University cricket lives, for now.

Posted by Tony Hutton

For several years the six leading cricketing universities were sponsored by the M.C.C. and all had the title of M.C.C.U. Nice and easy that one which everyone understood as M.C.C. Universities. This very successful sponsorship, which produced a whole host of first class cricketers, ceased after the 2019 season and they were taken under the unwelcoming wing of the E.C.B. The 2020 University season never got started, but it was assumed that all would revert to their original names of U.C.C.E.s. which stood for University Centres of Cricketing Excellence.

However this week with some of the University teams involved in friendly games against first class counties there still seems some confusion. Mostly they do seem to have reverted to U.C.C.E. but some are still described as M.C.C.U. To add further confusion Loughborough University now seem to be known as MPCS which apparently stands for Men's Performance Cricket Squad. By the way they all seem to have now lost their first class status.

Live streaming at Headingley showcases University cricket at it's best.

However enough of that, although it is still not clear whether inter varsity three day cricket will return and more likely that the new sponsors will continue to advance the cause of one day and T20 cricket as they have already done with Minor Counties and County Cricket. The good news of course is that teams like Oxford, Cardiff, Loughborough and Leeds/Bradford have already been able to put teams into the field against counties, despite the difficulties of university life during the pandemic and the obvious lack of practice.

The three day game at Headingley between Yorkshire and Leeds/Bradford which terminated today has given University cricket a real shot in the arm. There should have been another game at the Racecourse Ground, Durham, where the University were due to play Durham county, but the local authorities were refused permission to play because of the difficulty in closing the ground to spectators. 

No spectators of course at Headingley but we were able to watch live streaming, without any commentary though.  The University were at first up against it with Yorkshire batting on into the second morning to compile a huge score of 485-5 declared. All the top five batsmen scored well over 50 with Kohler-Cadmore going on to a century before retiring. When the University side batted, no doubt exhausted after more than a day in the field in amazingly high temperatures for March, they immediately lost a wicket and further humiliation seemed in store.

Two happy batsmen, Cornall and De Caries, at the close of day two.            Picture by John Heald.

However, the two batsmen Taylor Cornall and Josh De Caries got their heads down and gave the Yorkshire bowlers an early season lesson they are unlikely to forget. Between them they put on a partnership of 270 for the second wicket, which was a Leeds/Bradford record. Both players were into the nineties at the end of day two and both completed their centuries soon after play started this morning. The left handed Taylor Cornall, who has played for  Lancashire seconds and comes from Lytham St Annes, was the first to that landmark, shortly followed by Josh De Caries, who just happens to be the son of Mike Atherton.

Taylor Cornall celebrates his century.                                               Picture by John Heald.

We had seen De Caries, who was making his debut for Leeds/Bradford, play for Middlesex Under 19s at Todmorden a couple of years ago and he has in fact signed a three year rookie contract with Middlesex. He retired from the fray on 118 with sixteen fours, but Cornall batted on to make 142, with twenty one fours and one six, before being dismissed by  Yorkshire's eighth bowler Matt Revis, who proceeded to take two more wickets as the middle order disintegrated. A stubborn last wicket stand lasted until tea when the University declared at 382-9.

Josh de Caries celebrates his century.                                  Picture by John Heald.

Yorkshire batted again but only briefly and the game ended in a draw, but with full marks to the University players for a splendid effort. No doubt we shall hear much more of both these young players in the years to come.

When Fergie Suter played cricket for Darwen

By Mike Latham

Essential Lockdown viewing was The English Game on Netflix, tracing the story of Glaswegian stonemason Fergie Suter who came south to play for Darwen FC in 1878, effectively becoming association football’s first professional player. Suter later moved, controversially, to Darwen’s bitter rivals Blackburn Rovers, playing in four FA Cup Finals during the 1880s, three on the winning side.

Barley Bank in 1891 (BM 506-8, to the west of Mills)- a former Football League ground and once home to the old Darwen CC

Darwen FC at the time shared their Barley Bank ground with Darwen Cricket Club, but the latter sadly went defunct after their 1895 AGM, citing a lack of support and increasing liabilities, then standing at £137. The football club, early members of the Football League for eight seasons, including two in the top-flight, moved grounds to The Anchor in 1899.

Fergie Suter, Darwen and Blackburn Rovers footballer

Cricket was revived in Darwen in the early 1900s and a local league set up, which soon had ten member clubs. One of those was Darwen Etrurians CC, first season in 1902, who had ambitious plans to become the town’s premier club, providing they could secure a suitable ground.

Barley Bank, left vacant, described as ‘neither use nor ornament’ but at least the only reasonably flat piece of land in the area was considered before another site known as ‘Birch Hall Meadows’ was secured. After moving up to the North East Lancashire League, the club joined the Ribblesdale Cricket League in 1909.

By now Fergie Suter was landlord of the Millstone Hotel on Bridge Street in the town, his son Fergus Alexander, a clerk at a wallpaper manufacturer, a promising cricketer. Suter junior first played for the Etrurians in 1908 at the age of 15 and when the club changed its name, dropping the Etrurians tag to become simply Darwen CC he was one of the main bowlers.

Somerset Cricketers 1882-1914 by Stephen Hill (Halsgrove, 2016)

As well as viewing series on Netflix, cricket reading has been a great way of passing the last year. By chance two books arrived on the same day- the simply wonderful Somerset Cricketers 1882-1914 by Stephen Hill, a monumental labour of love and a rather more modest production, but interesting none the less, A Statistical History of Darwen Cricket Club by David Bonner. David was a fine cricketer for the club but now lives in South Wales, where he umpires.

