MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

December 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  In his poem ‘To Autumn’, John Keats describes Autumn as ‘the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’. Well we’ve certainly had the mists but for this writer, November was the month of AGMs. Attendance at the Club’s AGM on 13^th November was higher than it had been for a few years; a most welcome sign. Anyone hoping to make money on the ‘How long will the Secretary’s Report take him?’ sweepstake would have had little chance of lining his pockets. I presented a condensed version. In fact the whole AGM lasted only thirty-five minutes. No doubt to the relief of one and all. Short[ish] it may have been; however, important decisions were taken. Perhaps the most note-worthy of these was the election of Stuart Graham as 1^st Team Captain and Andy Stokoe as 1^st Team Vice-captain. Gary Hunter, who has led the Team in recent seasons, had informed the Club of his intention to step down from the captaincy several weeks before the AGM. Gary served the Club very well in that highly demanding capacity. Hopefully he will enjoy his cricket even more without the weight of captaincy on his shoulders.

 

  The League AGM was held on 27^th November at Blue Flames CC., Benton, Newcastle. Using the voice of the lady in the car [SAT NAV], I managed to negotiate my way through foreign territory and found myself at an ideal venue for holding a meeting for fifty clubs. The room was large but, unlike the inaugural AGM held in November2017 at Kingston Park, it was possible to hear every word spoken. As is historically the norm, the voting of the League’s clubs regarding rule changes did not always go the way that the Club wished. Thus, next season all matches will start at 1.00p.m. [12.30 for the last three matches of the season], the 2^nd Team will play 40 overs per innings in League matches and teams will have 90 minutes after the official starting time to complete their team [i.e. a player whose arrival at the ground is delayed by up to 90 minutes may play in the match]. As the Club’s representative, I voted against all three of those proposals but was outnumbered in a big way. However, I did ‘get it right’ when voting in favour of the introduction of a Power Play operating in cup matches organised by the League. The compiler of the League Handbook [League Secretary Paul Lee] will have his work cut out to amend all of the rule changes adopted at the AGM. There was a total of twenty-seven motions voted upon!!! Most were carried!!! Make sure that you read the Handbook before the start of the season or you will not have any idea of what is going on.       

 

    It was at the Club’s AGM that I was informed that John ‘Rut’ Rutherford had been ‘whisked’ to hospital with what proved to be a pulmonary embolism. John was to spend twelve days in hospital. Happily the ‘blood-clot busting’ drugs worked well and John was eventually allowed home. For some of the twelve days in hospital the bed next to his was occupied by Ron Carr. Ron is a long-term friend of former Club batsman Billy Gibson and was a regular spectator at the Club’s matches when Billy was playing back in the 1970s. He also knows John well. No doubt the pair of them whiled away the boring hours in hospital putting the world to rights. I first met John in the Blackfyne dressing room at the first outdoor nets of season 1970. It was my first season at the Club and I knew very few of the players. I assumed that John was a long-standing Club member but was told by him that he and David Graham, who was with him in the dressing room, had been playing for Allendale & Westwood CC and that this, too, was to be their first season at Blackfyne. Later in that year I vacated my ‘digs’, got married and moved into my new house on Fairways. A short time later John and his wife Mary moved into their new house a few yards away from mine. Small world eh? We were to remain neighbours for sixteen years.The rest, as they say, is history. Over the following years we got know each other very well indeed both on and off the field. I am sure that readers will join with me in wishing John a speedy return to good health.

 

  Moving on to domestic arrangements for next season. Kamran Mansoor has informed the Club [via Gary Hunter] that he will be plying his trade with Warkworth CC [Division 3] next season. I know nothing of that club nor its ground but anticipate Kamran breaking a few records there. On the plus side Callum McCabe will be joining the Club next season. His all-round ability will be a huge bonus.

        

December’s  Cricket Quiz

More trouble and strife:-

[a] Which Australian spinner was banned for a year in 2003 after testing positive for a banned substance, which he said was a diet pill given to him by his mother?

[b] Which former Indian captain was banned for life for his role in a match-fixing scandal?

[c] Which former England captain skippered a highly controversial rebel tour to South Africa in 1989-90?

[d] With which former Australian captain is Ian Botham said to have enjoyed a feud lasting 38 years?

[e] Which England captain was fined heavily for the ‘Dirt in the Pocket Affair’ in 1994?

[f] Which Yorkshire captain was banned from lifting his side’s trophy after they won the County Championship in 2014 for comments he had made to Ashwell Prince in a previous match?

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to November’s Cricket Quiz   

A mixed bag:-

[a] True or false? Yorkshireman Bobby Peel was banned from the Yorkshire team in 1897 for taking the field drunk and urinating in front of his captain, Lord Hawke. True

[b] Why is David Lloyd called Bumble? Because he looks like one of the characters called ‘Bumblies’ in Michael Bentine’s TV programme of that name.

[c] True or false? In a mix up where both batsmen are stranded at one end of the wicket, the batsmen choose who is out. False

[d] The score is 8 for no wicket at the end of the first over. This over consisted of four dot balls and then two run-scoring shots. At the end of the over both batsmen were on four not out. How? The first batsman hits the ball into the deep; they run five including overthrows but that tally includes one short run; having crossed, the second batsman hits a boundary.

[e] The batting side needs one run to win. The fielding side needs one wicket to win. The fielding side bowl a wide but the batsman is stumped. Who wins, or is it a draw? The batting side wins because the wide occurred first and therefore the match is over.

[f] True or false? If an umpire miscounts and a batsman is dismissed off the seventh ball of the over, the dismissal doesn’t count. False

 

 

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. This month’s topic is, once again, Politics.

 

‘No country which has cricket as one of its national games has yet gone Communist. On this I found my trust that the new regime in Grenada will turn out to be not so extreme Left-Wing as predicted.’

Woodrow Wyatt in ‘The Sunday Mirror’, 1979.

 

‘It was his dream to build a kind of socialist cricket republic where all players would be equal. If he had had his way we would have stood up before the start of each match and belted out a couple of choruses of the Red Flag.’

Ian Botham, on Geoff Cook’s management of Durham, in ‘My Autobiography’, 1995.

 

‘Comprehensives don’t produce cricketers.’

Jim Laker, former England and Surrey off-spinner.

 

‘There’s no pressure in Yorkshire cricket. My mate gets up at half-past four every morning to go down t’pit. That’s what you call pressure.’

Steve Oldham, upon his appointment as Yorkshire cricket manager, 1989.

 

‘Did you see that, sir? That means war!’

MCC member at Lord’s when a green baize was placed over one of the Long Room busts, start of Second World War, 1939.

 

‘The gradual exclusion of white folk is a bad thing for West Indies cricket. ’

Len Hutton, the first professional to lead England overseas, in the West Indies, 1953/4.

 

 

‘It’s rather like sending in your opening batsmen only for them to find that their bats have been broken by the Team captain.’

Sir Geoffrey Howe, resigning as Conservative deputy leader, in the conflict over Margaret Thatcher’s attitude to Europe, which precipitated Michael Heseltine’s challenge for the Tory leadership, 1990.

 

‘It’s new bats that are wanted.’

Mrs. Thatcher on the same issue, 1990.

 

‘ A sportsman is like a soldier who is always ready to help the country.’

General Zia of Pakistan, pressing Imran Khan to come out of retirement, 1988.

 

‘I am always ready to serve the nation and the game.’

Imran’s response, showing signs of a putative political career, 1988.  [Readers will have noted that Imran Khan is now Prime Minister of Pakistan  -  editor.]  

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

October 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

    

  Well there goes another season; and what a season it was! Plenty of ‘highs’ for the 1^st Team and a resurgence of performance in the second half of the season for the 2^nd Team. Reference has been made in these columns throughout the season of the tight finishes to matches played by the 1^st Team. ‘Exciting’ has at times been an inadequate adjective to describe the emotions experienced by Blackfyne supporters. ‘Heart stopping’ would have been more appropriate. Perhaps the best [or worst] moment was retained for the last ball of the season itself? Defeat in the final two League matches had scuppered any ambitions of winning the League. A solo barrage of 6s by a Seaham Park batsman had demolished the hopes of the 1^st Team winning the Roy Coates Cup Finals Day played at Crook CC. The only remaining chance of lifting silverware was the Tyneside Charity Bowl Final played at Tynedale. For the majority of the match the Club looked to be playing second fiddle to Premier League South Northumberland.  Batsman Robbie Winn, however, had different ideas. Taking his cue, perhaps, from the aforementioned Seaham Park opener, Robbie unleashed an assault on the opposition bowlers. In an innings of just 29 balls his strokes [not slogs] amassed a total of 55 not out including nine 4s and one 6. When the last ball of the last over was delivered two runs were needed for victory. In a TV drama, of course, that ball would have been blasted out of the ground. However, dramatic as it was, this was not fiction. One run was scored and the match was tied. Having lost fewer wickets, South Northumberland won the spoils. Well done Robbie and the rest of the team for providing members with an exciting season, best described [as was the Final at Tynedale itself] as so near and yet so far.   

 

  Familiar faces will be missing next season. I write of the promotion of Ashington CC and Shotley Bridge CC to the North East Premier League. Given the perceived [by the writer] desperation of the NEPL to replace the three clubs which had left that League for various reasons, applications for promotion were sought from clubs within our own N&TCL and the Durham League. N&TCL Champions Swalwell CC [it still hurts to write that] and our Club declined the opportunity to do so. [A discussion of the merits and disadvantages of joining the NEPL would take up the rest of this article. However, as the Club fails to meet one of the criteria necessary for such elevation viz. a lack of a current Junior Section, the discussion would be pointless.] Ashington and Shotley Bridge together with Crook CC [runners-up in the Durham League] accepted promotion and will compete in the NEPL 2^nd Division in 2019. Writing as someone with a long history of both playing in and watching matches against ‘the club down the hill’, I shall miss fixtures with our close neighbours. I will not miss the lengthy journey to Ashington  but do regret losing the acquaintanceship of several of Ashington’s loyal supporters. As the north-eastern vernacular has it – they were ‘good crack’.

 

  As I write this article the Chapman clan is in Cyprus attending the wedding of John and Jayne. Bob, of course, was less than keen on venturing to foreign climes, although I am sure that once there he will enjoy it all. I know that all readers will join me in wishing John and Jayne a long and happy life together.

 

  The Club’s Senior Presentation Evening will take place on Friday 5^th October. No doubt the majority of the ‘formal’ proceedings will, quite rightly, be concentrated upon the on-field performance of the Club. However, perhaps the most prestigious award is the Gus Robinson Rose Bowl presented to the Club Member of the Year? The Club is run in as professional a way as possible by unpaid amateurs. I can think of at least two dozen members who qualify for this category of volunteers. Without their work, often unseen, there would be no cricket played at Blackfyne. It is only fit and proper that their contribution is recognised by the award.

 

  The recent announcement of the retirement of Paul Collingwood from first-class cricket came as no surprise to followers of Durham CCC. Age catches up with all of us eventually.In my opinion Paul is to be commended for his work with the County since his departure from the international scene several years ago. To have played in front of thousands of spectators for many years and then to return suddenly to the metaphorical ‘three men and a dog’ on the County circuit must be a jolt. Paul, however, appeared to take it in his stride and threw himself into doing whatever he could for his native County club. No doubt we will not have heard the last of him. Only he knows what his ambitions are and what will be around the corner for him. He may even turn out for Shotley Bridge in the NEPL. I wish him well.

 

  The rumour-mill is probably working at top speed at the moment. I write, of course, of the comings and goings of players within our League. Last year I was told by an opposition player that Messrs. A, B & C would be joining our club for season 2018. The annoying thing was that he was correct in every detail. How did he know? Confidentiality is a thing of the past. As for season 2019 all I can tell you is that the story of MS Dhoni having been seen in Blackhill is not true. Elvis on the other hand …………………. . 

      

October’s Cricket Quiz   

 

A spot of bother:-

[a] Which former England captain buzzed the ground in a Tiger Moth plane during a match in Australia in 1991?

[b] Who was the other player in the plane?

[c] Which England all-rounder was banned after he admitted to smoking cannabis in 1986?

[d] Which Australian cricketer was sent home from the World T20 Cup in 2012 for an ‘alcohol-related incident’?

[e] What is it alleged that England players threw on the pitch during the 2007 Oval Test against India?

[f] Name the England opener, now a match referee, who demolished his stumps with his bat after being dismissed against Australia in 1988?

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to September’s Cricket Quiz

A mixed bag:-

[a] Which West Indian fast bowler sent down 15 balls in an over against Australia in Perth in 1996-97, widely believed to be the longest ever? Curtly Ambrose

[b] Bowlers have to inform the umpire if they are changing their bowling style [e.g. from medium pace to spin]. True or false? False. [They only have to inform them if they are going to change their bowling arm.]

[c] What is the cheapest ten-wicket haul in First-class cricket history? 10-10 by Hedley Verity.

[d] Who is the oldest man to have scored a century in a Test match? Jack Hobbs  [aged 46].

[e] Name the only Welshman to captain England at Cricket. Tony Lewis

[f] Which Warwickshire spinner once took all ten wickets without the aid of any fielder; seven bowled, three LBW?  Eric Hollies

[g] When England played Australia in 1979, Lillee was caught Willey bowled Dilley in the gully. True or false?  True

 

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Cricket-loving children [yes, there are some] probably have a dream of playing for their county and their country. The subject of the quotations below not only achieved those ambitions but was an important member of the most successful County team of the 1960s before moving on to pastures new and leading his adopted county to the success which it had never before experienced in its history. As if that was not enough for any cricketer, he captained England in Australia, regaining the Ashes in the process, returned to his native county as Team Manager [and player] before taking up the role of England’s Chairman of Selectors. When all of that was over and done with he would have been forgiven for sitting back and enjoying his retirement.  But no, he was to be found back at his local club [Farsley CC] where it all began, cutting the wicket in preparation for Saturday’s match. I write, of course, of Raymond Illingworth [Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England]. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but just look at his record as an all-rounder [off-spinner and middle-order batsman]  and captain of Leicestershire and England. Raymond  [he did not appreciate being known as ‘Ray’] Illingworth was a boyhood hero of mine and, for no other reason than that, he merits  a series of quotations to himself.       

 

‘As good a cricketing mind as there has ever been. ’

Sir Colin Cowdrey on Ray Illingworth, appointed as Chairman of Selectors,1994.

 

‘I did once try to become a selector, but the application seemed to get blocked along the way. ’

Ray Illingworth, freshly appointed as England’s Chairman of Selectors, at a youthful 62, explaining why his involvement with the national side had taken so long.

 

‘We have been running scared.’

England’s new Chairman of Selectors, Ray Illingworth, in his first day in the job, on the policy of playing six specialist batsmen, 1994.

 

‘He is one of our best batsmen. But I’m not going to tolerate part-time players who want to pick and choose which series they play in.’

Illingworth, assessing the likelihood of a Graham Gooch comeback, 1994.

 

‘Current players admired?’

‘None.’

Raymond Illingworth’s response to a questionnaire in ‘The Cricketer’ upon becoming Chairman of Selectors.

 

‘I fear he will be too keen to run the train-set all by himself. ’

Mike Brearley, in ‘The Observer’, upon Ray Illingworth’s appointment as Chairman of Selectors. [Brearley regarded Illingworth, nevertheless, as the shrewdest captain he had ever played against.]

 

‘I don’t want players who need a shoulder to cry on.’

Ray Illingworth, justifying his decision to dispense with the England chaplain, Andrew Wingfield-Digby, 1994.

 

‘Providing a shoulder to cry on has never been a definition of my work. I agree with Mr Illingworth that our players should be tough. I know of no tougher person to walk the face of the earth than my own boss – Jesus Christ.’

Andrew Wingfield-Digby, who was still to be allowed occasional dressing-room visits on an unofficial basis, 1994.

 

‘If they’re not going to work hard, they’re not going to play.’

Gospel according to Ray Illingworth, newly appointed as Chairman of Selectors, 1994.

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

September 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

     

  Followers of the Club’s 1^st Team were ‘put through the mill’ on more than one occasion last month. Following the one wicket win at Ryton at the end of July, August saw the Team putting its supporters through agonies at Lanchester [won by one wicket] and Tynedale [won by four runs]. Attendance at such matches should carry a health warning. The irony of the matter is that prior to the Lanchester match the Club beat Swalwell by 6 wickets and then, between the two away fixtures, the Club hosted Shotley Bridge CC in what was termed a ‘top of the table clash’. Most followers of both clubs, including the writer, anticipated a ‘tight’ match. How wrong that was with the Club running out winners by 106 runs. Funny game cricket eh? The victories were team efforts. Granted there were outstanding performances by some individuals, but whether with bat, ball or in the field, the whole team contributed to the success. Keep it up!

 

  The Tyneside Charity Bowl Final [Consett v South Northumberland] was held at Stocksfield CC on Wednesday 15^th August. The Final had been scheduled to be played on a Sunday at Benwell Hill CC. However, because of South/North’s commitment to a national Cup competition, the date and venue were changed. As many readers will be aware, the match at Stocksfield had to be abandoned when heavy rain finally fell from the dark clouds which had enveloped the ground during the play which had been possible. It has to be stated that the Club was in a parlous position when the rain came. Hopefully the Team will fare better when the Final is eventually played at Tynedale CC on Sunday 9^th September. Although I had driven past Stocksfield’s ground on a number of occasions over the years, I had never played in or watched a match there before. It is an impressive complex boasting a rugby pitch, a football pitch and two, not one, cricket fields! Several Club supporters in attendance that particular evening were, like me, curious to know how the complex was run. Research on the internet reveals that the grounds are owned by the Parish Council. The four sports clubs which use the grounds have separate agreements with the Parish Council. However, the Cricket Club owns the pavilion. So now you know.

 

  Sod’s Law is still in existence as proved when the Club held its Annual ‘Summer Spectacular’ last month. The weeks of continuous sunshine and Saharan temperatures had, perhaps, prompted the attendees [well over 200 of them] to expect a balmy summer’s evening. This was not to be the case. Earlier the same day [the day of the Lanchester match] the weather had changed, the temperature had fallen as the skies clouded over. The evening brought rain, lots of it. However, that apart, the evening went well. The entertainment was excellent, the raffle did well, the bar did brisk business and a good time was had by all. The organisers and volunteers behind the temporary bar are to be congratulated upon a job well done. Being of a certain age, the lady wife and I sought sanctuary from the rain, not in the packed and noisy marquee, but under the pavilion’s balcony in the company of other more mature members viz. David and Christine Dixon, Bob and Lesley Chapman and Keith and Susan Horn. Euphoric as I was by the victory at Lanchester, I pushed the boat out [no pun intended] and shared a pizza with the lady wife. Life in the fast lane.

 

  The Club hosted the final of the Eric Topham Trophy the evening before the ‘Summer Spectacular’. The weather was kind and the match was a competitive affair played between Shotley Bridge and Lanchester with Lanchester running out winners. Club Treasurer Colin presented the trophy on behalf of Joan Topham. During his speech Colin paid a deserved tribute to Joan for her sponsorship of the Club. I was delighted to see so many spectators at Blackfyne for the Final. It was a great advert for local cricket. Several former players were of the opinion that, given the attendance for the Final played between the two clubs only a few miles apart, the recreation of a North West Durham League or even a Tyneside Senior League would bring back the crowds of yesteryear. Perhaps it would. There again it would depend upon the level of support enjoyed by the other clubs in that League. Let us not forget that the large crowds of yesteryear were attracted to local cricket not only by the cricket itself but by the absence of one particular avenue of entertainment commonplace today i.e. sport on SKY Television. Going over old ground I know but when some players themselves do not turn out to play in favour of watching a football match on TV, it would be unrealistic perhaps to forecast a substantial increase in attendance at local matches.

 

  Am I the only person who despairs at the antics of some players in our matches? I think not. I refer to the following, all witnessed by the writer this season:- Fielders swearing out loud when they have dropped a catch [loud enough for the whole ground to hear]; bowlers swearing in a similar manner when they have bowled a bad ball which has been dispatched to the boundary; boundary fielders screaming an appeal for LBW or ‘caught behind’; batsmen ‘standing’ when given out ‘caught behind’ when they have clearly ‘taken the cover off it’; excessive appealing by a whole fielding side. As one of my boyhood heroes, Fred Trueman, once said [on Test Match Special], “I don’t know what’s going on out there.”             

     

September’s Cricket Quiz

A mixed bag:-

[a] Which West Indian fast bowler sent down 15 balls in an over against Australia in Perth in 1996-97, widely believed to be the longest ever?

[b] Bowlers have to inform the umpire if they are changing their bowling style [e.g. from medium pace to spin]. True or false?

[c] What is the cheapest ten-wicket haul in First-class cricket history?

[d] Who is the oldest man to have scored a century in a Test match?

[e] Name the only Welshman to captain England at Cricket.

[f] Which Warwickshire spinner once took all ten wickets without the aid of any fielder; seven bowled, three LBW?

[g] When England played Australia in 1979, Lillee was caught Willey bowled Dilley in the gully. True or false? 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to August’s Cricket Quiz

Guess the coach:-

[a] Who was the first man to be appointed England cricket coach in 1986?         Micky Stewart [father of Alec].

[b] Who is the only man to have held the England coach’s position twice?           Peter Moores

[c] Which former Yorkshire captain served as coach and ‘supremo’ between 1995 and 1996? Raymond Illingworth

[d] Which former England Test cricketer was an umpire, then a commentator, before going into coaching and holding the England job between 1996 and 1999?  [He has since returned to commentating.] David Lloyd

[e] Which former Aussie spinner was credited with developing Shane Warne’s talent?        Terry Jenner

[f] Which English coach of Pakistan died during the 2007 World Cup?             Former England batsman Bob Woolmer.

 

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Slating the England cricket team and its selectors has been a popular pastime for the press and others ever since the 19^th Century. I, too, participate in the activity. During the 3^rd England v India Test Match played at Trent Bridge last month members of the media were hard at it long before the result was known. I offer the following if for no other reason than to illustrate that, ‘It’s all been said before.’

 

‘I find it mystifying that England produce any cricketers at all. ’

Colin McCool, Australian, on English coaching soon after the Second World War.

 

‘One is always a little nervous when watching England bat. ’

Peter May, Chairman of Selectors, 1984.

 

‘You bowled everyone at the wrong end, didn’t you?’

The remark, from Phil Edmonds, in the Lord’s press conference that encouraged David Gower, on the end of another thrashing from Australia, to leave early for the theatre. 1989.

 

‘In the old days men were sometimes omitted because they did not buy their round at the bar; these days they are more likely to be left out because they do.’

 

Matthew Engel, in his notes to the 1993 ‘Wisden’, on the omission of David Gower from Graham Gooch’s England party in India, 1992/3.

 

‘How have I survived in 117 Tests without this wretched commitment?’

David Gower, in his final Hampshire season, 1993.

 

‘Meekness is a nice word. Wimpish is the one I would use. The England side recently has had no spunk about it. ’

Ian Botham, when asked if the England side was ‘too meek’, Ashes series, 1993.

 

‘Why are people too old to play Test cricket at 37, but too young to select the team until they are collecting their pension?’

Ian Botham, 1994, objecting to an England selection trio [Illingworth, Titmus, Bolus] all over 60.

 

‘At the 1996 World Cup, the England squad resembled a bad-tempered grandmother attending a teenage rave. Unable to comprehend what was happening – on the field or off it – the players just lingered, looking sullen and incompetent.’

Matthew Engel, ’Wisden’, 1997.

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

August 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  

  As I begin this edition [27^th July] the sun is beating down and the temperature is 24 degrees Centigrade. We have enjoyed [or is it endured?] such conditions for most of July. It has been a pleasure to watch cricket both home and away without having to don sweaters, jackets, coats etc. as is common practice during a typical cricket season. In fact the past month’s weather is reminiscent of season 1976. The 1^st Team’s performances have, in the main, matched the good weather. Recent League successes have put the Club into 3^rd position in Division 1. In addition the team has reached the Final of the Tyneside Charity Bowl [for the first time in decades] and the Quarter Final of the Roy Coates Cup. Stewart Graham has continued to make an impact on his return to the Club. Perhaps the highlight of his good form came in the home match against Percy Main when his bowling figures of 7-13 included a hat-trick. As I often preach in these articles, cricket is an individualistic team game. By way of reinforcing that point, every member of the side has contributed regularly or consistently with bat, ball or in the field*.

 

  To reach the Final of the Tyneside Charity Bowl the Club had to beat Blagdon Park CC in the semi-final. This they did without too much trouble [see the website for details]. What made the evening memorable for me was not the match itself but the venue. For a week or two prior to the match discussions in the Bar returned to the whereabouts of Blagdon Park [it is actually near Seaton Burn] and the best route to take to get to it. I, like several others, chose the A1 to the Seaton Burn turn-off followed by a mile or so along a minor road. My initial thought when reaching the ground was that it would be an ideal setting for a ‘Midsomer Murders’ programme, standing as it does in a vast country estate. The field is surrounded by trees and fields of cattle. The pavilion is painted a brilliant white and of a design typical of the Victorian or Edwardian period. A proper cricket pavilion, not one of those flat-roofed affairs seen all too often nowadays. Take the wrong turning [as I did] and you are confronted by the landowner’s mansion. Answers to our questions revealed the estate belonged to Lord Ridley whose family had owned it for many generations. I did say, did I not, that it looked like ‘Midsomer Murders’ country?

 

  A few days after the cup-tie at Blagdon Park I was watching a match at Richmond upon Thames. The game was played on Richmond Green. Sounds an  idyllic venue ? Well, not really. The Green is a huge grassed space [probably five or six times the area of Blackfyne]  enclosed by shops, restaurants, pubs and the river. The cricket field itself was demarcated by white boundary markers. The wicket had been marked in the usual manner; popping creases, return creases etc.. However, its colour [straw] was no different to the rest of the field. ‘Under-prepared’ does not do it justice.To complete the picture public footpaths criss-crossed the field. Play was interrupted on one occasion by a lady pushing a pram, accompanied by two young children, behind the bowler’s arm. The standard of play matched the facilities. I did not linger. 

 

  Judith Williamson has had a July she will not forget. A fall on a wet kitchen floor resulted in a broken hip! A subsequent hip replacement operation went well but, as her son David told me, things are never simple and following a set-back Judith was taken back into hospital for 24 hours. I am delighted to report that Judith has now returned to the comforts of her own home. I know that all members would like to send their best wishes for a full recovery to her.

 

  Readers of a certain age may remember the name of Ian Johnson. Ian bowled left-arm fast-medium pace for a while in the Club’s 1^st Team during the 1970s. I met Ian on the golf course one day back in the 1980s but had not seen him again until last month when our paths crossed in the Metro Centre. It was not long before we were ‘going down memory lane’.  I was then able to bring him up to date regarding life at the Club and the workings of the new League.

 

  There are many things which confuse and confound me nowadays. Some are serious issues, others relatively trivial. One that is hard to categorize is the decision to grant the Freedom of Worcester to Basil D’Oliveira. I, like many lovers of cricket, remember him with great affection. His playing career is legend. Leaving the apartheid-ridden South African regime for England in the 1960s. Playing with distinction for Worcestershire and England. The cancellation of England’s winter tour of South Africa because his inclusion in the touring party was ‘not acceptable’ to the South African administration. Etc., etc.. At the end of his playing career Basil served his adopted County as Head Coach. Worcestershir CCC recognised his service to the Club as an all-rounder and coach by naming a stand after him. The granting of the Freedom of Worcester would have been seen as fitting tribute to D’Oliveira if it had been made on his retirement from cricket. What puzzles me is that the decision to do so was announced in July 2018, seven years after his death!   

 

* The final League match of July [away to Ryton] illustrated comments made previously regarding all members of the team contributing to success. At a time in the match when even the most die-hard Club supporters were pessimistic about the outcome of the match ‘the tail wagged’, securing victory by one wicket with only two minutes left on the clock. Another ‘nail-biter’.

 

August’s Cricket Quiz

Guess the coach:-

[a] Who was the first man to be appointed England cricket coach in 1986?

[b] Who is the only man to have held the England coach’s position twice?

[c] Which former Yorkshire captain served as coach and ‘supremo’ between 1995 and 1996?

[d] Which former England Test cricketer was an umpire, then a commentator, before going into coaching and holding the England job between 1996 and 1999?  [He has since returned to commentating.]

[e] Which former Aussie spinner was credited with developing Shane Warne’s talent?

[f] Which English coach of Pakistan died during the 2007 World Cup?

 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

   

Answers to July’s Cricket Quiz.

Name the grounds which have [or had] the following stands or landmarks:-

[a] River Taff  End     Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

[b] Vijay Merchant Stand     Wankede Stadium, Mumbai

[c] Wantage Road End     The County Ground, Northampton

[d] Inverarity Stand    WACA, Perth

[e] Sea End                County Ground, Hove

[f]  Bennett End      Grace Road, Leicester

 

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. As the England versus India Test Series is upon us, I offer the following:-

 

‘In Bombay when England batting there are forty to fifty thousand people shouting every time ball hitting the pad, and in Calcutta, my God, there are ninety thousand people all shouting. But you must concentrate. It is a selfish thing but you must concentrate to save your skin. ’

Swaroop Kishen, Indian Test umpire, in Scyld Berry’s ‘Cricket Wallah’, 1982.

[Swaroop may have been relieved when neutral umpires for Test Matches were introduced in 1986; writer.]

 

‘It’s 8.30 on a Friday night; what am I doing in Ahmedabad?’

‘Graeme Fowler, as portrayed in Vic Marks’s ‘Marks out of Eleven’, enduring a quiet night on England’s 1984/5 tour of India.

 

‘You’re the instigator of all this. If you feel like that you can take your passport and f***  off.’

England manager, Tony Brown, accusing Allan Lamb, in a players’ meeting, of lobbying for the tour of India to be cancelled following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, 1984/5.

 

‘There was nothing else to do but drink. I saw so many balls I couldn’t miss.’

Frank Worrell, after his double hundred in Kanpur, West Indies’ tour of India, 1952/3.

 

‘Bad cricket – sweep shot not good. Play straight, good cricket.’

Indian umpire to Dermot Reeve, after the England batsman had questioned an LBW decision during the 1993 tour of India. Reeve, who played very little else but the sweep [unless it was the reverse sweep] was not best pleased.

‘In India you are confined to your hotel. You’ve just got accept it.’

Graham Gooch, failing to adjust to the Indian lifestyle during England’s 3-0 Test defeat, 1993.

 

‘While they were in this palace with gold tigers and everything there were crippled blokes on the streets of Calcutta who couldn’t even get anything to eat. It made me sick.’

Phil Tufnell, describing what he told his Indian hosts at a reception during England’s 1992/3 tour.

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

June 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  The season got underway properly in May with matches coming thick and fast for our four senior sides. Although the Club’s 3^rd Team is finding it hard-going, the other ‘Sunday side’, the Academicals, has got off to a flier, winning all of its matches. The 2^nd Team continues to find runs hard to come by with the inevitable consequence of disappointing results. To date [29^th May] the 1^st Team has tasted defeat only once [away to Swalwell] thereby progressing in both League and Cup competitions. I will not continue to hand out plaudits to that side given the fact that I am superstitious and do not wish to put a writer’s/commentator’s curse on it.

  

  “I’m worried about those youngsters over there. Their parents aren’t keeping their eyes on the cricket. I won’t be surprised if they get hit by the ball.” Words spoken by yours truly to Geoff and Susan Graham while we were watching the 1^st Team’s match at Lintz CC early last month. Soon afterwards those words came back to bite me. A ball was lofted in my direction but I ‘lost it’ in the background [shades of colour blindness and Hartlepool CC referred to in a previous edition]. The ball came to earth but not before hitting me a stinging blow on the calf! With my pride dented, I felt the need to remark, “You can’t hurt me. I went to the same school as Brian Close!” Silly old ***. Did it hurt? You bet it did.

 

  One of the many benefits of this game of ours is that by playing it we have the opportunity to make long-standing friendships or acquaintanceships with many people; last month’s match at Lintz being a case in point. While walking around the boundary [keeping my eyes on the play in the middle] I came across two former Lintz stalwarts, Gordon Baker and Bob Cook. Younger readers may never have heard of either man but those of more mature years will remember their exploits with bat [Gordon] and ball [Bob]. Both men played for decades for the Lintz and are still strongly connected with that club. Pace-man Bob [or ‘Bobby’ as he was known] consistently topped the League bowling averages. A remarkable feat given the size of the Lintz field where a snick through the slips more often than not yielded four runs.  His partner in crime in opening the bowling was another Bob, Bob Bainbridge. In those days of the Tyneside Senior League there was no restriction on the number of overs each bowler could bowl. The two Bobs regularly bowled throughout an innings, clocking up either 22 or 23 overs each. Back then there were no drinks breaks either! Gordon scored runs a-plenty throughout his long playing career although [if memory serves me well] not too many against Consett.  It was good to have a chat with them both.

 

  Further opportunities to meet up with former team-mates were to follow. A home match against Ryton brought Bob and Marjorie Thornton to Blackfyne. Bob opened the batting for the Club’s 1^st Team with some success for several seasons in the ‘70s before taking on the position of 2^nd Team Captain, a post in which he thrived. Marjorie was famous for her cricket teas and the two of them were fixtures in the Darts, Dominoes & Whist team, keeping their cards close to their chests. Both are now in their eighties but that does not prevent Bob from playing golf two or three times a week! This septuagenarian can only manage to play regularly once a week. Another former team-mate, Rob Stokoe, appeared on the scene when the Club was playing at Swalwell. Rob, of course, played for both clubs. Now semi-retired from his job overseas, Rob is back in circulation in the district. He certainly chose the right match to attend as the list of old team-mates present that afternoon included not only the writer but David Graham, Geoff Graham, Bob Chapman, Gordon Hunter, Tommy Nichol and David Wilkinson.

 

  As some readers may know Club Treasurer Colin McPherson is an avid walker and a member of a Walking Group. On the final Saturday of May while the 1^st Team was in the process of beating Lanchester CC by 7 wickets, Colin and the Group were walking twenty miles around the district. Yes, TWENTY. Their reward for completing the route was a Hog Roast at the ground. I envied them the Hog Roast [it looked delicious] but not the twenty miles. Apparently sixty-seven people took part in the walk and about fifty attended the Hog Roast. Not only did the hungry walkers enjoy their meal but took the opportunity of slaking their thirst at the Bar. Well done one and all. 

June’s Cricket Quiz.

Name the grounds which have [or had] the following stands or landmarks:-

[a] Mound Stand

[b] Eric Hollies Stand

[c] Three Ws Stand

[d] Sir Ian Botham Stand

[e] Grace Gates

[f] Hobbs Gates

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to May’s Cricket Quiz:-

Family Ties

[a] What was Alec Bedser’s twin brother called? Eric

[b] What relation is former England batsman Nick Compton to batting great Denis Compton?  Grandson

[c] Name the younger brother of Australian Test batsman Mike Hussey. David Hussey

[d] What is the name of the father of England Test bowler Simon Jones, who also played Test cricket for England.  Jeff Jones

[e] What relation are Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo? Cousins

[f] The grandson of which West Indian batting great played 15 tests for England  as a seam bowler?  Dean Headley

 

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. My beloved Yorkshire CCC has had more than its fair share of internal strife over its long history. I can remember the sacking of Johnny Wardle back in the 1950s, closely followed by the departures of Brian Close, Ray Illingworth and Geoff Boycott. Indeed the turmoil surrounding Boycott’s sacking was tantamount to a Civil War in the White Rose county. I could have, like many before me have done, written a book on the subject. However, just to prove the point that other First Class counties have had their own tempestuous times,  I offer the quotations below all of which relate to the sacking by Somerset CCC in the late 1980s of West Indian greats Viv Richards and Joel Garner and the  departure [to Worcestershire] of Ian Botham.      

 

‘As far as I’m concerned, you are part of the buildings and the furniture at Somerset and so are Vic [Marks]and Ian….I hope that you’ll be able to play with us until those legs turn to jelly, because I think that you and I and Ian and Vic are Somerset players right down to our bootstraps. ’

Peter Roebuck’s letter to Viv Richards on Roebuck’s appointment as Somerset captain for the 1986 season. Roebuck later said that he didn’t regret his words; his feelings had just changed.

 

‘When you have two workhorses and shoot them in the back, I think it’s evil.

You don’t treat animals in this way. I was blindfolded, led up an alley and assassinated. ’

Viv Richards, upon hearing in August 1986 that Somerset were not renewing his contract.

 

‘We had great difficulty this season in getting Richards to play in our evening pub games. He declined to play at Clevedon, Truro and Braunton, and the only reason he played at Ottery St. Mary was that we reminded him that they had staged a benefit match for him the year before.’

Michael Hill, Somerset Chairman, defending the committee’s decision,1986.

 

‘Judas’

The sign hung on Peter Roebuck’s locker by Ian Botham, during the Somerset civil war over the sacking of Viv Richards and Joel Garner.

 

‘It’s hard to cut down a huge tree, let alone three.’

New Zealand Test batsman Martin Crowe in 1986.The three trees were Viv Richards, Joel Garner and Ian Botham. The first two were cut down, the third, Botham, uprooted himself.

  

‘I could see why they were lost. They had no sense of direction, no sense of purpose, no pride. They were drifting. The club had no leadership.’

Martin Crowe, on the state of Somerset’s young players prior to the sacking of Viv Richards and Joel Garner, 1986.

 

‘This committee has done to fair play what Colonel Gaddafi has done for air safety.’

Jan Foley, Bristol barrister, putting the Somerset rebels’ case at the county’s special meeting, 1986.

 

‘I’m told that Peter Roebuck is flying out to have a man-to-man talk with me. I suggest he stays in London. He’ll be a whole lot safer there.’

    Ian Botham’ s response ,while in Australia, to confirmation of Somerset’s sacking of Richards and Garner.

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

April 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  

  By the time that this edition appears on the Club website there will be only two weeks to go until our new season begins. Begin it will - if those two weeks bring good drying weather. At the time of writing that is exactly what we have, sunshine accompanied by wind. However, forecasts for the next few days promise rain, sleet and snow. Hopefully the weather gods will take into account the fact that grounds have to be prepared in time for the season. Other preparations have gone well; indoor nets, purchase of equipment etc.. A Working Party is due to meet on 7th April to ‘tidy up’ the ground, pavilion and score-box and to reinstate sight-screens. None of those tasks would have been necessary if one other task had not been accomplished. ?????  The matter of registering our players with the League. Registration of players was, until this season, a comparatively simple job. New players filled in a form giving various details [name, address, previous club etc.], the form was countersigned by the Club Secretary and sent to the League Secretary. In due course a list containing the names of the newly registered players together with the names of previously registered players would be sent to the Club Secretary. Therefore each year only a small handful of forms were needed to be completed and sent to the League Secretary. As that annoying meerkat on the television would say, “Simples!” This year it was not so “simples”. We are, of course, now into the electronic digital age and we are now members of a new league. All players [old and new] had to be registered by e-mail with the League. Moreover, more details of each player were required. In order to ensure that players were registered in good time for the new season [at least seven days before its commencement], work on the task began early in February. I am pleased to report that the Club now has a full list of ‘runners’ for selection. The fact that this mammoth task has been completed is due to the work of Club Webmaster David Williamson. Thank you David for a job well done. I am so relieved that he chose to have his around the world trip at the end of last season and not in the run-up to this season!   

 

  Last month I attended the MCC New Laws workshop referred to in last month’s edition. Given that the workshop was intended for players and Club officials from all clubs in Co. Durham, the attendance was surprisingly low with only twenty or so of us in the cheap seats. Three umpires [drawn from the Premier League and North Yorkshire South Durham League] took it in turns to explain the changes to the laws aided by a PowerPoint presentation. You may be pleased to learn that I am not about to list all of the changes. Most of these will become apparent when matches begin later this month. However, the majority of the two hour long session was spent presenting and discussing the new Law 42 which deals solely with Player Behaviour.  Within Law 42 are listed the nature of offences which should necessitate the intervention of the umpire together with the sanctions which the umpire should apply. The sanctions range from the application of penalty runs and suspension from the match for a limited period to dismissal from the remainder of the match. My first thought was that it was a good idea. On reflection, however, I began to have doubts about the application of the Law. Yes, umpires in First Class and Minor Counties cricket will apply it and Premier League umpires will probably follow suit. How about the umpires in the N&TCL? Thankfully incidents which warrant suspensions or dismissals are rare in our League. However, would a lone umpire [many matches take place with just one umpire standing] feel strong enough to take the action[s] stated in the Law? Time will tell.  

 

  One Law not mentioned at the workshop was the one relating to ball tampering. That issue is hogging the media headlines at the time of writing thanks to our Antipodean friends Bancroft, Smith and Warner. The newcomer to our game may think that such behaviour is a new phenomenon. Readers of this article will know that it has been prevalent since the game began. During my active cricketing days ‘reverse swing’ was unknown. Every opportunity was taken to aid conventional swing by polishing one side of the ball. Perfectly legal. Woe betide any fielder who scuffed the ball by returning it ‘on the bounce’. ‘Raising the seam’ by the application of a thumb nail was another pursuit on offer. However this practice was and still is illegal. I heard reports, though never witnessed it myself, of metal bottle tops being used in place of thumb nails. Readers who were or are bowlers may be able to offer other suggestions of ways in which a cricket ball can be made more bowler-friendly. Returning to the incident in South Africa, two things spring to my mind. First of all how did the miscreants think that they could get away with it in a match played in front of a dozen or more television cameras? Secondly, as dressing rooms are busy places how come only three people knew about it? The affair was summed up well by one former Test cricketer who said, “If you’re going to do it [cheat], do it well.”

 

  Social/Fundraising events continue apace. I was unable to attend a very successful and enjoyable evening at the start of last month when ‘Fossil’ entertained the troops. Chairman Alan assures me that I missed a treat. However, later in the month I was able to attend a Talk-in with Alan Tait. When, at a meeting of the Club’s Management Committee, 1st Team Captain Gary offered to engage Alan there were blank looks from the majority of members present. For once I was on the ball and knew who Gary was talking about. Alan Tait is one of the ‘rare birds’ who not only played both codes of Rugby professionally but played them at international level! A Scot who grew up in Cumbria where his father played Rugby League, Alan played Rugby Union for Kelso and Scotland before playing Rugby League for Widnes, Leeds [that is why I remembered him]  and Great Britain. When Rugby Union became an honest professional game he went back to the 15 a-side game and played for Newcastle Falcons, Scotland and the British Lions. To cap it all he became Head Coach of the Kingston Park club. His Talk-in went very well. Alan regaled his audience of thirty or so with tales of his playing days [no doubt the ears of some famous players of both codes were ‘burning’] as well as enlightening listeners with his thoughts about the state of current Rugby Union e.g. players’ salaries, tactics, coaches etc.. It all made for a good evening. Thanks must go to Gary for his organisation.

 

  STOP PRESS! I am delighted to report that the Club finished in 1st Place in Tesco’s ‘Bags of Help’ January / February scheme thereby securing £4,000 for the development of it Practice Facilities. Well done everyone who dropped their tokens into the right box.

 

  Enjoy the season ahead!!               

   

April’s Cricket Quiz:- 

Cricket, TV and Music.

[a] Name the 1990s TV sitcom written about a cricket club, starring Robert Daws and Brenda Blethyn?

[b] Which band with a cricket-related name has written two concept albums about the game?

[c] Which Australian TV mogul’s attempt to revolutionise cricket was turned into a TV mini-series in 2012?

[d] Who performed the former BBC TV and now ‘Test Match Special’ theme tune ‘Soul Limbo’?

[e] Which band sang in ‘Dreadlock Holiday’, ‘I don’t like cricket……. I love it’?

[f] Which impressionist did a cricket spoof of Paul Hardcastle’s ‘19’ called ‘N-N-Nineteen Not Out’?

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

Answers to March’s Cricket Quiz questions:-

Spin bowlers   

[a] Which bowler holds the record for the most wickets taken by a spinner in a Test Match? Jim Laker.

[b] What is Shane Warne’s middle name? Keith.

[c] Which Yorkshire and England spinner recorded the amazing figures of 10-10? Hedley Verity.

[d] Which county did Robert Croft play for?  Glamorgan.

[e] Which successful West Indian spinner was such a poor batsman that he never scored a half century in nearly twenty years of First-class Cricket? Lance Gibbs.

[f] Which English spinner had a career which spanned five decades, between his debut in 1949 and his last match in 1982? Fred Titmus.

 

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. In recent editions Batting and Bowling have been the topics of chosen quotations. Time for Wicket-keeping and Fielding:-      

 

‘A wicket-keeper who is on his toes is likely to over-balance. ’

C.B.Ponsonby, Worcestershire, 1920s.

 

‘Jack, you’re not going home just because of a hat are you?’ 

Worried England off-spinner Robert Croft, visiting Jack Russell’s hotel bedroom during West Indies tour, 1998.  Russell’s preparations had been disrupted by the ECB’s insistence that he abandoned his old floppy sunhat in favour of ‘Team England’s’ new corporate issue.

 

‘You must rinse your hands in the chamber-pot every day. The urine hardens them wonderfully.’

Herbert Strudwick, former England wicket-keeper, offering advice to Tony Pawson of Oxford University.

[I could never find a chamber-pot, Editor.]

 

 ‘What is the good of an innings of 50 if that man drops a couple of catches and lets by 40 or 50 runs .He has not only wiped his own runs off the slate, but he has probably upset the bowlers into the bargain.’

A.E.R.Gilligan, Cambridge University, Surrey and Sussex, getting wise to the advantage of good fielding, 1920s.

 

   

‘After working all day, I just go down to the river and catch the swallows as they flit by.’

G.J.Bonnor [Australia], explaining his prowess as a slip to Sammy Woods.

   

‘When we first married, Derek used to throw tea cups behind his back and catch them. That’s one way he got out of doing the washing up .’

Liz Randall, 1970s, on Derek Randall, the finest England fielder of his generation.

 

‘Thee get on with thi laikin’, and I’ll get on wi’ mine.’

Emmott Robinson, of Yorkshire, when warned that he was standing dangerously close to the bat.

[For the benefit of non-Yorkshire readers, ‘laiking’ is ‘playing’. Editor.]

 

‘I only just have to perch myself at short leg and just stare at some of ’em to get ’em out. They fiddle about and look away and then they look back to see if I’m staring at ’em. I am. They don’t stay long.’

Brian Close.

       

Mike Rogers

March 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

   

    As I begin to write this epistle the date is 24^th February and the sun is shining through the window. However, the temperature outside is barely above freezing point. Given that the new season is just a few weeks away [April 14^th], let us hope that the weather gods sorts themselves out and provide us with some ‘proper’ cricket weather. Last season was typical of recent seasons when promising Thursdays and Fridays quite often led to dank miserable Saturdays when that ‘extra layer’ of clothing earnt its corn. On such days I am reminded of Club legend Bert Steward and his comments upon inclement match day weather. Whilst donning extra sweaters Bert would pronounce that cricket wasn’t invented for such weather. On one occasion he suggested that the sportswear companies should get their acts together and come up with cricket clothing appropriate for the cold, windy, damp and thoroughly miserable weather in which we were attempting to play. No, I am certain he did not envisage the multi-coloured  pyjama outfits worn in T20 and One Day Cup matches! Back in the 1970s, long before cricketers wore ‘base layer’ garments, Club 1^st Teamer Davy Gibson came up with a cracking idea. He wore a pair of his wife’s tights under his trousers! Of course the rest of the team thought this was hysterical but Davy always had the last laugh; he was the one with warm legs.

    

  The N&TCL Cup Draws have been announced. The 1^st Team will play away to Leadgate in the Tyneside Charity Bowl and away to Greenside in the Thomas Wilson Memorial Cup [League Cup]. The 2^nd Team has been drawn away to Lanchester in the Dr. Tom Barlow Memorial Cup [League Cup]. The absence of home ties is disappointing but, on the positive side, no long journeys. Hopefully the Club will be able to field full strength teams for the midweek games this year? 

 

  Congratulations on the birth of a daughter, Lily, to Club playing member Stephen Talbot and his wife Alison. As most readers will know, Alison is the daughter of Club Chairman Alan and his wife Susan. No doubt Lily will soon be joining the ever growing band of under-five year-olds who frequent the pavilion during the season. 1^st Team Captain Gary’s suggestion some time ago of installing baby-changing facilities has proved to be a wise one.

 

  Hardened readers of these articles will know that I am one of a dozen or so Durham CCC members who commentate on matches to visually impaired people. They may also recall my account of attempting to give a commentary of a Durham match last season when the match was played with a pink ball and the fact that I could not see the damned thing. Last month my fellow commentators and I received the fixtures for the forthcoming season together with a request to indicate our availability. Scrutiny of the list revealed that yes, once again, there was to be a 4-Day County Championship match with a 2pm starting time each day. The ECB seem determined to make the day/night match a regular event. Did I make myself available to commentate on those days? No fear. I may be daft but I’m not stupid. [Feel free to discuss.] It is a case of once bitten, twice shy.

 

  I note with interest that workshops for match and club officials are to be held at Durham CCC’s Emirates Ground later this month. The purpose of the workshops is to explain Law Changes agreed by the MCC. No doubt state of the art technology will be used in association with commercially produced hand-outs to put across the message to the assembled throng gathered in the comfortable lounges of the Don Robson Pavilion. How different it was back in the early 1970s when Tyneside Senior League umpires, players and club officials met in the then humble environs of Burnopfield Community Centre [near to Lintz CC] to have a fundamental change to the LBW Law explained to them by none other than TSCL umpire Tom Fiddes. A good job he did too; without the benefit of DVD, overhead projection etc.. Perhaps I am wrong to pre-empt the presentations to be given later this month. Maybe a modern day Tom Fiddes will talk us through the changes. It matters not; as long as players, officials and spectators understand what is going on when matches actually begin.

 

  A few days have passed since I began to write this edition. As I finish it the sun is shining but there are 4” of snow outside with reports of more, much more, to come. March has come in like a lion; let us hope that it goes out like a lamb.                 

  

March’s Cricket Quiz:-

Spin bowlers   

[a] Which bowler holds the record for the most wickets taken by a spinner in a Test Match?

[b] What is Shane Warne’s middle name?

[c] Which Yorkshire and England spinner recorded the amazing figures of 10-10?

[d] Which county did Robert Croft play for?

[e] Which successful West Indian spinner was such a poor batsman that he never scored a half century in nearly twenty years of First-class Cricket?

[f] Which English spinner had a career which spanned five decades, between his debut in 1949 and his last match in 1982?

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to February’s Quiz questions:-

Football and Cricket

[a] Which 1966 World Cup hero played one first-class match for Essex in 1962? Geoff Hurst

[b] Which England, Leicestershire and Yorkshire player played for Carlisle United, Doncaster Rovers and Huddersfield Town? Chris Balderstone

[c] Name the last double international to represent his country at football and cricket? Willie Watson

[d] Three men have represented Yorkshire and England at cricket and also played for Bradford City. Brian Close and Ken Taylor are two. Who was the other? David Bairstow

[e] Which Yorkshire and England player also played for Manchester United? Arnie Sidebottom

[f] Which striker played for the MCC against Germany at Lord’s, was out for a single but quipped, ‘I always score against the Germans.’ Gary Lineker

  

    Finally, it is time for a few quotations. The following have one topic in common -  BOWLING:-      

 

‘You can’t buy one of them at a local superstore – it takes years and years ’

Darren Gough speaking of a good One Day bowler.

 

‘I try to hit the batsman in the ribcage when I bowl a purposeful bouncer, and I want it to hurt so much that he doesn’t want to face me anymore.’

Dennis Lillee.

 

‘You must treat a cricket ball like a new bride.’ [??????  Editor.]

Mickey Stewart ,former England cricketer and England Team Manager.

 

‘To be a great fast bowler, you need a big heart and a big bottom .’

Fred Trueman.

 

‘I was once timed at 99.97 mph, but that’s rubbish, I was miles faster than that.’

Jeff Thompson, former Australian bowler, reputed to be the fastest ever.

[Faster than Wes Hall et al?  Editor.]

  

‘[Norman] Cowans should remember what happened to Graham Dilley, who started out as a genuinely quick bowler. They started stuffing ‘line and length’ into his ear, and now he has Dennis Lillee’s action with Denis Thatcher’s pace.’

Geoff Boycott.

 

‘Though essentially good-natured, he had that vital weapon in the fast bowler’s armoury, grumpiness.’

Simon Hughes describing Angus Fraser in ‘A lot of Hard Yakka’.

 

 

      

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

February 2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

   

  In terms of income for the Club, 2018 has got away to an excellent start. A very enjoyable ‘Quiz Night’ presented by the newly installed captain of the Academicals  team, Ian Atkinson, saw very good bar sales which followed on from successful fundraising events towards the end of December. Club and Bar Treasurer Colin was wearing a smile the last time that I saw him and I do not believe it was down to wind. With regard to Ian’s quiz, the lady wife and I turned up for an 8.30 pm start; the customary starting time for the regular Saturday evening quizzes. On arrival we were shocked to find that the Bar was full and that we were an hour late. There were quite a few familiar faces participating, however, many people present were unknown to me. I found out later that the ‘strangers’ were some of Ian’s workmates. He must be a popular lad. Although, not for the first time, I was the oldest person in the room and some of the questions were geared towards a younger generation, I enjoyed the evening. Ian had put a great deal of work into the affair. The format, which included ‘spot prizes’, was popular with everyone and the atmosphere was good. Many of the newcomers to Blackfyne were impressed by the facilities and promised to return on the next occasion when Ian presented

a quiz. I am delighted to report that another one is in the pipe-line. Well done Ian.

 

  The 2018 N&TCL fixtures are now out! It has been a mammoth task for Paul Nesbitt [Shotley Bridge CC] to compile them. With approximately fifty clubs, some running two teams and some just one, the avoidance of having two teams from the same club in the same Division and the creation of a North / South divide for Second Teams, at times Paul must have wondered why he ever took on the challenge. The Club’s 1^st Team will play Stocksfield for the very first time. For several years now the ‘jungle drums’ have been beating with news of the advancement of that club. I look forward to visiting the Stocksfield ground which apparently boasts two cricket fields. The Club’s 2^nd Team will play Hebburn CC for the first time. My spies tell me that Hebburn’s home is what once was Reyrolle CC’s ground. I always enjoyed playing there and not just because of the fact that our 1^st Team usually won there or because it was the venue for one of our League Cup Final victories. More often than not I had ‘good games’ myself, either with the gloves or the bat. However, I have to admit to one occasion when I did not enjoy my cricket there. The N&TSCL fixtures dictated that we should play Reyrolle at Hebburn on the same day as the FA Cup Final. My beloved Leeds United were to meet Sunderland in the Wembley Final. Back in 1973 football was not the global fixation that it is now. SKY TV had not even been thought of. The Cup Final, however, was shown live on BBC TV and [for those who could tolerate the excessive advertising], ITV. I never entertained the idea of missing a game of cricket in order to sit in front of a television set. Readers may remember that Leeds was then one of the top teams in the [old] First Division, FA Cup holders and odds-on to lift the trophy once again. Sunderland, on the other hand, was a Second Division team. Therefore as I took my position behind the stumps at half past two I was confident that in time I would be hearing groans from the Reyrolle players [Sunderland fans to a man] gathered around a transistor radio. The groans never came. Each new batsman received the same question from me as he took guard, “What’s the score?” After about an hour of cricket it was cheers and not groans emanating from the Reyrolle players. Even though I knew what the answer would be to my question to the next incoming batsman, “Have Sunderland scored?”, I felt reasonably assured that I would soon hear groans coming from the pavilion. Of course they never did.

 

  The Club has an ever-growing list of fundraising events planned including a ‘Talk-in’, Quiz Nights and various bands. The ‘Talk-in’ will be given by Alan Tait. Alan is a dual international Rugby player who played Rugby Union for Scotland and Rugby League for Great Britain. Further details of this and other events will appear on the Club website. To my knowledge Alan never played cricket to a high level but there were several First Class cricketers who played professional football.  See how you get on with the quiz below.

  

February’s Cricket Quiz:-

Football and Cricket

[a] Which 1966 World Cup hero played one first-class match for Essex in 1962?

[b] Which England, Leicestershire and Yorkshire player played for Carlisle United, Doncaster Rovers and Huddersfield Town?

[c] Name the last double international to represent his country at football and cricket?

[d] Three men have represented Yorkshire and England at cricket and also played for Bradford City. Brian Close and Ken Taylor are two. Who was the other?

[e] Which Yorkshire and England player also played for Manchester United?

[f] Which striker played for the MCC against Germany at Lord’s, was out for a single but quipped, ‘I always score against the Germans.’

  

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to January’s Quiz questions:-

Sir Garry Sobers

[a] What is Garry Sobers’ full name?  Garfield St. Aubrun Sobers

[b] On which Caribbean island was he born?  Barbados

[c] In which Welsh city did Sobers hit his six sixes off Malcolm Nash in 1968 -  Cardiff or Swansea? Swansea

[d] For which English county did Sobers play? Nottinghamshire

[e] Who succeeded Sobers as West Indies captain for the 1972-3 home series versus Australia? Rohan Kanhai

[f] Which West Indies batsman did Sobers witness breaking his record for the highest score in Test cricket in Antigua in 1994?  Brian Lara

 

    Finally, it is time for a few quotations. The following have one subject in common -  BATTING.:-      

 

‘Cricket is a batsman’s game. The City of London has never emptied to watch a bowler as it did to watch Bradman. ’

E.W. ‘Jim’ Swanton, English cricket writer and commentator, [1907-2000].

 

‘It’s hard work making batting look effortless.’

David Gower.

 

‘I couldn’t bat for the length of time required to score 500. I’d get bored and fall over.’

Denis Compton, English cricketer,[1918-1997].

 

‘When I was watching Fred Astaire I used to think, here was a chap who would have been a great batsman.’

Sir Leonard Hutton, Yorkshire and England batsman, [1916-1990].

 

‘Whenever I saw Wally Hammond batting, I felt sorry for the ball.’

Sir Leonard Hutton.

  

‘When you win the toss – bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague – then bat.’

W.G.Grace, English cricketer and doctor, [1848-1915].

 

‘They came to see me bat, not to see you bowl.’

W.G.Grace on refusing to leave the crease having been bowled out by the first ball.

 

 

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

January  2018.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  A Happy New Year to all readers! I hope that you were able to enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities and that 2018 will be a good year for you and yours.

 

  I am delighted to start this edition with some good news. Neil and Gemma Williamson are now the proud parents of a son, James Philip, who was born last month. Apparently big sister Sophie is more than pleased with the turn of events although she does not like it when her little brother cries. Congratulations to mam, dad and grandparents.  Grandma Judith told me how pleased she was that Neil’s brother David was back home from his three months’ long round the world adventure in time to be able to welcome his nephew into the world.

 

  We have now reached that time in the close season when preparations for the forthcoming new season are in full swing. Equipment is being ordered, indoor nets have been booked and playing personnel have been confirmed. It is also the time when requests for sponsorship are cranked up. Club members of a certain age will remember the times when we looked on with envy at the clubs which had Bars. Yes, the times when our post-nets’ and post-match evenings were spent putting money over the bar in ‘The Cricketers’ [and one or two other hostelries]. Relying, as we did, on subscriptions, sponsored walks, jumble sales and Ernie’s Choice [remember that one?] etc. for our income, we thought that all our financial problems would be over if we had a Bar. A change in the ground’s ownership was quickly followed by the introduction of said Bar. We had finally reached the Promised Land  -  or so we thought. For more than a decade the Club prospered financially and remained competitive in the Tyneside Senior Cricket League. Although over the years one or two of the fourteen clubs left the TSCL, they were replaced immediately by clubs wishing to play in a better class of cricket. It was comforting for Club officials not to have the problem of wondering where the next penny was going to come from. There was money in the bank and out-goings were moderate. However, the formation of the Northumberland &Tyneside Senior Cricket League [a consequence of the establishment of the North East Premier League] was to change matters significantly. Promotion and relegation would now be on the agenda. In order to avoid the prospect of relegation the Club appointed its first professional [David Jackson] since the 1950s. Other professionals would follow. A change in League Rules allowed clubs to pay ‘reasonable expenses’ to players other than the named professional. The richer members of the League took advantage of this, the less well-off reluctantly assumed the role of also-rans. Hence the need for clubs, including our own, to explore all avenues of fundraising open to them. During the past year or two the Club has raised funds of a magnitude unheard of during my first tenure as Club Secretary in the

1970s from bar sales generated by a variety of events; the latest of such events being the appearance of ‘The Great Escape’ last month. Congratulations to all concerned. Club Treasurer Colin, the master of grant applications, has now been successful in securing another source of sponsorship viz. the Tesco Bags of Help scheme. Tesco customers will be given a plastic disc to put into one of three containers, each one promoting a local cause. The Club’s worthy cause is the building of outdoor all-weather nets. Hopefully the pile of discs will grow and grow and result in a large donation from Tesco. After all, ‘Every bit helps’. 

 

  The current weather [snow and ice everywhere] and the topic of sponsorship combined to create a reminiscence of an early venture into sponsorship which I faced way back in the ‘70s. As the newly appointed Club Secretary I was informed [well told actually] that it was my job to visit the sponsors of the Club’s fixture list and get the sponsors to ‘pay up’. The list of fixtures was printed on A3 size sheets of paper. Adverts relating to the businesses which sponsored the Club were printed around the border of the fixtures. The fixtures were then displayed in various shops, pubs and clubs in and around Consett. The cost of sponsorship? £5. One cold Saturday morning in January, with snow on the ground, I set off on my expedition. Using the previous year’s sheet as a guide I called on the previous year’s contributors. All went well with one or two exceptions. Joe Page, the coalman, and William Westgarth, the estate agent, made me ‘jump through hoops’ before parting with their fivers. Young and naïve as I was, I realised only some time later that they were having a laugh at my expense. It turned out that they had been fixture list sponsors for years, knew exactly what I was there for, but thought that they would make this ‘new kid on the block’ earn his money. I had to smile when the penny finally dropped. At least I like to think that I smiled.  

 

January’s Cricket Quiz:- 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

Sir Garry Sobers

[a] What is Garry Sobers’ full name?

[b] On which Caribbean island was he born?

[c] In which Welsh city did Sobers hit his six sixes off Malcolm Nash in 1968 -  Cardiff or Swansea?

[d] For which English county did Sobers play?

[e] Who succeeded Sobers as West Indies captain for the 1972-3 home series versus Australia?

[f] Which West Indies batsman did Sobers witness breaking his record for the highest score in Test cricket in Antigua in 1994? 

 

 Answers to December’s Quiz questions:- 

Middle names.

Name the Test cricketer from his middle name. 

[a] Sewards  [England]  Fred Trueman  [b] Ramesh  [India]  Sachin Tendulkar

[c] Nathan [England]  Alastair Cook       [d] Willem [South Africa]  Dale Steyn 

 [e] Devereux  [Australia]  Steve Smith  [f] Ivon [England]   David Gower

 

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. The following may best be described as a mixed bag:-        

 

 ‘Remember, linseed oil for your bat, olive oil for your lamb. ’

Allan Lamb, Northamptonshire & England. 

 

‘Sir, I was horrified to learn the other day that there is now a cricket club in Finland. I left England 25 years ago to get away from people like yourself. Is nowhere sacred?’  

Letter to the editor of ‘The Helsinki Cricketer’. 

 

‘It’s like Manchester United getting a penalty and Bryan Robson taking it with his head.’ 

David Lloyd on the reverse sweep.

 

 ‘I’ll turn the phone off and just watch Ceefax around midday.’

Graeme Swann on not being called up to play in the 2005 Ashes squad.

 

‘I don’t think I’ve actually drunk a beer for 15 years, except a few Guinnesses in Dublin, where it’s the law.’   

Ian Botham.

 

‘Wouldn’t it be better if I got in the fridge?’

Qasim Omar, former Pakistan, Sacriston CC & Annfield Plain CC batsman, receiving ice-pack treatment for bruises caused by Australian fast bowlers.

 

 

 

Mike Rogers

 

December 2017. 

 

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

 

Unfortunately I must begin this edition on a sombre note. Club Life Member Billy Wilkinson and former Club player John Handy passed away last month. 

I was unable to attend John’s funeral. However, I was pleased to learn that the Club was represented. John transferred from South Moor CC in 1984, going on to play for the Club for several more fruitful years. Some readers will remember John as Chief Steward at Durham CCC’s Riverside Ground. A role in which he thrived. An attacking batsman, the Club was delighted when he left the Quaking Houses’ ground for our Blackfyne. His arrival at the Club, however, coincided with my premature retirement from the game and the ‘moving on’ of a few other members of the victorious 1st Team of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. A year or two after his arrival he told me how disappointed he had been to find that some of the Club’s players whom he had got know in opposition were no longer to be seen in Blackfyne’s ‘Home’ dressing room. However, he had made the best of it and was enjoying his cricket. 

The day after John’s funeral members of Billy’s family and friends gathered at Mountsett Crematorium to pay their respects to his memory. The fact that the congregation was so large was testimony, in itself, of the esteem in which Billy was held. The eulogy, written by his wife Joy, was read with feeling by daughter-in-law Lesley. Billy’s loyalty, tenacity, love of his family and humour shone through. The congregation could not stop itself from laughing when Lesley read Joy’s words about Billy’s romantic side. Apparently when wedding anniversaries came around Billy would give some money to Joy and tell her that if she were going up to Consett she could buy herself some flowers! Reference was also made to Billy circling Blackfyne on Saturdays with his collection box. I can see him doing it now as I write this. Joy was too modest to write about the hours which she and Billy put in at the Club doing the cleaning. They were both great workers for the Club. Condolences go to Joy, son David, daughter-in law Lesley and grandchildren Simon and Victoria. 

