Former Minor Counties re-visited

Posted by Tony Hutton

Although the fixtures for the National Counties Cricket Association were published some time ago, this week saw the publication of the full list of venues for the coming season. The new play cricket website for the NCCA is not always easy to find and certainly not to navigate when you eventually find it. I for one travelled via the site for the National Carpet Cleaners Association on my way there. For those still struggling with the new name it replaces the much loved, and much missed Minor Counties.

The sad thing to me, and I suspect many others, is the major change in three day championship games, which leaves us with just four games per county, two at home and two away. The first page of the new website sums up the situation as follows:-

'The National Counties Cricket Association is more than just a name change. Besides a name that better reflects the talents and importance of everyone involved at this level, the structure of games has undergone a transformation that will see less 3-day championship matches and more T20 and 50-over trophy games. An exciting time for spectators and aspiring cricketers who might otherwise struggle to commit to the lengthier games.'

If this is not a prime example of dumbing down, I don't know what is! One wonders how long before the next step when championship games will be replaced entirely by the ten over games currently being seen from Abu Dhabi on our television screens.

However ranting over (for now) and back down memory lane to recall some of the delights of Minor Counties cricket, when even the one day trophy games were played in whites. The Herefordshire website recalls the one day trophy final of 2000, still played at Lord's in those days, when they beat Cheshire in the final just eight years after their entry to the competition.

                Herefordshire at Lord's 2000.

                    

I was indeed fortunate to be there, having joined Herefordshire as a member a few years earlier when I had enjoyed my first visit to Brockhampton so much. Herefordshire batted first and thanks to a century from Paul Lazenbury and 94 from Chris Boroughs they made a challenging score of 291-6 in their fifty overs. Cheshire were restricted to 249-9 mainly due to some splendid bowling from Kevin Cooper, formerly of Nottinghamshire, who took five wickets for just 29 runs.

                                  Keswick, Cumberland.

That season (2000) had been a vintage one for me having seen Minor Counties action at fifteen different grounds around the country as far apart as Keswick in the north and St. Just, not far from Land's End in the south. Hard to pick out the highlights but remember being particularly impressed with Truro in Cornwall, Bovey Tracey in Devon, Thame in Oxfordshire and finally the very last match to be played at the Lakenham ground in Norfolk.

                                       Thame, Oxfordshire.
        

                                  Lakenham, Norfolk.

The following year I was able to complete my target of seeing Minor Counties cricket in all twenty counties, including Wales Minor Counties, with Suffolk being the last one to be ticked off. Since then I have been a regular mainly at the northern counties of Cumberland, Northumberland, Lincolnshire and Cheshire, as you will find chronicled in the archives of this blog from 2009 onwards. 

                                  Longhirst Hall, Northumberland.

The first few weeks of the 2009 season saw visits to Netherfield (Cumberland), Woodhall Spa (Lincolnshire), Christleton (Cheshire) and Longhirst Hall (Northumberland) all recorded in the blog with appropriate photographs along the way. So it continued for years to come, but sadly all good things come to an end and assuming spectators are allowed in the coming season, suitably socially distanced, I anticipate only a handful of games at best.

Run stealers flickering to and fro- as Wigan's ground opens

 By Mike Latham

Opening a new cricket ground is always a special occasion and Wigan Cricket Club struck lucky when they inaugurated their splendid Bull Hey ground in 1898.

It remains a stunning town centre location still used by the club, playing in the Liverpool & District Competition.

Bull Hey in 2019

Formed in 1848, Wigan CC had something of a chequered existence before setting up their new home, courtesy of the local rectory.

They had grounds at Brick Kiln Field and in neighbouring Ince, before establishing a beautiful ground at Mesnes Park in 1860 but had to leave abruptly when Wigan Corporation decided to build a road right through the middle of the square. That road is Mesnes Park Terrace which still exists.

Out of town they went in 1874 to a ground known as either Frog Lane or Prescott Street, next to the railway, close to the current stadium used jointly by Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors.

It was not the most salubrious area and the smoke from the neighbouring factories dulled the cricketers’ whites. Mining subsidence and a clay soil also made the groundsman’s task of making a good cricket pitch almost impossible.

The ground was formerly used by local pitmen from the neighbouring Lamb & Moore Colliery for coursing rabbits and other amusements and a tramway passed over a portion of the land.

The Wigan Examiner was damning: “The turf was not of the best description. The situation was not inviting to spectators and everything militated against the successful working of the club. Accordingly, when the opportunity occurred of moving the venue, it was eagerly accepted.”

Fortunately, there was a solution, leasing church land just west of the previous site at Mesnes. The Examiner had more: “The Rector of Wigan, the Hon. and Rev. GTO Bridgeman was receptive to the idea but sadly passed away before the move became a reality, but his successor, the Rev. RG Matthew became only too pleased to carry out the good intentions of his predecessor and assisted the project in every way he could.”

Wigan Rugby Club were joint tenants for a time at Frog Lane and played the visiting New Zealand Maoris here just before Christmas in a famous match during their mammoth tour of this country in 1888-89.

Players like Jim Slevin, Ned Bullough and Charley Samuels became local heroes as the oval ball game became firmly established in town.

