Cricket diary 2009 - catching up

Yorkshire Gentlemen v Free Foresters (team picture) and Ampleforth College

Posted by Tony Hutton

Is it really a month since I last contributed to this blog ? Sadly real life, in it's various guises, together with a spell of monsoon like weather at the end of last month have stopped the flow of cricket reports. However today's amazing Ashes victory has prompted me to resume action.

Friday 24th July - County Under 15 competition at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire.

One of the highlights of any cricket season is a visit to Ampleforth set in marvellous countryside with great facilities for sport of all descriptions, notably four cricket grounds. During this Under 15 week, eight county sides do battle with four matches being played simultaneously each day.

It is so enjoyable that it is hard to criticise the organisers, the London Schools Cricket Association, but there always seem to be a communication problem with the large number of parents, grandparents, friends and professional cricket watchers.

Only very few programmes are printed and unless you are there on the Monday morning little chance of getting one, as we discovered on arrival on the very last day of the week. However we managed to find a rather battered and written on copy at the refreshment stall manned by two girl students, who had made copious notes about the charms or otherwise of some of the young cricketers in the margins.

Some having found out what was going on (in more ways than one) we discovered Durham were playing Notts in the final on the main ground. Notts have a good track record here but this time they were outplayed by Durham who won comfortably by seven wickets with five overs to spare.

The other most competitive match was between London Schools and Cambridgshire, appearing for the first time. This was a low scoring game but fluctuated one way and then the other before London schools tailenders took them to 131-8 to win by two wickets.

The other two games were between Yorkshire's B side and Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan and Cheshire against Cleveland, but we were unable to stay long enough to get the results of these two games.

The luncheon interval brought a bonus with a drive down the hill through the veritable forest of rugby posts (no idea how many pitches there must be) to the nearby village of Gilling East.
The first attraction was the village pub which provided an excellent and importantly a quickly served lunch, despite the large number of diners.

We then crossed the road to the attractive church to enable my travelling companions to see the story about Prince Ranjitsinhji amd his connection with Gilling Castle, now the Ampleforth prep school, which I reported on earlier in the season.

By the middle of the following week the monsoons had set in, so nothing at all to report until Saturday 1st August - Adel v Green Lane (Airedale and Wharfedale League)

It rained so heavily that by early afternoon I had given up all hope of seeing any cricket. However it did stop briefly about three o'clock so I set off to collect some things from the cleaners. As I passed my local club the players emerged in whites to remove the covers.
So of course I pulled in and to my amazement saw them start to play. Just as I did, of course, it started to rain again, so I watched one over with the windscreen wipers on and saw Green Lane progress to seven for no wicket. After that one over they all left the field never to return!

So I went about my business and spent the remainder of the day indoors. Later press reports stated match abandoned, but I and one or two others are claiming this as a one over match, which we saw in it's entirity.

Sunday 2nd August - St Chad's v Barwick in Elmet (Fred Fleetwood Cup semi-final)
Fortunately the weather took a turn for the better and we had a full match, although it must be said not of a very high quality. That didn't matter the weather was good and we were entertained by Michael Bourne for most of the afternoon.

For the record Barwick made 184 and St Chad's subsided to 99 all out. Shame about the cricket, but a friendly and hospitable club made for a nice atmosphere under the shadow of the church, with the clock striking the hours and a village green sort of feel about the whole occasion.

Monday 3rd August - Yorkshire Gentlemen v Free Foresters day 2 (Escrick Park) and Pontefract Under 15s v York Under 15s at Fishlake.

A rather strange day wandering around the byways north and south of Selby to find a match between two teams of gentlemen in hooped caps and striped blazers already into it's second day.
A lovely ground, but cricket not of the best although the game did produce some unusual scores.
Both team in fact declared their first innings at 194-4. The home side were then dismissed for 194 in their second innings.
Unfortunately the perfect tie did not ensue as the Free Forester were all out for 175 to lose by 19 runs. The final details were obtained from the Yorkshire Gentlemen's excellent website, which revealed yet another eccentricity. The full scores and bowling analysis of each player were given, but only of the home side. So no mention was made of the opposition performances at all except for the total scores. A very strange method of doing things, but perhaps it is just one of those old traditions.

Then for something rather different through the old mining village of Askern to the rather remote flatlands village of Fishlake, a place I had not visited before. One of series of games going on throughout Yorkshire all week in the local Lord's Taverners Tropy under 15 competition was taking place. The visitors York put up a good score of 207-8 in their 45 overs, hitting powerfully at the end, but the home side, Pontefract, then subsided for only 118. Good cricket and great enthusiasm all round make this a compeition well worth watching.