Welcome to the world William Horn, son of Stephen and wife Holly. Young William [weighing in at ten pounds plus] was born last month. Congratulations to the proud parents and grandparents. So you see, last month was not all doom and gloom. 

The Club AGM, held on 20th November, was well attended. Business was over and done with in just 35 minutes, the way it should be. It was agreed unanimously to increase the annual subscriptions. This was the first increase for five years. Five years in which all other costs to the Club have increased, some significantly. When golf club membership costs me about £500 a year [as it does], I do not think that our Club playing members are getting a raw deal, even with the increase. Later the same evening the Weekly Draw was held. The prize money had escalated to £95 and I am delighted to report that I had the winning number! Those readers of this epistle not present that evening must have heard the chorus of delight for me coming from those 

who were present. Well, maybe not. 

One of the costs referred to in the previous paragraph is, of course, the maintenance of the buildings. The Management Committee was concerned about suspected leakages of rainwater through the roof of the pavilion. Last month the roof was inspected. Missing/damaged roof tiles were found to be the cause of the problem. Repairs were made and a bill of more than £500 was received. Keeping the Club going does not come cheap. 

On the evening following the Club AGM Chairman Alan and I drove to Kingston Park, home of Newcastle Falcons RUFC to represent the Club at the final AGM of the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League and the Inaugural meeting of the new League created by the amalgamation of the N&TSCL and the Northumberland County League [NCL]. It turned out to be a strange affair indeed. The N&TSCL AGM lasted no longer than 15 minutes during which various previously circulated reports were accepted and the League President, Bob Jackson, thanked the League’s officers and Past Chairmen for their work. Bob was then thanked for his work over many years by past Chairman Andrew Morgan [Ponteland CC]. All seemed to be going well. We had about half an hour to kill before we were to meet with our new friends from the NCL in another room. That is when, as far as I am concerned, things went downhill and became rather farcical. The other room turned out to be enormous, a real barn of a place. Comfortable, warm enough, expensively furnished but huge. Well, it had to be large to accommodate the representatives from the fifty or so clubs which now are members of the new League. Seats were taken and the meeting began. I will have to wait until the minutes of the meeting are circulated to understand what went on after I had sat down. The reason for my lack of comprehension? I could not hear much of what was said. I know that I am not in the first flush of youth but although my eye-sight is poor, my hearing is pretty good. The failure to hear what the speakers were saying was because no microphones were present. Bob Jackson opened the meeting by introducing himself and other members of the top table. I could not hear a word. I recognised Paul Lee, who until half an hour before had been the Secretary of the N&TSCL, but could not catch the names of the other members at the table. I gather that they were members of the defunct NCL executive. The meeting continued in the same vein for another half an hour or so during which other speakers did their best to impart knowledge to the masses without the help of a microphone. During the previous N&TSCL AGM we had been told that there was to be no debate regarding the previously circulated Constitution, Match Rules etc. of the new League. Just as well given the fact that questions from the floor would probably not have been heard by the League Executive nor would replies from the League Executive be heard by club representatives. A strange evening indeed. 

 

December’s Cricket Quiz:- 

Middle names. [ 

Name the Test cricketer from his middle name. 

[a] Sewards [England] [b] Ramesh [India] [c] Nathan [England] 

[d] Willem [South Africa] [e] Devereux [Australia] [f] Ivon [England] 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

Answers to November’s Quiz questions:- 

All Sorts 

[a] Who succeeded Clive Lloyd as West Indies captain? Alvin Kallicharran 

[b] What is Ian Botham’s middle name? Terence 

[c] Which former England Test batsman won ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2006? Mark Ramprakash 

[d] “ “ “ “ “ didn’t win it in 2012? Michael Vaughan 

[e] The Currie Cup is the First Class domestic tournament in which country? S.Africa 

[f] In which year did the Indian Premier League start? 2008 

 

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Biased I may be, but I believe that some of the wittiest prose is written about cricket and written by the members of the Press. I offer the following:- 

 

‘A second boundary, taken off the hip by a shaky batsman [Hick], had roughly the effect on Ambrose that the sight of alcohol seems to have on ayatollahs. ’ 

Peter Roebuck in ‘The Sunday Times’. 

 

‘Cricket must be the only business where you can make more money on one day than three.’ 

Pat Gibson, Irish-born leading British quiz player, in the ‘Daily Express’. 

 

‘It was like seeing the future and realizing that it worked.’ 

Ian Woolridge, English journalist, on Ben Hollioake, in ‘The Independent’. 

 

‘[Gower wore] an expression of pained bewilderment, like a man who’s just stepped into a lift-shaft.’ 

Michael Henderson, English journalist, on David Gower in Derby v Leicester, in ‘The Guardian’. 

 

‘[Courtney Walsh], who has effectively lost West Indies both their matches, was presented with a carpet for running out Salim Jaffer off the final ball. He was last seen trying to fly home on it.’ 

Martin Johnson in ‘The Independent’. 

 

‘It was not unlike watching Lazarus rise from the dead and get mown down by a runaway truck on his way to meet his mates in the bar. ’ 

Ian Woolridge on New Zealand’s performance versus Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup in the ‘Daily Mail’. 

 

 

 

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES 

 

November 2017. 

 

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

The Club’s Senior Presentation Evening was held last month. This Presentation Evening should not be confused with the identical event held earlier in the year. It was decided to hold the event closer to the end of the season rather than staging it in the winter months as has been the case in recent years. A reasonably full Bar was in attendance to witness reviews of season 2017 presented by the captains of the four senior teams:- Gary Hunter [1st Team], Ian ‘never short of a word or ten’ Cox [standing in for 2nd Team Capt. David Williamson ], Ian Cox again [3rd Team] and Colin McPherson [Academicals Team]. Presentations were made by Club President Gordon Hunter. It was the general opinion of those present that Gary stole the show with his comprehensive, amusing and, at times, inspirational speech. Winners of the awards were Kamran Mansoor [1st Team Player of the Year and winner of the Colin Leedham Cup for bowling], Andy Stokoe [Philip Williamson Trophy for batting, presented by Neil Williamson], Ryan O’Neill [2nd Team Player of the Year], Jamie Bradley [Eric Topham Trophy for bowling], Ian Cox [3rd Team Player of the Year], Ian Atkinson [Academicals Player of the Year] and Stephen Turnbull [Gus Robinson Rosebowl for Club member of the Year, presented by Club Chairman Alan]. Congratulations one and all. For the writer it was a long night restricted as I was to soft drinks due to having to drive home. I left at 10.20 just as a delicious curry [courtesy of Kamran] was being served. Thanks to all concerned for a good evening. 

What did you make of the decision regarding confirmation by the ECB of Middlesex’s relegation from the 1st Division of the County Championship? Missed out on that one? Late on in the season the Surrey v Middlesex match had been suspended and then abandoned when person or persons unknown had fired a crossbow bolt onto the field at The Oval while the match was in progress. Middlesex had been bowling when play was suspended and were down on their over rate. Both Clubs were told that they would not suffer because of the abandonment. However, some time later Middlesex were docked two points because of the slow over rate and were subsequently relegated having finished the season one point behind Somerset. Quite rightly, in my not so humble opinion, Middlesex appealed against that decision given the fact that the abandonment of the match had not allowed them the opportunity to improve the over rate. Middlesex Director of Cricket, former England bowler Gus Fraser, led the appeal. Now some readers may remember that Gus always wore a doleful expression during his long bowling stints. Given the ECB’s rejection of Middlesex’s appeal ‘doleful’ may not be an accurate description of his demeanour upon hearing the verdict. I am unaware of whether or not Middlesex appealed against the docking of the two points at the time. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. If they didn’t then probably they should have. Whatever was the case it does seem unjust that they were relegated ultimately because of the criminal actions of a stranger[s]. 

Discuss. 

In last month’s edition I reported an incident which had occurred at the Newcastle City v Consett 1st Team match. You may recall that a Newcastle City player had informed me, Club President Gordon and former Club skipper Tommy Nichol that Consett had definitely engaged Stuart Graham for season 2018. In addition he identified two other recruits. Well, I am delighted to report that Stuart will indeed be returning to the Club having done his missionary work on the foreign fields of Leadgate, Tynedale and Shotley Bridge. It will be good to have him and his parents, Geoff and Susan, back in the fold. The N’cle City player also correctly identified the other two players. At the time of that player’s revelation negotiations with the three players were still on-going. Nothing had been agreed. How did that N’cle City player know the Club’s business? Please do not send the answer to my question on a postcard, there are spies around. 

Meetings, meetings and more meetings. The Club’s AGM is to be held on Monday 20th November. Hopefully there will be a good attendance. On the following evening I expect to be attending two meetings. The first of these will be the final AGM of the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League [N&TSC]. This will be followed by the Inaugural meeting of the new League created by the amalgamation of the N&TSCL and the Northumberland County League [NCL]. The venue for the two meetings? Kingston Park, home of Newcastle Falcons RUFC. I suggest that with 93 teams drawn from 51 clubs the new Northumberland & Tyneside Cricket League would find it difficult to find a cricketing venue with a room large enough to seat an anticipated attendance of more than 100 Club representatives and League officials. It could well be a case of, ‘Speak up at the front, we can’t hear you at the back!’ During my first spell as Club Secretary back in the 1970s League meetings were held either at Swalwell CC [old ground] or Greenside CC. In recent years Greenside has hosted both League Management Committee [all the 24 clubs] meetings as well as the AGMs. As recorded several times by the writer in previous editions, times change. It appears the same fate applies to venues. 

 

November’s Cricket Quiz:- 

All Sorts 

[a] Who succeeded Clive Lloyd as West Indies captain? 

[b] What is Ian Botham’s middle name? 

[c] Which former England Test batsman won ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2006? 

[d] “ “ “ “ “ didn’t win it in 2012? 

[e] The Currie Cup is the First Class domestic tournament in which country? 

[f] In which year did the Indian Premier League start? 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

Answers to October’s Quiz questions:- 

All Sorts 

[a] Name the Australian term for ‘extras’? Sundries 

[b] Which county plays its home matches at Grace Road? Leicestershire 

[c] Which English bowler took a hat-trick against the West Indies in Barbados in 2004? Matthew Hoggard 

[d] Which umpire was famous for hopping around superstitiously when the score was 111? Former Gloucestershire batsman David Shepherd 

[e] What is Marcus Trescothick’s nickname? Banger 

[f] One for the true cricket historians:- Which England cricketer started out batting at number 11 but ended up opening the batting in a number of Test matches with success? Yorkshire legend Wilfred Rhodes 

 

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. If you have logged on to the Club website to read this article there is more than a good chance that you are a cricket lover. After all you have not taken the trouble to press a button or two to read my literary offerings. As a lover of the game you may appreciate [I hope] the following quotations regarding ‘The joys of cricket’:- 

 

‘Watching cricket has given me more happiness than any other activity in which I have engaged. Lord’s on a warm day, with a bottle, a mixed bag of sandwiches and a couple of spare tyres in a dispatch case, and I don’t care who is playing whom. ’ 

A.A. Milne, English author [1882-1956]. 

‘There is no talk, none so witty and brilliant, that is so good as cricket talk, when memory sharpens memory, and the dead live again – the regretted, the forgotten – and the old happy days of burnt out Junes revive.’ 

Andrew Lang, Scottish poet and novelist [1844-1912]. 

‘Cricket is indescribable. How do you describe an orgasm?’ 

Greg Matthewsl, former Australian cricketer. 

‘To go to a cricket match for nothing but cricket is as though a man were to go into an inn for nothing but drink. ’ 

Neville Cardus. 

‘The love of cricket nowadays seems to be confined to those who watch it or read about it.’ 

Arthur Mailey, Australian cricketer [1886-1957]. 

‘In my opinion cricket is too great a game to think about statistically.’ 

E.H. ’Patsy’ Hendren, English cricketer [1889-1962]. 

‘But after all, it’s not the winning that matters, is it? It’s – to coin a word – the amenities that count: the smell of the dandelions, the puff of the pipe, the click of the bat, the rain on the neck, the chill down the spine, the slow, exquisite coming on of sunset and dinner and rheumatism. ’ 

Alastair Cooke, English-born American journalist and broadcaster [1908-2004]. 

 

 

 

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

October  2017.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  

  I am delighted to begin this edition with good news. The 1st Team completed its season with two more victories thereby making season 2017 one of the most successful for several years. Details of the Club’s playing and off the field performances throughout the year will be reported at the Club’s AGM scheduled for Monday 20^th November. Yes, I know that you find it difficult to contain your excitement at the prospect of the AGM but you will have to learn to be patient. Suffice to report at this time that the Club is in a very healthy state.

  It will not come as a surprise to regular readers of this ‘blog’ [I bet you did not know that I understood such terms] to learn that the satisfaction expressed in the opening paragraph will not be maintained in several ensuing paragraphs. Time for a grumble.

  The close season it may be, but open season for rumours it certainly is. Of what do I write?  Statements from many ‘in the know’ that Player A is definitely moving to Club X next season.  At a recent match I was told which player[s] the Club would retain and which player[s] would be joining the Club from elsewhere. Who told me? A person who claimed to be an agent. Agents in local cricket! What is the game coming to? I could not resist ridiculing the man by telling him that he had missed out one new recruit to our ranks viz. Kevin Pietersen. The agent probably believed me. Of course I did not reveal the identity of the Club’s genuine new recruit ………………… Joe Root. Come on now, stop being silly. Since the game began way back in the mists of time cricketers have moved from clubs. Some for money, others to play in a higher class of cricket, others because they did not enjoy playing at their current clubs. ‘Agents’ were confined to show business, insurance or selling houses. Nowadays money is often the deciding factor. Shame. Club members of my generation will remember the League Championship winning sides of the 1970s and 1980s when all players were paid exactly the same amount of money ….. nothing. It was a time when the Club relied upon subscriptions, raffles, sponsored walks and jumble sales to balance the books. Therefore the idea of appointing a professional was never considered. Throughout the ‘70s good amateur players were attracted to the Club because of its good wickets and playing facilities and by the prospect of playing in an ever improving team. In those days the Tyneside Senior League’s rules prevented payment to more than one player per club. The totally amateur Club teams of the ‘70s and ‘80s took great pride in winning League competitions and the Austin Trophy at the expense of clubs who paid players. Me?  I was never good enough to be paid to play. However, acting captain Bob Thornton did buy a pint for me at Easington CC by way of congratulating me for my contribution of 68 in the cup-tie played that evening.  Payment in kind?  

 It takes a great deal of money to run any cricket club, expenditure rises every year. To run a County Cricket Club costs a fortune. All eighteen First Class Counties rely on a variety of fundraising avenues.  One such avenue is the business of hospitality boxes. At Durham’s Riverside ground there are plenty of them. Most of them are in use for T20 and Cup matches bringing in a great amount of much needed money. Few, however, are occupied during County Championship matches. As some readers may know, I am one of a dozen or so Durham CCC members who give commentaries to visually impaired members and guests voluntarily. As a rule we sit outside one of the boxes between our ‘clients’ and commentate on the match. The noise levels emanating from guests ensconced in neighbouring hospitality boxes equate to the          amount of amber fluid consumed by the groups in the boxes; the longer the day, the noisier it gets. Although the noise is a distraction, we commentators are able to grit our teeth and get on with the job in hand. Unfortunately this was not the case last month when Durham entertained  Kent. The match was well into its final session with Kent batting to save the match when an appeal for a run out was turned down. Several occupants of a nearby box got to their feet and shouted abuse at the umpire for turning down the appeal. ‘You’re in the ECB’s pocket!’ was just one of the frantic claims. Not only was such behaviour disgraceful, it came from men who appeared to know little about cricket or who could see around corners. They, like the commentators, were sitting [or standing] side-on to the wicket. The wicket-keeper had removed the bails with his back to us thereby preventing us from judging whether or not the player was out of his ground. The umpire gave the decision from square leg and had enjoyed a perfect view. Matters grew worse when Durham were running out of time to take all ten wickets. Wickets did fall but at least one incoming batsman was greeted to the field with cries of, ‘Pressure! Pressure! You can’t take the pressure!’ This knowledge was delivered by a man in his sixties while leaning over the balcony! While this was going on my co-commentator shouted across to the inebriate asking him not to abuse the opposition. His pleas fell on deaf ears.Some time later a steward appeared on the scene. We called him over to us and we explained what had occurred. The steward  asked the inhabitants of the hospitality box to leave the balcony while he talked to them. A few minutes later they reappeared only for the leader of the pack [the man in his sixties] to deliver a tirade of abuse in our direction for ‘shopping’ him. The moral of this true story? Hospitality boxes bring in the money …………. but at a cost!       

  Having endured that experience at a cricket match I was pleased to watch a game of Rugby Union at Corbridge a week or two later when Tynedale played Huddersfield. The old saying of ‘Rugby is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen’ was never more true than at Corbridge on that day. A rough, tough match was played out in front of partisan fans who enjoyed their afternoon without resorting to the abuse of players, officials or supporters of the opposing team.  

  The problem of dogs on our cricket field was brought to my attention earlier this year by a lady, herself  a dog-walker.  Dogs were being let off the lead and were leaving their ‘calling-cards’ on the field. The Club’s voluntary groundsmen confirmed this problem, informing the Committee that they were constantly removing the offending material prior to matches. You will be pleased to know that as a result of discussions with local councilors and Durham County Council appropriate signage has been displayed at the ground and Dog Wardens have been alerted. Sincere thanks must go to David Wilkinson who led the campaign to get to the bottom of this problem. Ouch!  

      

  October’s Cricket Quiz:- 

All Sorts

[a] Name the Australian term for ‘extras’?

[b] Which county plays its home matches at Grace Road?

[c] Which English bowler took a hat-trick against the West Indies in Barbados in 2004?

[d] Which umpire was famous for hopping around superstitiously when the score was 111?

[e] What is Marcus Trescothick’s nickname?

[f] One for the true cricket historians:- Which England cricketer started out batting at number 11 but ended up opening the batting in a number of Test matches with success? 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 Answers to September’s Quiz questions:- 

West Indies Test cricket.

[a] Which West Indian wicket-keeper holds his nation’s record for most Test Match dismissals?  Jeffrey  Dujon

[b] The West Indies highest innings total came in 1958 v Pakistan when they declared at 790-3. Name the batsman who was undefeated on a then world record of 365? Gary Sobers

[c] West Indies great Brian Lara holds the record for the highest score in first-class cricket of 501, playing for which English county? Warwickshire

[d] Which West Indies spinner became the first slow bowler to take 300 Test wickets?  Lance Gibbs

[e] West Indies won their first Test series in England in 1950. Spinner Sonny Ramadhin and which other spinner took 59 wickets between them in that series?    

Alf Valentine

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. As they look back on the past season the Club’s players will remember their own and their team’s highs and lows. I have selected a few quotations of former First Class cricketers reflecting upon their good days and bad. I hope that you will enjoy them.      

 

 ‘If my grandfather was alive, he would have slaughtered a cow ’

Makhaya Ntini, South African cricketer, after taking 5 for 75 in the second innings against England at Lord’s.

‘Yesterday at The Oval had to be the most thrilling moment of my life…. perhaps after the birth of my children.’  

Gladstone Small, former English cricketer, on the England Ashes win of 2005.   

‘I can’t really say I’m batting badly, I’m not batting long enough to be batting badly.’ 

Greg Chappell, former Australian cricketer.  

 ‘You should play every game as if it’s your last, but make sure you perform well enough to ensure that it’s not. ’

John Emburey, former English cricketer.

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

September 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  With only two more League fixtures to be played it will soon be time to look back on the season.  Highs and lows for all of the senior teams and for individual players. Such ruminations can wait. For the present I will be content with the fact that the 1^st Team has won more League matches already this season than it has ever done since its promotion to Division A1. Last month’s victories at Tynedale and Ryton and at home to Leadgate contributed to this excellent achievement.

 

  The victory at Tynedale proved, once again, that cricket is a team game. Both teams were not at full strength for a variety of reasons. The game itself ebbed and flowed with each side enjoying spells of superiority. A partnership between Andy Stokoe and Club professional Kamran Mansour appeared to have put the Club on course for a comfortable win only for a middle-order collapse to lift the spirits of the home supporters. Despite Paul Ringer’s 34, the prospect of an away win looked remote. Enter 3^rd Team captain Ian Cox, batting at number 10. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Ian enjoyed a partnership with the experienced Dan Milligan to see the Club ‘over the line’ to win by two wickets! Why ‘team game’? There are times when players believe that they are just ‘making up the numbers’. Some even exclude themselves from selection for that reason. The truth is that all eleven players in the team have a part to play. For some it may be a major role, for others a minor one. Now and again a member of the supposed latter category may be called upon to produce the goods at a vital time e.g. taking a catch, saving runs in the field, scoring runs at a crucial time etc.. A case of a member of the chorus line playing a starring role.     

 

  With regard to the match at Ryton three items will remain in my memory. Andy Stokoe’s innings of 85 [we all thought he must get a century], Kamran’s quick-fire fifty and the fact that the match was played in almost gale force winds. I played in snow, fog and [famously at Greenside] in a full blown thunderstorm but cannot recall ever having played in a gale. How the bails remained on the stumps was inexplicable.

 

  The weather this season has not been at its best. Therefore the good forecast for the match at home to Leadgate lifted my spirits. However, hopes of an afternoon and early evening spent in the sun were quickly dispelled when the match began. 1^st Team captain Gary’s decision to field paid dividends in spades. An under strength Leadgate were shot out for 50! Tea was taken before the runs required for victory were made for the loss of one wicket in double quick time. The whole affair [starting at 12.30] was over and done with at half past three. One spectator, in particular, had just cause to feel short changed by the turn of events. Club Life member Walter Armstrong had driven up from his home in Ormskirk! It was good to see Walter again, a slim-line Walter I may say. He puts his sylph-like body down to sensible portions of food. Now there is a lesson for us all. Although eleven wickets fell during the match, I actually saw only three. The reason for this was that my wife, Ann, was making the teas that day. I spent most of the playing time helping her to get all ready for the perceived premature tea; buttering scones, slicing pork pies, waving a tea towel in the air to turn off the fire alarm, glancing at the scoreboard to tell her how many wickets had fallen etc..

 

  Three events in particular boosted Club funds enormously last month; all taking  place over the course of one week-end. On the Friday evening the Club hosted the final of the Eric Topham Trophy with Shotley Bridge coming out winners over Lanchester. Eric’s widow, Club Life member Joan, was present to see Bill Stokoe [former Consett and Shotley Bridge cricketer] hand over the Trophy to Shotley’s captain Stuart Graham. The majority of the large crowd drawn mainly from the two finalists made full use of the Bar! The following evening saw a marquee ‘packed to the rafters’ [had there been any rafters] to enjoy the music presented by two ‘live’ bands, ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Honest Jack’. Although sitting in a marquee drinking beer from a can while having to shout into my neighbour’s ear to engage in conversation was not my ideal way of spending a Saturday evening, the majority of the 200+ present appeared to enjoy themselves. Yes, it is an age thing. The marquee was in action again the following day when the Blackhill Bounders Running Club held its Fun Day. I am told that the Bar did very well on that occasion too. All in all a successful week-end which certainly put a smile on Club Treasurer Colin’s face. Many thanks to all concerned in staging the events.     

 

  During the current Test series members of both the England and West Indies teams have received ‘de-merits’ for swearing. Swearing not directly at other players or at umpires but swearing out loud because of their own frustration. Such outbursts were picked up by the stump microphone but, as far as I know, were not audible to the spectators. The idea of imposing the sanction of de-merits [penalty points] which in turn could lead to a suspension may seem excessive. Personally, I like Graeme Swann’s idea of a charity swear-box whereby culprits would pay a fine of £1,000 to charity. What about our own game? Swearing on the field has always occurred and, no doubt, always will. However, I can remember when all sorts of language were used ‘in the middle’ without spectators being aware of it. Sadly, that is not the case nowadays. In recent weeks I have heard expletives issued across the ground from individual players who have dropped a catch, misfielded a ball, bowled a bad ball which has yielded a boundary etc.. Now that never used to happen. It is true that expletives were said by players but, here is the difference, they were said to themselves and not for the whole of the ground to hear. Those readers who know me will agree that I am not a prude. Nevertheless, I object to such outbursts when ladies and children are in ear-shot. In general I am supportive of umpires but wish that they would take action to eliminate such crude outbursts from our game. End of sermon.       

 

September’s Cricket Quiz:-

West Indies Test cricket.

[a] Which West Indian wicket-keeper holds his nation’s record for most Test Match dismissals?

[b] The West Indies highest innings total came in 1958 v Pakistan when they declared at 790-3. Name the batsman who was undefeated on a then world record of 365?

[c] West Indies great Brian Lara holds the record for the highest score in first-class cricket of 501, playing for which English county?

[d] Which West Indies spinner became the first slow bowler to take 300 Test wickets?

[e] West Indies won their first Test series in England in 1950. Spinner Sonny Ramadhin and which other spinner took 59 wickets between them in that series?  

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to August’s Quiz questions:-

South Africa’s Test cricket.

[a] Who is South Africa’s most successful Test captain [most Test wins]? Graeme Smith

[b] Which South African wicketkeeper holds the record for the most Test Match dismissals of any nation?  Mark Boucher

[c] In which year did the ICC vote to suspend South Africa from international cricket because of its government’s policy of apartheid? 1970

[d] As a result of the ban, which South African batsman was restricted to playing only four test matches at an average of 72.57?  Barry Richards

[e] Former South African captain Kepler Wessels played for which other Test nation?   Australia

 

    Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Earlier in this edition I reported upon the Final of the Eric Topham Trophy. Eric enjoyed his playing days and, I believe, his many days ‘wearing the white coat’. By umpiring well for so many years he put a lot back into local cricket after his playing career was brought to a sudden end due to injury. He was a good umpire, never one to seek the limelight. It is fitting therefore that the subject of the following quotations is an umpire who was not averse to being the centre of attention.    

 

‘When I step across the boundary rope, it’s the only time I feel in total control. ’

Dickie Bird.

 

‘They sure like their tea, these English.’

Scottish tannoy announcer, in Perth, as Dickie Bird’s confusion over rule changes caused him to call two tea intervals in a Benson & Hedges tie between Scotland and Yorkshire, 1984.  

 

‘It’s not just wet, it’s wet,wet,wet.’

Dickie Bird, borrowing from contemporary pop music to explain a stoppage in the Headingley Test because of a blocked drain, 1988. 

 

‘Oslear* found something in the rules to get off the pitch because of the cold last year, but I can’t find the bloody thing! ’

Dickie Bird, umpiring at Derby. * Don Oslear was a respected First-Class umpire.

 

‘Maybe it’s my false teeth, Dickie. I’ll take them out if you like. ’

Old Trafford spectator as Dickie Bird searched frantically for the source of reflected sunlight which was holding up the Old Trafford Test, England v West Indies, 1995. 

 

 

‘Cricket’s my wife.’

Dickie Bird, 1995.

 

‘He arrived on earth from Planet Looney to become the best and fairest of all umpires. Great bloke, completely bonkers. ’

Ian Botham describing Dickie Bird in his autobiography, 1994.

 

‘ Ee lad, tha’s a bit of a character. Tha could ave been a great comedian thissen.’

Albert Modley, music-hall comedian, to another famous son of Barnsley, Dickie Bird.

 

 

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

August 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  Given the frequent references made to BBC Radio’s ‘Test Match Special’ [TMS] in previous editions, as TMS celebrates its 60^th Anniversary this summer I feel duty bound to refer to it once again. During its coverage of the 3^rd England v South Africa Test Match, TMS broadcast a collection of listeners’ memories of the programme. Listeners stated their lengths of ‘addiction’ to TMS and where they had been when listening to some of the ‘highlights’. References were made to Agnew and Johnston’s ‘Leg over’ hysterics, Boycott’s hundredth hundred, Botham’s Test at Headingley etc., etc.. My own memory goes way back to the birth of TMS in 1957. During the sixty years since then I have listened to TMS in various locations both at home and on holiday and at various times of the day and night.

 

  Back to 1957 and my grandfather’s garden in Hawksworth, Leeds. Working in the heat and noise of Kirkstall Forge [where parts for tanks among other things were made] day after day, my grandad enjoyed being outdoors in his beloved garden as often as he could. Gardening was one of his passions; Cricket and Rugby League were the other two. That particular warm summer’s day found the pair of us in his garden; grandad digging, planting, pruning etc. and yours truly ‘helping’. Grandad kept his gardening tools in a former Anderson air-raid shelter in the garden. ‘Oh! Test Match’s on.’ announced grandad. With that he disappeared into the shelter and reappeared with a portable radio. The rest of the afternoon was spent listening to the commentary of the England / West Indies Test live from Edgbaston. Not one wicket fell but I was hooked. ‘Edgbaston’ to this young lad might as well have been a ground in Outer Space but the descriptive commentary, the voices of the commentators and the sound of bat on ball transfixed me. It was to be much later when I appreciated the significance of what I had been listening to. It had been just part of a match-saving stand of 411 made by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey. The pair had blunted the previously ‘unplayable’ off-spin of Sonny Ramadhin  by frequently padding away balls pitched outside the off-stump. In due course this tactic would lead to a change in the LBW Law, but then it was perfectly legal and negated Ramadhin’s menace. Happy memories.

                

  A combination of bad weather, personal illness and family commitments  severely restricted my cricket-watching last month. However, I was able to attend the 1^st Team’s match at Percy Main on 8^th July.  Percy Main’s St. John’s Green ground is one of my favourite venues. Moreover, its close proximity to the Royal Quays shopping outlet is a major factor in the lady wife’s decision to accompany me to the Club’s fixtures at that ground.  On this occasion, however, family obligations  deprived her from joining me on the trek to South East Northumberland. I was flying solo. No lover of driving through Newcastle on a Saturday lunch-time  [or at any other time if the truth be told], I had devised a cunning plan which would enable me to have lunch en route and avoid heavy traffic. Putting the plan in motion proved a disappointment. An early lunch at Shiremoor failed to live up to expectations. Never mind, thought I, the Percy Main ground was only five minutes away courtesy of the the route which I had used successfully on  previous occasions. This route avoided both the ‘bottle-neck’ of the Silverlink roundabout and the busy Coast Road. Perfect. As it turned out I was more than halfway there when I came upon a diversion which took me on to the Coast Road with its major roadworks snarl-up of traffic. This was followed by a circuitous journey around the roads of North Shields until I finally reached the ground. I was not alone in having had problems. Club President Gordon had encountered delays because of roadworks on his journey to the ground. However, that was not to be the end of the story. Tea-time arrived and Gordon set off to the North Shields Fish Quay to enjoy some fish and chips as he had done last season. He arrived back at the ground more than an hour later with a tale of woe. His ‘five minute’ trip down to the Fish Quay had ended up with Gordon in the middle of hundreds [possibly thousands] of people enjoying a Festival. The queues to all of the fish shops stretched out onto the street. The fish restaurants were full to overflowing. Gordon, determined to have his fish and chips, finally secured a seat in one of the restaurants. However, at a price – he had missed the fall of several Percy Main wickets! When it came to both Gordon’s and my experiences that day it was, as Robert Burns wrote, ‘The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.’          

 

August’s Cricket Quiz:-

South Africa’s Test cricket.

[a] Who is South Africa’s most successful Test captain [most Test wins]?

[b] Which South African wicketkeeper holds the record for the most Test Match dismissals of any nation?

[c] In which year did the ICC vote to suspend South Africa from international cricket because of its government’s policy of apartheid?

[d] As a result of the ban, which South African batsman was restricted to playing only four test matches at an average of 72.57?

[e] Former South African captain Kepler Wessels played for which other Test nation? 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to July’s Quiz questions:-

Name the Test Match Special commentator:-

[a] Which TMS commentator was known as ‘The Boil’? Trevor Bailey

[b]     “          “            “            was christened ‘The Alderman’ by Brian Johnson?  Don Mosey

[c] Who holds the record for the being the longest serving TMS commentator, between 1973 and 2012?  Christopher Martin-Jenkins

[d] Which famous TMS commentator’s distinctive voice was once described as an ‘articulate, leisurely, confiding countryman’s burr’? John Arlott

[e] Which TMS commentator’s last commentary was the 6^th Ashes Test in August 1993?Brian Johnston

    Finally, it is time for a few quotations. During its life crowd behaviour has often been the subject of comment in ‘Mike’s Muses’. I return to that topic for the following:-    

 

‘It is feared that a good many people who find their pleasure in watching cricket are very ignorant of the game. In no other way can one account for the unseemly ‘barracking’ that sometimes goes on. ’

Sydney Pardon, editor of ‘Wisden’, 1919.

 

‘Edgbaston was awash with social inadequates, bawling, brawling, caterwauling, slating, baiting, hating. The Rea Bank was a cave of sullen youths, for whom insolence, ugliness and selfishness are basic facts of life.’

Michael Henderson, in ‘The Times’, reflecting cricket’s uncertainty about the nature of its Test crowds as the century nears its close, 1998.  

 

‘I’m this side of the line, you’re that, and never the twain shall meet. If they do I’ll break your f*****g teeth.’

Rodney Marsh, Australian wicketkeeper, to a spectator who fielded the ball inside the boundary rope, 1981. 

 

‘Waugh! What is he good for? Absolutely nothing!’

Adaptation of Edwin Starr’s song – one of the more humorous crowd chants during the 1993 Ashes series in England.

 

‘Please sir, can you make Kepler Wessels disappear?’

Plea to a magician in the crowd in Pontypridd, Glamorgan vs South Africa, 1994. [Wessels batted three hours for 45 not out.]

 

 

‘After all, Lord’s is Lord’s.’

Lord’s steward, requesting that men replace their shirts after complaints from women members, Middlesex vs Yorkshire, 1959.

 

‘Official hospitality is an organized conspiracy to prevent the uninterrupted watching of cricket, based upon a constant invitation to ‘have a drink’ or ‘meet our sales manager from Slough. ’

Roy Hattersley, Labour MP, in ‘The Guardian’, 1983.

 

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

July 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  A relatively early finish to the 1^st Team’s match at the Lintz on the first Saturday of June enabled me to spend a couple of hours at home before accompanying the lady wife to Blackfyne to participate in ‘Quiz Night’. Stephen Horn was the Quiz Master on this occasion. The sad demise of Medomsley CC has resulted in Stephen’s return ‘home’ to the Club. I am not alone in being delighted to have him back. Stephen presented an excellent quiz which was enjoyed by all. It was obvious that a lot of thought and work had been put into compiling the quiz, therefore I was pleased for Stephen that attendance was good.

 

Last month’s weather was typical of a British summer; a mixture of sunshine and rain. Periods of weather for which the game of cricket was invented and those designed more for testing the efficiency of umbrellas and wellingtons. Matches were postponed or cancelled. However, one matter remained constant i.e. 1^st Team Captain Gary Hunter’s luck with the toss. Gary’s father, Club President Gordon, remarked upon this before the commencement of the match at Leadgate. On what was possibly the hottest and sunniest Saturday of the season so far, Gary led his team out to field. Cricketing nous told me that the winner of the toss would, on such a day, choose to bat. However, knowing that the Leadgate side was short of half a dozen regular first-teamers prompted me to ask Gordon if Gary had ‘inserted’ Leadgate with the intention of bowling out the home side in double quick time. ‘No,’ came the reply, ‘he lost the toss again.’ Gordon maintained that this had been the tenth or eleventh consecutive time when Gary had lost the toss!  So much for a 50/50 chance of winning the toss of a coin.  As it turned out the match was won by the Club in the exact manner which had prompted my question to Gordon.

 

  The Leadgate CC Committee deserves credit for the improvements which have been made to both the playing area and other facilities. A new drainage system has enhanced the field [recent heavy rainfalls will help the newly laid turf to bind] and the addition of picnic-style tables and benches topped off with two bespoke awnings has improved the cricket-watching experience for spectators. Money well spent.

 

  If you are a regular visitor to the Club’s website you may have seen photographs on it of May’s 1^st Team home match against Shotley Bridge. The numerous photographs  were taken by local photographer George Ledger. George, a member of Consett Photographic Society, donated the photographs for use by the Club. Do look out for more action shots as George intends to be back. Very welcome he is too. 

 

  The final week of June saw the introduction of Day/Night County Championship cricket in England. This experiment, the brainchild of the ECB, is intended to increase interest in and attendance at County Championship matches. The usual hours of play, 11a.m. to 6 p.m.  [or thereabouts], prevent many would be spectators from attending the 4 Day game because of work commitments. The ECB hopes that a 2p.m. start and a 9p.m. finish will entice more people into the grounds by taking advantage of a £5 per person admission fee after 5p.m.. Unfortunately this brave new world got off to a disastrous start because of the weather; prolonged heavy rain across the country. I did attend the first day of the Durham v Worcestershire Day/Night match and came away from it less than impressed. As many readers know, I am one of several Durham members who voluntarily give commentaries to visually impaired spectators. Our vantage point for delivering a commentary is not ideal, high up in the Don Robson Pavilion, side-on to the wicket. However, we manage to cope with that. What I could not cope with is the fact that I could not see to ball! I, like Club members Colin McPherson and Geoff Graham, suffer from colour-blindness. The ball used in the Day/Night matches is, so I am told, pink. Whatever colour it was I could not see it when it was released by the bowler, when it was struck by the batsman or when it was taken by the ‘keeper. Following the ball on its way along the grass was almost as impossible. Several times a ball destined for the cover boundary [according to my interpretation of the batsman’s stroke] was fielded by the fielder at square leg. Yes, it had got there courtesy of an inside edge, but I had not seen it. The ball was, to me, invisible against the batsman’s white clothing and pads. I was reminded of an Austin Trophy match in which I had played at Hartlepool CC decades ago. The ground was a real chocolate box picture. A lovely pavilion behind the bowler’s arm at one end, the rest of the 360 degrees occupied by trees. Thankfully sight-screens were in place at both ends. Keeping wicket was ‘interesting’.  No problem when sighting the ball as it was delivered [Thank Goodness for the sight-screens] but a nightmare when trying to sight a ball coming in to me from the boundary. I did not pick out the ball from the green background until it was no more than 20 yards away.  Spectators must have thought that I had St. Vitus Dance or some similar affliction as I made a rapid move left or right, up or down at the last moment.  The next time that commentary upon a Day/Night pink ball match is up for grabs - count me out.       

 

July’s Cricket Quiz:-

Name the Test Match Special commentator:-

[a] Which TMS commentator was known as ‘The Boil’?

[b]     “          “            “            was christened ‘The Alderman’ by Brian Johnson?

[c] Who holds the record for the being the longest serving TMS commentator, between 1973 and 2017?

[d] Which famous TMS commentator’s distinctive voice was once described as an ‘articulate, leisurely, confiding countryman’s burr’?

[e] Which TMS commentator’s last commentary was the 6^th Ashes Test in August 1993?

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to June’s Quiz questions:-

Name the ground:-

[a]  Which ground has a Nursery End and a Pavilion End? Lord’s

[b]     “          “    hosted its first Test Match between England and Zimbabwe in 2003?

Emirates Riverside, Chester le Street.

[c] By what other name is the Brisbane Cricket Ground commonly known? The Gabba.

[d] At which ground did Peter May and Colin Cowdrey put on 411 against the West Indies in 1957? Edgbaston.

[e]   Which English Test venue was a cabbage patch before it became a cricket ground? The Oval.

[f]   Which English cricket ground, which hosted a match in the 1999 World Cup,  was famous for having a tree on its outfield?  Canterbury.

 

 

    Finally, it is time for a few quotations. I return to the topic of County Cricket for the following:-    

 

‘You plan your cricket like a war, but play it like a party game.’

Tony Lewis, Glamorgan captain, extolling Essex’s virtues to their captain, Keith Fletcher. [Essex are not playing like that in 2017! Mike.]

 

‘Barrie, old boy, sorry, but you’re not going to like this at all.’

Neil Foster’s apology to umpire Barrie Meyer before kicking the stumps over at Old Trafford in pique at Essex’s fielding performance against Lancashire. He was fined £250, and reported that it was worth every penny. [According to Graham Gooch in ‘Gooch: My Autobiography’, 1995.] 

 

‘Steady boys, put down a canary first!’

J.B.Evans, Glamorgan  fast bowler, about to descend into the visitors’ basement dressing room at Taunton. 

 

‘When I tap the pitch with my bat, someone else taps back.’

Peter Walker, Glamorgan and England, on playing in mining country at Ebbw Vale, 1967.

 

‘I maintain I can contribute more in one telephone discussion with the chairman, Ossie Wheatley, than all the amateurs in a hundred meetings on the subject of cricket.’

Tony Lewis, sacked from Glamorgan’s cricket committee for non-attendance, 1980.

 

 

‘What number is Snow White batting?’

John Emburey to Mike Gatting, after experiencing Glamorgan’s miniscule batting line-up of Cottey, Dalton and Phelps; none of them much over 5ft. 5in., 1994.

 

‘Hove is a genial mixture of the raffish and run-down, like the numerous blazers in the pavilion bar, most sporting military buttons and many with frayed cuffs . ’

George Plumptre, ‘Homes of Cricket’, 1988.

 

‘This is the last thing we need. He should not be entering nude pictures in magazine competitions. He is supposed to be an ambassador for Sussex County Cricket Club.’

Sussex member, quoted in ‘The Times’, condemning the photographs of Club Secretary, Nigel Bett, in the pages of ‘British Naturism’. It was a chill wind for Bett; after the overthrow of the old committee, he left his job, 1997.

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

June 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  Given the horrific carnage which occurred in Manchester towards the end of May, it is a delight to be able to impart some good news. I write, of course, of the birth of a son, Ben, to proud parents Andrew and Rachel Forster. Congratulations to both parents and to the proud grandparents. No doubt young Ben will have a bat in his hand before he can walk.

 

  Last month saw a first at Blackfyne when the Club hosted a Ladies’ Day. Well a ‘first’ is not strictly correct as I will explain. Way back in 1921, when the Club was celebrating the opening of the newly built pavilion, a Dinner was held to mark the occasion. It was held in the North Eastern Hotel, Blackhill. Larger venues had been approached but were unavailable so the Club settled on the North Eastern which could seat ninety people for dinner. However, many more than ninety players, Club members and voluntary builders [of the pavilion] wished to attend. How could this problem be overcome? The Club’s Committee decided not to invite the ladies! Instead of being wined and dined, the ladies were invited to a ‘musical evening with refreshments’ to be held in the new pavilion. There is no record of the numbers attending said ‘musical evening’ nor of the [inevitable?] fracture to the marital bliss previously existing between husbands and wives.

 

  Times have changed. May’s Ladies’ Day was a different kettle of fish. We [mere men] were told that the ladies were treated to copious amounts of Prosecco, afternoon tea, beauty tips and entertainment provided by two female singers. A few of the ladies made an appearance on the pavilion balcony after tea. Perhaps to watch the cricket [Shotley Bridge CC were the visitors], perhaps to get some fresh air into their lungs before rejoining the festivities in the Bar.  The event, a huge financial success, will probably have been the first of several more similar events. The organisers and helpers, Lesley Wilkinson, David Wilkinson, Ian Cox, Stephen Turnbull and Sean Kelly should be congratulated for their efforts.

 

  Making their way to Blackfyne for the match that day were former Shotley Bridge Captain Peter Collingwood and current Shotley Bridge Secretary David Milburn [a former pupil of mine] who were on a fund-raising mission. The pair have set themselves the target of walking to every League match played by Shotley Bridge 1^st Team during the season. Money raised by opposing clubs’ contributions will be presented to the Bobby Robson Foundation. The Club was pleased to be able to add £50 to the funds. For those of us of a certain age the prospect of walking from Shotley Bridge to Blackfyne would be daunting enough [Peter confessed that he had been tempted to seek sustenance at ‘The Cricketers’ en route ], but what about a gentle stroll to Tynedale, Ashington or Percy Main! Good luck to the pair of them.

 

What about the Shotley Bridge match itself? Keenly fought as usual, fortunes ebbed and flowed. A spectator could be forgiven for changing his/her mind about the result several times and probably no one could have predicted the batting collapse which resulted in the Club sealing victory by a large margin. Club Captain Gary’s decision to open the bowling with his own spin bowling, backed up by good fielding, played  a decisive part in the outcome of the match. Not for the first time a good slow bowler reaped the rewards at Blackfyne. Shotley Bridge will certainly be seeking revenge when the two teams meet ‘down the hill’ later in the season.

 

  How would you like to spend an evening with Geoffrey Boycott? I appreciate that  some readers would choose to avoid that prospect like the plague. Others, however, would seize the opportunity with relish. As a dyed in the wool Tyke, a follower of Yorkshire cricket from infancy and an admirer of Boycott both as a player and a pundit, I was delighted to travel to Scarborough to attend ‘An Evening with Geoff Boycott’ at the Spa Theatre. The tickets for the event were a birthday present from my wife who had even arranged overnight accommodation for the pair of us. There was not a seat to be had when Boycott was welcomed on stage by BBC presenter Harry Gratian who was to act as compere. For more than two hours Boycott entertained us all with his stories of the highs and lows of his career in cricket. Several of his stories related to his career with Yorkshire including his brushes with the captain of the all-conquering 1960s side, Brian Close. Several snippets of film of Boycott’s on-field highlights were interspersed between Harry Gratian’s questions and Geoffrey’s answers and reminiscences. Of course film was shown of Boycott’s hundredth 100, made against Australia at Headingley. If all of the people who claim to have been on the ground when Boycott reached his century were actually present then Headingley must have held more than 50,000 that day and not the 20,000 or so that it really did. I, however, definitely was there to see it. The evening ended with a Question & Answer session. Questions such as, ‘Who was the best bowler you ever faced?’ [Answer:- Malcolm Marshall.] and ‘Who was the best captain you ever played under?’ [Answer:- Ray Illingworth.] were answered easily,  bringing murmurs of approval from the audience. However, when Boycott got on to the question of the future of the game there was rapturous agreement with his view that cricket would continue its downward spiral as a national sport unless live international cricket was shown once again on terrestrial television. I, for one, was delighted that this opinion [expressed in ‘Mike’s Muses’ on several occasions over the years] was shared by a man who knew more about the game on and off the field than I and many others could truly claim to know. One small aside; for an extra £20 members of the audience could have a ‘one to one’ session with Geoffrey. Quite a few did. Now, I admire the man’s cricket etc., but ……………………  . 

 

  I began this edition with some good news. Sadly as it draws to its close I must report some bad news. For many years Ian McKinnell supported the Club by his attendance at matches and functions [Quiz Nights in particular] and by his sponsorship. Although some members were aware that Ian was ill, his death on May 6^th came as a shock to the many who were unaware of the gravity of his illness. He will be missed.    

 

June’s Cricket Quiz:-

Name the ground:-

[a]  Which ground has a Nursery End and a Pavilion End?

[b]     “          “    hosted its first Test Match between England and Zimbabwe in 2003?

[c]   By what other name is the Brisbane Cricket Ground commonly known?

[d]   At which ground did Peter May and Colin Cowdrey put on 411 against the West Indies in 1957?

[e]  Which English Test venue was a cabbage patch before it became a cricket ground?

[f]   Which English cricket ground, which hosted a match in the 1999 World Cup,  was famous for having a tree on its outfield?

Answers will appear in next month’s edition.

 

Answers to May’s Quiz questions:-

Name the surnames of these players from the initials of their forenames.

[a]  WPUJC  Vaas

[b]   IT   Botham

[c]   DI   Gower

[d]   IVA   Richards

[e]   DCS  Compton

[f]   SCJ   Broad

 

    Finally, it is time for a few quotations. For no other reason than it provides an excess of thought-provoking and/or humorous quotations, I return to the topic of County Cricket for the following:-    

 

‘The vast majority of county cricketers have two topics of conversation: ‘Me and my cricket’, or as a high day and holiday variant, ‘My cricket and me’.’

Frances Edmonds , 1994.

 

‘The typical 1990s cricketer was a decent, regular middlebrow man who read the ‘Daily Mail’ and Wilbur Smith novels and [except in Lancashire] dressed at C&A.’

Simon Hughes, former Middlesex and Durham seamer, in ‘A Lot of Hard Yakka’, 1997. 

 

‘Many of the more prominent players daub the slogan ‘Form is temporary. Class is permanent.’ on the lids of their bulging coffins. It isn’t class they lack, but charisma.’

Simon Hughes in ‘A Lot of Hard Yakka’, 1997. 

 

‘Mastering boredom is the chief requirement of the cricketer.’

David Oldam, Somerset scorer, during a rain break at the Bath Festival, 1981.

 

‘I absolutely insist that all my boys should be in bed before breakfast.’

Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, explaining Hampshire’s success under his captaincy. 1981.

 

 

‘I think I could write a sort of Egon Ronay guide to casualty departments – a kind of ‘Good Hospital Guide’.’

Grahame Clinton, Surrey opener, injured in 15 of the 17 first-class counties, 1986..

 

‘Simon Hughes thanks everyone who donated to today’s benefit collection, which raised 1230 pounds, 30 pence, 70 Canadian cents, 50 pesetas, 1 Kenyan shilling and 2 Iranian shekels. ’

Benefit announcement over the Lord’s tannoy, 1991.

 

‘Bloody Derby! What a way to go!’

Jonathan Agnew, Leicestershire and England bowler, contemplating his last match before retirement, 1990.

 

‘More reported cases of frostbite than any other first-class venue.’

Agnew on Derby again.

 

‘That load of madmen will never win anything until they learn some self-discipline.’

A Ray Illingworth criticism of 1970s  Essex, shortly before they won everything. [Quoted by Ray East in ‘A Funny Turn’, 1983.]

      

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

May 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  April 22nd saw the new N&TSCL season get off the mark with the Club having mixed fortunes against Lanchester CC. The 1st Team lost at Kitswell Road and the 2nd Team victorious over their counterparts from Lanchester at Blackfyne. Given the heavy rainfall of the previous evening the conditions at Lanchester were surprisingly dry. Put into bat the Club found run-making to be a difficult pursuit. A series of minor stands gave the team and its supporters repeated hope of being able to set a challenging target. However, those hopes were dashed regularly by batsmen finding a variety of ways to get themselves out. Lanchester ran out emphatic winners. A victory over that particular club at 1st Team level has become a rarity. 

  In addition to three new players making their debuts for the Club on the field at Lanchester, Philip Hunter was recording events in the scorers’ box for the first time as the Club’s official 1st Team Scorer. Phil is the latest in the list of 1st Team Scorers whom I have had the pleasure of knowing during my forty-seven years at the Club. The first of these vital Club members was Billy Nixon. What a character! No matter whether he was in the dressing room or in the score-box, Billy always [and I mean always] had a cigarette clamped between his lips. Through the clouds of smoke he maintained his score-book with style and accuracy at the same time as moving the huge digit rollers to indicate individual scores, total and wickets. No computer in those days. Who said that men cannot multi-task? Hopefully Phil will be able to record some successes* in the future.

  Readers of last month’s edition may recall my anticipation of Durham’s first home match of the season due to commence on 14th April. I wrote of a sense of foreboding regarding the weather. Well, the weather did play a significant part in events but not as I had expected. It was one of those days when it was warm [not hot, even though a few spectators had donned shorts for the occasion] in the sun but cold enough for an overcoat in the shade. My two colleagues and I were able to sit outside beside our visually impaired ‘clients’ and give our commentaries. Even though a short time had been lost to rain, the match was progressing. Durham had been bowled out for a meagre total. However, in reply Nottinghamshire had made a bad start to their innings. The evening session offered more exciting cricket. The floodlights had been switched on at the beginning of the day’s play. They were still on when play resumed after tea. Around about 5pm, with Notts in a perilous state, the umpires took the players of the field because of bad light. Bad light with the floodlights on??!! For the next hour and a half there was no play and, more to the point, no announcements. During this time the majority of the crowd [and there was a sizeable one] departed the ground. The umpires made two visits to ‘the middle’, checked their light meters and walked back to the pavilion. No announcements. Players took themselves and their accompanying paraphernalia from the balcony and into the dressing rooms. It was apparent that play was over for the day. Eventually the Visually Impaired members and their commentators gave up the ghost and went home. On arriving home I switched on the television, checked Teletext and discovered that play had recommenced after 6.30. Once again spectators had ‘been kept in the dark’.

  Spectators were better served by the match officials at the One Day Cup match, Durham v Derbyshire, held on the last Thursday of April. It was my turn once more to share commentary of the match to the V.I. members with two colleagues. Having been on and off for rain on a couple of occasions, play was finally called off at 4.40. In all of that time I had given the benefit of my knowledge to the members for only five overs! I now have the reputation of being a Jonah. 

  The compilers of the First Class Counties’ fixture list appear to have thrown the matches into the air and settled for where they landed. I know that that is an exaggeration but please bear with me. No sooner had we got into the County Championship [4-day matches] last month than May comes along with the first three weeks of the month devoted to One Day Cup matches. 4-day matches return on May 21st to be followed by a One Day Cup-free June. However, July will see only one 4-day match throughout the month.  No sooner does the cricket-watcher [and the players] ‘get into’ a competition than the focus is switched to another format. I have not even mentioned the slog-fest T20 matches! 

  Grumble over [for now]; time to move on to happier matters. We now have a new kitchen! Readers will know that the fire of 2006 gutted the pavilion including the kitchen. When the pavilion was re-opened the following year new kitchen equipment had been installed. That was, of course, a decade ago. The Management Committee agreed that it was time to upgrade the kitchen again and an application for a grant was made some months ago. The application was successful and the work was completed in time for this new season. 

  The kitchen was not required when Club Treasurer Colin McPherson held his [Early] Retirement Party in the Bar on the last Saturday of April. The place was packed with friends and family to wish Colin a long and happy retirement and to thank him for generously supplying food and drink for all. The food was by way of a mobile pizza oven! I was intrigued by it, as were most attendees. Not a great fan of pizza myself, friends assured me that the food was of high quality. Maybe we will see more of it at future events?         

 

May’s Cricket Quiz:- 

Name the surnames of these players from the initials of their forenames.

[a]  WPUJC

[b]   IT

[c]   DI

[d]   IVA

[e]   DCS

[f]   SCJ

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

 

 

Answers to April’s Quiz questions:-

What do the following acronyms or initials mean?

[a] MCG   Melbourne Cricket ground

[b] WACA   Western Australia Cricket Association

[c] DRS    Decision Referral System

[d] SLA    Slow Left Arm

[e] CMJ    Christopher Martin Jenkins

 

* Stop press:- I am delighted to report that Phil was able to score a comprehensive victory over Percy Main on the last Saturday of April! Sadly the 2nd Team went down to Percy Main 2nds on the same day. 

 

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. My negative comments regarding County Cricket in this article [and in previous ones] prompt me to offer several quotations below. As readers will see, my criticism of the modern day situation echoes that made by previous generations.   

  

‘Cricket [in England] is widely perceived as elitist, exclusionist and dull.’

Matthew Engel, ‘Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack’, 1997.

 

‘No disrespect, but playing for Surrey Seconds against Sussex this week in front of a few dogs and coffin-dodgers is quite a different experience to playing before packed houses at The Oval, Headingley and Old Trafford .’

Alistair Brown, Surrey, after the announcement of England’s Texaco Trophy squad, 1997.  

 

‘I make the crowd 24 – 23 really, because one of ’em’s died there overnight.’

Tom Young to RC Robertson-Glasgow during a Somerset match at Taunton in the 1920s.

 

 ‘As preparation for a Test match, the domestic game is the equivalent of training for the Olympic marathon by taking the dog for a walk.’

Martin Johnson, ‘The Independent’ 1995.

 

‘And I suppose if anyone’s bowled it’s just a nasty accident?’

Nottinghamshire’s George Gunn, unimpressed by the news that the umpires would be generous with LBWs during a festival match in the 1920s.

 

 

‘County bowlers are nothing if not philosophical. I’ll be there in midsummer, running up to Sir Geoffrey, convincing myself he’s going to pad up to a straight one.’

Brian Brain, county seamer, on the joys of bowling to Geoffrey Boycott, in ‘Another Day, Another Match’, 1980 .

 

‘All cricketers have large egos. That is why there are so many below average players still in the game. Each player secretly believes that he is a better cricketer than his results show.’

Peter Walker, Glamorgan and England.

 

‘We used to celebrate like this just for beating Derbyshire.’

Ken Taylor, Nottinghamshire’s 70-year-old manager, overcome by their revival under Rice and Hadlee in the 1980s.

 

‘They tended to enjoy horse racing and the suspension of play due to rain. Without any doubt the best hours of the day for  them were spent in the pub after the day’s play.’

Imran Khan, commenting upon the ‘old pros’, 1988.

 

‘They can all resign themselves to the fact that none of them will ever be quite as good as the talkative gentleman with the packet of ham sandwiches who sits square of the wicket on every county ground in the land.’

Doug Insole, on the fate awaiting cricket’s new county captains, 1963. 

       

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

April 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  

  April at long last! The season is upon us. How enjoyable it is to be able to write that. The First Class season starts before our own N&TCL season which means that I will be giving a commentary to the blind members at Durham CCC’s Emirates Riverside Ground more than a week before our senior teams’ opening league matches. I can hardly wait to be basking in the sunshine high up in the Don Robson Pavilion.  Surely it will not be as cold as it was a few seasons ago when I had to remove four inches of snow from the roof of my car before journeying to Chester le Street to commentate upon the first home match of the season in early April? We will see. I appreciate that times change and that it is essential to attract a different [younger] audience to cricket but starting the County Championship so early in order to fit in a host of T20 matches in the middle of the season appears to me [and others] rather nonsensical. I recall the then Durham Head Coach Martyn Moxon stating that not many people watched the 4-day format when he was giving a Q&A session at the Club. That may be correct, but there will definitely be even fewer watching on a chilly day at the start of April. 

 

  Chilly it certainly was not when impresarios Ian Cox and Stephen Turnbull presented ‘The Buskers’ at the Club last month. The bar was packed, standing room only. I thought that ‘The Buskers’ were excellent, fine guitarists and their singing was not bad either. Yes, I even knew most of the songs. A few of them were hits long before some of the audience was born. I even enjoyed the game of ‘standy-up bingo’. [I will not explain to readers who did not attend, it would take too long.] David and Lesley Wilkinson did a wonderful job slaking the thirst of the crowd. Club Treasurer Colin was a happy man too when he counted up the takings! A successful event. Well done to all concerned.

 

  Plans are underway to create a new competition. Surprise, surprise, it will be yet another T20 affair. This time it will be contested on an eight cities’ franchise basis and will commence in 2020. Yes, 20/20 in 2020. Who will be the eight cities? Your guess is as good as mine. Apparently the cities who wish to become part of the chosen eight will have to bid. Will the bids be made on the basis of prospective population or straight cash on the table? Or will it be a combination of the two? Time will tell.

  

 While the ECB’s motives [attracting a younger audience to cricket] may be laudable, surely broadcasting professional cricket in its various formats via live free to air TV now would go a long way to reaching those ambitions? Furthermore, I was encouraged by England star Jimmy Anderson pitching into the debate by stating that Test Match cricket should be the pinnacle of the game and hoping that the prospect of more T20 cricket would not undermine the longer version of the game. I cannot be the only cricket-lover who believes that may be the case and, moreover, that the longer form of the game [County Championship and Test Matches] is already fighting hard to compete with the shorter format in terms of attracting spectators who want the ‘quick fix’. 

 

  I was sad to learn of the death last month of John ‘Jack’ Hampshire, another hero of mine in my teenage years. Apparently he did not like anyone calling him ‘Jack’ or ‘Jackie’. I and thousands of other regular attendees at Yorkshire’s matches were not aware of this so ‘Jack’ he was to us. A fine attacking middle-order batsman, an occasional leg-spinner and an excellent close fielder, John was a vital cog in the Yorkshire CCC machine during the 1960s and early 1970s’ era of County  Championship successes. I have two distinct memories of batsman John. The first of these was a photograph, the second  a pie and pint in a pub. At home in Leeds we had the ‘Yorkshire Evening Post’ delivered. During the cricket season a report of the morning session of Yorkshire’s current match appeared on the back page. On one occasion a photograph of Hampshire appeared at the top of the report. He was pictured playing an immaculate forward defensive stoke. Front foot well forward, bat and pad together, all three stumps covered. Perfect. That, I thought, must be the way to defend. If only I could have copied that more often. John Hampshire was primarily a front-foot player, given his long stride [he was a six-footer] that is understandable. The pie and pint? During the summer of 1969 I had a holiday job working in a printing works in Kirkstall, Leeds, about a mile or so away from the Headingley Grounds. Lunch usually consisted of home-made sandwiches but occasionally I would venture a couple of hundred yards away to the Abbey Inn to enjoy a pie and a pint. Knowing that the Test Match, England v West Indies, would be shown LIVE on the pub’s television and that my Yorkshire heroes Phil Sharpe, Geoff Boycott, Ray Illingworth and John Hampshire were playing, I decided to partake of the pub grub. It turned out to be a wise choice. I sat glued to the television [as did several other keen customers] as Hampshire made his way to the crease following the loss of four early English wickets [37 for 4]. This was his England debut.  He began sketchily but gradually became more fluent. All too soon it was high time to leave the pub and get back to work. I did not want to be ‘quartered’ for being late. ‘Jack’ was still at the crease when I had to leave. Back at work the rest of the afternoon was spent working with both ears attuned to a work-mate’s transistor radio. He was not the only employee tuned in to ‘Test Match Special’, most employees there were cricket-mad. Hampshire went on to score a hundred. A hundred on debut! At Lord’s!!!!  It would be pleasing to write that John Hampshire enjoyed a long England career. Pleasing but not true. He played in only eight Tests over a period of six years. Like many Tykes before him, John Hampshire was ‘shown the door’ by the Yorkshire Committee after captaining the side for two seasons, 1980 and 1981. He then went on to do ‘missionary work’ for Derbyshire CCC for three seasons before donning the white coat and becoming a respected International Umpire for many years. Cricket was his life. 

 

  Hot off the press:-  at its latest meeting of N&TSCL clubs it was agreed unanimously that the N&TSCL would merge with the Northumberland Cricket League to create a league of  some fifty clubs. The new league will comprise of eight  Divisions with promotion and relegation between them.  The idea of the merger was, we are told, popular with current players. Former players may not be as enthusiastic and hark back to the good old days of the Tyneside Senior League. Good old days they certainly were and I have a great deal of sympathy with those views. However, as the West Indian proverb [it relates to sugar cane by the way] goes, ’If you don’t bend you will break.’ In other words these are changing times and we must change with them. I suppose.              

 

  April’s Cricket Quiz:- 

What do the following acronyms or initials mean?

[a] MCG

[b] WACA

[c] DRS

[d] SLA

[e] CMJ

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

Answers to March’s Quiz questions:-

[a] The Kit Moaner        Mike Atherton

[b] Brat Sad Tour    Stuart Broad

[c] Pekinese Invert   Kevin Pietersen

[d] Manager News    Graeme Swann

[e] Helpful Lint        Phil Tufnell

[f] Germany Vote    Tom Graveney

 

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Recently members of Durham CCC  received their membership cards , fixture list etc.. Accompanying the articles was a letter from the new Chairman, Sir Ian Botham. There are numerous quotations of and about Sir Ian. I offer the following, some of which you may be new to you:-   

  

‘You should have stuck to soccer, lad.’

Len Muncer, coach on the Lord’s groundstaff, assessing the career prospects of Ian Botham.

 

‘I’m probably the worst practiser in the world. You look at me in the nets and you wouldn’t think I was a player. I just slog .’

Ian Botham, on himself, 1982.  

 

‘ If you made him Prime Minister tomorrow, he’d pick this country up in ten minutes.’

Bill Alley, umpire, in praise of Ian Botham, 1980.

 

 ‘He couldn’t bat to save himself. I bowled him with a dicky arm during the 1977 tour and he was either dropped four times or made nought.’

Jeff Thomson, Australian fast bowler, unimpressed with Ian Botham in 1980.

 

‘I’d rather face Dennis Lillee with a stick of rhubarb than go through all that again.’

Ian Botham, cleared of assault at Grimsby Crown Court, 1981.

 

 

‘If I’d been in the war I’d have won the VC, but it would have been posthumous.’

Ian Botham, attempting self-recognition.

 

‘I like the bugger. He’s a grand lad. It’s just a pity he spoils himself.’

Brian Close after Ian Botham was sacked by Queensland, 1988.

 

‘Ian is a man who is very warm in friendship but very ugly in enmity.’

Peter Roebuck, 1988.

       

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

March 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  The final Friday of last month saw the Club holding its Annual Senior Presentation Evening. In former times prizes were awarded to players at the Club’s Annual Dinner Dance. Those days, however, are long gone. In modern times the event has changed dramatically. Attendees at February’s affair were treated to a sports related quiz with spot prizes [drinks] and cash prizes, reviews of the past season from the captains of the four senior teams in addition to the presentation of prizes to individuals and whole teams. A full evening.