For more reading on this subject I’d recommend this excellent blog: https://www.earlywiganrugby.co.uk/

In 1895 the rugby club became founder members of the Northern Union, which in 1922 was re-named the Rugby Football League. Wigan’s first home match under the new code was played here on Saturday 28 September 1895. A nil-nil draw against Tyldesley, played 15-a-side (it was only in 1906 the game assumed 13-a-side). The neighbouring Cricket Street Business Centre is the only reminder of the site’s former use, apart from a blue plaque erected as part of the RFL’s 120^th anniversary.

The historical importance of the Prescott Street site was recognised in 2015 when a blue plaque was erected at the Cricket St Business Centre

However, the rugby club fell into low water and after losing the patronage of several influential supporters the committee faced a desperate struggle for survival.

Their problems increased when the cricket club upped sticks, after successfully negotiating a long lease at Bull Hey, a short distance west of their old ground at Mesnes Park.

It was only when Wigan established a new ground at Central Park in 1902 that rugby was back on an upward curve and in no time at all, the seeds were sown for the club becoming one of the best known in the world of rugby league.

The cost of laying out the new cricket ground was heavy, partly helped by a grant of £750 from the Wigan Cricket Ground Company for the surrender of the lease of the old ground. Originally purchased from the Earl of Derby for £800 in 1888, the site was sold for £3,600 to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company.

A subscription appeal was set up and many of the town’s most influential gentlemen quickly lent their support.

To mark the grand opening, the famous Albert Neilson Hornby, captain of the reigning county champions Lancashire was approached, and he kindly consented to bring along a side for the occasion. You may have seen ‘Monkey’ Hornby, as he was known, played by Harry Michell on the Netflix mini-series The English Game.

Ironically, he was the sixth son of William Henry Hornby, a director of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company which had bought the old Wigan CC ground.

AN Hornby, caricatured in 1898.

Hornby was a devoted sportsman, the first man to captain England at both rugby union and cricket, also playing soccer for his hometown Blackburn Rovers on occasions. Educated at Harrow, he was born into a life of privilege, the son of a wealthy cotton mill owner but, by all accounts was a popular and rounded individual who would help anyone if he could.

Saturday 23 April 1898 dawned fair and a crowd of around 1,500 gathered, the scheduled noon start being slightly delayed. Mr Hornby kindly consented to the Wigan captain, RL Rennick, for his team to bat first.

Mr Hornby had been as good as his word and brought along a fine side, his twelve players opposing fifteen of the Wigan club.

Alec ‘Sandy’ Watson, now in his mid-fifties and a veteran of over 300 first-class games, opened the bowling with the great Dick Barlow, nearing the end of his own distinguished career.

Watson, born in Scotland, had now set up a successful sports outfitters business.

Arthur Paul, Charlie Hartley, Johnny Tyldesley, George Baker, Albert Hallam and two of Mr Hornby’s two sons, Albert and George, also featured.

Watson and Barlow bowled skilfully in tandem, the latter taking two wickets in successive balls in his first over. An adjournment for lunch was taken with the Wigan score 65-5 and the catering arrangements made by Mr J Martland, of the Ropemakers’ Arms were greatly appreciated by all.

The two teams were then photographed in front of the pavilion before the play resumed, the Wigan XV finally making 121, Watson taking 6-34, Barlow 6-58 with two run outs.

Dick Barlow

Mr AN Hornby and Barlow, whose famous opening partnership was immortalised in Francis Thompson’s poem, ‘O my Hornby and my Barlow long ago’ began Lancashire’s reply, but before the ‘run stealers’ could ‘flicker to and fro’ the latter was soon caught. Three more wickets fell cheaply as Mr Hornby’s side struggled to 41-4.

But the captain, now aged 51, had been in splendid form; now joined by Tyldesley the pair engaged in a fine stand that greatly entertained the crowd, passing their target without further loss.

Mr Hornby was nearing the end of his playing career, though he played until 1906, but Tyldesley was far from reaching his prime as a batsman.

JT Tyldesley

Born at Roe Green, near Worsley, he emerged as professional at the Little Lever club in Bolton, a batsman of style, pluck and quality. He made his Lancashire debut in 1895, his Test debut against the Australians four years later and eventually played 608 first-class games, including 31 Tests, scoring nearly 38,000 runs at 40, making 86 centuries, four in Tests.

The innings continued with Mr Hornby finally retiring having made 75, receiving a fine ovation as he returned to the pavilion.

Tyldesley was unbeaten on 78 when stumps were drawn, his side 178-6, and he also received a hearty reception from a Wigan crowd delighted at the way their splendid new ground had been inaugurated.

In recent times Wigan CC have had the assistance of the prolific-scoring former Kiwi Test batsman Aaron Redmond while the current Derbyshire CCC all-rounder Matthew Critchley developed his career here after leaving Chorley as a teenager.

But perhaps their biggest claim to fame is that the famous actor, Sir Ian McKellen lived in a house overlooking Bull Hey and was second team scorer in 1950 and 1951.

Bull Hey Cricket Ground

Bill Merritt, an outstanding Kiwi sportsman

 

By Mike Latham

My two sporting passions have always been Rugby League and Cricket and I greatly admire players who excel at both sports.

But occasionally one comes across a player who excelled at both.

Bill Merritt was such a player- an outstanding all-round sportsman who initially took the cricketing route but also the opportunity to play professional Rugby League.