One of the many parents attending told me he had two sons playing, one a pace bowler and the other a spinner. Great rivalry between the two of course, the quickie having to bowl against the best batsman not getting too many wickets and the spinner getting a few by bowling against the tailenders.

Coffins and vanilla slices

Posted by Peter Davies

Friday 21 August

To Altofts CC with Yorkshire Cricket Board's Tony Bowry to help at the club's Clubmark presentation. A great privilege to be involved - with Yorkshire Cricket Board coach Steve Archer also in attendance. Really nice do with plenty of club people on hand and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Wakefield also present. Altofts is a small mining community almost on the hard shoulder of the M1 and it is obviously a major achievement to gain Clubmark accreditation. The club tea lady put on a special buffet which included mini-sausage rolls and pasties, quiche, sandwiches and salad - plus some amazing mini-vanilla slices for dessert. The pavilion had Sky Sports so everyone was able to keep in touch with England's sensational day in the Test - with Australia bowled out for 160!

Saturday 22 August

Meltham v Clayton West at a sun-drenched, but fairly spectator-less, Mean Lane. Not many folk around at all. Maybe they were all watching the Test match at home or at the football somewhere. The home side were coming to the end of their innings, with wickets falling at regular intervals. In the clubhouse England were on the verge of declaring against Australia in the deciding Oval Test - 500-odd ahead. Were the Ashes about to be regained? One TV was showing the cricket; the other Gillette Soccer Saturday. That's what you get at a well-appointed club - two different TV channels on view! I bumped into a few MCC VIPs including Ian Shaw (watching the Test), Roger Peaker (moving around) and his wife (masterminding the catering operation). Just enough time for a cup of excellent tea and a nibble at a butterfly cake. The flapjack and the fruit cake also looked superb! (There also seemed to be a huge cavernous dish of trifle that I did not dare to make a start on given that the players were due in for their tea any minute!). Ex-Golcar stalwart Dave Robinson was waiting to bat in front of the pavilion and Mark Firth - a CW committee man - was fielding on the boundary near the clubhouse. A very nice 20 minutes - with Meltham Moor and Castle Hill looking imperious on the horizon.

Deja vu at Linthwaite. Last Saturday there was no game on - and today too, with players getting in their cars at 4.15pm with their big cricket coffins. Game over against Kexborough! So we sat and admired the view - with no batters or bowlers to watch! Down the road at Leymoor there was action aplenty. Loads of spectators by the pub, drinking, chatting and making lots of noise on the boundary edge. Edgerton & Dalton were the visitors. They were chasing the home side's total when we arrived after tea and doing so very effectively. One ball went straight into the pub car park; others rocketed to the boundary. Real exhibition stuff and because the pub is so close to the playing area you really feel involved in the action sitting on the boundary edge. In fact, there wasn't much seating to be had...so three of us had to sit on a bench that was noticeably wonky! The ground looked great, with fielders on the boundary edge getting plenty of abuse from the (very merry) spectators sitting outside the pub. Very entertaining. I even nipped into the pub for a beef and onion sandwich - very tasty indeed.

Windy village

Posted by Peter Davies

Sunday 16 August

The Halifax League Crossley Shield final at Stones CC. A disastrous 'scenic route' to Ripponden was taken - hence a later-than-expected arrival at 3.10pm. The Ryburn Valley was looking raw, austere and also beautiful as we journeyed from Huddersfield via Scammonden to Barkisland and finally Ripponden. Stones is high in the clouds and the club had been building up to their big day for months. And everything was great apart from the weather which was outrageously blustery. If Chicago is Windy City, Stones is now officially Windy Village! Warley batted first and scored 200. The attendance was around 300 with many folk huddled near the newly renovated clubhouse and on the adjacent boundary (with many thick warm blankets in evidence!).

There were many highlights. First the PA announcer, Peter McDonnell, Stones CC chairman. Throughout the afternoon his voice could be heard over the PA saying things like, 'And coming on to bowl, good old Johnny Moore'. He was part PA announcer, part Test Match Special commentator. The coup de grace came with two overs to go in the Warley innings: 'And coming up - the penultimate over, and that's a word I had to look up in a dictionary!' Liverpudlian wit at its best! The teatime food was also sensational: a buffet which included several types of meat, pasta and rice, beetroot salad, mini-pasties and pork pies plus an array of Indian delicacies and some gorgous brands of bread. For dessert, fruit salad on a stick (a la kebabs), scones, pavlova, some huge wedges of chocolate cake and many other items. Truly wonderful. So good I shook the head tea lady's hand as I left the clubhouse!

