challenging total you might think, and so it proved as openers Tom Harrison and Ed Watt set about the St. Chads bowlers in fine style. Harrison was eventually out for 32 with the score on 62-1, but Watt continued on his merry way with three fours and three sixes in his 39 not out. Adel raced to a nine wicket victory in just ten and a half overs and the evening's entertainment was soon over.

A fine evening in familiar surroundings made all the more pleasant by catching up with old friends and feeling that the despair of the first half of the season has been replaced by anticipation of the months ahead.

Results from elsewhere, from the league's admirable website, showed that New Rover (all out 55) lost to Rawdon by ten wickets in only 4.2 overs and Horsforth Hall Park knocked up 205-5, with an opening stand of 169, to beat Leeds Modernians (88-8) rather easily. The team without a game this week were Cookridge.

Cricketers of the past - Leicestershire 1958

Posted by Tony Hutton

The Leicestershire side of 1958 under a new captain in the form of Willie Watson, double international signed from Yorkshire, made quite a significant improvement to twelfth place, after finishing bottom by a fair distance the previous season. However it was something of a flash in the pan, as apart from reaching the dizzy heights of 9th in 1961, Watson's tenure was not really successful. The first significant improvement came when Tony Lock was appointed captain in the late 1960s and even more so when Ray Illingworth arrived in the 1970s.

Indeed it could be said that one of the minor players on the photograph, Mike Turner, became the most significant figure in the county's history through his role as county secretary for over thirty years, in which time the county's stature in the game increased significantly. In addition he could be said to have been the prime mover in the setting up of one day cricket for the counties with the founding of the Gillette Cup.

The strength of the 1958 side could be said to rest largely with the front row. The back row contains a fair few passengers, as well as several consistent county journeymen. We will start with Robin Gardner, first left on the back row. He played for Leicester from 1954 to 1962 as a batsman, making exactly 1000 runs in his best season of 1959.

Next is Jack Van Gelovan, a Yorkshireman, who played a handful of games for his home county in 1955. He gave excellent service as a genuine all rounder between 1956 and 1965, doing the double in 1962. He then played Minor Counties cricket for Northumberland before becoming a first class umpire. Alan Revill, a cavalier batsman, had a long career with Derbyshire before coming to Leicester for three seasons in 1958.

Brian Boshier was a very tall opening bowler who took 510 wickets between 1953 and 1964. A consistent performer with the ball, he achieved very little with the bat and was plagued with injuries later in his career. However he played league cricket for Harrogate for a while.

Jeff Goodwin, from Staffordshire, was a left hand bat and left arm medium pace bowler who took 335 wickets for Leicester, including a best performance of 8-81. John Savage, a Lancastrian, was one of the best off spinners in English cricket but his lack of batting ability counted against him. His best season was 1961 when he took 122 wickets, including a hat trick against Somerset. After ten years at Leicester he returned to Lancashire for a while, before becoming second eleven captain and then coach at Old Trafford.

Mike Turner was a right hand bat and a leg spin bowler, but achieved little success in ten first class appearances. However his ability as an administrator, with thirty three years as county secretary, brought him considerable fame and rejuvenated the county. He was awarded an M.B.E. for services to cricket. Edmund Philips was a batsman from Shropshire, who played only 32 matches before leaving in 1959. His highest score was 55.

The five stalwarts on the front row start with another Yorkshireman, wicket keeper Jack Firth, who played just eight games for his native county. He joined Leicester in 1951 when already 32 years of age and gave outstanding service until 1958, He took 373 catches and made 95 stumpings. His highest score was 90 not out against Essex.

Then we have Gerry Lester whose career started before the war in 1937 and went on until 1958. A consistent opening batsman who played 373 matches, he scored 12,000 runs and took 300 rather expensive wickets with his leg breaks. He became second XI captain and coach.

Willie Watson, played 25 Tests for England and earned four soccer caps during his career with Huddersfield Town and Sunderland. He was a left hand bat who scored over 25,000 career runs during his time with Yorkshire and Leicestershire. He was with Yorkshire from 1939 to 1957 and Leicester from 1958-1964. After retirement as a player he emigrated to South Africa where he took up coaching.

Maurice Hallam was Leicestershire through and through. He played 500 matches as an opening batsman between 1950 and 1970, scoring 24,000 runs and captaining the side for four seasons during the 1960s. Finally we have pace bowler Terry Spencer, a most consistent opening bowler from 1952 to 1969. He sadly died earlier this year and is probably best remembered for his part in the famous tied game between Yorkshire and Leicestershire at Huddersfield in 1954 when he took 9-63.