As a youngster in Christchurch, New Zealand Bill was outstanding at athletics, soccer, rugby and cricket but chose the latter game as his specialism. He made his first-class debut for Canterbury as a teenager against Otago in February 1927, taking eight wickets in a winning start and putting his name in the frame for the Kiwis’ tour of the British Isles that began three months later.

The 1927 New Zealanders, Bill Merritt third from left, back row

A leg-spin bowler and hard-hitting middle order batsman, Bill blossomed on that tour and was the leading wicket-taker, 108 at the impressive average of 23 apiece in 25 games, also contributing over 500 runs with the bat, average mid-twenties. New Zealand had not then been accorded Test status, finally achieved three years later, but this tour was an important staging point in their development as a cricketing nation.

Back home Merritt further developed his reputation as one of the leading all-rounders in the domestic Plunket Shield and was an automatic selection for New Zealand’s first Test match, against England at his native Christchurch in January 1930.

Bill Merritt the Test cricketer 

In 1931 he was an integral member of the Kiwi side that played a three-match Test series for the first time in this country. He was again a leading performer in the tour games, taking most wickets, 99 at 26, scoring over 500 runs.

His obvious liking for English conditions made him a target for the big-spending Lancashire League clubs and he signed a two-year contract with Rishton, an ambitious village club near Blackburn, whose list of later pros included Viv Richards and Allan Donald.

This was one of the golden eras of the Lancashire League, huge crowds turning out on Saturday summer afternoons to watch their local sides, often boosted by a big name ‘pro’ then including some of the current and future greats of the cricketing world.

Rishton CC

Merritt was clearly hot property- England Test players James Langridge, Maurice Tate and Harold Larwood had all been mentioned as potential Rishton pros before his appointment. Larwood, then rated as the world’s fastest bowler, had reportedly been offered an open cheque but declined.

Merritt’s aggressive batsmanship and artful, challenging bowling soon won over sceptical locals. He engaged with his team-mates, organised practice sessions, introduced fielding drills for the first time. In a league with more than its fair share of compelling cricketing personalities, led by the magnetic appeal of West Indian Learie (later Sir Learie) Constantine, he thrived.

In his first season at Rishton he took 102 wickets, the second highest tally in the league, scored 600 runs and spearheaded his side’s path to the prestigious Worsley Cup Final, taking seven wickets and chiselling out 36 invaluable runs in a low-scoring victory over Haslingden. ‘I played only a one-eleventh part in the game,’ he told the Lancashire Evening Post. ‘The boys have supported me well.’

His next season was even more successful, finishing as the league’s leading wicket-taker, 132 at an average just over 12, scoring an unbeaten 149 against Lowerhouse, his first league hundred.

Rishton’s league rivals East Lancashire came in for his signature, secured after careful thought, his stay at the beautiful Alexandra Meadows in Blackburn then extending to five seasons. As a highly paid and valued league pro Merritt became based all year round in Lancashire and looked around to fulfil his all-round sporting abilities.

In June 1933 it was revealed that he was to have trials with Wigan and he played in an A team game against St Helens Recs alongside his long-term friend and former All Black Gordon Innes, recently arrived from New Zealand. Innes and Merritt went back a long way, playing together in Canterbury rugby union circles and when Innes married in Wigan in 1934 there was only one choice for his best man.

Merritt played again for the A team, then was selected for Wigan’s first team, making his debut against Broughton Rangers at Belle Vue, alongside Innes in a centre-wing partnership. The Wigan side that day included the great Jim Sullivan and Australians Joe Wilson and Hector Gee, but they went down to defeat, 7-6 in front of 6,000 spectators.

Gordon Innes

After three games, Wigan revealed that Merritt had turned down terms and he was released. Innes, though, stayed on, forging a notable career, playing 155 games for Wigan, scoring 60 tries and kicking four goals before leaving for home in late 1938 after a short stint at Castleford.

Advert for London Highfield v Australians 1933

He moved on to the ambitious London Highfield club, playing their first season at the White City, debut in their prestigious midweek tour game against the Kangaroos – the latter’s first time under floodlights. The Australians won 20-5 before a crowd of 14,500 but Merritt more than held his own.

Merritt politely declined Highfield’s offer of an extended deal and instead signed for Halifax, quickly settling in, scoring a debut try, grabbing a brace in a 19-5 home win over Featherstone Rovers, a hat-trick in a 35-7 win over Bramley just before Christmas, another try in victory over Hull Kingston Rovers early in the new year.

Halifax 1933-34, Merritt front row far right

Injuries cut short his season, but he was fit to take up the lucrative contract at East Lancashire, helping his new club reach third place in the Lancashire League, again the league’s highest wicket-taker (114 at a shade under 13) in 1934, but eclipsed by Constantine in the Worsley Cup Final. Constantine took six wickets, then scored an unbeaten 47 in Nelson’s eight wicket win.

Lancashire Evening Post cartoon 1934

As soon as the cricket season was over Merritt was back at Thrum Hall, for a Yorkshire Cup-tie victory over Dewsbury. He played ten games, without scoring, the last a 6-34 defeat at Wigan on 26 Jan 1935, Alf Ellaby, forming a devastating centre-wing partnership with Innes, scoring a hat-trick. It was Bill’s last appearance on a rugby field.