The afternoon was very well organised with Halifax League officials in special assigned roles, all club officials wearing designer name badges, and lots of helpful signage. The rain started to come as we left around 6pm. Liverpool had just gone 2-1 down to Spurs on the car radio and Usain Bolt was hours away from another 100m world record. Stones is a small place and the cricket club is the only sign of civilisation for miles around. A really excellent venue for a big final, with Triangle coming out on top in the end.

Moonrakers and cuckoos

Posted by Peter Davies

Saturday 15 August

A Colne Valley journey. At Linthwaite for some reason there was no cricket when we arrived. Too much morning rain or a blank day on the fixture calendar? Not quite sure. Anyway the Manchester Road playing surface was in fine condition and looked a picture. At Slaithwaite the visitors were Skelmanthorpe. The home side were in the middle of a dramatic batting collapse and only veteran Chris Payne looked as if he was determined to stay around. But even he fell late on and looked very annoyed with himself as he made his way back to the pavilion. More than at any other ground I always feel like I'm going to walk behind the bowler's arm at Slaithwaite - and this I almost did on several occasions again at the bowling green end. Even when I'm so conscious of it - bizarre! Tea was being prepared in the Slaithwaite tea room - a very tradional affair with lots of salad accessories and some gorgeous, slightly ornate cake stands on display. The beef and onion rolls were very tasty and the cups of tea being dispensed spot-on. In the bar the barmaid on duty was dealing in beer, sandwiches and also pies. Lots of punters in and around - playing snooker, watching Gillette Soccer Saturday on the first day of the new Premiership season, and also keeping an eye on the cricket. The afternoon was now bright with plenty of blue sky. Hill Top looked in fine fettle and the new (and controversial) housing estate looked on from above.

At Marsden, Lepton were in town. The home side were batting and coming to the end of their innings. The views down the Colne Valley were at their awe-inspiring best - Pule Hill round to Scapegoat Hill. There were three tea ladies on duty - with a variety of sandwiches, some gorgeous-looking potato salad and plenty of varied cakes and buns on display. Marsden were building up to a big day the following day - the Paddock Shield final against Scholes, with the hope for good weather and plenty of spectators. But also fears that Pennine weather at its most raw might also play a part! Plenty of stories were doing the rounds in the clubhouse: of the Australian junior touring team who only recently rated Hemplow as one of their favourite grounds in the whole of the UK; of Phil Mustard's recent batting exploits for Lepton Highlanders - on the back of a deal with Colman's (get it??); and of Dickie Bird being very aware of Marsden's picturesque ground and its notorious summer climate! Marsden's bowlers were also doing their stuff on the adjacent green while the cricketers were in action. An MCC official told me that it would be beneficial and advantageous if the four Hemplow clubs - cricket, bowling, tennis and golf - talked to each other more, but as of yet this wasn't happening. Raffle tickets were being sold in the pavilion, Championship football was being screened on the TV in the bar, and just as we left the rains came down - another reminder of that distinctive Marsden weather.

Golcar glory

Posted by Peter Davies

Sunday 9 August

The Sykes Cup final at Honley between Golcar and Elland - two heavyweights of the Huddersfield League. Far End Lane was bathed in sunshine for most of the day and estimates put the crowd figure at anything between 300 and 1,500! The playing area was ringed with spectators, with the Golcar crew by the pavilion making plenty of noise! Golcar batted first and totalled 230-odd - a good solid effort after a slow start. Elland got within 20 runs or so but if I had been a Hullen Edger I would have been disappointed by the tempo of the Elland reply. At no stage did they look like they wanted to keep up with the required rate. The Golcar bowling was good and captain Ashley Pamment seemed to have his finger on the pulse as regards tactics in the field. But still the Elland batters showed little positive endeavour...until it was too late, that is. Easy to say, but their top-order batters didn't give the impression they wanted to keep up with the rate and make it easier for the middle and lower order.

It was a perfect day for a major cup final and one that Golcar supporters will remember fondly after their champagne-and-bacon-butty breakfast. They also hired a large yellow bus to transport them from the Colne Valley to Honley. Around the ground they were very vocal and in the end they cheered their heroes on to their first ever Sykes Cup victory - an amazing stat given the history of the club. A bit like Aston Villa never having won the FA Cup! Tea was chicken and quiche salad followed by lemon cheesecake and there were outlets around the ground doing a roaring trade in burgers, sandwiches, scones and chocolate cake. Golcar's stalwarts were out in force - including Messrs Thorpe, Law and Sutherland - and for the last 45 minutes of the game my view of the action was blocked by ex-Yorkshire and Glamorgan batter Matthew Wood, Honley's new player-coach, who had a pint in his hand on the boundary near the pavilion. One visitor from afar was Bolton umpire Malcolm Kinder - on a day trip from Little Lever. He said he enjoyed the day.

