Joined at the hip

Woodfield Park

Posted by Peter Davies

Two grounds joined at the hip: Woodfield Park and Armitage Bridge. The players were on and off at Woodfield Park with drizzle and then heavy rain hampering things. The visitors were Edgerton & Dalton and their innings was punctuated by bizarre run outs, some massive hitting and regular dismissals. Chris Jones was one of the two men in white coats: his career as an opening batsman at Almondbury Wesleyans must be on hold. There were few supporters, just a married couple watching their son - and assisting with the scoreboard - and an elderly couple at the front of the pavilion seats. The pavilion itself is officially condemned and not in use, so for many years now a portakabin has been used for teas. Today there was plenty of pizza and a large number of cheese sandwiches all ready to be served. The portakabin walls were also emblazoned with the Woodfield Park cricket heritage exhibition display boards - a great sight! Wilfred Rhodes and George Herbert Hirst once guested for WP as 'ringers' so it's an historic place!

There is no quick way to switch from Woodfield Park to Armitage Bridge even though the two grounds are situated side by side. I tried a footpath recommended by the Woodfield Park scorer but this was too tricky under foot - in fact it was terribly messy and muddy. So I took the long way round - a 20-minute walk up the main road and then down into Armitage Bridge village. On the way I met a dog-walker who seemed to have a much better grip on local geography than I did. And then ABCC and Huddersfield League VIP Andrew Sugden in his car - leaving Armitage Fold after a spot of mid-afternoon cricket-watching. There was more drizzle at this ground. Kexborough had made only 100+ and so the home side were already at the wicket and crafting their reply. I was devastated to discover that I had missed tea and there were no leftovers available so I contented myself with a pint of diet coke and two hot cross buns and two small apple pies (available for free from the barmaid). Setanta Sports was blasting away in the bar and a succession of AB stalwarts were congregating outside the clubhouse including Robert Moorhouse, Richard Pearce, Dave Gronow and John Bunch. Tales were told of Ralph Beaumont's terrible accident on the club tractor - he steered it into the local river but was unhurt - and the wonderful Bridge Fold panoramas: one of the few grounds where you're challenged to see any other buildings so dense are the gorgeous trees surrounding and overlooking the ground. Schofield Haigh is the club's most famous old boy. Today they have a celebrity supporter in John Shires, sports reporter on ITV's Calendar programme.

Cricket Diary 2009 - Minor Counties Knock Out

Posted by Tony Hutton

Sunday 26th April - The Minor Counties Knock Out competition group stages begin today. An early departure needed to get from Leeds to Kendal for an eleven o'clock start. However the weather is dry and no delays en route. Nice to see all the Cumberland regulars in attendance at the Netherfield ground for the start of their new season. None more so than old friend Gilbert Johnstone who as usual had all the information at his finger tips regarding the teams and where the new players have come from.

One of the problems of Minor Counties cricket is trying to get a settled side as so often many players first loyalty lies with their clubs when playing in Sunday cup competitions. Today Cumberland face Cheshire, one of the strongest of all the Minor Counties, who do seem able to get the same players to turn out regularly. So another old friend, team manager Sandy Scrimgeour is confident his side will do well.

Indeed the Cheshire openers get off to a brisk start and the first wicket does not fall until 68 runs are on the board. Then an unlikely collapse takes place and Cheshire slump from 92-1 to 102-7 thanks to some fine bowling by Alex Stead, from Pudsey St Lawrence, and former Yorkshire Academy boy, Dan Conway, now playing in county Durham. Never write off Cheshire though, the team manager says they bat all the way down and he is proved right.

The eighth wicket pair of Jason Whittaker and Dan Berry put together a stand of 84 before Whittaker was out. Berry continued on his merry way and the final over of the first innings proved decisive. It was bowled by Cumberland's one day captain, James Smith yet another from Pudsey St. Lawrence. The first ball was played for a single by debutant last man James Hawley, giving Berry the strike. He proceeded to hit three sixes and two fours off the remaining five balls and Cheshire somehow found themselves on 233-9 at the end of the innings.

Cumberland made a good effort to get the runs, with 70 from Alex Stead, 36 from Gary Pratt who also kept wicket splendidly, and 44 not out from Alex Roberts at the end. It was not quite good enough and Cheshire won by 18 runs. Dan Berry undoubtedly man of the match - he made 87 not out and then took 5-33. How Cumberland must be regretting that final over.

Cricket Diary 2009 - University action

Posted by Tony Hutton

Wednesday 24th April - Two games for the price of one today at the Leeds University playing fields, Weetwood. On the main ground Leeds/Bradford UCCE taking on Cambridge UCCE in the last of three days of cricket, made up of a one day game and then a two day game.

