When WG Grace came to Bolton

 By Mike Latham

There are few sadder sights for a cricketing enthusiast than to see a cricket ground lay idle, with just the ghosts of the past to play on the greensward.

It is even sadder when the ground is of rich historical importance, having staged some prestigious matches involving some of the great names of the game.

That’s the case if you visit Green Lane, Bolton, a few hundred yards from Farnworth CC.

Green Lane in 2021, looking towards the club’s pavilion

Green Lane was the long-standing home of Bolton Cricket Club, formed in 1846 who ceased playing in 2016 after a season in the newly formed Greater Manchester Cricket League.

Prior to that Bolton CC had for over a century shied away from league cricket, securing many distinguished opponents for friendly games, particularly in their earlier years. There is no doubt that the club, long the premier cricket organisation in the town, played a huge part in the development of the game in the famous cotton mill town.

Bolton CC did play for five years, between 1977 and 1981 in the Bolton & District Association, had a long stint in the Manchester Association and briefly played also in the Liverpool & District Competition.

The pavilion and outfield remain and are now, I understand, primarily used for ladies’ rounders, which is a highly popular game in the Bolton area.

Another view of the Green Lane ground, the pavilion on the right of the picture

Bolton CC moved to Green Lane in Great Lever during the 1875 season, inaugurating the ground with a fixture against Manchester on 10 July of that year. The game had originally been fixed for the previous Saturday but was rained-off and Manchester kindly consented to rearrange. A ‘very large number of spectators, often standing four-deep on the popular side’ saw Bolton score 193 only for rain to interrupt Manchester’s reply as soon as it began.

The opening of the new Bolton CC ground

Originally secured from the Earl of Bradford on a 14-year lease, the Green Lane ground was quickly ready for cricket, club officials and volunteers organising the moving and refit of the scorebox and pavilion from their previous ground which was known as Back-o’th’-Bank and located on Tonge Moor.

Bolton CC advertise for a professional, 1866

The Bolton CC officials lacked nothing in enterprise, employing two cricket professionals and attracting prestigious opposition including Warrington, Huddersfield, Castleton, Sefton, Preston, Liverpool, Lytham, Wigan, Stockport, Bury and Oldham.

In 1878 the club hosted a three-day game between 18 of Bolton & District and the United South of England XI, featuring WG Grace and four other current or future Test match cricketers; WG’s brother Fred, Billy Midwinter, James Southerton and Henry Charlwood.

Requiring good weather to attract sufficient crowds to discharge the large financial guarantee the club’s gamble paid off.  The game was played Thursday to Saturday and blessed by warm and sunny weather, attracting the biggest crowds ever to watch a game in Bolton. The town’s MP, JK Cross Esq and many of the ‘elite’ of the area were present. The brass band of the Fifth Dragoon Guards was present each day.

An advert for the big game

WG was box office and didn’t disappoint, even though the game, by today’s standards was low scoring. He cut the first ball of the game for four and made 51 in his side’s 136, then took 12-87 as the home team earned a first innings lead of one run, to loud applause.

The United South were dismissed for 120 in their second innings on the Friday, WG ‘cheered to the echo on taking up his position at the wicket’ given out caught behind after reaching 22, ‘much to the astonishment of himself and the spectators.’

Requiring 120 to win, the 18 men of Bolton were 16-2 overnight, but succumbed to the combination of Grace (8-43) and Southerton (7-48), bowled out for 98.

WG Grace, popular in Bolton

As the Saturday had attracted a huge crowd WG agreed to play an extra one innings game, 11-a-side, and delighted the spectators with a string of boundaries before departing to catch the 5pm train back to Bristol.

Green Lane has also staged several Minor Counties and county second eleven games over the years, the last in 2000 when Durham Seconds defeated Lancashire Seconds by 84 runs in a Trophy game. Jimmy Daley hit 106 in Durham’s 297-4 and a 17-year-old bowler from Burnley, James Anderson took 1-56 off ten overs for Lancashire. Future Test match umpire Michael Gough was also in the Durham side.

During the second world war Lancashire played an Empire XI at Green Lane, with West Indian Test cricketers Learie Constantine, Ellis Achong, Manny Martindale and Edwin St Hill among the participants.

With such a history it would be comforting to hope that one day cricket will return to Green Lane, but sadly at present that looks a forlorn hope.