Grace and relish

Posted by Peter Davies

Saturday 8 August

Batley, Mount, Hopton Mills - a North Kirklees tour. Batley were playing Scholes at Mount Pleasant (a ground W.G.Grace once played on) in the Central Yorkshire League and the home side were batting. Not many spectators - just one or two by the main entrance. The Batley players were congregated in the viewing area outside the pavilion. The Batley and Mount clubs have always been close - and are also close geographically - but it looks like some kind of merger has taken place with some ex-Mount players now turning out for Batley and several key Mount officials working hard in the kitchen. And, uniquely perhaps, those slaving away on the catering side were all men! Farid Karolia was in charge, ably assisted by at least two others. They were making chips, beefburgers, a rice dish and salad, with fruit salad to follow. I know Farid quite well on account of his Mount CC connections (he was a co-founder) and because of this friendship he kindly offered me a burger and chips in advance of teatime and a bowl of fruit salad. I could hardly refuse...and he even did a bowl of fruit salad for my dad, who had nipped off to get some photocopying doing. The burger was very spicy and I passed on a type of relish sauce that would have made the whole experience even spicier!

It was also teatime down the road - literally - at Mount. Crumpark were the visitors at Hyrstlands Park in the Dales Council. The council-owned ground was looking good and the sun was shining down seriously. Farid's brother was masterminding the Mount catering operation in the small room that doubles as a tea room inside their multi-purpose clubhouse building. Over the past few years I have come to realise that it is an Asian custom to smother guests with hospitality and food. I had just experienced this at Batley and the same was to follow at Mount. I was gifted a cup of tea and a box of mini-Swiss rolls, which I shared with my dad. Beware anyone who turns down any such hospitality! We sat on the banking and watched Crumpark begin their reply. Some amazing views out over Batley and Dewsbury - awesome in fact, with the area's textile heritage really obvious from the buildings all around. Mount have had plans to redevelop Hyrstlands Park but it now looks like they will be moving to Staincliffe, notwithstanding also the kind-of merger with Batley. Hanif, the club chairman, was away with the 1st XI, I was told.

Late afternoon at Hopton Mills, one of the most picturesque grounds in the area. It is set on its own 'estate' at the end of a long, winding road. There is even a monkey tree by the pavilion! The home side were entertaining Moorlands. In fact, the visitors were on the verge of claiming victory during our stay. They had racked up a 200+ score and the home side were struggling. Just like England in fact who, on our mini-radio, were in the process of losing five wickets for 20-odd in reply to Australia's massive 1st innings total at Headingley. Poor do! Lots of spectators at Woodbottom, on all sides of the ground in fact. A really beautiful place to watch cricket - so much so that my dad fell asleep doing so! The bar man was working hard inside the 'bungalow' pavilion and there were mini-pork pies, scones, jam tarts and mini-chocolate rolls available gratuis for any latecomers. I was frustrated by the fact that the boundary rope was set right on the edge of the grass so there was no room to lie down - but I got over my disappointment with a very cool pint of diet coke.

Bad hair day

Posted by Peter Davies

Monday 3 August

To Skelmanthorpe for a couple of hours to watch the Leeds and Huddersfield leagues clash in the junior Lord's Taverners tournament. Professional Cricket Watchers Mick Bourne and Dave Thorpe were both in situ when I arrived - with the former cheering on the visitors and the latter very much a Huddersfield man. Mr Bourne was on fine form - eating cake and meditating on the declining standards in the way that junior cricketers were attired - while Mr Thorpe was building up to Golcar's big day on the 9th: the Sykes Cup final against Elland. Both sides were bedecked in some very fine coloured caps and one or two players were sporting fairly outrageous 'KP c.2005' hairdos. Not great! The Skelmanthorpe caterers were doing a roaring trade and even after the tea interval - when I arrived - they were happy to serve up some fine egg mayo sandwiches, salad, quiche and extras. It was chocolate cake and trifle for dessert. I've never really enjoyed chocolate cake so I opted for the latter - and the enthusiastic tea lady said I could take the bowl and finish it off. A good offer! SCC chairperson Margaret Dollive was selling lottery tickets and a number of Huddersfield junior cricket VIPs were patrolling the boundary. Inside the clubhouse, Australia were busy drawing the 3rd Test - all very disappointing after the great start at Edgbaston.