Leeds Bradford had the best of both games, winning the one-dayer in the final over thanks chiefly to Irish opening batsman Dougherty with 72. In the two day game two left arm spin bowlers held sway for once with Hawley and Woods giving Leeds Bradford the advantage.

However on the second ground the Leeds University side were playing Manchester University's second XI and unfortunately due to some sort of mix up no umpires had turned up. The Leeds captain walked along the line of ten or so hardened cricket watchers with a plea for at least one of us to umpire the game for the grand sum of £25. Suprisingly none of them grabbed his hand off, although offering to phone a friend, which also proved fruitless.

Eventually former league cricketer Brian Sanderson, and possibly the youngest of the gathered throng, who could not claim medical problems or failing eyesight volunteered to applause all round. Needless to say as the day wore on our attention wandered from the main match to see how Brian was getting on . The players all seemed very gentlemanly, unlike most league cricket these days, and Brian seemed to be having an easy time. He was at least consistent during the first innings, giving no leg before wicket decisions at all.

Things changed however, during the second innings when he gave no less than six Leeds batsman out lbw, including the captain. We feared that his match fee might be withdrawn, but it all ended happily, without acrimony, with a Leeds victory by three wickets and Brian got his well deserved money after doing both ends for almost 100 overs.

Cricket Diary 2009 - League cricket underway

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 18th April - The Airedale and Wharfedale cricket league got underway with a close game, the local derby between North Leeds and Adel at the Homestead ground, Old Park Road, Roundhay. This pleasant ground with short straight boundaries usually provides high scores and today was no exception. The unusually warm weather also contributed to the batsman friendly conditions.
The home side made a good score of 257-4 in the 50 overs with skipper Tom Jackson making 75 and Farhan Khan 77 not out. A man with much first class experience, Ismail Dawood, made only 13. However he may not play regularly as he is now on the reserve list of first class umpires and obviously wants to make that his new career.
In reply Adel got of to an excellent start, openers Mark Whitehead and Paddy Coughlin putting on 131 for the first wicket. Whitehead, returning to his home club after a spell in the Bradford League with Pudsey St Lawrence went on to make 94.
After two breaks in play, amazingly at this stage of the season, due to the bright setting sun behind the bowlers arm, it all came down to the last over. David Standring was crucially run out for 51 and in fact although nine runs were scored, three wickets also fell in the last over and Adel finished just five runs short, with eight wickets down. A great finish to the season's first game.

Sunday 19th April - As ever the first cup competition to start in Yorkshire is the Heavy Woollen cup, traditionally played for by clubs in the area of Batley and Dewsbury but now with a widening appeal. This is the oldest cup compeition in existence anywhere in the world, and the cup's history was entitled 'Only the Ashes is older'.
Today's game sees Undercliffe from the Bradford League take on Golcar from the Huddersfield League in bright but breezy conditions. This was no repeat of yesterday's result, proving a rather one sided contest. Undercliffe, helped by Yorkshire batsman Chris Taylor with 41, made a respectable 213-8. However Golcar, who did so well last season, were off to the worst possible start loosing their first six wickets for only 38. They recovered slightly to make 84 all out, but a very good win for Undercliffe.
Man of the match without much argument was Undercliffe's A. Duckworth, not only did he score 46 with the bat but destroyed the early batting with five wickets.
Not the best of weekends for Golcar stalwart David Thorpe, having seen Golcar loose in the league yesterday and Huddersfield Giants rugby league side heavily beaten by the Leeds Rhinos, today's result was the last straw. Things can only get better David !

Special day

Posted by Peter Davies

Cold and rainy at Illingworth St. Mary's for the Kevin Doherty Memorial Match. 'Kev', as he was known, was a very popular figure at Illingworth and, people said, he lived for his cricketing summers. There was a very good turnout for a match between Illingworth's 3rd XI and a Southowram-dominated visiting XI. The weather was poor but the game went ahead. In the pavilion there were spicy chips and some excellent flapjack. Martin Farrar, ex-Augustinians, was selling some of his cricketing prints and I purchased a rather fetching one of M.S.Dhoni - with a proportion of the takings going to a local charity. There were also visitors from Glodwick, Oldham. Dennis O'Keefe - who wrote his University of Huddersfield MA dissertation on ISM - was in attendance. This was a very good effort given he'd taken part in long run in Leeds in the morning! ISM officials Andrew Smith and Dorian Brooksby were in good cheer with the club celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and Andrew's new history of the club about to be published. Andrew's wife, Caroline - a senior ISM tea lady - was off-duty and enjoying the warmth of her car on the boundary's edge. Andrew said the church that ISM is connected to - Illingworth St. Mary's parish church - is set to close, but as a listed building will, whatever happens, always remain a focal point of the village.

Match cancelled!