 

  Jamie Bradley, as many people know, had an outstanding 2016 season with both bat and ball, particularly with bat. He scored well over a thousand runs in 2nd and 3rd Team cricket. It was inevitable that Jamie would pick up one or two trophies for his efforts. However, he ended up with more trophies than ‘La La Land’ won Oscars! Eight of them including both the 2nd and 3rd Team Player of the Year awards and the Phil Williamson Memorial Trophy [batting].  I understand that Jamie’s ambition is to play 1st Team cricket for the Club. If he keeps on scoring runs it could well happen. Dan ‘Spike’ Milligan rightfully took the 1st Team Player of the Year and Colin Leedham Trophy [bowling]. Other individual winners were Andrew Cox [Eric Topham Trophy [2nd Team bowling], Niall Chambers [Academicals Player of the Year] and Ian Cox [Gus Robinson Rose Bowl,awarded to Clubman of the Year]. Both the 3rd Team and Academicals Team received mementos en masse for their achievements in winning promotion and reaching a Cup Final respectively. Who will get the job of cleaning the trophies? I doubt that the recipients will take on that task.  Way back in the mists of time Donald Brown was presented with a prestigious trophy by the Club. When he returned it for the following year’s ‘Do’ the trophy had lost its silver colour and had taken on more of a brass hue. Donald admitted that he had polished up the trophy himself but had used Brasso instead of silver polish. 

 

  Older attendees of the Presentation Evening would remember Colin Leedham and Eric Topham after whom Club trophies are named. Younger attendees would certainly have remembered Phil Williamson. All three men are remembered with affection and respect by those who knew them. Moreover, those of us of a certain age shared a variety of experiences with all three both on and off the field. Not so with Gus Robinson. I was presented with the Gus Robinson Rose Bowl for the first time back in the 1970s and have to admit that I did not know anything about him at the time. However, my research into the Club’s history in order to write ‘The Blackfyne Story’ uncovered a great deal about Augustus ‘Gus’ Robinson. Gus enjoyed a long playing career in the first part of the 20th Century. He played for both the 1st and 2nd Teams. When age dictated that he should stop playing Gus took up scoring duties for the 1st Team. In addition to this he served the Club on the Management Committee for many years. A true stalwart of the Club. Following Gus’s death his family presented the Club with the Rose Bowl to be presented annually to the member who had performed outstanding service. Gus performed outstanding service to the Club over decades.

 

  ‘All Stars’ cricket? Yes; but not the international players which the name suggests. ‘All Stars’ is an ECB initiative aimed at catching them young. The scheme is to be promoted this coming season throughout the country. Five to eight year-olds are to be offered an introduction to the game by cricket clubs. Plans are afoot to bring the scheme to Blackfyne. I wish that I had had that opportunity which will be open to the youngsters. Many readers will, like me, have got to know cricket by watching it live or on television [yes, there was television when I was five]. My friends and I emulated what we had watched when playing in the street. Only when we reached the Upper Juniors at Primary School did we have any sort of coaching and, only then, if one of the teachers was interested in the game. I hope that the ‘All Stars’ scheme is a great success.

 

  So far in 2017 I have not honoured Blaydon RUFC with my presence. Bad weather and other commitments have prevented me from spending Saturday afternoons at its  Swalwell ground. However, I have been able to watch a few matches at Tynedale RUFC’s Tynedale Park ground in Corbridge. Prior to the start of one game I recognised the name of one of the team changes announced. It belonged to no other than Club member Nick Cook. Playing on the wing Nick saw little of the ball but did no harm to his reputation by defending strongly against a superior Caldy team. Caldy RUFC [from the Wirral] are League leaders, having lost just one fixture so far this season. Nick and his fellow Tynedale team-mates ensured that Caldy did not have it all their own way. Although Caldy won the match, it was not by many points.  

 

  September 2017 will be the 10th anniversary of the re-opening of the Bar following the pavilion fire of September 2006. You may recall that Paul Collingwood , then captain of England’s T20 side, was given the honour of re-opening the Bar officially. The Club’s Management Committee is pondering a suitable way in which to mark the anniversary. As soon as the ‘pondering’ is over with details of the event will be advertised on the Club website. I doubt that it will be a ‘dry’ occasion. 

 

March’s Cricket Quiz:- 

The following are anagrams of England Test players, past and present, together with clues to their identity:- 

[a] The Kit Moaner          [Red Rose Test captain]

[b] Brat Sad Tour    [current seamer]

[c] Pekinese Invert   [now specialising in T20s]

[d] Manager News    [spins a tale on TMS]

[e] Helpful Lint        [   “      “  “    “     “ ]

[f] Germany Vote     [ was born in Riding Mill]

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

Answers to February’s Quiz questions:-

True or False?

[a] Gordon Greenidge’s first name is Cedric? False [it’s Cuthbert]

[b] Alec Stewart had football trials for Arsenal? False 

[c] Alastair Cook was a talented choirboy in his youth? True

[d] Mike Denness was born in Wales? False [Scotland]

[e] It is illegal to bowl underarm?  True [unless otherwise agreed by both sides before the match]  

[f] Ian Bell’s middle name is Ronald?  True

 

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. England are currently touring the West Indies. There have been times when the tactics of the West Indians and the behaviour  of  the Caribbean supporters have caused comment as illustrated below:-    

  

‘I recommend that future tours to the West Indies should take a good umpire to teach them the laws of the game, of which at the moment the majority are a bit doubtful.’

Hon. FSG Calthorpe, MCC captain, tour of West Indies, 1926.

 

‘No, we’ll stay. We want another wicket or two this evening.’

Len Hutton, refusing to leave the field in Guyana for fear of a crowd riot, MCC tour of West Indies, 1953/4.  

 

‘ That’s a fine bloody way to play cricket. If those bowlers don’t watch out they’ll bloody well kill someone.’

Ken Barrington, after surviving a short-pitched barrage from Wes Hall and Chester Watson, West Indies vs England, Trinidad, 1960 – arguably the birth of the West Indies’ fast-bowling era.

 

 ‘To call a crowd ‘a crowd’ in Jamaica is a misnomer. It should be called a mob  ….  These people still belong to the jungles and forests instead of a civilized society.’

Sunil Gavaskar, writing in ‘Sunny Days’, on India’s tour of the West Indies, 1976. .

 

‘We have a saying in the West Indies – if you want to drive, buy a car.’

Michael Holding, in his Derbyshire days, defending the proliferation of short-pitched bowling in the 1980s.

 

 

‘That was not great captaincy, it was barbarism.’

Sunil Gavaskar, on Clive Lloyd’s handling of the West Indies pace attack, 1976.

       

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

February 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  In January’s edition I bemoaned the lack of attendees at Club Quiz Nights in recent times. Just to make a liar out of me members and their guests turned out in good numbers to attend last month’s Pointless Quiz hosted by Chairman Alan. A good night was had by all. Thank you Alan.

 

  The Pointless Quiz aside, January was a quiet month regarding social activity. However, it was the calm before the storm. Senior Presentation Evening and live music events are just around the corner. Monthly Club Management Committee meetings always include lengthy discussions regarding fund-raising events. January’s meeting was no exception. The list of future events should contain something of interest to all ages within the Club. Just as your car does not run on fresh air, then neither does the Club. Although playing cricket remains the Club’s raison d’etre, that cannot be achieved without the necessary funds. Club members are fortunate to have several Committee members who are not only keen to raise funds but who are experts in doing so.

 

  They are at it again. Who? The two Davids; Dixon and Wilkinson. At what? Redecorating the pavilion. Following on from their superb restoration of the exterior of the building, work on the interior is now under way.  ‘Wilk’ is currently on holiday in Sri Lanka but that fact has not stopped ‘Dixie’ from getting on with the preparation. Notice-boards, pictures etc, have been removed and walls cleaned. I have no doubt that the redecoration will be a credit to them both and enjoyed by the rest of us.

 

  “Has Consett got a cricket club?” Not a question I have been asked previously. However, I was and in unusual circumstances. Towards the end of last month I attended an Anniversary Dinner of a Lions Club in Northumberland. The lady wife and I were seated at dinner on a table of six. Knowing that I was a Tyke prompted the local Lion to announce that he and his wife had once lived in the West Riding for ten years. He continued to tell the rest of the table how keen Yorkshire folk had been on cricket. “It was just like a religion.” Warming to him, I asked where he had lived. “Baildon.” was the answer. I told him that I knew that area and that Brian Close had made his home there. This was the moment when matters took a turn for the worse. He was unaware that Closey had lived in that area and, when asked by his wife, he informed her that Brian Close had been “an average cricketer” made famous for the battering he had taken from the West Indian fast bowlers. Red rag to a bull time! Average cricketer!!!!! He went on to claim that Yorkshire CCC had been racist in former times because of the absence of ethnic minorities in its ranks. I could not resist informing ‘the table’ that in my time in West Yorkshire not only were Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians et al not considered for selection but so were white cricketers who had suffered the misfortune of not having been born in Yorkshire. It was during the main course that I nearly choked on my beef when the question at the top of this paragraph was posed. To make matters even worse, if they could be, the questioner added that he knew of Shotley Bridge CC and Stocksfield CC!!! My good nature [eh?] helped me to keep calm[ish] in my response, informing him of the Club’s proud history and of its superb ground. However, I wish that I had had a copy of ‘The Blackfyne Story’ to hand to …………………………… present to him. At a charge of course.

 

  Women’s cricket is a growing sport nowadays, played in all formats across the world; even in Yorkshire! However, that was not the case when I was a boy. The notion of girls and women playing cricket at all, never mind to a high standard, was not considered in the all-male environment of cricket clubs frequented by this writer. Women were there to make the teas and wash the kit. Little did we know then that changes, huge changes, were afoot. In the vanguard of achieving the changes was            

Rachael Heyhoe Flint whose death was announced last month. Rachael played for the  England Women’s Cricket Team from 1960 to 1982, captaining that team from 1966 to 1978. Rachael was the  pioneer of the women’s game, was the first female cricketer to hit a six in a Test Match and, perhaps her greatest achievement, one of the first ten women to become a member of the MCC. It has been said the Rachael Heyhoe Flint [later Baroness Heyhoe Flint] was the W.G.Grace of women’s cricket; however, much more attractive.

          

  I hope that readers enjoyed last month’s inaugural Cricket Quiz. Only one reader commented upon it. Although it was a positive comment, it would be pleasing to receive more feedback on the contents of the ‘Muses’. 

 

February’s Cricket Quiz:- 

True or False?

[a] Gordon Greenidge’s first name is Cedric?

[b] Alec Stewart had football trials for Arsenal?

[c] Alastair Cook was a talented choirboy in his youth?

[d] Mike Denness was born in Wales?

[e] It is illegal to bowl underarm?

[f] Ian Bell’s middle name is Ronald?

 

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

Answers to January’s Quiz questions:-

  

[a] The Master Blaster Viv Richards   [b] The Rawalpindi Express  Shoaib Akhtar [c] The Don  Donald  Bradman   [d] White Lightning  Allan Donald                             [e] Pica   Graham Dilley  [f] The King of Spain    Ashley Giles

     Finally, it is time for a few quotations. The passing of Rachael Heyhoe Flint  prompts me to offer the following female-related quotations:-    

  

‘Ladies playing cricket – absurd. Just like a man trying to knit.’

Len Hutton, former England captain.

 

‘You must treat a cricket ball like a new bride.’

Micky Stewart’s advice to bowlers, 1986.  

 

‘ There are men who fear women more than they love cricket.’

Geoff Scargill, at Lancashire’s annual meeting of 1985, unsuccessfully proposing that women should be allowed in the Old Trafford pavilion.

 

 ‘Let them in and the next thing you know the place will be full of children.’

Lancashire member, opposing the same resolution.

 

‘If a lot of people thought it was a frightfully good idea, we would follow it through, but I feel that there is not a hope in hell of that.’

Lt. Col. John Stephenson, secretary of MCC, on the ballot asking members whether women should be admitted [to the Lord’s pavilion], 1989.

 

 

‘If Margaret Thatcher had been running English cricket, England would be better off than they are.’

Ted Dexter, on leadership qualities.

 

 

‘We’ve always set the trend. Remember, women cricketers were the first to bowl overarm.’

Rachael Heyhoe Flint, England captain, pressing for a game at Lord’s to mark the women’s association’s 50th anniversary. 1975.

 

‘I cried all the way to the wicket. We had arrived.’

Rachael Heyhoe Flint, recalling when Lord’s hosted the 1976 women’s international between England and Australia.

 

‘Professional coaching is a man trying to get you to keep your legs close together when other men had spent a lifetime trying to get them wider apart.’  

Rachael Heyhoe Flint

 

       

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

January 2017.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

    

  A Happy New Year!!! I trust that you were able to enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations and are now ready to cope with the year ahead. Hopefully 2017 will be a good year for you and yours.

 

  Congratulations go to Andrew ‘Bushy’ Waters and Emma on their marriage early last month. My wife and I were two of a dozen or more Club members who attended the Evening Wedding Reception held at Blaydon Rugby Club. Both Bushy and Emma lived up to the oft used title of ‘the happy couple’.  Beaming smiles abounded. Long may that be the case.

 

  The week following the wedding saw Keith Horn presenting a Christmas Quiz. I was pleased to see a good attendance. It was obvious to me that Keith had put a lot of thought and preparation into the quiz. It would have been disconcerting if only a handful of attendees had been there to enjoy the result of his efforts. Sadly, attendance at Quiz Nights has dwindled in recent years. There was a time when the monthly Quiz Night attracted a room-full of members, partners and friends. It was [almost] a pleasure to prepare a quiz in those days knowing that, hopefully, it would be appreciated by many. I suppose the diminished attraction of the Quiz is just another example of changed times.

 

  A lack of attendees was certainly not the case on 28th December when ‘The Great Escape’ performed in the Bar. Apparently the ‘gig’ was sold out within 24 hours of being advertised! I was unable to be a member of the packed audience owing to not being quick enough to secure a ticket. As it turned out my failure to get a ticket was quit fortunate as on 18th December I fell prey to the dreaded lurgy [ a heavy cold and cough] sweeping the district which, at the time of writing [30th December] persists. I have been informed that the ‘Do’ was a huge success. ‘The Great Escape’ proved as popular as ever, Alan Waters presented ‘Play your cards right’ with aplomb and Bingo was played with great enthusiasm [cash prizes]. The Bar takings got a real boost too. Many thanks go to two Club members in particular, ‘impresario’ Ian Cox and Great Escape’ band member Stephen Turnbull. Ian tells me that similar functions are in the pipe-line. Readers, he informs me, should watch out for details on social media [whatever that might be] and on the Club website. 

 

  Members of the Club’s Management Committee left December’s meeting in good spirits having been informed that both Kamran Mansoor and Dan Milligan would be playing for the Club for the third year running. Not only that, they both intended to bring friends with them to the Senior Indoor Nets. Both Kamran and Dan hail from ‘foreign parts’; Kamran from Pakistan and Dan from Lancashire. Of course, as a Yorkshireman, I consider Dan to have been born on the wrong side of the Pennines. Nevertheless he is a great lad, a good cricketer and a major asset to the Club. Back in the ‘70s the 1st Team had three ‘foreigners’:- Colin Leedham from Lincolnshire, Peter Curtis from Northamptonshire and the writer.  Quite an array of accents in that particular dressing room.  

 

  Well, what did you make of the recent Test Series in India? From an England supporter’s point of view it was a huge disappointment. Optimism felt in the First Test gradually evaporated as the series progressed. Yes, there were a few good performances by individual England players. However, such performances could not hide the fact that India outplayed England in just about every facet of the game. Granted the wickets were prepared for the Indian spinners and not for England’s strong suit of seam bowling. Nevertheless, it was the manner of defeat which should cause the most alarm. Time after time lucrative England partnerships were followed by batting collapses during which our professional cricketers found a variety of methods of getting themselves out. Was it the influence of T20 or One Day cricket? Was it due to an attempt to bully the bowler? Could it have been a lack of application? I have no idea but suggest that all of those theories played a part to some degree in the demise. Another question; what part was played in the fiasco by the much vaunted backroom staff? We are told that England has a Head Coach, batting coaches, bowling coaches, fielding coaches, psychologists, statisticians etc., etc.. Do any of them ever suggest that when batting there are times when ‘getting your head down and playing straight’ is a good idea? Opinions on a post-card please.

 

  On the subject of cards, what do you think of the introduction into cricket of red and yellow cards to be dispensed by umpires? Maybe I am naïve but I thought that umpires [at any level] already had the powers to discipline players by word of mouth followed by written reports to the appropriate governing body. Will the cards improve matters? Time alone will tell. In years gone by the personality of the umpire was a big factor in how individual matches were played. A harsh word or, more often, a jocular quip sorted out the problem. In the First Class game will the brandishing of a card be met with boos and catcalls from the spectators? Possibly; although not much noise would come from the ‘three men and a dog ‘ who form the ‘crowd’ at some County Grounds.    

           

Some readers of this monthly nonsense have told me that they always enjoy the quotations which appear at the end of the article. Probably [methinks] because it is at the end! They are just about able to endure the rubbish which precedes the quotations section [if they bother to read it at all] in the knowledge that there may be something worth reading at the end of it. Rather like receiving a sweet after swallowing medicine? To mark the beginning of a new year of ‘Muses’ I have decided to [hopefully] sweeten the pill a little more by including a few questions about cricket in each edition.  I hope that the Cricket Quiz section is well received. Here goes:-

 

  Name the players with these nicknames:-

[a] The Master Blaster   [b] The Rawalpindi Express  [c] The Don                            [d] White Lightning  [e] Pica   [f] The King of Spain  

   

Answers will appear in next month’s edition. 

 

   Finally, it is time for a few quotations. This winter’s MCC tour of India prompts me to offer the following:-    

  

‘It is in the matter of patience that I think the Indian will never be equal to the Englishman.’

Lord Harris, 1921.

[How wrong he was!] Mike.  

 

‘At Peshawar I stayed with a cousin of Jardine. On the first morning we parted on the doorstep, I to play cricket, he to settle a tribal war.’

Lionel Lord Tennyson, describing the 1937/8 tour of India.

 

 ‘Stop the game. We can’t see the game. Smoke is getting in our eyes.’

GK Menon, Indian reporter, striding onto Bombay’s outfield from the press box as the stands were set alight, India versus Australia, 1969.

 

‘Hello Colonel, glad to see you’ve got your colour back.’

Fred Trueman to Lt-Col. Hemu Adhikari, the Indian manager, during the 1974 tour of India. Adhikari had suffered a traumatic experience against Trueman 22 years earlier when India had lost their first four wickets for no runs.

 

 

‘You can’t muck around with eggs and you can’t muck around with chips.’

Ken Barrington, England batsman and later tour manager, explaining his eating habits in India. 

 

 

‘Done the elephant. Done the poverty. Might as well go home.’

Phil Tufnell, after a fortnight in India, 1993.

 

‘I like the same routine. I once had steak and chips for 28 consecutive nights in India and I was the only one who wasn’t ill.’

Jack Russell, England wicket-keeper, 1995.

 

 

       

Mike Rogers

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

December 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  

  I am pleased to be able to begin this edition with some good news. At its November meeting the Club’s Management Committee agreed unanimously to add two names to the list of Consett CC Life Members. The new additions to the prestigious list are Walter Armstrong and Tommy Nichol. I have had the pleasure of knowing both of them since my arrival at the Club in 1970. However, their ties to the Club go back  much further than mine. During their long and illustrious Blackfyne ‘careers’ both Tommy and Walter held the office of 1st Team Captain. Tommy was a stylish and successful batsman who favoured strokes off the back foot. Walter was an all-rounder who scored runs quickly and took wickets regularly with his medium pace. He did, however, possess a ‘surprise’ ball in his armoury which hurtled towards the batsman’s stumps at an alarming rate; said delivery accounted for many a batsman.  It is a fact that many former Club players ‘go off the radar’ when they retire from the game but that has not been the case with Tommy or Walter. Tommy is an ‘ever present’ at matches and social functions. Walter, despite living miles away in Lancashire, is a regular visitor. Both men have Blackfyne blood running through their bodies and thoroughly deserve Life Membership. For further details of their contribution to the Club look no further than ‘The Blackfyne Story’.    

 

  The Club’s AGM, held on the same evening as the Management Committee meeting, followed its usual format. Reports covering the on and off the field performance of the previous twelve months were presented and considered. Subscriptions and fees for the following year were agreed. Individuals were thanked by the Chairman. However, the 2016 AGM differed in one respect from the many that I have witnessed since my first one back in 1970. The difference? The lack of an appointment of a 1st Team Captain. An election for the post could not be held because there were no volunteers to take on the role. I am confident that both of the Club’s new Life Members considered the post to be an honour when they captained the 1st Team several decades ago. Changed times eh?       

 

  The League AGM and Management meeting, held at Greenside CC towards the end of last month, were well attended. [A good attendance is guaranteed largely due to the fine imposed on those Clubs which are not represented.] The gathering consisted, as usual, of approximately forty men and two or three ladies seated in the Club Bar, in the main quaffing cans of Coca Cola. [The breathalyzer has a lot to answer for.] Proposed rule changes were considered and voted upon. A proposal to regionalise 2nd Team League fixtures was heavily defeated. Given the problems encountered by some clubs in raising a team to travel relatively long distances for 2nd Team matches, I found it surprising that only seven clubs voted in favour of the proposal.

 

Tillside CC was welcomed into our Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League [N&TSCL] having gained promotion from the Northumberland County League [NCL]. If, like I was, you are unsure of where Tillside CC actually is, find Berwick-upon- Tweed on a map and then move your finger to the left until you find Etal. The staging of evening Cup Ties will require some creative thinking methinks. Tillside CC has replaced the relegated Whickham CC which now, of course, finds itself in the NCL.  But not to worry, discussions are afoot to merge both the N&TSCL and NCL into one League. If both the current N&TSCL and NCL agree to it, we shall all be in one big happy family by the end of this decade. However, a lot of water will have to pass under a lot of bridges before that happens.

 

  League meetings, including AGMs, tend to be serious affairs. Until November’s League Management meeting I can only remember one comical incident ever occurring and that happened way back in the 1970s when the draw for the Tyneside Charity Bowl was being made. No computers then. Participating clubs were identified by a number or letter printed on a piece of card similar in size to a Scrabble tile. The draw was proceeding without incident until the League Vice-Chairman upset the table and all the cards ended up on the floor. A re-draw was required. Laughter all around but none forthcoming  from the Vice-Chairman. Moving on about forty years to last month’s meeting, it had been agreed previously to move the final round of League matches from its usual place on the calendar in order to accommodate a probable play-off  match between the winners of the N&TSCL and the Durham Cricket League for promotion to the North East Premier League. A ballot was required to choose a new date for the League fixtures. Following recounts it became clear that two suggested dates had received exactly the same number of votes For and Against. As Club delegates had been mandated by their Clubs to vote in a particular way, they could not change their minds at the meeting. Therefore the date was chosen by the toss of a coin!! No doubt there will be complaints from some players because they will be asked to play a ‘double-header’ i.e. Saturday and Sunday. Those of us of a certain age, however, may not have much sympathy for the complainants given the fact that in former years ‘double-headers’ were commonplace. Indeed, during one season success in Cups resulted in the Club’s 1st Team playing either a League or Cup match on six days / evenings out of eight. At one stage I only knew who the opposition was to be if it was an away match. All we seemed to do that week was dress and undress.          

   

  Unfortunately I could not attend last month’s League Presentation Evening owing to a long-standing commitment elsewhere. The ‘elsewhere’ was in fact the Holiday Inn at Seaton Burn, only a few miles from the League ‘Do’ at Kingston Park. I suppose it could have been possible for me to attend both events but as I was Master of Ceremonies at the Charity Dinner at the Holiday Inn, my appearance at the League Presentation Evening in the formal attire of  Dinner Jacket etc. may not have gone unnoticed. Club Chairman Alan has told me that the Presentation Evening was enjoyable. Last year’s problems with catering and microphones had been rectified and a good time had been had by all.

 

  I am sad to report the passing of Pam Tilley, wife of former Club playing member Brian. The Club was represented at her funeral by Club Chairman Alan and David and Lesley Wilkinson. Pam will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.

  

   Finally, it is time for a few quotations. As, at the time of writing, no one has put his head above the parapet for the office of 1st Team Captain, here are a few more quotations relating to the subject of captaincy:-   

  

‘I find I am playing every ball, bowling every ball and fielding every ball. The captaincy has cost me over sis hundred runs a season. I am snapping at my wife and children and sleeping no more than four hours a night.’

Micky Stewart, the year Surrey won the Championship, 1971.

 

‘He was a cunning bugger, Fletch. He had a mental image of every opponent and a special field for each batsman pre-programmed. He knew exactly which bowler to put on, when and what his strategy should be. He stood in the gully cackling at Gooch’s jokes while he plotted each batsman’s downfall. It’s very disconcerting if you’re that batsman.’

Simon Hughes on Keith Fletcher in ‘A Lot of Hard Yakka’, 1997.

 

 ‘Right, I’m batting at no.4 and the rest of you can sort yourselves out.’

Keith Fletcher, on a bad Essex day.

 

‘England have at least nine captains out there. Unfortunately Bob Willis is not one of them.’

Henry Blofeld, during the latter stages of England’s three-run win over Australia in the Melbourne Test, 1992/3 Ashes Tour.

 

 

‘Cricket teams have often suffered from captains who have arrived, done queer things, departed and been forgotten.’

RC Robertson-Glasgow in ‘Cricket Prints’,1943.

 

 

‘He could never make up his mind whether to call heads or tails.’

Ray Illingworth on Colin Cowdrey.

 

‘Don’t say too much.’

Len Hutton’s advice to Tony Greig, prior to him captaining England in India, 1976/7.

 

 

       

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

November 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  I begin this edition with a question:- What do home insurance and defibrillators have in common? Answer:-  They are both purchased with the hope that they will not be needed. Readers may be ‘assured’ [sorry] that the Club has various insurances in place. However, a defibrillator at Blackfyne is conspicuous by its absence. This situation is to be rectified thanks to the generosity of Life Member Joan Topham. Joan purchased that particular type of life-saving kit for St. John’s Church Hall at The Snodds. Her offer to purchase one for the Club was accepted with alacrity and much gratitude by the Club’s Management Committee at its meeting last month. It will take quite some time before it is in place. Apparently several hurdles have to be overcome before its installation. Cricketers, runners and footballers who now use the Blackfyne Grounds will be reassured by its presence as will all officials and spectators. Defibrillators are expensive pieces of equipment. However, as Joan intimated to me, one life saved will be worth all the money spent. The Club is immensely grateful to Joan for her investment.

 

  Both the Club and League AGMs will be held this month. The Club’s will be held on Tuesday 8^th at 8.30p.m.. To date the nominations sheet is blank although it will not remain so as the date of the AGM gets even closer. One of the posts for consideration is that of 1^st Team Captain. Having skippered the side for a couple of years John Chapman has decided to relinquish the post in order to concentrate on his batting, wicket-keeping and, in my personal opinion, to enjoy his cricket again. Captaincy is difficult enough without the added concentration required to keep wicket for fifty overs. I found myself ‘multi-tasking’ in that situation on, thankfully, just a few occasions. It is very hard to do well. The Club should be grateful to John for his considerable efforts in that department. Who will take on the role? Like most readers I have my own preference but will keep it close to my chest. I appreciate that times and circumstances change but, in many ways, the skills of man management and cricket nous remain prerequisites for a captain. At the First Class level of the game successful teams have often not had the best player on the books at the helm. They have, however, had a man who has been able to get the very best out of every player in his team and who has employed them wisely. A captain who has been capable of ‘reading’ the game and changing the field, the batting order, his bowlers etc. to meet the needs of the game. Ronnie Burnett [Yorkshire], Jackie Bond [Lancashire] and Mike Brearley [England] spring to mind. There are many others. Of course these successful captains had good players with whom to work. Acquiring good 1^st Team cricketers at local league level is not an easy task. Local cricket has become a mercenary business. ‘How much?’ is often the first question asked by the player when invited to join a club. The opportunity to play at a higher level and/or on better grounds is secondary. Way back to my playing days the Club could and did attract good players from other clubs because of those opportunities. Some remained and others left to try their hand in the professional ranks. A totally different situation operates today thanks to the ‘payment of reasonable expenses’ clause. Considerable efforts have been and are being made to give the new 1^st Team Captain [whoever he may be] a group of players whom he can lead successfully. 

 

  A holiday in S’Algar, Minorca early last month caused me to miss the Club’s Junior Presentation Evening. On my return I was pleased to learn that it had been an excellent event enjoyed by the young cricketers, their parents and the Committee members who had organised it. Well done to all involved. ‘Growing our own [players]’is the Club’s life-line and anything that can be done to encourage the process should be supported.

 

  One afternoon in S’Algar the lady wife and I were sitting beside the sea enjoying the view and the sunshine when a man wearing a horrendous blazer walked by. You may have seen MCC members’ ties and blazers either on television or in the flesh. ‘Quite loud’ you might have thought. Well, the MCC members’ version of a blazer would look drab if placed beside the blazer which the chap in S’Algar was sporting. The cloth was made up of a series of stripes in different colours. Not just two or even three colours, but more. Being colour-blind I could not identify the specific colours themselves but considered that I was seeing something that would never be repeated, a real one-off. Later in the day I was to be proved wrong when half a dozen or so men entered the hotel wearing identical attire to the chap promenading beside the sea. I was to learn that the group were members of a touring cricket team from England who were playing a series of matches against a Minorcan XI. Try getting our Club’s players to wear a tie, never mind wearing a coat of many colours!!! 

 

  Durham CCC avoided relegation from the 1^st Division of the County Championship by beating Surrey at Chester-le-Street early in September. I was at the match and on the last day was commentating for the blind members. When the match finished I escorted one of the blind ‘customers’ down from the pavilion’s upper-deck to Reception on the ground floor in order to wait with him until his wife arrived to drive him home. The dressing-rooms were directly above our heads. It was not long before we heard the Durham team celebrating the win and their accompanying ‘survival’ in the top division by engaging in a series of songs and whoops of delight. How different things are now. As the football chant goes, ‘You’re not singing anymore, you’re not singing anymore!’ Friends and acquaintances of mine, even those who take just a passing interest in the game or who have no interest at all, have been confounded by the penalties imposed by the ECB upon Durham because of its financial shortcomings. I do not pretend to understand how Durham got into the mess in which it now finds itself but do believe that staging the England v Sri Lanka Test was the straw which finally broke the camel’s back. That particular match was always going to be a ‘hard sell’ coming, as it did, so early in the season. The most northerly Test Match venue in the world hosting a Test in May? Whose bright idea was that? The prospect of sitting through the match in less than perfect weather did not appeal to the masses necessary for a profit to be made. Whatever or whoever is to blame for Durham’s plight the penalties imposed by the ECB do seem extremely harsh. If the penalties were, as we have been told, imposed as a warning to other Counties then perhaps they will have the desired effect. However, will it prevent Glamorgan from bidding for another Test Match? Given that the Welsh Assembly underwrites the costs involved, probably not.       

 

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Reference to captaincy earlier in this article prompts me to offer the following:-.  

 

‘Why do so many players want to be captain?’

Derek Underwood, Kent and England left-armer, 1985.

 

‘Captaincy seems to involve half-hearing conversations which you’d rather not hear at all.’

Peter Roebuck, Somerset batsman, 1984.

 

‘Captaincy means more than vigorous arm-waving.’

David Gower, 1986.

 

‘Captaincy is ninety per cent luck and ten per cent skill. But don’t try it without that ten per cent.’

Richie Benaud, Australian captain.

 

 

‘He had that type of mind – cool logic was his great secret.’

Sir Leonard Hutton speaking of Don Bradman’s captaincy.

 

 

‘A public relations officer, agricultural consultant, psychiatrist, accountant, nursemaid and diplomat.’

Doug Insole’s definition of a captain’s duties.

 

‘You’ll have the most miserable time of your life.’

Brian Close’s warning to Ian Botham about the potential effect of the England captaincy, 1980.

 

‘One of you bugger off and the rest scatter.’

Keith Miller, captaining New South Wales, when told that he had 12 players on the field.

 

 

      

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

October 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  Well, that is season 2016 over and done with. Time to put the flask away, find the thermals and prepare for Saturday afternoons revolving around visits to Blaydon RUFC and Tynedale RUFC. Yes, ‘life on the edge’ for me! Thinking of thermals reminds me of the first match of the season back in April when the 1st Team played at Annfield Plain in the bitter cold. Thermal jackets and trousers, scarves, hats and gloves in abundance. The victory, welcome though it was, failed to thaw out my bones or stop my teeth from chattering. Fast forward to the 1st Team’s final match of the season, a heavy defeat at home to Swalwell. The sun shone, not a jacket in sight, shorts worn by some spectators [not this one] and the longing for the match to go on and on in order that we could all enjoy the weather. No such luck. In between those two matches a lot of cricket was played by the Club. Enough for players and spectators to ruminate over during the long months ahead.

 

  Although the pessimists [or should it be ‘realists’?] among the Blackfyne faithful may consider that results could / should have been better – ‘If only so and so had ….. etc.’, all in all the Club had a good season. The 1st Team finished mid-way in the top Division, the 2nd Team won promotion and the 3rd Team won its Division. In addition, the ‘new kids on the block’, 3rd Team Academicals, reached the 3rd Teams’ Finals Day. Not bad at all really eh? Even better next season? We shall have to wait and see.

 

  Methinks there must have been something in the water. No sooner had the  Club congratulated Keith and Susan Horn on becoming grandparents for a second time than news reached the writer of two more births ‘in the Club’. Get it? No, you are right, puns are not my forte. First of all 1st Team regular Paul Ringer became the proud father of baby Sadie. Congratulations to Paul’s wife Lucy [nee McPherson] and to both families. A few days later Andrew ‘Bushy’ Waters became a father too when Georgia Alice was born. Congratulations to Bushy and Emma and to both families. It was a shrewd move installing baby-changing facilities in the pavilion. 

 

  Having reported some good news, I will indulge myself by turning to a more serious issue i.e. crowd behaviour at cricket matches. At the final home County Championship match of the season Durham entertained Surrey. Early in the afternoon session Surrey & England batsman Jason Roy played at a delivery from Durham pace-bowler  Carse. Dust rose from the wicket as Roy hit the ground with his bat while playing his shot. The ball was taken by wicket-keeper Poynter who appealed for a catch. He was joined in his appeal by the entire slip cordon and by other fielders. Umpire Neil Mallender gave Roy not out. Boos and cat-calls rang out around the ground from the mouths of disgruntled Durham supporters. Play continued. Roy reached his 50 to a repetition of boos. Much later [in the first over after the tea interval] Roy was dismissed. As he approached the pavilion Roy was greeted by another chorus of boos from Durham supporters. However, it did not stop there. On his way up the pavilion steps he was confronted by a Durham supporter who berated him for not ‘walking’.  Roy told the spectator to be quiet as he [the supporter] was ‘making an embarrassment’ of himself. The Durham supporter was not having any of this and continued to voice his opinion as Roy continued up the steps and into the dressing room. While this unseemly episode was going on a match steward stood beside the pair. No action was taken against the spectator. Now, I have no idea whether or not Roy hit the ball. His bat clearly hit the ground but whether or not it simultaneously made contact with the ball who knows? Durham’s fielders appeared to be convinced that it had. Many Durham supporters from their ‘excellent’ vantage point some 60 or 70 yards away thought it had. However, Neil Mallender thought that it had not. That will do for me. Mallender is both a former England player and an international umpire. Like us all, umpires make mistakes too. Maybe Mallender made a mistake. Maybe he was correct. It does not matter. Players have to accept an umpire’s decision and so do spectators. Of course in the perfect world batsmen would always ‘walk’ if they knew that they had nicked one; thereby making the umpire’s job so much easier. They used to do. In my playing days I knew the non-walkers in the League. I can remember their names even to this day because there were so few of them. Times have changed and nowadays very few 1st Class cricketers ‘walk’. We spectators even comment when any batsman actually does ‘walk’ without waiting for the umpire’s decision. 

 

  Most, if not all, spectators at sports fixtures are partisan. Cricket, football, rugby, ice hockey, netball – it does not matter which sport it may be, supporters want to see their team win. There is a difference, however, between support and fanaticism. I believe that Jason Roy’s comment to the Durham ‘fan’ was right on the mark. A boyhood hero of mine, Brian Close, dealt with a Warwickshire member quite differently. At the time of the incident Closey was both captain of Yorkshire and England. At the end of the day’s play at Edgbaston the Tykes were entering the pavilion when a Warwickshire member verbally abused the Yorkshire skipper for time-wasting. Closey, known to possess ‘a short fuse’, responded by [allegedly] throwing a punch. Not the wisest thing to do in the circumstances. Brian was ‘relieved’ of the England captaincy shortly after the affair. In later years Brian Close was asked by an interviewer if he still went to watch football. [In his youth he had played professionally.] ‘No.’ was the answer. He no longer went to football matches because ‘people don’t know how to behave at football matches.’  Wisdom comes with age?

 

  Another pet hate of mine is choreographed appealing. It happens regularly in 1st Class cricket and occasionally in local cricket. You know the scenario, the whole slip cordon, ‘keeper, short leg, fine leg, long-off etc. ‘go up’ for a suspected caught behind. That is bad enough. Even worse is an appeal from an out-fielder for LBW. I have witnessed this both at the Riverside and in local cricket. A prime example of such behaviour occurred in a 1st Team away match this season. A Club batsman was                      

struck on the front pad. The ‘keeper appealed half-heartedly [as he was moving across to the leg-side!], however the bowler did not appeal. The loudest and longest appeal came from extra-cover! The umpire gave the batsman not out. In my book he should have told extra-cover to mind his own business or words to that effect. Memories flood back to more than fifty years ago when in a school games lesson a boy standing at cover point was admonished by the PE teacher for appealing for LBW. Yes, you have guessed correctly, I was that boy. I learned my lesson.

        

   Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Cricket followers are used to hearing reports of bowlers in First Class cricket having to remodel their actions because of perceived ‘throwing’. More often than not the accused/convicted bowlers are purveyors of spin. In times gone by the majority were fast bowlers. In my time I can recall the likes of Aussie Ian Meckiff, West Indian Charlie Griffith and Derbyshire and England bowler Harold ‘Dusty’ Rhodes falling into that particular category. Rhodes was later found to be double-jointed. England batsman Ken Barrington refused to bat against Griffith because he said it was hard enough to sight a ball delivered legally at 90 m.p.h. and impossible to pick up one ‘chucked’ at the same speed. Nowadays controversy often centres around a few spinners from the sub-continent. The following quotations may be of interest; some are cause of amusement.   

  

‘It’s like standing in the middle of a darts match.’

Jim Laker, opining on the legality of the bowling actions of Ian Meckiff and Jimmy Burke, MCC tour of Australia, 1958/9.

 

‘Bowl him one for a change Burkie, you’ll surprise him.’

Colleague’s advice to Jimmy Burke, New South Wales.

 

 ‘Yes, I’m the last of the straight-arm bowlers.’

Ray Lindwall, replying to Bill Bowes’s congratulations on his selection for Australia vs England, 1958/9.

 

‘Thank you sir, but I’m afraid if I play forward any more he’ll tread on my foot.’

Colin Cowdrey, advised by a well-wisher to play forward to Australian drag bowler, Gordon Rorke, 1968. The result was the introduction of the front-foot no-ball law.

 

 

‘He wasn’t a first-class umpire. He normally umpires The Muppets vs Camberwick Green.’

Ed Giddins, Warwickshire fast bowler, as his England chances were plagued by revelations that he had been called for throwing by Minor Counties reserve-list umpire Bob Sutton during a pre-season friendly for Sussex four years earlier, 1998.

 

 

‘That’s a throw!’

Giddins’ response to Bob Sutton calling him for throwing was to deliberately fling the ball over the slips, Sussex vs Hampshire at Hove, 1994.

 

‘It was an act of cowardice and I consider it appropriate that the Australian team were wearing yellow.’

Robert Muldoon, New Zealand Prime Minister, on Trevor Chappell’s underarm delivery for Australia in a One-Day International against New Zealand, with six to win off the final ball, Melbourne, 1981.

 

‘Fair dinkum, Greg, how much pride do you sacrifice to win 35,000 dollars?’

Ian Chappell, on the above incident. [His brother, Greg, was captain.]

 

 

 

 

 

       

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

September 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  It may feel as though the season began five minutes ago but its end is just around the corner. There will be time enough to ponder upon the ups and downs of season 2016 during the long close season ahead of us. However, at the time of writing more pressing matters are on the agenda for the Blackfyne faithful. Having yet again put its supporters through the mill during the season , a 10 wicket win by the 1st Team at Benwell & Walbottle [B&W]on the last Saturday of August secured Div. A1 status for another year.  While the 1st Team was occupied with that business, the 2nd Team was busying itself with a comprehensive victory at home to B&W’s second string thereby boosting its chances of promotion. Hopefully there will be cause for celebration before the month is out.

 

  The Club was well supported at B&W CC’s Walbottle Campus ground. Club members David Dixon and Walter Armstrong joined Gordon Hunter, Tommy and Joan Nichol, Bob and Lesley Chapman, Agnes Chapman [happily now fit enough to enjoy watching cricket again] and yours truly. Walter was ‘up north’ to support his local club, Ormskirk CC, who were to play South Northumberland CC on the following day in the semi-final of the ECB National Cup. [Unfortunately the Lancastrian team was to lose that particular match.] However, I believe that Walter enjoyed both renewing friendships and watching the Club performing well at Walbottle.

 

  The Club’s contingent at Walbottle must have doubled the attendance for the match. A sparse crowd indeed; unlike the attendances at Blackfyne on two occasions earlier in the month i.e. the Eric Topham Trophy Final and the Club’s Hog Roast.

 

  Shotley Bridge CC played Lanchester CC in the Final in front of the largest attendance seen at a match at Blackfyne for many a year. The weather was kind and the 20 overs per side match was hard fought. At one time Shotley Bridge seemed destined to win the match, thereby retaining the Trophy. However, a batting collapse resulted in Lanchester taking the spoils for the first time. The decision to change the format of the Trophy from a 6 a-side tournament to an eight club Knock-out 11 a- side competition had proved to be a resounding success, popular both with players and spectators. I was particularly pleased for Eric’s widow, Joan, who thoroughly enjoyed the cricket played and the fact that so many people were present. Eric is not forgotten.

 

  Later in the month the Club held a Hog Roast on a Saturday evening. The previous day’s heavy rain did not bode well for this outdoor event. Further heavy rain on the day itself put paid to the scheduled home match [and, come to that, to most matches in the North East]. However, thankfully the skies cleared in the early evening and the ‘Do’ went ahead. And how! More than two hundred ‘party animals’ [and me] turned up. The throng was well entertained by young vocalist Chantelle Readman and by ‘The Great Escape’, a four-piece band which included Club player Stephen Turnbull. Their eclectic mix of songs old and new went down extremely well with everyone. The bar did a roaring business and a good time was had by all. Thanks must go to all who helped in a variety of ways and, in particular, to the organisers Ian Cox, Colin McPherson and  the Great Escapee himself, Stephen. Well done and thank you.

 

  Immediately prior to the previously mentioned Friday evening’s Eric Topham Trophy Final, the Club pavilion’s refurbished ground floor facilities were formally opened by the Chairman of Durham County Council, Coun. Edward Bell. Representatives of the Club, Blackhill Bounders and Blackfyne F.C. together with  County Council officers were in attendance as Coun. Bell made a short speech before cutting the ribbon. Yes, a ribbon was cut. The facilities themselves are first rate and will be ‘enjoyed’ by members of the three clubs represented at the formal opening. As Coun. Bell himself said it was one of the strangest venues in which he had made a formal speech. Readers of a certain age may recall the TV comedy series of ‘Clochemerle’ back in the 1970s starring Peter Ustinov?  Much of the series’ humour revolved around the residents’ campaign for and the formal opening of a small town’s public urinal. Well, Coun. Bell looks nothing like Peter Ustinov but the proceedings themselves in the bowels of the pavilion bore a distinct resemblance to those in Clochemerle. No doubt that thought was shared by one or two others present. Thanks must go to Durham County Council for providing the facilities and to John Hopps and Colin McPherson for their work with respect to the provision.

 

  Back to cricket. Most readers will know that the Club has fielded two 3rd Teams this season viz. the ‘3rd Team’ and the ‘Academicals’. Debate continues regarding the reason for the name of the latter team. Suggestions on a postcard please. One viable reason could be that the team led by Colin McPherson and Alan Waters regularly includes several youngsters who are in full-time education. The Academicals enjoyed a busy time during the closing days of last month. On the last Thursday evening of the month the team was due to play a Quarter Final of the League Cup at Whiteleas CC. Heavy rain caused the match to be cancelled. With the Finals Day scheduled for the following Monday, a winner had to be found via a Bowl Out. Five players travelled to Whiteleas to participate in it. Happily the Academicals won in a ‘sudden death’ finish. South Shields CC’s Dean Road ground was the venue for the Finals Day held on Bank Holiday Monday. The Academicals defeated South Shields in the semi-final before losing to Kimblesworth CC in the Final. So near and yet so far. Well done to all concerned. Colin and Alan have told me how pleased they are with the progress made by the Junior members of the team; just cause for optimism for the future. 

 

  I am pleased to report that Keith and Susan Horn are now grandparents for a second time with the birth of baby Rosalind to daughter Helen and son-in-law Tony. Congratulations one and all.      

          

   Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Regular readers will be aware that following international cricket via BBC Radio’s Test Match Special is a frequent pastime for this writer. Quotations from or about TMS commentators past and present have appeared many times down the years in this newsletter. However, I am aware that many readers follow cricket via SKY television. In recognition of this I offer the following concerning two of that programme’s foremost personalities:- 

  

‘He must have put more backsides on seats than any other cricketer since Denis Compton.’

Bob Taylor, on Ian Botham, 1985.

 

‘He couldn’t bowl a hoop downhill.’

Fred Trueman, on Ian Botham, 1985.

 

 ‘The greatest matchwinner the game has ever known.’

Ian Botham, as seen by Mike Brearley, former England captain, 1985.

 

‘The longest pub crawl in history.’

Jimmy Greaves, on Ian Botham’s first leukaemia charity walk, John O’Groats to Land’s End, 1985.

 

‘The first rock-and-roll cricketer.’’

Sir Len Hutton, on Ian Botham, 1986.

 

‘Gower might have been more at home in the 1920s or 1930s, cracking a dashing hundred for MCC, the darling of the crowds, before speeding away in a Bugatti and cravat for a night on the town.’

Scyld Berry writing in ‘The Observer’, 1984.

 

‘Gower never moves, he drifts.’

Peter Roebuck, in ‘Ashes to Ashes’, 1987.

 

‘Real officer class. Languid self-possession.Confront him with a firing squad and he’d decline the blindfold.’

Pat Pocock, after David Gower was appointed England captain, 1989.

 

‘A master in the art of non-communication.’

Geoff Boycott’s view of David Gower’s captaincy, 1990.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Of all the people I have worked with, whether in the police, in the armed services, in education, in local government, among the unemployed, even among the criminal fraternity, I have rarely had a more difficult task than David.’

Brian Mason, personal counsellor and motivator, trying to solve David Gower’s poor form for Hampshire in 1991.

 

‘He would have to take his journalistic gear …… corkscrew, spare corkscrew and Press box biro.’

Martin Johnson writing in ‘The Independent’ upon David Gower’s impending addition to the cricket writing ranks, 1993.

 

       

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

August 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  Congratulations go to all who worked together to make last month’s Annual Family Fun Day so successful. I will not risk identifying the members of the team for fear of omitting names. However, they know who they are, as do other Club members who attended the event in a ‘non-playing’ capacity. The sun shone gloriously all day long, real tee-shirt and shorts weather. OK! That statement is not true. What is true, however, is the fact that through the hard work put in at the planning stage and on the day itself hundreds of visitors to the event enjoyed a good time and the Club’s funds were boosted by record takings. As is the usual case many visitors were making their first visit to Blackfyne; more than several of whom had not known of its existence prior to receiving advertising fliers. One such person was a stall-holder who lived locally. In conversation with my lady wife, the lady in question revealed that she had been a pupil of mine some *****y years ago. She had recognized me immediately because I had not ‘changed a bit.’ Of course she was correct. Greying hair and a few more wrinkles certainly, but I am still the same cynical character which I was way back then. It was enjoyable to spend a few minutes chatting with her. Given the fact that music supplied by DJ for the day, Gary Hunter, was at a deafening volume, shouting and lip-reading would be more appropriate than ‘chatting’. Seriously, Gary did a terrific job both DJ-ing and supplying Pimms at the same time. Who says that men can’t multi-task?

   Friday 5^th August promises to be a special day for the Club. The final of the re-vamped Eric Topham Trophy is to be held in the evening. The finalists will be Shotley Bridge CC [who defeated our 1^st Team in a semi-final] and the winners of the Annfield Plain CC versus Lanchester CC semi-final to be played on the first of this month. In addition to the Final, the Club pavilion’s refurbished ground floor facilities are to be formally opened earlier that same evening. The Club’s landlord [Durham County Council] has spent a lot of money on upgrading the toilet and shower facilities in order that the pavilion may be used by the local athletics club and neighbouring football club as well as the Club’s players. In addition access to a ground floor disabled toilet is now available for spectators. A vast improvement, you will agree, to the insanitary toilet block remembered not so fondly by previous generations. The format of the ‘official opening’ is unknown i.e. I am not ‘privy’ to it. Whether or not the toilets will be ‘christened’ officially by a County Councillor  is a matter of conjecture. I shall leave you, dear reader, to dream up other toilet jokes.

   The defeat to Shotley Bridge referred to in the last paragraph was one of several  matches which I have recently been prevented from attending for a variety of reasons. A holiday in North Wales and the Lake District caused me to miss the 1^st Team’s League defeat at Swalwell and a friendly at home to John Armstrong’s touring school team. A charity function in Kirkcaldy followed by a visit to my daughter and family in Teddington accounted for my non-attendance at League victories over Ponteland and Newcastle City. I can take the hint ……. the Club performs better when I am absent!

     A regular reader of ‘Muses’ [or so he assures me] is former Club all-rounder Ian ‘Rocky’ Stoneman.  At the time of writing this edition news has just broken of Ian’s son Mark’s impending departure from Durham CCC to Surrey CCC. Only time will tell whether or not Mark’s move down south will aid his England ambitions. One thing that is certain is that Durham members will miss him and wish him well. I am sure that Ian will have a view on it all.

     At the time of writing I have yet to see the aftermath of the eye injury sustained by 1^st Team captain and wicket-keeper John Chapman in the Eric Topham Trophy semi-final. My informants tell me that the injury occurred when John was standing up to the stumps. I am delighted to report that although he did not keep wicket in the following day’s home League win against Newcastle City, John is expected to be able to resume his place behind the stumps for the final match of July. As someone who experienced a similar problem with a cricket ball when ’keeping up to the wicket, the writer can testify that in such circumstances there can only ever be one winner ……. and that is not the ’keeper. Such accidents should be treated as occupational hazards. The next stumping will ‘taste all the sweeter’ John. Good luck.     

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Quotations from or about Australian cricketers are usually good value. The following should not disappoint:-

  

‘If I ever bowl a maiden over, it’s not my fault.’

Arthur Mailey, Australian spin bowler.

 

‘I used to bowl tripe, then I wrote it, now I sell it.’

A notice above Arthur Mailey’s butcher’s shop near Sydney.   

 

 

‘It was rather a pity Ellis got run out at 1107, because I was just striking a length.’

Arthur Mailey, who took four for 362 while Victoria scored 1107 versus New South Wales, 1926.

 

‘He was a great man at a party and played a part in ensuring no English brewery went out of business through lack of patronage.’

Jim Laker commenting upon Aussie fast-bowler Ray Lindwall in ‘Over to me’, 1960.

 

‘I could never read the scores on the board. The specialist said to me, ‘Who leads you out to bat?’’

Neil Harvey, Australian batsman, admitting defective eyesight.

 

‘People don’t pay to watch me anymore. They come to see me drop dead from exhaustion or old age.’

Bill Alley, Somerset’s Australian all-rounder, 1967.    

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

July 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

 

  ‘Things can only get better’ goes the song. With regard to the Club 1st Team’s results so far this season, one can only hope that that will be the case. Those words appeared in last month’s edition. Well, I am delighted to report that things did get better, much better, last month when a string of victories by the 1st and 2nd Teams elevated both sides to pleasing positions in their respective Divisions. Although the last Saturday of the month brought a home defeat for the 1st Team and a cancelled match for the 2nd Team, both teams could be satisfied with their performances in June.  Such is the nature of cricket that it was almost inevitable that 1st Team’s Kamran Mansour’s whirlwind century against Benwell & Walbottle should be followed by a single figure score at Shotley Bridge. However, all was not lost. Other batsmen ‘stepped up to the plate’ and a respectable total was achieved. Most Club supporters present at the Spa Grounds thought that, ‘We haven’t got enough [runs] on [the board]’; [echoing the oft repeated opinion of Frankie Somerville, an avid supporter of yesteryear.] When all came to all, good bowling and fielding proved that not to be the case as the Club ran out worthy winners. A notable and important win, just like so many times in the past. 

 

  Most readers may be unaware of the 1st Team’s secret weapon. I write of Urdu. What? Urdu is the native language of Kamran Mansour who was born in Karachi, Pakistan. It is not, however, the native language of new Club recruit Abbi Joshi who hails from India. Nevertheless Abbi understands commands spoken in Urdu as proved in a recent 1st Team match when Abbi’s off-spin was receiving quite a bit of harsh treatment. Kamran shouted instructions to Abbi from his fielding position on the boundary. Now my Urdu is not what it was and I could not understand a word of what had been said. In fact only two people on the ground understood it, Kamran and Abbi. Prompted by my question to him, Kamran explained the instructions he had given. A cunning move eh?

 

  In a previous edition I wrote of the good works of Don Robson CBE who died in March. A Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration for his life was held at Durham County Cricket Club on Sunday 19th June. I joined a congregation of at least three hundred to celebrate Don’s life. Cricketers past and present were there in abundance including former Consett CC player Keith Porter. It was good to renew my acquaintance with Keith which goes back to the early 1970s.Various speakers recounted the ways in which Don had touched their own lives and the life of the North East. Although serious points were made, humour was never far away in the speeches. Speakers included Don’s son Ian, Paul Collingwood, former Durham County Council Chief Executive Kingsley Smith, Geoff Cook, David Morgan

[Glamorgan CCC & ECB], Lord Foster of Bishop Auckland, Brendan Foster and Sir John Hall. It was a fitting public farewell to a man who did so much for County Durham and the Region. 

 

  I was back again at the Riverside the day after Don’s Service. This time it was to watch the first day’s play of the Durham v Yorkshire County Championship match. A huge contingent of fellow Tykes had made their way north for the fixture, many staying in the vicinity for all four days of the match. Most of the White Rose supporters stayed on a Bed & Breakfast basis in local pubs, guest houses or hotels. One chose to do things differently. Always an eccentric, Harold Dennis Bird [aka ‘Dickie’] chose to stay quite close to the Riverside Ground on a room-only basis. Never one to throw his money around, apparently Dickie’s breakfast consisted of a sausage roll purchased from a ‘scran-van’ at the Ground.  

 

  I am informed that arrangements are well advanced for the staging of the Club’s Annual Family Fun Day to be held on Sunday 10th July. Further details are available on the Club’s web-site. Roll up for all the fun. 

 

  A new Club fund-raising venture has commenced. It is called the ‘Brick Appeal’. Details of this scheme are also available on the Club’s web-site. In essence the scheme involves the purchase of a wooden ‘brick’ inscribed with the sponsor’s name. The scheme is similar to that to be found at Durham CCC. That scheme involved proper house bricks which formed part of the ground’s northern boundary wall. For several years before Durham CCC enjoyed success on the field said wall became known as the Wailing Wall. Hopefully the same soubriquet will not be applied to the Club’s ‘wall’.    

 

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. It will come as no surprise to regular readers of this ‘blog’ that the writer is a devotee of BBC Radio’s ‘Test Match Special’. I have had the pleasure of listening to the programme on a regular basis since the mid-1950s during which time I have hung onto every word of some commentators. Note ‘some’ and not ‘all’.  Here are just a few examples of the wit and wisdom of  two of my all-time favourites.

 

‘They’ve scored off the last 15 balls. Now difficult, not only to bowl a maiden over, but apparently to bowl a maiden ball ……..’

John Arlott

 

 

 

‘And umpire Bird having a wonderful time, signaling everything in the world, including stop to traffic coming on from behind.’

John Arlott.   

 

 

‘That is the first time in hours that the ball has passed through unviolated.’

John Arlott commenting upon a rare dot ball. West Indies v Australia, World Cup Final, Lord’s, 1975.

 

‘Goodbye from Southampton and now over to Edgbaston for some more balls from Rex Alston.’

Brian Johnston.

 

‘Vincent Van Der Bijl, bald pate gleaming in the sun ….. looking remarkably like Lord Longford, but not nearly so tolerant.’

John  Arlott.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian Johnston:- ‘Fred, who do you think were the six fastest bowlers since the war?’

Fred Trueman:- ‘There were me ….’

Brian Johnston:- ‘Oh, there must have been seven.’

 

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Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

June 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  ‘Arguments are put forward in favour of transforming the great game into a thing of immense rapidity – a sort of Bolshevist cricket devoted to hurricane Yorkers and ‘swipes’. This, of course, would make quite impossible the science, the law and beauty which are the charm of cricket – to cricketers.’

 

  If you knuckle down to dredging your way through to the concluding part of this edition you will find from where this quotation came and, more surprisingly, when it was written. You could, of course, take the coward’s way out of the predicament, avoid the bulk of this monologue and turn to the answer now. However, I believe that you, dear reader, are brave enough to resist that particular temptation.

 

  ‘Things can only get better’ goes the song. With regard to the Club 1^st Team’s results so far this season, one can only hope that that will be the case. Pre-season optimism has been diminished severely. It looks like a long, hard season ahead of us. On the plus side, however, the writer is not famed for his predictions and will be delighted if he is proved to be wrong once again. The ability to select full-strength teams at senior level would certainly be a bonus. To date this ideal situation has been denied to the selectors for a variety of reasons. Perhaps this frustration will be resolved and things will begin to look up? I am reminded of something said to me a few years ago by the late ‘legendary’ former Club batsman and captain Bert Steward, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’ve played [cricket] for a year or two or for many seasons, you’ll talk about the game forever because you never know what’s going to happen next on a cricket field.’ Wise words from a wise man.

 

  I enjoyed my visit to Ashington CC last month. Of course the result [the 1^st Team lost by 7 wickets] was disappointing but once again I found watching cricket at that venue to be a pleasant experience. Just like our own Blackfyne, Ashington’s Langwell Crescent is, what I call, a proper cricket ground. The field, the surroundings, the pavilion, the facilities and the home spectators are just the job. One blemish on my visit last month was the car-parking problem I encountered. Arriving at the ground after a thirty-five minute drive, it took me a further ten minutes to negotiate a way into the one remaining car-parking space. [My fault I know; I could/should have parked outside the ground itself and walked.] At the conclusion of the game it took me another five minutes or so to extricate the car from its temporary lodging. Thankfully Club President Gordon Hunter saw my predicament and guided me out by way of what felt like a thirteen-point turn. Thanks Gordon.

 

  Given my comments in last month’s edition regarding the tendency of First Class  cricketers to play a game of football immediately prior to the start of a day’s play, I am delighted to be able to report the following exchange overheard at the Ashington match. It involved two children of Junior school age, a girl and a boy. During the break for tea the boy, kitted out in a football strip, was encouraging his friends to join him for a game of football on the field. The girl [possibly his sister] tried to dissuade him by stating firmly that he should not play football on the field; adding, ‘It’s a cricket field, not a football pitch.’ I automatically smiled and nodded in approval. Not only had she said the right thing [as far as I was concerned], she knew the difference between a cricket field and a football pitch.  Sadly her words fell on stony ground.

 

  A fortnight before my visit to Ashington CC I drove to Newcastle City CC’s ground at Gosforth to watch our 1^st Team’s match.  No trouble parking this time. Although it turned out that I had passed the ground many times over the years without knowing it, this was my first actual visit to the ground. I was surprised by the vast acreage of open space in which the ground is set; greenery in abundance on three sides of the field, a main road on the fourth. Had the weather been milder and the result different I would have enjoyed my first experience of the Broadway West ground all the more. However, the welcome was friendly, the wicket played well and the game was played in good spirit. I was intrigued to find an old acquaintance manning the score board ‘tins’. It was Tony Huzzard. Some readers will know Tony as a N&TSCL umpire, others will remember him as a Tyneside Senior League umpire, a handful will never forget him ‘standing’ in the famous [or should it be ‘infamous’?] Greenside versus Consett match back in the 1970s when the match continued throughout a thunderstorm. A comprehensive account of the match appeared in an earlier edition. At this juncture it is suffice to record that Walter Armstrong secured victory by taking the final Greenside wicket with a delivery which on pitching, I kid you not, aquaplaned along the flooded wicket to clean bowl the batsman. Given today’s Health and Safety requirements that match would never have finished. However, it did and at its conclusion eleven sodden fielders, two drenched batsmen and two ‘drowned’ umpires rushed off the field and into the dressing rooms. Hot showers all round for the players and dry clothes to change into. Not so for poor Tony who had not brought a change of clothes with him. To make matters worse [as if they could] Tony then had to journey home by bus in wet clothes. ‘Home’ by the way was in Newbiggen by the Sea!!! I must ask Tony what his connection is with Newcastle CC.

 

  Another Tony, Tony Cozier passed away last month. In the course of his long career in journalism Tony Cozier was a member of the Test Match Special team of commentators for fifty years. Born and raised in Barbados, Tony Cozier imparted his considerable cricketing knowledge to radio and television audiences throughout the world. His commentaries were descriptive, informative and perceptive. Is it possible to ‘have a twinkle in your voice’ as well as in your eye? Probably not. Nevertheless, when listening to Tony describing the exploits of West Indian greats such as Sobers, Greenidge, Lloyd, Holding, Garner, Marshall, Lara et al, I thought that I could detect one. More than likely it was a case of me looking for the same glee that I would have felt if my team were dominating proceedings i.e. if the shoe had been on the other foot. In more recent years the West Indies team has not enjoyed the same success on its visits to England as it once did. However, Tony Cozier continued to entertain and charm his listeners [this one in particular] with his engaging commentaries delivered in his smooth Caribbean accent. Cricket lovers will miss him.

 

  Some Club members may be unaware of the voluntary work put in by others to maintain the high standards which we enjoy at Blackfyne. Some, no doubt, never give it a thought and are content to accept the well kept playing area, its surrounds and buildings as just being there. Some of us, however, know of the considerable time and effort put in to the field and the pavilion. Regular readers will know too that, as the writer of this monthly article, I take every opportunity to sing the praises of the volunteers. Another such opportunity came last month at the 1^st Team home match against Lanchester CC when, during the first session of play, a middle-aged couple came into the Bar in search of drinks. David Wilkinson was on hand to serve the couple . The pair went out to the balcony to enjoy their drinks and the cricket. During matches I am usually to be found walking around the boundary with fellow old-timers but as the lady wife was on tea-making duty I was in the pavilion giving her some moral support i.e. getting in the way. I joined the visitors on the balcony and, without my prompting, received compliments from them regarding the magnificent state of the field, the view, the pavilion etc.. It turned out that the couple lived in Stocksfield but followed Lanchester CC for whom their son played. The work put in by the Club’s volunteers does not go unnoticed; certainly not by visitors.

 

  As I write this edition a copy of ‘The Blackfyne Story’ is on its way to Liverpool. An e-mail to the Club, forwarded to me, contained an enquiry regarding a former Club member, Harry Dyson.  Readers of the book may remember, if not look it up, that Harry Dyson was a leading wicket-taker for the Club’s 1^st Team in its League Championship triumphs of the 1930s. Harry’s grandson, Len, wished to know more about Harry and his association with the Club.  Hopefully Len, now aged seventy, will enjoy reading in his Liverpool home of his grandad’s exploits.  

           

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. We have now reached that time in the English First Class Cricket season when the white ball, coloured clothing and loud music come to the fore. I write, of course, of the T20 competition. Like many cricket-lovers of a certain age, I admit to not being a fan of the ‘slog-fest’. I am grateful, however, that the revenue provided to the County Clubs by virtue of the T20 game enables the 4- Day County Championship to continue.

 

  I began this edition with a quotation which might have been written by John Arlott, Christopher Martin Jenkins or Trevor Bailey. In fact it is taken from the editorial of the ‘Manchester Guardian’ [now ‘The Guardian’] printed in 1918!! The end of the First World War had brought calls to liven up cricket. For further quotations and points of view regarding ‘pacing the game’ please read on. [The quotations refer to the One-Day game but may be applicable to T20.]         

  

‘In real cricket, the player who has developed imagination and skill makes the game, but in the one-day match it is the other way round. The match dictates to the player.’

Brian Close, prior to his sacking by Yorkshire, 1970.

 

 

‘I can hardly remember an innings I have played in one-day cricket.’

Greg Chappell, Australian batsman, 1984.   

 

‘A Test match is like a painting. A one-day match is like a Rolf Harris painting.’

Ian Chappell, Australian captain.

 

‘The dot ball has become the Holy Grail.’

Colin Cowdrey, on containment,1982.

 

‘I always thought that the best way to contain a batsman was to get him back into the pavilion .’

Alec Bedser, former England bowler, deriding negative one-day tactics.

