Boxing Day cricket

Posted by Tony Hutton

Against all the odds, following torrential rain for several days which continued on the morning of the game, the 66th Annual Boxing Day Cricket Match was played at North Leeds Cricket Club last Saturday. This game has been played every year since 1949 without a break and whatever the weather.

The team of stalwarts shown below, plus one missing from the photograph - the rather large figure of Mr Andrew Stothard, took on the might of North Leeds in a game restricted to ten overs due to the appalling conditions.

Northern Cricket Society team

 

The spectators who had arrived early for the scheduled 10.30 start were quite prepared for a morning without cricket and a cosy chat and suitable refreshments with friends in the welcoming pavilion. Rain was still falling quite heavily and it came as a total surprise when the players decided to start a ten overs a side match about 11.45. The boundaries had been brought in considerably in view of the very soggy outfield in many areas.

 

North Leeds batted first and made a respectable total of 95-4 in their ten overs with the

help of a few sixes over the shortened boundaries. One or two of the fielders came a cropper and ended up covered in mud but everyone joined in the spirit of the occasion.

 

The players leave the field

 

The Northern Cricket Society's reply started well with several well known local league cricketers such as Steve Lawrence, Howard Johnson, Vince Greaves-Newell

and Andy Stoddard plus a pair of Conboys from Garforth Parish Church and a pair of Pattersons from St Chads. However wickets began to fall towards the end of the innings when the rain had almost abated. So despite the best efforts of all concerned the Society fell thirteen runs short and finished on 82-6.

 

 Andrew Mawson presents the trophy to Rob Winter

 

So yet another victory for the home side and the Northern's Chairman Andrew

Mawson presented the George Featherstone Trophy to North Leeds captain Rob Winter. The North Leeds all rounder Barry Singleton won the bottle of whisky presented to the Man of the Match. Inevitably as soon as the game finished the rain stopped and the cloud cover cleared, but a good time had been had by all,with thoughts already turning to the 2016 season.

 

The perennial twelfth man Stevan Bindman actually got a game for once but sadly he did not get a bowl!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frohliche Weihnachten

posted by John Winn

As the days begin to lengthen, I hope you are not wasting those extra seconds, the pcw can tick off various sign posts that point towards next season. We have had time to digest the county fixtures published on December 1st and no doubt many have begun to sketch out their plans for travel and accommodation and try to fit in awkward things like work into their schedules. Of course the blog does not confine itself to the county scene and last week the draw was published for the 2016 Royal London Club Championship.

First round matches will be played on Sunday April 24th with the teams divided into sixteen regional groups. Last year's winners, Blackheath are in group 16 and have received a bye and their first game will be against the winners of Bexley and Preston Nomads. Northern, emphatically defeated by Blackheath in last year's final start next season's campaign with a short trip to Wigan outfit Highfield CC. 

Groups one and two comprise clubs from the North East and Yorkshire. Amongst the more intriguing fixtures here are NYSD champions Richmondshire v Clifton Alliance, Brandon v York, Benwell Hill v Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Driffield v South Northumberland. Full details are available by putting Royal London Club Championship 2106 in a search engine.

Another set of fixtures published very recently are those for the newly formed Pennine League, the emergence of which has been covered on the blog. Action starts on Saturday April 23rd with an inaugural friendly fixture between Norden and Saddleworth and the league programme begins the next day. In the Premier Division two of the four former Saddleworth clubs face each other, Austerlands v Greenfield while Glodwick entertain Littleborough and Saddleworth have Rochdale as visitors. Full details at the impressive new website penninecricket.co.uk.

As this may be my last posting of 2015 may I wish all our readers the compliments of the season. The blog continues to attract plenty of hits, averaging 88 a day over the last month, thank you for your interest and please continue logging on in 2016. Just in case you are a little puzzled by the title of today's posting suffice to say that in recent days a majority of our readers have been from Germany, Danke.

