THE CENTENARY OF THE DURHAM SENIOR LEAGUE 2002

Ray Pallister

“Cricket comes to us modestly on spring’s rainy days, and like a plant it turns to the sun and is not happy when an east wind blows. But as the season passes, cricket begins to flower; by the time hot June is come it is roses, roses all the way from Old Trafford to Canterbury. Sit in the Mound Stand at Lord’s on midsummer morning at noon, and if the sun be ample and you close your eyes for a while you will see a vision of all the cricket fields in England at that very minute; it is a vision of the game’s rich seasonal yield; a vision of green spaces over our land, of flashing bats, of thudding, convulsive bowlers, and men in white alone in the deep or bent low in the slips.”

(“Cardus in the Covers” by Neville Cardus. p.40)

A CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Cricket pre 1902

1744.The first code of laws was drawn up by noblemen and gentry primarily to settle disputes on the games of cricket that they played for huge wagers. Four balls to the over.

1751.One of the first games of cricket in Durham was played when the Duke of Cleveland’s team played the Earl of Northumberland’s team at Raby Castle.

1773.August 19^th. West Auckland beat Scruton,(Yorkshire) for 25 guineas a side.

1787.The Marylebone Cricket Club was formed. Thomas Lord’s ground on the site of Dorset Square staged its first match-Middlesex versus Essex.

1801.July 25^th. The Newcastle Chronicle reports a match between eleven gentlemen of Monkwearmouth and eleven gentlemen of Sunderland . There is no mention of the side-bet.

1805.Lord Byron,he of Seaham Hall fame, wrote the following…

‘We have played the Eton and were most confoundedly beat; however, it was some comfort to me that I got eleven notches in the first innings and seven in the second, which was more than any of our side, except Brockman and Ipswich could contrive to hit. After the match we dined together, and were extremely friendly; not a single discordant word was uttered by either party. To be sure, we were most of us rather drunk, and went home together to the Haymarket, where we kicked up a row… How I got home after the play, God knows.’

The scorecard for the game showed that Byron actually only got two runs in the second innings. This vulgar and unseemly behaviour indeed demonstrates patently that the chap was no more than a cad and a bounder! Definitely not cricket, M’Lud!

1808.June 14^th. The Tyne Mercury reports a grand match of cricket, for 100 guineas a side, having been played on our Town Moor by sixteen gentlemen of the Sunderland Cricket Club. Mr. Sharp’s team scored 41 in the first innings followed by 17 in the second. Mr. Sharp was almost certainly the son of Sir Cuthbert Sharp. Mr. Hill’s team scored 31 in the first innings and 26 in the second. Mr. Hill may have been the well-known builder in the town. Among the other players could be found a shipowner, a shipbuilder, a lawyer … members of the gentry class.

1828.The gentlemen of the Yarm Club, having challenged nearly all the clubs in the neighbourhood, played Sunderland at Castle Eden for 40 sovereigns a side. Bets were laid six-to-one against Sunderland.

1829.August 29^th. Bishopwearmouth v Durham City. (see below for the return match in 1979).

1850.Mowers only began to be used with any regularity from about 1850, though at Lord’s they continued for many years to keep the grass down with sheep, and the heavy roller was first used at Lord’s in 1870. (See “Cricket a Way of Life” by Christopher Martin- Jenkins).

1864.Overarm bowling was legalised.

1873.This was the first year of the County Championship, when Gloucester and Nottinghamshire finished on top with equal points.

1876.The first England versus Australia game.

1878.Newcastle and Gosforth Tramways and Carriage Company Ltd was set up, working 17 miles of route with 44 horse-drawn trams and four steam engines. Sunderland Tramways Company opened its horse tramways system in 1879 with 32 horse-drawn trams. Both systems, and others at Gateshead and South Shields, were electrified at the turn of the century, and by this time there was a

good network of railways in the area enabling cricket teams to travel more easily, an important factor in the development of cricket leagues.

1882.May 23^rd. At a meeting in the Three Tuns Hotel, Durham, it was decided to form a Durham County Cricket Club. The proposal to meet was made by the South Shields Club. The Minor Counties Championship began in 1895 with seven counties competing.

1888.This year marked the start of competitive cricket in the North East. The County Cricket Club convened a meeting on November 28^th 1887 to launch the Durham County Challenge Cup Competition. This began in season 1888, initially with two divisions (North and South): clubs involved were Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Consett, Coundon, Crook, Darlington, Durham City, Hendon, Hetton Lyons, Jarrow, Medomsley, Norton, North Durham, Philadelphia, Ryhope, Sedgefield, Shildon, Stockton, Sunderland, Ushaw Moor, West Hartlepool and Whitburn.

The competition was aimed at encouraging cricket in the county, but it led to endless disputes and protests. The differences in the strength of the club sides led to some farcical games, and meetings of the committee organising the competition were held every week and sometimes twice a week in order to resolve the many disputes. Travel itself was a large problem, despite the network of railways. To get to Coundon or Consett from Norton or South Shields could, in those times, require a day’s journey.

1888.Net cricket gate receipts at Sunderland were £6. For the season! In the same season the Rugby games raised £102.

1889.May. The MCC decided upon 5 balls per over instead of the more customary 4 balls per over as in County matches, and they introduced the declaration rule which permitted a captain to declare his innings closed and put the opposition in.