 

‘We have far too much to do in the game these days. You need one eye up your backside.’

Arthur Jepson, umpire, bemoaning the arrival of fielding circles in one-day cricket, 1981.

 

‘You can see the moon. How far do you want to see?’

Arthur Jepson, umpire, refusing an appeal for bad light by Jack Bond in the Gillette Cup tie, Lancashire v Gloucestershire, at Old Trafford, 1971. Lancashire, the batting side, won at 8.50 p.m..

 

‘If I can see ‘em, I can hit ‘em.’

David Hughes, Lancashire, before scoring 24 off one over by John Mortimore to settle the above match.

 

‘You don’t expect to be beaten by a tail-ender – not at midnight anyway.’

Roger Knight, defeated Gloucestershire captain, after their late night defeat in the match above.   

         

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

May 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  The long wait is over. The Club’s new season began on the penultimate Saturday of April when both the 1^st and 2^nd Teams played League matches against Annfield Plain. News of the 2^nd Team’s comprehensive victory at Blackfyne reached spectators at Annfield Plain’s Enterprise Park ground while the 1^st Team was still striving to reach its target for victory of 253 runs. A nerve-jangling conclusion to the match saw the target reached with just two balls to spare. Statistics of the matches may be viewed elsewhere on the web-site. However, figures alone do not tell the story of any match. Certainly not the story of the game I witnessed at Annfield Plain. A bitterly cold afternoon and early evening were made endurable by the ebb and flow of the Club’s fortunes. Up with the required run-rate for a few overs, then behind it for several more etc., etc.. A fascinating and exciting game littered with good performances and first match ‘rustiness’ by both sides in equal measure culminating in a nail-biting finish. A good advertisement for our game and for our League.

 

  I always enjoy watching Rugby and Football teams warming up before matches. You know the sort of thing. The stumps are placed on the field and balls are bowled and hit to all parts of the ground. You have not seen this? Of course, you have not. So why oh why do professional cricketers warm up before a match by playing football? Fidel Edwards [Hampshire CCC] became the latest casualty of this practice when he sustained a broken leg during last month’s match against Yorkshire. A fast bowler with a broken leg is neither use nor ornament. Club members may recall our then Club professional Gareth Breese injuring his leg in a similar manner prior to a T20 match at Leicester a few years ago. Call me an old fuddy-duddy [and that is one of the more polite descriptions which have been assigned to me], but surely injuries are easy enough to pick up in cricket itself without resorting to playing football before the game? I have been told by someone in the professional game that the pre-match ‘kick about’ helps to relieve the boredom of warming up. Yes, I imagine that playing cricket and getting paid for doing so must be a great bore. On the same topic of pre-match football, many spectators were amused last season by an incident at Durham’s Riverside ground which occurred before the day’s play. The football match was in full swing. As usual the home Club’s fitness coach was joining in enthusiastically.  His participation, however, was brought to an abrupt end when he lost his footing. Both feet shot out in front of him and he crashed to the ground flat on his back. It was funny because there was no apparent long-term injury sustained; merely fractured pride.

 

  Sadly a genuine fracture will probably prevent one of the Club’s most avid supporters from spectating for quite some time. I write of Mrs. Agnes Chapman, mother of Club stalwart Bob, mother-in-law of Lesley and grandmother of Club 1^st Team captain John and Durham Ladies’ Cricket Team’s Catherine. Agnes sustained a fractured thigh bone as the result of a fall at home and, at the time of writing, is recuperating from the subsequent operation in hospital. I know that all readers will join me in wishing Agnes well and hoping that she will recover sufficiently to watch a little bit of cricket alongside Lesley before too long.

  Greenside CC was the venue for last month’s meeting of the League Management Committee which I attended on behalf of the Club. Earlier that day I had accompanied the lady wife to Sunderland Empire Theatre to watch a performance of ‘Billy Elliott’. Life in the fast lane for me eh? Whereas the musical’s time span of two and three-quarter hours seemed to fly by, the same cannot be said of the hour and ten minutes long meeting. Such is life and, after all, decisions have to be made. One of the decisions made was the unanimous agreement that the League’s representatives could meet with their counterparts of the Northumberland Cricket League to explore the amalgamation of the two Leagues. Considering the possibilities of journeys in the future to Berwick, Tillside or Warkworth and looking back to the Club’s days in the Tyneside Senior League, that annual trip to Wallsend CC does not seem too far now, does it? We live in interesting times.

 

  Looking out on the ground at Greenside brought back several memories of matches in which I had played on that field. A mixture of good and not so good memories. Mention has been made in previous editions of my Club debut in 1970 when I journeyed to Greenside with the help of two bus journeys and the directions of a Greenside pub landlord and of the 1^st Team victory several years later when the final overs were played in a thunderstorm. However, to date I have not mentioned two incidents involving the Greenside professional Bill Jones. Early in the ‘70s I thought that I had found my place in the 1^st Team as a slow bowler who could bat a little. Buoyed by five wickets for 40-odd at home to Reyrolle in the previous match, I ambled up to the stumps to bowl to Bill. A few [a very few] overs later I realised that my career as a slow left-arm bowler had come to a sudden end. Bill and Greenside captain Jim Watson had seen to that. Granted the Greenside ground is not the biggest field on which to play but my figures would not have been much better if we had been playing at The Oval. The Selection Committee having decided to dispense with my services in the 1^st Team, I seized an opportunity to keep wicket in the 2^nd Team. This decision would lead to my selection in that role for the 1^st Team and several future appearances behind the stumps at Greenside. During one such fixture a Greenside batsman attempted to smash one of slow medium bowler Julian Wood’s deliveries for six. He missed it and I stumped him. Several things had happened at once. The batsman had played and missed, I had taken off the bails, the umpire at the bowler’s end had shouted , ‘WIDE!’ and the umpire at square leg had signalled, ‘OUT.’ The batsman stood his ground for a few seconds and then trudged off the field. Enter new batsman Bill Jones. Not in the best of humours, Bill greeted me with the words, ‘That goes down as a run out young ‘un. You can’t be stumped off a wide!’ I did not argue with the great man. We had a wicket and that was all that bothered me. Later consultation of the Laws revealed that Bill had been wrong. Batsmen can be given stumped off a wide not off a no-ball. I played against Bill on several occasions after that incident but never had the courage to tell him that he had been wrong. I valued my good looks too much!!

 

  As some readers will know, I am one of approximately a dozen members of Durham CCC who give face to face commentaries to visually impaired spectators at the County’s home matches. I began my scheduled list of commentary days for this season on the last Tuesday of April. You may recall that not a ball was bowled that day! My two fellow voluntary commentators and I spent most of the day describing the weather [sun, snow, sleet, rain etc.]  and updating our ‘customers’ on the possibility of play [which was zero]. It would be pleasing to be able to look forward optimistically to my next commentary day but I find that hard to do given the events of season 2015 during which I was prevented from enthralling my ‘imprisoned’ audience on several occasions by either bad weather, early finishes or, on one day, by the total absence of ‘customers’. On the subject of cricket commentaries please read on. 

            

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. BBC Radio 4 presents several entertaining panel games, one being ‘Just a minute’. The format of the programme is simple. To gain points contestants must speak on a given subject for a minute without hesitation, deviation [from the subject] or repetition [of any word]. It is very difficult to do. Just try it in the privacy of your own home. Cricket commentators may become adept at avoiding those particular pitfalls but few avoid unintentional gaffes, as illustrated below.         

  

‘As I look around the ground I can see about thirty young girls all wearing Dutch caps .’

Jonathan Agnew.

 

‘I’ve never got to the bottom of streaking.’

Jonathan Agnew.   

 

‘Umpire Fenwick just twitches his nose, instead of putting his finger up in the usual way.’

Paul Allott.

 

‘The Port Elizabeth ground is more of a circle than an oval. It is long and square.’

Trevor Bailey.

 

‘ Lloyd did what he achieved with that shot.’

Jack Bannister.

 

‘Laird has been brought in to stand in the corner of the circle.’

Richie Benaud.

 

‘He’s usually a good puller – but he couldn’t get it up that time.’

Richie Benaud.

 

‘Flintoff starts in, his shadow beside him. Where else would it be?’

Henry Blofeld.

 

‘It’s been a weekend of delight and disappointment for [Kim] Hughes. His wife presented him with twins yesterday …….. and a duck today.’

Alan McGilvray.   

         

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

 

April 2016.

 

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

  I make no apologies for beginning this edition with a paragraph or two about a man who was never a Club member. I write, of course, of Don Robson CBE who passed away last month at the age of 82. Since the news of his passing was announced much has been written about his life and, no doubt, even more has been said. A long-serving County Councillor and Leader of Durham County Council [the youngest ever], Don was known to many for his roles in cricket administration. He was one of many who had the vision of Durham becoming a First Class County. However, he was the leader of the few who made it happen. It is fitting that he was honoured in his life-time by having the County Ground’s pavilion named after him. Appreciating that most readers will be thinking, ‘Well, I know all of that already’, I will take this opportunity to mention one or two things that many readers may not know about Don and his assistance to Consett CC.

  For many years Don was Chairman of the Tyneside Senior League. He and Bob Jackson formed a formidable partnership as Chairman and Secretary respectively. Club Chairman Peter Curtis and I [as Club Secretary] were regular attendees of League meetings during the 1970s and early 1980s. Don was peerless in running a meeting. Business went through at a fast rate of knots with the occasional potential conflict sorted out prior to the meeting itself. He did not suffer fools but was generous to those who tried their best. Nowadays, failure by a club to attend a League meeting results in a fine of £20. Back then it was £5 [or was it £10? I forget]. At that time the Club did not have a Bar and relied upon sponsored walks, Weekly Draws and jumble sales to keep afloat. Even £5 was a lot of money for the Club to lose. Off the field the Club was a pauper but on the field things were getting better. We were becoming more successful in the League and in the Cups too. On one occasion we were scheduled to play away to Chester le Street on the same evening as the League meeting was to be held. Peter, Walter Armstrong and I [the Club’s regular League representatives] were in the team to play. Attempts to attract League rep. substitutes proved unsuccessful. I was compelled to inform the League Secretary that Consett CC would not be represented at the meeting. Anticipating a fine from the League, our defeat at the hands of Chester le Street tasted all the more bitter. It was with great relief that, a day or two later, we learnt that no fine was to be imposed. Don had appreciated our plight.

  In a previous edition mention was made of Don’s assistance to the Club in the early 1980s with its successful securement of a long-term lease for the Blackfyne Grounds with Durham County Council. I dread to think of the consequences for the Club if Don had not been there in our hour of need. Part of the lease agreement was that the Club could have its own Bar. It was only right and proper that the Club invited Don to formally open that facility. A photograph of Don pulling the ‘first’ pint is above the Bar today. Raise a glass to his memory the next time you are in the Bar. Thank you Don for all that you did for the world of cricket, particularly for our own small part of it.

  The League’s Presentation Evening was held at Newcastle Falcons RUFC ground early last month. What could have been an enjoyable affair turned out to be a disappointment. The meal itself was reasonable; a two course buffet-style affair. The presentations were made quickly and received noisily. Durham ‘keeper Phil Mustard recounted a couple of amusing stories during his Question and Answer session. The audience then settled down to be entertained by the comedian. Remember Stan Boardman? Well, this was his son. He experienced great difficulties with the microphone and gave up the fight after a performance of less than five minutes. Having winced at some of his language which we had been able to hear, his premature departure came as a great relief to those men present who were accompanied by their wives. I suppose it is a generational thing. Those of us of a certain age can remember comedians who had two acts; one for a male audience and another for a mixed one. Any road up ………. that’s another ‘Do’ to put down to experience. 

  On 24^th March representatives of clubs affiliated to the Durham Cricket Board Ltd.  [DCB] gathered at Durham CCC’s Emirates Cricket Ground for the annual meeting of the DCB Recreational Forum. The major portion of the agenda was taken up with a presentation of ECB’s latest proposals for attracting more participation in our sport.

The rationale behind the initiative is to attract children [6 to 13 year olds] to cricket with the intention of keeping them within the game as they mature into playing senior cricket. Clubs will be expected to lead the way by organising sessions for the youngsters starting with soft ball cricket. The success of this venture is, in my opinion, dependent upon clubs having sufficient numbers of volunteers to supervise the sessions. Moreover, I would feel more optimistic about its success if young children were taught the game in schools and were able to watch it on terrestrial television. However, we all know that such conditions are now just pipe-dreams and that [SKY] money holds sway.     

  Looking through the 2016 League fixtures brought two things to mind. First of all was something which former Ryton CC ‘keeper and captain Tommy Thompson said to me at the League Presentation Evening. We were comparing this year’s function with those enjoyed in the ‘70s and discussing the changed nature of local cricket; in particular the apparent lack of loyalty to clubs exemplified by players moving from club to club in exchange for improved ‘reasonable expenses’. Please discuss. The second issue brought to mind is a more personal affair. Like a few other Club members I enjoy following our teams to away fixtures. One of the pleasures is to meet up with former ‘opponents’ whom I can accompany ‘down memory lane’. [ I did warn you that it was a personal issue.] However, opportunities to do so become fewer as the years go by and the composition of the League changes. For example our 1^st Team will have League fixtures against only three clubs who played in the Tyneside Senior League when I played in the 1970s and early 1980s, Annfield Plain, Shotley Bridge and Swalwell. The 2^nd Team’s fixtures include matches against three, Annfield Plain, Greenside and Seaton Burn. In an attempt to restore my sense of perspective I try to remember that times change and bring to mind the following, ‘Like the sugar cane in the wind, if you don’t bend you break.’ That little maxim came from a teacher from the West Indies who visited the school where I was Head. She was not talking about me but about the Prime Minister of the day, Margaret Thatcher! 

 

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Ever since its birth the game of cricket has evoked opinion. Whether the subject be Test Match cricket, the First Class game or Hopefuls XI versus Loafers XI, thoughts are expressed by those steeped in cricket and by those who [according to the late Yorkshire & England cricketer David Bairstow] know ‘three-tenths of seven-eighths of sod all’ about the game. The following collection is merely a small sample.         

  

‘The very word ‘cricket’ has become a synonym for all that is true and honest. To say ‘that is not cricket’ implies something underhand, something not in keeping with the best ideals.’

Sir Pelham Warner, laying down the moral law.

 

‘Use every weapon within the rules and stretch the rules to breaking point, I say.’

Fred Trueman,1961.   

 

‘A particular generation of cricketers think in a certain way and only a change in society, not legislation, will change the prevailing style.’

CLR James in ‘Beyond a Boundary’.

 

‘Innovations invariably are suspect and in no quarter more so than the cricket world.’

Gilbert Jessop.

 

‘ Old cricketers become bores.’

David Frith, after writing a history of cricket suicides, 1991.

 

‘If I knew I was going to die today I’d still want to hear the cricket scores.’

JH Hardy.

 

‘Bury me 22 yards away from Arthur, so I can send him down a ball now and then.’

Last request of Nottinghamshire batsman, Alfred Shaw, to be buried next to his old team-mate, Arthur Shrewsbury. They buried him 27 yards away, to allow for Shrewsbury’s five yard run-up, 1907.

 

‘Cricket is indescribable. How do you describe an orgasm?’

Greg Matthews, Australian all-rounder, 1980s. 

         

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

March 2016.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  March already! The new season is now just weeks away. Indoor Nets are in full swing. Fixture lists and Cup draws are being scrutinised. We are all getting ready for the off. It will not be long before I attempt to locate my flask.

Looking back and not forward was, however, the subject of last month’s Senior Presentation Evening held in the Club Bar on Friday 19^th. A packed room was treated to a review of last season by way of speeches from the three captains of the senior teams. 1^st Team captain John Chapman and 2^nd Team captain David Williamson presented their accounts of the season in their customary factual manner prior to announcing the winners of their respective team’s Player of the Year award viz. 1^st Team Paul Ringer, 2^nd Team Daniel Pyke. Likewise 3rd Team captain Ian Cox presented the account of his team’s exploits in his usual fashion i.e. deprecating and mickey-taking throughout. His speech was much appreciated by the assembled throng as was his presentation of the 3^rd Team Player of the Year trophy to Jamie Bradley who had been the butt of several of the wise-cracks made by Ian in his speech. Chairman Alan brought the ‘formal’ part of the evening to an end by presenting the Clubman of the Year award to not one but two members, David Dixon and David Wilkinson who had worked tirelessly on the re-painting of the exterior of the pavilion; a thankless task extremely well done. I was pleased that the three captains did not miss the opportunity of thanking publicly the scorers, groundsmen , tea ladies and others for their work during the season. As most readers will agree, matches need organising; they do not just happen by themselves.

  Mention was made in a previous edition of the planned refurbishment of  the  players’ amenities on the ground floor of the pavilion. I am delighted to report that work on the project is imminent. News was announced recently of a slightly more ambitious, extensive and expensive project i.e. the redevelopment of the Headingley Grounds. Readers will know [I have mentioned it a ‘few’ times] that I spent many hours in my childhood and youth watching both cricket and Rugby League at that venue. I remember well the mixed comments of Tyke cricket-lovers when the ‘new’ players’ pavilion was opened in the 1960s. ‘Nowt  but a flat-roofed job. Cheap and nasty.’ was heard frequently.  It was a building of its time. I much preferred the more aesthetically pleasing original pavilion located at third man alongside the huge ‘football stand’. What said structure was like to ‘live in’ during a three-day County match or a five-day Test Match I have no idea but the pavilion did look impressive. Time marched on and the players’ dressing rooms were re-located in the ‘football stand’.  However, it did not seem long before they were moved once more. This time, just a couple of years ago, they became an integral part of the new pavilion built at the northern [Kirkstall Lane] end of the ground. If the 1960s pavilion did not go down well with on-lookers, the same could be said of the latest model; with spades! To some [most] it is an eyesore but again it is a building of its time just as the 1960s effort and the original pavilion were. I suppose that we have to change with the times or risk the prospect of breaking down. However, I am not the only cricket-lover who looks back with fond memories to former times. Having said all of that, I have seen  artists’ images of the proposed development and was impressed with what I saw. The development of the Headingley Grounds is planned to take place over a period of twenty years. Hopefully our own ground floor refurbishment will take a little less time!

Part of the proposals is the redevelopment of the double-sided ‘football stand’ and of the popular South Stand of the rugby ground. I have watched Rugby League from the South Stand and eaten my tea in it as well. Eaten my tea? I had better explain that but please keep it to yourself . For many seasons my late father served as a steward on Test Match days. I was watching the match myself one day when he found me and handed a steward’s rosette and card to me, telling me that I should go to the South Stand and have ‘his’ tea. [I think he wished to leave room in his stomach for the quantity of ‘lemonade’ he planned to consume after the day’s play,] As a dutiful son [when it suited me] I complied with his request, walked from one side of the ‘football stand’ to the other and then across the rugby pitch to the South Stand. The interior of this stand was a long and dingy affair. Tables and chairs had been set out for stewards and others and the Bar was in use. Donning my rosette I presented my ‘Tea Card’ to a chap who looked to be in charge of matters. Thankfully he was and duly presented me with a plate and an invitation to help myself from the buffet. Always one to respect my elders, I accepted his invitation and took full advantage of the sandwiches, pies and cakes on offer. Knowing that I would be driving after the match I did not use the Bar but settled for a mug of tea. Returning to the cricket I realised that I had not missed that much. The New Zealand batsmen were finding the going tough against the England attack and only a dozen or so runs had been compiled during my hour long absence. Test cricket is a different beast these days.              

  Later this month Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League [N&TSCL] clubs are to vote upon proposals put forward by a Working Party of  north eastern Cricket Leagues regarding the creation of a Pyramid System within Northumberland and Durham. The proposals detail the process by which clubs may be promoted and/or relegated to and from the various Leagues within the counties culminating in promotion to the North East Premier League. Commencing with season 2017 for a period of two years clubs will have the option of being promoted. After that time that option will be closed and all qualifying clubs will have to participate in promotion and relegation. Some readers may think that the proposed Pyramid System will encourage all clubs to better themselves and therefore should be adopted. Others may think the opposite, believing that the system will widen the gulf between the Leagues thereby reducing the ability of the ‘lower League’ clubs to attract new talent. We must wait for the results of the vote and the implementation [or not] of the proposed system before we are able to judge. Clubs aspiring for promotion must win their present League [in some circumstances being runners-up will be sufficient] and, in addition, meet the Club and Ground criteria laid down by the League to which they wish to be promoted. Reading through the list of criteria for our own N&TSCL as I did, made me attempt to choose the worst cricket ground on which I had played. Several candidates immediately sprang to mind but, at the risk of being accused of libel, I will keep my counsel. If you get the odd ten minutes or so see if you can come up with your own ‘winner’.

 

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. In recent weeks the unsavoury side of our great game has made minor headlines in the media. I write of drugs, bribery and betting with players and umpires either being given or returning from suspensions  imposed upon them because of their proven contravention of the rules relating to such matters. The quotations below illustrate that these issues are not confined to this current decade.  

  

‘Too ridiculous for words.’

Ian Botham’s response to claims from Lindy Field, a former Miss Barbados, that she snorted cocaine with Botham and made love so passionately that the bed broke. All part of a disastrous England tour of the West Indies, 1985.

‘I’m aware he smokes dope, but doesn’t everyone?’

Tim Hudson, on Ian Botham, 1986. That comment hastened his sacking as Botham’s agent.   

‘I was batting against Surrey when a bowler called out, ‘Can I have a snort leg for this guy please.’ At Sussex I heard cracks like, ‘keep a tight line, Ed’ and ‘that’s a snorting delivery’. But probably the best one was when I was taking a bit of stick in one match and someone called out, ‘Don’t let them get up your nose, Giddo.’

Ed Giddins, after the TCCB upheld their two-year ban for his testing positive for cocaine, 1996.

‘The next thing you know they will be saying that I wear stockings and suspenders under my flannels.’

Phil Tufnell, rubbishing pot-smoking allegations on England’s tour of New Zealand, 1997.

‘ Quite a few players’ living standards had improved so quickly that their involvement in gambling seems closer to fact.’

Khalid Mahmood, the Pakistan team manager on their 1993 tour of England, considering allegations of bribes and betting scams involving the Pakistan team, 1995.

‘It showed there is justice in the game.’

Shane Warne’s one-liner after he dismissed Salim Malik in the Brisbane Test between Australia and Pakistan, 1995. Warne’s bribery allegations against Salim had been ignored by the International Cricket Council.

‘I live and die for cricket but to go on a tour where there is a chance of maybe not coming back, that’s a big thing to do.’

Shane Warne, fearing recriminations from Pakistan fans in the 1996 World Cup after his allegations against Salim Malik, 1996.

‘When Salim Malik was captain he would bowl himself at crucial stages in the match. He would set an offside field and bowl on the legside. While batting, he would run out his colleagues.’

Rashid Latif, as quoted by ‘Outlook’ magazine, alleging Salim Malik’s involvement in the bookmakers’ match-rigging scam, 1997. Latif quickly claimed that he had made no such comments. He became Pakistan captain. 

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

February 2016.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  How are you coping with the close season? January’s snow, rain, frost and wind combined to limit my activities and April seems as far away as ever. Although I bemoaned my luck on occasions because of the lack of golf to play and rugby to watch, I did count my blessings that flooding had not visited itself upon my home.

  Confined to barracks as I was, I sought solace in listening to the radio coverage of the England / South Africa Test Series. Excellent commentaries and summaries there were too. One or two experts did fall into the trap, however, of donning rose-tinted spectacles when comparing the efforts of current players with those of their own generation. [A failing to which, at a lower level of cricket, we members of ‘Critics’ Corner’ are prone when watching the Club’s modern day teams.] Just as the game of cricket has developed over the centuries so has the terminology. It was no more than a decade ago when I heard ‘half-tracker’ used for the first time. On first hearing I thought the speaker [Ian Cox] was referring to an armoured vehicle and wondered what that had to do with cricket. In the same way that ‘long hop’ has been replaced by ‘half-tracker’, in recent TMS programmes commentators and pundits alike have replaced ‘caught behind’ and ‘caught down the leg-side’ with ‘nicked off’ and ‘strangled down the leg-side’. One can only imagine what wordsmiths such as John Arlott would have made of those offerings.  

  The Series itself contained highs and lows for both teams and several players; hero one day, villain the next. South Africa’s AB de Villiers relatively poor batting performance throughout the Series culminated in him ‘bagging a pair’. No doubt that matter will be rectified in the next match that he plays. His experience reminded me of a less than enjoyable time which I went through in 1974. With barely time to take a breath from returning from three weeks’ holiday in Canada, I found myself walking out to face Blaydon CC ‘pro’ Jack Oliver. Built like an archetypical blacksmith, Jackie bowled at a furious pace and was not averse to slipping in a bouncer or two. I succumbed to such a delivery, nicking the ball to Tony King in the slips. ‘Rogers ct King b Oliver 0’. Thus began a nightmarish run, or more correctly, a nightmarish series of no runs. I had three ‘ducks’ on the trot. This sequence was finally broken when sheer desperation drove me to call for a run which, in reality, was never there. The great Richie Benaud would have said, ‘There was a run there; a half each.’ Miracle of miracles, for once the gods were on my side, mid-off’s throw missed the stumps and both my shell-shocked partner and I made our ground safely. The perfect end to that account would be that I went on to make a fifty that day, but, dear reader, we both know the difference between fact and fiction don’t we?

  Moving on to parochial matters, visitors to the Club will not have failed to notice the damage caused to the staircase wall by damp. This moisture emanates from the adjacent ‘old boiler-house’. Professional advice is being taken and the necessary repairs will be made. However, more adventurous improvements are in the pipe-line. The Club’s landlord, Durham County Council, is to refurbish the ground floor shower and toilet area of the pavilion in order that those facilities may be used by Blackfyne Football Club and Blackhill Bounders Athletics Club. New toilets and showers will be installed as will an exterior access door. The Council’s intention is for the work to be completed before the start of the cricket season. I hope that that proves to be the case. Readers of a certain age will remember when the ground was owned by British Steel and was used regularly by various ‘Company’ sports teams. The Club and Company teams co-existed harmoniously with only an occasional difference of opinion regarding the use of the facilities. One such occasion took place when the football and cricket seasons overlapped. The Club’s 1^st Team arrived at Blackfyne to find twenty-odd footballers in the dressing-rooms! Fellow team-mates looked to me as Club Secretary [first time around] to do something about it. As a result of ‘negotiations’ the 1^st Team got back its dressing-room and the footballers made do with the floor of the shower area. I failed to make any new friends during the exchanges. However, ‘double booking’ did not occur again. 

  Do you fancy umpiring? If you do there is no better time than now to begin. There is a nation-wide shortage of qualified umpires. Our own Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League is currently imploring its clubs to provide candidates for a series of training courses. Long gone are the days when both 1^st and 2^nd Team N&TSCL matches had the benefit of two umpires. How many new umpires will be donning the white coat come April is unknown. However many there proves to be I, for one, will applaud them all. Umpiring at any level is a difficult task. In my own playing days I umpired a few Junior matches and appreciated only too well how much knowledge and concentration is needed to do just an adequate job. I may well be wrong, and I hope that I am, but I can see the day coming when clubs will have to provide their own match umpire. That was the situation in league cricket way back in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Things have a way of repeating themselves.

           

  The final Saturday of January saw the Horn family once again hosting a Charity Dinner for Club members and their friends in the pavilion. Approximately forty diners were treated to an excellent evening. Delicious starters and a selection of tasty main courses prepared by Susan were followed by a selection of mouthwatering sweets made by Mesdames Chapman, Horn, Rogers and Williamson. In addition to presenting a short quiz and acting as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, son Stephen had persuaded a work colleague from Park View School to attend and entertain the throng by singing a selection of ‘swing’ numbers and ‘60s songs. When Susan had finished doing the sums she was delighted to announce that a total of £421 had been raised for charity via ticket sales, donations and raffle proceeds. A good time had been had by all and the money was going to a good cause. What more can you want? Many thanks to all concerned.  

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Previous editions of ‘Muses’ have included quotations encompassing a wide variety of subjects. However, missing from the long list of topics covered is Women’s Cricket. Given the advances made in recent years in that particular aspect of the game, it is time to remedy the situation. The arrival of successful England Women’s teams, full-time professional female cricketers, female cricket administrators and female MCC members [Good Heavens!] combine to make some of the quotations below even more amusing today than when originally uttered.

‘You must treat a cricket ball like a new bride.’

Surrey and England cricketer and coach Micky Stewart’s advice to bowlers, 1986. .

‘Pitches are like wives – you can never tell how they’re going to turn out.’

Len Hutton, explaining why he put Australia in to bat at Brisbane, MCC tour, 1954/55.   

‘There are men who fear women more than they love cricket.’

Geoff Scargill, at Lancashire annual meeting of 1985, unsuccessfully proposing that women should be allowed in the Old Trafford pavilion.

‘Let them in and the next thing you know the place will be full of children.’

Lancashire member, opposing the same resolution, 1985.

‘We are told that the speaker joined the club as Mr K. Hull.’

Bob Bennett, Lancashire chairman, explaining to the 1989 annual meeting how the county’s first woman member, Stephanie Lloyd, had sneaked in by virtue of a sex-change operation.

‘I don’t want to see knitting needles in the pavilion.’

Martin Wood, MCC member, on the club’s vote to continue banning women from membership.

‘Ladies playing cricket – absurd. Just like a man trying to knit.’

Len Hutton.

‘The authorities should consider that a cricketer is more likely to have a proper night’s sleep with his wife in bed beside him, rather than a temporary stand-in and all the parallel gymnastics that would follow.’

Lindsay Lamb [wife of Allan Lamb] in ‘Allan Lamb, My Autobiography’, 1996/7 . 

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

January 2016.

  Happy New Year and welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

‘It was Christmas Day in the workhouse ……..’. Not really true but as I began to write this edition it was Christmas Day 2015 and I had stolen away from the lady wife for a few minutes with the intention of writing a paragraph or two. My ‘escape’ was, however, short-lived. Time has now marched on and New Year’s Eve is fast approaching. This time of year brings with it problems of a logistical nature; I write of the demon drink. New Year’s Eve celebrations are, as we know, sometimes occasions when drink is taken to excess. Even I have been known to put extra orange juice in my orange & soda. Therefore I shall endeavour to complete this edition and send it to the Webmaster [David Williamson] in good time before I, David and the text end up ‘lost in the ether’.

  December began with Club member Stephen Turnbull’s band, ‘The Great Escape’, performing in the Club Bar. Unfortunately I missed out on attending due to family commitments. Reports of the ‘gig’ were excellent. It was well attended, the music was great and the bar did very well. It all went down so well that a provisional booking has been made for the band to repeat the exercise later this year. ‘Band’….. that means ‘group’ to those of us over a certain age. When compiling ‘The Blackfyne Story’ I came across a ‘musical evening’ for ‘the ladies’ held in the pavilion during the 1920s. Just goes to show that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’.  

 

  Indoor Nets will be starting soon. Readers may remember that I have written on that subject in previous editions and may recall that I regarded them as a necessary evil. A broken finger and a slipped disc clouded my judgement in that regard. One major problem which I encountered when indoor nets were held at Consett Sports Centre was the background to the bowler. Said background was a brick wall. A red brick wall.We played with a red ball. Most players managed to see the ball quite well but for colour- blind me it was mission impossible. I have not had the need to visit the newly built Consett Sports Centre to date but, for the sake of fellow sufferers of Daltonism, I hope that some thought has been given to the matter.

  Christmas 2015 was ruined for many people living in parts of Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire by floods. It looks as though repairs and refurbishment will be part of the victims’ lives for weeks and months to come. I appreciate that the restoration of homes and businesses must be the priority. Nevertheless, given the fact that this monthly column appears on a cricket club website, I will indulge myself by commenting upon the flood damage visited upon cricket clubs. Many cricket grounds have been badly affected; a few have made the headlines e.g. Corbridge CC [Northumberland League], Saltaire CC [Bradford League], Tong Park CC [Airedale & Wharfedale League]. I was delighted to learn that the ECB and the Yorkshire Cricket Board are in the process of assisting clubs financially with repairs to their facilities using money from their Reserves. Fields will dry out eventually and may be re-turfed. Dressing rooms, bars and tea-rooms are a different matter. We at Blackfyne should be grateful to the visionaries who decided to build a cricket ground hundreds of feet above the river.

  I watched TV pictures of the flooding in Leeds with both interest and astonishment. Born and bred in that city as I was, I found it hard to believe that Kirkstall Road [a major arterial road serving the west of Leeds] had been closed due to floods. Perhaps my early childhood home close to Kirkstall Abbey suffered the same fate. Casual readers of this article may  confuse Kirkstall Road with Kirkstall Lane. Cricket’s TV and radio commentators correctly refer to a bowler ‘coming in from the Kirkstall Lane end’ when describing play at Headingley. Kirkstall Road runs alongside the bottom of a high hill, Kirkstall Lane is at the top of that hill. If Headingley Cricket Ground is ever flooded by waters from the River Aire then we really are in trouble. Readers who have watched cricket at Headingley will know that the stand situated at the southern end of the ground is dual purpose. One side of the stand serves watchers of cricket [and, many years ago, of athletics] , the other side rugby. The rugby ground is the home of Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club and Yorkshire Carnegie Rugby Union Club. The rugby pitch was one of the first to benefit from underground heating. It was installed early in the 1960s with Leeds RL’s management assuring supporters that in the future no match would be lost to a frozen pitch. The ‘Big Freeze’ of the winter of 1962-63 was to demolish that claim. Heavy snow and frozen pitches caused the postponement of football and rugby matches for weeks and even months on end. During this spell the Leeds sports-loving and sports-starved public turned up in their thousands to watch a live match at Headingley having been assured that the game would go ahead thanks to the wonders of undersoil heating. I was one of the thousands arriving at the ground to be informed by police officers and club officials that the match would not be played due to a waterlogged pitch!! How could this be? The answer was quite simple. This had been the first occasion that the new heating system had been used in earnest. Instead of moderate heat been applied over the course of a few days, maximum heat had been used to thaw out the pitch overnight. It had certainly thawed out the pitch but had, in the process, flooded the damned thing. 

  Traditionally the turn of the year was the time when speculation began regarding the new season. You will be familiar with that sort of thing. ‘Looking at the fixtures I think we will win the first three matches.’ ‘I’ve heard that Harry Smith has left Anytown CC and has signed for Moneybags CC.’ Tradition has gone out of the window nowadays. More than ever before it is the age of the rumour. Rumours regarding the comings and goings in our League started before the end of last season. If the rumours are true one cricketer is going to have exceedingly busy Saturdays having ‘definitely agreed’ to play for two clubs in two different leagues. Most purveyors of such rumours seem to get their ‘reliable’ information from ‘a bloke in the pub’ or ‘the woman who baby-sits for ….…..’. We will all have to wait until April for the truth to be revealed.              

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. All of them relate to just one person, Geoffrey Boycott. Love him or hate him, ‘Fiery’ is a person difficult to ignore. Most, if not all, seasoned followers of the game have an opinion of him. As a dyed in the wool Tyke, I always wanted to see Boycott’s name on the Yorkshire [and England] team sheet. However, a minor problem [my lack of ability] prevented me from ever playing in the same side as he did. I watched him avidly throughout his career but could never know him as his team-mates could. For what it is worth, I respect him as a player and as an authority on the game of cricket via radio and television and hope to be able to listen to his views on the game for many more years.

‘We sometimes argue about the cricketer we would choose to bat for one’s life. [Consensus answer: Don Bradman for your life, Geoff Boycott for his own.]’

Matthew Engel, ‘The Guardian’, 1989.

‘If Geoffrey had played cricket the way he talked he would have had people queuing up to get into the ground instead of queuing up to leave.’

Fred Trueman on Geoffrey Boycott’s TV analysis of England’s failings in India, 1993.   

‘People have a herding instinct. If a guy does not drink and goes off to practise or have dinner they think you are weird. You are not. You are different.’

Geoffrey Boycott on the problem of being an individual, 1987.

‘Even the Yorkshire Ripper got a fair trial.’

Geoffrey Boycott, on being overlooked for the England captaincy.

‘What have you done? What have you done?’

Geoffrey Boycott’s lament to Ian Botham who had followed instructions to run him out, because he was batting too slowly, New Zealand, 1978. Botham’s reply was unprintable.

‘His ability to be where the fast bowlers aren’t has long been a talking point among cricketers.’

Tony Greig,in churlish mood after Geoffrey Boycott had turned down an offer to join the Kerry Packer circus, 1978.  

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

December 2015.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  In the eyes of many people the worst table to be sat at in a restaurant is the one adjacent to the toilets. If that is the case a close second must be the one which I occupied in the Club Bar at the beginning of last month. The lady wife and I arrived rather late to 1^st Team Captain John Chapman’s fiancée Jayne’s Birthday Party. Consequently I found myself sitting directly in front of a loudspeaker blasting ‘music’ in my ears. Conversation was impossible. The music was generated by Disc Jockey for the evening Ian Cox. Although the music went down well with most people present, most people present were of a younger vintage than the writer. I did, however, brighten up when a song by ‘The Killers’ was played. Yes ‘The Killers’, I am not all that set in my ways you know. Seriously, it was a good evening, Ian did do a good job and, most important of all, Jayne thoroughly enjoyed her party.

  The following Saturday evening Club Chairman Alan presented a ‘Pointless’ quiz which was enjoyed by all. Thanks Alan. Although I managed to get 100 points added to my team’s score because of a wrong answer, even I enjoyed the quiz. The look on my face when the 100 points were awarded might have contradicted that sentiment, but looks can be deceiving.

  Meetings of all descriptions come thick and fast for me, especially in the month of November. Last month was no exception. In addition to two local group meetings and a District Convention of a charity of which I am a member, there were the Club’s AGM, its monthly Management Committee meeting and League AGM to keep me out of mischief.

The Club’s AGM was remarkable for the fact that the attendance must have been an all-time low! It would be diplomatic for me to state that the poor attendance was due to the majority of members’ contentment that the Club was being run well and that therefore they did not feel the need to attend. Diplomatic? Certainly. However, as some other Club Committee members opined, ‘apathy’ springs to mind. Those members who did attend heard not only of the Club’s success on the field [the 1st Team finished in a higher League position than in the previous year] but that off the field things had just got better and better in terms of revenue.

  For several years now the Club’s League Representatives [Club Chairman Alan and yours truly] have attended the League’s AGM. Quite often we have left the meeting shaking our heads in disbelief at some of the decisions taken. The Club had voted one way but a majority of the other twenty-three clubs had voted the other. However, not this time around. We agreed with nearly all of the decisions and were especially pleased when the Club’s proposed rule change regarding batting points in a rain affected match [see last month’s ‘Muses’] was passed by a large majority! Hopefully, there will be no cause for said rule change to be used at all next season. [Ha! Ha!].

  At the beginning of the League AGM League President Bob Jackson announced that former Chairman of the Tyneside Senior League, Don Robson, was in an extremely poor state of health. Bob’s request for permission to send an appropriate message from the League to Don and his wife was agreed unanimously. Don Robson has done a great deal for cricket in the North East, whether it be local [Tyneside Senior League and Durham Cricket Board] or 1^st Class Cricket [Durham CCC]. Many readers of this article will be unaware of the help which he gave to our Club when we were going through some rocky times in the 1970s. We at Blackfyne owe him a great deal. I hope that his health improves sufficiently for him to enjoy some cricket once again next year.

  Yet another of my boyhood heroes passed away last month. Tom Graveney [a.k.a. ‘Long Tom’] was an attacking and very stylish batsman who played for Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and England. His batting statistics both at Test and County levels compare most favourably with most international batsmen of his era. Statistics may be important but they are not the be all and end all. ‘Long Tom’ was a bit of a character too. Born in Riding Mill [is there a blue plaque?], Tom and his family moved to Gloucestershire when his mother remarried following the death of his father who had worked at Vickers Armstrong. He became one of the country’s leading batsmen while playing for Gloucestershire and ended up skippering the side. However, things were to turn sour and he sought permission to join Worcestershire. Gloucestershire’s response was to invoke the rule of residency. He could join Worcestershire if he resided in that county for 12 months before playing for it. Imagine that happening today??!! Graveney complied, served his time, then began a career with Worcestershire. He captained that team too. If you look up the records you will see that Graveney played some more than useful innings for England. However, I remember him not only for his considerable prowess with the bat but for two other reasons. In 1955 he played as a batsman for England in the Headingley Test against South Africa. Legendary Kent and England wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans broke a finger during the match and ‘Long Tom’ donned the gauntlets in his place. A reasonable job he did too even though he managed to chip a finger in the process. Dangerous job this ‘keeping lark. The second memory that I have of Graveney also took place at Headingley when he was playing for Worcestershire against Yorkshire. Heavy overnight rain had prevented a prompt start to the day’s play. In fact it looked as if play would not start at all that day. ‘Long Tom’ decided that a liquid lunch would be appropriate. However, wonder of wonders, the wind blew, the sun shone, the ground dried out and play began shortly after the official lunch break. Half an hour or so later with Worcestershire two wickets down and next to nothing on the board Graveney was in the middle, taking guard. My late father told me that Graveney had drunk three pints of beer during the period when ‘no play would be possible today’. How ever much he had actually consumed did not appear to cause Graveney problems as he played with majestic ease to pass 50.

  Next season will see a big change to County Championship cricket with the abandonment of the toss. In an attempt to encourage the Counties to prepare better cricket wickets [where there is something in them for batsmen, seamers and spinners], the visiting captain will have the choice of batting first or not. Should he decide not to make the choice, then a coin will be tossed as has been the case historically. I am reminded of the words of W.G.Grace which I paraphrase:- ‘Bat first. If you are unsure, ask the opinion of your colleagues. Then bat first.’     

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Given that England are coming to the end of a series of Test, ODI and T20 matches against Pakistan, I think it apt to offer the following:-

‘Pakistan is the sort of place every man should send his mother-in-law to, for a month, all expenses paid.’

Ian Botham, returning from England’s 1984 tour.

‘Why don’t you send in your mother-in-law now? She couldn’t do any worse.’

Aamir Sohail, taunting Botham after his dismissal for a duck in the 1992 World Cup Final in Melbourne.   

‘They weren’t very hard, but I think they were my only decent strokes up until then.’

Tom Graveney, after swinging his bat at invading Pakistani spectators, Karachi Test, Pakistan v England, 1969.

‘If we had given them everything they asked for, England would have been out for single figures in each innings and Pakistan would have scored 500 runs in one.’

Ken Palmer, English umpire, complaining about incessant Pakistani appealing, First Test at Edgbaston, 1982.

‘It’s so depressing out here. Shout something encouraging you chaps!’

Phil Edmonds to the Oval crowd as Pakistan scored 708 in the Fifth Test, 1987. A spectator duly replied, ’This could be your last Test.’

‘See those bloody vultures up there. They’re waiting for that bloody umpire. He’s got to be dead.’

Sam Loxton, Australian manager, to Pakistan army representatives when Hanif Mohammad was given ‘not out’ against Ray Lindwall in the Dacca Test, 1959/60.  

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

November 2015.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

As I begin to write this edition [27^th October] it has dawned on me that I have not set  foot inside Blackfyne since September! No, I have not been avoiding the place intentionally. My absence has been the result of a combination of factors which, to a large extent, has kept me out of touch with other Club members. Therefore this article will lack any items which could be included in the newspapers under the banner of  ‘Family Notices’.

  One of the ‘combination of factors’ was a holiday in Minorca [or ‘Menorca’ as we affected globe-trotters refer to the place]. Now, of course I did not want to go. I look forward to battling through the wind and rain to attend Club Management Committee meetings etc. but the lady wife insisted that I accompanied her on the visit to that particular Balearic Island. One of our hotel’s leisure facilities was an all-weather bowling green. Not the proper crown- green type to which I was accustomed as a youth in the West Riding you understand, but a bowling green all the same. Said bowling green is the home of the Minorca Bowling Club. Each day the green was full of bowlers dressed from head to foot in white. No room at all for the likes of the lady wife and I to practise our skills upon. [Probably just as well.] Members of British bowling clubs stay at the hotel for weeks on end to play matches either amongst themselves, against other British clubs and/or the Minorca Bowling Club itself. As the Minorca Bowling Club appears to consist solely of British ex-patriots, not one Minorcan bowler was to be seen. We found all of the bowlers, and there were a lot of them, to be good company whenever our paths crossed in the hotel. Although very intense when on the green, they were able to ‘switch off’ when not.  We spent several enjoyable evenings in the company of couples married to each other and to the sport of bowling itself. However, it made a pleasant change to have dinner one evening in a neighbouring hotel with not a bowler in sight. During our meal we became aware of the discussion taking place on an adjacent table. Three couples were debating the merits of a particular tactic used by one of the group in the card game of Bridge. It turned out that the hotel was a popular haunt for players of that game and that some of the hotel’s residents had journeyed from the UK to take part in a Bridge Tournament. Granted, cards is not my past-time of choice. I do know how to play Rummy, Patience and Snap. Whereas I could appreciate the pleasure derived by the bowlers playing in the sunshine, I find it more than difficult to understand how the same pleasure could be found in travelling hundreds of miles to play cards indoors when the sun is beating down outdoors. But, as I have stated, cards is not my game. Three no trumps!

  As part of its Durham Cricket Board membership, the Club is entitled to receive a bat autographed by the Durham CCC squad. I collected ours recently.  No doubt the bat will be raffled within the Club. Although the full size bat has no springs and will therefore not see any real action, it will be treasured by someone. I received a miniature [mass produced] bat in 1957 which displayed the autographs of the touring West Indies Test team. I still have it; somewhere?? It has to be said that the signatures on my little bat mean more to me than those of the current Durham squad. Those of Paul Collingwood, Chris Rushworth, Graham Onions et al cannot hold a candle to those of Gary Sobers, Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott, Rohan Kanhai, Sonny Ramadhin etc.. What a team.  

  The Club’s Management Committee has approved the regular staging of Darts & Dominoes Handicaps during the close season. An excellent idea. Apparently more than twenty members participated in the first such event last month. My absence would not be noted. When it comes to darts, I…… er……well…. have ‘a bit of a history’ as readers of a certain age may remember. Back in the Middle Ages, the 1970s actually, the Tyneside Senior League decided to hold an Indoor League during the close season. Clubs played each other at Darts, Dominoes and Whist. The intention was that club members would ‘keep together’ during the winter months and that clubs’ bar-takings would benefit too. At that time our Club did not have a bar of its own which meant that our home matches were played in various venues e.g. the Hat & Feather, the Scotch Arms, the Rugby Club etc.. The games were played in a good friendly atmosphere on Wednesday evenings for a couple of winters or so. Then it all went sour. Why? It was decided, by whom I have forgotten, that the clubs should play for a Cup. No longer was it a ‘fun’ night out; it was serious stuff. Some clubs, not ours, actually imported darts players who were not club members. Well if they were ‘club members’, the ‘club’ was not a cricket club. One club even imported its star performers by taxi for ‘home’ matches. After a period interest waned, clubs dropped out and the whole idea was buried. The demise of the Indoor League more or less coincided with the birth of our own Bar, so we lost out on that regular income. The ‘bit of a history’?  When it came to darts I was the last one to be chosen for the team. On merit! To say that I was erratic would be too kind. One evening at the Lintz I succeeded in scoring 90 plus with one trio of darts. However I followed that up with scores of less than thirty and with nothing from a further set of three darts when each dart fell out of the board. I was, however, adept at hitting the light above the board. I can clearly remember demonstrating that skill [much to everyone’s amusement] at both Burnopfield and South Moor; although I must have done so elsewhere. Colin Leedham and Geoff Graham were our best darts players. Bob and Marjorie Thornton were our ‘aces’ with the cards, although I think that I can remember Walter Armstrong showing good form too with the cards.

  In last month’s edition I reported upon former Tyneside Senior League umpire Derek Murray’s antics in ‘manning’ the score-board at Blaydon RUFC. Early last month I confessed to him that I had written of his performance when I spoke with Derek at the Blaydon v Hartpury College match. Our conversation took place at half-time because, yes, he was doing that job again. 

  This month will see the Club’s own AGM [Monday 9^th November, 8 pm] and the League AGM. The Club is proposing a League Match-play rule change in order to counter-balance the perceived disadvantage encountered by the team batting first in a match when rain interruption[s] during that innings reduce the number of overs allowed. Hopefully the Club will be successful. Of course, in the First-Class game the Duckworth –Lewis method is employed in such circumstances. I remember entering the Club bar one evening some years ago to be greeted by David Graham’s words, ‘Here he is. You’re brainy, see if you can make sense of it?’ In his hands was a book which he told me contained a guide to the Duckworth-Lewis method to be introduced into the County game. At that time David was Durham County Cricket Club’s 2^nd Team Scorer. As such he wished to know how the system would work. I bought a pint, sat down and studied the tome. Having read the relevant parts more than once I was still none the wiser. Some time later the DL method came into use. I cannot remember whether it was David or John Hopps who informed me that the 1^st Class umpires could not understand it either. When a Limited Overs match was interrupted by rain the umpires rang a designated number at Lord’s to be advised of rearranged target scores. Now our League does not have such a designated number. Let us hope that a method, fair to both teams, can be devised.             

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. As someone who relies upon radio commentaries to follow live Test cricket, whether it be played at home or abroad, I deeply regret the passing of masters of that art. The current Test Match Special team of commentators provides a reasonable enough service [perish the thought that TMS should ever be taken off the air] but does that team compare favourably with the doyens of yesteryear – John Arlott, Brian Johnston, Don Mosey et al? I suggest not. The following quotations relate to my two favourites.

‘Exact, enthusiastic, amazingly visual, authoritative and friendly …….. he sounds like Uncle Tom Cobleigh reading Neville Cardus to the Indians.’

Dylan Thomas’s view of John Arlott’s early commentary style, from letters written in 1947.

‘It’s one thing to do commentary and then go and write your newspaper report, but then it’s altogether a different thing when at ten to seven you go out with 250 miles to drive home.’

John Arlott explaining the reasons behind his retirement, BBC Radio, 1980..   

‘The commentary lost more than just Arlott’s unassuming gravitas. When he retired, the commentary team lost much of its humanity.’

Simon Barnes writing in ‘The Times’ upon the effect of John Arlott’s death in 1991.

‘Probably the most celebrated British voice after Churchill’s.’

Frank Keating, on John Arlott in ‘The Guardian’, 1991.

‘He absorbed and distilled everything. He was in no sense verbose. The words were always spare and rationed. But they created the sense of a game and a ground and a cast and a drama unfolding with such deft accuracy that cricket itself somehow grew in significance.’

‘The Guardian’, in an editorial upon John Arlott’s death, 1981.

‘In John Arlott’s day the radio team had a centre of gravity; in the age of Johnston a centre of levity.’

Russell Davies wring in the ‘Sunday Telegraph’ upon Brian Johnston’s death, 1994. .  

‘Players enjoyed their company. You can’t say that about many commentators.’

Ian Botham, on the popularity of Brian Johnston and John Arlott, 1994.

‘A man with a music-hall imagination.’

John Arlott on Brian Johnston.

‘A man of simple tastes, instinctively generous, ungovernably corny, quite without artifice, totally loyal, utterly unaffected, unfailingly enthusiastic, highly principled, endearingly old-fashioned, immensely stubborn and seemingly ageless …..an institution.’

John Woodcock, ‘The Times’, upon Brian Johnston’s death, 1994.

‘Batsmen wear so much protection these days that I mostly identify them from their posteriors.’

Brian Johnston, studying Derbyshire’s players through a pair of old binoculars, in preparation for commentating on the 1988 Benson and Hedges Cup Final.

‘His was the last great voice of radio cricket commentary.’

David Lloyd, on Brian Johnston, 1994.

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

October 2015.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  The Club Barbecue, held on the first Saturday of last month, was a great success. There was not a spare seat to be had. The food looked great [unfortunately the writer is on a diet!!!], the bar did extremely well [I’ve never got around to drinking ‘shots’ myself] and the party atmosphere was brilliant. Earlier that same day the 1^st Team had guaranteed its Division ‘A’ status for 2016 by beating Ashington CC comprehensively at Blackfyne. It really was time to celebrate and the huge gathering did just that. It was good to see so many young people at the Barbecue, several making their debuts at Blackfyne. The average age of the participants was lowered considerably by their presence. Many thanks must go once more to David and Lesley Wilkinson for ‘manning’ the bar so professionally and to the unofficial ‘Ladies’ Committee’ for preparing the food.

  On September 14^th Club Chairman Alan celebrated his 60^th Birthday with a party at the Emirates International Cricket Ground [‘The Riverside’ in old money]. Friends and family enjoyed the day watching the cricket [Durham v Worcestershire], chatting in a relaxed atmosphere and partaking of an excellent hot and cold buffet lunch. I may have exaggerated by inferring that everyone watched the cricket. Most did but a minority were obviously not too sure what was going on down below on the field. Nevertheless a good time was had by all.

  On my way to Alan’s party news of the death of Brian Close [Yorkshire, Somerset & England] was announced on my car radio. Regular readers of the ‘Muses’ may recall that ‘Closey’ was a particular hero of mine. He was born and raised just two or three miles away from my home and was a former pupil of the school which I attended. Captain of Yorkshire during one of the most successful periods for the White Rose county, Brian Close was a major part of the fabric of English cricket over several decades. Famous for his bravery on the field whether taking on the ferocious West Indian fast bowlers with the bat [and his body] or fielding in a suicidal short leg position, ‘Closey’ was a fearless competitor. He did not suffer fools and always led from the front. Having joined the long list of superb cricketers sacked by Yorkshire, he took the helm at Somerset CCC and was instrumental in making that club a major cricketing force.

‘Well, Brian, you’ve had a good innings. I’m going to give you the option of resigning or getting the sack.’

Brian Sellers, Yorkshire’s cricket chairman, to Brian Close, 1970.

‘I’ve faced the fastest, most hostile bowlers in world cricket,with helmets and without, on minefields as well as shirtfronts. But I never knew what cold fear was until I slipped into the passenger seat of Close’s car.’

Ian Botham, a junior member of Close’s Somerset team.

Some years later he returned to his native county where, as Chairman of the Cricket Committee, he led the way in establishing the Yorkshire Cricket Academy. By this time Brian was in his sixties but that fact did not prevent him from passing on his knowledge of the game to the young players by captaining the team!

Once again it is that time of year for the writer to ‘wrap up warm’ and watch some Rugby Union on Saturday afternoons. At the time of writing I have watched three matches, two at Corbridge [Tynedale RUFC] and one at Swalwell [Blaydon RUFC]. I may well be wrong but from what I have seen to date both Tyneside clubs have long and difficult seasons ahead of them. Some readers will remember Blaydon CC stalwart and former league umpire Derek Murray. Derek, a former Blaydon RUFC player, is a fixture at Blaydon’s Crow Trees ground. I have never been to a match there without seeing him. He was there again at the recent Blaydon v Wharfedale match. On this occasion, however, Derek had the task of ‘manning’ the score-board. Not an onerous job you might think. After all, in general, the score does not change as rapidly as might be the case in cricket. However, for Derek, a man ‘not in the first flush of youth’, keeping the score up to date at the home of Blaydon RUFC is not particularly easy. The task entails the ascending of an apparently unstable pair of steps carrying the replacement digit card[s] in one hand, changing the score and then descending said steps to terra firma while holding the obsolete card[s]. Had I been thrust into that position, I believe that I would have offered up a silent prayer that penalties were missed in order to reduce the number of occasions when my mountaineering skills were required. Speaking to Derek after the match however, his major complaint was that the only total that he had had to adjust frequently was that of the Wharfedale team’s who had amassed more than forty points in a runaway victory!

  Where do you stand on promotion and relegation? No, not the system which operates currently within our own Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League [N&TSCL] which appears to work well due to the fact that the number of clubs in the League warrants a two divisional operation. I am referring to a Pyramid System whereby promotion and relegation operates between Leagues. Some years ago clubs in the N&TSCL voted to opt out of a North East Pyramid System. However, times change. The prospect of the N&TSCL becoming part of the Pyramid System is now on the cards as a direct result of the answers given by players, umpires and club officials to a questionnaire at the beginning of the season just ended. Apparently approximately 80% of players in North East England voted in favour of such a system. It looks likely that from season 2017 promotion to the North East Premier League [NEPL] will be an option for the N&TSCL champions. An option, not a mandatory measure. However, such is the determination for change that, should there be no voluntary ‘takers’ after a period of two years, promotion to the NEPL could be automatic for the N&TSCL champions. Whilst appreciating the need to ‘move with the times’, my own personal opinion [not necessarily that of the Club] is that however cricket in NE England is organised, the cream will still rise to the top. The majority of players will play at the highest level they can. My understanding is that the Premier Leagues [financially supported by Sport England] were established nationally with the objective of attracting the better players to them with the ultimate aim of improving the standard of the First Class County and Test teams. I am not alone in believing that money would be better spent in improving the playing of the game within the State School system i.e at ‘grass roots’ level.

  That was serious stuff eh? Back to a brighter subject. For several years Susan Horn has been instrumental in holding a Charity Dinner at the Club. The latest such event was held on the last Saturday evening of September. Club members and guests were treated to an excellent three course meal, a varied and interesting quiz, a raffle and a most enjoyable evening. A total of  £478 was raised to be shared between the British Heart Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support. Sincere thanks must go to Susan and her family, to the ladies who assisted with the food and to Chairman Alan for manning the bar. Thank you.

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Apart from their appeal to this writer, the quotations have only one thing in common – they originate from people who never played First Class cricket.

‘I cannot for the life of me see why the umpires, the only two people on a cricket field who are not going to get grass stains on their knees, are the only two people allowed to wear dark trousers.’

Katharine Whitehorn.

‘I never play cricket. It requires one to assume such indecent postures.’

Oscar Wilde.   

‘I have always imagined cricket as a game invented by roughnecks in a moment of idleness by casually throwing an unexploded bomb at one another. The game was observed by some officer with a twisted and ingenious mind who devoted his life to inventing impossible rules for it.’

Peter Ustinov.

‘Personally, I have always looked on cricket as organised loafing.’

William Temple.

‘Cricket is the only game that you can actually put on weight while playing.’

Tommy Docherty.

‘My wife had an uncle who could never walk down the nave of an abbey without wondering whether it would take spin.’

Sir Alec Douglas- Home .  

‘Cricket needs brightening up a bit. My solution is to let players drink at the beginning of the game, not after. It always works in our picnic matches.’

Paul Hogan.

‘I am to cricket what Dame Sybil Thorndike is to non-ferrous welding.’

Frank Muir.

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

September 2015.

  Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  At the beginning of last month the Club maintained its reputation for cosmopolitan culinary tastes by hosting a ‘Curry Night’ thanks to the input of 1^st Team player, Kamran Mansour. Club members will recall with pleasure the Caribbean Evenings held in recent years due to the good works of Club pro Gareth Breese and his wife Celia. Unfortunately for me I was unable to attend the Curry Night because of a three-line whip to attend a 30^th Wedding Anniversary Party. However, my informants  reported that a good time was had by all. Thank you  Kamran. Some readers may recall the time when ‘fine dining’ in the pavilion consisted of sandwiches and a bag of crisps! The Anniversary ‘do’ went well too.

  Lancashire provided Durham’s opposition when the Club hosted a two day fixture at Under 16 level last month. The weather was unkind on the first day with two or three interruptions for rain. A full day’s play was possible on the following day and the match ended in an exciting tie. As is the norm at such matches the bulk of the spectators were either parents or grandparents of the players. I enjoyed conversations with most of the visitors and was delighted with the genuine praise given by them with regard to the Club’s ground, its catering and the welcome shown to them by the Club’s members. Apparently not all hosting clubs go that ‘extra mile’ to accommodate visitors. Comments from visiting spectators and coaches during and after the fixture should be regarded as a ‘feather in the cap’ for the Club and for the small band of members, male and female, who made the hosting such a success.

  ‘It’s a small world isn’t it?’ This hackneyed expression was never more true than on two occasions during the Under 16 fixture. I watched some of the second day’s play from Critics’ Corner [beside the cemetery wall]. While sitting on a bench and puffing on my e-pipe [yes, I am ‘on trend’], who should come along and stop for a chat but Geoff Cook , the Durham CCC coach. He recognised me as the chap who, on a previous visit to Blackfyne, had given him a copy of ‘The Blackfyne Story’.  Having assured me that he was fully recovered from the heart attack which he had suffered a couple of years ago, Geoff asked if I remembered a former Consett player whom he had met for the first time and played golf with earlier in the day. The player concerned was Andy Toes. I could tell him that I certainly remembered Andy who had played regular 2^nd Team cricket for a couple of years in the 1970s in addition to making the odd 1^st Team appearance in cup-ties. In one such 1^st Team outing Andy was fielding at square leg when the batsman pulled a short pitched ball in Andy’s direction. The ball flew like a shell and whistled past Andy’s ear. Andy had not sighted the ball in the gloom and had not reacted to it at all. Another inch or two closer and……you know what the outcome would have been. Not long after my conversation with Mr. Cook, I encountered a gentleman whose grandson was playing for Lancashire. He asked me if I had been a member of the Club for a long time and, having received a positive answer, he went on to ask if I remembered a former Consett player who was now a member of his own Ormskirk CC. Of course he was referring to Walter Armstrong. Knowing, as I do, that Walter is a regular reader of this monthly column, I will spare his blushes by not recounting in detail the glowing testimonial that this particular Ormskirk member gave regarding Walter’s contribution over many years to the Ormskirk club. I have to state that it came as no surprise to me given the great service that Walter gave [and still does from afar] to our own club. Prompted by the visitor’s questions I gave a synopsis of Walter’s  career with the Club; in so doing  highlighting his outstanding ability with bat and ball, his leadership skills on and off the field and his strong will to succeed. I know what some readers are thinking and yes, because it is in ‘The Blackfyne Story’ for all to read, I did recount the incidents at Percy Main CC. My new found friend from Ormskirk admitted to having a sports background but not a cricket one and left me with the comment that he never knew that cricket was such a competitive game.

  Picture the scene. A ‘man of mature years’ is sitting in a deck-chair on a beach in Northumberland. Close by his wife, six grandchildren and their parents play happily on the sand. The elderly man, however, takes no part in this activity. He is listening through ear-phones to his radio. Suddenly the children’s squeals of delight are drowned out by a shout of, ‘One down!’ emanating from the old man. At regular intervals during the next hour or so he informs all and sundry that there are, ‘Two, three, four, five etc., etc., down!’ Yes, you are correct. The elderly man was this writer and the imparted information was the fall of wickets of the Australian team on the first morning of last month’s Trent Bridge Ashes Test. Australia, as you will remember, were bowled out before lunch for just 60. The rest, as they say, is history. England won that match and, with it, the series. The Ashes were regained and all was well with the world. Pleased as I was/am that England won the series, a tinge of disappointment with regard to the manner of that win gnaws away at me. I feel rather short-changed by the whole affair. Matches were finished too quickly. The result of matches was predictable by the end of the 1^st Day’s play far too often. ‘Rear guard actions’ were conspicuous by their absence. Did the counties suffer financially from the brevity of some of the Tests? Yes, I like many readers, remember all too well the long drawn out Tests that have suffered from extreme batsman-friendly pitches. 550-5 declared followed by 479- 6 etc.. Yawn, yawn, yawn. No, I am not wishing that on anyone. What I seek, and what spectators were certainly denied in this Series, is cricket of the highest quality. A fair contest between bat and ball. Has the T20 format had a detrimental effect upon batting in Test matches? Have the heavy bats and shorter boundaries [there once was a minimum distance of 70 yards or thereabouts] resulted in a whole new approach to the game? I do not profess to know. What I do feel, however, is that Test Cricket is meant to be the very pinnacle of our game and, for me, the 2015 Ashes Series was not that.

  Back to more parochial matters. Club members will wish the U15 team well when it meets its Shotley Bridge opponents in the final of the Willis Elliott Cup on the 6^th of this month. Congratulations to the boys and to the Team Manager, Colin McPherson.

  After many years of an ad hoc system of rubbish disposal the Club has finally engaged the services of a designated waste disposal company. Have you seen the new bins? This ground-breaking step forward was worthy of an official opening ceremony but suggestions of such an event were deemed to be…….rubbish.              

  Finally, it is time for a few quotations. With the 2015 Ashes Test Series still fresh in our minds, I offer more contributions associated with the long history of the Ashes.

‘I don’t think we have met – my name’s Cowdrey.’

Colin Cowdrey, introducing himself at the crease to Australia’s tearaway fast bowler, Jeff Thomson, after being pressed into service at a dangerously advanced age on England’s 1974/5 tour of Australia.

‘Who’s this then? Father Bloody Christmas?’

Jeff Thomson, as David Steele, silver-haired and bespectacled, emerged for his England debut at Lord’s, 1975.

‘First the convicts, then the rabbits and now Botham.’

Australian banner, 1978.   

‘I think you’re struggling, Skip. Best thing to do is put the spinners on and get us home early.’

Dickie Bird’s assessment of England’s chances in the Headingley Test against Australia in 1981. Mike Brearley put Ian Botham on instead, the last five wickets fell for seven runs and Australia, needing 130 for victory, lost by 18 runs.

‘In my day 58 beers between London and Sydney would have virtually classified you as a teetotaller.’

Ian Chappell, former Australian captain, informed that David Boon had consumed 58 beers on the team flight to England, 1989. Boon said that he was afraid of flying.