 

Locked out at Scarborough

By Brian Sanderson

On a wet afternoon at Headingley, I was pleased to receive

the above scorecard from 7 September 1949. New Zealand 

were visiting the shores lend by Walter Hadlee. They played

four Test Matches and drew them all. there only loss on the 

tour was to Oxford University in May on a pitch that was 

recovering from flooding.

New Zealand lost the toss and Hutton and Simpson opened 

the batting against Cave and Reid which were not the normal

opening attack. Hutton during this match raised his season

aggregate to 3429 beating Sutcliffe total 3336 runs in season.

Joe Hardstaff batted well to score 123  out of 192 in two 

hours forty minutes  which helped Leverson Gowers X1 

to a total of 348 at the end of the first day.

Large crows watched the match , the gates being closed  on 

the first two afternoons. Martin Donnelly, the New Zealand

amateur scored a excellent 145 not out  helping to get the team

to 338.he was also a excellent rugby union player who played

for England.

On the third day Norman Yardley set a target of 213 in two 

hours. Hadlee set the pace with Sutcliffe ,who left at 151 ,

having hit one 6 and eleven 4's. Four men were out for 172

and twenty minutes remained ,but Donnelly hit four 4's 

in an over of Bedser and Wallace finished the match  with

a six in front of square leg off Yardley two minutes from 

time. 

Whilst this match was been played Leeds were playing 

Wigan and for a change Arthur Clues got sent off.

He also played cricket for Leeds Cricket Club and was

known to hit a few sixes.

Most cricket leagues in Yorkshire about to re-start

Posted by Tony Hutton

As John Winn has already pointed out, league cricket is raring to go following such a long lay off. The club and league officials should be congratulated for coming to terms with such difficult circumstances which have affected our way of life in so many ways. Last weekend saw a bevy of friendly games and inter club matches which set the ball rolling, but this coming Saturday 18th July, will see the majority of Yorkshire cricket leagues back into action.

Collingham and Linton get underway last Saturday.

There are of course one or two clubs that have decided, no doubt for perfectly valid reasons, to shut up shop completely. Notable among these are Scarborough cricket club who will only have a second eleven running in the local Beckett League. The first team has withdrawn from the Yorkshire Premier League North, which will field only ten sides, as the Yorkshire Academy are not taking part either.

Although the Bradford League have not yet released revised fixtures, it is expected that they will start a week later on Saturday 25th July. Again one of the leading sides, Woodlands, have withdrawn and decided to re-lay their outfield and do other much needed maintenance jobs on the ground.

Adel had an inter squad game last weekend.

The Halifax League seemed particularly well prepared with several alternative scenarios ready for when the all clear sounded. Yorkshire Premier League South have decided to run a zonal league cup competition on a forty overs a side basis and the Drakes Huddersfield League have gone even further with just a thirty overs a side competition. It is of course still somewhat unclear what facilities, if any, will be available to the hard core of spectators who follow league cricket in the county. It will obviously be a learning process for all concerned.

The Yorks Senior League has produced a list of new geographically based divisions to shorten some of the travelling distances involved in such a large league. Other leagues which will be getting underway this weekend include the Aire/Wharfe league, the Nidderdale league, the Pontefract league, the Leeds & Wetherby League, the Dales Council and in the far north the North Yorkshire & South Durham league.

St Georges played the Wednesday Knights at Harewood House last Sunday.

Before all that at least two evening leagues are springing into action, the Wensleydale Evening League tonight (Wednesday) and the Headingley Evening league tomorrow night (Thursday). Good luck to them all and let's just hope that we are blessed with some fine weather.

Cricket on the horizon

posted by John Winn

As I'm sure many of of our readers will be aware club cricket has been given the go ahead to resume this Saturday and weather permitting, and the forecast is good, the blog should be able to resume its normal summer service providing eye witness accounts of cricket matches from near and far.  The season of course will not be anything like normal for with the start some three months behind the original date, clubs will not be able to play the full complement of matches and although my research has not been exhaustive several leagues have decided there will be no promotion or relegation.

The two clubs on my door step, Ouseburn and Whixley are both at home, OCC v Helperby and newly promoted Whixley also at home, their opponents Studley Royal II. Each club will play 8 Saturday matches, taking them up to and including September 5th and then the top four teams in each division will proceed to a play off competition.

Ouseburn have emailed their regular supporters setting out the restrictions for watching with the usual social distancing applying. The club room will be closed and there will be no refreshments provided. Spectators will need to bring their own seats and an area will be set aside for their use. I imagine similar arrangements will apply at other grounds. It won't be the same but it's better than nowt.