David Bonner’s Darwen book (Amazon)

You know how it is when you’re reading several books at the same time- sometimes facts and names get jumbled together. When I was looking at Stephen Hill’s outstandingly researched book a name came to mind- Jimmy Maxwell. The name rang a bell. There was a J Maxwell, an early pro for Darwen. I set out to find out more.

Maxwell, we find was the 173^rd player to represent Somerset, born Taunton in 1883, the tenth child of a travelling draper, Thomas and his wife Sarah. He attended Taunton School, a leading light in the cricket team, a fierce hitter and hostile fast bowler, and graduated to the Somerset side, playing ten first-class games between 1906 and 1908.

Jimmy Maxwell in 1906

On the face of it he didn’t do badly in a struggling side, notable performances including batting at ten and hitting an aggressive, unbeaten 67 against Gloucestershire at Bath, taking seven wickets, including Test batsmen JT Tyldesley and AC MacLaren in a match against Lancashire at Aigburth.

The St Helens ground of Swansea CC in more recent times

In 1907 Maxwell moved to Swansea where he was a popular cricket professional, and later became a stalwart of the Glamorganshire county side that then played in the Minor Counties, playing 52 games. He scored three centuries for his adopted county, averaged 26 with the bat, took 165 wickets at a shade under 14.

During the war he moved back to Taunton, in 1917 joining the Royal Garrison Artillery until the war was over. ‘Jimmy Maxwell’s career as a professional cricketer had come to an end,’ we are told in Stephen Hill’s book. ‘He focused instead on his business interests and the less onerous demands of club cricket. He died in Taunton on 27 December 1967 at the age of eighty-four.’

Which just goes to show however meticulously researched the book- and this, believe me is meticulous- there’s always something more you can find out.  In listing the Darwen club’s professionals, David Bonner had triggered something.

Sure enough, further research revealed that, let down by a proposed move for a Bedfordshire player, Frank Pestell, Darwen CC advertised for a professional in early 1920.

The Darwen CC advert for a professional

Jimmy Maxwell must have seen the advert for, on 15 March, the local newspaper revealed: “NEW PRO. FOR DARWEN CRICKET CLUB. Darwen Cricket Club on Saturday signed professional and coach J Maxwell, of Taunton. For seven years he was professional for Swansea and played for Glamorganshire County in every match during that period. He also played for Somerset against Lancashire and Yorkshire. Having served in the Army, his last batting average was in 1914, when he averaged 66 runs. He is a fast right-arm bowler.”

Maxwell teamed up with Fergie Suter junior, the latter having also returned home from war service, also in the Royal Garrison Artillery. Sadly, his father, Fergie senior had passed away in Blackpool during 1916 after suffering ill health for several years.

Darwen CC’s Birch Hall ground

The Ribblesdale League had three newcomers, Skipton, Blackpool and Read, the latter having re-formed after the war, losing Cherry Tree and Blackburn Railway Clerks who both competed in the 1919 season. The other member clubs were Whalley, Barrow (a village near Clitheroe, not Barrow-in-Furness), Settle, Clitheroe, Chorley and Burnley St Andrew’s.

Darwen finished mid-table, Maxwell often the main contributor to a batting line-up that often failed to function. In an early game, for example he made 36 out of an all-out total of 56 against Ribblesdale Wanderers. He combined with Suter to bowl out Read for 85 at Birch Hall, Maxwell 4-6, Suter 5-16, but in reply Darwen were dismissed for 82. After a desperately wet Spring the grounds in East Lancashire were still soaking by June, the Darwen square described as ‘spongy’ and not suiting a fast-bowling professional. But on a fast pitch at Stanley Park in June, Maxwell showed his mettle, taking 5-16 against Blackpool.

An advert for Burnley St Andrew’s against Darwen (including Maxwell) in 1920

In his final appearance at Birch Hall he made a brisk 31 against Whalley. Just as he had been at Swansea Maxwell was described as a popular pro and was re-engaged for the following season.

But Maxwell’s stay at Darwen was to prove a brief one. In January 1921 there was a brief report under the heading: “DARWEN PRO. UNABLE TO PLAY NEXT SEASON.”

J Maxwell, the Glamorganshire County cricketer, who was professional to Darwen CC in the Ribblesdale League last season, and was re-engaged, has notified the club that owing to illness he will be unable to play this summer.

The club’s balance sheet showed that there was a loss on the 1920 season of £66, the professional and groundsman paid £238 between them at a time when the average wage in the UK was around £160.

Darwen replaced Maxwell with a local pro, Johnny Pollard of Accrington, who was the paid man at Birch Hall for six out of the next seven seasons. Suter junior, meanwhile, faded from the scene and moved down south, his death recorded in Middlesex in 1959, aged 67.

Proceed with caution

posted by John Winn

As Tony described in his latest posting county cricket is gearing itself up for the start of the championship  on April 8th with a number of practice matches up and down the country. The April edition of 'The  Cricketer' was delivered yesterday with its wallchart of the summer's first class cricket fixtures plus limited over matches. Having blacked out all fixtures in the hundred it makes pleasant reading. If and when spectators will be allowed to see any of the matches is another matter.  

I am a  more confident that I will be able to see some league cricket, for with a bit of luck and within three miles of my house I should see action on April 10th when Green Hammerton of the Leeds and Wetherby League take on Barwick in Elmet. The L and W are this season's pace setters for the great majority leagues have stuck to the traditional third Saturday of April before making the first call of play and thus will not begin until April 17th although a couple of leagues still have to declare their hand. 

Here is a list of leagues between Sheffield and Newcastle and their starting dates. 

