Ian Cockbain remembered

 By Mike Latham

Forty years ago, I attended all three days of the Second Eleven Championship game at Aigburth between Lancashire and Yorkshire.

I was thinking about that game the other day when I learned with great sadness of the death of Ian Cockbain at the age of 64. Ian, you see, scored a magnificent 180 on the first day, an innings I still remember for the majesty of his driving on both sides of the wicket. In that season I also saw him make 98- his highest first-class score- in the epic three-day game at Southport involving Lancashire and Warwickshire.

Ian was a superb bat, but never quite made it at first-class level. He did, however, earn a fantastic reputation as player and captain with hometown Bootle CC in the Liverpool Competition and with Cheshire in the Minor Counties. There have been several finely written obituaries about him, including this one on the Cheshire CCC website: https://cheshireccc.org.uk/blog/coey-an-appreciation-of-ian-cockbain

Ian Cockbain- fondly remembered

I also remember watching him play as a centre-forward for Bootle against Horwich RMI at Grundy Hill in RMI’s old Northwest Counties League days, but his soccer career hasn’t been mentioned in any obituary I’ve seen. He certainly is remembered fondly by anyone who watched him play or knew him, and I’d like to take this opportunity of passing on my sincere condolences to his family and friends.

That game at Aigburth also featured a fine innings by Varsity man Kevin Hayes, who also made 180, sharing a second wicket stand of 326 with Cockbain, after the early dismissal of Andrew Kennedy. Lancashire declared on 389 for 3, then faced a long stint in the field watching a left-handed 17-year-old from Wakefield display every bit of his huge potential. Neil Lloyd made 128 and shared a stand of 158 with Kevin Sharp as Yorkshire declared on 327 for 8, 62 behind.

Tragically, Lloyd died of a mystery virus only a month or so after this game having just represented England Under 19s. He was an enormous talent, tragically unfulfilled.

Kennedy made up for his first innings failure by making an unbeaten 150 in the second innings and Lancashire captain Harry Pilling finally declared on 250 for 5, setting Yorkshire 313 to win. Even on an immaculate Aigburth batting surface that was a tall order. They just warded off defeat, and finished 175/9, captain Colin Johnson leading the defiance late on, future England wicketkeeper Stuart Rhodes making 49.

Stanley Park, Blackpool on the second day

This week I went along to another favourite out ground of mine, Blackpool CC’s Stanley Park, to watch a rerun of this famous fixture. It provided quite a contrast.

Back in 1982 second elevens contained many players of experience alongside promising young players making their way in the game. The two captains, Pilling and Johnson, had both enjoyed long first-class careers and were now lending their experience to nurturing young players. The Lancashire side for instance included future umpire Steve O’Shaugnessy, wicketkeeper Chris Scott and the long-serving and highly effective opening bowler Peter Lee.

Yorkshire’s side had several others who enjoyed plenty of first-class cricket, Ashley Metcalfe, Peter Ingham, Peter Whiteley, Nick Taylor and Alan Ramage, the last named one of the last of the footballer-cricketers. His Football League career, spent with Middlesbrough and Derby County had just come to an end.

John Holder, at the start of an umpiring career that would see him officiate in 11 Tests, was one of the umpires. Funnily enough, I saw him at Crompton CC lately for a Lancashire Over 60s game. My friend Howard Lowe was also in attendance, his late father Amos being the Lancashire scorer on this occasion. Howard told me some great stories his dad had passed down about Ian Cockbain and we reflected on a cricketer we both admired.

Second Eleven games are 12-a-side these days

Fast forward 40 years and the Roses clash at Stanley Park had an altogether different look. Played over four days not three (though rain washed out the first day) and with both teams 12-a-side, 11 to bat or bowl. Lancashire eventually fielded 14 players in total during the three days, and of that number only Jack Blatherwick had played at first-class level.

My friend Tony Hutton, also present though I did not realise it at the time, rightly refers to the Yorkshire side’s youthful composition. But the Lancashire side was hardly brimming with experience either, seven having recently featured in the recent Under 18s county games. I suspect that the early order batters had rarely encountered a bowler of Matthew Fisher’s quality before. After all, he was playing Test cricket only six months ago, this match being part of his comeback from injury.

As Tony writes, Yorkshire (190 & 226/7 dec to Lancashire’s 71 & 185) ran out convincing winners, by 160 runs half an hour or so after lunch on the final day. Lancashire’s batting line-up had a callow look about it, though teenager Jimmy O’Sullivan, who plays for Oulton Park in the Cheshire County League made a defiant 52.

Charlie Barnard- remember the name

I wonder how many of the players on view here will go on to play first-class or Test cricket? Part of the fun of attending such games is to keep a note of the details (I was going to write scorecard, but these aren’t produced any more for games such as this) and look back in future years.

A name to look out for is Lancashire’s Charlie Barnard. His left arm spin captured him 10 wickets in the match, for 133 runs off 58.1 overs. The Hyde CC all-rounder looks a real prospect, though with Jack Morley, Tom Hartley, and Matt Parkinson ahead of him in the Lancashire spin department one wonders what chances he’ll get in the short run. He also scored 28 runs and got two ‘red inkers’.

Charlie Barnard. Remember the name.