‘Not bad for the worst team ever to leave England.’

Mike Gatting, winning the Ashes in Australia in 1986, after facing the usual suggestions about the weakness of the squad.  

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

August 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

  

‘There’s not many pictures in it, are there?’ That remark was made to me by a visitor to the Club’s Family Fun Day held on 5^th July. Prior to the official opening time of the event I had noticed the man flicking through one of the copies of ‘The Blackfyne Story’ which I hoped to sell in aid of Club funds. Sensing a sale, I had made my way hastily to my ‘spot’ on the outfield only to be greeted with that criticism. Further sales talk failed to persuade him to part with the exorbitant outlay of £2. Having examined the ‘not many pictures’ the man escorted his granddaughter away from the literary corner of the site. He returned later in the day to ask me if the Club had considered holding Car Boot Sales as a way of making money. Fortunately by this time my sales had rocketed [I had sold a few] and was therefore able to discuss the matter with him in a reasonably affable manner. The Fun Day itself was a huge success. It was well attended, there were plenty of helpers and the whole thing was well organised by the sub-committee. Both financially and as a means of bringing together Club members and their friends, the event continues to be an indispensable part of the calendar. Each year people new to Blackfyne attend the Day. ‘I never knew this place was here!’ being heard quite often once again this year. Remarkably to the writer and no doubt to other patrons of Blackfyne, such comments are often made by visitors who live within a few minutes’ walk from the grounds.

The following Sunday saw the Club hosting this year’s Eric Topham Trophy. The Club, Burnopfield CC, Leadgate CC and Shotley Bridge CC competed in a 6 a-side competition for the Trophy.  Leadgate defeated the Club in the Final and were deserved winners. In spite of promotion of the event in the press, the attendance at the tournament was meagre. Consideration will be given to the revision of the format for next year’s competition. 

The funeral of former Leadgate CC and Shotley Bridge CC batsman Ken Day [see previous edition] took place on the 17^th of last month. Cricketers past and present were joined in the congregation by family and friends of Ken to celebrate his life. The church, Brooms R.C., Leadgate, was full to capacity; an indication of the esteem and respect in which Ken was held. Shotley Bridge CC Chairman, Paul Nesbit, addressed the congregation, recounting on and off the field stories concerning Ken. I was fascinated to learn of Ken’s addiction to crisps. Apparently he would arrive for an evening drink in Shotley’s pavilion armed with his portable ‘office’ [a bag containing his Club Treasurer requirements] and a selection of pastries and crisps to be consumed during the evening. Ken delighted in finding new flavours of crisps and would persuade his friends to participate in a ‘blind tasting’ session to identify the flavour.

Last month the lady wife and I enjoyed a few days away in North Norfolk. We stayed in a guest house in the village of West Runton, a couple of miles from Cromer. Yes, there is an East Runton too. While ‘out for a walk’ we came across two cricket grounds. The first was everything that a ground should be. A decent-sized field with a well maintained square and outfield, topped off by an impressive looking traditional pavilion. The second, at the opposite side of the village, was extremely basic. A small uneven field possessing a modest square and a ramshackle looking single-storey wooden building operating as a pavilion. The first ground belonged to a Public School, the second was the home of the village team. No wonder that Public Schools produce so many good cricketers. I was pleased to note that the local weekly newspaper contained full accounts of the matches played the previous week-end. During my holiday in North Devon  the previous month I had found the same thing. Club members may recall that we had the benefit of such articles once upon a time. The ‘Consett Guardian’ published match reports from the previous week-end and team selections for forthcoming matches. Yes, akin to the weekly newspapers in Devon and Norfolk, the ‘Consett Guardian’ was not a ‘free paper’. However, I cannot be the only local resident who would be prepared to pay for a weekly paper along the lines of the ‘Consett Guardian’ can I?

Another week-end away from home [ ‘He’s never there is he?’ I hear you say] caused me to miss both the 1^st Team’s home match with Swalwell and the Christening Party of Sophie Williamson, daughter of Neil and Gemma. My informants tell me that the Party went well and a good time was had by all. The Club now boasts a sizeable  number of  ‘mini’ members. Those of us with children and/or grandchildren know that Blackfyne is an excellent place for youngsters; plenty of space and safe. We are fortunate to have such a venue; one of the most child-friendly in the League? My two daughters were habitual visitors during my playing days. They ate their way through vast quantities of salad and roamed with friends about the ground. One even watched the match. The other never gave it a second glance.

The last Saturday in June saw me watching cricket at Shotley Bridge for the first time for several years. Fellow spectators included two ‘blasts from the past’, former Club players David Gibson and Ronnie Gowland. Ronnie introduced himself to me during a rain interval. I had not recognised him at first but, on consideration, that was forgivable, having not seen Ronnie for more than forty years. My first couple of seasons at the Club were spent playing mostly in the 2^nd Team. Ronnie was an integral member of that side. A late middle-order batsman, Ronnie was always ready with an amusing remark or two. Davy Gibson played in the Seconds at that time too before the pair of us were promoted to the 1^st Team. A stylish batsman, Davy was renowned for his fielding. It was not long before his prowess in the covers became the side’s not so secret weapon. Fleet of foot with a fast accurate throw, Davy accounted for many batsmen at a time long before the fielder got the written credit in the score-book for run outs common today. Not only did Davy’s skill take wickets, it prevented batsmen who had seen him in action previously from daring to take him on, thereby saving many runs. In short, those of us who played in that 1970s 1^st Team still speak of Davy as the best cover fielder they have played with or seen in local cricket. David and his wife Pam emigrated to Tasmania more than thirty-five years ago. However, every few years or so they make the long journey back to Consett to visit family and friends.    

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. As the Ashes Test Series progresses, I offer several contributions associated with the long history of the Ashes.

‘All Australians are an uneducated and unruly mob.’

England captain Douglas Jardine to Australian wicketkeeper Stork Hendry during the Bodyline series, 1932-33.

‘Don’t give the bastard a drink – let him die of thirst.’

Douglas Jardine’s favourite piece of barracking from the Sydney crowd during the Bodyline series, 1932-33.

‘Remember lad, one day we’ll have a fast bowler – and I hope that day isn’t too far off.’

Len Hutton to Ray Lindwall after some torrid overs, MCC in Australia, 1950-51.   

‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

Ray Lindwall, upon hitting Frank Tyson [the fast bowler Hutton dreamed about] on England’s next tour to Australia in 1954-55.

‘They’re not bouncers!’

‘Well, somebody’s bowling them from this end, and it’s not me!’

An exchange between England captain, Ray Illingworth, and the Australian umpire, Lou Rowan, Perth Test, Ashes tour 1970-71. Rowan had warned John Snow about excessive bouncers.

‘G’day, howya going?’

Dennis Lillee’s address to the Queen at Lord’s, 1972.  

     

Mike Rogers

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

July 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

There was a ‘gathering of the clans’ in the Club’s Bar on the 23^rd of June following an evening friendly match played between the Club and a touring team from Merseyside. The touring team, St. Mary’s College, was supervised by two masters one of whom was John Armstrong. A surname familiar to Club members? Yes, John is one of Walter and Margery Armstrong’s two sons. Several months before John had contacted the Club hoping to set up the match as part of the College’s annual tour. The added incentive to hosting the game was that John’s parents intended to be present. Arrangements were made, the sun shone and spectators were treated to some good cricket played in the best of spirits. The ‘gathering of the clans’? Present in the Bar were former Club team-mates of Walter:- Bob Chapman, David Dixon, David Graham, Keith Horn, Gordon Hunter, Tommy Nichol, David Wilkinson and yours truly. [Apologies for any discrepancies.]  Susan Horn, Ann Hunter, Joan Nichol and Lesley Wilkinson completed the line-up of contributors to the ‘let’s go down memory lane’ session. I am reliably informed [by Walter himself] that he and Margery had had a good time ‘catching up’ and that they were just about the last people to leave. No change there then.

Unfortunately I had to leave the party earlier than I had intended due to the early start to my day catching up with me. Early start?  In the previous edition I referred to my attendance at the Northumberland County Show. I did not, however, refer to the purchase made there of garden furniture. A few weeks later a ‘phone call from the supplier resulted in an agreement that the lady wife and I would be the first call for the delivery driver. Good news eh? Well, not quite. ‘First call’ would be between 6 and 7 A.M.!!! Consequently at 6.30 a.m. on the morning of the friendly I found myself standing at the rear of my house in pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers [together with the lady wife similarly attired] taking delivery of said furniture.

The visit of St Mary’s College caused me to recall visits to ‘foreign fields’ made by the Club in the 1970s. Previously I have recounted tales of visits to my former club in Leeds. Of the day when it rained continuously, no play was possible and we spent the whole day drinking and playing darts and dominoes to pass the time. I may not, however, have recounted the antics of the squad which journeyed by coach to Lincolnshire to play a friendly against Colin Leedham’s ‘old’ club, Barton CC. As the saying goes, ‘What happens on tour stays on tour.’ If you were there you already know. If not, suffice to say that a most enjoyable day included David Gibson succeeding in securing a lunch of fried egg and chips in a Scunthorpe Chinese restaurant [despite the repeated refusals of the waiter], an impromptu game of cricket using turnips for balls played on the coach on the way back home and, I almost forgot, a game of cricket. What it was to be young, fit and daft.  

Towards the end of last month news of the death of Ken Day was announced. Readers of a certain age will remember Ken with great affection. Younger readers may need more information. Ken played his early cricket for Leadgate CC before joining Shotley Bridge CC. He and David Collingwood [father of Peter and Paul] formed a formidable opening batting partnership which consistently got the Shotleyites off to a good start. Their running between the wickets was the hallmark of their partnership, practically telepathic. Quick singles [nudges here and there] was the basis of their success. Both on and off the field Ken was a true sportsman. Following his retirement from playing the game Ken served his club in several capacities for many more years. In recent decades I had the pleasure of meeting him socially many times and always found him to be unchanged; friendly, knowledgeable, always possessing a ready smile. Several years ago Ken and another former Shotley Bridge cricketer, Alan Milburn, were regular visitors to our Bar and good company they were too. I never heard Ken speak a bad word about anyone and I have never heard anyone utter a bad word about him. He will be missed by many.

A week’s holiday in Devon at the beginning of last month caused me to miss the 1^st Team’s defeats at Tynedale and at home to Lanchester thereby reversing the trend of my attendance at defeats and absence at victories due to holidays. The home win against Alnmouth & Lesbury on the final Saturday of the month was therefore most welcome. The previous Saturday had seen the team go down to a heavy defeat at Ashington. For readers who have not visited Ashington’s ground, a word of warning. During the tea interval my fellow supporters [David Graham, Gordon Hunter and Tommy Nichol] and I decided to eat our sandwiches at one of the  picnic tables situated within the ground. On completing our meals we had to take extreme care in order not to rip off the seats of our trousers as we arose from the benches. The benches must have been weatherproofed earlier in the week [or maybe just the day before] and were extremely tacky. Take heed next season. 

As regular readers know, I am not one to complain. Stop laughing! However, for once I will break with tradition [you’re laughing again!] by bemoaning the demise of the word ‘pavilion’. I was brought up to know that cricket grounds had pavilions and that golf courses had clubhouses. Somewhere in the past sixty-odd years or so I seem to have missed the official announcement of a change of use. All and sundry now speak of clubhouses on cricket grounds. There can be no finer example of a cricket pavilion than our own at Blackfyne. Thanks to the superb work of David Dixon, John Hopps and David Wilkinson the pavilion has never looked better in my forty-five years at the Club than it does now. Yet I still hear cricketers referring to it as our clubhouse. Granted some cricket pavilions do look more like warehouses than pavilions but please let us keep the word pavilion in common usage for our very own. There also appears to be confusion regarding the difference between a ‘cricket field’ and a ‘cricket pitch’. That debate, however, must wait for another edition.   

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. With the latest Ashes Test Series about to begin, I offer a few contributions from the mouth of one of the most prolific tormentors of England batsmen in modern history.

‘My diet is still pizzas, chips, toasted cheese sandwiches and milkshakes. I have the occasional six-week burst where I stick to fruit and cereal: it bloody kills me.’

Shane Warne.

‘To break the world record, not in Australia but in India, would probably be my second choice. I’d like to think I’ll do it in this Test match. If I don’t, I’ll probably be carrying the drinks in the next one.’

Shane Warne before becoming the world’s highest wicket taker.

‘We slept under the stars in sleeping bags – it was wonderful getting bitten by the mozzies – I’m still covered in bites. We went orienteering in the middle of the night with six-foot kangaroos jumping around. It was just a wonderful time!’

Shane Warne less than impressed by coach John Buchanan’s ‘Boot Camp’’.   

‘I’m a big believer that the coach is something you travel in to get to and from the game.’

Shane Warne having another dig at John Buchanan.

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

June 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

The Durham and Northumberland Cricket Boards are engaged in surveying the views of clubs, umpires and players via questionnaires with regard to the future structure of League cricket in NE England. Questions relating to start and finish times, number of overs played, desire to play in the Premier League etc., etc. have been posed. Time will tell if the survey will produce any changes to the current structure. Will any changes result in more people playing cricket? Will any changes produce better cricketers? I do not know the answers. However, one thing I do know is that the cream will always come to the top. Given the scouting systems operated by the County Cricket Clubs and Boards, talented young cricketers will be given the opportunity to make their way in the game. I doubt that any youngster will have to do what my boyhood [and adult] hero, Yorkshire wicket-keeper Jimmy Binks, did to further his cricketing career in the 1950s. As a seventeen year-old he travelled from his home in Hull to play cricket for Leeds CC at Headingley on his motorbike and side-car! 

 

For more than sixty years I have had the pleasure of watching great cricketers from all over the world. I have admired and often envied many players for their skill with bat and ball. Some, however, go that little bit further as far as I am concerned. Of whom do I write? The players who, at the right time and in the right place, entertain the crowd by bringing a touch of humour into a match. The likes of Fred Trueman bowling an in-swinging orange to Colin Cowdrey during a Scarborough Festival match. Warwickshire and England captain Mike Smith, fielding at short leg, quickly pocketing a ball before looking into the crowd to where he pretended the ball had been dispatched at speed by the batsman. Essex spinner Ray East making a point to his captain at the end of an over by using a spectator’s bicycle to get from his fielding position at fine leg at one end of the ground to his new position of fine leg at the other end. Yes, the entertainers, the comedians, the impressionists. Professional cricket is, we know, a serious business. Nevertheless there are days when a touch of humour does not go amiss.

Sadly, in my opinion, ‘characters’ in the First Class game have become as rare as hens’ teeth. Therefore I was delighted by the antics of Nottinghamshire opening batsman Alex Hales during a County Championship match played at the Riverside last month. At the start of the 3^rd Day’s play the umpires took the field closely followed by the Notts fielders who gathered in a huddle just inside the boundary rope. The Durham batsmen walked past the huddle. Chris Read [Notts captain] continued to impart his inspiring words even though the Durham pair had reached the square. Cries of, ‘Howay! Get on with it!’ emanated from the Members’ Balcony [from where else?]. I have commented in previous editions upon the inane remarks which come from that particular quarter of the ground. My thoughts of how stupid the remark was given the fact that ‘the Notts huddle’ could not reduce the mandatory 96 overs to be bowled in the day were quickly dispelled by the sight of the tall figure of Alex Hales [still in the huddle] raising his arm and repeating out loud the comment made by the Durham member. Gasps from the balcony. Chuckles from yours truly. The Notts players left the huddle and moved quickly to their fielding positions. Well, not all of them. Hales rounded his shoulders into a stoop and shambled to his position on the boundary beneath the Members’ Balcony uttering over and over again, ‘Howay! Get on with it!’ in a voice loud enough to be heard by all and sundry. His attempt at a North Eastern accent was pretty good too. ‘He’s laughing at us for being old! You’ll be old too one day!’ came the response from the Durham member whose initial remark had started this chain of events. No, Hales was not laughing at you for being old, he was laughing at your ignorance and in the process warmed up a cold morning for himself, his team-mates and best of all – the spectators.   

Last month’s ‘Quiz Night’ [a ‘Pointless’ quiz presented by Chairman Alan] will be the last Quiz Night to be held for a few months. This decision has been taken due to dwindling attendances. It is hoped to resurrect the monthly quiz during the close season. Do not despair. Other social events have been planned to tempt members and their friends to the Club. A Barbecue will be held as will the Annual Family Fun Day. Details on the Club’s web-site. 

Attendance at a wedding in North Yorkshire caused me to miss the 1^st Team’s first League defeat of the season at Ponteland last month. Apparently, for the neutral observer, it was a great game. One team in the ascendancy for a spell before the other took over etc.. For the more committed it must have been gruelling with the outcome of the match not decided until the penultimate ball of the final over. The ‘match’ which I attended was not without incident either. No, not what you are thinking. The ceremony took place in a beautiful rural church near Ripon. The wedding reception took place in a luxurious country hotel near Northallerton. The food was excellent, the company was fine. What were the incidents then? On arrival at the hotel guests were served with a glass of Pimms [at least I think that is what it was] followed by a succession of canapes. There was to be a wait of some two hours before the Wedding Breakfast itself was to be served, therefore the canapes got a bit of a hammering! I decided that drinks were needed for the lady wife and me. To my horror I found that draught beer was not available at the bar! As some readers may know I prefer a pint of bitter to any other drink. Lager for me is something to be consumed in foreign parts when ‘proper’ beer is not available. Well, North Yorkshire is not foreign. However, needs must so I ordered a pint of some lager or other [it had a foreign name]. That was bad enough. More pain awaited; the barman charged me £4-95 for the pint of cold, insipid liquid! The previous evening I had paid less than that in total for three pints of Samuel Smiths bitter at my gentlemen’s club [Number One Social Club]. The journey home that evening was trouble free apart from the fact that on reaching Scotch Corner we found that the A1 was closed due to overnight road-works. Following the diversion signs to the book we ended up going home via Barnard Castle!

I thoroughly enjoyed my first ever visit to the Northumberland County Show on the last Monday in May. It was held at Bywell near Stocksfield and attended by thousands including several Club members. Andy Forster was working in a prime spot, the Food Marquee. I am grateful to Andy for directing the lady wife and me to the best sausage stall in the marquee. So good were the sausages that we bought five packs! Andy’s wife Rachel, daughter baby Erin and parents-in-law John and Susan Hopps were also at the Show enjoying the exhibits and entertainment.  1^st Team Captain John Chapman’s fiancée Jayne was busy for most of the day, ‘showing’ some of her dogs. Very well they and she did too, walking away with several prizes. One disappointment:- my years are obviously starting to show because when I asked for Seniors’ admission tickets they were sold to me without any request for confirmation of my age.

Finally, it is time for a few quotations. Earlier in this article I wrote about ‘characters’ and humour in our game when describing Alex Hales’ antics. The following either refer to or were uttered by professional cricketers for whom the adjective ‘colourful’ is richly deserved.

‘I don’t ask my wife Kathy to face Michael Holding, so there’s no reason why I should be changing nappies.’

Ian Botham.

‘If I’d done a quarter of the things of which I’m accused, I’d be pickled in alcohol. I’d be a registered drug addict and would have sired half the children in the world’s cricket-playing countries.’

Ian Botham.

‘We used to eat so many salads there was a danger of contracting myxomatosis.’

Ray East.   

‘Derek Randall bats like an octopus with piles.’

Matthew Engel.

‘I’ve not been to bed yet. Behind these sunglasses there’s a thousand stories.’

Bleary-eyed Andrew Flintoff after the 2005 Ashes triumph.

‘It means I can drive a flock of sheep through the town centre, drink for free in no less than 64 pubs and get a lift home with the police when I become inebriated. What more could you want?’

Andrew Flintoff on being granted the freedom of Preston.

‘I’m completely different from Pietersen. He would turn up to the opening of an envelope.’

Andrew Flintoff.

‘Being the manager of a touring team is rather like being in charge of a cemetery – lots of people underneath you, but no one listening.’

Wes Hall.

‘Mate, if you just turn the bat over, you’ll find the instructions on the other side.’

Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes to Robin Smith after the England batsman had played and missed..

‘On the subject of skin care, James Anderson says: ‘I always use a daily moisturiser.’ It’s one of the great tragedies that Fred Trueman is no longer on ‘Test Match Special’, because Jonathan Agnew asking Fred what type of moisturiser he used in his day could have produced one of sport’s truly great radio moments.’ 

Martin Johnson.

‘I’ll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not.’

Keith Miller.   

‘No good hitting me there, mate, there’s nothing to damage.’

Derek Randall to Dennis Lillee after being hit on the head by a bouncer.

‘The blackcurrant jam tastes of fish to me.’

Derek Randall, tasting caviar for the first time on an MCC tour to India.

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

May 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

At long last the season is with us and we no longer have to find something to do with ourselves at week-ends. With the exception of the final week of last month the weather has been reasonably kind. Players and spectators alike appear to be enjoying ‘getting back to it all’. I even found my thermos flask!  New 1^st Team recruits Daniel Milligan and Kamran Mansour have got off to contrasting starts to their careers at Blackfyne. While Dan has shone with both bat and ball in the League, Kamran’s League debut had to be postponed due to the death of his father back at home in Pakistan. Kamran did, however, make his competitive debut for the Club in the League Cup victory played at Annfield Plain CC on the last Wednesday of April. Having left Karachi in temperatures of around 40 degrees Centigrade, he suddenly found himself playing on a windswept Enterprise Park in single digit temperatures. Despite all of this Kamran performed very well. I make no prediction regarding our teams’ fortunes this season. Taking a selfish stance, I just hope that we non-players are entertained by some good performances and that [as some say] ‘cricket is the winner’.

During the 1^st Team’s first League fixture [away to Annfield Plain] captain John Chapman posed a good question. He had been told by one of the umpires that the ‘second’ or ‘spare’ ball which he had handed to the umpire at the start of the innings could not be used if the first ball became lost because it was not of the same brand/manufacture as the initial match ball. John’s query centred around the use, in the near future, of the ‘Oxbridge’ ball. During this season the ‘Oxbridge’ ball will become the only ball permitted to be used in League matches.[Clubs are currently able to use up stocks of balls previously approved by the League.] Chapper’s question to me was if during the first match designated as an ‘Oxbridge’ only affair the original ball were lost, would the replacement ball have to be a brand new ‘Oxbridge’ ball? Now, I bet no one else had thought of that scenario. Anyone with only a little knowledge of the game would appreciate that the replacement of a ball of say 30 odd overs of use with a brand new ‘cherry’ would not go down too well with the batsmen. Perhaps the rule regarding the replacement ball being of the same brand/manufacture as the original ball appears in the Laws of Cricket as sanctioned by the MCC; I have neither the will nor the time to find out. It does not, however, appear in the League’s matchplay rules. I had an inkling of what the answer to John’s question should be but sought clarification from the League Secretary. His reply confirmed my initial thought that commonsense should be applied in such a situation and that a used ball of manufacture previously approved by the League would constitute a replacement ball. Of course the preferred course of action is not to lose the bloody ball in the first place.

It has been a busy time off the field in recent weeks. David ‘Hockney’ Dixon and David ‘Monet’ Wilkinson have been hard at it with paint and brushes and what an excellent job they have made of it. The score-box and pavilion have received their attention and look all the better for it. Unfortunately David D. had to curtail his labours during the last week of April due to suffering from the effects of the extreme cold when painting outdoors early in the morning. I am pleased to report that he has made a good recovery. Repairs have been made to the staircase wall and John Hopps has performed wonders with a carpet-cleaning machine to restore the floorcovering in the Bar to mint condition. Thanks to the initiative and work of Gary Hunter the Club now boasts baby-changing facilities in the pavilion. [Just as well given the increasing number of ‘little ones’ at matches and other functions.] The field itself looks a picture. Thanks to new machinery and the hard work of David Graham, Keith Horn, John Hopps and Gordon Hunter our playing area must be the envy of many other clubs.

Chairman Alan presented a ‘Pointless Quiz’ on the first Saturday in April. Although attendance was quite low, it made for a very enjoyable evening. I have to report a first. Not one person argued with any of Alan’s decisions! Bar income reached astronomical heights when 3^rd Team captain Ian Cox held his 30^th Birthday Party at the Club last month. There must have been a hell of a lot of orange juice and lemonade sold that evening. Well drunk lads. 

It is good to see long-serving member Tommy Nichol on the mend once again after two spells in hospital last month. He gave himself, his family and friends a great shock but now, hopefully, he can enjoy his cricket once again.

Like countless others I was saddened last month by the news of the death of Richie Benaud. To many he was a peerless TV commentator . To those of us of a certain age Richie Benaud was not just one of the finest ever TV commentators and writers on cricket, he was one of the best all-rounders of his generation. A talented middle-order batsman, a world-class leg-spinner and a shrewd captain, Richie Benaud enjoyed an exalted position on the Test Match scene during the 1950s and ‘60s. Having ‘learnt his trade’ during the latter part of his playing career, Benaud went on to be a well-loved and respected journalist and commentator both in his native Australia and throughout the Test-playing world. Always dressed immaculately whether in ‘whites’ or civvies, Benaud was a great ambassador for his country and the game of cricket itself. There are, as we know, some retired players turned pundits who criticize current players during their radio or television commentaries. Benaud never did. ‘He’ll be disappointed with that stroke.’ was the closest he would allow himself to get to criticizing a batsman who had got himself out due to a bad shot. He had that skill of allowing the picture on the screen itself to tell the story and only to speak when necessary. Modern day commentators please note! We shall miss him and be grateful that we were around to see and hear him for such a long time.    

Finally a few quotations from the mouths of Richie Benaud and two other favourite commentators of mine who are no longer with us:-

‘There were congratulations and high sixes all round.’

Richie Benaud.

‘He played a cut so late as to be positively posthumous.’

John Arlott

‘That slow-motion replay doesn’t show how fast the ball was travelling.’

Richie Benaud.   

‘Bill [Frindall] needs a small ruler. How about the Sultan of Brunei? I hear he is only four foot ten.’

Brian Johnston.

‘Batting is a major trial before an 11-man jury.’

Richie Benaud.

‘The umpire signals a bye with the air of a weary stork.’

John Arlott.

‘Gatting at fine leg – that’s a contradiction in terms.’

Richie Benaud.

Neil Harvey’s at slip, with his legs apart, waiting for a tickle.’

Brian Johnston.

‘He’s usually a good puller – but he couldn’t get it up that time.’

Richie Benaud.

‘Clive Lloyd hits him high away over mid-wicket for four, a stroke of a man knocking a thistle top with a walking stick.’ 

John Arlott.

‘He’s not quite got hold of that one. If he had, it would have gone for nine.’

Richie Benaud.   

‘As he comes on to bowl, Freddie Titmus has got two short legs, one of them square.’

Brian Johnston.

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

April 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

It is a pleasure to be able to begin this edition with some good news. I am delighted to report that Neil and Gemma Williamson became the proud parents of a baby daughter, named Sophie, on 23^rd March. Congratulations to Neil and Gemma and to both of your families. Grandmother Judith is now well practised in showing photographs of the new arrival to Club members. Given the number of girls born to members recently, the Club may have to think seriously about forming a Ladies’ team in years to come. 

I cannot resist reading the novelty signs on sale in some shops. You know the sort of thing, ‘Never mind the dog. Beware of the children!’ etc. On a recent visit to  Stanhope in Weardale I espied the following :- ‘A lovely lady and a grumpy old man live here.’ I chuckled when I saw it. The lady wife nodded enthusiastically, too enthusiastically. As you know, I am not one to complain [you’ve just choked, sworn or gasped aloud at that haven’t you?] but at the risk of confirming the lady wife’s opinion, I feel compelled to get a certain matter off my chest.

In its simplest terms I am bemoaning the demise of our beloved game of cricket. I am not thinking about the abysmal performance of the England team in the Cricket World Cup which finally concluded a day or two ago. That was not unexpected. Indeed it was anticipated in some quarters. Even with better teams than the current one the tournaments have always ended in disappointment for supporters of England. The focus of my displeasure is how cricket in the United Kingdom has become a minority sport. It is no longer broadcast on national terrestrial television. BBC Radio’s Test Match Special continues to do a sterling job but its continued existence is the subject of debate far too often. The coverage by SKY TV is, I am told, very good. However, the reporting of matches by both BBC TV and BBC Radio is like the curate’s egg i.e. good in parts. More often than not the reports are given by men and women who appear to know little or nothing about the game of cricket. They usually get the names of the teams and players right but their delivery of the report itself lacks understanding. Cricket no longer stands alongside football as a national game. Football rules OK! The amount of cricket played in state schools is considerably less than a generation or two ago. Local clubs [like ours] are left to get on with the job of educating youngsters in the game. When the ECB sold out to SKY TV we were told that the grassroots game would benefit. We are still waiting. The Rugby Football Union saw the error of its ways and granted the BBC full coverage of this year’s Six Nations competition and were rewarded by record viewing audiences. I could continue with more examples of cricket’s demotion but my objective is not to depress the reader. Time, therefore, to stop moaning and to move on to other matters.

I enjoyed last month’s Quiz Night enormously………… because I knew all of the answers. A brain transplant?  No, I set the questions. Those present told me that they had enjoyed the quiz and, as no money had changed hands, I believe that they did. Regular Quiz Night attendees will know that the Club Monthly Draw is held on Quiz Night. Last month’s prize stood at £80. Chairman Alan invited my younger daughter Sarah to pick the winning number out of the bag which she duly did. With great delight Alan announced that the winning number was his own. Of course all present failed to mask their delight in Alan’s success! When the applause had died down a little Alan offered to buy Sarah a drink by way of thanks for selecting his number. This is where the story takes a disappointing twist. Sarah politely declined Alan’s offer. That’s it! It never crossed her mind to say that although she was declining Alan’s kind offer for herself she would like him to buy a drink for her father instead. I thought that I had raised my daughter better than that. Just shows how wrong you can be.

Club members should be grateful to Susan Horn [ably supported by husband Keith] for staging a ‘Chinese Night’ in the Club Bar on the last Friday of March. Approximately forty people enjoyed a superb Chinese meal, a Chinese themed quiz devised by Susan followed by Chairman Alan’s ‘Pointless’ questions. The ‘company’ was good and the bar did well. What more can we ask for? Many thanks to all who helped to make it a successful and enjoyable evening. This month’s Quiz Night [Sat. 4^th] will be in the form of a ‘Pointless Quiz’ presented by Chairman Alan.

Thanks to the hard work of voluntary groundsmen David Graham, John Hopps, Keith Horn and Club President Gordon Hunter the field is shaping up well. Indoor Nets for both seniors and juniors have been on-going for weeks now. New equipment has been ordered or purchased. A couple of new senior playing members together with one or two more familiar names have been registered with the League. Pre-season maintenance and preparation began in earnest on the last Saturday of March when a Working Party met at the ground. With a combined strength of approximately a dozen, various tasks were completed to ensure that everything will be shipshape when the season commences. Players and supporters alike are ‘ready for the off’[or just about]. 

As I began to compose this edition the snow was falling. It was the last Thursday of March and the new season was less than a month away. As I write this paragraph on the final day of March a gale is blowing sleet and more snow is forecast. Should we cricket lovers be alarmed or even surprised by this situation? No, of course not. Severe inclement weather coinciding with the start of the cricket season is mandatory for our part of the country. [I often wonder why one of the most northerly Leagues in England habitually begins its League programme a week earlier than many more southerly Leagues do.] Not to worry, the weather will begin to behave itself and we shall have an enjoyable five months of cricket ahead of us. I appreciate that I have just tempted Providence with those words but we can hope can’t we? Now I must find my cricket-watching companion ……….. my thermos flask.

Finally a few quotations to illustrate that adverse comments regarding the England cricket team began long before the recent World Cup debacle:-

‘Even today with those artificial hips and at the age of 70, wouldn’t he be still more of a success in the West Indies than some of the snivelling, long-haired, money-conscious yobbos that now represent England?’

John Junor, columnist, on Bill Edrich [Middlesex and England], in the ‘Sunday Express’, 1976.

‘England won’t improve in world terms until the younger players rediscover some professional pride.’

Bob Taylor, England wicketkeeper, in ‘Standing Up, Standing Back’, 1985.   

‘If we had shown the kind of attitude and guts during the war that our cricketers have in the West Indies, Hitler would have walked all over us.’

Brian Close, former England captain, 1986.

‘England have only three major problems – they can’t bat, they can’t bowl and they can’t field.’

Martin Johnson’s famed assessment in ‘The Independent’ at the start of England’s tour of Australia, 1986-7. England’s recovery to win the Ashes later led Johnson to remark:  ‘Right quote; wrong team.’

‘Hell’s teeth, I was a bloody greyhound next to this lot.’

Geoffrey Boycott on England’s pedestrian batting display versus New Zealand, 1988.

‘Our fielding has been the worst I have ever seen in all forms of cricket.’

The verdict of Graham Gooch, their captain, on England’s efforts in the 1990-91 Ashes series.   

‘A fart competing with thunder.’

England in Australia 1990-91, as assessed by their captain Graham Gooch.

‘I can’t bat, can’t bowl and can’t field these days. I’ve every chance of being picked for England.’

Ray East, former Essex spinner, before leading Minor Counties side Suffolk against his old county in the NatWest Trophy, Bury St Edmunds, 1993. 

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

March 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

I began last month’s edition by reporting upon my courageous battle with the ‘flu. At the risk, nay certainty, of being described as a hypochondriac, I feel compelled to commence this month’s article in the same vein. However, I do so with you dear reader in mind. Let what follows be a warning to you.

I was confined to barracks for several days at the beginning of February because of trouble with my legs i.e. they hurt like h**l. The saga started late one morning with a  trip to ASDA, Stanley. The lady wife was driving my car that day so I was ‘making do’ [what a martyr] with her Citroen C1. For a six foot tall person with a bad back, like the writer, getting in and out of that particular vehicle is not the easiest task in the world. Once inside it is fine, achieving that position is the hard part. But to get back to the tale, having made my modest purchase I returned to the car, deposited my purchase [a box of cereal] and walked down Front Street to post a letter. No problems so far. Prior to the lady wife’s departure from the marital home earlier that morning, she had left me with instructions regarding the preparation of my lunch. The ‘instructions’ amounted to suggested fillings for a sandwich. Having posted my letter, I espied Greggs the Bakers!!! Now, before my wife retired from work I was a regular customer of Greggs. However, the need to lose weight combined with the frequent presence of my wife had reduced my visits to that establishment to those of an onlooker and not a participant. Here was my chance at last to taste the delights of Greggs once more. A couple of minutes later I was striding back to the car carrying my spoils in a paper bag. That was when disaster struck! As I climbed a short flight of steps leading to the carpark both of my legs ‘cramped up’ from foot to groin. It was agony. Shuffling along, a few paces at a time, I eventually made it back to the tiny car and managed to contort myself into it. Believing that things [legs] would return to normal in a short while, I refused the one offer of help received by a fellow user of the carpark. After another five minutes or so of leg-rubbing I realised that if matters were to improve it would be quite some time before they actually did. I knew that I could not drive. I knew that I did not have a ‘phone with me. I knew that I could not walk back to the store to seek help. What a pickle! Another ten minutes or so passed before help was at hand in the form of a young man who parked his car within shouting distance. Within a few minutes of him phoning for an ambulance , an ambulance car arrived.  The paramedic gave me a thorough examination despite the restricted confines of the C1. He then drove the pair of us to the A&E Dept. of the University Hospital, Durham. Three and a half hours later I was released into the care of the lady wife who had answered my pleas made via the A&E Reception’s phone. The three and a half hours had been spent having my blood pressure and temperature taken several times, the blood circulation in my legs checked, blood samples taken and, of course, the highly technical state of the art striking of my legs with a hammer to test my reactions. The result of all the tests was that neither the doctor nor I were any the wiser. By the end of this time my right leg was back to something like normal. The left leg, however, was to remain neither use nor ornament for several days to come. The considered opinion of the lady wife is that I had pulled/torn a calf muscle. We now come, you will be relieved to learn, to the reason for my recounting of this sad tale. Having delivered me back home safely, my wife sought the assistance of a neighbour. Together they drove to ASDA in the neighbour’s car to retrieve the C1 and to explain to the staff why said car had been in the carpark for five and a half hours. On her return home the lady wife brandished the Greggs bag with glee as she ‘advised’ me, ‘Beware. Your sins will find you out!’ I had that damned Cornish pasty for my tea. 

Many thanks must go to former Club Secretary and Chairman John Hopps for devising and presenting a varied and enjoyable Quiz Night last month. In the company of Keith and Susan Horn, the lady wife and I pitted our wits against the other teams present. We pitted them well but not just quite well enough to win the quiz. As usual a good time was had by all; this time thanks to John.

One of the highlights of the close season is the Annual Senior Presentation Evening. Last month’s event was no exception. More than fifty people were present to enjoy the evening. The various awards were handed over by Club President Gordon Hunter, former Club professional Gareth Breese and current Durham CCC opening batsman Mark Stoneman. In addition to his presentation duties Mark acted as chauffeur for his father, Ian ‘Rocky’ Stoneman, who is currently unable to drive because of illness. The Club is grateful to both of them for making the effort to attend. Resumes of the past season were given by the captains of the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd XIs viz. John Chapman, David Williamson and Ian Cox. [The list of prizewinners may be viewed elsewhere on the Club website.] The presentations of the Colin Leedham Trophy, Eric Topham Trophy and Phil Williamson Memorial Award were poignant moments for me and, no doubt, for many others present. I have to admit to fighting back the tears when Chairman Alan awarded the Gus Robinson Rose-bowl [Clubman of the Year] to me. As many readers will know the past twelve months have not been the best of times for my wife Ann and me due to her illness. The award was greatly appreciated by the pair of us. Thank you Alan.

With the new season fast approaching a Working party will soon be hard at it making the pavilion and the grounds ship-shape. As I write the County Council Highways Dept. is working on improving the drainage system [not on the cricket field you will be pleased to know] although one could be forgiven, given the amount of mud created, for thinking that they are attempting a recreation of the Battle of the Somme. All types of DIY are to be attempted by the Working Party. No doubt the various tasks will be performed without incident in a calm and measured way. Yes, I have just seen some pigs flying outside my window. Infirmity will probably restrict my ‘input’ [you see I do know such trendy words] to the making of tea. However, I have it on good authority [John Chapman and David Graham] that my tea is excellent. Mind you, by the time they get to drink it they are usually so hot and tired that any liquid would go down well. 

In recent years Alnmouth & Lesbury CC and Bedlington CC have joined our League. This coming season will see Stocksfield CC making its debut. New grounds to visit, new cricket-lovers to meet. In years to come will you look back on your visits to those venues with pleasure or not? We all have our favourite ‘A’ list of ‘away’ grounds. Mine were Burnopfield CC [the old ground, aptly named ‘Cricket Terrace’] and Reyrolle CC.. To balance matters up a few grounds make the ‘B’ list. When you get a moment, see if you can draw up your own lists.    

Finally it is time for a few quotations. Here are a few made by ‘past masters’ of the game of cricket:-

‘I’m going while you still ask why. I’m not waiting until you ask why not.’

Patsy Hendren, Middlesex and England batsman, explaining why he was retiring..

‘The most lovable and ugly man there ever was.’

Harold Gimblett speaking of Patsy Hendren.   

‘A wonderful batsman, a very intelligent bloke, and a first-class hypochondriac.’

Harold Gimblett, as seen by a Somerset team-mate.

‘My word, Herbert, if it hadn’t been for my lumbago, we’d have brayed ‘em.’

Percy Holmes [224] to Herbert Sutcliffe [313] after a world-record partnership of 555 for the first wicket, Yorkshire v Essex at Leyton, 1932.

‘I could a bowt  t’taxi for less.’

Arthur Wood, Yorkshire wicketkeeper, after rushing by taxi from Scarborough for his Test debut against Australia at Lord’s, 1938.

‘I’m only setting up these records for Hutton to break them.’

Herbert Sutcliffe, Yorkshire batsman, recognising the talent of a young Len Hutton.   

‘If my mother hadn’t thrown my football boots on the fire, I might have become as famous as Denis Compton.’

Len Hutton.

[Ask an older person for an explanation if required. Mike R.]

‘The boy will be alright, but I was dying for a pee.’

Umpire Bill Reeves, apologising for adjudging Denis Compton lbw to Jim Parks on his debut for Middlesex against Sussex, 1936. 

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

February 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

Have you been laid low by the recent epidemic of flu-like symptoms? No? You are very fortunate. I succumbed to the bug on New Year’s Day and spent the next three weeks in various stages of discomfort. Incessant sneezing [I never knew that I possessed so many handkerchiefs] was eventually replaced by sinusitis, headaches, muscular aches etc.. According to the media the flu jab administered to the vulnerable [we over 65s] did not offer protection against this particular strain of influenza. Good news all round then. Of course the lady wife maintained that I had a cold and not flu. This malady severely restricted my ventures into the outside world. Therefore I am unable to report upon last month’s social activities at the Club. However, being the dedicated Club Officer that I am [stop laughing], having dosed myself with paracetamol and armed with numerous handkerchiefs, I did manage to get myself to the monthly Club Management Committee meeting and how pleased I was to be there. At the close of a useful meeting I was able to join Chairman Alan and Treasurer Colin in signing the Club’s new lease with Durham County Council. The signing of the lease was the culmination of negotiations with the Council which had been on-going since 2012. As they say, ‘Everything comes to he who waits.’ Well, we have certainly waited. Given the perceived threats to the Club’s tenancy of Blackfyne by initially the pavilion fire and latterly the creation of Consett Academy, it was with great pleasure that I signed my name on the lease. Club members owe a great debt to Club Treasurer Colin for the time he has spent in negotiation and to Club member Neil Williamson for his legal advice. My part in this saga? I held Colin’s jacket during negotiations.

Happily, I was almost back to my normal chirpy self [there, you are laughing again aren’t you?] when it was time to accompany Chairman Alan to the League Management Committee meeting held towards the end of January. There was the usual ritual of rubber-stamping the decisions made by the League Executive, the receiving of reports and the cries of , ‘We can’t hear you at the back of the room!’ Suddenly, however, I was woken from my reverie by news of Umpire Marking. It has been agreed with the Umpires Association that 1^st Team captains will assess umpires on their control of the match, their communication skills and their decision-making. Apparently only one umpire voted against the adoption of this practice. Of course 1^st Class umpires are assessed by the County captains. However, assessing umpires in the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League [N&TSCL] would appear to be a different kettle of fish altogether. There is a waiting list of would-be 1^st Class umpires; however, former Club Chairman Peter Stoddart finds it impossible, in his role of League Assistant Secretary [Umpires], to find a full quota of volunteers to ‘stand’ each Saturday in the N&TSCL. If it can be seen that the proposed assessment process has merit by virtue of  it helping individual umpires to improve their performance then perhaps, just perhaps, it could end up being beneficial to the recruitment and retention of umpires. On the other hand, playing Devil’s advocate, if handled badly it might have the opposite effect. As with most things, time will tell.

According to SKY TV’s David Lloyd the threat of receiving a bad mark from a County captain did not prevent Lloyd’s umpiring partner Jack Birkenshaw from annoying Leicestershire captain James Whitaker during a County Championship match at Grace Road, Leicester. At the end of the first day’s play Whitaker [nowadays Chairman of England Selectors] knocked on the door of the Umpires Room and asked if he could have a word with Birkenshaw. Once in the room Whitaker questioned Birkenshaw’s decision to give him out LBW [for a low score] claiming that he had knicked the ball before it had hit his pad. In response Birkenshaw stated, ‘Well maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. It doesn’t really matter.’ Whitaker was ‘not too suited’ by this reply and asked him for an explanation. Quick as a flash Birkenshaw rejoined, ‘You are the Whitaker of Whitaker’s Chocolates aren’t you?’ Whitaker answered in the affirmative. ‘Well, when my colleague Mr Lloyd and I arrived at your ground this morning and entered our room there was not one chocolate to be seen.’ The following morning the Grace Road Umpires Room was full to overflowing with Whitaker’s Chocolates!

Although Christmas 2014 is now long over and done with, I still have not got around to reading Dickie Bird’s latest book, a present from one of my sisters.[ No doubt like many readers of this article, I receive cricket books as presents on a regular basis.] I am old enough to have watched Dickie Bird playing for Yorkshire as a batsman at Headingley and was disappointed when he was dispatched to Leicestershire to continue his playing career. As we all know Harold ‘Dickie ‘ Bird went on to be a world famous umpire. Currently President of Yorkshire CCC, Dickie made the headlines last season for the wrong reasons when he complained about the price of a cup of tea at an away County Championship match. I do have some sympathy with him; prices at sporting venues can be scandalous. However, according to poet Ian McMillan [alias the ‘Bard of Barnsley’] Dickie is not known for throwing his money about. During Barnsley F.C.’s excellent run in the FA Cup a few years ago, McMillan was asked about Barnsley’s celebrity supporters, Dickie Bird and Michael Parkinson. McMillan commented that Dickie Bird was always at home matches ‘when somebody bought him a ticket.’ Similarly Michael Parkinson did not do too well out of the interview when McMillan described him as a ‘virtual spectator’, claiming that he had never seen Parkinson at Oakwell [Barnsley’s home ground] in his life.

Although my father was Leeds CC’s 1st Team scorer for several years during the 1950s, I inherited neither the inclination nor the skill to follow in his footsteps. However, like most players and ex-players I appreciate a ‘well-kept book’. Scoring a game of cricket is not an easy job. If you disagree, just try it once. Just as there are courses nowadays for aspiring umpires, there are courses for scorers. I am delighted to report that Rosie Grant [niece of Colin and Catherine McPherson] is to participate in a Level 1 course in scoring to be held at the Riverside this month. Rosie has scored several senior matches in the past but now is about to become a fully-fledged recorder of the game. She will possibly be the youngest course member; all the more credit to her. Unfortunately Rosie will not have the perk that my father had way back in the ‘50s when he was paid by the Yorkshire Evening Post [Green ‘un] for ringing in with the tea-time score. ‘Sunday Sun’ please note!

Finally it is time for a few quotations. Mention above of Dickie Bird and umpiring prompts me to offer the following umpire related quotations:-

‘It’s not easy taking up umpiring after being an umpire baiter for over 30 years.’

Bill Alley, on joining the umpires’ list, 1969.

‘Most umpires have good memories. If you stuff them once, they’ll stuff you good and proper in the end.’

Alan Oakman, Warwickshire coach, 1985.   

‘You’ll never die wondering, son.’

Cec Pepper, umpire, reacting to numerous LBW appeals from Ashley Mallett, Australian spin bowler, 1968.

‘Now all you want is a white stick!’

Sidney Barnes, Australian batsman, handing a stray dog he had captured to umpire Alex Skelding on Australia’s 1948 tour of England. Skelding had given Barnes out LBW.

‘Here’s three ha’pence. Buy a paper and find out the score.’

Alex Skelding, umpire, at odds with the scoreboard operators in a county match.

‘That’s out and we’ve won the Championship!’

Umpire and proud Welshman, Dai Davies, giving the decision as John Clay took the wicket which gave Glamorgan their first Championship, 1948.   

‘I’ve lost my marbles.’

Umpire Dickie Bird during the Headingley Test, England v West Indies, 1985. [The scoreboard had malfunctioned and Dickie could not find his counters.]

‘Umpiring at the top now is full of comedians and gimmicks. In the old days there used to be men you could respect.’

Cec Pepper, resigning from the 1^st Class umpiring list in 1980. 

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

January 2015.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

By the time that you get around to reading this edition you will [hopefully] have been wished a Happy New Year by many people. Please add my name to that list of well-wishers. Never mind about the prosperity part, may you remain in good health for years to come.

It is a pleasure to begin the first edition of 2015 with some really good news. Early last month Andrew and Rachel Forster became parents for the first time with the birth of daughter Erin. Congratulations to the new mother and father and to grandparents Celia, John and Susan.

December’s Monthly Quiz, presented by David ‘Wilk’ Wilkinson, brought memories flooding back to the quizzes presented many years before by Club Life member David Graham. Older readers will recall [how could we forget?] David’s ‘Know your Club’ round during which cryptic clues were given in the expectation of the teams identifying a member of the Club. To describe David’s clues as being ‘cryptic’ is to give a false impression. They were so ‘off the wall’ and convoluted that more often than not no one present could come up with the correct name; not even the mystery subject him/herself. [On one such occasion I did not recognise that a clue concerning Father Christmas actually related to me.]  After all of the teams had admitted defeat, David ‘brought the house down’ with his description of the route that we should have taken through the clues to reach the ‘obvious’ answer. Time after time we demonstrated how dense we were. Well, our performance at Wilk’s quiz just proved that we have not got any brighter in the interim. Many questions were straightforward enough to satisfy most people present but Wilk’s selection of other more difficult [nay impossible] ones provoked feelings of incredulity followed almost inevitably by howls of laughter and relief when teams realised that no one in the room could come up with the right answer [or for that matter, any answer] to the questions. It made for a very enjoyable evening. Many thanks David!  

Tynedale Park, Corbridge was the venue last month for the latest derby match between Tynedale  and Blaydon Rugby Union Clubs. I mention this not because of the match itself which Blaydon won 27-17 but because of meeting up by chance with a former Club official, Joe Darroch. I had not seen Joe for almost twenty years and was delighted to find that he had not lost his deadpan sense of humour. Some readers will know of Joe solely because of his physiotherapy work in Consett. However, a few readers may well remember him as Club Treasurer way back in the mid-1970s. At that time the Club’s Management Committee had a youthful look about it and was largely comprised of players. Peter Curtis was Club Chairman, yours truly was Club Secretary and Joe was Club Treasurer. This trio had a combined age of just less than 90. Compare that with today’s Executive! In many ways the Treasurer’s duties were different then than is the case nowadays. No bar income to deal with because there was no bar. No professional, therefore no wages to pay and no HMRC to keep happy. An annual ‘peppercorn rent’ of next to nothing. Etc., etc.. A different era but income still had to be raised and spent wisely…… and it was. [For further details please refer to ‘The Blackfyne Story’.]When Joe moved on to pastures new [Shotley Bridge CC] his Treasurer’s post was taken up by another young man, David Dixon, who would go on to serve the Club as a player and Club officer for many years. Back to the present day, the need for an active and able Management Committee remains. Happily, this need is being met. The present Committee may not have the ‘youthful look’ of its mid-‘70s  predecessor but it does have the range of experience and ability required to both maintain and develop the Club and to ensure a smooth ‘changing of the guard’ in future years.

On the subject of the ‘changing of the guard’, last month saw the removal of Alistair Cook from England’s One Day Cricket squad. What a year this Essex batsman has had. Calls from the media during the summer for his dismissal from the Test team  preceded recent ones for his removal from the limited overs side. As is its wont the powers that be at HQ ‘made a complete Horlicks’ of the whole affair. At the beginning of that fateful week in December the head of English cricket, Paul Downton, was publicly adamant that Cook would be captain of the side for the 2015 World Cup. By the Friday England’s selectors declared that Cook would not be in the squad and that Eoin Morgan would captain that team. The selectors could not present the new captain to the media as he was playing T20 cricket in Australia and because of the time difference was asleep when the announcement was being made in London. I assume that he had agreed to take the job prior to donning his pyjamas? I imagine that many cricket lovers would be delighted if Cook answers his critics by leading England to a series win at home to Australia in 2015, scoring a couple of centuries along the way; I certainly would be. Yes, it was probably time for him to step down from the One Day captaincy. However, we should remind ourselves that the poor showing of the team in Sri Lanka was not one man’s fault alone.              

The lady wife and I spent a couple of days in the West Riding last month. Apparently that area of the ‘Broad Acres’ was re-named ‘West Yorkshire’ in 1974. It remains the West Riding to me. However, I digress. While there I took the opportunity of reading the COMPLIMENTARY [I do not buy newspapers] editions of the ‘Yorkshire Post’ available for hotel guests. I was surprised and delighted to read that Yorkshire CCC would once again play County Cricket at Park Avenue, Bradford. That ground was a regular venue for the Tykes for decades until the mid-1990s. Since then the ground, due to the passage of time and vandalism, has fallen into disrepair. Just as Durham CCC played its home matches at various venues [including Blackfyne] throughout the county prior to the building of its permanent home at Chester-le-Street, Yorkshire CCC has entertained the opposition at a host of grounds throughout its 150 years. In recent years the expectation of the Club’s main sponsors for matches to be staged at Headingley has resulted in Scarborough’s North Marine Road remaining as the Club’s only outground. Over the years Park Avenue hosted 306 First Class matches. Apparently it was the Yorkshire players’ favourite home venue. It was my Bradford-born father’s favourite too. My only visit to the ground took place in the early 1960s when Nottinghamshire were the visitors. At that time Notts was probably the weakest of the County Championship’s seventeen counties, Yorkshire was the strongest. At no time during the match was the result in doubt. The highlight [for me] of the day’s play which I saw was the dismissal of Nottinghamshire’s No.11batsman, Bryan ‘Bomber’ Wells. Wells was a superb off-spinner who claimed 998 wickets in 1^st Class cricket for Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire. Although he took more than 100 wickets in a season twice for Gloucestershire, he lost his place to David Allen who was a better batsman and joined Notts for whom he took 120 wickets in his first season. He was a good bowler but a shocking batsman. In his long career he scored more than 2000 runs…… at an average of 7.47!!! He claimed to be the worst batsman in County Cricket and when I saw him bat that day at Park Avenue I had to agree that his claim was justified. None of the Nottinghamshire batsmen had the answer to the Yorkshire attack of Trueman, Nicholson, Illingworth et al. It seemed inevitable that Wells would appear from the sanctuary of the pavilion before the day was out and so it proved to be. As he made his way down the pavilion steps the good-natured Yorkshire crowd made him welcome with audible comments such as, ‘Oh! ’ere ‘e cums. T’worst  batter in England!’ ‘Bomber’ took guard but Goodness only knows why. Trueman was bowling to him. ‘Bomber’ backed away from the first delivery which whistled over the top of the stumps. Trueman ‘followed’ him with his next ball and then clean bowled him with his third delivery – an off-break; with ‘Bomber’ stranded at least a yard away from his leg stump. Good job that ‘Bomber’ Wells was a good bowler eh?

Finally it is time for a few quotations. Given the references above to England’s current on-and off-field performances , I offer the following with a reminder that, when it comes to England’s cricketing woes, there is nothing new under the sun:-

‘You bowled everyone at the wrong end, didn’t you?’

The remark from Phil Edmonds in the Lord’s press conference that encouraged David Gower, on the end of another thrashing from Australia, to leave early for the theatre, 1989.

‘England’s 17^th choice.’

Micky Stewart, England team manager, did not exactly inspire confidence with this description of the Kent seamer, Alan Igglesden, selected for an injury-stricken side at The Oval, England v Australia, 1989.   

‘We were going to sack him anyhow.’

Alec Bedser, England’s chairman of selectors, discussing David Gower’s resignation as England’s captain, Ashes series, 1989.

‘There’s no way at all we should lose. If we do, then a few heads will roll. You could bat for 10 days on this pitch and not get a result .’

Ian Botham, England’s captain, during the first Test against the West Indies in 1981. England lost by an innings and Botham said the media had taken his remark out of context by expecting changes.

‘One is always a little nervous when watching England bat.’

Peter May, chairman of selectors,1984.

‘Why are people too old to play Test cricket at 37, but too young to select the team until they are collecting their pension?’

Ian Botham, 1994, objecting to an England selection trio [Illingworth, Titmus, Bolus] all over 60.   

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

December 2014.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

As I write this edition the world of cricket is reflecting upon the tragic death of Australian Test batsman Phillip Hughes. Cricketers past and present have voiced their opinions on television and radio and written volumes in the press. Even one or two of my own friends who have never played the game seriously have expressed their shock that a young life could be taken as it was. Discussion has centred around whether or not modifications to protective headgear should be made as a matter of urgency and should the Laws of Cricket be amended in order to outlaw bouncers? Readers will have their own views. I tend to go along with the opinions of former Test players Mike Gatting and Bob Willis who were interviewed on the excellent Radio 5 Live ‘Sportsweek’ programme. They agreed that modern day batsmen may have been lulled into a false sense of security by wearing helmets and therefore  are attempting to play strokes that, without the ‘protection’ of helmets and/or chest pads, they would never have considered. Gatting stressed the fact that prior to the advent of helmets, most batsmen would never try to hook a ball from directly in front of the face but would either duck underneath the rising ball or sway out of its line. Willis, taking the bowler’s view, was alarmed at the prospect of banning the bouncer as he believed such a delivery to be a legitimate part of a fast bowler’s armoury. To remove it, he opined, would signal the end of Test cricket. For what it is worth, I agree.   

Phil Hughes’ tragic death has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world. His death has been marked by minute’s silences at all types of sporting events. I would suggest that the vast majority of people who stood in silence before the England v Australia Rugby Union match held at Twickenham on the penultimate day of November neither knew Phil Hughes personally nor had watched him play. Without questioning the sincerity of those people, such acts of collective grief and respect have become the norm. How times have changed.

Let me take you back to 1964. I was sixteen, playing cricket for my Club and for my school. The school’s 1^st XI played matches home and away almost every Saturday morning against other schools in the West Riding. It was 20 overs per side and highly competitive. Our captain at that time was eighteen years old, playing in his last Term at school before going to university. During a home match he was struck on the head when batting. He had played forward to a ball which perhaps he should have played off the back foot. The sound of ball making contact with bone was heard all around the ground. Play stopped momentarily while ‘Sugar’ [his surname was Sugden] shook his head and then, after ascertaining that no blood was forthcoming, took a fresh guard and resumed his innings. Eventually the match ended, we all went home and got on with the remainder of the week-end. The school’s pupils were drawn from what were then still classified as the ‘villages’ of Horsforth [where I lived],Yeadon [where Leeds/Bradford airport is], Rawdon [from where the great Hedley Verity and Brian Close hailed] and Guiseley [home of ‘Silver Cross’ prams]. In those days, of course, mobile ’phones had not been invented; indeed many families [including my own] did not possess a land-line ’phone. No Internet; imagine that! The term ‘Social media’ did not exist. Therefore, when I arrived at school on the Monday morning I was staggered to learn, from those team-mates who lived in the same village as ‘Sugar’, that he had been taken ill on the Sunday, had been rushed into hospital and had died later that day.   

What happened next is why I described the tragic accident of fifty years ago so fully in the previous paragraph. What happened next was, to all intents and purposes, nothing. There would be no special assembly/service in school, no counselling of friends and team-mates, no Book of Remembrance, no newspaper articles etc.. No doubt the school was represented at Sugar’s funeral but his team-mates were not allowed to attend. Whatever happened ‘behind the scenes’ was never known. All that I can recall is that we played our next match with a new captain. I suppose what it ‘boiled down to’ was that it had been an accident, no one was to blame and we just had to get on with life. I am not advocating that a similar attitude should be taken  regarding Phil Hughes’ death. People are genuinely grieving and it is fitting that his premature passing is marked in a significant way. The demands of 24 hour news programmes and the modern culture of blame will ensure that the tragic event is not forgotten. It was, after all, a different era back in the ‘60s. However, both tragic incidents reinforce a fundamental truth which is that a cricket ball can kill. All players must be aware of that fact and by their own skill and forethought take every possible step to remove the possibility of fatalities occurring. Having said that, accidents will still happen.

Unfortunately circumstances prevented me from witnessing several Club activities in November. I am told that the monthly ‘Quiz Night’, this time presented by Andrew ‘Bushy’ Waters and fiancée Nicola, was enjoyed by those present. Thank you both. [More about you later, Bushy.] I was away in Dumfries attending the District Convention of Lions Clubs when the League Dinner was held. Club Chairman Alan reported that the event [held at the home of Newcastle Falcons R.U. Club] had been both successful and enjoyable. The Club had been represented by Alan and his wife Susan accompanied by Keith and Susan Horn. A week-end in London prevented me from enjoying Gareth Breese’s swansong ‘Caribbean Evening’. Once again I was informed that I had missed out on a great evening although the attendance had been less than hoped for. A similar description is applicable to the attendance at the Club’s AGM held earlier in the month when just fourteen members turned out. One might say that the low attendance was a sign that members are completely satisfied with the ways in which the Club is being run. Alternatively, one might say that it was an indication that the majority of members could not be bothered to turn up.

The ‘week-end in London’ referred to above included a Saturday spent at Strawberry Hill, Teddington visiting daughter Emma, son-in-law Iain and grandson Evan and a Sunday enjoying Afternoon Tea at Lord’s. The Tea was, believe it or not, a Christmas 2013 present from daughter Emma. Circumstances had delayed the use of the gift until almost the end of 2014. Seated in the palatial surroundings of the Long Room, the lady wife and I tucked into sandwiches, scones [liberally festooned with cream and jam] and a variety of cakes all washed down with quantities of tea and a glass of champagne [courtesy of Lord’s staff for the short delay in taking our order]. The ‘order’ in question was for the blend of tea desired from a list of a dozen or so on offer. No, not PG Tips or Yorkshire Tea. Following tea [marked down in the lady wife’s estimation because of ‘shop-bought’ cakes] we were given a guided tour of the pavilion and museum. The intake of a pint or more of tea necessitated a trip downstairs to the ‘Gentlemen’s Lavatories’. Entering the door marked ‘IN’, I was amazed to find a huge flat-screen television set mounted above the urinals! Obviously MCC members do not like to miss a ball of play. Having done what I came to do, I returned to the same door by which I had entered to find that a sign on it read ‘NOT OUT’. Beside it another door marked ‘OUT’ guided me on my way.

For several years running Club members have bought tickets for the Consett Lions Club’s Annual Town Raffle. Prizes of various worth have been won by Club members but no one has ever won one of the ‘big’ prizes. Well, that lapse was corrected last month when Club members won the 1^st and 2^nd Prizes.  I was delighted to present 2^nd Team Vice-captain Andrew Cox with the 1^st Prize of £500. Spend it wisely on wine, women and song, Andrew. Another Andrew; ‘Bushy’ Waters scooped the 2^nd Prize of a flight in a glider. Hopefully, there will be recorded evidence of this adventure.

Finally it is time for a few quotations. Given the references to protective equipment and different eras made earlier in this edition, I offer the following:-

‘Massive bats, helmets, big gloves …… it’s rather like sending Nureyev onto the stage at Covent Garden to dance the Nutcracker in sea-fisherman’s waders.’

Denis Compton, former Middlesex and England batsman, on modern batting techniques, 1978.

‘I hate the helmets, the visors and the chest protectors. I would dearly love the boys to go out there like playboys, with a box, some gloves and a bat, play off the back foot and enjoy it.’

Denis Compton, 1995.   

‘If someone had produced a batting helmet during the Bodyline series, I would certainly have worn it.’

Sir Donald Bradman

‘I don’t know what the game is coming to. You wouldn’t get me wearing one of those plastic things.’

Brian Close, on Tony Cordle’s use of a fielding helmet for Glamorgan, following the near-fatal injury to his team-mate Roger Davis, 1971.

‘I’m going to make them wear their caps this season. After all, you don’t get awarded your county floppy hat, do you?’

Jack Bond, Lancashire manager, 1985.

‘ I only wish some of the players’ trousers fitted better.’

The Duke of Edinburgh, asked if he had any complaints about modern day cricket, 1987.   

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

November 2014.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

Sadly, but inevitably, Durham CCC’s decision not to renew Gareth Breese’s contract [referred to in last month’s edition] has had the knock-on effect of Club professional Gareth having to secure higher remuneration elsewhere in North East league cricket. As much as the Club’s Management Committee [and no doubt the players and supporters] wanted to retain his services, there was no way that it could be done without financially ruining the Club. Gareth has moved to Burnopfield CC where he will play, coach and direct a Cricket School to be built on the site. Burnopfield’s resignation from the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League will mean new ports of call for Gareth’s skills and the fact that the Club’s 1^st Team will not have to do battle with him on a Saturday afternoon. Gareth did not want to leave Blackfyne where he has performed brilliantly for several seasons and where he and his family have been made most welcome and ‘part of the furniture’. However, his departure just had to be and Gareth leaves with the Club’s best wishes for his own and his family’s future. Now we must await news of his replacement as Club professional. Watch this space and don’t listen to rumours.

Towards the end of last month we all disproved the maxim, ‘You can’t turn the clock back!’ Yes we can, but only once every year. However, when that saying is used metaphorically, it is a different matter altogether. I cannot be the only Club member who looks back with fondness at the many years when the Club was a totally amateur entity. Players played and administrators administrated without receiving a penny. The Club dispensed with the services of a professional way back in the 1950s and remained strictly amateur through good and bad times on the field for decades. However, in those times there was a constant flow of boys and men who actually wanted to play cricket. Furthermore the Club was a member of a league [Tyneside Senior] which did not operate a system of promotion and relegation as there were just fourteen clubs in it. The creation of the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League [N&TSCL] was, in the writer’s opinion, a positive move in terms of providing recreational and competitive cricket for the many. The loss of clubs from the Tyneside Senior and Northumberland Leagues to the newly formed North East Premier League was the reason for the N&TSCL coming into being. Its creation provided strength in numbers. However, it also introduced a system of promotion and relegation to local cricket in this neck of the woods. The prospect of the Club having to play in a 2^nd Division was considered to be a major threat to its ability to attract good amateur players. It was for this reason that David Jackson was appointed as Club Professional more than a decade ago. This remains the situation today. Moreover, the N&TSCL’s decision some years ago to allow its clubs to pay ‘reasonable expenses’ to players did nothing to encourage player loyalty in particular and the amateur game in general. I should make it clear that the opinions expressed above are my own and not the official stance of the Club. Just in case there is some doubt in the reader’s mind, the Club’s current administrators all receive the same payment  ……..nothing. 