April 10th Leeds and Wetherby 

April 17th NYSD, Yorkshire Premier South, North East Premier, Darlington and District, Aire Wharf, Huddersfield, Pontefract, Dales Council, Halifax, Craven and District, Bradford, 

April 24th Yorkshire Premier North, Durham North East, York and District, Scarborough Becket, Nidderdale, 

I can find no fixtures for the Langbaurgh League and the Bradford Mutual Sunday School League

Tomorrow March 29th is another key day in the government road map out of lockdown with further freedoms due on April 12th. The 'stay at home' rule ends tomorrow but many restrictions will remain in place and much will be left to the individual's judgement. On the government website the words NOT BEFORE before precede each date and data is more important than date in the plan's implementation. 

The Lower Ure Valley has had some very dry weather in March a benefit of which is that my garden looks in reasonable shape and although today is cold and windy and rain is likely this afternoon, unseasonably high temperatures are forecast for a couple of days this week especially on Tuesday when 20 degrees is promised. Schools in North Yorkshire 'broke up' on Friday and talking to a  neighbour yesterday she mentioned a possible trip to Saltburn, a fifty five mile journey, where it would be 'quiet'. Like Captain Pugwash's cabin boy Tom, I smiled and said nothing but it certainly takes full advantage of the relaxation of the stay at home rule and one person's quiet is another person's bedlam. The big test of the nation's responsible behaviour will of course come next weekend and fortunately, especially for Easter Monday, the forecast is not good.

The above paragraph is a long winded way of saying that I am concerned that perhaps fortified by the speed of the roll out of the vaccination programme people will throw caution to the winds and undo the good that has been done by the measures of the last three months. Should the result be a rise in cases then the roadmap may be redrawn and the dates for the start of league cricket revised. If you think that I am being unduly pessimistic then I draw your attention to the York Vale league website which stresses that an April 24th start is only Plan A and outlines Plan B and Plan C as back up. 

Streaming centuries already

Posted by Tony Hutton

 The last week has seen a variety of pre-season county matches with the majority of counties now able to live stream the action. Some are still in the trial period with no commentary or sound effects at all, others have just the sounds from the middle and others have full commentary, usually with the local BBC radio commentators in action. Standards obviously vary but by and large this gives the professional cricket watcher an amazing choice of games to follow during this waiting period before spectators are admitted and we can watch the games live.

One of the games that was not covered in full, but with short video clips, was Yorkshire's friendly at Derby. Strangely this game was Yorkshire's first eleven against Derbyshire's second eleven, with a variety of very young academy players. Derbyshire's first team squad were involved with a game at Leicester.        Even so Yorkshire's website went over the top yesterday when announcing that Josh Poysden had taken five wickets, thus emphasising the strength of Yorkshire's spin attack. To be fair all of them were not only tail enders but mostly 16 or 17 year old Academy lads, which emphasises very little.

However, not to be churlish, good to see Poysden back in action after dreadful injury problems last season. No centuries in the match at Derby, but they were there in plenty just down the road at Trent Bridge where Nottinghamshire were taking on Oxford University. The visitors with very little practice and a somewhat inexperienced squad took a hammering on the first day, when despite dismissing three leading batsmen in Hameed, Duckett and Clarke, very cheaply they were taken to the cleaners with centuries from Slater, Compton and Mullaney.

Trent Bridge in happier times.

Nottinghamshire then declared on 410-4. The century makers included the grandson of Denis Compton, Ben, who was born in South Africa. Slater of course came from Derbyshire and was described by Dave Bracegirdle, of BBC Nottingham, as the 'Chesterfield Cruncher'. Mullaney, another import from Lancashire, is now the county captain. In fact looking at the Nottinghamshire squad I think nine of the team are imported from other counties. A precedent which Yorkshire seem intent on following.

Back to the action at Trent Bridge and Oxford perhaps predictably collapsed early on losing their first four wickets for only 23 runs and had only progressed to73-5 when Mohammed Rizvi and Calvin Harrison came together. They proceeded to put on a partnership of 114 for the sixth wicket with Rizvi, who has played for Essex seconds, making 66 and Harrison, yet another South African who is registered with Hampshire, going on to become the game's fourth century maker with 123.

         Another view of Trent Bridge from the past.

So Oxford declared with a respectable 291-9 and then caused the home side more problems by opening bowler Whitlock dismissing both Hameed and Duckett cheaply yet again. Respectability was provided by the other batsmen until Harrison again distinguished himself by taking three wickets with his leg breaks. So not a bad performance by the University who left some of the home side still searching for their first runs when the three day game ended in a draw.

Meanwhile Durham were in action at Edgbaston against Warwickshire with live streaming, but no commentary provided. Here there were runs a plenty for batsmen on both sides and yet another century maker in the shape of Durham's new captain, returning prodigal son Scott Borthwick. Four of the Warwickshire batsmen, skipper Will Rhodes, Lamb, Hain and Hose all made fifties before retiring to give others a chance and sadly rain washed out the final day yesterday.

                                                             Edgbaston

Elsewhere Lancashire had made the long journey to Chelmsford to take on Essex in a low scoring encounter which was interrupted by the weather. The only noteworthy feature here being that four Lancashire batsmen failed to trouble the scorers. Another low scoring affair at the Ageas Bowl saw Hampshire taking on Northants, whose top scorer was none other than the third Curran brother, Ben, while his two brothers were engaged in a match going on in India.

Somerset were in action against Gloucestershire at Taunton and followed a two day game with a T20 match yesterday. Again plenty of runs here, especially for Gloucester with fifties for Lace, Taylor, Higgins and Scott and forties from new vice captain Bracey and Charlesworth. The Gloucester side also featured the two former Yorkshire bowlers, Josh Shaw and Jared Warner.

Last but not least among the century makers was Brett D'Olivera of Worcestershire, grandson of the famous Basil, against Durham University at Kidderminster. This provided an easy win for the home county who bowled the University out twice fairly cheaply.