East Lancashire CC

In Merritt’s final year at Alexandra Meadows in 1938 East Lancs agonisingly failed to achieve his goal of a championship win, after a dramatic four-way tie for top spot, decided by a play-off and beaten by George Headley’s Haslingden in the semi-final. Headley was among a glittering cast of some of the world’s top players who Merritt competed against during his seven years in the Lancashire League, Test players Ted McDonald, Alan Fairfax and Arthur Richardson (Australia), Edwin St Hill, Manny Martindale, Constantine and Headley (West Indies), Sydney Barnes, Nobby Clark, Fred Root, Dick Tyldesley (England) and Amar Singh (India).

Merritt married a Birmingham girl and relocated to the Midlands, playing for Northants against Don Bradman’s touring Australians in 1938, then a full county season in 1939 after fulfilling his qualification period. He did well in a struggling side, ever-present, scoring 875 runs at 23, leading wicket-taker with 72 at 30. With war intervening, he initially took a club pro job at Dudley and played occasional friendly games for Northants and other representative sides before army service overseas, mostly in the Mediterranean. He joined the army as a private and ended the war as a Major. He returned to Northants in 1946, taking 61 wickets, second in the list to Nobby Clark, whom he had played against in the Lancashire League.

Merritt played on at Dudley, eventually stepping down as pro and becoming captain, engaging the great George Headley, his opponent in that championship semi-final back in 1938 as the paid man. Dudley won the Birmingham League in 1952, both Test match players key men over the season. The Dudley link was important to the Headley family; his son Ron was a long-standing opening batsman for Worcestershire, Ron’s son Dean, born in Worcestershire playing Test cricket for England. Merritt returned to New Zealand, took up tennis, reaching A grade standard, also excelling at golf. He died at 68 in 1977.

Yorkshire exiles

Posted by Tony Hutton

For as many years as I can remember, during my long cricket watching career, Yorkshire exiles have been finding fame, if not fortunes, with other counties. Obviously at one time this was due to the wealth of home grown talent being produced which meant that many good players had to go elsewhere to get regular first class cricket.  For instance in the late 1940s Northamptonshire fielded Ken Fiddling, Fred Jakeman and Des Barrick. At a later stage many established players were not happy with the financial rewards or length of contracts being offered, as when Raymond Illingworth departed for Leicestershire.

Coming up to date we seem to have entered a more football type era where cricketers change counties at the drop of a hat. Yorkshire now seem particularly prone to bringing in players not only from overseas, but established performers from other counties to the detriment of the continuing pipe line of players produced by the admirable Yorkshire Academy.

 Yorkshire v The Yorkshiremen at Scarborough 1986                                               

My picture shows twenty two Yorkshire born players who appeared at the 1986 Scarborough Festival in a match between Yorkshire and the Yorkshiremen (a team of exiles). Many are very well known personalities, others slightly less well known, and to enable you to try and work through them all I will give the full list at the end of the blog.

To give you a few clues I can tell you that Yorkshire batted first in this one day 55 overs per side match. Top scorers were Ashley Metcalfe and Jim Love, both with 55, and Kevin Sharp (who surprisingly kept wicket) with 50. Best bowlers for the Exiles were Neil Mallender with 3-60 and Steve Oldham with 2-30. When the Yorkshiremen replied they fell just nine runs short, with the unlikely number nine, Neil Mallender, top scoring with 53 not out. Best bowler for Yorkshire was Chris Shaw with 4-19.

It is interesting to anticipate what a game between these two sides would look like next season. It would certainly please some of those who regret the passing of such typical festival games and would produce an excellent team of exiles from the present day. Here is just one possible line up consisting mainly of players released by Yorkshire, with the addition of a young man from Doncaster who grew up in Australia and now plays for Glamorgan.

1. Alex Lees (Durham), 2.Will Rhodes (Warwickshire), 3. Jack Leaning (Kent), 4. Billy Root (Glamorgan). 5. Charles Hemphrey (Glamorgan), 6. Tim Bresnan (Warwickshire), 7. Ed Barnes (Leicestershire), 8. Jared Warner (Gloucestershire), 9. Josh Shaw (Gloucestershire) 10. Ben Sanderson (Northants), 11. Oliver Hannon-Dalby (Warwickshire).  

Unfortunately we would need to ask for a volunteer to keep wicket.

Now comes the interesting bit when we consider what sort of team Yorkshire might field against them. With a little bit of poetic license it is just possible to select eleven more or less current players who did not have the privilege of being born in Yorkshire and played for other counties or countries.

1. Kohler-Cadmore (Worcestershire), 2. Ballance (Derbyshire), 3. Malan (Middlesex), 4. Willey (Northants), 5. Pooran (West Indies), 6. Maharaj (South Africa), 7. Bess (Somerset), 8. Poysden (Warwickshire), 9. Pillans (Surrey), 10. Ashwin (India), 11. Olivier (South Africa).

Obviously these two teams will never take the field, which is all a bit sad when you consider in the good old days we used to have teams like 'One legged men' against 'One armed men', not to mention the likes of H.D.G. Leveson-Gower's XI or T.N. Pearce's XI at Scarborough.

However to put some of you out of your misery here is the full list of players from the photograph above:-

Back row:- Chris Balderstone, Neil Mallender, Steve Oldham, Bill Athey, James Whittaker, Tim Boon, Richard Hutton, Jim Love, Simon Dennis, Stuart Fletcher, Neil Hartley, Martyn Moxon, Ashley Metcalfe, Philip Robinson and Kevin Sharp.