Time to move on to lighter topics beginning with an explanation of comments made  in last month’s edition of snowstorms in Skipton, a cricketer with a wooden leg and a pair of blue and white striped boxer shorts. As reported in some previous editions, I played a lot of Junior cricket in the early 1960s for Horsforth Hall Park CC, Leeds. On occasions I would deputise for the 2^nd Team wicket-keeper Tony Midgeley. The first time that I did this was at Skipton CC in a League match played on a Whit Monday. The match itself was unremarkable. Frequent snowstorms interrupted play throughout the afternoon. Right from the start of our time in the field it became apparent that quick singles were not on the agenda for Skipton’s opening pair. The reason for this was that one of the pair had a wooden leg! Balls struck into the outfield were rewarded by a single taken at a leisurely pace. The scoreboard barely ticked over. You have probably guessed quite rightly already that the poor owner of the wooden leg just happened to be the captain of the team. Now, I consider myself to be a charitable sort of person. So when faced with the decision of whether or not to remove the bails to run out the handicapped batsman, I did the right thing ….and ran him out. However, my delight at playing my part in the dismissal was short-lived when our captain bellowed into my ear, ‘Yer dozy bugger. We wanted to keep ’im in! He can’t get that many!’ Such are the subtle tactics of the game of cricket.

The blue and white striped boxer shorts? The game was over and we were getting changed back into our day clothes when my mate John [another Junior] and I could not help staring at that particular item of underwear adorning the team’s dashing middle-order batsman, Trevor. In those days white [or more usually off-white] Y-fronts were the norm. Coloured underwear of any description was rare for men. John and I had never seen boxer shorts before and were unaware that striped underpants even existed. Our shock at that particular sight had barely abated when Trevor proceeded to don a salmon pink sweater! The pair of us were convinced that here was a man to be avoided; obviously one that our mothers had warned us about. How wrong we were. In reality Trevor was a man ahead of his time. A salesman specialising in menswear, Trevor was a married man with children.

On the subject of married men with children, I never thought that the purchase by the Club of a baby-changing table would ever appear in the minutes of a meeting of the Club’s Management Committee; but it has. The need for such equipment has become apparent in recent times. The use of the premises for christenings and other family occasions and the ever increasing number of players with babies present on match days has dragged the Club into the 21^st Century by providing such a facility. Readers may be aware already that Andrew and Rachel Forster are expecting the birth of their first child quite soon. I am delighted to report that Neil and Gemma Williamson are ‘with child’ too. That baby-changing table is going to be well used.

The applause was deafening in the Club Bar on the first Saturday evening of last month. The reason?  My winning of the Monthly Draw at the ‘Pointless Quiz’ presented by Club Chairman Alan. For once no one argued with Alan’s scoring decisions and a good time was had by all. Thank you Alan.

Both the Club and League AGMs will be held later this month. At a recent League Management meeting club representatives were advised of vacancies on the League Executive and asked to find volunteers to fill the positions. League Chairman George Storey [Leadgate CC] urged clubs to nominate younger people with fresh ideas. Happily the Club has taken steps in recent times to give its own Management Committee a more youthful appearance. No, I do not write of face-lifts and other ‘work’ of a cosmetic nature. We now have several Committee members with time on their side who will feel able, in due course, to carry on with the work of keeping our Club on the rails.               

Finally it is time for a few quotations. They all have just one thing in common i.e. they amuse me.

‘Mark Nicholas simpers to camera in the self-besotted manner of one who’s been told he has bedroom eyes.’

Matthew Norman.

‘If my grandfather was alive, he would have slaughtered a cow.’

South Africa’s Makhaya Ntini after taking 5 for 75 against England at Lord’s.

‘Boy George would be considered straight at the University of Western Australia.’

Kerry O’Keefe, casting doubts about the tests done by the university on Muttiah Muralitharan’s controversial bowling action.

‘One good bit of news for England is that Ian Botham’s groin is back to full strength.’

Eleanor Oldroyd.

‘There’s only one man made more appeals than you, George, and that was Dr. Barnardo.’

Umpire Bill Reeve to George Macauley.  

     

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

October 2014.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

That’s it then; another season has come to an end. No nail-biting tension this time around as there was last year when the 1^st Team was engaged in a successful fight to avoid relegation. For the Blackfyne faithful season 2014 merely staggered to its inevitable conclusion with the 1^st Team finishing comfortably outside the relegation dog-fight, the 2^nd Team continuing to struggle in the run-scoring stakes and the 3^rd Team enjoying their cricket but finding it hard to compete. However, there were a couple of highlights. I was delighted by the way in which the 1^st Team almost put the skids under Swalwell [yet another example of grasping defeat from the jaws of victory] and by the achievement of the Under 13s bringing home some silverware in the shape of the Barry Hicks Trophy which the team won at Shotley Bridge CC.

While Durham were beating Nottinghamshire at the Riverside in the semi-final of the Royal London One Day Cup, an understrength Consett 1^st Team was playing away at Ashington. I arrived in Ashington CC’s car-park just as Club opening batsman Gary Hunter , booted and padded up, was making his way to his car. Thinking that the match had not begun, I was alarmed to be informed by Gary that indeed it had and that he had been dismissed. Sight of the scoreboard confirmed the disappointing state of affairs. Consett 4 for 1 and only in the second over. Joining the Club’s travelling away support [Gordon and Philip Hunter on this occasion], things just got worse and worse. The trouble lay in the fact that the Club had been put in to bat on a drying wicket [heavy overnight rain had seeped under the covers] and batting was just a lottery. One ball barely reaching ankle height, the next, pitching on a similar length, rearing wickedly into the chest area.  A mine-field. The inevitable happened in due course but not before blows of defiance were struck by captain John Chapman, Rob Hasan and Paul Ringer. At one stage 40 all out seemed likely. In fact twice that number was reached. Tea was taken and battle resumed. The wicket, however, had now dried out sufficiently for its former terrors to be removed. Ashington cruised to a win by 8 wickets and I went home reflecting upon my first visit to Ashington’s Langwell Crescent ground. It is a pleasant ground with decent facilities and an ideal location, a minute’s walk from the town’s main shopping thoroughfare. Next season, hopefully, we will enjoy a more batsman-friendly wicket.             

The departure of Burnopfield CC to the Durham Cricket League and the relegation of  Ryton CC will result in the 1^st Team’s fixture list next season including Percy Main CC and Bedlington CC. News of the North Shields club’s promotion will please the lady wife when I get around to telling her. Why? For the answer consider your knowledge of geography. Percy Main’s ground is no more than a minute’s drive from Royal Quays Shopping Outlet Centre.

The cancellation of the last home match of the season [1^st Team v Ponteland CC] caused the premature commencement of my close season pastime of watching Rugby Union. Tynedale v Wharfedale [based in Skipton] was my choice. The experience did not get off to the best of starts when my query regarding the availability of concessions for OAPs was answered in the negative. ‘We’ve not had them here for two years. These are hard times.’ was the bland response uttered by the man on the gate. I know we are going through hard times, that was why I wanted a concession! Things did not get any better when I found that I had chosen to sit two rows in front of a Tynedale supporter who must have the loudest voice in Hexhamshire! I reckon he is related to that chap at Durham CCC’s Riverside ground who has featured twice in this column during the past season. Instead of having to listen to the Riverside inmate shouting inane comments, I found myself deafened by constant blasts in my right ear of, ‘Come on Tyne!!!’ At one stage during the first half confusion arose when a cry of, ‘Come on Dale!’ was heard. As the names of both teams end with ‘---dale’, clarity was re-established by the use of ‘Wharfedale’, ‘Tynedale’ or as my ‘friend’ would have it, ‘Tyne’. Thankfully it was a good game with Tynedale running out winners with little to spare. ‘Come on Tyne!’

[ A brief aside. Mention of Skipton in the previous paragraph brings memories back to me of snowstorms, a cricketer with a wooden leg and a pair of blue and white striped boxer shorts! I will prolong the agony for you by waiting until the next edition to enlighten you.]

One week later found me at Blaydon RU Club’s Crow Trees Ground in Swalwell for the match against Coventry. No trouble this time about concessions. On arrival at the gate I informed the gate-man of my previous week’s experience. He was most indignant on my behalf and assured me that the Tynedale club was quite out of order in refusing to allow concessions. Blaydon, he insisted, were not that sort of club before completing his public relations work by wishing me an enjoyable afternoon. Enjoyable it certainly was. 13-0 down at half-time, Blaydon turned the game around in the second half and won convincingly, scoring three tries in the process. A word of caution if considering picking blackberries anywhere near Blaydon’s ground:- only pick ones above waist height! Better still, above head height. I have made several trips to the Blaydon ground in recent years and have been aware of several male spectators removing themselves from the confines of the stand at half-time. I, too, have taken advantage of the interval to walk away from the stand to indulge in my pipe-smoking habit. However, my perambulations during the Coventry match revealed that the majority of escapees from the pitch environs during half-time had a more pressing purpose in mind, or hand, so to speak.

Club professional Gareth Breese brought his career with Durham CCC to a glorious end by making a significant contribution [yet another one] to the team’s victory in the final of the Royal London One Day Cup played at Lord’s on the 20^th of last month. Having watched Gareth play throughout his Riverside career, I find it hard to understand the County’s decision to dispense with his services at this time. Surely Gareth still has a great deal to offer the Durham outfit both on the field and, given his experience, in the nets too.

Finally it is time for a few quotations. References above to limited overs cricket prompts me to offer the following:-

‘Throw down some sawdust, everybody put on top hats and red noses and you’ve got the John Player League.’

Brian Close, deriding Sunday 40-overs cricket, 1969.

‘For six days, thou shalt push up and down the line but on the seventh day thou shalt swipe.’

Doug Padgett, Yorkshire batsman, offering an 11^th commandment on the advent of the Sunday League, 1969.

‘To a man of my age the introduction of the Sunday League has been nothing less than an act of cruelty.’

Tom Graveney, England and Worcestershire batsman, 1970. [Graveney was 41 when the first season of Sunday cricket began.]

‘I can hardly remember an innings I have played in one-day cricket.’

Greg Chappell, Australian batsman, 1984.

‘I suppose he got it for winning the toss.’

Bob Willis, losing Warwickshire captain, after Lancashire’s John Abrahams, who scored nought and did not bowl, won the man-of-the-match award in the 1984 Benson and Hedges Cup Final.

‘I don’t think we’re going to get these runs. We’d better go for the draw.’

Sadiq Mohammad to Tony Greig, at the crease for a World XI against Australia in the early days of one-day internationals.

‘We have far too much to do in the game these days. You need one eye up your backside.’

Arthur Jepson, umpire, bemoaning the arrival of fielding circles in one-day cricket, 1981.  

     

Mike Rogers

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

September 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

 

As this season draws to its close, Club members may reflect [as does the writer] that, all in all, it has been a good one. Although on the field the senior teams have had mixed fortunes, the 1^st Team has performed well, earned significant victories and has never looked like having to fight for its survival in the top Division as it was doing some twelve months ago. Granted on occasions the team managed to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory [the latest match at home to Alnmouth & Lesbury being a prime example]; however, that is one of the delights of the game whether playing or spectating i.e. we never know what is going to happen next. Off the field things could not have gone much better. Record bar sales and sponsorship, neither of which could have been achieved without the unselfish work of a number of members. Is the Club in fine fettle? Yes, certainly. Is there room for improvement? There always will be.   

I was disappointed to miss the Club Barbecue held at the beginning of August. As I explained in the previous edition, I was otherwise engaged up in Edinburgh. However, my informants tell me that the evening was a great success and enjoyed by everyone present. The food was great as was Stephen Turnbull’s band. Oh, and the bar did well too. Hopefully I will be there when Stephen’s band makes a return visit.

Although a variety of functions have been held in the Club’s bar since its inception way back in the 1980s, I cannot recall the bar being the venue for a Golden Wedding celebration. That ‘duck’ was broken early in August however when Club stalwarts Tom and Joan Nichol celebrated 50 years of married bliss in the company of family and friends. The room was full and a good time was had by all. The highlight of the occasion was Tom’s speech which delighted everyone, Joan in particular, with its numerous references to Joan e.g. the ‘best partner at the wicket that he’d ever had’ etc.. Well done Tom and Joan and well done Club Treasurer Colin for dispensing the drinks to a thirsty throng.

I did forego my usual Friday evening ‘trip to the Clinic’ to attend the ‘G Force Talk In’ held in the Club bar on the last Friday of the month. If you are reading this epistle then you were probably there too given the fact that the room was packed. If so, you will not need any further explanation of ‘G Force’ and should move swiftly on to the next paragraph. If not, please allow me to enlighten you. Durham CCC ‘veterans’ Gordon Muchall and ‘our own’ Gareth Breese [ ‘G Force’, get it?] have been allocated 2014 as their joint Benefit Year. Various events to raise funds for the pair’s chosen charities have been held with others in the pipe-line. The ‘Talk In’ was the latest one. Durham’s overseas professional, Aussie John Hastings, joined ‘G Force’ to field questions from the audience. This they did with honesty and humour. It was a most enjoyable and profitable event. ‘G Force’ went away with approx. £800 for their charities and, by the way, the bar profits took no harm too. The three professionals were excellent ambassadors for the game of cricket in general and for Durham CCC in particular. I almost forgave them for being members of the side which beat Yorkshire the previous day in the One Day Cup. Almost.  

My first visit to Burnopfield CC’s new ground at the Hobson last month turned out to be more than a bit of a damp squib when persistent rain eventually had the final word. On arrival at the ground I was given a tour of the pavilion by former Burnopfield player Jack Peacock. Very impressive it is too. Apparently the large function room has  rapidly become popular for wedding receptions and the like. The field itself is big, very big. Naturally debate for we Club supporters centred upon whether or not this new field was bigger than our own beloved Blackfyne. The jury is still out on that one with some opining that Burnopfield’s is shorter but wider than Blackfyne and others taking the opposite view. Where is a surveyor when you need one? The bad weather cast a gloomy atmosphere on proceedings that afternoon with one unexpected exception. Prior to the arrival of the monsoon, play was halted after seven overs when it was brought to the attention of the umpires [who shall remain anonymous] that the white discs to be placed in ‘two semi-circles centred on each middle stump [each with a radius of 30 yards] and joined by a parallel line on each side of the pitch’[ as per the League’s Match Play Rules] were in fact….. well …….. um….er…. conspicuous by their absence!!!   

On the last Thursday in August the Club hosted a representative match on behalf of Durham Cricket Board, Durham V Yorkshire at Under 16 level. The visit of the Yorkshire supporters [parents and grandparents of the players] gave me the chance to re-Tyke myself. I found myself having a long conversation with one lady who came from Burley-in-Wharfedale. Now for the geography lesson. Burley-in-Wharfedale is a large village set between Leeds and Ilkley. It is just a few miles away from where I lived as a boy and youth. I quickly found out that this lady’s late husband had attended the same school [Aireborough G.S.] that I had. Not only that, he had returned to that school some years later to teach. Doing some arithmetic I reckoned that he must have been younger than I and that was why I had no recollection of him. However, memories flooded back when she reeled off a list of names of the teachers with whom her late husband had worked. I was staggered to learn that some of them who had taught me were still alive [in their nineties] but that some, including sports master and Bradford League professional Geoff Thompson, had died at relatively young ages while still ‘in service’.  I must admit that that conversation made me think about my own mortality. Now that has cheered you up eh?

 

The Club was praised by coaches and visiting spectators alike for its hospitality, food and field. Hospitality comes easily given the fact that we at Blackfyne are all friendly folk….. well, we are aren’t we? The food and the field are different matters, work has to be done to achieve credit for them. On behalf of all Club members I take this opportunity to thank Lesley Wilkinson and Julia Grant [and my lady wife for her baking] for their efforts on the catering front for the match and David Graham, Keith Horn, John Hopps and Club President Gordon Hunter for ensuring that the field looked a picture and that the wicket played well. The Club survives on the good will of its volunteers. Whether it be the men who work on the ground itself, the ladies who serve the teas, David and Lesley Wilkinson who frequently serve drinks to the masses, the individuals who manage the Junior sides or those of us who provide administrative services, we all do it to ensure that the Club continues to provide cricket at the highest possible level that it can.

Finally, quotation time.  There were many fine young players on show in the Durham v Yorkshire match. Good batting, bowling and fielding were the norm. I was particularly impressed by the presence of three slow left-armers. One of that ilk is a rare bird these days, but three! They were effective too. The game of cricket, as we know, offers players the opportunity [perhaps more than most other sports] to exhibit their individual personality. Left arm spinners throughout the ages, however, seem to have had more than their fair share of ‘characters’. Johnny Wardle [Yorkshire & England] was adored by the Yorkshire crowd in the ‘50s for his bowling and on-field antics. He was known as the Clown Prince of Cricket. However, his team-mates certainly did not ‘adore’ him because of the abuse he gave them if they dared to drop catches off his bowling. His behaviour led to his sacking from Yorkshire. A year or two later the left-arm spinner’s role in the Yorkshire team was taken by Don Wilson. Don was born and bred in Settle. Throughout his long career with Yorkshire [he also played several times for England] it seemed to me that Don’s mind was wandering back to the sleepy Dales, maybe even counting imaginary sheep, as he gazed into the stands during long periods in the field. His mind, however, was not wandering when he bowled or batted, both of which he did with distinction for his native county. Ray East [Essex CCC] was another left-armer who merited the title of Clown Prince of Cricket. A fine bowler who would surely have played for England had he not been plying his trade at the same time as the likes of Ray Illingworth, Derek Underwood, Norman Gifford, Freddie Titmus, David Allen, Phil Edmonds et al, Ray East was a great crowd-pleaser. One of his more famous performances was the moment during a County match when he showed his displeasure at his captain’s field-placing arrangements by borrowing a bicycle from a spectator and cycling from his post at long-off at one end of the ground to long-off at the other!

Having accounted for three characters of yesteryear, I will content myself with quotations concerning a modern day lunatic, sorry ‘character’, of the left-arm spinners’ union viz. Phil Tufnell [Middlesex & England].

‘ You can’t smoke 20 a day and bowl fast.’

Phil Tufnell, about to embark upon his first England tour, on why he opted for slow left-arm, 1990.

‘Why go down the nets for two hours when all your mates are down the kebab house making career-best scores on the Galactic Defender?’

Phil Tufnell, in his early days at Middlesex, 1990.

‘The other advantage England have got when Phil Tufnell is bowing is that he isn’t fielding.’

Ian Chappell, during the fifth Test in Perth, Ashes Series, 1990/91.

‘Well, I’m not dead yet, know what I mean? Remembered? Blimey! Twenty-eight years old!’

Phil Tufnell, asked on ‘Cover Point’ video magazine how he would like to be remembered, 1994. 

‘I was sitting there in a hospital with some bloke shining a light in my eyes and saying, ‘Tell me about your childhood,’ and I just thought to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing here? This is ridiculous!’

Phil Tufnell, sent for psychiatric examination in Perth after flying into a rage in his hotel room because of personal problems. England tour of Australia, 1994/95.

‘I’m not OBVIOUSLY backing away am I?’

Life as a no. 11 batsman, as expressed by Phil Tufnell.

     

Mike Rogers

August 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

It was all there; bouncy castles, coconut shies, face-painting, cake stall, games of chance and games of skill, junior cricket tournament, buses old and new, handicraft stalls, hot-dogs etc.. All where? At the Club’s Annual Family Fun Day held at the ground on Sunday 13^th July. Early morning rain dispersed to be replaced by sunshine, the crowds arrived and a good time was had by all. Players, former players and their families and friends rallied around to provide prizes and to ‘man’ the various stalls and sideshows. The list of people involved in making the day the huge success that it was is too long to go into at this point and, of course, such an exercise is doomed to failure given the inevitability of missing out someone’s name. I will limit myself to thanking one and all and in particular the Organising Committee. No doubt Club Treasurer Colin McPherson went to bed that night a tired but contented man given the income derived from the Day and the efforts made by so many people, none more so than his own family members.

The Fun Day always ‘does its bit’ in educating a few local residents i.e. several in attendance on 13^th July had never known of the Blackfyne Ground’s existence until they had received the advertising ‘flier’ through their letter-box! Colin will remember that particular advertising ploy for many years to come. The fliers, distributed around Blackhill and beyond, were pushed through letter-boxes by a team of volunteers. Colin took his turn but came unstuck in Bridgehill. Well, ‘unstuck’ is totally the wrong word in this instance. Trying to push the sheet of paper through a letter-box he was met with some resistance by the insulation surrounding the inside of the flap. Colin decided to complete the job by pushing it through the letter-box with his fingers, only to feel immediate searing pain caused by teeth clamped firmly to his digit. No, the teeth did not belong to the irate householder but to said householder’s dog. After what seemed like an eternity Colin succeeded in extricating his damaged hand. Apart from Colin’s newly found four-legged ‘friend’, the house was empty. With blood dripping from his finger, Colin sought sanctuary at the nearby home of Club Chairman Alan where Alan’s wife Susan put her nursing training into good use before dispatching Colin to hospital. An anti-tetanus shot and a dressing later, Colin was left to reflect on his unpaid postal duties. I suppose that Dog Shelter charities need not apply to Colin for help in the future.

A sizeable crowd was in attendance at Blackfyne on the last Sunday of July to witness the inaugural 6 a-side tournament for the Eric Topham Trophy. The competition was the brain-child of Eric’s widow Joan who provided the actual trophy. As many readers will know Eric played with distinction for several local clubs prior to his long career umpiring in the Tyneside Senior League. Joan’s idea was that local clubs be invited to compete for the trophy on an annual basis. Shotley Bridge, Leadgate and our own club played on a round robin basis. The eventual worthy winners were Shotley Bridge. Bill Stokoe, a close friend of Eric and Joan and a former Consett and Shotley Bridge player, presented the trophy on behalf of Joan. In doing so he reminded several older spectators and informed many younger ones of Eric’s prowess at both cricket and football. The matches were played in good spirit and, as the format of 6 a-side virtually dictates [ habitual non-bowlers having to bowl an over] provided moments of comedy. Although on the field hits for six were frequent, the beef-burger stall [‘manned’ by 1st Team captain John Chapman’s fiancée Jane] was perhaps the biggest hit of the day! Thanks are due to Joan, Bill, Club Chairman Alan [for scoring solo throughout the tournament], David Wilkinson [for his work on the bar] and to those senior players who worked selflessly off the field to make the day a success.

Time to ‘get on my high horse’ once more. Those readers who know me will know that I am not averse to coming out with the odd swear word from time to time. However, I do know that there is a time and a place for it. In the dim and distant past when I played for the Club plenty of expletives were used ‘in the middle’ by players including myself. Such language, however, was rarely heard by spectators. In recent years that has not been the case as typified by a visiting player at a recent 1^st Team match who, when fielding in front of the pavilion, bellowed his annoyance at proceedings across the field. Yes, he was directing his expletives at players on the square but they were heard clearly by spectators who were just a few yards away.  I know that times have changed and that swearing is commonplace in the street, in pubs, in supermarkets etc. but surely players should show a little more style on the field eh?

Akin to the subject of the previous paragraph, readers may remember my report of an ignorant spectator present at the first County Championship match of this season at the Riverside? Complaining about the length of time it was taking for the umpires to replace a ball? Remember? Well, he has struck again. Last month Durham were being outplayed by Warwickshire. Durham opening-bat Mark Stoneman [son of former Consett all-rounder Ian] was dismissed for a duck in the second innings. Making his way disconsolately off the field he was greeted by a shout of ‘Rubbish!’ from our ‘friend’ on the members’ balcony. Where does that individual think he is? Has he ever played cricket? The answers to both questions must be obvious. No doubt he would say that he was a supporter of Durham. In my opinion it is high time that he was told that ‘supporting’ a team does not give him the right to verbally abuse one of his own team’s players. He would do well to take Ronan Keating’s advice in his song, ‘You say it best when you say nothing at all.’ I bet that you’re surprised that I know who Ronan Keating is aren’t you?  

I am delighted to report that Keith and Susan Horn have joined the ever growing list of grand-parents within the Club’s membership. On 11^th July daughter Helen presented husband Tony Wardle with a daughter, Eleanor Susan. Congratulations! I have seen photographs of the family and can testify that Keith, when it comes to his grand-daughter, is a big softie; just like the rest of we grandfathers, Keith. 

August promises to be yet another busy month on and off the field. The Club Barbecue [2^nd August] will feature live music courtesy of Club member Stephen Turnbull’s band. Unfortunately yours truly will be attending a charity ‘Do’in Edinburgh at that time. Hopefully I will be able to attend the ‘Talk-in’ to be held at a date to be arranged [look for details on the Club web-site]. Club professional Gareth Breese intends to share the stage with another Durham CCC player. It should be an entertaining evening.            

Finally, quotation time. Pitches at Test level have come in for close scrutiny and severe criticism in recent weeks. With that in mind I offer the following:- 

‘Too much crap cricket on crap wickets.’

Tom Moody, Australian batsman, assessing English cricket’s shortcomings, 1997.      

‘We always picked balanced teams so we didn’t worry about the pitch. These days they’re always worrying about the pitch.’

Sir Colin Cowdrey, 1994.    

‘A lotus land for batsmen, a place where it was always afternoon and 360 for 2 wickets.’

Neville Cardus on the traditions of Trent Bridge.

‘I grew up here in the fifties and spent half my time watching people nod off and go home early. Just lately they bloody well haven’t.’

Ron Allsopp, Nottinghamshire groundsman, refuting criticism of Trent Bridge pitches, 1988. 

‘What’s the matter? Have you gone bloody religious?’

Nottinghamshire’s captain,Clive Rice, when groundsman Ron Allsopp resisted his pressure for yet another grassy pitch, 1982.

‘There’s a bastard in my family and it’s sitting out there.’

Keith Boyce, Headingley groundsman, at his wits’ end about the test wicket, 1985.

     

Mike Rogers

July 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

My cricket-watching had to take a back seat for a week last month when the lady wife and I went on a cruise to the Faroes, Ullapool, the Shetlands and the Orkneys.  I did find a football stadium in the Faroes but signs of bat and ball were non-existent. While we were exploring the delights of Kirkwall, the Club’s 1^st Team was securing a comfortable victory at Alnmouth & Lesbury CC. In addition to the players, several Club members were making their first visit to that particular North Northumberland ground. On my return home several friends at the Club told me how impressed they had been by the ground and its picturesque setting. Hopefully I will be able to visit it next year. If so I will keep an eye out for the horse which apparently was the subject of discussion when the Club played there last month. Club President Gordon Hunter pointed to a horse on a distant hill which he had been observing for a time. He suggested that said horse was, in fact, a statue. However, before a lengthy debate  could ensue the ‘statue’ ran down the hill!

At the beginning of June Sri Lankan bowler Sachithra Senanayake became the villain of the piece, in many people’s eyes, when he ran out England’s Jos Buttler for ‘backing up’ in a One day International. At this juncture readers of ‘The Blackfyne Story’ may be anticipating a re-hash of the events which took place at Percy Main CC in the dim and distant past involving Club all-rounder Walter Armstrong and Percy Main’s opening batsman Alan Thompson. However, you would be wrong. If you were there that evening you will not require the information. If you were not, just read the account in the book, pages 94&95. If you have not got the book, copies [priced @ £10] are still available from the Club Bar. I will, however, reiterate the point made by Walter  during his playing career and long after he stopped playing that he always warned the guilty batsman before he removed the bails and that it was the batsman who was cheating and not him, the bowler. Quite right too. What concerns me is the fact that a day or two after Buttler’s dismissal, a boy playing in a local U.11 match ran out a batsman for ‘backing up’. Apparently the boy was informed that it was considered unsporting to remove a batsman by such a method without warning him beforehand. On this occasion the guilty batsman was allowed to continue his innings. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but beware the power of television!      

Congratulations go to former 1^st Team opening bowler Kevin Hopps and his wife Angela on the birth of their second daughter. A third grandchild is in the offing for Kevin’s parents, John and Susan, with the announcement that daughter Rachel and her husband Andy Forster are expecting the birth of their first child later this year. As one who knows, grand-parenting can become an expensive business. ‘Ouch! That hurt!’ Sorry about that, but the lady wife has just reminded me that it is an enjoyable state of being too.

A day or two before the 1^st Team home match against Swalwell played on 28^th June I was contacted by an ‘Evening Chronicle’ sports reporter who sought my views about that forthcoming fixture. Being careful not to fall into the trap of prediction, I responded to his query by stating that the side would go into the match with more confidence than it had had before meeting the champions for the first time last season. The web-site’s results table will show that the Club did in fact lose the recent match but by a narrow margin. The team is certainly playing with the confidence created by a succession of victories, some of which have been hard fought. Team spirit appears to be high; long may it remain so.

As regular readers may recall, I am a devotee of BBC Radio’s Test Match Special [TMS]. During the Headingley Test last month, Roy Hattersley was Jonathan Agnew’s guest on ‘A view from the boundary’. The former MP and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party is a keen follower of cricket and a Yorkshire CCC member. He spoke very well, in my opinion, on a variety of matters; some cricket-related and some not. One of the issues on which he spoke most vehemently against was the wearing of fancy dress at cricket matches. Hattersley could not see the point of turning up at a Test Match dressed like Kermit the frog, a toucan, Elvis Presley etc.. I appreciate that I am an old fuddy-duddy, but I too cannot see the point of it. Like Roy Hattersley, I was brought up to go to a match to watch the players and not to try to be the centre of attention myself.

Having got that off my chest, I will move on to another matter which was the subject of much discussion during TMS. As England began their attempt to bat throughout the final day of the Headingley Test in order to save the match, the commentators invited listeners to suggest England players past or present who could be expected to bat resolutely throughout the day i.e. to select a Resolute XI.  Boycott, Tavare and Close were popular choices. However, the task was made much harder by having to choose a ‘balanced’ team containing not only batsmen but bowlers and a wicket-keeper. Now don’t ever accuse me of not trying to help you. The next time you have trouble getting to sleep have a go at picking such a side. In my own playing days we had no trouble at all in selecting a Tyneside Senior League Idiots XI chosen from the other thirteen clubs in the League. [In reality a much cruder word than ‘Idiots’ was used.] Suggestions abounded. We ended up with almost enough to field a 2^nd XI! Perhaps modern day players would enjoy selecting their own, but remember, no matter how qualified they may be, you cannot choose any of your own team-mates.              

Finally, quotation time. We ‘love ‘em’ when the decision goes our way and ‘loathe ‘em’ when it doesn’t; but we wouldn’t have a game without them. Who? The umpires of course. 

‘Doubt? When I’m umpiring, there’s never any doubt!’

Frank Chester, Test umpire before video replays were even thought of, asked why he had given a batsman the benefit of the doubt.

‘Three kicks and you’re out!’

Umpire Cec Pepper, having no truck with excessive pad play.

‘Derek Underwood could never bowl at my end – he could not get round me.’

Swaroop Kishen, heavyweight Test umpire.

‘The ‘Outer’ – large of frame, rubicund of countenance, who drinks pints and eats vastly, is a gay, carefree fellow who, in his playing days, was a fast bowler and who now has only to hear somebody in the crowd clear his throat for his finger to shoot aloft.’

Michael Stevenson writing in ‘The Cricketer’.  

The ‘Not Outer’ … is small, wizened, misanthropic, drinks half-shandies and eats sparingly.’

Michael Stevenson writing in ‘The Cricketer’. 

‘Cricket’s my wife.’

Dickie Bird      

‘He was the first umpire to combine the distinct roles of top-flight umpire and music-hall comedian. He was the first umpire superstar.’

Matthew Engel, on Test umpire Dickie Bird, 1996.            

Mike Rogers

June 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

Rain is falling as I begin to write this month’s edition. Perusal of the Results section of the Club’s website will confirm that the season has not got off to the best of starts weather-wise. Stop, go, stop is the order of the day.  However, I will not dwell on matters on the field but will commence with an item of good news.

We have had another wedding in the Club! Well, at Slaley Hall to be precise. Club 1^st Team member Paul Ringer married Lucy McPherson [daughter of Club Treasurer Colin and his wife Catherine] on Saturday 24^th May. Twenty or so Club members were among about two hundred well-wishers present at the Evening Reception to congratulate the happy couple and to enjoy the celebrations in lavish surroundings. Colin, Paul and his Best Man gave a reprise of their speeches delivered earlier in the day at the Reception. Like Colin, I am the father of two daughters and found myself empathising with him as he spoke of his feelings about the occasion, of Lucy, of Paul, of his youngest daughter Beth and of Catherine. No doubt, as I did on two occasions several years ago, as the bills came rolling in, Colin must also have wondered exactly which part of the hotel he had actually bought! A good night out; many thanks for the invitation.

I was sad to learn of the death of the Yorkshire and England cricketer Phil Sharpe last month. Some readers may remember him as I do, a model middle-order batsman and  superb slip fielder, a key member of the all-conquering Yorkshire team of the 1960s. A few may recall that he played in 12 Test matches for England beginning with the 1963 series against the West Indies, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Gary Sobers et al. Club stalwart Tommy Nichol remembers him from their National Service days. Quite rightly Phil Sharpe’s slip fielding is still talked about to this day. England’s Colin Cowdrey and Australia’s Bobby Simpson were both renowned as the two best ‘slippers’ in the world during that era. We Yorkshire folk accepted that the pair were good, nay excellent, but considered Sharpey to be ‘up there’ with them.

As a schoolboy in the early ‘60s I watched Yorkshire play a great deal, mainly at Headingley, and never saw Phil Sharpe drop a catch. What a great fielding team they were, particularly close to the wicket where ‘keeper Jimmy Binks, Phil Sharpe, Ray Illingworth, Fred Trueman and Brian Close surrounded the poor batsman. Phil Sharpe never made a fuss about a catch he had taken, no throwing the ball aloft for him, quite often he just put it into his pocket to the mystification of the crowd who were looking to the boundary convinced that they would see the snicked ball crossing the rope.

Phil Sharpe would probably have played in more than 12 Tests [he averaged 46 point something with the bat in Test cricket] had he not been in competition for a place in the batting order with Colin ‘Kipper’ Cowdrey and ‘Long Tom’ Graveney, batsmen for whom the adjective ‘great’ was justly merited. We Tyke supporters were convinced that Sharpey would get his chance again in the 4^th Ashes Test in 1968. Not only was the match to be played on his home ground of Headingley but both Colin and Tom were rated ‘doubtful’ because of injury. Although not named in the original squad, Phil was drafted into it a day before the match was due to begin. As it turned out Graveney was passed fit but Cowdrey was not. It was obvious to those of us with Yorkshire blood in our veins that Sharpey would play. He had proved himself to be a reliable Test batsman and no one surely would dispute that his slip-fielding skills matched those of Cowdrey. However, Essex’s Keith Fletcher had been named in the original squad and it was he who walked on to the field to take his place in the slips! What happened next would have repercussions for years to come. Slip chances came and went begging. The home crowd could not help themselves from voicing their opinion that Sharpey ‘would have swallowed it [them]’. The sorry ‘Fletch’ followed this debacle with a duck in the 1^st Innings. Cricket is a cruel game! Keith Fletcher went on to have an outstanding cricketing career, captaining both Essex and England with distinction. However, only if he were a masochist, could Fletcher ever say that he enjoyed playing cricket in Yorkshire after that Ashes Test. Whether it was Headingley, Bradford, Sheffield, Harrogate, Hull or Middlesbrough he got the same ‘warm’ reception.

Blackfyne was looking at its best when Tynedale were the visitors in a recent evening Cup-tie. The sun shone and there was no need for an overcoat; honestly! I was in earshot of a group of Tynedale supporters who were circling the ground. It was obvious to me that for a couple of them it was their first visit. ‘What a lovely spot!’ was heard. Those who had been south of the Derwent before were quick to point out the proximity of the Golf Club to the ‘virgins’ and joined them in praise of the views across the valley. An ideal location for the building of houses? Obviously. Several Club members will recall their worries way back in the early 1980s when Consett Steel Works sold the ground that the new owners [Durham County Council] would build houses on the site. The same worry entered my head with the end of the Club’s current lease with the County Council coinciding with the building of Consett Academy and the subsequent closure of Blackfyne School. However, verbal assurances and negotiations regarding the renewal of the lease have dissipated those concerns. It is highly probable that, ‘Oh! What a lovely spot [for a game of cricket].’ will be heard at Blackfyne for generations to come.

Earlier this year Life Member Joan Topham asked the Club to organise an annual competition in memory of her late husband Eric. In line with Joan’s wishes steps were taken to involve the clubs which had participated in the defunct Symington Cup. I am delighted to report that those clubs i.e. Consett, Medomsley, Leadgate and Shotley Bridge will compete for the Eric Topham Trophy at Blackfyne on Sunday 27^th July. The competition will be a six a-side tournament which should provide good entertainment for all participants and spectators.

Another date for your diary is Saturday 2^nd August when the Club Barbecue will be held. No there won’t be a marquee but there will be good food to cook yourself [or get someone else to do it for you], good company, plenty to drink and wait for it ………. a live band! Club member Stephen Turnbull and his band will be playing for your delectation. I have not heard Stephen’s band myself but those who have tell me that they are very good. Come along and make your own mind up.

             

Finally, quotation time. Phil Sharpe’s prowess at holding catches in the slips [see above] prompts me to offer the following:- 

‘Pitch saboteurs? I’d throw them off the top of the pavilion. Mind, I’m a fair man. I’d have Keith Fletcher underneath trying to catch them.’

Fred Trueman.

‘When I was quite young I made a boy, when out for a walk, throw stones into the hedge, and as the sparrows flew out, I caught ‘em.’

FR Spofforth, Australian fast bowler, explaining his skill at slip.

‘Kid yourself it’s Sunday, Rev, and keep your hands together!’

Fred Trueman after Revd. David Shepherd spilled a succession of catches.

‘You’re never counting that one are you? None of you buggers would ever have got near it!’

Colin Leedham, Consett 1^st XI 1970s and early1980s, a remark occasionally uttered when being asked to pay a fine for dropping a catch in the slips. Colin was not only a superb medium-paced opening bowler but a reliable slip-fielder who regarded being asked to pay a fine as a personal insult. However, he always paid up.                       

Mike Rogers

May 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

The Club’s 1^st and 2^nd Team opening League fixtures were called off because of bad weather. I reckon that Wirral CC’s players now wish that their first match of the season had gone the same way. It has been widely reported that Wirral CC suffered the ignominy of being dismissed for just 3 runs. This total comprised two leg byes and one not out scored by the number eleven batsman. Now, I cannot claim to have played in a team which suffered such humiliation. At any level whether it be school,  junior or senior cricket there was always someone who would rise to the occasion and score sufficient runs to raise the total to one which would not ‘make the headlines’ for the wrong reason. One of the heaviest defeats I had the misfortune to be part of occurred at Philadelphia CC. At that time [late ‘70s or was it early ‘80s?] ‘Philly’was one of the leading lights in the Durham Senior League boasting former Leicestershire batsman Steven Greensword as their ‘pro’ and Durham CCC bowlers Stewart Wilkinson and George Bull as their opening attack. This cup-tie was scheduled to be played as a 30 overs per side match. Unfortunately for us, our side contained only five regular first-teamers. Batting first we mustered something like 45 all out, leg- byes proving to be a useful ally. Our innings had finished so quickly that we had to wait for the tea to be ready. Philadelphia knocked off the runs in double quick time resulting in a further wait for the bar to be opened. I think it was Walter Armstrong who cheered us all up by stating that although we had lost the match, we had come out of it fairly well. Philadelphia had paid for their pro [we did not have one], had used a new ball [we hadn’t bothered to], had paid for the umpires and had given us half of the quite substantial gate money. Every cloud has a silver lining eh? Good luck to Wirral CC next time around.   

Well it only took a couple of overs of this new County Championship season for the first inane comment to be heard at Durham CCC’s Riverside Ground. The date was Sunday 20^th April. The time? Approximately 11.05 a.m.. The comment? ‘Come on, get on with it!’ The location? The members’ balcony. The cause? Fielding side Somerset had complained about the state of the ball and umpires Michael Gough and David Millns had agreed to change the ball. Selecting a replacement ball had taken a few minutes. Given that replacing the ball which had been in play for a couple of overs with a comparable alternative from a selection of no more than six balls was not a simple task and the fact that however long the exercise took would have no impact upon the statutory number of overs [96] to be bowled that day, I found myself shaking my head and muttering my disapproval at the bellow heard from ‘on high’. This particular cricket lover has made regular contributions of a similar ilk in past seasons. The pity of it is that his voice would happily go unheard in in a Premier League Football ground. No such luck at the Riverside.

Moving on…………… to ‘Yukon Gold’ in fact. ‘What on earth is that?’ I hear you say [or words to that effect]. Readers present at last month’s ‘Pointless’ Quiz will know. As reported in last month’s edition I was unable to attend this quiz presented by Club Chairman Alan because of a previous engagement. However, reviews of the event reached my ears. Alan invited the teams to name a type of potato. Harmless enough you would think. Unfortunately this would not be so. Yukon Gold was named by long-time member John Rutherford. Alan responded with news that Yukon Gold did not appear on his list of correct answers and that therefore John’s team would be penalized with the maximum score of 100 points!  ‘Rut’ was adamant that his answer was correct and maintained that he had recently purchased said type of spuds in Hexham. His protests were all to no avail, receiving, ‘The Quizmaster is always right.’ by way of explanation. Unlike yours truly [remember the Allisons’ incident?], apparently John took this rebuff well, only mentioning it a further forty-eight times during the remainder of the evening. Good to know that we retired stumpers stick together. Or, are we just argumentative s**s?

As many readers will know, the Club is in the process of negotiating a new lease with Durham County Council. Some thirty-odd years after I, as Club Chairman, had negotiated the terms of the original lease with Durham County Council Officers at a meeting held at the then Blackfyne School, I found myself in a state of deja vu when Club Treasurer Colin McPherson and I met with a DCC Officer at County Hall last week to discuss matters. I have to admit that references made to ‘RPI’, ‘CPI’ etc. by both Colin and the Officer went way above my head, not being versed myself in financial ‘speak’. However, I felt able to stress the role that the Club plays in its local community and support Colin in the best way that I could during the meeting. Club members should be grateful to Colin for his expertise in negotiation and for his thorough research of the issues involved.    

Finally, quotation time. As promised [threatened] in last month’s edition, I take pleasure in presenting the following utterings of Yorkshire CCC players and officials past and present. 

‘My conscience is clear. Yorkshire had no chance of winning and my job was to stop the other side from winning.’

Brian Close, sacked as England captain because of time-wasting allegations during the Warwickshire v Yorkshire championship match, 1967.

‘I’d like to build a row of houses across this wicket. Any more tricks like this and I’ll be finished in 12 months.’

Fred Trueman, after Warwickshire had scored 269 [yes, that’s all] against Yorkshire in 1963.

‘He may be good enough for England, but not for Yorkshire.’

Brian Sellers, defending Yorkshire’s decision to sack Johnny Wardle, four days after his selection for the MCC tour of Australia, 1957/8.

‘Maybe I swore with justification. Often they were the sort of catches that could have been taken comfortably had the offender been in bed at the same time as I was.’

Johnny Wardle, accused by Clifford Hesketh, chairman of Yorkshire’s selection committee, of foul-mouthing team-mates, 1958.

‘Yorkshire sacked me because I refused to accept the authority of the quite hopeless old man appointed captain.’

Johnny Wardle, 1958. Ronnie Burnett, the ‘quite hopeless old man’, led Yorkshire to the championship the following year.

‘Let him go then, and he can take any other bugger who feels t’same way.’

Brian Sellers after Ray Illingworth’s ‘contract or I’ll leave’ ultimatum to Yorkshire, 1968. Illingworth joined Leicestershire. 

‘Tha’ll ‘ave trouble wi’ t’bugger.’

Brian Sellers, chairman of the Yorkshire cricket committee, to Mike Turner, Leicestershire secretary, the day that Leicestershire signed Ray Illingworth, 1969.

‘It’s unbelievable, but it’s the old bowler hat and the umbrella and the ‘Morning Illingworth’ – they’re still back in the thirties, they really are.’

Ray Illingworth ,then at Leicestershire, speaking about the Yorkshire committee, 1973.  

                     

Mike Rogers

 

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

April 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

Not long to go now. The new season will be with us before we know it. Players and spectators alike will no longer have to find things to do on Saturdays. The delights of shopping will just have to be denied to we cricket-lovers until much later in the year. The merry-go-round of players transferring their allegiance from one club to another has come to a halt once again and battle is about to commence. Let us hope for plenty of competitive cricket played as it should be, hard but fair. You never know your luck, we may even see a batsman ‘walk’ when he has nicked one! Whatever you will be doing for the next five months, playing or watching, I hope that you will have just cause to enjoy it.

Club Chairman Alan informed those present at last month’s ‘Chinese Night’ that the annual rent to be paid to Durham County Council under the terms of a renewed lease was to be significantly increased. Negotiations have yet to begin; however, a rent increase was anticipated by the Club given the fact that we at Blackfyne have been paying the same amount each year since the first lease was signed way back in the 1980s. Nevertheless, an increase of any size has ramifications for the Club. It remains vital to continue to raise funds from all possible sources if the Club wishes to provide cricket at as high a standard as it can. Events such as the ‘Chinese Night’ must continue to be held and, moreover, continue to be as well supported as last month’s was. In addition to a tip-top meal diners at the ‘Do’ were treated to three games of bingo! Now don’t let anyone tell you that we don’t know how to enjoy ourselves at Blackfyne. Readers of ‘The Blackfyne Story’ will probably share my belief that legendary Club President Alderman Joseph Eltringham was looking down on the proceedings sporting a benevolent smile. Thanks are due to Keith and Susan Horn, Chairman Alan [bingo-caller extraordinaire] and voluntary barman Ian Cox for making the function so successful and enjoyable. Ian had a particularly good time, winning two of the three games played.

Thanks are due too to David Williamson for presenting a very enjoyable quiz at the start of last month. It is not an easy task to compile a quiz that has ‘something in it for everyone’ but David succeeded in doing so. This month’s Quiz [Sat. 5^th] will be presented by Club Chairman Alan and will take the form of the BBC’s ‘Pointless’.  Unfortunately I will not be present. Before any reader [particularly Alan] jumps to the wrong conclusion, my absence will have nothing to do with the blatant miscarriage of justice shown to me and my team at a previous ‘Pointless Quiz’ when a potentially pointless answer was wrongly dismissed [certain readers may remember the issue of the Allisons]. No, I am not that petty, even though the mental scars caused by that action remain to this day. I have risen above that. [However, I have a long memory.] While, hopefully, a large number of members and guests will be taxing their brains at the Quiz, the lady wife and I will be at a charity dinner in Durham City.

On the subject of Dinners, the League Dinner has figured prominently in the minds of the Club’s Management Committee in recent months. For the past few years the Club has struggled to fulfil its obligation to sell ten tickets for the Dinner. The date of last year’s Dinner clashed with Andrew and Rachel Forster’s wedding day with the inevitable consequence that the Club did not have a single representative at the ‘Do’. The Club still had to pay for ten tickets i.e. £250. A request made by yours truly to the League Executive on behalf of the Club that the format of the League Dinner be reviewed culminated in a recent meeting which I had with League Exec. members President Bob Jackson and Paul Nesbit. We were joined by John Davidson [Whickham CC] who also desired changes to be made to the format. All four of us were in agreement that, notwithstanding our own personal likings for the current format, changes should be made to give the function a much wider appeal. To start things rolling [and having made it clear that I was not in total agreement with it] I reported a suggestion put to me by one of the Club’s younger Committee men that the League Dinner should follow the format of the Third Team League’s annual Presentation Night i.e. ‘Pie & peas, a blue comedian and then a p**s up.’ An eruption of laughter ensued. Bob Jackson OBE spoke for the four of us in stating, ‘Well, that sounds like a b****y good night, but not quite right for the League Dinner.’ Changes will be made, hopefully to the benefit of everyone.

My first experience of the League Dinner was way back in the early 1970s when it was held at Shephards of Gateshead Department Store. As the lift doors opened we were met by the sight and sound of Bill Stokoe singing  at the piano. Now was it Guy Mitchell’s ‘She wears red feathers’ or Al Martino’s ‘Blue Spanish Eyes’? I forget. However, I do remember Cecil Pearson’s grin from ear to ear as he sat anticipating with relish the impending award to his own Wallsend CC of the Tyneside Senior League Championship trophy. Later that decade the interestingly named ‘Rainbow Room’ became the venue. For younger readers, said ‘Rainbow Room’ was, in reality, the function room on the top floor of the Co-op in Newcastle’s city centre. Complete with paper tablecloths this establishment remained the venue until the function moved to the Lancastrian Suite, Gateshead where it has been, with a couple of  exceptions, ever since.

Marjorie Thornton [wife of former Club member Bob] has just cause to remember the ‘Rainbow Room’. The waitresses at that establishment were not averse to creating a friendly atmosphere by engaging in conversation with guests. On one such occasion our table’s waitress carried on with a conversation for several minutes while resting a hot tureen on Marjorie’s bare shoulder! Between clenched teeth Marjorie ‘kept her cool’. Honestly!

Running the risk of turning this edition into a Births, Marriages and Deaths column, I feel compelled to report the following:-

My elder daughter Emma and her husband Iain [the ones who live in the Deep South, Teddington actually] had their first child, Evan, christened at St Andrews URC [‘The Press’ to most of us] on the 16^th March. Naturally enough the Christening Party was held at the Club. My side of the family was well represented with Tyke accents in abundance. Many present on that occasion had never set foot in the pavilion before and were impressed by the Bar, the bar prices [‘Is that all?’] and the ground itself. I was grateful to Chairman Alan and Andy Forster for their work in serving the thirsty masses. A good time was had by all.

Congratulations to Lucy McPherson [daughter of Club Treasurer Colin and wife Catherine] and Club batsman Paul Ringer on the announcement of their engagement. The happy couple will tie the knot on Saturday 24^th May. I suppose Paul will not be available for selection on that day.

Thanks are due to John Hopps for securing the display cabinet which now graces the northern wall of the Bar. The cabinet, a gift to the Club from Life Member Joan Topham, contains trophies and Club memorabilia which should stir memories and conversation for many a long day. Thank you Joan. Joan’s late husband Eric’s memory will be maintained in years to come by an annual competition for the Eric Topham Trophy. The inaugural competition will be a 6a-side tournament to be played between local clubs at Blackfyne on Sunday 27^th July. To date Shotley Bridge CC and Leadgate CC [for both of whom Eric played] have accepted invitations to join the Club in the competition.

There follows a true story which illustrates the saying, ‘You learn something new every day.’ When I began my seven year stint at Aireborough Grammar School in 1959 I was delighted to learn that the current Yorkshire cricketers Brian Close and Bryan Stott had also attended that establishment situated in the Aire Valley between Leeds and Bradford. They were, after all, local heroes. I was soon to learn that another Yorkshire & England player had studied at the school long before the Second World War. His name was Hedley Verity. Over the years I built a sound knowledge of his achievements [or so I thought]. This left-arm spinner had enjoyed an illustrious career with Yorkshire and England. He had taken all ten wickets in a County Championship match on two occasions. Hedley’s 10-10 v Nottinghamshire in 1937 remains a world record to this day. I knew that he had begun to play the game as a boy at his native Rawdon Cricket Club; the village of Rawdon being about a mile along the road from the school. I knew that he had been killed in action in Italy during the War at the age of 34. Fast forward to March 2014. Reading ‘The Sweetest Rose – 150 years of Yorkshire County Cricket Club’ written by David Warner, I was surprised to learn that Hedley had begun his cricketing career as a medium paced seam bowler and then was amazed to read that he had left Rawdon CC and joined a club a couple of miles away, namely Horsforth Hall Park CC. Regular readers of ‘Muses’ may recall that I played my Junior cricket at that particular club. Hedley Verity’s name was never mentioned when I was a member of HHPCC, possibly because he had moved on to the wrong side of the Pennines to play as a professional in the Lancashire League. He was advised by Yorkshire legend George Hirst to take up spin bowling; the rest is, as they say, history. 

Finally, quotation time. Prompted by trawling through the history of Yorkshire CCC [see above], I have put together a few Tyke-related quotations taken from ‘A century of great cricket quotes’ compiled by David Hopps. There are many more to come in future editions; you have been warned!

‘We shake hands on t’first morning and say ‘How do’. Then we say nowt for three days but, ‘Howzat.’

Roy Kilner [Yorkshire CCC] on Roses matches in the 1920s.

‘Gerrup, tha’s makin’ an exhibition o’ thissen.’

Arthur ‘Ticker’ Mitchell to his Yorkshire colleague Ellis Robinson after a spectacular catch.

‘The trouble with you damn Yorkshiremen is that you are only interested in playing this game to win.’

Former England captain to Fred Trueman during a tour of Australia.

‘When anyone tells me that so-and-so’s indispensable, I always reply, ’I know, the churchyard’s full of ‘em.’

Fred Trueman, defending Boycott’s sacking, 1983.

‘I’ve been swamped by letters from ordinary Yorkshire members who can’t contain their outrage. I’ve heard from others whose children won’t stop crying because they’ll never see Geoff bat again at Headingley.’

Sid Fielden, policeman, lay preacher and pro-Boycott organizer on the Yorkshire committee, after the Yorkshire batsman’s sacking in 1983.

‘Geoffrey Boycott is a very good batsman. I wish I had never met him.’

Sid Fielden, switching camps in the Boycott row, 1985. 

                     

Mike Rogers

March 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

February’s social activities got off to a prompt start on the first of the month when the monthly Quiz Night was presented by Andrew ‘Bushy’ Waters and Nicola Grieves. The pair set a stiff quiz which proved too difficult for Mesdames Chapman, Dixon, Rogers and their token male, yours truly. However, it made for an enjoyable evening which was appreciated by the competing teams. Well done both and thank you.

Senior Presentation Evening held on 7^th February was extremely well attended by players [including Club pro Gareth Breese] from all three senior sides, wives, girlfriends, parents and one or two former players. Not a spare seat to be had. Third Team Captain Ian Cox brought the house down with his review of that team’s season which had culminated in its winning of a knock-out cup and promotion. As usual awards were made to individual players for their performances on the field but, for me, the most poignant moment was the award of the Phil Williamson Trophy to Andrew Waters. The trophy, donated in Phil’s memory by the Williamson family, was presented by Phil and Judith’s sons Neil and David. For those readers who were not present, the award was made for batting, in particular for boundaries scored. Those of us who played with or watched Phil will remember that he preferred to get his runs with the minimum of running between the wickets! Sincere thanks go to David and Lesley Wilkinson who not only served the vast throng with drinks in their highly professional manner but provided the entertainment in the form of a mini Race Night. Thanks too to all who were responsible for producing and serving the pies and peas and for doing the washing up!      

As Club Secretary I am currently sending invitation letters to Club members on behalf of the Club’s Management Committee. Invitations to what you may ask. Chinese Night? Quiz Night? Sportsman’s Dinner? No. An invitation to sponsor home matches. The ball and the umpires have to be paid for and, as with most items, they don’t come cheap! Including travel expenses a pair of umpires may cost the Club in the region of £70 per match. Sending such letters has caused me to look back to former times [as is my wont] when sponsorship was accrued in different ways to those in which it is raised nowadays.

In recent years several businesses have donated money and, in some cases, money and services to the Club in return for publicity on the Club web-site and at the ground itself. When I began my first spell as Club Secretary in 1974 things were very different. The ground was owned by Consett Iron Company to whom the Club paid a very modest annual rent. In return it had the benefit of playing on one of the finest grounds in the North East of England. Full-time groundsmen, overseen and ‘advised’ by former cricketer George ‘Shiner’ Moon ensured that standards were kept high. However, all was not sunshine and roses, due to the fact that the ‘Company’ refused to allow the Club to have a bar. [How we thought our financial worries would all be over if we had one. But that’s another story.] Playing equipment, entry fees, umpires etc. still had to be paid for. ‘Playing equipment’, in those days, even at 1^st Team level,  included items such as bats, pads and gloves. Some players had their own such equipment but many did not so the Club had to replenish the stock from time to time. Membership subscriptions could not be set at unduly high levels. Additional funds had to be raised in various ways.

One such avenue for fund-raising was that of the fixture poster. One of my first tasks as Secretary was to obtain sponsorship of this item. In a previous edition of this monthly article I recounted my memories of visiting many local businesses seeking such sponsorship. For new readers or for those of you who have forgotten [the majority] I will paraphrase the tale. The fixture poster consisted of a large sheet of paper on which the list of fixtures for the season was printed in the middle. Surrounding the list were a dozen or so advertisements of local businesses e.g. coal merchants, estate agents, shops etc.. The completed sheets were displayed in local pubs, clubs and fish shops. During the close season the businesses were ‘invited’ to renew their sponsorship of the Club by purchasing  an advertising ‘box’ at the knock-down price of £5per ‘box’. During my first sortie into the Consett business community the bosses, recognising a new boy when they saw one, made me jump through the hoop to secure a £5 note from each of them. [They knew all about the scheme as it had been running for years and all intended to pay up but enjoyed a little bit of Saturday morning fun at my expense.]

A year or two later Peter Curtis took on the Club Chairman’s role and fund-raising, including sponsorship, accelerated apace. Match fees were introduced. A new Club tie was produced and sold to ‘enthusiastic’ members. [Yes, men wore ties in those days.] Sponsorship of the match ball was introduced. Organisations, businesses and individuals participated in that scheme but without the modern-day incentive of a couple of free pints.

A sponsored walk was held one Sunday morning. A mixture of senior players and wives who had raised their own sponsorship started from the Manor House Hotel on a circular route of the Derwent Reservoir. We managed to complete the walk of about 12 miles in various states of pain, tiredness and general discomfort. A quick bite of lunch at home and off we went to Burnhope to play a friendly. Who was that Fixtures Secretary?  I decided that the walk had taken sufficient toll on my legs for one day and that, as it was a friendly match, I would occupy the slips rather than my usual spot behind the stumps. The prospect of  bending up and down for thirty odd overs was not appealing. By fielding in the slips I demonstrated my versatility in the field i.e. I was able to drop catches with or without the ‘keeping gloves on!   

Finally, quotation time:-

The Indoor Nets are well under way. Here are a few fitness-related quotations which amused me.

‘I reckon you can’t pull a muscle if you haven’t got any.’

John Emburey. [England & Middlesex off-spinner.]

‘We had different ideas of fitness. To me the best preparation for batting, bowling and fielding was batting, bowling and fielding.’

Peter May. [England & Surrey batsman.]

‘During the winter I train on 20 fags and a couple of pints of lager and an unrelieved diet of cricket talk.’

Brian Brain. [Gloucestershire seamer.]

‘Wickets are more important than waistline.’

Merv Hughes [Australian seamer.]

‘There’s a big difference between being fit and being strong. Sebastian Coe is fit, but he couldn’t bowl all day.’

Alec Bedser [England & Surrey medium-fast bowler of the ‘40s and ‘50s] dismissing modern training techniques in 1993. Alec kept fit in his day by working on farms or digging up trees. 

                     

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 2014.

Welcome to this edition of 'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

Snow is falling as I begin to write this month’s edition. A case of ‘In the bleak midwinter’. As reported in previous ‘Muses’, in an attempt to relieve the boredom of cricket’s close season, I often spen

 

 

 

Saturday afternoons at either Swalwell [home of Blaydon Rugby Club] or Corbridge [Tynedale Rugby Club] watching those clubs compete in England Rugby Union’s National League One. Not only do I enjoy the competitive matches but, as a by-product, have expanded my knowledge of the geography of England. [ Eh? What the devil is he on about now? I hear you say.] Well, here are a few examples by way of explanation. Cinderford, Old Albanians and Rosslyn Park Rugby Clubs are just three of the teams to have provided the opposition for the two ‘local’ clubs so far this season. ‘Somewhere down South’ is the stock answer to any query of mine regarding the location of such clubs. Now, that’s not quite specific enough for an inquisitive b****r like yours truly. Investigation shows that Cinderford is located in the Forest of Dean [Gloucestershire], Old Albanians RUFC is in St. Albans, Hertfordshire and Rosslyn Park RUFC’s home is in Roehampton, South West London. So you see, this monthly article is educational really. At least reading it has taught you a lesson eh?

Other former local cricketers known to me [and perhaps to you] who regularly spend their winter Saturday afternoons at either Blaydon or Tynedale Rugby Clubs include Bill Stokoe, Ian ‘Rocky’ Stoneman, Derek Murray [Blaydon CC] and John Darling [Tynedale CC]. At a recent Blaydon match I met up with ex- Swalwell and Burnopfield batsman Tommy Nicholls. Whenever former players meet conversation soon turns to cricket, in particular local cricket. During my meeting with ‘Rocky’ and Tommy matters turned to identifying the coldest cricket ground on which we had played. Funny how the other two looked pointedly at me. Dear reader, you know that it is never cold at Blackfyne don’t you? However, I had to admit that Blackfyne could be a tad on the chilly side for the spectator or for the inactive fielder. South Moor was not exactly tropical either! An evening spent at Boldon Colliery Welfare’s ground remains fixed in my memory some thirty-odd years on. Heavy mist [OK fog] and a damp [OK sodden] wicket delayed the start of this evening cup-tie. To add to the enjoyment of the occasion it was bitterly cold to boot. When the go-ahead was given to start the match we were delighted to win the toss, elect to bat first and retreat to the ‘comfort’ of the dressing room. Broken windows did nothing to improve the temperature in that room. It was so cold that my colleagues and I only changed into our whites when it became apparent that our presence at the wicket would be required imminently. Somehow or other the match was completed. We won, had a drink with the opposition, retreated to the warmth of our cars and were grateful that no fingers or toes had been lost to frostbite. Given all of that, I know that as a spectator, I have never been as cold at a match than I was one afternoon a couple of years ago at Cowgate’s ground. Finding it impossible to view the match from indoors or even from the car, I tried to warm up by continuously circling the boundary. All to no avail. Small wonder then that I was the crowd that day. Other prospective spectators had had much more sense. How about you? Which ground, in your experience, ‘merits’ the accolade of being the coldest in the North East?

I was sad to learn last month of the death of former Yorkshire and England all-rounder Graham Stevenson. A seam bowler and hard-hitting batsman, Graham gave we Yorkshire supporters a great deal of pleasure over many years in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Never one to be short of an opinion, Graham believed in ‘telling it as it is’. One example immediately springs to mind. Graham was a very junior member of the Yorkshire team captained by Geoff Boycott. Boycott had declared in time to give his bowlers an hour at the opposition before the close of that day’s play. They had not had much, if any, success and Boycott was fuming when the team returned to the dressing room. He lambasted his bowlers for what he considered to be an inept performance. All was deathly quiet until a young Stevenson piped up, ‘‘It’s no use blaming us! We’d ‘ave ‘ad more time if thar ‘adn’t bin sittin’ on t’splice all day!’’ Taken aback by this admonition from the young whippersnapper, Geoff turned to his senior professional, John ‘Jack’ Hampshire, for support. ‘‘Lad’s got a point Geoff.’’ was all he got by way of help.

February’s social activities will get off to a prompt start on the first of the month when the monthly Quiz Night will be presented by Andrew Waters and Nicola Grieves. Keeping it in the family, last month’s quiz was presented by Club Chairman Alan Waters. Alan’s quiz attracted a reasonable turn-out although more would have been welcome. I was fortunate to be one member of the winning ‘Bar Team’. The three other members of the quartet were John Rutherford, Geoff Graham and ‘barman for the evening’ Colin McPherson. Missing from this month’s Quiz Night will be Keith and Susan Horn. Habitual attendees at these events, they will be holidaying in Australia and New Zealand. Well, someone has to I suppose. I know that they will enjoy that experience of a lifetime. 1^st Team captain John Chapman will be unable to attend the Senior Presentation Evening [Friday 7^th Feb.] due to holiday commitments. He and fiancée Jane will be abroad on the piste [yes, that is the correct spelling]. Enjoy.

Given the anecdote above [re. Graham Stevenson and Geoff Boycott], I will take the opportunity to end this edition with several quotations uttered by famous Yorkshire cricketers, several of whom were not averse to ‘telling it like it is’.

‘I would have died for Yorkshire. I suppose once or twice I nearly did.’

Brian Close

‘The first rock and roll cricketer.’

Sir Leonard Hutton speaking of Ian Botham

‘I’ve heard it said that this game at Test level is 50 per cent in the mind, 50 per cent in the heart, and bugger technique, and that’s not far off the mark.’

Ray Illingworth

‘We didn’t have any metaphors in my day. We didn’t beat about the bush.’

Fred Trueman

‘Pitches are like wives – you can never tell how they’re going to turn out.’

Sir Leonard Hutton

‘Nobody’s perfect. You know what happened to the last man who was - they

crucified him.’

Geoff Boycott

‘I’d have looked even faster in colour.’

Fred Trueman

The final one requires some background to it:-

Fred Trueman is bowling in a Test match. The batsman edges and the ball goes to first slip and right between Raman Subba Row’s legs. At the end of the over Row ambles past Trueman and apologises.

Row: ‘I should’ve kept my legs together, Fred.’

Trueman: ‘Not you son. Your mother should’ve.’