                                                      Kidderminster

So plenty of action all over the country and hopefully the County Championship proper will get underway shortly, with of course everyone still waiting impatiently for the day spectators will be admitted. When this day comes no doubt there will still be restrictions, as already indicated by Derbyshire who have stated that their home game with Durham starting on May 20th will only be open to Derbyshire members. They have made it clear that Durham members will not be admitted, so no birthday celebration for me on day two!

Cricket Grounds of the Furness Peninsula

By Mike Latham

The cricket grounds of the Furness Peninsula offer a varied experience for the enthusiast, with some rural, some urban settings but all with one thing in common- clubs run by dedicated volunteers proud of their own clubs.

Time your day right and as long as you are lucky in choosing later games that go the distance, you can spend half an hour so at each during the course of a Saturday afternoon, for most of the sides run second elevens, ensuring a home game every weekend.

The A590 from J36 of the M6 motorway is improved these days, the by-pass around Low Newton shaving some time off the journey. The biggest bottleneck for traffic is the busy market town of Ulverston, where the afternoon starts.

Most of the clubs play in the Cumbria Cricket League, formerly known as the North Lancashire and District League (the area was historically part of Lancashire until the boundary changes of 1974) whose first season was in 1892. The exception is Barrow CC, who left to join the Northern League in 2004 and this season will play in the Palace Shield after suffering relegation in 2019.

Three of the clubs in the tour became inaugural members of the North Lancashire and District League, Barrow, Dalton and Ulverston, the other founder members being Kendal, Lancaster and Millom. Barrow St James- renamed Furness in 1919- joined in 1909, Vickerstown in 1920 and Lindal Moor in 1925. Vickers Sports Club- now Hawcoat Park- became league members in 1938.

Tarn Close- Ulverston’s former home

The Hoad Monument is the iconic landmark above the town of Ulverston

First stop is Ulverston CC who once played at a lamented, rural ground known as Tarn Close which back in the 1890s they shared with a local rugby side, the splendidly named Ulverston Grapplers. In the past 40 years or so home is at Priory Road, behind the sports centre, more functional but with the fine landmark of the Hoad Monument as a backdrop. A natural banking on the western side gives perhaps the best view of the game.

Railway Meadow, Dalton-in-Furness

Dalton’s Railway Meadow ground is hard to find, down a narrow passage off Ulverston Road. It’s another huge ground, that once hosted big crowds in the heyday of the late 1940s and ‘50s when it was often the venue for the league’s Higson Cup Finals. As the name suggests the railway borders the ground to the south and east.

Lindal Moor CC

Heading towards Barrow, the beautiful Lindal Moor ground can be spotted on the right-hand side. The Pennington Lane ground has an isolated location and has been described as a village ground without a village. The small boundaries and fine pitch often make for big scores and the ground has been enhanced in recent years by a smart pavilion re-build and an electronic scoreboard which was working overtime on my last visit in 2018, as Whitehaven’s Chase Young compiled a brutal 245 as his side amassed 400.

Ernest Pass Memorial Ground

Barrow CC’s Ernest Pass Memorial Ground was bequeathed to the club by the then chairman and named in memory of his son, one of the fallen in the first world war. Barrow have played here since the 1920s having previously played on the vast open spaces of Cavendish Park on Barrow Island, overlooking the shipyard, which they shared with the town’s rugby club up until 1914. The ground is overshadowed by the town’s general hospital and play is sometimes interrupted while a helicopter lands, ferrying a patient from a remote area. Barrow is a friendly club, proud of its youth policy with Liam Livingstone currently a member of the England T20 squad in India.

Furness CC

Travelling further towards the town centre down Abbey Road, Furness CC’s ground, found by turning right up Hawcoat Lane at the traffic lights by the Strawberry, then second left down Oxford Street is beautifully manicured and has a fine reputation for its excellent pitches. As with Barrow the ground hosts Cumberland (now Cumbria) CCC matches. The pavilion has a balcony for players to watch the game while many of the club’s most avid supporters sit with their backs to the sturdy wall that runs along the Oxford Street side of the large ground.

Hawcoat Park CC

A few hundred yards further up Hawcoat Lane the cricket ground of Hawcoat Park CC can be found amidst a vast expanse of playing fields, with rugby union and soccer also accommodated on separate pitches, the rugby team on a higher level behind the bowler’s arm at the far end. Formerly known as Vickers Sports Club and a recreation ground for the shipyard employees, the complex is now privately owned.

Vickerstown CC

Finally, the journey ends, or starts if you decide to head furthest away and head back eastwards, on Walney Island where Vickerstown CC field one team in the third tier of the Cumbria Cricket League. Rainey Park has seen better days, its old scoreboard, a formidable building, now looking forlorn but the club has been kept alive by a dedicated band of volunteers and players and hopefully will enjoy a revival.

Plenty of variety, a warm welcome wherever you go, and a day well spent if you fancy the scenic journey in search of cricket in what remains a real hotbed of the game. In a future blog I’ll take you on a journey up the west coast from Barrow-in-Furness in search of more league cricket- and memorable cricket grounds.

 

Domestic cricket season underway already

 Posted by Tony Hutton

Yesterday possibly provided the earliest date yet for county cricket to get underway, when Somerset began a two day pre-season practice match with Worcestershire at Taunton. It has been possible to watch the live cricket courtesy of  the Somerset website, which has been (and still is) showing a trial live streaming. It is emphasised that this is only a trial with a strangely positioned wide of mid-on camera in operation and no commentary, although distant sound effects from the middle can be heard. 

Cricket at Taunton in the past.