Posted by Peter Davies

Poor do at Augustinians where the Crossley Shield fixture was cancelled due (I found out later) to the home side only having three players. So we drowned our sorrows in the excellent clubhouse with a bacon sandwich and chips with extra ketchup. The bar was packed with loads of YMCA rugby guys watching the Giants play their 'Murrayfield Magic' fixture against the Celtic Crusaders. The tries seemed to be flowing!

From there to Warley for the game against Northowram Hedge Top. Paradise Lane is well named and the ground was looking wonderful in the May sun. Lots of undulations and curiousities but a very fine place to watch cricket. As you sit on the boundary edge you feel very close to the action because the playing area is small. Intimate venue is the phrase - you almost feel involved in the action. Club official Neil Lambert was dispensing fine cups of tea while freelance groundsman Mick Holroyde was wearing a dashing pink sweater for the second weekend in a row. Darren Gough had signed a bat that was now framed in the tearoom and veteran tea lady Michelle Oates - wife of club legend Andrew - told me the secrets behind the club's tea-making regime. By the scorebox Andrew's father John was in his usual viewing position - the scorebox, it seems, acts as a useful wind-break. Backing onto the ground are the local school and a church that has become a house - or, put more accurately, two houses.

At Copley the viaduct was looking its usual handsome self. The sun was shining and the buffet tea was very good value - sandwiches plus pasta and accessories and as many cakes as you could eat. On the boundary I met Peter Jowett, Southowram CC veteran and also the star of the 5th Pennine Cricket History Conference held at the University of Huddersfield in March. He was on superb form but regretting slightly his decision to hold a fundraising 'Pig Race' at the club's pavilion in June. The swine flu epidemic had come at exactly the wrong time! His son David - an obsessive darts player in his spare time - was in the Rams line-up. A BBQ got going in front of the Copley pavilion in mid-afternoon with a very charismatic guy drumming up business. When Copley came to bat, one of their batters had to use a runner - a relatively uncommon sight at this level of the game. On the veranda, Greetland stalwart and Huddersfield League umpire Les Forester was telling me about his computer problems and his plans to create a mini-archive of GCC cricket memorabilia. He was also very worried about the fate of his beloved Sunderland FC - due to play Everton that very afternoon as the Premier League season wended its way towards a climax. Not hopeful was his general state of mind.

We rounded things off at Blackley. The game there looked set for a decent ending but before we knew it the match was over. The ground was in full bloom and inside the newly refurbished pavilion, club officials were in good spirits having just been awarded the 2010 Parish Cup final. A great achievement - and the club are hoping to become regular hosts. They have a farmer's field ready for the massive parking requirements. They say they now just want a side that could plausibly win such a competition!

Birchencliffe and Birkby Nuffield

Posted by Peter Davies

Two clubs - whose names both begin with 'B', who both play in the HCCL and who are big rivals - their grounds being just over a mile apart.

Birchencliffe's ground was looking superb in the May sun - with fantastic vistas over towards the Galpharm, Emley Mast and Castle Hill, and the very distinctive Mormon church just down the road. Old Halifax Road was in mid-distance and the golf club at Fixby just over the hill. Silkstone were the visitors and the home side were in all kinds of trouble, spooning catch after catch and subsiding to a paltry all-out total well before their overs were up. The ground is famous for its new chalet-like changing rooms/kitchen block, electronic scorebaord and kiddies play area. Lindley Swifts, a local rugby team, also use the facilities. The big family are the Smiths: Bob was away playing for the 1st XI, Janet was on teas duty - their son was in the 1st XI, daughter no.1 was scoring for the 2nd XI and daughter no.2 doing odd jobs around the ground. A great effort! Janet said she was famous for her 'new potatoes with mint sauce' and there were piles of Mr Kiplings apple pies also available. The social scene on the boundary edge was top-notch and there were also non-cricket-lovers drinking inside the old clubhouse.

A 25-minute walk...and Birkby Nuffield's gorgeous Rose Hill ground came into view. Fortunately or unfortunately, their game had just finished against Denby Dale. A rout for the Nuffielders. The players were just getting into their cars with their huge cricket bags. The pavilion had been painted white over the close season because opposition cricketers objected to the blue! And some excellent new nets had been built. The Hussain brothers seem to be the main organisers and the elder sibling, Mushtaq, told me they had a vision and a plan for the future. They had set up a new junior team, established a proper committee, and even Mushtaq's wife was chipping in - preparing the teas at home every Saturday morning before a permanent tea lady (hopefully) gets to work. Mushtaq's younger brother happens to be my dentist - his surgery is on Queensgate, Huddersfield - and Mushtaq told me he was currently in Egypt but texting him every day to find out the Nuffield cricket news! My dentist friend also wears the best and most stylish Italian shoes this side of Milan.