Front row:- Steven Rhodes, Don Wilson, Raymond Illingworth, Brian Close, Phil Carrick, Arnie Sidebottom and Chris Shaw.

Martindale's maiden century

By Mike Latham

I’ve always ‘collected’ hundreds, making a note each time I see a batsman reach the magical three-figure mark.

There are lots of famous names on my list, the first entrant Alvin Kallicharran, who scored a century in defeat for his side, Warwickshire in a John Player League game at Chesterfield against Derbyshire in 1971.

There are players who feature prominently- Geoff Boycott (who I saw score ten centuries), Javed Miandad, who I intend to write about shortly, Zaheer Abbas, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and there are names that feature just once on my list.

One of these is Duncan Martindale, who I saw score his maiden first-class century, for Nottinghamshire against Lancashire at Old Trafford in August 1985.

At the time I remember thinking that he was on the verge of something special. Calm and composed, with a good range of shots, he batted splendidly that day, but for whatever reason his early promise was not quite realised.

The county season was much more predictable back in 1985 and the Lancs-Notts fixture at Old Trafford followed a familiar pattern, Championship game Saturday, Monday, Tuesday with a John Player League game (40 overs) on the Sunday.

Lancashire batted through the Saturday, reaching 334 for 9 at the close, Varsity man David Varey opening with 87, Neil Fairbrother, easily the county’s leading run-scorer that year, 66. Off memory it was a humdrum day, as Andy Pick, Kevin Cooper and Eddie Hemmings all toiled away in long spells, eventually rewarded with three wickets apiece.

Sunday was rain-affected, the game restricted to 20 overs per side, Notts 115 for 5, Lancashire winning by five wickets with two balls to spare.

Monday dawned overcast but with the promise of better weather ahead as I joined the usual band of enthusiasts on the Hornby Stand. For some reason I elected to take up a far lower position than normal and with my trusty Praktica camera and monopod in operation captured some spectacular action.

Lancashire’s innings was quickly over, last man Patrick Patterson, with no pretensions to bating, bowled by Pick without addition to the overnight total.

Patterson, then aged 24, was a Jamaican bowler who could produce spells of quite frightening pace and hostility. In that season with Lancashire, he was erratic, eventually taking 34 wickets at 31. But he moved into Test cricket with West Indies the following January, making his debut against England on his home ground, taking seven wickets in the game as the tourists were routed by ten wickets.

He went on to play 28 Tests, 59 ODIs and his potential was obvious that August Monday morning. Looking back at my photos, I can remember his menace in an opening spell that really make me sit up and take notice.

In those days, deciding the right moment to take a photo was far harder than in the digital age, but I managed to capture some of the action.

First to go, Derek Randall, bowled by Patterson, Notts 16-1, Allan Jones the umpire.

Chris Broad edged Patterson but the ball fell agonisingly short of John Abrahams at slip.

Notts captain Clive Rice also had his stumps shattered, 27-2.

Paul Johnson, bowled Mike Watkinson, 31-3.

Enter Martindale, who had not been selected for the Sunday game. It was only his fourth first-class match of his debut season and he had scored 90 runs, twice not out, in four innings. Born in Harrogate and then aged 21, it was his breakthrough game.

Centuries in second team cricket against Essex and Yorkshire had earned him the opportunity in the firsts with Tim Robinson away, starring for England with 148 in the fifth Test victory by an innings over Australia at Edgbaston.

Martindale weathered the early storm from Patterson, then calmly set about compiling what I recall was a highly impressive innings. Together with Broad he added 143 for the fourth wicket before the England man was bowled by Patterson for 84.

Though his next partner, Kevin Evans was quickly lbw to the persevering Jack Simmons, Martindale always looked composed.

Kevin Evans lbw Simmons, Jack Birkenshaw the umpire, John Stanworth the wicketkeeper.

In partnership with Bruce French, the wicketkeeper, Martindale reached his landmark century, acknowledged with a wave of the bat and polite applause from the Lancashire fielders and crowd.

Martindale drives Ian Folley through the offside.

Martindale reaches his century, Jack Simmons leading the applause.

Notts captain Rice declared on 253-5, an innings that ate up 92.2 overs, Martindale unbeaten on 104, Patterson 3-43 off 21 overs.

Lancashire finished the second day 5-1, Varey bowled Pick, but the weather closed in and there was no play on the last day and the game was drawn.

Notts finished eighth that year, Lancashire trailing in 14^th.

Martindale went on to play 55 first-class games for Notts, the last in 1991, scoring 1,861 runs at an average of 24.81. He scored three more centuries, 103 against Warwickshire in 1987, 128 against Cambridge and an unbeaten 108 against Northants in 1990.

He played a further 19 List A games, scoring 343 runs at 26, later that year making his Notts one day debut, remarkably, in the Natwest Trophy Final against Essex at Lord’s, left unbeaten on 20 as his side lost a dramatic game by one run.

He later played, briefly, for Herefordshire, scoring a century on debut against Cheshire.

I understand that he is now a teacher and his son, Ben, plays for Caythorpe and the Notts Academy. If you know him, please pass on this article as I don’t recall too many photographers being around that day over 35 years ago. 