Be that as it may, it is still quite an event to watch live cricket in England during the middle of March, we even had a glimpse of sunshine this morning. Worcestershire batted first yesterday and made a reasonable total of 305-5 in 60 overs. Rikki Wessels top scored with 101, with an amazing 24 fours, before retiring and Ross Whiteley a quickfire 79 not out with 12 fours and 3 sixes.

Somerset's innings ended around lunchtime today when they were bowled out for 176. Craig Overton, who captained the side made 43, after all the early batsmen had failed, but he was eventually overtaken by one of the four anonymous players at the end of the innings. These four were listed as A. Player, G. Player, Z. Player and Y. Player. It was later revealed that these four were batsmen who batted twice and it was Lammonby who got 44 not out at the end of the innings. Three wickets each for Leach and Pennington. 

Another view of cricket at Taunton.

By early afternoon today Worcester were 70-2 in their second innings. Their opening pair of Fell and Dell having been split be Overton removing Dell lbw for 13. Haynes, a very promising young batsman, was also out lbw to Van der Merwe for 26 and one hopes this could well be a breakthrough season for him.

On Monday next, after Saturday's online A.G.M., Yorkshire will get underway with two different squads taking on Durham at Headingley and Middlesex at Merchant Taylor's School, Northwood in two separate two day friendlies. Both of course behind closed doors.

               Merchant Taylor's School ground, Northwood.

One other interesting development has been the announcement last week of the Lancashire second eleven fixtures and yesterday the Yorkshire second eleven fixtures appeared on the county website. Yorkshire will play twelve four day championship games and ten T20s. There has been considerable confusion as to when spectators will be admitted to second eleven games, but this has hopefully been made clear by a statement that if the lockdown timetable remains unchanged spectators will be admitted from May 17th as with first team cricket.

This sadly means that the four day game with Lancashire at Scarborough on Monday10th May will be behind closed doors, but hopefully the games with Notts at York starting on May 17th and Durham at Harrogate starting on 24th May will allow spectators in. T20 games take over for the month of June until another four day game at Weetwood against Warwickshire starts on 28th June.

During the month of July only one away game at the beginning of the month as the Royal London Cup will then feature many second eleven players due to some first teamers being absent for 'The Hundred'. There will then be two more four day games in August and two more in September, ending with a game with Worcestershire at Scarborough starting on 13th September. Let us just hope that all these things will come to pass with no more problems along the way.

Harold John Heygate

posted by John Winn

Harold Heygate 'who died at Guildford on June 27th (1937) aged 53, was in the Epsom College XI  and played occasionally for Sussex in 1903 and 1905. A sound stylish batsman he opened at Tonbridge against Kent in 1905 by scoring 80 and in the second innings made 68 not out.' Thus reads the Wisden obituary for a cricketer who is best remembered, if he is remembered at all, for what he did not do rather than for what he did. 

In using the word 'occasionally' to describe Heygate's appearances for Sussex Wisden avoids any accusations of hyperbole for he appeared but twice in both of those seasons. In 1903 in matches at Hastings against Somerset and New Road against Worcestershire his scores were 26, 0, 0 and 10. Two years later things were better, for his performances against Kent and against Somerset at Hove pushed him up to second in his county's batting averages. Flushed with this success Harold then moved to Canada and from 1907 to 1909 Cricket Archive records him playing for Ottawa and the Canadian national side. 

If we restrict the search to first class cricket then Heygate played one  match in addition to his championship appearances, this was against Cambridge University at Hove in June 1905 when opening the batting he scored 0 and 2 and it is fourteen years later that he makes his final appearance, at Taunton in 1919. In the meantime Heygate has fought in the Great War during which he was wounded in the leg. To make matters worse by 1919 he was crippled by rheumatism but in spite of these handicaps he found himself on the team sheet when Sussex travelled to Taunton for their first championship match after the war, a two day match as were all games in the competition that season, an experiment yet to be repeated. He was one of 36 players used by Sussex that season.

Reports of this match, in which fourteen of the players were amateurs, are not hard to find, for example in the official histories of the two counties involved, in Stephen Chalke's wonderful 'Summer's Crown' and of course Wisden. All of these focus on HJ Heygate's part in proceedings although oddly in the Sussex book Harold is confused with his brother Reginald. Somerset batted first and after a good start from the Rippon twins were all out for 243. Heygate fielded throughout the innings or more accurately limped. Normally an opener he came in at number eleven and was bowled for nought but thanks to 69 from debutant Maurice Tate, Sussex were only one run behind on first innings. 

Second time around Somerset were bowled out for 103, Harold's place in the field was taken by a Taunton club player, leaving Sussex needing 105 to win and after a bad start they found themselves on the brink of victory at 103 for 6 at which point they lost three wickets for one run to leave the scores tied with our hero not expected to bat. Believing this to be the case the bails were removed but after a lengthy interval Harold appeared at the pavilion gate, padded up but wearing a serge suit, thought to have been blue in colour. At this point a Somerset player, Len Braund, raised the issue of time and umpire Street declared the match over. MCC later confirmed Street's decision as the correct one. This tie was the nearest Sussex came to winning a match until they beat Yorkshire at Harrogate in August. Heygate lived another 18 years but there is no record of him playing anymore cricket.

Let us leave the last word to Wisden in this extract from their report on the match. 'Whether or not Heygate would have been able to crawl to the wicket it was very unsportsmanlike that such a point should have been raised when there was ample time to finish the match.'

In the scorecard for the match Harold is shown as absent, in The Times he was 'not allowed to bat'. Cricket Archive records his dismissal as 'absent hurt', a much fairer assessment than merely absent.