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

January 2014.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.

First of all I wish all readers a very Happy New Year! May you and yours have a good 2014.

 

The turn of the year is the time when many people [including the writer] look back over the previous year and then forward to the new one. Club members may look back to mixed fortunes on and off the field in 2013 but, in my opinion, may look forward with a modicum of optimism to 2014. New players have been attracted to the Club, a fact which should strengthen both the 1^st and 2^nd Teams. The addition of a group of younger members to the Management Committee should provide fresh impetus and new ideas to the fund-raising department.

 

The promotion of Alnmouth & Lesbury CC to Division A1 and the promotion of Bedlington CC into our League will result in the frequent use of  the A1 and A189 by our senior teams. In my playing days in the Tyneside Senior League an away match at Seaton Burn, Reyrolles, Leslies or Wallsend was considered to be quite an expedition. How times have changed. Some readers will remember playing at Wallsend. The cricket field was part of a huge sports complex. Football, archery, athletics, all sorts and many sports were pursued there; often at the same time. Tommy Nichol and I tended to share the driving to and from away matches. Although we had played at Wallsend on many occasions, one day we got lost on the way there.  Quite how we managed to do so neither of us can remember other than the fact that we [well Tom who was driving] had decided to take a different [quicker] route. We ended up somewhere in Wallsend [or was it North Shields?] asking for directions at a Fire Station. Now, many readers will know how fruitless requesting directions to a cricket ground can often be. Directions to football grounds, pubs, cinemas etc. – no problem. Cricket grounds? Quite a different matter. Our request for directions to ‘Wallsend Cricket Club’ produced blank looks from the two firemen whom we addressed.  However, our description of the huge sports complex in which the cricket field was situated had the desired result. Unsurprisingly we were the last of the team to arrive

I had the dubious pleasure of presenting last month’s Quiz Night. It seemed to be well received and enjoyed by those present. I enjoyed compiling it. As mentioned in previous editions please take the opportunity of presenting a quiz yourself. It will be much appreciated. The first Quiz Night of 2014 will be presented by Club Chairman Alan on 4^th January. February’s Quiz Night [1^st Feb.] will have two presenters, Andrew Waters and his fiancée Nicola.

 

This edition is being written on New Year’s Eve. The New Year Honours list has just been announced and I read with pleasure that former England cricketer and Chief of Selectors Geoff Miller has been awarded the OBE for ‘services to cricket’. Those of you present at the League Dinner a few years ago when he was a Guest Speaker might agree with me that ‘and after dinner speaking’ could be rightly added to the criteria for Geoff’s award. He was brilliant. Many present that evening knew him only as the Chief Selector and not as the fine all-rounder which he had been during a long playing career. His self-deprecating remarks such as, ‘My academic career? Ten ‘O’Levels ------- entered.’ ‘A duck in my first innings in County Cricket, a duck in my last innings in County Cricket and not a great deal in between the two somehow made me the right person to be Chairman of Selectors.’ etc. certainly got the laughs that he was after but belied the fact that Geoff Miller had been a first class cricketer in every sense of the words. His anecdote regarding visiting his father shortly after making his England debut [against the West Indies] brought the house down. His father had told him how proud he had felt watching [on TV] his son playing. ‘But when that great big fast bowler [Andy Roberts] was running in to bowl at you I couldn’t watch, I had to shut my eyes.’ ‘So did I Dad!’ 

 In mid-December the lady wife and I visited my elder sister and her husband in East Yorkshire. An unexpected bonus to our visit was an evening spent at Driffield Cricket Club to take part in a Quiz Night. The quiz itself was very good and well attended with more than a hundred participants. However, I was more interested in the numerous photographs of teams past and present and in the 2013 fixture list still displayed. Driffield play in the Yorkshire Premier League which includes several of the clubs which I had visited as a youngster [five or six years old] together with my father who was then [1950s] the scorer for Leeds CC whose home ground was Headingley itself. At that tender age I was quite blasé about sitting in the score-box of a Test Match Ground and took the grand scale of the ground and its facilities for granted. What I really looked forward to were the away matches when we went with the players and committee men on a coach to ‘far off places’ such as Sheffield [Bramall Lane], Barnsley, Hull, Harrogate, York and Scarborough.

One of the best players in the Leeds team [and there were several who had played for or who were to play for Yorkshire] was an Australian. He was called Arthur Clues. A huge man who was for some time described as the best forward in England, Arthur played professional Rugby League for Leeds RL for eight seasons before finishing his career at Hunslet RL. He ran a sports shop in Leeds which was in direct competition the the one owned by the Yorkshire legend Herbert Sutcliffe. Arthur was a superb cricketer and a larger than life character. He had the distinction of scoring a try and a century at both Headingley and Sydney cricket grounds! Now there’s a good quiz question for you.

Back to Arthur Clues and my trips to away grounds in Yorkshire.  After matches it was the norm, as it is now, for both sides to have a drink together. Of course my tender years prevented me from witnessing such events. I usually found a few other boys to have an impromptu game of cricket with on the outfield or in the car park while the imbibing was going on indoors. Eventually it was time to get on board the coach and start the journey back to Leeds. No motorways of course in those days so a journey back from Hull or Scarborough was a mammoth undertaking which ‘necessitated’ a stop somewhere en route. The stop was usually taken at a pub which had a fish shop nearby. On one occasion which I can clearly remember to this day, ‘Cluesy’ [as he was known by his team-mates] got back onto the coach with an opened bag of fish and chips in one of his enormous hands. When I say ‘fish and chips’, I am not conveying an accurate description. For ‘fish’ substitute two fish, for ‘chips’ amend that to three bags of chips. He was a big man and he needed a lot of filling. Everyone settled down to their meals and the journey progressed. One or two [including yours truly] were drifting off to sleep when the peace was shattered by a shout, ’Get off you greedy b*****d!’ Not satisfied with devouring his own gargantuan meal, Cluesy had his eyes [and fingers] on someone else’s. What a character. 

You may have noticed that no mention has been made in this edition of the Australia v England Ashes Series. All I wish to note is my sympathy for those people who have spent a lot of money in flying to the other side of the world to watch the matches. One thing is certain…………… they’ll definitely remember the experience.  

Finally a quotation for this month:-                                  

David Gower: 'Do you want Gatting a foot wider?'

Chris Cowdrey: ‘No. He’d burst.’

During the 1985 India v England Test in Calcutta.

Mike Rogers

 

 

 

December 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

It is a pleasure to begin this edition with a piece of good news for a change. On November 16^th Andy Forster and Rachel Hopps were married, thereby uniting two  ‘clans’ whose allegiance to the Club goes way back. Shades of the Wars of the Roses eh? Seriously though, all of us at Blackfyne are delighted that Andy and Rachel have tied the knot. Many Club members attended the festivities at Ramside Hall.  Unfortunately the lady wife and I were unable to join in with the celebrations due to our attendance at the Annual Convention of a charity with which I am heavily involved. However, my fellow Club members assure me that a good day and evening was had by all. Congratulations to the happy couple!

That is the good news. Now for the moan. November 16^th was also the date of the League’s Annual Dinner. The Club was not represented at that function due to the clash of events. However, the Club will be charged by the League for ten tickets @ £25 each. I understand the reasons behind that decision, costs of staging the event have to be met after all. However, £250 is a lot of money to pay for something that you have not had. In recent years it has been more and more difficult to attract  members of this club and several others to the League Dinner. Long gone are the days when the Club and Shotley Bridge CC members shared the cost of a coach to take us to the ‘Do’. The format of the evening appears to be the problem. I may be one of a small minority at the Club who actually enjoys it. A three course meal, presentations, a guest speaker [famous cricketer] and a comedian followed by dancing suits me very well. Sadly the Annual Convention referred to previously has prevented me from attending the League Dinner on several occasions during the past decade as the two events have tended to take place on the same week-end. Nevertheless, when I have been present I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the evening. Granted some of the comedians have not had me laughing long and loud and one or two of the guest speakers have not had me hanging on to their every word; however, I defy any cricket lover or non- lover of cricket not to have been entertained by former Chairman of England Selectors Geoff Miller’s speech a few Dinners ago. He was brilliant. If the format of the Dinner is the reason for large scale absenteeism then it should be addressed. It is, in my opinion, the responsibility of the self-elected absentees to suggest a format which would have more appeal to the majority of the League’s members. However, a note of caution. Be careful that the baby is not thrown out with the bath water by discouraging those long-term attendees of the League Dinner from continuing to support it.  

The Club’s AGM held on 11^th November produced no surprises. As anticipated John Chapman was elected to the post of 1^st Team Captain and David Williamson to that of 2^nd Team Captain. Colin McPherson took on the dual role of Club and Bar Treasurer. To aid Colin, David Williamson will serve as Auditor. Unsurprisingly there was not a clamour for subscriptions to be raised. I was personally delighted that three new [young] faces were elected to the Club’s Management Committee in the shape of Daniel Pyke, Jack Marshall and Dan Burlinson. Their presence will do wonders to the average age of the Committee. Hopefully they will bring fresh ideas to the meetings. Committee members of more mature years beware, do not be the first to say, ‘We tried that but it didn’t work then and it won’t work now.’ I include myself in that warning.

Father of the Bride John Hopps presented a very enjoyable and entertaining quiz at the start of the month. He successfully adapted the format of BBC TV’s ‘Perfection’ to cater for team participation. As usually is the case on Club ‘Quiz Nights’ serious thought with regard to the answers was mixed with the hilarity created by the reaction of several competitors when the correct answers were read out. ‘I told you to write  that down!’ ‘You copied that from us!’ etc., etc.. A good evening, thanks John. Yours truly will be taking his turn to present the next ‘Quiz Night’ on the 7^th December. It will be a straight forward sort of quiz but should, I hope, be entertaining and at times amusing. Please come along and have a go.

Yet another Ashes Test Series has begun. The issue of ‘sledging’ appears to have grabbed the headlines; no doubt to the relief of the England team who did not exactly  cover themselves in glory during the First Test. Funny old game cricket. Non-cricket followers must believe [from comments made in my hearing] that sledging is a new invention and, furthermore, restricted to the Test arena. Cricketers and former cricketers will know that such antics have been part of the game to a greater or lesser extinct ever since it was first played. I had experience of the practice on several occasions while occupying the crease. Quite often my time in the middle was limited due either to an early dismissal or being way down the batting order thereby having only a few balls or overs to bat. When called upon [usually by captain Gordon Hunter] to ‘go in and get your head down and stop the rot’ were occasions when the sledging might begin. The more it went on the more pleased I was because it meant that I was doing a good job for the team and really getting on the nerves of the opposition. Playing and missing of course really upset them. However, comments regarding such ineptitude were never as humorous as that attributed to Merv Hughes [see the quotations below].

I experienced sledging from a distance during my first match for the 1^st Team back in 1970. At least I think the row was about sledging but I never did find out exactly what led to the altercation. Consett were playing at home to South Moor. Opening the batting with Stewart Raisbeck was David Richardson. Matters were progressing well for us when out of the blue Richie stood in the middle of the wicket, face to face, eyeball to eyeball, with one of the Moor’s opening bowlers. Words were obviously being exchanged, tempers appeared to be rising, faces were becoming more and more scarlet by the second, matters seemed to be getting out of hand until suddenly it was all over with and both participants turned away from one another and retreated to their starting positions. When he was finally out David did not enlighten those of us in the dressing room who were curious to know what had started the fracas. His only comment was, ’You know what? When you get up to him ……….when you get right up to him…….he’s really ugly.’

The last Thursday in November saw representatives of the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior League gathered at Greenside C.C. for the League Annual General  and League Management meetings. Although several of the proposed rule changes had been designed to help 2^nd Team cricket, the match play rules which were in fact amended will have more impact upon 1^st Team cricket than 2^nd Team. E.g. 1st Team League matches will be played under One Day conditions i.e. the 30 yard circle, fielding restrictions etc.. 2^nd Team League matches will be played under the same conditions as at present. That’s the danger of democracy for you. However, both 1^st and 2^nd Team League matches will operate under a changed quota of overs permitted for bowlers. As from 2014 1^st Team bowlers may bowl no more than 12 overs each, 2^nd Team 10 overs each. In essence this will mean that teams will need five bowlers and not four as per previous seasons. The intention of reducing the maximum numbers of overs a bowler may bowl in an innings is to increase the opportunity for more players to be directly involved in a match. Fair enough you might say. However, you may be delighted or puzzled to learn that this well-intentioned idea of increasing participation in a match does not extend to batsmen. No restrictions have been put on batsmen’s direct involvement. They will still be able to bat as long and clock up as many runs as they are able. Quite right too in my opinion. Nevertheless, you may think, as I do, that reducing a bowler’s overs will tip the balance in a match even more in favour of the batsman than it is now? Furthermore, I may be being naïve, but surely every member of a cricket team has ‘direct involvement’ in a match. Try telling the player who has neither batted nor bowled but who has caught a stunning catch to dismiss a dangerous batsman that he has not had ‘direct involvement’ in the match.        

      

Finally, a few quotations for this month, all from the mouths of our friends in Australia :-   

‘It’s tough for a natural hooker to give it up.’

Ian Chappell

‘The other advantage England have got when Phil Tufnell is bowling is that he isn’t fielding.’

Ian Chappell

‘Mate, if you just turn the bat over, you’ll find the instructions on the other side.’

Merv Hughes to Robin Smith after the England batsman repeatedly played and missed.

‘Mike Atherton gave as good as he got. His sledging was always more subtle and intelligent than my basic stuff. It would often take me three overs to understand what he meant.’

Merv Hughes   

 

Mike Rogers

November 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

October is usually the month when the Club’s players and officials alike tend to notice that matters other than cricket are on their agendas. As comedian and script-writer  Dennis Norden put it so eloquently, ‘October is the month when you discover that your wife left you in April.’ To some extent that has been the case this time around. No, the lady wife has not vacated chez Rogers [yet] but the past month has thankfully not been as hectic as the previous six for the writer. Apart from attendance at a Club Management Committee meeting and at a meeting of the League Management Committee, my commitments Club-wise have been limited to the odd item of correspondence and opening the bar on a couple of occasions. However, this  period of the calm before the storm will shortly be a memory as more Club activities lie just around the corner.

Unfortunately I missed out on two social functions last month. The first of these being Chairman Alan’s ‘Pointless Quiz’.  I could not attend due to a previous engagement, namely child-minding two of my grandchildren. What is more, I undertook this operation flying solo due to the lady wife being away from home. My two charges were tucked away safely in bed and granddad was fast asleep downstairs when my daughter and son-in-law returned home. There’s nothing to this baby-sitting lark! A formal Dinner prevented me from joining in the fun at the Race Night held on the final Saturday of the month. Organised by Andrew ‘Bushy’ Waters in association with David Wilkinson, the event raised over £600 for the National Autistic Society.  Congratulations to all concerned.

This month promises to be quite hectic. The first Saturday in the month will see John Hopps presenting his version of the popular day-time TV Quiz ‘Perfection’. It should be good given John’s history of presenting novel events. The Junior Presentation Evening is scheduled to take place on Friday 8^th. Hopefully the attendance will merit the work put into its organisation and into the running of the Junior teams throughout the season.

The Club AGM is looming. Decisions taken then will shape the future of the Club in the short-  and possibly long-term. So please come along on the 11^th [8 o’clock start] and, if your subs are up to date, vote. The Nominations of  Club Officers’ sheet has been on the Club notice-board for several weeks and I am delighted to report that we have a full list of runners; one for each post. It is pleasing to see so many members being willing to put their heads above the parapet. If voting pans out in the way expected a little bit of history will be made. Standing for the position of 1^st Team Captain is John Chapman. Should he be elected it will be exactly 30 years since his father Bob took up the same post. Sorry to remind you, Bob, that time flies.

I read with interest recently that Richie Benaud had been involved in a car accident. Apparently his car crashed into a wall as he was driving home from his Golf Club.  Richie was hurt sufficiently [shoulder and chest injuries] to warrant a spell in hospital but was more concerned about the state of his car than he was about himself. Many readers will ‘know’ Richie from his cricket commentaries. Older readers, however, may remember him as a brilliant all-rounder [leg-break bowler and middle order batsman] who captained Australia from 1958 to 1964. I do recall that the car in question, a 1963 Sunbeam Alpine, was transported by ship from Australia to England whenever Richie was commentating on an Ashes Series for the BBC! Certainly his pride and joy, sunbeam!

Towards the end of this month the League AGM will be held. It will be interesting to see the proposals [if any] designed to remedy the increasing problem with 2^nd Team cricket i.e. the number of matches conceded due to clubs being unable to field teams. Mention has been made of revising match play rules e.g. increasing the number of bowlers per innings, introducing fielding restrictions etc.. In other words producing a 2^nd Team League fixture mirroring a County One Day or T20 match. Whether such proposals will be forthcoming and, if so, whether or not they will be agreed to by the required majority of clubs remains to be seen. What is a fact, however, is that something has to be tried to attempt to overcome the downward spiral of local cricket as perceived by many of we cricket lovers. One obvious handicap to a healthier state of affairs is the dearth of cricket played in and by schools. This old **** was fortunate to have grown up in a cricket-mad area and to have played competitive cricket during both my Primary and Secondary Education. My friends and I had the benefit of learning about the game and playing it both at school and at our local cricket clubs. Teachers gave up their Saturday mornings to supervise matches. At my own secondary school the Sports Master concentrated upon developing the younger age group and left the 1^st Team’s match day supervision to the Music Master and/or Maths Master. The Sports Master, however, did coach us during and after school. As he was a professional in the Bradford League, we certainly acted upon his advice.   During my time playing for the Club in the ‘70s and early ‘80s I frequently heard team-mates recalling the names of their teachers who had helped them to learn to play. As far as I can see that is not the case nowadays. The responsibility for the survival of our national game is to all intents and purposes in the hands of local clubs such as ours. More, nay, some financial help would be very welcome.

Thinking back to the coaching which I received during my schooldays, I have to recount that most of it was courtesy of my schoolteachers and very little from the local club. The club’s Junior section was under the direction of an elderly man who during ‘nets’ habitually wore a raincoat [whatever the weather], a shirt and tie, a tweed suit and a pair of brown brogues. Occasionally one of the regular 1^st Teamers would appear at the nets and give us all the once over. To his credit and with my eternal gratitude this senior citizen made sure that we played cricket home and away season after season. We travelled to away fixtures by service bus and occasionally by train. Yes, we had local train services then. One Monday afternoon [we played our matches on Monday evenings] I had a dental appointment after school. Now, dentists and I have never got on with one another. I turned up at the surgery in all good faith for a routine inspection. The dentist’s inspection of my teeth resulted in him informing me that I needed a filling and that he would do it there and then. I realised that the job needed to be done and that I could not avoid having it done in the long run but I seized my opportunity of delaying the procedure, with its associated injection, numbness and whining of the drill, to a later date by exclaiming, ‘No! I can’t stay now. I have to catch the train to Ilkley. I’m playing cricket tonight and I can’t miss the train!’ It worked; but of course he got his way eventually.

Back to the coaching received at my club. As referred to in earlier editions, the Junior side was a one size fits all arrangement i.e. an Under 18 Team made up of boys as young as 11 or 12 up to 17 year-olds. None of us had the ability of Brian Close, who played 1^st Team cricket from the age of 12 for our neighbours Rawdon C.C., but by the age of 16 one or two of us were getting games for the 2^nd Team and were therefore invited to attend the Senior Nets at the start of each season. These were held on the outfield on two consecutive Saturday afternoons in April. During one of the sessions I received the best advice with regard to batting that I ever had and from the most unlikely source. As I would do a few years later, the club’s 1^st Team wicket-keeper positioned himself behind the stumps to ‘get me eye in’. He rejoiced in the name of Cedric Briggs and was regarded by many as t’best keeper in t’league. When I was batting Cedric stopped ‘the net’ in order to give me some advice. He told me that he wasn’t the best of batsmen himself [he was a regular 10 or 11] but that he had kept wicket behind ‘some bloody good batsmen’ for years and he had learnt from them that a batsman should be either ‘reet for’ard or reet back’ when playing a shot. ‘Thar’s neither.’ Good advice. If only I’d remembered it on every occasion.      

                     

Finally, a few quotations for this month, all from the same source :-   

 

  'His throw went absolutely nowhere near where it was going.’

‘He’s usually a good puller – but he couldn’t get it up that time.’

‘The slow motion replay doesn’t show how fast that delivery was.’

‘There was a slight interruption there for athletics.’ [After a streaker had been removed from the field.]

‘Laird has been brought in to stand in the corner of the circle.’

Richie Benaud

Mike Rogers

October 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

It is with great sadness that I have to report the passing of a good friend of the Club. Eric Topham died in late August having spent the last few years of his life in Redwell Hills Nursing Home, Leadgate. Eric’s wife, Joan, made daily visits by bus to see him in all weathers. Having first known Eric as an umpire back in the 1970s, I knew little about his own playing exploits until recent years when I, like others, visited Eric during his illness both at his home and at Redwell Hills. Although his mobility became increasingly restricted, Eric ‘still had all his chairs at home’ when it came to stories of both today and long ago. A few of Eric’s humorous recollections of his time wearing the white coat have appeared in previous editions of this column. However, being such a modest man, Eric rarely spoke about his own playing ‘career’.  Close family friend and former team-mate Billy Stokoe provided some details during his moving eulogy at Eric’s funeral. A fine pace bowler whose career was cut short by injury, Eric had played for Allendale & Westwood, Leadgate and finally Shotley Bridge where he captained the 1^st Team during that club’s final year in the North West Durham League and its first season in the Tyneside Senior League. Eric was a lover of local cricket and a regular visitor to the local clubs both as an umpire and latterly a spectator, more often than not accompanied by Joan, herself a keen and knowledgeable cricket lover. Eric and Joan were held in such esteem by members and officials of the Club that they were made Life Members of Consett C.C. several years ago. The next time that you are in the Club Bar please have a look at the wall- clock. It was donated by Eric and Joan to the Club after the fire which destroyed the pavilion.

  

Well that’s season 2013 over and done with. As the Club web-site’s results table shows there were mixed fortunes for our senior teams. Half way through the season it was the opinion of many non-Consett followers that the Club’s 1^st Team would be relegated alongside Lintz. Those of us who enjoyed a closer view of Blackfyne matters remained optimistic; well slightly more so. The disappointing and inconsistent results could be put down to the fact that rarely had the Club been able to field a full strength 1^st Team due to a variety of reasons. It was argued by several within the Club that a full strength team would be able to secure enough points to reach safety. So it proved. Victories during the final two months of the season removed the ogre of relegation. The 1^st Team should be congratulated for the way in which they turned their season around. One example of the spirit shown was the home fixture against Tynedale. Torrential rain throughout Friday had caused extreme doubts to arise regarding prospects of any play on the Saturday. When I arrived at the ground at about a quarter to ten on the Saturday morning I expected to see a few glum faces greeting me with an announcement that the match had been cancelled. Far from it.  Vice Captain John Chapman was reasonably confident that the pools of water on the outfield and the damp wicket [rainwater had got under the covers] could be dried up sufficiently to enable the match to be played, ‘If we don’t get any more rain.’ A working party set to under the direction of John Hopps to make repairs. Work was going well when, of course, it rained again. Thankfully the rain ceased, the work was completed and the match started on time. Such was the spirit shown by John, Andy Forster and Gary Hunter [three of the six or seven members of the working party] to get the match on, it was inevitable that the same spirit would be put into winning the match itself. This was duly accomplished but not without a few moments of doubt along the way. This determination shown by those three 1^st Teamers exemplified the spirit that had been created within the team.

The 2^nd Team’s season did not have a happy ending. Defeat at home to Lintz in the last match of the season consigned the team to the 2^nd Division for season 2014. In truth the team did well to postpone its relegation until the final match given the impossible odds with which it was faced throughout the season. With more than twenty different players making 1^st Team appearances, it was inevitable that the 2nd Team would feel the pinch with regard to its own playing strength. Credit must go to captain David Bridge and a handful of ‘senior’ players for their efforts throughout what must have seemed to them a long, long season. A major plus point, however, should be made. The Club managed to field eleven players for each match whether it was 1^st Team, 2^nd Team or 3^rd Team. Home or away, cup or league, the Club did not concede a game. Sadly the same cannot be said of every N&TSCL club.

The world and his wife [well OK not quite] attended the Club’s end of season ‘Big Do’ on the Saturday evening of the final League match. This year the festivities took the form of a barbecue. Very good it was too. The Bar was full of players, wives, girlfriends, children and those of us who do not fall into any of those categories. The food was good, the drink was good and the music was ……………. appealing to those of a certain [young] age. All in all everyone seemed to enjoy the event. Well done to those Committee members responsible for its organisation.

The final match of the season marked the end of an era for one Club member. 1^st Team Captain Andrew ‘Bushy’ Waters officially announced his departure from Blackfyne after playing for the Club for approximately twenty years. Andrew has found it increasingly difficult to train and play for the Club living, as he does, in Middlesbrough. Hopefully he will continue to enjoy his cricket with his new club, Marton C.C.. ‘Bushy’ has given sterling service to the Club both on and off the field and I know that all readers will join me in wishing him and Nicola all the very best for the future. I am sure that we will see them at Blackfyne from time to time and maybe, who knows, we may see him playing again for his home-town club. Good luck ‘Bushy’.

Andrew’s replacement as 1^st Team Captain will be decided at the Club AGM which will be held on Monday 11^th November. In addition a new 2^nd Team Captain will be elected at that meeting following David Bridge’s decision to step down from that post. David has worked very hard fulfilling that often demanding position and deserves the wholehearted gratitude of Club members for his work. The AGM will also be the time when it is expected that a new Club Treasurer will be appointed. I know who is likely to take on the role but will keep my own counsel at this time. However, I am sure that the new Treasurer will not be the cause of hilarity as was the case of a predecessor at an AGM in the early 1970s. The Treasurer in question [no, it was not Phil] had completed his report and invited questions from the floor. Someone asked for an explanation of ‘Public Liability Insurance’. The Treasurer’s example of a cricket ball being hit over the wall and injuring someone in the cemetery provoked an outbreak of hysterical laughter throughout the room. The Treasurer was the only person present who did not understand the cause of it! There again, as they say, we make our own fun in these parts.   

                  

Finally, a quotation for this month :-   

In last month’s edition reference was made to the writer’s admiration of Aussie legend Shane Warne. Just to even matters up:-    

  'Poisoned by his mother? It is good, very good. It ranks up there with ‘I got it from the toilet seat.’’

Dick Pound, Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, commenting on Shane Warne’s explanation that he tested positive for a banned substance because he had taken a diuretic given to him by his mother.

Mike Rogers

 

 

September 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

  

Good news! Good news! The Club has won silverware for the first time for several years. Congratulations go to the 3^rd Team and their captain Ian Cox on their achievement of winning the Third Teams T20 Cup Final played at Whickham CC on the last Sunday of August. No doubt celebrations entailed the consumption of copious amounts of orange juice? No, I too think not. Well done lads!

The Club was well represented at last month’s Ashes Test played at the Riverside, Chester le Street when a dozen or so members attended on various days throughout the match. Club stalwart Tommy Nichol, his wife Joan and I had tickets for the first two days only. [With the benefit of hindsight it would have been better to have had them for the third and fourth days – but that’s the chance you take.]

As the Durham CCC Members’ Lounge was out of bounds to members throughout the match, catering facilities for Durham members were provided in the Indoor Nets. Tom, Joan and I enjoyed our customary pre-match bacon sandwiches and cups of tea in that unusual environment on both mornings. On the second occasion our gastronomic pleasure was enhanced by the close-up sight of Shane Warne, Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss rehearsing a leg-break bowling master-class session to be broadcast live by SKY TV prior to the commencement of play. During the rehearsal Shane ‘forgot himself’ [and the fact that he was being watched by about fifty members of both genders] and used a little bit of Anglo Saxon! Realising his faux pas, he immediately turned to the gathered throng and apologised, ‘Oops!’ I doubt that anyone present was offended; perhaps a few smiled smugly having had their opinion of him [a crude loud-mouthed Aussie] confirmed. But not I.  I had my mind made up about Shane several seasons ago when he had captained Hampshire at the Riverside in a County Championship match.

Torrential overnight rain had reduced the prospects of play to nil. However, I was compelled to make my way to the ground as I was one member of the trio due to provide commentary for visually impaired members. I made my way up to the hospitality ‘box’ set aside in the pavilion for such a purpose where I was greeted by a fellow commentator with the news that our regular clients would not be attending due to the weather and that our third member of the trio would not be travelling from his home in Haltwhistle for the same reason. The scene on the field was disheartening. The covers were on the wicket itself and the whole of the square was covered with tarpaulins. The two umpires made their way to the middle under the protection of umbrellas and conversed with the groundsman who did not have the benefit of such equipment. In fact he was probably already soaked to the skin. An announcement was made for the benefit of the spectators [few and far between] that if the rain desisted a further inspection would be made at 12.30. [As it turned out no play was possible at any time that day.] The rain did stop for a short while but the covers and sheeting remained. My colleague and I were occupying ourselves by telling funny stories to each other while drinking tea. Suddenly we were diverted from this occupation by a ripple of applause from the half a dozen or so spectators who were outside the pavilion. Thinking that a miracle had occurred and that covers were being removed, we left our seats and went out to the balcony for a better view. Alas no, the covers were still there. However, we could see the object of the applause. There on the outfield below us was Shane Warne, track-suited and booted, bowling a tennis ball to two young boys to the delight of the youngsters and their grandfather [presumably] who was standing behind the boundary boards. Shane kept this going for the best part of half an hour. Bowling over-arm, under-arm, giving catches when he batted etc. before signing anything and everything that the boys handed to him. No other player was on the field. No cameras, press or TV, were there. Only a handful of spectators were there to see this Test legend giving up his time so freely. As the Aussies themselves might say, ‘A bloody good bloke!’ 

Writing of matters Australian brings to mind a visitor to Blackfyne back in July. Tommy Nichol and I were in the Club’s car-park one Saturday morning when a car pulled up. The driver got out and asked if he had arrived at Consett CC. From his accent Tommy and I deduced that the stranger was ‘not from these parts’.  Can’t fool us you know. In fact our new friend was none other than the father of Aussie Test bowler Peter Siddle.  He explained that he was engaged in some amateur sleuthing; namely the tracing of his family’s English roots. Apparently his great………great grandfather had lived in Cutlers Hall Road prior to leaving for Australia in the 1820s. No doubt prompted by our facial expressions, Mr. Siddle quickly asserted that his ancestor had not been transported to the Antipodes as a convict. Having shared a brief chat during which our ground was the subject of much approval, Mr. Siddle prepared to take his leave. Before he did so we asked him if he would be attending the forthcoming Trent Bridge Ashes Test. A pained expression spread over his face as he replied, ‘Sadly no. My wife wants us to spend a few days in the Lake District.’ Heart- warming eh?

Throughout this season I have reflected upon the state of local cricket in the North East. I am comforted by the knowledge that I am far from being alone in my concerns about its current well-being.  Fellow Club members and members of other clubs agree that it seems to be in a parlous state. Before continuing with this ‘State of the Nation’ epistle I must make it clear that it is not my intention to point the finger at individual clubs or leagues. I just ask myself this question, ‘Where, when and how  did it all go wrong?’

Wrong? Well, yes. Too many one-sided matches. Too many forfeited matches. Too many sides of less than eleven players being fielded. Too many clubs struggling to get players to play on a consistent basis. Too many clubs relying on the same ‘few’ to keep the game alive in their community.  The list of woes could go on but I will not labour the point.

I find it impossible to identify just when the downward trend began. It is too easy to merely state that things were better ‘in my day’. However, it can be said with some authority that when clubs were restricted to fielding only one paid player then matches and, by extension, leagues were more competitive than nowadays. It may be argued that local cricket leagues over recent decades have followed the pattern of football’s Premier League i.e. the richest clubs ‘swallowing up’ the most talented players resulting in the creation of an ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ in the same League.

Happily our own Northumberland & Tyneside Senior Cricket League Executive has begun to try to address what appears to be a decline in some clubs and the cancellation of fixtures by holding a meeting of club captains to share ideas of a solution. Changes to playing regulations and the league structure itself are, I am informed, likely to come under scrutiny in the near future. At the moment it is a case of watch this space. At least attempts are being made to halt the downward spiral and for that we should all be relieved.    

In spite of a largely successful August on the field for the 1^st Team, it is still unclear whether or not the Club will retain its Division A1 status for 2014. The month concluded with a convincing victory away to close neighbours Leadgate. That important win was not the only reason for the celebrations which took place in the Club Bar on the Saturday evening. The Bar was the venue for a surprise 40^th Birthday Party for 1^st Team all-rounder Andy Forster. Organised by fiancée Rachel Hopps, the party  was extremely well attended. I will not dwell on the ‘Do’ given the fact that most, if not all, of this article’s readers were there themselves. If that is not the case then I am surprised given the effort it took to get through the crowds to the bar where David and Lesley Wilkinson did a fantastic job serving drinks. Many happy returns Andy.           

Finally, a quotation for this month :-       

  'I have been to many functions where some great cricketers of the past have been present. To see some of them sink their drink is to witness performances as awe-inspiring as ever any of them displayed on the cricket field.’

Ian Botham.

Mike Rogers

 

August 2013.

 

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.   

 

I am compelled to begin this edition with a passage which I believed that I would never have to write. Moreover, one which I never wished to write. However, I must do so. 

 

Early on Saturday 13th July I received the news of the death of Philip Williamson. Further details would emerge over the next day or two. Although those details were important, they could not remove the deep feelings within me of sorrow, injustice and disbelief which I had felt on first hearing the news. Those feelings remain. 

 

Phil was loved and respected by so many people from different walks of life. Testimony to this fact was demonstrated by the size of the congregation at Phil’s funeral service held in Christ Church, Low Westwood on 25th July. More than two hundred mourners gathered to pay their respects to Phil and to try to give some comfort to his widow Judith, sons Neil and David, daughter-in-law Gemma and to his extended family.

 

I first met Phil during the early1970s when ‘invited’ to help a work colleague [a fellow teacher] try to set up a Youth Club at St. Cuthbert’s Church in Shotley Bridge. Two of the ‘youths’ were Phil and Alan Waters [current Club Chairman]. The Youth Club got underway with Phil and Alan becoming principal activists in it. During regular Friday evening chats at the Youth Club I learnt of Phil’s interest in the game of cricket and of his family connections with the Club i.e. his father Cecil had been Treasurer some years before . Persuading Phil to join the Junior ranks at Blackfyne was the easiest task which I have ever set for myself. He leapt at the chance and quickly established himself as a key member of the Under 18s. The rest, as they say, is history. 

 

Phil’s prowess at ‘putting away a bad ball’ with relish quickly became his trademark in the Juniors. He often ‘put away’ a good ball too. On one occasion my decision [while ‘standing’ in a Junior match] to give him out LBW brought the carnage to an abrupt end. Despite his obvious displeasure with the decision [I can still remember the look of sheer incredulity on his face], Phil and I became close friends and played for several years together in the Championship winning 1st Teams of the 1970s and 1980s. As most readers will know, Phil went on to play for the Club for many more years [including his captaincy of the 2nd team during the 1990s] and finally achieved his ambition of playing in the same side with his sons. 

 

Appreciating the fact that the Club could not run by itself, Phil followed in his

father’s footsteps by joining the Club’s Management Committee early in his senior career at the Club. He served the Club as Secretary from 1982 to 1984 before, in 1988, taking up the role for which many of we members feel that he was born i.e. Club Treasurer. For a quarter of a century Phil has held the Club’s purse strings. Renowned in his playing days for possessing ‘a safe pair of hands’, Phil demonstrated that same skill with the Club’s finances. Players and Club Officers came and went but Phil remained steadfast. His little note-book and battered cardboard box became part of the Club’s folklore. His wise counsel with regard to matters financial and non-financial saw us through good and bad times. His tireless efforts as a member of numerous ‘Working Parties’ involved with ground and building maintenance, his fund-raising work, his numerous ‘Quiz Night’ presentations; the list of Phil’s contributions to our Club goes on and on. All of these tasks and others being performed with a willingness and an infectious sense of humour which were an example to the rest of us. Like so many others, I feel fortunate to have known Phil, to have played cricket with him, to have worked for the Club alongside him and to have been his friend.  

 

Readers of the Club’s history ‘The Blackfyne Story’ will be aware of the debt owed by present day members to Alderman Joseph Eltringham who masterminded the development of the Club throughout several decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was Alderman Joseph who devised the share scheme which financed the leveling and under-pinning of the field. His two sons, Joseph [‘Big Joe’] and Charles, became leading lights on and off the field of play. Indeed it was ‘Big Joe’ who designed the Club’s pavilion [opened in 1921] and the score-box which are both used today.

 

 I am pleased to report that Big Joe’s grandson, Tim Eltringham, and Charles’ grandson, John Hedley, were guests of the Club at the recent 1st Team home match against Swalwell. Tim and his wife Jane drove all the way from their home in Cambridgeshire to be with us [and drove all the way back the same evening]. John, on the other hand, made the journey up the hill from Shotley Bridge. The purpose of their visit was to return a cricket ball. Not, however, just any old ball, old though it certainly is. The ball in question dates back to 1900 when it was used in a special match to mark the opening of the brand-new field. Tim informed me that the ball had been passed down his side of the family through the generations and he thought it was about time that it returned to its home. Given its age, the ball was in very good condition. I was delighted when John informed me that his father, Alf Hedley, had played for the Club until the 1950s. The reason for my delight was that John had supplied me with another piece of the jigsaw which makes up the story of the Club. ‘Alf Hedley’ appears in the Club’s history book and now I had met his son who was able to provide me with more information about his father who was a leading player either side of World War Two. Tim told me that his grandfather ‘Big Joe’ was some 6feet 6 inches tall. However, Big Joe’s wife was only 4feet 11 inches! The mind boggles.  

 

During the tea interval a short ceremony took place which involved Tim returning the ball to the Club and me presenting copies of the book to both Tim and John. As the Swalwell team was present I could not resist telling the assembled throng about the match played at Blackfyne in 1908 in which Consett scored 353 for 7 before bowling out Swalwell for 37. Readers of ‘The Blackfyne Story’ may recall that the visiting  team’s day was made complete by the actions of the local Station Master who refused to open the gates to the station at Blackhill thereby denying the majority of the Swalwell team access to the train which was standing at the platform. This, in turn, resulted in them having to walk all the way back to Swalwell. Unfortunately, as the results on the Club web-site indicate, it was Swalwell who had the better of the most recent encounter between the clubs.      

 

 

Finally, a quotation for this month; all the more relevant given the current Ashes Series :-        

 

   'One Day cricket is an exhibition. Test cricket is an examination.’

 

Henry Blofeld.  

 

Mike Rogers

July 2013.

 

 

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

 

     

 

‘Do you do Diesel?’ A question posed to me by a visitor at a recent 1^st Team home match. I will clarify. During the first innings I found myself in the Club Bar watching the match while my lady wife was preparing the cricket teas. My spectating was interrupted by two visitors who were obviously seeking drinks. When confronted by the question I was tempted to make a facetious remark along the lines of,’Where do you think we are, a garage?’ However, my natural good manners combined with the fact that the questioner was about thirty years younger than me and was of a muscular frame prevented me from so doing. My puzzled look prompted him to ask if I knew what ‘Diesel’ was. A mumbled response of,’ It’s what I put into my car.’ did not help matters. His explanation of the drink being a mixture of snake-bite and blackcurrant did not progress the preparation of the beverage. In fact a look of disbelief accompanied his exclamation, ‘You don’t even know what snake-bite is!’ Now the customer is always right so the saying goes. Well on this occasion where was a reptile when I needed one? Snake-bite indeed. I would happily have requested the creature to perform to order. But I digress. At my suggestion the visitor talked me through the process of creating the desired concoction of blackcurrant, cider and lager and appeared satisfied with the result. As he drank it I could not help thinking that three perfectly palatable drinks had been ruined by mixing them. I had to admit to myself that age was catching up on me when it came to the choice of refreshment. My thoughts went back to the days when I had first played cricket in my native Leeds. In those times only women drank lager [accompanied usually by lime] and that came in a bottle too. It has to be noted, however, that in those unenlightened times men who wore suede shoes were deemed suspicious. After the tea interval the ‘diesel’ drinker returned for refills for his friend and himself. Happily for me on this occasion he was served by Club Chairman Alan. I was delighted that the visitor’s request evoked the same response from Alan as it had done from me some time earlier. The visitor was incredulous at our ignorance. The expression on his face was priceless.

 

 

I am pleased to report that the Club is to continue its links with Durham C.C.C. by hosting another match for the County. In recent years Blackfyne has been the venue for the County’s fixtures against three English counties and Scotland at U.15 and U.17 level. This time around the County’s opposition comes from much closer to home in the form of Shotley Bridge C.C. when Durham Academy take on our neighbours in the Justsport Trophy. The 40 over match will be played on Sunday 14^th July, start time 1.00 p.m..

 

 

 Last month the Club entertained another Durham County team at Blackfyne when the Club’s 3^rd Team played Durham Ladies. I was under the impression that the match would be the first occasion when a team composed entirely of the fairer sex would play cricket on Blackfyne’s hallowed turf. However, Mesdames Horn and Chapman were quick to point out to me that they had appeared in a ladies team which had played against the Club’s Junior team ‘a few years ago’ in a Mothers and Sons match.  For proof I was directed to a photograph of the team which appears in a collage on a wall in the Club Bar. Enter the Bar, turn right and there it is – no, not the Gents, the collage.

 

 

Unfortunately torrential rain curtailed the Club’s Annual Family Fun Day held on Sunday 23^rd June. This was a great shame both in terms of the reduced revenue and of the efforts put in by Organiser-in-Chief Dominic Quinn and other helpers. Each year Dominic devotes a great deal of time to the planning of the event, making phone calls, negotiating prices, attracting sponsors etc.. All of that work and then the great British Weather intervenes! Many thanks Dominic for your efforts.

 

 

Have you heard of Macclesfield Football Club’s fund-raising scheme? By paying £20,000 a sponsor could train with the team and play for the Club for twenty minutes in a League or Cup match. That was the intention but apparently the idea has been abandoned. Well, as far as Club stalwart David ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson is concerned it did happen to him on the final Saturday of last month when the 1^st Team entertained Lintz C.C. in a vital League match! David and his wife Lesley were at the ground before the start of play. Lesley was due to make the teas, David to run the Bar; both to watch the match whenever possible. In addition David had sponsored the match via the match ball scheme. Alarm bells rang when a regular 1^st Teamer did not appear. Indications were given that he would be late but would definitely make an appearance soon after the start of play. As Wilkie was the only former Club player  under the age of sixty present, with the agreement of the Lintz captain and the umpires, he ‘volunteered’ to ‘sub’ for the absentee. Fielding first Wilkie expected his return to action to last for a matter of minutes. In fact closer to three hours proved to be the case as the absentee remained, well, absent. After the match [won comfortably by the Club] I asked him how he felt. Wilkie told me that he had thoroughly enjoyed himself but we both wondered how his body would feel on the following morning!

 

 

The victory over the Lintz was only the third League win by the 1^st Team so far this season. There is little point in dwelling on the matter only to acknowledge that to be successful in Division A it is essential that the Club fields a full strength team every week. This vital 1^st Team victory at home to the Lintz formed one half of the double over that club with the 2^nd Team winning a match a few miles away in which Darren Atkinson scored a century, a rare bird indeed.

 

 

County cricket has now commenced its programme of Twenty/20 matches. The competition attracts crowds significantly higher than the County championship matches largely because of the timing of the fixtures i.e. evenings and/or weekends thereby enabling those who work through the week to attend. In addition to bringing much needed income into the First Class County Clubs’ coffers the Twenty/20 provides many spectators with their first opportunity to watch professional cricket. How many of those cricket ‘virgins’ progress to attending and enjoying the longer forms of the game is still a matter of conjecture. Whatever the answer to that particular query it has to be said that the income derived from the 20 over six-hit fest assists the continuation of the County Championship which is followed and enjoyed by County members.

 

 

On the subject of Twenty/20 two additional thoughts have sprung to mind. First of all when the professional competitions were in their infancy a few years ago a sports company wrote to our League Secretary offering to sponsor such a competition for N&TSCL clubs. The offer was dependent upon the clubs purchasing the coloured clothing and white cricket balls ‘necessary’ for the competition from the sports company. When the letter was read to the League Meeting the then Chairman of the League, Michael Small, [thinking of mid-week cup ties] spoke for everyone, ‘What do they [the company] think we’ve been playing for the past hundred years?!’ My second thought concerns the Indian Premier League. See the quotation  below.  

 

 

 

Finally, a quotation for this month:-       

 

 

 

   'Now they’re earning plenty, playing Twenty Twenty!’

 

 

A lyric from a song about the Indian Premier League written and performed by the  musical duo ‘The Duckworth Lewis Method’.  

 

 

Mike Rogers

June 2013.

 

 

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

 

     

 

It is with deep regret that I begin this edition with the sad news of the death of Peter Curtis. Peter, his wife Lesley and young family migrated to Consett from their native Northamptonshire in the early 1970s in order for him to take up a position at Consett Steelworks. That post of Work Study Manager might have made him unpopular with those Club members who were employed at ‘The Company’ but because of Peter’s personality and abilities that was never the case. Peter was acknowledged as a highly valued playing member and the family Curtis quickly became accepted as an integral part of the scene. Peter soon established himself as one member of a most respected pair of opening bowlers in the League. The other half of the duo? Colin Leedham of course. Respected? Yes. Feared? No. Neither had the pace necessary to put batsmen in fear of mortal injury. What they both did have, however, were the skills to move the ball through the air and off the wicket and the guile to use those gifts to bring the downfall of batsmen foolhardy enough to try to take liberties with them. The nagging length, changes of pace and lines of attack resulted in a slow-moving score-board  and frustration for the batsmen which inevitably resulted in wickets falling. Their accuracy made keeping wicket to the pair of them a real pleasure for me. In the late 1970s - early 1980s’ side of talented batsmen, Peter was content with his regular number 10 place in the batting order. Colin, on the other hand, was never happy with his position of 11. More often than not I completed the 9, 10, Jack trio who spent many hours watching the team’s batting exploits in a quiet corner of a ground chatting about all and sundry while making daisy chains. Had Peter’s contribution to the Club been solely on the field he would still have been remembered today with great respect and affection. However, he had more strings to his bow.

 

 

 Peter was elected to the post of Club Chairman during the early 1970s when the Club was at its lowest ebb for several years both on and off the field. Within a few short years the 1^st Team had League Championships and League Cups to celebrate, the 2^nd Team had won its League Cup and the Club had won the prized Bill Jones Trophy awarded to the club whose 1^st and 2^nd Teams combined had won the most points in the League. Off the field the Club’s finances had perked up through the establishment of several fund-raising schemes. All of this had been achieved without either a professional or a bar. How was it done? By the hard work and dedication of many led by Peter, a man of expertise and vision.  

 

 

One of the ‘several fund-raising schemes’ referred to above was the sponsorship of the match ball. As reported in the last edition this scheme has been revived this season thanks to Gary Hunter. Scrutiny of the Club web-site shows that all of  the 1^st Team home matches have found sponsors. One such benefactor is Walter Armstrong who, like the writer, was heavily involved with Peter in the revival of the Club in the 1970s. It was typical of Walter not only to support the Club financially but to travel all the way from his home in Ormskirk, Lancashire in order to watch the match          [versus Ryton]. Part of the ball sponsorship scheme is the gift by the Club to the sponsor of two pints. Walter chose not to receive them himself but to donate them to Gary Hunter in recognition of his innings of 56 not out.

 

 

Another match ball sponsor will be Number One Social Club. That club participated in the scheme way back in the ‘70s as did other ‘watering holes’, Trade Unions and local private businesses. I was delighted that Number One Club agreed to join the scheme once more after a short interval of almost forty years.

 

 

Sun stopped play! Now that is something as rare as hens’ teeth or so you might think. The Club’s recent 1^st Team cup-tie away to Burnopfield was held up for half an hour because the setting sun was directly behind the bowler’s arm making it impossible for the Consett batsmen [David Anderson and Gary Hunter] to see the ball being delivered. During this hiatus in proceedings one local spectator was heard to say that he had never seen such a thing before and that, ‘Consett should just get on with it.’ Shortly afterwards former Burnopfield batsman Malcolm Brown appeared on the scene and remarked, ‘Huh. It’s happened again.’ Further questioning of Malcolm confirmed that play in the evenings had often suffered a similar fate to that which we were experiencing at that time. Burnopfield CC is anticipating its move to a new ground. Remember lads, wickets should run north to south and not east to west.  

 

 

Dubai to Blackfyne? Templetown to Blackfyne?  Two vastly different journeys made  in recent weeks respectively by former Consett all-rounders Rob Stokoe and Keith Porter. Rob, who has lived and worked in the Middle East for many years, was accompanied by his father Bill when he attended the 1^st Team match against Burnopfield. Keith was a spectator of the match against Percy Main. I have happy memories of playing in Club 1^st Teams with both Keith [in the early 1970s] and Rob [in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s] and enjoyed their company on their return to Blackfyne.     

 

 

Unfortunately neither Rob nor Keith were able to witness home victories. May was a disappointing month on the field for the senior teams. There were a few ‘If only …..’ occasions but it is true to state that both the 1^st and 2^nd Teams have found life in the top Divisions tough going. The loss of Club professional Gareth Breese through injury and playing commitments to his employer, Durham County Cricket Club, has certainly been a factor in the 1^st Team’s disappointing performances. However, the lack of runs has been the major reason for the string of defeats. On the subject of injuries to cricketers, am I alone in thinking that modern First Class players miss more matches through injury than in former times? Please do not misunderstand me; I am sure that the injuries are genuine and that the players want to play in every match whenever possible. Nevertheless, I wonder if the modern day training regimes together with the advent of fitness coaches have something to answer for?  Like the Premier League footballer, the modern First Class cricketer is fitter than has ever been the case; except when he is injured. I am reminded of golf commentator Peter Allis’s remark of, ‘No one ever missed a game of golf because of pulled fat.’          

 

 

I welcome the opportunity of bringing this edition to a close on a happy note with the news that Club President Gordon Hunter and his wife Ann are now grandparents for a second time following the birth of Noah Hunter. Proud dad Gary informed me that the name was chosen while he and his wife Kathryn were listening to the car radio en route to the hospital. DJ Chris Evans was talking about his son Noah. Although convinced that the imminent arrival was to be a girl, both Gary and Kathryn agreed that Noah would be the name if the unexpected happened. I was reassured by that explanation. My worries regarding the urgency of manufacturing an ark had been dispelled. Congratulations!    

 

 

Finally, a quotation for this month:-       

 

 

I am grateful to Gordon Hunter for the loan of ‘Slipless in Settle’ written by Middlesbrough author Harry Pearson. The book recounts visits made by the author to various cricket clubs in the North of England during 2009. He describes the matches seen, the clubs’ histories, facilities, players past and present, the spectators, the towns or villages themselves etc. and is written in such a humorous way that even non-cricket lovers would, I imagine, enjoy it. No, I am not receiving a commission from the author. The following extract is taken from a passage about the Australian all-rounder Cec Pepper who never played for his home country because of violent disagreements with Don Bradman. Pepper emigrated to England where he plied his trade in the Central Lancashire League. His leg-break bowling and hard-hitting style of batting reaped rich rewards. However, his excessive appealing and attitude towards umpires was not popular with many onlookers, especially with the gentlemen wearing white coats.   

 

 

   'In a game umpired by Harry Wood, a rejected shout for caught behind saw Pepper give vent to various colourful expressions relating to Wood’s eyesight and parentage. When the Australian took his sweater at the end of the over he apologised for his outburst. ‘No need to worry,’ Wood replied, ‘in the heat of the moment we all say things we may later regret.’ In the next over Pepper had a large shout for LBW. Wood stared at him. ‘Not out, you fat, bald, Australian bastard!’ he said. Pepper enjoyed that immensely and it was apparently Wood who persuaded him to take up umpiring when he retired from the game in 1964.’

 

 

Taken from ‘Slipless in Settle’ written by Harry Pearson..

 

 

Mike Rogers

May 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

  

I was pleased to be proved wrong! Readers of last month’s edition [still available on the Club web-site] will remember my rant concerning the early start to the First Class season and to our own League season. My prediction of an epidemic of cancelled matches due to adverse weather and the lack of ground preparation associated with such weather turned out to be false. [A good job that the bookmaker and I are strangers!] Thankfully matches have been played due to the hard work of groundstaff and have been enjoyed by all concerned, players and spectators alike. However, thermals, fleeces, ski jackets, overcoats, hats and scarves have been de rigueur at both Blackfyne and the Riverside.

The 1^st Team’s season started well with a comfortable League win [by 9 wickets] at home to Ryton followed by a nail-biter at home to Lanchester in a mid-week Cup match which the Club won by just 3 runs. Unfortunately this winning run came to an end when Annfield Plain visited Blackfyne on the last Saturday of the month. However, the team deserves much credit for its performance against The Plain  whose bowling attack [spearheaded by former 1^st Class cricketers Neil Killeen and Melvyn Betts] will, no doubt, cause a great amount of trouble to opposing batsmen throughout the season. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but even at the tea interval we members of Critics’ Corner thought that another 20 runs or so would make all the difference. Even without them the team ran the visitors close. Well done lads; you are certainly in the top Division on merit.

The 2^nd Team has not fared as well to date. A heavy League defeat at Ashington was followed by a fixture at Annfield Plain cancelled due to rain seeping under the covers. It has to be said that the unavailability of some experienced players has contributed to the poor start to the 2^nd Team’s season. It could be a different story when the team is back to full strength.   

Way back down Memory Lane Messrs. Gardiner, Somerville, Wilkinson, Heath et al constituted Critics’ Corner. Come rain or shine, good times or bad, they were there to oversee our antics on the field. Frankie Somerville, in particular, was worrier in chief. He would pace back and forth with a transistor radio practically glued to his ear [listening to the racing results], chain-smoking throughout the match. His constant concern was voiced as follows, ‘I don’t think you’ve got enough on the board.’ Home and away the two Frankies [Gardiner and Somerville] would be there. My team-mates and I were always pleased that they were. Valid criticism was given by them but deserved praise too. They knew the game of cricket and our joy in winning cups and championships was matched by them. I like to think that their successors [Messrs. Nichol, Hunter, Graham, Chapman, Hopps, Horn, Williamson, the writer et al] could be said to share the same ethos as illustrated by Critics’ Corner of yesteryear. We engage in the same practices as they did, say the same things as they did. One difference is that the chain-smoking of cigarettes has been replaced by my incessant sucking and smoking of a pipe. Club President Gordon Hunter, however, is the man with the radio.

Distance lends enchantment so the saying goes. It probably does. Nevertheless, in my humble opinion I believe that there is far less humour  and fewer ‘characters’ in local cricket than in my playing days. Perhaps we are living in more serious times, perhaps the advent of the payment of ‘reasonable expenses’ has hastened this perceived situation or more than likely I am missing out on the humour by being further away from the on-field action than I was then. I am not suggesting that players of forty or fifty years ago just played for laughs, far from it. The game of cricket was a serious matter and matches were played in a high octane atmosphere. However, characters abounded; not just players but umpires too. I will resist from listing the players and umpires of that time who spring to mind [after all there are laws of libel] but content myself by suggesting that almost every team seemed to have at least one member who was prone to exhibitions of ‘off the wall’ antics and umpire John Smith’s bellowing of ‘OVER!’ was not the only idiosyncrasy demonstrated by an umpire during matches back then. You may, of course, have your own list?

Now I am not one to bear a grudge but ……….       At the beginning of April Club Chairman Alan Waters presented a version of BBC TV’s ‘Pointless’ as a change from the usual Monthly Quiz Night format. Good idea? Of course it was and very enjoyable it was too …… to begin with. I was one of the many patrons in the Bar that evening who were feeling pleased with themselves when their obscure answer had resulted in a low score or even a pointless score. The team that I was in was doing quite well until it all went sour on us. The question was, ’Name a UK entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest?’  As you may know, the object of the game is to find the most obscure correct answer. Being of a certain age I thought back to the early years of said Contest and came up with a few suggestions e.g. Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, Bryan Johnson, Kenneth McKellar etc. Thinking that at least one other team would come up with one of those answers, I persuaded my team to select The Allisons. I remembered that they had sung ‘Are you sure?’ in the Contest and I myself was sure that no other team would have remembered that one. Chairman Alan read out the answers and horror of horrors – The Allisons were not on his list of correct answers. How could this be? Had I imagined the whole thing? If so why did I know not only the title of the song but the lyrics too? Instead of the anticipated score of zero my team was given the maximum score of one hundred points for an incorrect answer! Being of a placid nature I accepted the Quiz Master’s decision with good grace. The cries of, ‘That’s it. I’m not playing anymore!’ voiced in a Yorkshire accent did not emanate from me. I am too much of a sportsman for such an unsportsmanlike outburst. [I believe there was an impersonator in the room at the time.] It was scant consolation to be informed some time later by David Williamson and John Hopps that research conducted independently on their ‘phones had proved that I had been correct and that The Allisons had been placed 2^nd in the Contest in 1961. Now, as previously stated, I am not one to bear a grudge but ……….

The Pointless Quiz was very successful [can you feel my pain as I write this?] and thanks must go to Alan for presenting it. The Bar was practically full and the bar sales did well. Without wishing to labour the point, the Club needs all the income it can get. It will not operate on fresh air. Opening batsman Gary Hunter [who together with Andy Forster and Dominic Quinn have generated badly needed sponsorship in recent times] certainly appreciates the importance of fund-raising and is to be congratulated upon the successful Matchball Sponsorship scheme which he devised for this season. Such a scheme operated with some success back in the ‘70s. Good to see its revival.

Gary is just one of several ‘younger’ Club members who are working hard for the Club. Others of more mature years are still heavily involved in helping the Club to run successfully having given service for many years. I will not embarrass them by naming names, but like most cricket clubs, Consett C.C. could not operate without their unpaid work. I feel confident that when the time comes for the older brigade to stand aside their positions will be taken up by able younger members. This thought came to me following a conversation I had at the Riverside during the recent Durham v Yorkshire match. As the reader may appreciate members of many Durham and Northumberland clubs attend such matches. When asked by me how his club was getting on, my acquaintance replied that he was no longer a member of that club. I was shocked to learn that after 43 years’ service to that club he had been told that he was no longer welcome. How to win friends and influence people? I have just realised that I began my membership of the Club in 1970, forty-three years ago. Any signs of a night of the long knives?            

Finally, a quotation for this month:-       

  'Those who run cricket in this country, especially at the domestic level, are for the most part a self-serving, pusillanimous and self-important bunch of myopic dinosaurs unable to take any but the shortest-term view of anything.'

Henry Blofeld.

Mike Rogers

 

April 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings. 

As I begin to write this edition [27^th March] the snow is still with us in abundance. Our season is getting ever closer to its scheduled start [20^th April] and memories come back of 1981 [when our first match of the season was called off two days prior to the set date because of snow]. No doubt there will be appeals from many clubs for the League programme to be rescheduled.Valid claims in my opinion given the fact that ground preparation currently stands at nil due to the adverse weather. Apparently Durham CCC’s Riverside field has been cut only once this year. If a First Class County’s groundstaff has been so severely hampered, what chance do local clubs have? I have often wondered why our League and its predecessor starts its season a week before my former League [Airedale & Wharfedale] which is getting on for 100 miles to the south. I will refrain from worrying the topic to death but it beggars belief that Durham’s first County Championship match is due to commence on the TENTH of April. However, I must admit self-interest in my implied criticism of that arrangement; I am down to give a commentary to the visually impaired members on that date! I should have learnt my lesson from last year when I had to scrape the snow and ice off my car before driving through the snow covered streets of Stanley on my way to commentate on Durham’s first match at the same time of year. In fact play started on time then, not sure about this time around.

As inferred in the paragraph above, the weather conditions have prevented the Club’s new outfield cutter from being put to use. Thanks to the good services of Colin McPherson and John Chapman the Club has been able to obtain a grant for and supply of this wonderful piece of engineering which I am sure will eventually see plenty of action in the hands of the Club’s voluntary groundsmen David Graham and Keith Horn. Both of these gentlemen deserve the sincere thanks of the Club’s players and spectators for the vast amount of unpaid work which they put in to ensure that our home matches are played on good wickets.

Back in the dim and distant past when I played for the Club the ground was maintained by full-time groundsmen employed by Consett Iron Company. We players did not appreciate how lucky we were until ‘The Works’ closed and we had to do the work ourselves. No longer could we rely on groundsmen such as Stan Richardson, ‘Gibby’ Guy and the master of them all George ‘Shiner’ Moon to prepare the good batting wickets for which Blackfyne was renowned. The Club should be eternally grateful to David Graham in particular for his forethought in learning many ground maintenance and preparation skills from the aforementioned professionals prior to their departure. Skills which in recent years he has shared with Keith. David and Keith [with the occasional assistance of a handful of others] have continued to maintain the high standards set in previous years, often under difficult conditions.

Congratulations must go once again to Andy Forster, Gary Hunter and Dominic Quinn for their fund-raising efforts. March saw another themed Evening organized by the trio. This time it was a Mexican Evening which was well received by all who attended. Well done. Thanks are also due to Neil Williamson for presenting a very enjoyable monthly Quiz Night. Here is a tip for you. If you want to do well in the music round, get yourself into the same team as Club President Gordon Hunter.

Members and visitors to the Club will notice that the interior of the pavilion has been spruced up in good time for the season. Yes, the decorators have been in. Professional ones too; not the ‘willing’ amateurs usually ‘employed’. Certainly not the crew who ‘decorated’ the dressing rooms prior to a County match back in the ‘70s [see ‘The Blackfyne Story’]. Willing we were, skilled we were not. Disappointed we certainly were by Head Groundsman Gibby Guy’s appraisal of , ‘I thought we’d had the bloody vandals in!’ You try to help and …………..     

Always on the look-out for a bargain the Club has joined with others to take advantage of the bulk buying of cricket balls as organized by the League. [The lady wife was shocked to find how expensive ‘proper’ cricket balls are as opposed to the type purchased by her in toy shops to be used by the grandchildren.] Our supply of Dukes balls is to be collected shortly. No doubt they will be scrutinized by all and sundry and by the bowlers in particular. As with wickets, so with cricket balls; theories abound. I remember our twin opening attack of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, Colin Leedham and Peter Curtis, choosing a ball before every League match with the utmost care. As far as I [and a few others] were concerned as long as the ball had a seam and was spherical it was fine. Not so for Colin and Peter. The decision was only made after a thorough microscopic inspection. I cannot remember whether the darker leather would produce more swing than the lighter or was it vice versa? Whichever way it was they stuck to that theory and as the score-books show, they were seldom wrong.

As a member of Lions Clubs International I have visited several Primary Schools recently to encourage the children to collect spectacles which will be used in Third World countries. Almost 250 pairs have been collected so far with many more still to come. Sorting through the latest arrivals yesterday I came across a few broken pairs. The sight of them brought back a vivid cricketing memory. One evening we were playing a cup-tie at Crook CC. [We always seemed to be playing a cup-tie at Crook.] Matches between the Club and Crook were always keenly fought and this particular one was no different. Crook’s opening pair were going well until a nasty incident occurred. A ball was played through the covers but was pulled up before it crossed the boundary and was thrown back to me waiting behind the stumps. However, I had to move a few yards down the wicket to gather it. I also had to jump to collect it. Upon landing I was aware that all was not well. My size 10 had landed from a height on a pair of spectacles which were no longer in pristine order. Said specs turned out to belong to Joe Cushlow, one of the batsmen. Apparently the specs had fallen off when he had turned around sharply while going for the second or third run. Unwisely Joe had not brought a spare pair with him and thus had to ‘retire hurt’. Claims by some Crook players and spectators that I had intentionally ‘blinded’ their man were vehemently dismissed. My own team knew that I was not clever enough to have both caught the ball and stamped on the specs in one movement. Perhaps I should have practised that skill, it might have come in handy on other occasions.

Yorkshire wicket-keeper/batsman Jonny Bairstow had a tortuous time of it in the recent Test Match in New Zealand. As cricket pundit and fellow Tyke Geoff Boycott put it,’It’s not fair on the lad when he hasn’t had a bat in the middle since November.’ Listening to the radio commentary of Bairstow’s innings my mind wandered back to the mid-60s when I was playing cricket for my school [Aireborough G.S.] against a Bradford grammar school [Hanson G.S.]. The star of the show that morning was certainly a tiny ginger-haired Bradford lad who looked as though he still attended Primary School. However, his skill with the bat and gloves belied his years. He would have been 14 years old then and was playing in the School’s 1^st Team against boys of 17 or 18 like me. Hanson’s teacher confirmed the lad’s age and remarked, ‘Big things are expected of him.’The little lad was of course David Bairstow and how right that teacher was.     

Fingers crossed for an enjoyable season whether you will be playing or watching.   

            

Finally a quotation for this month [chosen by the writer with the advantage of hindsight following Alastair Cook’s insertion of New Zealand in the final Test]:-  

  'When you win the toss, bat. If you are in doubt about it, think – then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague – then bat.'

W.G.Grace.

Mike Rogers

March 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.   