A Passage to India

 Posted by Tony Hutton

India's recent victory in Sydney was cause for great celebration throughout the Indian sub-continent last week and took my mind back to my first visit to watch cricket there in January 1995. It was really a very fortuitous occasion as my son, then working on the early days of televised cricket in India, required a courier to take a very expensive television camera lens from UK. With a small team of camera men he was covering the England A team match with India A at Eden Gardens, Calcutta (as it still was). Being very recently retired I was readily available and off I went with my valuable piece of equipment.

After a rather hair raising evening journey through the suburbs and crowded streets of the city I was deposited at the quiet, luxury oasis of the Oberoi Hotel which seemed to be a different world. The next day after a walk across the open land of the Maidan littered with seemingly endless cricket grounds, we arrived at the impressive huge Eden Gardens arena. It was almost deserted, with only a scattering of spectators. Obviously England A were not a major draw card for the local population.

The almost deserted Eden Gardens.

However we had an excellent viewpoint from the television gantry and were in situ for each day of the five day game. The first thing we noticed was the scoreboard which had a rather unique list of the England players' names. As you can see from the photograph it was a mixture of surnames and christian names which took a little working out.

Michael turned out to be Vaughan, Jason was Gallian, Dominic was Cork and finally Richard was Stemp. Having sorted that out we enjoyed the first day's play with England well on top initially by reducing India to 95-7.  The opening bowlers Cork and Glen Chapple did most of the damage with three wickets each, including two players starting their careers who we would see a lot of in years to come - Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly. However later in the day a fine innings from Chatterjee at number nine, who made 72 not out, brought a final all out total of 216.

Our vantage point from the scaffolding in the centre of the picture.

The following day England made a rather pedestrian 275-6 against some tight bowling with skipper Alan Wells top scoring on 93 being well supported by Lancashire's Jason Gallian with 77. The hot day was made more tolerable, indeed as were all the others, by the wonderful char wallah who kept us regularly supplied with cups of sweet, milky tea throughout the day. It turned out that he was a famous net bowler at the ground and proudly took a battered newspaper cutting from his pocket which listed all the famous players he had bowled out in the nets. These included Garry Sobers, Colin Cowdrey and many others. Sadly he had not been able to play in matches due to his lower caste.

                                            Not a spectator in sight.

                                 However the local police were taking no chances.

On day three England's innings rather subsided as 301-6 soon became 316 all out. However a lead of 100 seemed quite satisfactory. India then made a better fist of their second innings and not only cleared the first innings lead, but added a further hundred runs to end the day on 204-2. The hero of the day was opening bat Rathour, with a not out century while Dravid showed his class with 46 not out. During the intervals and after play finished we were able to wander around the Maidan to see endless games of cricket, often overlapping, being played with great enthusiasm. 

Looks like another char wallah on his way to one of the Maidan grounds.

Cricket on the Maidan.

Dominic Cork made the breakthrough England need on Day four by dismissing both overnight batsmen, but on 300-4 India had a lead of 200 and looked capable of setting England a daunting target. The three English spinners toiled away all day, Stemp bowling 42 overs and Min Patel 33. Salisbury only bowled 14 overs but they all managed two wickets each and eventually managed to bowl India out for 353. England now needed 254 to win and ended the fourth day on 80-2 with Nick Knight on 39 not out. 

On the final morning England were soon in trouble both Knight and nightwatchman Patel were soon out with the total on 82-4. However a match winning partnership between skipper Wells and Glamorgan's David Hemp swung the game back England's way. Wells was out just before the end after a well made 65 and Hemp had got to 97 with just two runs to win. He needed to hit a four to get his century but the ball stopped tantalisingly short of the boundary. The batsmen managed to run three and everyone including Hemp thought he had got to his century. England had won by five wickets.

However the drama continued. During his after match interview David Hemp had the great disappointment of being told that the match had ended when the second run had been taken, so the third run did not count and he had ended on 99 not out !

So a memorable five days at the wonderful Eden Gardens.

                                                                  

When did it last happen?

 posted by John Winn N

News of England's win over Sri Lanka earlier in the week was on most occasions accompanied by the statistic that this was the fourth successive away win for Root's men, a feat last accomplished by England in the 1950s with some media outlets specifying that 1957 was the year in question.  This last piece of information triggered something in my brain which brought 'South Africa 56-7' to mind, a tour when Peter May's XI won the first two tests of the series. All that was needed now was to find the two wins that had started that successful run and after barking up a couple of misleading trees the grey cells recalled that in those days visits to New Zealand were tagged on to Ashes contests. Wisden confirmed that after England had won an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since 1932-33 they played two tests in New Zealand in March 1955 both of which were won with ease. Bingo. 

The last day of the second of these two tests, and it was only the third day, was on March 28th 1955 almost six months after MCC ( England in test matches only) sailed from Tilbury, a voyage that was to end at Fremantle on October 7th but not without a call at Colombo for a one day match against Ceylon as Sri Lanka was then known. The fifth test against Australia, more of which anon, ended on March 3rd and two days later England had changed back into MCC sweaters to take the field against Canterbury with a team that included seven of those who two days earlier had been in action in Sydney. MCC won by seven wickets and in a little under a week's time Hutton won the toss and invited New Zealand to bat in the first test. Victory by 8 wickets duly followed as did a win against Wellington before the second and final test in Auckland. 