Mark Peel - cricket writer

 Posted by Tony Hutton

One of the few blessings of lockdown has been the ability to join in via Zoom chats not only with local cricket lovers on a weekly basis, but by an excellent series of evening meetings arranged by both the Northern Cricket Society and the Wombwell Cricket Lovers Society. The latest meeting arranged by Wombwell this week was with the prolific cricket writer Mark Peel, who entertained an audience approaching fifty people with a fascinating and wide ranging talk about the many books he has written.

                                               Mark Peel.

Since I was a teenager, long, long ago, I have been a collector of cricket books. Originally the works of people like Neville Cardus and A.A. Thompson aroused my interest. My first job in Birmingham gave me the opportunity to peruse the excellent Hudson's book shop in New Street, which had an unbelievable stock of cricket books and pamphlets, during my lunch hours. Some I would read on the premises, others I would use my hard earned cash (first wages about £4 per week!) to actually buy.

One of the first books I bought was 'Homes of Cricket' by J.M. Kilburn and N.W.D. Yardley which set me off on a lifetime of collecting cricket grounds, which will hopefully re-commence this summer. More recently, after a lapse in time when shelf space ran out, I have started buying cricket books again thanks to the likes of Stephen Chalke and Duncan Hamilton. However I must hold my hands up with an apology to Mr. Peel, as for whatever reason I have never read any of his books and knew very little about him until this week.

This omission has now been rectified in no uncertain manner and his talk was so compelling about how he came to write the books, that I must make efforts to read them all in due course. He started with a book on Ken Barrington, the former Surrey and England batsman and subsequently England assistant manager until his untimely early death while on tour in the West Indies. A man, who like Boycott, was once dropped by England for slow scoring became a legend of backs to the wall English determination.

This was followed by books on Colin Milburn, Colin Cowdrey, Mike Brearley, and 'Hollow Crown' a study of all the England cricket captains since 1945 and 'Ambassadors of Goodwill' relating tales of overseas tours by England since the war. There are others and another one in the pipeline is the life of Douglas Jardine the controversial England captain during the pre war bodyline tour. His talk was so detailed and held his audience's attention throughout. When it came to the question and answer section of the meeting he was even more in his element showing an encyclopedic knowledge of dates and cricketers over the entire post war period.

However, there was still more to be revealed when it came to he vote of thanks at the end of the evening by Richard Griffiths, another interesting character who despite being a Lancastrian is the Hampshire archivist and also has links to Worcestershire. He was able to point out that Mark Peel has also written books on people far removed from the world of cricket such as Donald Soper, the Methodist leader, Shirley Williams, the politician and Anthony Chevenix-Trench the controversial headmaster among others. So truly a man of wide ranging interests and knowledge.

Reading up on him further was also most interesting, apparently born in Australia (although he has no trace of any accent), went to Harrow School, has degrees from Australian Universities, and has written a book on the history of Australia. Also taught at Fettes School in Edinburgh and later at Leicester University. So an increasingly complex character.

Here is his next book which is to be published in August I gather. One I look forward to reading along with his vast existing output. A truly memorable evening for all concerned. 

When Javed Miandad played as an amateur for Daisy Hill

By Mike Latham

We all have heroes growing up. One of mine was Javed Miandad.

He played cricket for a team close to where I lived, Daisy Hill, one of the oldest established clubs in the Bolton & District Association, south of Westhoughton on the road to Leigh. Daisy Hill are now members of the Greater Manchester Cricket League.

For a village club it has a rich cricketing history, founded in 1896 and having played at the present St James Street ground since 1911. Dick Pollard, Dick Naylor and Billy Farrimond are among its famous alumni. In more recent times West Indies great Sonny Ramadhin and Pakistan Test players such as Taslim Arif, Qasim Omar and Ehtesamuddin featured in their ranks.

The latter was famously called out of Bolton Association action to open the bowling for Pakistan against England at Headingley in 1982. The Pakistan management sent along Wasim Raja as sub-professional.

Cricket at Daisy Hill in 2019

But Javed Miandad is the player I most associate with the club. My dad and me used to watch football in the winter months, Bolton Wanderers at home one Saturday, Bury the next. The fixtures always worked out that way. My dad’s friend, Jack Hetherington joined us when we went to Gigg Lane. Jack was a grand bloke and in the summer months he loved his cricket.

Jack was a long-standing umpire in the Bolton Association and in 1975 he alerted me that Daisy Hill had a newcomer in their ranks. ‘Get along as soon as you get chance,’ Jack told me. ‘This lad is special.’

Daisy Hill were captained by Jimmy Irani, whose son Ronnie went on to play for Essex and England. Jimmy batted four or five and had a good line in Pakistani professionals. The incumbent that year was Aslam Qureshi, a hugely talented bowler but Jimmy then played a masterstroke and recruited 18-year-old Javed as an amateur in mid-season, on the recommendation of Sadiq Mohammad.

Javed had already scored a triple hundred in Pakistan domestic cricket and had featured in the 1975 World Cup, played early season in England. The Association officials deliberated for a fortnight before granting his registration and he finally made his Daisy Hill debut at Hawker Siddeley, a ground not far from where the current Bolton Wanderers ground is located, behind the factory that became British Aerospace, since demolished. The club is now known as Lostock and has a lovely new ground close to the M61 motorway between the Westhoughton and Horwich turn-offs.

The new Lostock CC ground

Though his debut was inauspicious, a modest 1-22 and did not bat, Javed soon made people sit up and take notice. In his next game he took 7-12 and scored 45 against Farnworth Social Circle, followed up with 8-31 at Edgworth, then six wickets and an unbeaten 82 at Clifton. As Daisy Hill closed in towards retaining their title, he took 6-29 at Astley & Tyldesley, including the prize wicket of their Pakistan pro Mohsin Khan, bowled for 30.

Javed finished the season with 62 wickets at 9.25, Qureshi taking 101 at 9.36.

