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