Back on the road again

10 July 1947

by Brian Sanderson

Today is my birthday and I thought it would be interesting to
see what was going on on this day.

The Yorkshire Post headlines were that Princess Elizabeth was
engaged to Philip Mountbatten.

World Bread Crisis- Frugal use of grain essential.

Tobacco for pensioners  allowed 2oz weekly at the old price.

Use of Yeadon airport will depend on Survey.

England had just beaten South Africa at Old Trafford.
Bill Edrich scored 191 not out in the first innings and
22 not out in the second innings. He also took eight
wickets in the match opening the bowling.

Yorkshire were playing Kent at The Circle Hull. Yorkshire
had been bowled out for 79 with Ridgway taking seven wickets
for 27 and was awarded his county cap.

On the 10th they did not start until 1 o'clock due to over night
rain.Arthur Fagg opened the batting and was still there at a score
of 73. He batted for over four hours to score 121 without a
mistake and included eleven fours. He was caught by Brennan
bowled by Alec Coxon Kent total was 244  with Coxon taking

six wickets for 102 runs.

Seconds at Hull in 1959

By Brian Sanderson

The above match was played at The Circle at Hull on the 

29 and 30 June 1959 against Cheshire in the Minor County

Championship .

Yorkshire were captained by Ted Lester whilst the Cheshire

captain was Frederick William Millett who played till 1973

for Cheshire. 

Cheshire batted first scoring 187 for 4 in 78 overs with Millet

top scoring with 88 not out. The Yorkshire attack was

David Pickles who finished playing for Yorkshire in 1960.

He was a fast opening bowler who was coached to change 

his action which resulted in him stopped playing first 

class cricket.

Barry Stead  who only played two first class matches for 

Yorkshire before moving to Nottingham where he played

215 matches till 1976.

Michael Hallawell who was born in Keighley but did not 

play for Yorkshire first team but moved to Warwick where 

he played just one first class match. He was a good soccer

player who played for Birmingham City Q.P.R ,Sunderland,

Huddersfield and Peterborough.

Jackie Birkenshaw  who played 30 first class matches before

moving to Leicester in 1961. Played 420 matches for them and

5 Test Matches.

Keith Gillhouley who played 24 matches for Yorkshire before

moving to Nottingham where he played 83 matches .

The Yorkshire wicket keeper was Terry Gunn who was 

born in Barnsley and went on to play for Sussex in 1961 

where he played 41 first class matches.

Yorkshire openers were Dickie Bird and John Bolus.

Dickie was soon out for 7 and the Vic Wilson came in.

There is a note on the scorecard saying Wilson last 

three innings in the seconds was 184, 94no and 

56 no. He finished with a second team average of 84,50.

Yorkshire declared with a first innings lead of 3 runs 

with just one wicket down.

Cheshire then set a target of 221 runs in 115 minutes,

Dickie was hit on the foot and had to retire on 13.

Comment on the scorecard was that all the Yorkshire 

players had a go to win. They just failed by 10 runs

as the match was held up for 9 minutes when Holding,

the Cheshire keeper got hit in the mouth. Otherwise 

Yorkshire would have won the match.

Warwick won the Minor League Championship with 

Yorkshire finishing fifth with 58 points. Cheshire only 

achieved 15 points for the season.

Cricketers of the past - Lancashire 1958

Posted by Tony Hutton

The Lancashire side of 1958 included many talented individuals, but for whatever reasons were unable to pull things together as a team and finished in seventh position. Their only consolation being that they finished several places above their traditional rivals Yorkshire in a season in which Surrey yet again dominated proceedings.        

On the left of the back row is wicket keeper Alan Wilson, a Lancashire lad who stayed with the club from 1948 to 1962. For much of the time he was in and out of the first team, as although a reliable keeper he was very much a tail end batsman and others who could score a few more runs were often preferred. In all he played 171 games for the county.

Next to him is a young, aggressive middle order batsman Peter Marner, who first played at the age of only sixteen in 1952. He stayed until 1964 and as well as making 18 centuries as a batsman, was a useful medium pace change bowler and excellent slip fielder. He joined Leicestershire after a dispute at Old Trafford and played there from 1965 to 1970.

Then we have Colin Hilton, no relation to team mate Malcolm Hilton, who was a very quick opening bowler. He played for Lancashire from 1957 to 1963, but did not become a regular first teamer until 1960. His best season was 1962 when he took 94 wickets, but a knee injury kept him out in 1963. He then joined Essex in 1964 but unfortunately could not cope with the new front foot no ball rule and had to retire from county cricket. However back in Lancashire he then had a very successful career in league cricket.