In the long hot summer of 1976 Javed was back at Daisy Hill, this time as pro, future Test wicketkeeper Taslim Arif the overseas amateur. It was a classic season for the Association with Mudassar Nazar re-writing the record books with his prolific run-scoring at Little Hulton. I’ll write in more detail about that year, which included the greatest ever Cross Cup Final in a future blog.

Suffice to say for now that Javed scored 1,333 runs at 70.10 and took 127 wickets at 10.80 in league and cup as Daisy Hill won the league for a third successive season.

He lit up the cricket grounds of Bolton with his engaging smile, zest for the game, wonderfully attacking batting and mesmerising leg-spin bowling. Jack was right- he was special.

Javed’s Test debut soon followed, and he went on to become a world star. Whenever I got the chance, I went along to watch Javed in the future, mostly playing for Glamorgan in the county championship and was fortunate enough to see him score several first-class hundreds.

 

After one, for Glamorgan at Bristol against Gloucestershire, a friend took a photo, developed and printed it overnight and came back to the ground with it the following day. I got Javed to sign it, which he was pleased to do, enquiring about his old friend Jack the Umpire as he did so.

 I found my photos the other day of Old Trafford, Saturday 13 July 1985; here, Javed Miandad is on his way to a century for Glamorgan against Lancashire on the opening day of the county championship fixture.

 

Javed is shown on driving Jack Simmons with Steve O’Shaughnessy taking evasive action.

 

In the second photograph of that day Javed hooks David Makinson.

 In this game Javed finished the day 121 not out and, resuming on the Monday ended undefeated on 164. The three-day game ended up drawn. On the Sunday he scored 51 in the John Player Special League game that ended up a tie and featured a century by Clive Lloyd.

Cricket's hidden agenda

Posted by Tony Hutton

John Winn's recent blog 'Not long now?' certainly rang a few bells. His mention of cricket's hidden agenda in use ten years ago is without doubt still most relevant today as we tentatively approach the start of another season shrouded in more mystery than usual. For those of us proud of the soubriquet of 'professional cricket watchers' it is always annoying not to find the endless fixtures at all sorts of level that we require to plan our daily fix throughout the season. Good to hear from John that the Leeds and Wetherby League plan to start as early as 10th April. Most Yorkshire Leagues start the following week, with the exception of Yorkshire Premier League North which is scheduled for 24th April.

I am also happy to endorse Mike Latham's recommendation to watch cricket at Bamburgh Castle for those brave enough to venture so far north. Certainly one not to miss. I also welcome his story of Manderston cricket club, even further north. I set off to go there one Sunday some years ago, while staying in Northumberland, only to be met by torrential rain of serious proportions as I crossed the border into Scotland at Coldstream. So that one is still on my wanted list.

While obviously appreciating the difficulties which all involved in cricket administration face in these unpredictable times, early season planning is somewhat like trying to navigate an unfathomable maze. However, I will endeavour to give a few clues. It has been publicly stated by the management of both Durham and Yorkshire county clubs that there will be a full programme of second eleven matches of four days duration during the coming season. It seems unlikely that any of these will happen during 'The Hundred' which will take place at the same time as the First eleven one day Royal London Cup.

Fixtures for Nottinghamshire seconds did suddenly appear last week and we are promised that Durham and Yorkshire fixtures will be published shortly. Hot news just in, with thanks to Keith Fenton. The Lancashire second eleven fixtures are now on the club website. They include a four day game with Yorkshire at Scarborough starting on Monday 10th May. One problem is that of venues, which must obviously be capable of coping with Covid restrictions, in particular large or multiple dressing room facilities will be required. In addition a full list of Yorkshire Academy fixtures have been published in the Yorkshire Premier League North and one assumes that the multiple dressing rooms available at Weetwood, the home of Leeds University will be satisfactory for purpose.

Early season cricket at Weetwood, Leeds.

This leads on to another mystery - that of University cricket. The ECB have now taken over sponsorship of the University cricket programme from MCC. So all the leading Universities, previously known as MCCUs, have now reverted to being UCCEs, which stands for University Centres of Cricketing Excellence. What that actually means in terms of the continuation of two day or even three day cricket is still unclear. I have discovered that Cambridge University have announced a full list of fixtures for 2021 in which most inter varsity games seem to be one day affairs, starting at 12 noon, in something called a 'National League'. Not much room for excellence there I would think. This seems to echo the fact that the Minor Counties have now become the National Counties and are now facing a programme with very few three day fixtures.

However, all is not lost. Internet trawling this week has revealed a treasure trove of fixtures on the MCC website, with an almost endless list of MCC out matches against schools and club sides throughout the season. So just to whet the appetite of all those in urgent search of cricket at whatever level, here are just a few fixtures scheduled for the north of England in April. One hopefully assumes that these may be classed as recreational cricket and not subject to spectator restrictions.

Sedbergh School cricket ground.

24th April - Sedbergh School v MCC.

26th April - St Aidan's and John Fisher School v MCC (at Harrogate CC).

28th April - Austin Friars School v MCC (at Carlisle CC).

28th April - Bradford Grammar School v MCC.

30th April - Ermystead's School v MCC (Bolton Abbey CC).

Obviously, like a packet of cigarettes, all these fixtures come with a Government Health Warning and it would seem advisable to make a telephone call to check before travelling any distance.

 

Not long now?

 posted by John Winn

If you think you recognise the title for this posting then you have a remarkable memory for with one small exception it is the same title as I used on my very first posting in March 2011. The 'small exception' is however an important one for ten years ago I was feeling confident and there was no question mark either in my mind or in print that the cricket season was going to start in a few days time. In fact writing on March 28th I was slow off the mark for Tony had already seen cricket at Weetwood a few days earlier. 