Last month began with two successful and enjoyable social evenings in the Club Bar. Club Bar Treasurer and veteran player Colin McPherson presented a comprehensive quiz to a relatively well attended gathering on the first Saturday of the month.  Many thanks Colin for a good evening; brain-taxing but most enjoyable nevertheless. The following Friday evening saw the Bar full of members and guests enjoying a ‘Chinese Evening’. An excellent Chinese meal [supplied by a local Take-away] was followed by games presented by the event’s organisers, Andy Forster, Gary Hunter and Dominic Quinn. Definitely not ‘brain-taxing’, the games were a mixture of luck, skill and farce and certainly had nothing at all to do with the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Unless, of course, the Chinese celebrate that particular event by using chop-sticks to lift and move table tennis balls from one dish to another. Well, maybe they do? A successful evening in terms of enjoyment and revenue via the consumption of  traditional Chinese beverages such as Marston’s Smooth, Fosters lager, red wine etc.. Thanks are due to the aforementioned organisers and to Susan and Keith Horn for their work with the catering. My contribution? I helped with the washing up. I know my place.

Are you game for a laugh? The Club’s Management Committee [no, that isn’t the joke] spent some time at last month’s meeting discussing the staging of future fund-raising events. Dates for the regular Quiz Nights [the first Saturday of each month] and a Mexican Evening [the format of which will mirror the Chinese Evening] were set. The Committee members’ brains [no, that is not the joke] then concentrated upon the idea of trying something new i.e. a Comedy Night. Readers may well remember the Club holding social evenings which revolved around the appearance of a comedian e.g. Brendan Healey. We have had several professional comedians at the Club over the years [and still have quite a few unpaid ones!]. For the Comedy Night, however, there would be two comedians. More enquiries regarding the format of the evening and the ‘turns’ themselves will have to be made before it can be advertised but, should it go ahead, a good time should be had by all. You never know, I might even chuckle; but don’t count on it.

Readers of a certain age will remember Ken Day opening the batting with David Collingwood for Shotley Bridge C.C. on many occasions. Sadly Ken is in the University Hospital, Durham City having been taken seriously ill in Manchester where he was visiting relatives. The cause of his illness has been identified as a brain tumor. Why does it always seem to be the good guys? David and Ken were the masters of getting the innings off to a good start by means of taking quick singles, lightning quick singles. Many was the time when we thought that we would have them run out but they always got home by a whisker. It must have been exciting for spectators to watch the pair of them scampering between the wickets but it was definitely damned frustrating for the fielding side. Our thoughts are with you Ken.  

‘Would you like your ball back?’ That question was asked by a visitor to the Club’s web-site. The ball in question would, I expect, not meet the current requirements set by the Northumberland & Tyneside Senior League having last been used more than ninety years ago! Intrigued? Read on. The ball in question was bowled by the then Club President Alderman Joseph Eltringham to begin a special one-off match in celebration of the opening of the Club Pavilion in 1921. The Consett side that day was captained by the President’s son, Joseph ‘Big Joe’ Eltringham who himself [as readers of  ‘The Blackfyne Story’ will know] was the architect of the building. The ‘visitor to the Club’s web-site’ is Tim Eltringham, great grandson of Alderman Joseph, grandson of ‘Big Joe’ and son of ‘Little Joe’. Apparently ‘Little Joe’ was given that nickname because of his ‘modest’ height – a mere 6 feet 1 inch! It makes me wonder just how tall ‘Big Joe’ was. Tim lives in Cambridgeshire and as a result of the correspondence which I have had with him intends to visit the Club during the season when I shall be delighted to receive the ball in exchange for a copy of the book which contains many details of the feats of the Eltringham family in the early decades of the 20^th Century. None more so than Alderman Joseph’s successful initiatives to save the Club from extinction.  

As mentioned in an earlier edition, I am sure that Alderman Joseph would approve of the many and varied fund-raising events undertaken by the Club nowadays. He generated income for the Club by a variety of means including charging the local farmer to graze sheep on the field. Well, the present Committee have not resorted  to that yet but other avenues of ‘turning a penny’ are in the pipe-line. In addition to the events referred to in an earlier paragraph, it has been agreed that the Club will hold another Family Fun Day. This year it will take place on Sunday 23^rd June. Time to start putting bottles to one side for the Bottle Stall eh?  

As mentioned frequently in ‘Muses’ the act of keeping the Club on an even keel is a continuous activity. A Working Party met one Sunday morning last month to begin pre-season preparations.  While Club Chairman Alan Waters, Committee members John Chapman and Peter Stoddart and voluntary groundsmen Keith Horn and David Graham got on with the inspection and servicing of the ground maintenance equipment, I concentrated upon the more technical matters of mopping the floor in the Bar and making the tea. More often than not my Sunday mornings are spent listening to ‘The Archers’ and ‘Desert Island Discs’ on Radio 4. Yes, real life on the edge stuff. Imagine my disappointment then when I discovered that during my employment at the Club I had missed hearing Jonathan Agnew’s appearance as the guest inhabitant of the desert island. [I appreciate that by now some younger readers may be completely bemused having never heard of ‘Desert island Discs’ or even of Radio 4.] However, joy of joys, thanks to the wonders of modern communication and the internet I have just been listening to a recording of that particular programme prior to writing this edition. Aggers’ musical choices ranged from a classical piano sonata to Rod Stewart. One selection, however, was the subject of the most discussion. That was the never to be forgotten ‘Leg over’ incident which occurred during Brian Johnston’s summary on Test Match Special of the day’s play at the Oval Test in 1991. You may recall that Johnners was describing how Ian Botham had been given out hit wicket when he had knocked off a bail with his inner thigh. Mischievous Agnew then interceded with the comment,’’He failed to get his leg over.’’ thereby reducing Johnners to an hysterical wreck. Now here is a question for you, where were you when you first heard that particular broadcast?  Most people of mature age can remember where they were when they first heard the news of the assassination of President Kennedy. Others will readily recall their whereabouts when news of the death of Princess Diana was announced. I maintain that all cricket-lovers will remember where and when they first heard Johnners reduced to tears by Agnew’s comment.  Me? I had stopped in a lay-by near Oxford to listen to the summary. How pleased I was not to have been driving at the time!              

Our Club members certainly get around. No sooner had Andy Forster and Rachel Hopps returned from a long holiday in Australia than David and Lesley Wilkinson jetted off to repeat the exercise. Phil and Judith Williamson are now currently half way through a month long expedition of Britain’s former colonies taking in San Francisco and New Zealand en route. They intend to wave their banner [featuring the name of ‘Consett Cricket Club’ ] during the First New Zealand / England Test. As for me I have been trying to book a hotel in Malton, North Yorkshire for the Lions Clubs District Convention later this year. Life in the fast lane again.

       

Finally a quotation for this month:-  

  'I’m very, very proud of my heritage – and, unlike Mr Keating, I have one.'

Ian Botham speaking of Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating,1992.

Mike Rogers

 

February 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.   

On the penultimate day of last month several Club members were part of a large congregation at the funeral of Lisle Robinson. Lisle joined the Club as a Junior in the 1950s and went on to play 1^st and 2^nd Team cricket for three decades. A reliable batsman, often opening the innings, Lisle was also a supreme catcher of a cricket ball. Mention was made in an earlier edition of ‘Muses’ of Lisle’s prowess in the field. Readers may recall the tale of Lisle clapping his hands together and shouting, ‘Caught Robinson bowled Leedham!’ as the ball was still way up in the sky having been hammered up there by Greenside professional Bill Jones. Lisle was not showing off, just stating what would happen; and it did. No one on the field was surprised. If the ball went up to Lisle it was caught and that was all there was to it. A good cricketer, a good team-mate and a good man. The large number of mourners at Mountsett Crematorium indicated how well loved and respected Lisle was. 

Time to move on to lighter matters. The first Saturday evening of last month saw me presenting the monthly Quiz Night. I was delighted to be able to do so to a goodly number of attendees. I know that the good turn-out had nothing to do with the fact that I was presenting the quiz but was more an opportunity seized to get out for the evening during a period of relatively decent weather. However, a good attendance does make the preparation involved all the more worthwhile. With regard to said preparation, I enjoy compiling the quiz questions myself and seldom download any questions from the internet. [As a retired person I have more free time to do that than do some other quiz  presenters.] However, given the time of year I had downloaded a ‘What happened in 2012?’ quiz which was to form the second half of the Quiz Night. On arrival I put my pack of questions and answer sheets on a corner of the bar in readiness for the start of the quiz when, to my horror, I saw the self-same 2012 quiz sheets beside them! Peter Stoddart [who was serving as voluntary barman] informed me that Phil [Williamson] had brought them to the Club’s New Year’s Eve ‘Do’ earlier in the week. All was not lost however. In muffled tones I asked Phil how many questions he had used that evening and was reassured when told that a lack of time had prevented him from using any on that occasion. Phew!!!! Disaster averted.  

Unfortunately I did not attend the Club’s Senior Presentation Evening due to the bad weather. This was the first time in many years that I had missed this gathering. I was pleased to learn that others had managed better than I and that the evening had been a success. Congratulations to Callum Barnes and Darren Atkinson upon their respective awards of 1^st and 2^nd Team Players of the Year. Readers of  ‘The Blackfyne Story’ may remember that those particular trophies were presented to the Club way back in the 1970s by the then 1^st Team scorer George Muir. George, who had been 2^nd Team scorer for several years, was appointed to the 1^st Team post when Bill Nixon retired from the score-box and marked his gratitude by presenting the trophies. An even older trophy, the ‘Gus Robinson Rose Bowl [Club member of the year] was presented to the three Amigos viz. Dominic Quinn, Andrew Forster and Gary Hunter for their efforts in raising sponsorship and organising fund-raising events throughout the year. Well deserved. ‘Gus Robinson himself would have been a worthy winner of such a trophy had there been one during the many years that he spent at Blackfyne playing, scoring and fund-raising. Upon his passing the trophy which bears his name was presented to the Club in the 1960s by his family. The Colin Leedham Trophy [most League wickets by a 1^st Team player] was won by Callum Barnes and the 3^rd Team Player of the Year trophy was awarded to Nick Cook.

‘Super Sponger’? No, nothing to do with Benefit cheats. This item in question is a machine designed to mop up cricket grounds after downpours of rain  of which we had more than our fair share last season [and the season before that, and the season before that, and…….well, you get the idea]. The Club is in the throes of buying one of these magical machines. I join with you in hoping that it will be a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted but I would not bet on it. As we all know rain makes the grass grow and grass needs cutting in order that cricket can be played on it. Last season voluntary grounds-men David and Keith had major problems with that particular task when it came to the outfield. The problem was the cutter itself which in spite of love and attention finally departed this life. Happily help was at hand in the form of a grant [£10,000 worth] and in the forthcoming months we can expect to see both gentlemen vying for the controls.   

Now that Indoor Nets are up and running sports outfitters are plying for trade from clubs and individuals alike. Someone like me whose protective equipment boiled down to a ‘box’ [a story of which is recounted in a previous edition], pads and [if the bowling merited it] a towel stuffed down the leading leg of my flannels [in lieu of a thigh-pad], gasps in amazement at pictures of helmets, chest guards, arm guards, inner thigh pads etc. displayed in the sports firms’ catalogues. Bats too have developed over the years to a weight now where a well-timed forward defensive push often results in the ball pinging away at a rate of knots. Having relied on batting with what was left over in the dressing-room for many years [usually the bat that no one rated], I finally got around to buying my own in the ‘70s. An old school-friend recommended that I bought one at the Clough & Ward factory in Drighlington, a few miles south-west of Leeds. This friend, John, was one of we three who received prizes for cricket at the school Speech Day referred to in last December’s edition. John lived in Leeds where he played league cricket and he told me how delighted he was with his new ‘Senior Counties’ bat. At that time several batsmen in the Tyneside Senior League used ‘Senior Counties’ bats including former Consett cricketer and then current Blaydon professional Joe McCabe. On my next visit to my parents in Leeds I made my way to the Clough & Ward factory which in reality turned out to be more of an extended workshop than a factory. The building’s customer entrance lobby doubled up as its shop. I had been forewarned by John that only two men worked there and that they had been in the middle of a heated argument when he had visited. I was greeted by a man of pensionable age who was obviously in charge. He showed a range of bats to me and gave me a guided tour of the workshop during which I saw every stage of the bat-making process. It was fascinating. I recognised the workshop as the venue of a TV documentary which I had seen a few months earlier. My guide [the older man] confirmed that it had indeed been the subject of the programme.  However, he had not been impressed by the producer of the programme  [‘a reet nancy boy’] nor by the vast amount of cables, lights and cameras entailed [‘you’d a thought they were filmin’ Ben Hur!’]. Tour completed he left me to pick up a few bats and find one that I liked ‘the feel of’ with a closing remark of, ‘Ken Taylor’s scored hundreds of runs in ‘ere.’ [Ken Taylor was Yorkshire’s opening bat.] Having tried a few and settled on one in particular I sauntered across the workshop to where the other worker [a young man of about twenty years of age] was busy shaving the back of a bat. Still in awe of the place I proffered, ‘It must be really satisfying to create such a wonderful thing as a bat from start to finish?’ His sullen reply of,’When you’ve med one you’ve med ‘em all.’ went a long way to explaining why the couple had been engaged in the heated row witnessed by my friend. My prized bat? Well, it did a fair enough job for me including a fifty against Blaydon which was described  by Joe McCabe [playing for Blaydon that day] as ‘the worst fifty I’ve ever seen!’ He was probably correct but personal pride forced me to retort, ’Maybe. But you couldn’t get me out could you?’ When all comes to all however, as some less prestigious innings illustrated, ‘It’s not the bat but the man holding the bat that counts.’ Or, as is often said, ‘I could have got more with a stick of rhubarb!’

Followers, like the writer, of radio’s ‘Test Match Special’ [TMS] will have been saddened by the news of commentator Christopher Martin Jenkins’ recent death at a relatively young age. I enjoyed listening to his dry wit and knowledge of the game delivered in impeccable English with a faint tone of the Establishment. He had a reputation for arriving late for his commentary slots; two minutes late here, three minutes late there. However, I do remember a fairly recent Test series in the West Indies when CMJ missed the first two days of the 1^st Test because he was still on board a ship cruising around the islands. TMS fans may also remember the occasion when he arrived at Lords to commentate when he should have been at The Oval!       

       

      

Finally a quotation for this month:-                                 

'It is extremely cold here. The English fielders are keeping their hands in their pockets between balls.'

Christopher Martin Jenkins

Mike Rogers

January 2013.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C. together with the writer’s associated memories and ramblings.    

First of all I wish all readers a very Happy New Year! 2012 was a highly successful year for the Club; hopefully the Club’s fortunes will continue to flourish in 2013.

The turn of the year is the time when many people [including the writer] look back over the previous year and then forward to the new one. With regard to the sport which brings us together, the Blackfyne faithful can look back with some pride at the Club’s on-field performances and forward with a degree of optimism that the senior sides will be able to consolidate their newly won places in the League’s top divisions.

Both the 1^st and 2^nd Teams will play against clubs with which they have not crossed swords at League level for several seasons and, moreover, players and spectators alike will be able to renew acquaintanceships and/or friendships which have been on the back burner during that period.

It is now fast approaching thirty years since my playing contribution to the Club came to an end due to chronic back trouble. During that time I have enjoyed watching the Club’s matches both home and away. However, away matches against clubs which were once members of the old Tyneside Senior League have been eagerly anticipated due to the strong likelihood of meeting up with former players of those clubs. Burnopfield’s Malcolm Brown, Alan Beck and Mickey Small, Seaton Burn’s David Smart and Billy Taylor, Greenside’s Ernie Bewick  and of course Shotley Bridge’s David Collingwood, Paul Nesbitt and Alan Milburn are just a few members of a long list. I am looking forward to re-visiting Annfield Plain, Burnopfield, Lintz, Shotley Bridge and Swalwell.

 It is, I know, a generational matter. No doubt current players will feel the same way when they themselves become watchers and not players. Hopefully there will still be League cricket to watch when those days come. I am sure that there will be, but, no doubt, not as we know it today. The history of  League cricket throughout the country is one of highs and lows, of new clubs and leagues been formed and of long established clubs and leagues going to the wall. For proof, if proof were needed, just take a look at the new set-up in County Durham and the demise of certain Leagues.     Change for change sake? Not at all. When clubs can no longer attract players and are therefore unable to field strong [or even full] sides it is inevitable that changes, often drastic ones, have to be made. Wishing alone will not keep our Club afloat. All of the Blackfyne faithful must continue to do whatever they can to maintain the Club’s current state of well-being.

Having got that off  my chest, on to lighter matters. One of the former Tyneside Senior League clubs which has not appeared on our 1^st Team’s League fixture list for several years is Annfield Plain C.C.. I remember many hard fought matches against ‘The Plain’ back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s both at Blackfyne and Enterprise Park. [Annfield Plain’s committee should be congratulated for the enterprise they have shown in recent years in improving their ground which is now an excellent venue for playing and watching cricket.] In the late ‘70s Pakistan Test player Qasim Omar was the Plain’s professional for a season or two. Another recruit was Pakistani amateur Quereshi. The Club defeated the Plain in a League Cup tie at Enterprise Park. After the match players from both sides enjoyed a drink or two together in the bar. I was in the company of Qasim, Quereshi and our own Walter Armstrong. As the match had been a mid-week evening affair most players had left the bar at a reasonable hour. The ‘crack’ had been so good that Walter and I were surprised to suddenly find that we were the last of the players still drinking. A glance at our watches indicated that it was time to leave. Getting up from our seats and offering handshakes we were in the process of leaving when Qasim insisted that it was his turn to buy a round and that we should stay for one more drink. Being good Muslims ‘Qaz’ and Quereshi were teetotallers with a scant knowledge of alcoholic beverages. Qasim’s use of English was good but for poor Quereshi English was…. well…a foreign language. He took the orders and the cash from Qaz and went to the bar. Two minutes later our conversation was interrupted by a call from the mystified Bar Steward. ‘’Hey Qaz! What does he want? Your mate’s just asked me for a half of half and half!’’ Happy days.

 
Happy days too for the Forster and Hopps families with the announcement of the engagement of Andrew and Rachel. I know that you will join with me in wishing the happy couple all the best for their future together. I am reminded of the speech given by my brother-in-law when acting as Best Man at my own wedding. Prior to inviting the guests to drink a toast to ‘Ann and Mike’, he remarked that he hoped that we would both be as happy as he had hoped that he and his wife ‘‘would be’’. Think about it.

I have an announcement of my own to make. I am delighted to report that my elder daughter Emma and her husband Iain are ‘with child’. As they live in Teddington it is highly probable that the baby will be born in the Deep South. However, thankfully the rule of ‘To play for Yorkshire tha’s to’ bin born in Yorkshire’ no longer applies. 

Finally a quotation for this month:-                                 

 'What a magnificent shot! No, he’s out.'

 
Tony Greig

Mike Rogers

 

December 2012.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..   

A 'Hallowe'en' Barbecue, Junior Indoor nets, the Club AGM, the League Dinner, the Junior Presentation Evening, an Early Retirement Party, the League AGM and a Race Night. All of the events listed took place last month. An acquaintance of mine remarked recently that it would be a quieter time for me now that ‘the cricket has finished’. For several Club members ‘the cricket’ never finishes.  Close season eh?

A mixture of circumstances prevented me from attending all of the events. I missed the Barbecue due to illness but I was told that it was a successful ‘Do’; good food, good ‘crack’ and a ‘good bar’. Apparently the facilities for indoor nets at Stanley’s  Louisa Centre are excellent, however attendance has been disappointing to date. The same cannot be said of the Club AGM when more than twenty members assembled. The reasonably short business session [during which several important decisions were made] was followed by a lengthier social session during which no decisions were made other than that the beer was fine.

Twenty-four hours after the Club AGM the newly elected Management Committee met for its monthly meeting. ‘Newly elected’? ‘Re-elected’ is a more appropriate word to use as the 2012-13 Committee is virtually identical to that of 2011-12. In many ways that is a good thing, bringing, as it does, a measure of continuity. All of the current Committee members do an excellent job and I am delighted that all wished to continue to serve on the Committee. However, I echo the comment made at the AGM by Club Chairman Alan that there is room for one or two new faces with fresh ideas. If yours is the new face with fresh ideas please consider the option of being co-opted onto the Committee.

Unfortunately I missed the ‘double-header’ of David ‘Wilky’ Wilkinson’s Early Retirement Party held at the Club and the League Dinner held the following evening at the Lancastrian Suite, Dunston. [Why ‘Lancastrian’?]  The lady wife and I were in Aberdeen that particular week-end attending a Lions Clubs International Convention. An eight-hour coach journey!! But I digress. My informants tell me that both events went very well, especially Wilky’s party. I was very sorry to have missed it; and even more despondent to have spent so long on a coach.

Club professional Gareth Breese presented the prizes at the Junior Presentation Evening. Junior team managers David Bridge, Dominic Quinn, John Clarke and Ian Cox all praised their teams’ attitude and  behaviour and moreover were able to comment favourably on many performances. Ian’s humorous approach to his speech went down well with the audience including his ‘victims’, the Under 18 team.  Gareth congratulated the youngsters on their achievements and encouraged them to come to the ground on Saturdays to watch the senior sides playing thereby gleaning knowledge of the game and its techniques. Prior to Gareth presenting the prizes he was engaged in conversation at the bar with 1st Team opening-bat Michael Barnes and yours truly. The topic of our conversation? Well, we did talk cricket for some of the time but the major part of our discussion revolved around the merits of Poundland stores. Sad but true. Gareth is a firm supporter of Poundland when it comes to the purchase of drinking-chocolate for his daughter who, like him, has a sweet tooth. And they say that the art of conversation is dead!

The Club’s Annual Junior Presentation Evening is a far cry from the writer’s experience of presentations to its junior players by Horsforth Hall Park C.C., Leeds where I played my junior cricket way back in the 1960s. Prizes for batting, bowling and fielding were presented to the young cricketers during the club’s AGM held in a local pub. Thrilled as I then was to have won an award, I was bored stiff by the rest of the business and was grateful when given the nod to leave. No doubt the men present were equally pleased to see the back of my team-mates and me. My award? The fielding prize which I won three years running. Looking back the award of a prize for fielding was an excellent idea the adoption of which should be considered today. Umpires were asked to award a fielding point to a player from each team at the end of a match. Points were totted up at the end of the season and………you are ahead of me I know.    

How times have changed. In those days age group sides were restricted to schools’ cricket. Clubs such as ‘The Park’ had just one junior side catering for boys up to the age of eighteen. As mentioned in an earlier edition of ‘Muses’,like many others, I began my Junior League ‘career’ at the age of eleven playing against teams whose opening bowlers and leading batsmen [usually one and the same] were often in full-time employment, whiskers and all etc.!  Nowadays, when cricket is a minority sport in many schools throughout the country, the development of players has become the responsibility of clubs. The Airedale &Wharfedale Cricket League ran both a league and a cup competition for junior sides. Lifts in cars to away matches were a rarity; public transport was the norm. Our longest trek was to Ilkley  [nowadays about twenty minutes by car]; we took the train. No, it did not have a steam engine.  

Mention above of schools’ cricket reminds me of another prize-giving occasion. As recounted in a previous edition I was fortunate to attend a school which had a cricketing tradition. Aireborough Grammar School could number Hedley Verity [Yorkshire & England], Bryan Stott [Yorkshire] and Brian Close [Yorkshire & England] among its former pupils. In my time at the School ‘apprentice’ slow left-arm spinners,  opening batsmen and all-rounders were often brought down to earth by a certain Senior Master who appeared to enjoy informing them that they would never be as good as Hedley,Bryan or Brian. Thankfully for the writer Aireborough G.S. had never produced a Yorkshire stumper.  Prior to leaving the White Rose county to do some missionary work for Somerset CCC, Brian Close captained Yorkshire for several illustrious seasons. During this period he once returned to the school as Guest of Honour at Speech Day. Brian was newly-married and his glamorous wife Vivienne presented the prizes. You will not be surprised to learn that my name did not appear in the list of pupils receiving prizes for academic achievement. However, you may be equally surprised that I received a prize for cricketing achievement. Upon returning to my seat having been presented with my prize my fellow cricketers confirmed that we had all received the same words from Mrs. Close,’’ I pity your wives if you continue to play cricket!’’ Well, forty-six years later she is still Mrs. Close so it cannot have been too bad eh?  

The League AGM and Special Management Committee meeting held at Greenside C.C. on the last Thursday of the month were chastening experiences for many including the writer. As many readers will know our own Club has suffered from a drop in income due primarily to the cancellation of fixtures because of the extreme weather throughout the season. All clubs have suffered in the same way. However, some clubs are really struggling to keep going due to one or more of a variety of factors e.g. serious financial problems, loss of ground tenure or dwindling playing membership. The clubs present at the meetings supported the League Executive’s efforts to sustain those struggling clubs by agreeing to proposals which in essence relegated the clubs in order for them to play competitively and hopefully re-build their clubs. The direct result of one such proposal will be the promotion of our own 2^nd Team despite finishing third in its Division in 2012. League Vice-Chairman George Storey [Leadgate C.C.] echoed my own thoughts in saying that it went against the grain for local cricket clubs to ask to be relegated in order to survive. However, that is the way things are and we will have to cope with it. One bright moment during the proceedings was the unanimous vote to accept Alnmouth & Lesbury C.C. into full membership of the League. Bed & Breakfast at the sea-side anyone?

Readers will be pleased to learn that our own Management Committee is not resting on its laurels following the Club’s most successful season for many years. It is that time of year when some players seek pastures new. Phillip Mellons will be leaving the Club to join neighbours Shotley Bridge C.C.. I wish him well. Efforts are being made to strengthen the 1^st Team to enable it to compete in Div.A1. However, given the plight of clubs referred to in the previous paragraph, readers may be reassured to know that ‘financial prudence’ is close to the Committee’s heart.

      

Finally a quotation for this month:-                                 

'I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like that before – It’s the second time it’s happened  today.'

Brian Johnston

Mike Rogers

November 2012.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..    

Due to a variety of reasons my visits to Blackfyne last month were restricted to attending the Quiz Night and the monthly Management Committee meeting. Life in the fast lane eh? Congratulations to John Rutherford who won the Monthly Draw at the Quiz Night and to Club Chairman Alan Waters for devising and presenting an enjoyable quiz. Sadly, this form of social gathering has gradually become a minority and endangered pursuit with numbers attending becoming less and less. On the positive side, however, Race Nights and Curry Nights are proving more and more popular with Club members and guests. More of those events are planned so please look out for them on the Club's website.

November promises to be a busy month for the Club. A 'Hallowe'en' Barbecue, Junior Indoor nets, the Club's AGM, the League Dinner, the Junior Presentation Evening and a Race Night are all in the pipe-line. So much for the close season being a quiet time for cricket clubs.

The Junior Nets are set to go ahead at the beginning of the month at the Louisa Centre, Stanley. Senior Indoor nets are scheduled to be held at the same venue early next year. The Louisa Centre now boasts an array of up to date facilities which should make the journey there worthwhile. In recent years the Club has made good use of the gym at Consett Academy [North] for winter training. If you are unsure of the location of that venue perhaps you will remember it as Consett Community Sports College, Blackfyne Comprehensive School or even Blackfyne Grammar School? No matter, it was still the same gym. The Club is grateful to those concerned [especially Club member John Winn] for arranging its hire of the facilities. Although I have no knowledge of practising at that particular venue during the winter months, I do recall a few others.

The first of these is the now demolished Consett Technical College where cricketers from various local clubs assembled for winter training under the guidance of Minor Counties and Chester-le-Street batsman Russell Inglis. My first experience of those sessions was during the winter of 1969-70. It was there that I met Walter Armstrong for the first time [Walter had invited me to attend via his sister-in-law who was a work colleague of mine] and where I was introduced to the high standard of local cricket played at that time. The batting and bowling elements of those evening sessions were always competitive given the mixture of clubs represented. However,  that degree of competition paled into insignificance when compared with that  demonstrated once the nets had been put away and a game of football commenced. 'Game' and 'football' are misnomers. Unarmed combat is more appropriate. Russell, acting as referee, did his best to keep control but it was a thankless task. Happily sportsmanship was restored in 'The Fountain' after training where Russell recounted stories of his encounters with famous players [including touring Test teams] while playing for the Minor Counties.

Second on the list is Consett Sports Centre which was used by the Club for a good few years. Not the best of venues due to the background i.e. a red brick wall and a restricted run-up for the bowler. However, it served the purpose of loosening up the limbs and 'getting your eye in'. One year it served the purpose of putting me out of action for a fortnight when I broke a finger. It was no consolation at all in knowing that it was completely my fault. 

Last but by no means least is Whickham Comprehensive School, now no doubt  masquerading under a different name, where Club legend Bert Steward held nets for invited players. My time there was brief, very brief; in fact just a couple of sessions. Bert was keen for me to keep wicket in the net, I was too. However, I had not allowed for the coldness inside the sports hall. It was perishing. Well, it usually is in February. My pre-entry to the net was the cause of my undoing. The loosening up and knee bends which I habitually undertook before matches in the summer did not go too well when performed accompanied by a chill factor of Goodness knows what. [See quotation below.] My back went! The pain was the sort that you would wish on your worst enemy. Being much younger then [but just as stupid as I am now] I was determined that I could 'work it off.' I hobbled into the net and took my place behind the stumps. Then I realised that I could not adopt my usual crouch. 'Usual crouch'? I could hardly move in any direction. After a few minutes I gave it up as a bad job and left. How I drove home I do not know. When all came to all I had suffered a slipped disc. The first of many such experiences which ultimately resulted in my decision to stop playing. Yes, broken fingers and slipped discs; how I loved indoor nets.

Mention was made in the last edition of the historical use of 'The Cricketers' as the venue for Club AGMs. That practice ceased with the building of the new pavilion in the early 1920s. Several readers will remember attending AGMs in the pavilion during the pre-bar 1970s. Sitting [squirming] on the hard wooden benches and relying on the heat [?] emanating from the coke-fired stove, we managed to get through the agenda at a rate of knots before reaching the sanctuary of 'The Cricketers' where an inquest upon the AGM took place in relative comfort. A short-lived liaison with Consett Rugby Club towards the end of the '70s enabled us to hold both Committee meetings and AGMs in the then palatial surroundings of the Rugby Club premises. The 1980s saw a return to the pavilion and the debating of AGM matters during and after the meeting itself being accompanied with pints of thinking liquid. The fire of 2006 forced the Club to use yet another venue for its AGM. This time it was Blackfyne School's staff room. No matter where the meetings were held one factor remained constant. All present were there to do what was best for the Club. That is not to say that all decisions made were unanimous. There was often a difference of opinion as to what was actually the best for the Club. The latest in the long series of Club AGMs will take place on the 12^th of this month. No doubt there will be differences of opinion regarding proposed subscription levels and/or changes to Club rules. However, given the Club's proud record in such matters, I feel confident in predicting that all members will unite behind decisions made, whether they agree individually with them or not.

The Club should be grateful for the work put in throughout the year by a trio of members who secured Club sponsors. Andrew Forster, Dominic Quinn and Gary Hunter have done a great job and are still looking for other avenues of sponsorship. If you have an idea of a likely sponsor please let them know. For several years during the 1970s and early '80s I was Club Secretary. Soon after my initial appointment I was informed that it was my job to secure sponsorship via the fixture list poster. I will explain. In those days large posters were printed for display in local shops, pubs and clubs. The Club's fixtures for the forthcoming season were printed in the middle of the sheet and were surrounded on all four sides by advertisements for local businesses. [No web-sites in those days.] My task was to visit the previous year's advertisers and request that they repeated the performance to the tune of £5 each. This I decided was a job for a Saturday morning. As it turned out it was a job for several Saturday mornings. Happily for me and for the Club all previous sponsors  agreed to continue with the scheme. Most did so straight away; a nod of agreement and the handing over of a £5 note bringing matters to an end. However, recognising that this callow youth [well mid-twenties] did not speak with a local accent and was obviously new to the role, others decided to have some fun at my expense before handing over the fiver. Joe Page the coal-man and William Westgarth the estate agent [whose advertisements were on the previous year's poster which I had with me]  made me jump through the hoop of explaining the sponsorship idea to them over and over again before laughing as they handed over the money which of course they had intended to pay even before I had begun my opening gambit. Thankfully I was not so raw the following year.                                     

      

Finally a quotation for this month:-                                 

'I doubt if many of my contemporaries, especially the older ones, did many exercises. I have often tried to picture [Godfrey] Evans and [Denis] Compton doing press-ups in the outfield before the day's play, but so far have failed miserably.'

Peter May. English cricketer [1929-1994]

Mike Rogers

October 2012.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..

           

Fingers uncrossed and lucky charms returned to drawers? Yes, promotion was achieved and with one match to spare! Well done to all involved. After a decade without success on the field at senior level, players and spectators alike were 'rather pleased' when promotion to Division A1 was secured with victory over Newcastle City at Blackfyne on 8^th September. The 1^st Team proceeded to round off the season in style a week later by defeating Greenside on the last day of the season. Promotion was just reward for the side whose members had all played their part throughout the long campaign.

In congratulating Andrew Waters and his team we should not forget the 2^nd Team under the captaincy of David Bridge. 'Bridgey' has had to cope with disruptions to his plans on several occasions during the season due to the call-up to 1^st Team duty of key players, often late in the day. In spite of this Bridgey managed to gel the blend of mature and inexperienced players at his disposal into a team which nearly achieved promotion itself.

So it will be pastures new in 2013 for the 1^st Team with the promise of matches against 'local' opposition in the shape of Shotley Bridge, Annfield Plain, Burnopfield and Lintz. Steps are already in place to strengthen the side in order to give it every chance of establishing itself in the top Division.

Pondering on the subject of team-strengthening brings to mind an incident which occurred in the early 1980s. The 1^st Team had beaten the opposition at Blackfyne and both teams were relaxing in the then newly opened bar when it became apparent that a couple of the opposing team were in deep conversation with one of our players in an attempt to lure him away from the Club by offering him terms to become their professional for the next season.  In our own bar!!! The cheek of it. See me in person and I will tell you who the club and player were and what the outcome was.

The curtain was brought down on the highly successful season when Club pro Gareth Breese hosted a 'Caribbean Evening' on the final Saturday. The bar was full to capacity with players, other members and guests all of whom enjoyed the food prepared by Gareth and his heavily pregnant wife Celia. A great end to a great season.

Going back to that promotion-clinching match against Newcastle City. The taking of Team photographs was followed swiftly by the team's drinking and spraying in Formula 1 style of several bottles of champagne [well Cava actually]. How times have changed. When, in 1977, the 1^st Team won the Tyneside Senior League [TSCL] for the first time since 1964 we celebrated by drinking bottled beer in the dressing room. The Club did not have a bar then and the crate[s] of beer were obtained from 'The Cricketers' which was then our watering-hole. [More about that hostelry later.] The landlord had been advised that we might need the beer that day but delivery went ahead only after victory and thereby the Championship had been secured. I cannot remember the particular brew consumed but I do remember how good it tasted at that particular moment.

I do not know what sort of relationship current players enjoy with the League's umpires. In my playing days mutual respect was established in most cases over the course of the years with the result that quite often players and umpires were on first name terms. 'Characters' abounded among both players and umpires. Umpire Bob Smith was known not to suffer fools or any sign of exhibition from players. He would hardly speak a word on the field but was good company off it. On the other hand John Smith would yell 'Not Out!' at the top of his voice when giving a decision. Another character in the white coat was Les Knox.

Now, although Les was a thoroughly decent man and an able umpire he was known to want 'prompt' [early] finishes to matches to enable him to join his brother on a Saturday evening in their musical duo which entertained in the local social clubs. Bowlers were aware that their appeals would have a more than even chance of success if they were made after the tea interval. During my time 'behind the timbers' the Club's 1^st Team were champions of the TSCL on three occasions. On one of those occasions, I cannot remember the specific year, we had won the League with two games to spare. The penultimate match of that season was away to South Moor and although the League had been won, the side was still determined to beat 'The Moor'. Batting first things were going well. The score was ticking along nicely, the sun was shining and batsmen 9, 10 and 'Jack' [yours truly, Peter Curtis and Colin Leedham] were hard at it making daisy chains as was our wont. Then in a period of twenty minutes or so all hell broke loose with wickets tumbling all around. On this occasion  Christmas for bowlers had started early. I was still buckling on my pads [yes, pads had buckles in those days] when I made my way to the wicket to be greeted by umpire Les's offering of ,''How are you today Mike?'' All that I could think of in reply was, ''I was fine twenty minutes ago Les.'' Two balls later Phil Williamson trudged off the field having been given out LBW by a ball which had hit him on the thigh pad.

I felt hard done by on another occasion when Les was 'standing'. Fielding first at Swalwell the fall of each wicket brought Les to my side to ask if any of our team could give him a lift to Oxhill at the end of the match. Each time I answered that I would try to arrange it during the tea interval; a task which I duly accomplished.. At this time I was acting as an 'emergency' opening batsman. As soon as I was standing at Les's 'end' I took the opportunity to tell him that Donald Brown would give him a lift after the match. With only a handful of runs to my name I played forward to a ball from medium pacer Neil Pickering and was struck on the front foot. Neil appealed for LBW. Les shook his head and then proceeded immediately to raise his finger in answer to an appeal for a catch at forward short-leg. Neil looked mystified but not as puzzled as I was, staring in disbelief down the wicket. The finger remained raised and I had to turn on my heel and walk back to the pavilion. In doing so I passed fine-leg Dave Clarke [Blyth Spartans goalkeeper] who commented sympathetically that he could not believe that I had been given out as the ball had not hit the bat. Now, how can I put this delicately? In short I confirmed that he had assessed the situation correctly. I may have used one or two indelicate verbs and adjectives but my memory is not as good as it was. A victim of the call of dance band music?  

Preparations are now being made for the Club AGM due to be held next month. Readers of the Club's history 'The Blackfyne Story' will know that the AGM was held at 'The Cricketers' for many years during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. It was the Club's Headquarters at that time and, as referred to above, remained the Club's watering-hole until the early 1980s. How ironical then that that pub is now owned by a benefactor of local rivals Shotley Bridge C.C.? Times change. 

      

Finally two quotations for this month:-

The first of these concerns the sacking of all-rounder Robert 'Bobby' Peel by captain Lord Hawke from Yorkshire CCC in 1897.

''Peel being 'sent off' was rather delicately put by Wisden. There are conflicting stories. One is that Hawke acted after Peel urinated on the pitch. Another is that George Hirst saw Peel in 'a proper condition' and put him to bed in the hotel, informing Hawke that his friend was 'taken queer in the night' and 'won't be able to turn out this morning'. Peel then made his own way to the ground and Yorkshire found themselves with 12 men on the field. Recognising his distressed state, Hirst heard Hawke say, 'Leave the field at once Peel.' Peel replied, 'Not at all m'lord, I'm in fine form this morning.' According to Peel, 'Lord Hawke put his arm around me and helped me off the ground – and out of first-class cricket.....What a gentleman!''  

'Wisden on Yorkshire' edited by Duncan Hamilton. 

No apologies for including the quotation below even though it appeared in a much earlier edition. It remains so true:-                                     

'It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen cricket fan, it's when you realise that your wife left you in May.'

Dennis Norden.

Mike Rogers



Previous muses...............

September 2012.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..

         

At the time of writing this edition the 1^st Team has just two League matches remaining and lies in a strong second place in the Division. Promotion is not guaranteed but looks more and more likely. Slow left-armer Callum Barnes' return of 6-16 went a long way to securing the team's latest victory, this time away to Benwell & Walbottle on the first day of this month. Should promotion be achieved it will have been secured by a whole team effort throughout the season. Each member will have played his part.

The team did suffer a rare reversal in August when an understrength side lost a close match at Backworth. For several of the Club's supporters that day was their first time at the south east Northumberland ground. I was pleased that their impressions of the ground matched my own when I made my first visit there a few years ago. I had been told that it was a Colliery Welfare ground and therefore was not anticipating the beautiful vista which I encountered. During my own playing days visits to Colliery Welfare grounds had been limited to evening cup ties often played in spartan surroundings. Backworth C.C., however, enjoys a splendid ground. Its vast field is well maintained and is bordered on two sides by a golf course, on one by its own car park and on the fourth side by bowling greens and a rose garden leading to a building of monumental size and appearance which houses a bar and golf clubhouse.    Although a variety of sports are played on the site [i.e. cricket, golf, bowls, archery and football], cricketers and their spectators are able to concentrate upon their own game without distraction. Well, that concludes my attempt at securing a free round of golf at Backworth! One additional plus point  - an away match at Backworth is always popular with my lady wife given its close proximity to the Boundary Mill store situated at Shiremoor; I am happy watching the match, she is happy helping the local economy.

Mention was made in a recent edition of the imagined horror of the Club's early luminaries with regard to the Club's Family Fun Day and its accompanying bouncy castle, bungee jump etc.. In that same vein what would Alderman Joseph Eltringham et al have thought of dancing in the Blackfyne pavilion? Dancing there certainly was and a lot more besides when Club Treasurer Phil Williamson and his wife Judith hosted a post -wedding celebration party for son Neil and his bride Gemma on 1^st September. The 'do' was well attended by family and friends many of whom were  first time visitors to Blackfyne. Michael Kelly provided the music which 'hit the right note' [sorry] for the dancers. A magician circulated around the room mystifying one and all with his close-up magic. Susan Horn produced her own type of magic in the form of the hot dishes which she had cooked for the throng. David and Lesley Wilkinson put in a long shift behind the bar to ensure that drinks were dispensed with the minimum of fuss to the party-goers. All in all it was a brilliant affair which was enjoyed thoroughly by everyone.   

I am delighted to report that John and Susan Hopps have now joined the ever increasing band of grandparents within the Club with the arrival of baby Ava.  Congratulations to proud parents Kevin and Angela and to both families.

A few lines on the subject of the 'Spirit of Cricket'. Readers may be pleased to learn that I am not about to rant about the contrived version i.e. the ritual hand-shaking at the end of matches etc.. No, I had my say about that farce in an earlier edition. In my opinion the true spirit of cricket was demonstrated on two occasions today [3^rd Sept.] at Mountsett Crematorium.

Club members were among the congregation to pay their respects to the memory of John Brown and to offer love and support to John's daughter Susan Graham, son-in-law Geoff and grandchildren Catherine and Stuart. John was a keen supporter of the Club during Geoff's playing days and remained 'Stuart's No.1 fan.'

An hour later the crematorium was full to overflowing for the service to the memory of John Stokoe. Although John had played for the Club, he played most of his cricket for Shotley Bridge C.C. and will always be associated with the Spa Grounds club. It was therefore inevitable and quite right that the majority of the many local current and former cricketers present would be Shotley Bridge members. However, what may have surprised the non-cricketers present was the number of 'cricketing' mourners there who had never played for that particular club. Reflecting the true spirit of the game those mourners were there to show their respect to a fellow player with whom they had shared happier times. Play hard on the field, good friends off it.

By the time that I set about composing the next edition of 'Muses' the season will be well and truly over. What will be our memories of it? Rain, rain and more rain no doubt. Hopefully there will have been cause for celebration too? Fingers crossed.         

                                     And finally a quotation for this month..............................

'Playing against a team with Ian Chappell as captain turns a cricket match into gang warfare.'

Mike Brearley, former England captain.

Mike Rogers

August 2012.

 
Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..

        

August already??!! The season is more than halfway over with and yet, thanks to the weather, so few matches have been played. During July the 1^st Team continued its push up the league table and currently occupies second position on the grid in the race for promotion; a position strengthened by a nail-biting victory over third-placed Ponteland on the first Saturday of this month. However, a dip in performance and associated results has probably dashed the ambitions of the 2^nd Team. Time will tell and, as we all know, cricket is a funny game. Perhaps there will be a twist in the tale.

The stop,stop, start, stop, stop, start first part of the season closely mirrors the First Class fixture list in my opinion. It has been difficult to follow the fortunes of the counties given the time-tabling of the various formats. A burst of County Championship matches [commencing in early April to boot] was followed by T20 matches ad nauseam with both of these competitions running alongside the 40 overs per side games. I suppose that variety is the spice of life but, for me, not when it comes to cricket. Moreover, at least one county captain has declared that his side will have had a successful season if it reaches a limited overs final despite the fact that it languishes in the bottom half of its Division of the County Championship with only a single victory. Strange business. Business, however, is just what it is. After all T20 and 40 over matches bring in the crowds and sponsorship.

Miracles do happen. Torrential rain during the first week in July resulted in the cancellation of outdoor pursuits [and some indoor ones for that matter] throughout the north-east of England. Having tickets for the England v Australia One Day International scheduled for the first Saturday of that month, I was all set to fill in the appropriate form for a full refund. Surely the match could not take place, not even at the Riverside with all of its ground maintenance equipment? As most readers will know, take place it did and it started on time. Riverside Facilities Manager and former Club Chairman John Hopps explained that the groundstaff had laboured until 1.30a.m. in an attempt to dry the field. They had resumed work at 5.30 a.m. and had been rewarded by a full house. The match itself was a bit of an anti-climax with England grinding out an easy win against a disappointing Australian side. However,  my presence was rewarded by winning a raffle prize – T20 tickets for next season. Perhaps I will be converted to that format after all.

Even more surprising than my success with the raffle for the Consett contingent [whose number reached double figures] present at the Riverside that day was the news that filtered through of the Club's home match against Alnwick actually being played. Due to the hard work of team members and the loan of a 'Blotter' from Shotley Bridge C.C. the match had gone ahead and another 1^st Team victory had been secured.

The following Saturday saw a depleted number of attendees present at the Monthly Quiz presented on this occasion by Bar Treasurer Colin McPherson. The cancellation of the 1^st Team's match at Ashington [rain], an early finish to the 2^nd Team's match against Burnopfield and the attraction of Tom Jones appearing at the Riverside were  factors in the lack of 'turn out'. Although I too was absent due to a previous engagement, as a regular presenter of the Quiz I do my utmost to support it when others have taken up the task of setting and delivering it. I know that quizzes do not appeal to everyone but given the light-hearted [some might say riotous] nature of this monthly event, Quiz Night 'virgins' might just surprise themselves by enjoying it.

By the time that this edition reaches the attention of its readers, many Club members will be aware of the death of Mrs. Nancy Forster, widow of Freddie, Club benefactor of the 1970s and 1980s. Nancy was the matriarch of a family with a long pedigree of strong ties with the Club. Her late son  Don, grandson Andy and son-in-law Tommy Nichol have all contributed significantly to the playing side of the Club both as players and captains. Happily for the Club, Andy is still batting and bowling for the 1^st Team as well as ever. Daughter Joan and daughter-in-law Celia produced cricket teas which were the envy of visiting sides in addition to being avid [and voluble] supporters of the senior teams. I am sure that you will join with me in offering condolences to the family at this time.

News of the death of Don Wilson [Yorkshire & England] was reported late last month. He was an outstanding slow left-arm bowler in the Championship-winning teams of the late 1950s and 1960s. Tall and wiry, Don took 100 wickets in a season on five occasions and played in 6 Tests. I watched him bowl at Headingley many times when I was a schoolboy. He had the habit of staring high into the stands when in the field. No one ever knew for what or whom he was searching. This habit made him look comical [to this callow youth at least] but he was by no means comical when he had the ball in his hands. Don went on to become Head MCC Coach at Lord's. His connection with our Club? Don Wilson played for Yorkshire II against Durham at Blackfyne in 1958.

The last Sunday of July saw the Club hosting a Durham v Scotland U.15 match. The match itself was one-sided with Durham running out as easy winners. However, it was enjoyable to watch good young talent in both sides. The field was in fine order [thank you Keith and David], producing favourable comments from coaches and visiting spectators alike. Thanks to the talents of Mesdames Horn, Waters and a small team of other ladies, the catering needs of the players and officials were more than satisfied. The weather was kind, at least it remained dry. The prevailing westerly wind, however, caused a comment from the parents of one of the Scottish team who asked if there was any shelter from it. I could not resist from replying that they should  try watching a match at Blackfyne on a cold day.

Who would be an umpire these days? I, for one, do not begrudge our League umpires  a penny of their fees given the situations that they appear to be faced with constantly.  Dissent regarding umpiring decisions seems to have become a way of life for many players. I appreciate that I played when curly bats and top hats were the norm. Yes, it was 'a while ago' and yes, dissent was  sometimes shown, usually by a disbelieving look or raised eyebrow, but the key difference between then and now is that dissent was not as blatant then as it is now. Spectators were often unaware of anything untoward having taken place, unless they could lip-read from 60 or 70 yards away. Another gripe of mine is that back then I could name the non-walkers because there were so few. Nowadays the reverse seems to be the case. Week in and week out batsmen remain at the wicket having 'taken the cover off it' and have to be given out by the umpire. While I am in this rich vein of complaints what about the ludicrous appeals? I appreciate that everyone is allowed an opinion and that if you don't ask then you don't get but what gets into the head of a cover point or square leg that makes him believe that he is justified in appealing for LBW? It happens and all too often. Forgivable at a young age, but not so at senior level. Moaning over, on to happier thoughts.

Neil Williamson [son of Club Treasurer Phil and wife Judith] is to marry his fiancee Gemma later this month. Club members are invited to attend a celebration in the Club bar on 1^st September, so put your names down on the list.

Neil's younger brother, David, has now taken up the role of Club Webmaster following Kevin Hopps' decision to stand down from that post having devoted several years to establishing the Club's web-site. Many thanks Kevin for a job well done and good luck David. 

Now here is something to ponder. According to David 'Bumble' Lloyd, in order to play for a club in the Lancashire League a player has to have been born in the district  or live within five miles of the ground. When that rule was established the world was a different place of course, a lack of cars and associated major road networks etc.. To my knowledge such a rule never applied to the old Tyneside Senior League and it certainly does not apply to the present N&TSCL. But what if it did? Something to think about during sleepless nights.    

                                     And finally a quotation for this month..............................

'Basically it's just a whole bunch of blokes standing around scratching themselves.'

Kathy Lette.

Mike Rogers

July 2012.

 

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..

       

Well, it is a relief to be able to begin this edition with the cricket itself. Yes, there has been some in spite of the appalling weather. Not a lot, as Paul Daniels would say, but some. The 1^st Team has shaken off the rustiness which was apparent in the Seaton Burn match referred to in the last edition to produce some excellent all-round performances and well deserved victories culminating in a 9 wicket win against Greenside on the last day of June, a result which promoted the Club to third spot in the League table. Professional Gareth Breese has returned to action following injury and there is every reason to believe that the team's rise up the League table will continue. Similarly the 2^nd Team has got off to a promising start with its comprehensive victory at home to Greenside securing third place in its Division. Both sides' achievements to date have been due to the players performing as a unit with each team member making significant contributions at times.

The 2nd Team's overwhelming win against Greenside came just at the right time to boost the morale of the team following a shattering experience the previous week when Leadgate were the visitors to Blackfyne. The lady wife and I were driving back from a few days holiday in the Peak District on that particular Saturday. During my consumption of an over-priced 'Breakfast Bun' just north of Barnsley I asked her if she wished to 'stop off' at any venue on the remainder of the journey north. I was quite taken aback by her response of, ''No thanks; anyhow you'll want to go to the cricket.'' Surprised for two reasons. First of all there are a lot of shops between Barnsley and Dipton. Secondly, given the monsoons of the previous days I was convinced that there would be no play either at Newcastle City or Blackfyne. Literally five minutes after returning home I received a 'phone call from Chairman Alan advising me that play had gone ahead at both venues. I told Alan that I would join him at Blackfyne as soon as I could. Entering the ground about forty minutes later I glanced at the scoreboard. The score was 7 for 1. Assuming that there had been a delayed start and that '7 for 1' was the 1^st Innings score I began to walk around the boundary to join Alan who was standing beside the score-box, 'phone in hand. When I was within earshot Alan exclaimed,''I've just rang you to tell you not to bother coming.'' Only then did it dawn on me that things had gone awry. Most readers will be aware by now of the Club's score. Alan had to tell me at least twice before it sank in. No, it was not 40 as I had thought he had said the first time, but 14! Furthermore, apparently the score had reached 12 before the first wicket fell. There was not a great deal to be said then or even after the end of the match some moments later. Consett players and supporters alike were ........ well, numbed. Driving home I reflected upon the quotation which appears at the end of this edition. Now, that is taking matters too seriously don't you think?

As intimated in the previous edition food dominated two of the social events held last month, a 'Curry Night' and the 'Club Barbecue'. I was unable to attend the former but was delighted to learn that approximately 60 people had. The 60 included several 'new faces', hopefully they will return for future events. The food provided by new Club sponsors Aagbar Restaurant was delicious I am told and the evening was a huge success. So successful in fact that a repeat performance has already been planned for later in the season. Thanks must go to the organisers Andrew Forster, Gary Hunter and Dominic Quinn. Well done. Similarly congratulations go to the organisers of the BBQ which was well attended by members and guests of all ages. Unfortunately one of the organisers, Chairman Alan, was unable to attend himself having hurt his back earlier in the day when making preparations for the event. I am pleased to report that hot baths etc. did the trick and he was soon back on form. Long gone are the days of the Club holding a barbecue on the grand scale i.e. the expenditure on a marquee and  a DJ, the setting up of a bar downstairs etc.. [Imagine mounting such an event under the weather conditions of recent weeks/months.]  The more modest affairs of recent years have proved successful in terms of numbers attending, bar revenue and enjoyment. For people of a certain age [mine] being able to sit and chat without having to shout over music is a bonus and makes for a more convivial evening.

Bouncy castles, bungee jumps, coconut shies and all the fun of the fair etc. at Blackfyne! No doubt Alderman Joseph Eltringham and other Club stalwarts of yesteryear were turning in their graves on Family Fun Day held on 24^th June. Well, maybe not. Readers of 'The Blackfyne Story' [copies still available] will appreciate that the Club's administrators have, throughout the Club's history, never been averse to trying a variety of fund-raising ventures. For once the rain relented for a few hours and the event was able to take place. Once again Dominic Quinn was Organiser-in-Chief and thanks to him and a team of helpers it proved to be a great success. The underfoot conditions did cause problems for some of the 'outside' contractors' vehicles. The combined efforts of several fit and able male Club members were called upon to extricate the vans from the mire. No one did more to help in this respect than Colin McPherson who not only was covered in mud once when pushing  the rear of a vehicle but on a second occasion managed to perform a back flip. No harm was done thankfully and much hilarity ensued. Now, I did not laugh Colin. Well, not as much as you did at yourself; well done.  

Yet another casualty of the weather was the Durham Academy v Cheshire Development Squad two day match which the Club was scheduled to host during the last week in June. We must hope for better luck with the weather in order that the Durham v Scotland game at U.15 level can go ahead at Blackfyne on Sunday 29^th July. Will this count as Blackfyne's first International?

Reference to my batting 'box' in last month's epistle caused a certain amount of comment. Several Club members have admitted to me [in a discreet manner] that they too had used the same article from boyhood throughout their cricketing career.  Others recalled tales of eye-watering episodes either experienced or witnessed. No matter how long ago and to whom such an event occurred, the memory of it is still crystal clear. Maybe we cannot recall who Prime Minister was at the time of the incident but we can certainly remember the bowler and the effect! A specific batting 'box' was highlighted in a recent edition of  'Test Match Special' [TMS] broadcast on Radio 4. Regular readers will know that I am a devotee of this programme. During a break in play in a recent One Day International commentator Jonathan Agnew was interviewing Barry Johnston, son of the late and great TMS commentator Brian. You may recall that Brian was a man with a highly developed sense of humour and a born exponent of practical jokes. 'Aggers' asked Barry about a photograph of his father which had appeared in a magazine. Barry explained that the journalist and photographer requested that the interview should take place in Brian's study where he would be surrounded by his cricket memorabilia. Brian agreed and much time was spent in arranging photographs, microphones, books etc. prior to photographs been taken of Brian 'at work'. All had been set up to the press duo's satisfaction when Brian created a distraction and placed another item on his desk unbeknown to the pair. Yes, a pink plastic 'box'. The photographs were taken and published. Only when the magazine was printed did the luckless pair realise what Brian had done and by then it was too late to remedy the situation.

                                     And finally a quotation for this month..............................

'The only England captain to have led a team which scored fewer than forty-six runs in a Test match was Arthur Shrewsbury and he shot himself.'

Ian Wooldridge.

Mike Rogers

 

June 2012.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..

        

I feel duty bound to begin this month's epistle by presenting  a verbal bouquet to the Club's voluntary groundsmen, Keith Horn and David Graham. Given the enormous difficulties that they have faced [incessant rain, lack of covers, breakdown of cutter etc., etc.] they have managed to produce wickets which have played well and have given the teams the opportunities to play when others could not. Many thanks.

As we enter this month the 1^st Team has played just one League match, away to Seaton Burn. Having dismissed the home team for 122, prospects looked good for a winning start to the season. However, it was not to be the case with the majority of the batsmen [Robbie Winn being a significant exception] failing to come to terms with a slow wicket on which the ball rarely got above stump height. The Seaton Burn bowlers exploited the conditions very well by bowling wicket to wicket resulting in the inevitable consequence of 'you miss, I'll hit'.  I know that the players were disappointed with their performances and are determined to make sure that the skill and application apparent last season return quickly. Sadly the defeat coincided with the news that Club professional Gareth Breese will be out of action for several weeks due to a calf injury sustained the previous weekend when playing for Durham. All hands to the pumps needed now.

The 2^nd Team has made a good start to its season. In particular the evergreen Neil Burdon has belied his years by performing well with the bat in both Cup and League. Darren Atkinson has been in the runs too, his innings of 92 at home to Seaton Burn being the highest by a Consett player so far this season. 'Rob' Hassan heralded  his arrival at Blackfyne by taking a wicket with his first ball for the Club. Others have followed including a hat-trick! His fast-medium bowling and 'go for it' style of batting have made this Bangladeshi amateur an instant hit with players and spectators alike.

Last month's social calendar was rather bare. I had the dubious pleasure of devising and presenting the Monthly Quiz. My efforts were rewarded by a larger than usual attendance – thank you. I hope that it was an enjoyable evening. This month,

however, promises to be much busier. Plans are being made to hold a Curry Night on Friday 8^th June [courtesy of new Club sponsors Aagbar's Restaurant] and a Club Barbecue on Saturday 16^th June. We should be well fed eh? No doubt participants will take advantage of the bar to wash down their food. To paraphrase the Tesco advertisement,'Every drop counts [to raise funds].

Later in the month [Sunday 24^th] the Club's Annual Family Fun Day will be held.

Once again the Day has been organised by Dominic Quinn. Going on past performances, it should be a great success and a chance for the Club to show its worth to the local community. Despite its long and, at times, glorious history, Consett C.C. remains unknown to many residents of the town. The Fun Day is another opportunity for local people to enjoy the Blackfyne grounds.

Local cricket has changed out of all recognition since my time as an eleven year-old playing in my club's U.18 team in Leeds. Four different age-group teams, bowling restrictions, helmets etc.. Just look at the playing kit these days. Youngsters [well more often fathers of youngsters] hauling 'coffins' in and out of dressing rooms full of clothing, bats, pads, gloves, helmets, training tops, shorts etc.. Yes, I am going to write it:- In my day things were different. Different yes, but not necessarily better. When I took up the game properly my late father told me,''All you need to have to start with is a pair of boots and a 'box'. If you're any good we'll get the flannels later.''

So I began my career in the Airedale & Wharfedale Junior League wearing a pair of second-hand boots [at least one size too large if memory serves me right] and my own, my very own 'Len Hutton' batting 'box'. Batting at No.11 and fielding at fine leg at both ends I was in seventh heaven. Thankfully progress was made in due course both in my playing contribution and attire. Like some readers of this article no doubt, I can still recall the contents of the Team Bag:- pads with missing straps or buckles, batting gloves with palms hardened and stained by the sweat of countless hands over many years, bats of dubious pedigree and horror of horrors – the team 'box'!!! I cannot recall anyone ever donning that 'box'. However, given its state and stains many 'box'-less young aspiring cricketers must have done so. I, of course, had my own Len Hutton model. Said 'box' served me well. In fact I continued to wear it for the next twenty-four seasons. Now whether that fact is a testament to the durability of that particular piece of kit or a comment on my own physical development is a matter of conjecture. 

                                          And finally a quotation for this month..............................

[Taken from David Lloyd's book 'Start the car, the world according to Bumble' , Lloyd recalls the occasion when Leicestershire captain James Whitaker visited the Umpires' room at Grace Road to discuss his dismissal during a match in which Lloyd was umpiring]:-

'' Jack Birkenshaw  was my partner and it was his decision that had caused the grievance. 'I was a bit disappointed, Jack, about my LB,' Jimmy began. 'Thought I might have got away with that one. Little nick on it, I felt.'

'You might have done. There might have been. I wouldn't be at all surprised,' Jack said, allowing the words to slip off the tongue in an unbelievably carefree manner. 'But this morning we arrived in Leicester, me and my colleague Mr Lloyd here, Whitaker, of Whitakers Chocolates, and there's not a chocolate in sight. Nothing at all for me to take back to our Glo, so I just had to give you out, Jim.'

Next morning, I kid you not, there were boxes of confectionery piled up in our room. That was the power we men in white coats wielded.''                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Mike Rogers

MIKE'S MONTHLY MUSES

May 2012.

Welcome to this edition of  'Muses' concerning the on and off the field activities of Consett C.C..

       

I now realise that I tempted providence by writing in the last edition about the bad weather which prevented the 1981 season from starting on time! As readers will now know only too well, the persistent downpours of recent weeks have prevented play for any of the Club's sides. Indeed finding a cricket match anywhere in the North East has been akin to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Not only is the barren start to the season disappointing for players and spectators alike, it also has financial implications for the Club with regard to bar takings. The weather must improve soon, surely? 

On the subject of fund-raising, the Club is indebted to John Hopps, David Wilkinson and Lesley Wilkinson for their recent efforts in that field. John presented the monthly Quiz Night in April. His was a quiz with a twist. It was a version of the popular TV programme 'Pointless'! John had obviously put in a lot of thought and effort when compiling the event. Unfortunately the attendance was moderate. However, I am pleased to report that those who were there thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Many thanks John.

Friday 13^th [of April] was not so unlucky for many who participated in the Race Night compiled and presented by David, ably assisted by Lesley. It was good to see some new faces in the Bar and a good time was had by all. Badly needed income was derived via the tote and the bar. Many thanks to the Wilkies. How did I do in the Sport of Kings?  I was the proud 'owner' of two horses. One is still running, the other unshipped its jockey as it left the starting stalls. However, it's not the winning but the taking part that counts isn't it?

The day after 'Race Night' I did manage to watch some live cricket. As some readers may know, I commentate upon some Durham CCC matches at the Riverside for the benefit of the visually impaired. I seldom volunteer to commentate on Saturdays due to my wish to watch the Club's matches. However, as this particular match [Durham v Nottinghamshire] was to take place a week before the scheduled start of our League programme, I opted to make up the trio of voluntary commentators. As I opened the kitchen blinds at 7 a.m. I beheld a scene better suited to a Christmas card than the morning of a cricket match. Heavy snow was falling and, given the state of the ground, had been doing so for quite some time. Although it stopped snowing an hour or so later, the damage had been done. By the time that I was scheduled to journey to Chester-le-Street no phone call telling me not to travel had been received; so off I set.

Arriving at the ground I was greeted by Mick the steward. As we had not seen one another since the previous season we wished each other Happy New Year. Mick then announced in a tone of amazement,''You've got snow on your car!?'' I beckoned him closer before telling him,'' Snow on my car. You should see the ******* snow on the roads in Stanley.'' The day's play got underway an hour after the scheduled starting time because of the heavy overnight rain. Rain!!!! A few hardy [or stupid] citizens remained outdoors to view the game, the vast majority opting for the members' dining room. 

The following Saturday, with both 1^st and 2^nd Team matches washed out, found me in the rain at Tall Trees, Swalwell watching Blaydon playing rugby against Rosslyn Park. Also watching were two stalwarts of the game of cricket, Derek Murray and Ian 'Rocky' Stoneman. Derek will be known to some readers as a Blaydon CC man and former umpire. The elder brother of the late Jimmy and Alan, Derek never seems to age although he must be nearly [or past] 80? He looked and sounded as hale and hearty as ever. Rocky, of course, needs no introduction to readers. He was proud to inform me that he had lost 4 stones of weight during the winter and felt fit enough to open the bowling. Steady now Rocky. Both men however have the advantage over me. They can both stand to watch the whole match. I, on the other hand, have to find a seat.  

Since the last edition of this monthly epistle Tommy Nichol and I attended the funeral of Club Vice President Maurice Addison. Maurice lived only a few yards away from the Blackfyne ground in Redwood Court. However, illness and infirmity prevented him from watching matches as often as he would have wished to do. A friend of Club legend of the '50s Ian McKay [see 'The Blackfyne Story' for reports of his fast-bowling heroics], Maurice will be missed. 

The Club is to be featured in a future edition of  'Cricket Club Magazine'. Fame at last eh? More news about this via the Club web-site as and when known.

Any budding Robin Hoods out there? It is intended that the Club will host regular Sunday morning archery sessions under a scheme promoted by Durham Health Authority. As the TV double-glazing advertisement states, ''I bet you didn't expect that!'' Further details to follow via the Club web-site.            

                                          And finally a quotation for this month..............................

''The British 'Sphere of Influence' – the cricket ball.''

from 'Mr. Punch's Book of Sport'.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Mike Rogers