Ken Higgs, from Staffordshire, was originally a young centre half with Port Vale, but on joining Lancashire as a fast medium opening bowler he soon became a fixture in the side throughout the 1960s when, together with Brian Statham, he formed a formidable opening pair of bowlers.  Higgs played fifteen times for England between 1965 and 1968. He played for Lancashire from 1958 to 1969 when he retired to play league cricket with Rishton. However Ray Illingworth recruited him for Leicestershire, where he was again most successful playing in two Benson & Hedges winning sides as well as a county championship title.

Geoff Pullar, was a left hand opening bat who also went on to play for England. He played for the county from 1954-1968 and made 28 Test appearances between 1959-1962, scoring four centuries. He joined Gloucestershire in 1969, topping the averages in his first season, but the following year was forced into retirement with arthritis in his knees.

Tommy Greenhough was an outstanding leg spin bowler, who had to face fierce competition from the more senior spinners Malcolm Hilton and Roy Tattersall. He joined Lancashire in 1951 but it was several years later before he became a regular. 1959 and 1960 were his best seasons with 93 and 111 wickets and he even managed four Test for England. However a combination of injuries and loss of form rather hindered his career. He left Lancashire in 1966 to return to league cricket.

Last man on the back row is Noel Cooke, from Liverpool, who played as a batsman for the second XI in 1956, but made the first of only twelve first team appearances in 1958. He later played Minor Counties cricket for Cheshire.

First left on the front row is the Australian Ken Grieves, who came to England initially as a football goalkeeper who played for Bury, Bolton and Stockport County. However he soon settled in the role of a county cricketer with Lancashire and gave them distinguished service from 1949 to 1964. Although mainly a batsman, who scored well over 22,000 runs, he also bowled occasional leg breaks and was an outstanding slip fielder who took 555 catches. He captained the county in 1963 and 1964.

Then we have Bob Barber who had a long and distinguished career with Cambridge University, Lancashire, Warwickshire and England. A left hand opening batsman and another occasional leg break bowler, he was with Lancashire from 1954 to 1962. He was made captain at a young age in 1960 and 1961 and did not enjoy that period of his career. However a move to Warwickshire in 1963 seemed to remove the shackles and he played with much greater freedom. His best remembered innings was for England at Sydney when he made a wonderful 185. He retired after the 1969 season.

Cyril Washbrook was for many years the epitome of a Lancashire professional cricketer, a firm disciplinarian as captain and an outstanding opening batsman and cover fielder both for the county and for England, in partnership with Len Hutton. He played for the county from 1933-1959, interrupted by the second world war and was captain from 1954-59. His partnership with Len Hutton for England during his 37 Tests included a record opening partnership of 389 in South Africa in 1948, during which he made his highest Test score of 195. He was President of the county in 1989 and 1990.

Malcolm Hilton was a slow left arm bowler who earned fame as a nineteen year old by dismissing the great Don Bradman twice in a match in 1948. However he did not get a regular place in the side until 1950 and although good enough to play for England four times and to take 104 wickets in 1955, plus his only first class century, and even better 147 wickets in 1957, he suffered from lapses in confidence. He left the county after the 1959 season, both he and Tattersall were not selected to play in their own benefit match.

Roy Tattersall was an outstanding off spin bowler. A tall, slim man who came to county cricket at the relatively advanced age of 26 in 1948. He got a regular place in 1950 when he took an amazing 193 wickets. He continued to get over 100 wickets a season with regularity and was capped sixteen times by England despite considerable competition for places. Before leaving the county in 1960 he had taken a total of 1,369 wickets.

Frank McHugh

By Brian Sanderson

Recently I purchased  this signed paper image of Frank

McHugh who was one of  a few Leeds born cricketers and who only 

played three matches for Yorkshire in 1949.

He was born in Burmantofts on the 15 November 1925

and died on the 21 February 2018 aged 92 .He was a 6 foot 3 

inch right arm fast bowler. Initially  Frank came into the

Yorkshire side when Ron Aspinall was injured. His debut 

was against Essex at Headingley .His record with the ball

for Yorkshire was four wickets costing 147.With the 

presence of Coxon, Trueman and Appleyard ,he could 

not even play in the Second Eleven in 1950.