It was not hard to be optimistic  for 'the last week has been unseasonably warm, lawns have been mown, clocks have sprung forward' and only five days later I was at New Rover where Olicanians were the visitors. The blog was a rather different animal in those days for my March 28th posting was the first since Tony had punched the keys on January 25th with a list of fixtures for April, mostly from cricket's hidden agenda. 2011 was the first year the blog had gone entirely electronic although its founder Peter Davies had bid on line followers welcome as far back as December 2008.

This is the cover of the last year the blog appeared in print with its cover photo of Copley CC.  

Back to the beginning and an explanation for my hesitancy about the 2021 season. Fixtures for the remodelled championship were published before Christmas and in my mind at least I made tentative plans for a trip to Taunton in April, plans which were scuppered when the present covid restrictions were introduced. Plan B is now on the table and the reverse fixture at Bristol is in May, starting on May 20th  three days after, if all goes well, restrictions will be eased to permit some spectators and hotels will be able to provide accommodation. But will they be eased sufficiently to allow me to travel from North Yorkshire as a non-member of both counties to watch some part of the match?  And this speculation hinges on 'if all goes well' and we stick to the current regulations and the relevant data continues to move in the right direction.  Schools have gone back today, not without risk, and four weeks today it will be Easter Monday when ironically and bearing in mind the crowds that flocked to beaches last summer, the last thing we want is good weather for the weekend if it should precipitate that kind of behaviour. 

Enough of this gloom for the prospects for grass roots cricket seem much brighter. The Leeds and Wetherby Cricket League has confidently published its 2021 fixtures beginning on April 10th and just down the road from where I live Green Hammerton are scheduled to take on Barwick in Elmet, wickets pitched 13:00. That's better.

   

Manderston takes the biscuit

 By Mike Latham

Visiting Manderston House in Berwickshire reminds one of the elegant bygone era of Edwardian country house cricket.

This glorious setting in the Scottish Borders is the home ground of Manderston Cricket Club who play a series of friendly games throughout the summer months.

The club has a Play Cricket website that is regularly updated with fixtures and results.

Welcome to Manderston

Manderston House and the adjoining cricket ground owes its magnificence to Sir James Miller, a nouveau riche baronet who married into the traditional aristocracy in the late 1800s.

Inheriting a fortune derived from the family business, largely trading herring and hemp in Russia, he secured the services of John Kinross, an up-and-coming architect, whose brief was to create a home to match his wealth and status, money no object.

The pavilion, dating back to 1899

More importantly, so far as we are concerned, Sir James was also a cricket lover and he insisted that a cricket ground be built amidst the grounds.

It was here that Manderston CC came into existence in 1899.

The cricket ground shown on this 1906 map

Sadly, Sir James did not live long to see the fruits of his labours. After volunteering and serving nobly in the Second Boer War in South Africa, awarded the Distinguished Service Order and becoming a Major in the Lothians and Berwickshire Imperial Yeomanry, he died of complications following an attack of pneumonia shortly after his return.

His death in January 1906, at the tragically young age of 41, was widely mourned in the tight-knit Borders community.

Sir James Miller, soldier, horseman and cricket lover

An expert horseman, he had a huge passion for horse-racing and owned a string of racehorses, many picked up in selling plates owing to his expert eye. Among his 161 race wins were two Derby successes, another in the St Leger and in successive years, 1903 and 1904, he topped the list of winning owners, based on prize money.

Fortunately for cricket lovers, his widow the Hon Lady Miller was keen to carry on the club in which she took a great interest, particularly in the annual game that raised funds for Edinburgh Infirmary and in the lavish winter ball, held in the neighbouring town of Duns.

Oxford University Authentics, visitors in 1934

Manderston CC is hard to find, entry via a narrow track off Edrom Mains to the north that by-passes the main house, which is hidden from the cricket ground by mature trees.

Manderston House these days is home to 4^th Baron Palmer, a descendent of the Huntly and Palmer biscuit manufacturers and an elected peer who sits in the House of Lords. It is one of several magnificent country houses in the area which include Paxton House, Marchmont, Bughtrig, The Hirsel, Duns Castle and Ayton and among its claims to fame it has the world's largest collection of Huntly and Palmer biscuit tins.

The heavy roller at this beautiful ground

Back in the day several of those had a cricket team that would have fixtures with Manderston, but these days the club flies the flag for a great tradition that sadly has largely died away.

Some of their regular opponents are of long-standing, Bamburgh Castle, Tillside, Chatton and the Borderers amongst them. Others have fallen by the wayside including Chirnside, which was the only other cricket club in Berwickshire at the time of its demise (Berwick CC, in case you are wondering, is in Northumberland), Coldstream, Haggerston and Ayton.

A big hit in the evening sunshine

I was fortunate enough to visit on a glorious midweek evening in July 2018, a 20-overs contest against the Borderers and was one of a handful of spectators. This is friendly cricket, of a variable standard, played in good spirit by all the participants. The most important thing is that the traditions of the club are being maintained for future generations to enjoy.

Rolling fields: a glorious backdrop

Manderston CC has twice been honoured with club members reaching the presidency of the Scottish Cricket Union, the long-serving player and secretary Phil Wilson in 1961, Willie Swan in 1973. The Scotland rugby union and cricket international halfback Ross Logan was club captain in the early 1950s.

The club’s greatest moment was in 1996 when they defeated the Aberdeenshire club Cults in the final of the Small Clubs Cup Competition at Lochside Park, Forfar. Duns born Richard Swan, son of Willie and 12 times a Scotland international, top-scored with 48.

Careful planning is required to catch a match at this glorious location, but it is well worth the effort. You could say it really takes the biscuit.

The end