Like its predecessor the second test lasted only three days although this time NZ elected to bat and runs for Sutcliffe and Reid got them to 200. Hutton batted at five in England's reply and top scored with 53 for a lead of 46 which amazingly proved enough as the Kiwis were bowled out for just 26, a score that remains the lowest in test cricket. The pace of Tyson and Statham and the spin of Wardle meant that only 26 overs were needed to complete the job. Two down, two to go. 

MCC sent only an A team to Pakistan in the winter of 55-56. Captained by DB Carr they created controversy off the field with high jinks that misfired. As MCC, not England, they played two representative matches against Pakistan drawing the first and losing the second. So it is to South Africa that we must turn to continue England's run of away successes but not before a brief look back to the last test in Australia 18 months earlier. The Ashes had been retained at Adelaide in the fourth test but torrential rain and flooding reduced playing time in the final test to just over 13 hours. Even so that was enough to give England a sniff of victory. Their total of 371 for 7 declared, century for Graveney, allowed Hutton enough room to enforce the follow on by just one run. Watson, Favell and Harvey went cheaply but Miller, Burge and Benaud saved the day and face and the last over of the tour was sent down by Hutton who bowled Benaud with his sixth delivery leaving England still needing four wickets.

MCC began the tour in fine style with skipper May hitting four centuries in in a row but this form was to desert him in a low scoring series ( the average score in 18 completed innings was under 200) and what runs were scored were generally at a funereal pace. MCC began the tour in late  October and played nine first class matches before the first test in Johannesburg at Christmas. Both sides were bowled out twice and Peter Richardson and Colin Cowdrey were the only two to score over fifty in an innings. South Africa were all out for 72 in their second innings to leave England winners by 131 runs. In those days scoring rates were calculated by runs per hour and the rate for the match was just 28 runs per hour. A clearer picture might be given by opener Richardson's score at the end of the first day, 69 not out.

The second test at Cape Town provided more runs but with South Africa bowled out for  second time for 72 ( 7 wickets for Wardle) England had an easy win by 312 runs and the rubber looked theirs for the taking but England's run of victories came to an end in the third test in Durban. To cut to the chase South Africa were set 190 to win in just over four hours, a target which would rarely pose any problems in present day cricket but in the context of the series 45 an hour was positively breakneck. In the afternoon session South Africa scored only fifty runs while losing three wickets but a partnership of 75 between Funston and Endean gave them a sniff of victory only for them both to fall with the score at 124. Up went the shutters, only 18 more runs were scored, Waite hit 1 off 36 balls and no more wickets were taken. Match drawn, run of away successes comes to an end and it would be churlish not to mention that South Africa won the last two tests to square the series. 

And so to tomorrow when an England XI will attempt to make it five away wins in a row when they tackle Sri Lanka at Galle. When if ever England have won five tests in a row away from home comforts I have no idea but some how one feels that that particular hare will be set free over the course of the next few days. 

Goddard catches Compton in Pretoria 1956/7. The bowler is Tayfield who in the Durban test bowled 137 consecutive scoreless deliveries

Yorkshire restore order

 posted by John Winn

Warwickshire went from 1911 to 1951 without winning the county championship and even allowing for the interruptions caused by two world wars this is a long period. The years between 1919 and 1930 were particularly barren for only twice in this time did they finish in the top ten, ninth in 1924 and 8th in 1925, years in which they could rely on the hero of my last posting, Harry Howell, to bowl a thousand overs and take at least 100 wickets. 

In 'The trouble with Harry' I referred to the one occasion in his career when Howell took all ten wickets in an innings, at Edgbaston in 1923, a season which was typical of many for Warwickshire between the wars. Wisden describes that season as 'disappointing' with twelve out of twenty six games lost and only six won, a set of results that saw them finish 12th out of 17 counties. Harry's 'tenfor' was achieved against Yorkshire in a match beginning on May 23rd and 'put into the shade everything else that was done for the county during the season'. (Wisden). Too much reliance on Howell and a decided lack of class in the batting explained their lowly position. 

Warwickshire came into the match with an easy win over Worcestershire, a draw against Northants and a defeat by Derbyshire to their name. Yorkshire had thrashed Glamorgan, Worcestershire and Middlesex and drawn with Lancashire (of course) before arriving in Birmingham. Rain washed out much of the first day, there was no play until 4:30, but before the close Howell had reduced the champions to 67 for 5, Oldroyd 32 not out. Refreshed possibly by a couple of pints of Brew XI*, our Harry returned next day to clear up the remaining five wickets and leave Yorkshire 113 all out, Oldroyd top scored with 44 and Howell's figures were 25.1-5-51-10.

That was about as good as it got for Warwickshire for they succumbed to 110 all out with Macaulay and Kilner in the wickets. Batting did not get any easier and at 59 for 5 in their second knock Yorkshire's condition was 'critical' but they were rescued by Kilner and Leyland with a stand of 84 and although play could not begin until 3:30 on the third day Yorkshire were able to 'force a win' by 84 runs. WG Quaife top scored for Warwickshire with 22 and Macaulay added four to the five wickets he had taken in the first innings. The two sides met again at Hull in July when Howell bowled another 50+ overs with nine wickets in the match. Yorkshire won by 96 runs but on the first morning Howell threatened briefly to repeat his feat of taking all ten. Yorkshire's first five contributed only 16 runs but Harry's progress to another clean sweep was thwarted when Leyland was run out and Harry had to be content with just six victims to which he added another three in the second innings. Not content with his efforts with the ball our hero scored 36 in the first innings, his highest score in first class cricket. What a man. 