Loftus find a new home

posted by John Winn

'Cleveland League numbers dwindling'

The above headline appeared in the Middlesbrough evening paper (The Gazette) in May 2013 since when I have referred in a number of postings to the decline in the number of clubs competing in the Cleveland League to the point where in 2015 there were but three clubs left putting out just five teams between them. During the last few weeks I have made several attempts via the internet to see if the league intended to continue in 2016 until I read that Loftus, one of the three clubs and provider of two of the teams had made an unsuccessful application to join the NYSD. That the east Cleveland club should make such an application strongly suggested that the remaining clubs had called it a day. Our Hartlepool correspondent has confirmed that this is the case and that Loftus  have looked down the coast for a new home and have joined the Eskdale League.

 

As its name suggests this league consists of clubs in or around the valley of the River Esk which from its source in Westerdale reaches the sea after a thirty mile journey at Whitby. Both Tony and Brian have visited grounds in this league, indeed in September 2011 Brian visited all ten in one day. Four years later all ten clubs were still participating so Loftus will make eleven.

The fate of the other two clubs in the Cleveland league, Smith's Dock and Paragonians is not known (at least to me) but Eskdale would not be geographically convenient for either of them and if they are to continue the Langbaurgh would seem a more suitable home. The demise of any league is of a sad event, especially one that can boast more than 125 years' history. In the 2013 article I referred to at the top of the posting the then league chairman, Geoff Kelley attributed its decline to competition from NYSD clubs with their better facilities, changes in village life and the decline in the industries on Teesside that produced several works teams. Who has heard of Dormans, Head Wrightsons or Cochranes?

On a happier note last week saw the publication of the fixtures for the two new Yorkshire Premier Leagues, north and south. In the north the season will begin on April 16th with some very tempting morsels. Champions of the 'old premier', York, will be at home to near neighbours Dunnington, a journey of about 8 miles, Harrogate will entertain village cup winners Woodhouse Grange and Sheriff Hutton Bridge's traditional opening friendly against the Academy will be for real. In the southern division play will be called a week later and here there are two matches that will bring together old and new, Aston Hall v Appleby Frodingham and Barnsley v Treeton. Something to look forward to as we approach the shortest day.

Plenty of cricket for Christmas and New Year

Posted by Tony Hutton

For those of you suffering from winter cricket deprivation, possibly made even worse by the army of so called commentators on Sky Sports, help is at hand.

Live cricket is coming to Yorkshire very shortly with two matches (at least) on Boxing Day and two more early in January. North Leeds cricket club will be staging the 66th traditional game between the home side and the Northern Cricket Society on Boxing Day with a 10.30 start. This is normally a 30 overs per side game played whatever the weather. Suitable refreshments will be available and raffle proceeds are in aid of St Gemmas Hospice.

                                                Boxing Day 2009

The North Leeds ground is situated at the Homestead, Old Park Road, Roundhay, Leeds and is adjacent to Soldiers Field. On the same day another game will be played at the historic Pudsey St Lawrence cricket ground at Tofts Road, Pudsey with an 11 a.m. start (although it does say 11 p.m. on their website!).

Into January next and on Saturday 9th January, as an alternative to the FA cup third round, another charity match will be played at St. Chads cricket club, Far Headingley, Leeds between a President's XI and a Chairman's XI at 12 noon. Again hot food and drinks will be available for spectators and all proceeds are in aid of Wheatfields Hospice.

The following day, Sunday 10th January, the annual tour match between near neighbours in the Yorkshire Dales will be played at Appletreewick, who take on Malhamdale. The start time is subject to negotiation which involves getting the players to leave the two local pubs before it gets dark. Early afternoon is the best guide.

If you can keep warm this is a game not to be missed, with endless local rules and rituals which usually provide a very close finish before the welcome return to the pub.

Things you may have missed

posted by John Winn

• at its AGM the Halifax Cricket League announced that the member clubs had voted unanimously to join the YCB pyramid. President David Normanton said that 'We are well aware that only a small number of our champions will even consider the move to a higher league.........but all.....clubs voted to give the others an opportunity to be promoted'.