He then moved on to Gloucestershire where he took 

276 wickets in his career at average of 24.84

Consequently McHugh became with George Lambert

the best pace attack the county had known. In 1954 

he took 92 wickets for exactly 20 runs and in 1955

did almost as well with over 75 wickets ,whilst in 

1956 his average fell further to only 19 runs a wicket.

McHugh suffered from illness during 1956 and did not

play after June but bowled well in his last match taking

11 wickets for 112 runs. However he was discarded in 1957 

for David Smith. who went on to play 357 matches for 

the county.

McHugh 's batting was consistently inept. His average 

was 2.63 is the lowest by any first class cricketer to 

play more than fifty first class games. His  highest score 

was 18.

He moved to Bristol and played club cricket for Bristol

Optimists.

More about Charlie

posted by John Winn

Not for the first time during lockdown one thing has led to another and following Tony's follow up yesterday on C Aubrey Smith my reference to CA Absolom on Monday has led me to dig a little deeper into this enigmatic character's background.

Charles Alfred Absolom was born at Blackheath in 1846 and as I described in my last post died as the result of a dockside accident at Port of Spain in 1889. Educated at Calne School in Wiltshire he went to Trinity College Cambridge where he gained his blue for both cricket and athletics. In 1868 whilst playing for Cambridge against Surrey at The Oval he was given out 'Obstructing the Field', the first instance of this kind of dismissal, for 38. Details of this are sparse but it appears that while attempting a seventh run (sic) the ball being returned to the wicket came into his contact with his bat which presumably was the result of a wilful act on Charlie's part. Surrey won the match by 14 runs so the decision was crucial as well as historic.

Charlie's first class career began in 1866 at Lord's when he played for Cambridge against MCC and he made a promising beginning with 5 wickets and a useful 26 not out in the university's innings. Representative honours came his way in 1868 when he was selected for the Gentlemen v the Players. Absolom's first county match came later in the season when he played for Kent v Surrey at The Bat and Ball Ground in Gravesend, a ground where first class cricket was played from 1849 until 1971. He made an inauspicious start with the bat and did not bowl. His career with Kent continued until August 1879 when he again did not fare well in what proved to be his last first class match. This was v Notts at Trent Bridge and in an innings defeat for Kent he made 0 and 1 and went  wicketless.

The pinnacle of Absolom's career came in January 1879 when he was part of Lord Harris's  XI in Australia and New Zealand and in the only test match, played at the MCG, he entered the ranks of 'one cap wonders'. Five other English players in that match gained the same status, it was their first and last test. England were bowled out for 113 in the first innings, Charlie top scored with 52 mainly in a partnership with his lordship. He made only six in the second innings as 'England' fell to an innings defeat.

Absolom had studied at The Inner Temple with a view to entering the legal profession but nothing came of this and little is known about the last ten years of his life or at least how he made his living. A year, 1879, which had begun with him playing test cricket ended with him setting sail for the USA but it was by no means the end of his cricket career and thanks to Cricket Archive there is access to scorecards for many of these matches. In the meantime the intrepid Charlie spent time living with the Spokane American Indians along the Columbia River and records show that he worked as a purser on at least two ships.

He resumed his cricket career in 1888 playing for Staten Island CC in New York City, second XI. You can imagine the skipper saying 'Sorry Charlie, you may have played with Lord Harris at the MCG but you will have to start with the stiffs,' As he only made 1 this may be considered to have been a wise decision. Promoted to the firsts his cricket career in North America  takes him to places like Chicago, Ontario, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Brooklyn

Absolom's last recorded appearance was for All New York v Gentlemen of Ireland played at Livingston Field Staten Island where cricket is still played. He made a useful 36 in the first innings but the Irish visitors won by nine wickets.  Since Monday I have found a little more about the circumstances of his tragic death in Trinidad and it appears that he was killed by a falling crane which was loading a cargo of bananas. How and why did a man from Kent, who played cricket at Lord's and the MCG, and who won a test cap, just up sticks and leave England and leave virtually no trace until his death was reported. Forty years ago the late Benny Green wrote in The Cricketer of his obsession
with Absolom and that he had enough material to write a book but I have found no record of it having been published.

I have just found this picture of Charlie Absolom and it is nothing like the image of him that I have carried in my head since first coming across him two days ago. From it one can see how he came by his nickname navvy and believe  that his athletics' blue was for field events rather than running but it does support an account of his batting which spoke of his powerful hitting and disregard of the length of a delivery.  What trouble me is that the picture below also purports to be our man Charles and although facial hair of this length was popular amongst young Victorian gentlemen it is a gigantic leap to say it is the same person as above. Mystery man indeed.