*Brew XI is still available but the beer for 'The Men of The Midlands' is brewed in Cardiff. And people ask what's wrong with the world. 

Six Warwickshire stalwarts of the 1920s

(left to right) 

EJ Smith WG Quaife, FSG Calthorpe, JH Parsons, LA Bates, H Howell

England's most northerly cricket ground

By Mike Latham

One of my favourite cricket grounds is Pier Field, the home of Berwick Cricket Club, the most northerly cricket ground in England.

These days the club fields two teams in the Northumberland and Tyneside Cricket League.

Getting there by car is not for the faint-hearted. The ground is approached by going through a gap in the historic town walls, then along the narrow road that has a steep drop towards the sea with not even a handrail to assist a pedestrian, never mind a barrier for the motorist.

The famous artist, LS Lowry, holidayed in Berwick-upon-Tweed every year for many years and painted many of the town’s landmarks. There’s a Lowry trail you can follow, which includes the stone-built pier, the distinctive red and white-painted lighthouse and the colourful bandstand that you pass on the way to the cricket.

The cricket-lover then follows the small, narrow road up the hill that opens-up towards the wonderful expanse of land that houses the cricket club.

Berwick CC, founded 1844

Berwick CC have been playing here since 1844 and in 2019 celebrated their 175^th anniversary, a proud achievement. The field is spacious with wonderful views eastwards to the sea and looking south towards Tweedmouth, Spittal and further to Holy Island and beyond.

No need for sightscreens…

There is no need for sightscreens. If bowling from the north end the bowler’s arm comes out of the sky; from the south end the middle properties in a row of terraces are thoughtfully painted white.

…from either end

The Magdalene Fields Golf Club is situated to the north; beyond a Haven Holiday Park that the famous actress, Julie Walters visited a few years ago for a television series on the area, when she interviewed some of the caravan occupants, struck as she was by the stunning views.

The cricket club was founded on 28 June 1844 when around fifty enthusiasts banded together to acquire the use of land beyond the Elizabethan Walls at the Cowport gate.

It has had many ups and downs since then, at times threatened by extinction due to declining player numbers, only to be happily revived.

The field has also been used for other purposes; once a training ground for Berwick Rangers while grass tennis courts were laid out during the summer months, an annual week-long competition held. There is a nice, modern pavilion and a fine electronic scoreboard and the people involved in the club are real enthusiasts. It is a good job they are, as competing in the league requires often long journeys down the A1. Allendale away requires a round trip of 184 miles.

The Berwick CC marquee for the 175th celebrations 

Back in the day the club was also home to the cricket team from the neighbouring barracks, the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Cricketers would come straight from parade in time to bat or bowl.

Many games were staged on Thursdays as the twice-weekly corn and cattle markets, held Wednesday and Saturday, occupied the attentions of many aspiring cricketers.

League cricket came late to Berwick, the team finally entering the Border League in 1986. The second team later entered the now defunct Alnwick & District League, and in more recent seasons both first and second elevens have participated in the Northumberland and Tyneside Cricket League.

One hundred years or so ago the Berwick CC fixture list would look far different than it does today. There was an annual Berwick Cricket Week, often including touring sides from Edinburgh or the Newcastle area, an eagerly contested Berwick v Berwickshire County match.

Coldstream CC, sadly long defunct, were great rivals, including in their number old Etonian Lord Dunglass, later Sir Alec Douglas-Home, the only British Prime Minister to have played first-class cricket (for MCC, Oxford University and Middlesex).

Obtaining a third in Modern History at Christ Church College did not detain him long and, in those days, he seemed far more interested in cricket than politics. A sensible chap, and judging from the reports of the time, someone who was highly respected among the tightly knit Border community.

In 2019 the former Snooker World Champion John Parrott was guest of honour at the club’s 175^th anniversary dinner and by all accounts did an outstanding job. The club also proudly hosted the MCC that year, 25 years after their previous visit.

Previous speakers at the club’s annual dinner include such notables as Brian Close, Dickie Bird, AC (Alan) Smith, Brian Bolus and Phil Edmonds.

Cricket finally returns, July 2020

In July 2020, on the first Saturday of cricket after the Lockdown I attended Pier Field, an excellent in-house game between the club’s members prior to the start of league cricket the following Saturday.

It was wonderful to see cricket being played again after such a long delay.

I noticed a bench seat, a remnant of the old Mound Stand at Lord’s, dating back to 1887

During my visit I got talking to a veteran member who informed me that cricketing greats Frank Woolley and Tich Freeman had once played at the ground.

When I got home, I discovered Pier Field hosted a two-day game between Berwickshire and Kent in September 1925 during Kent’s five-match tour of Scotland.

That got me thinking and, since then, I have researched the tour, alongside my friend from deepest Norfolk, the estimable Mike Davage- and a fascinating story unfolds. It is a story we hope to recreate in book form later this year. It won’t be a best-seller, but it’s a great story all the better for the telling.