• the Scarborough Beckett League has amalgamated with the Derwent Valley League and will have 57 teams in 2016. The Scarborough News describes the move as the winding up of the 95 year old Derwent League. The league has suffered from a loss of teams in recent years and secretary Bernard Goulding describes his mixed emotions over the merger. Bernard is saddened by the demise of the league but believes the amalgamation is the best way forward.

• in the York Senior Cricket League Humberside based club Fenner has disbanded citing shortage of players and uncertainty over the future of the Marfleet Ground. The club's closure appears to have been precipitated by the resignation of a number of 'leading players'.

• in the Wetherby League East Keswick have withdrawn their first team from the league with immediate effect and in 2016 will run only one side, East Keswick A, in Division 4. The league will begin next season with 56 teams, 4 divisions of 12 and a fifth division of eight. Full details on the league website, wetherbyleague.co.uk

• Sussex have raised serious doubts about the continuance of county cricket at Arundel and Horsham. Attendances have been disappointing and commercial support has declined and both the chairman and chief executive have questioned the viability of the two festivals. Our Sussex correspondent believes Horsham to be under the greater threat.

• Rockcliffe Park, champions of the Darlington and District League have made application to join the NYSD and after an inspection of the club's facilities by the NYSD President and Secretary it was agreed that the club's application would be supported by the committee. Should the club be accepted their first XI will play in Division 3 and the second XI in Sunday Division 2. Fixtures for the latter will begin on April 10th presenting pcws with an early opportunity to see league cricket in 2106  Rockcliffe's attractive ground is situated near Hurworth on Tees which is practically Darlington. . Another D and D club, Barton have withdrawn their application to join the NYSD.

• Finally if you have been anticipating the publication of next year's county fixtures later this week then you may have to exercise your patience a little longer. The word on the ether is that it will be December before they are revealed. Go to most county websites, click on fixtures and you will find those for 2015.

Pennine League line up

posted by John Winn

The newly formed Pennine Cricket League now has a website up and running at penninecricket.co.uk. Pcws may be interested in the line up for the premier and championship divisions: here they are

Premier: Austerlands, Crompton, Glodwick, Greenfield, Littleborough, Middleton, Monton and Weaste, Norden, , Rochdale, Royton, Saddleworth, Walsden

Championship: Ashton, Friarmere, Heyside, Hollinwood, Micklehurst, Milnrow, Moorside, Oldham, Shaw, Stayley, Uppermill, Werneth

Not sure where some of these teams are based?  Click on venues where you will find a map showing the location of each ground, postal address and postcode.

 

Friarmere who will play in PCL Championship in 2016

Changes in the north west

posted by John Winn


In a posting I made in September 'Practically Oldham' I described an outing made by six pcws to visit grounds in the Saddleworth League on the last day of its existence and while I have on a number of occasions made references to the changes which will affect league cricket in Yorkshire next season less has been said about what is going on next door. As far back as June the Saddleworth league website announced that it would be merging with the Central Lancashire League to form a new league to be known as The Pennine League. The new league will comprise 13 teams from the CLL and 11 from Saddleworth.

Four clubs from the Saddleworth League writes The Saddleworth Independent will join the new Greater Manchester Cricket League, details of which are now available on its website. What the GMCL calls 'fixture groups' for next season are listed. Clubs in the Premier League are Bury, Clifton, Denton St Lawrence, Denton West, Edgeworth, Egerton, Flixton, Glossop, Greenmount, Heywood, Prestwich and Unsworth. The four clubs from Saddleworth have been placed in Div 2: they are Droylesden, South West Manchester, Whalley Range and Wythenshawe. Full details available at gmcl-2016.co.uk

Finally the sad announcement of the death of Tom Graveney a couple of weeks ago means a change in the list of England's oldest surviving test captains. Donald Carr of course remains at number 1 but TWG's place at two has been taken by Raymond Illingworth. I recall seeing Graveney playing for England at Headingley in 1968 against Australia, the one occasion on which he captained his country but I was only present on the first day when stubborn batting from Redpath and Ian Chappell kept England in the field so denying me the chance to see Graveney bat in test cricket. The day is perhaps best remembered for Fletcher's 'noble attempts' at first slip while there were some in the crowd who felt that Phil Sharp might have done a better job.