1891.No league cricket was played in the County until the formation of the Durham County Senior League in 1891 under the auspices of the County Cricket Club. The clubs involved were left to arrange their own ‘friendly matches’ - and those that were not so friendly when side-stakes were raised. Most workers had to work Saturday mornings, and many all day Saturday, so cricket was not available to all. Moreover any match with a club outside a radius of five miles would have been regarded as a considerable adventure and involve much travelling time in the late nineteenth century. Improved transport facilities were crucial to any promotion of the game of cricket. South Shields, Sunderland, Durham City, Whitburn, Philadelphia and North Durham formed the northern division of the new Durham County Senior League.

1893.The Independent Labour Party was formed by Keir Hardie. The Women’s Social and Political Union was founded in Manchester by Mrs. Pankhurst.

1894.August 25^th. Eppleton Church beat Spennymoor for the Durham County Challenge Cup.

1895.Arthur Newsome from Hunslet near Leeds arrived to take a school teaching post at Eppleton, and became a prominent member of the cricket club which was then known as Eppleton Church Cricket Club. He played for the club and was secretary for almost thirty years.

1899.The School Leaving Age was raised to 12.

1900. August 15^th. Sunderland Corporation Tramways began with 18 open-top trams (electric). It closed down on October 1^st 1954.

The tram route south from Sunderland followed the coast to Ryhope, where it turned abruptly inland and proceeded west through a succession of mining villages—New Silksworth and the three Herringtons. From Herrington Burn a short branch diverted to Shiney Row and New Penshaw, whilst the main line turned sharply southward through Philadelphia where the company kept its 33 double-deck cars in a large depot, and Newbottle to Houghton-le-Spring, whence further routes ran to Fencehouses, and through Hetton-le-Hole to Easington Lane.

1900.November 5^th. Horden Collieries Ltd began sinking its North Pit Shaft to a depth of 417 yards. It was completed in July 1904. Four good workable seams were sunk, the last one being the Hutton seam of 5 feet 5 inches thickness.

1900.By 1900 the rear chain-driven ‘safety bicycle’ with pneumatic tyres was being mass-produced. This was a very important means of travel particularly for the working classes.

1900.The six-ball over was adopted by the M.C.C. And this became the standard in English cricket.

1902.The Sunderland batsman R.P.Moorson had scored 81 in the game with Durham City when he blocked a ball, picked it up and threw it to the bowler. On an appeal from the City team he was given out ‘Handled the ball.’

DURHAM COUNTY SENIOR LEAGUE TABLE. 1902

Club	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Points	%won
South Moor	17	10	2	5	8	66%
Philadelphia	17	9	3	5	6	50%
Craghead	14	7	3	4	4	40%
Eppleton Ch.	18	9	4	5	5	38%
Durham City	11	4	2	5	2	33%
Sunderland	20	8	4	8	4	33%
Chester-le-St.	19	9	5	5	4	28%
South Shields	20	8	5	7	3	23%
Whitburn	16	8	5	3	3	23%
Medomsley	11	5	4	2	1	11%
Burnmoor	14	6	5	3	1	9%
North Durham	16	6	6	4	0	0%
Burnhope	14	6	7	3	-1	-7%
West Stanley	16	5	6	5	-1	-9%
Consett	12	3	6	3	-3	-33%
Hendon	20	4	9	7	-5	-38%
Seaham Harbour	14	3	11	0	-8	-57%
Wearmouth	17	1	9	7	-8	-80%
Burnopfield	11	0	9	2	-9	-100%

In studying this League Table, one can readily understand how chaotic and unwieldy the competition had become. I leave the reader to make an attempt to understand the figures! Because of inadequate means of transport at that time, it was virtually impossible for the east coast teams to have matches with such places as Burnopfield and Medomsley. Reorganisation was necessary, and so the new Eastern Division was established comprising Burnmoor, Durham City, Eppleton, Hendon, North Durham, Philadelphia, Seaham Harbour, South Shields, Sunderland, Wearmouth and Whitburn. The Western Division thus consisted of Burnhope, Burnopfield, Chester-le-Street, Consett, Craghead, Medomsley, South Moor and West Stanley.

THE FOUNDING OF THE DURHAM SENIOR LEAGUE

(Taken from the original Durham Senior League Minute Book kept in the Durham County Record Office).

1902.When the representatives of the Burnmoor, Hendon, Philadelphia, Seaham Harbour, Sunderland, Wearmouth Colliery and Whitburn Clubs were returning from Durham by train after attending a League meeting on Thursday September 25^th, general dissatisfaction was expressed concerning the arrangements of the Durham County Senior League, and a discussion arose on the possibility of forming a league of the clubs then present with one or two additions. The representatives of the Hendon, Sunderland, Wearmouth Colliery and Whitburn Clubs were asked to call a meeting to consider the suggestion. The meeting at Durham on September 25^th had appointed a Sub-Committee to suggest a scheme for the working of the County League in divisions and their recommendation – received by the clubs on October 4^th – was as follows:- ( Division 1) Seaham Harbour, Sunderland, South Shields, Whitburn, Hendon, Wearmouth Colliery, Stanley, Medomsley or Consett, and Burnopfield. (Division 2) Durham City, Eppleton, Burnmoor, Chester-le-Street, North Durham, South Moor, Craghead, Phildelphia and Burnhope. And a full League meeting was called for the 16^th at Durham to consider it. On October 6^th a notice was sent by officials of Wearmouth, Sunderland, Hendon and Whitburn to the officials of Burnmoor, North Durham, Philadelphia, Seaham Harbour and South Shields suggesting that the proposed two divisions be rejected. A meeting of these clubs was called for October 9^th to be held in the Queen’s Hotel, Sunderland, and the outcome was unanimous disapproval of the County’s proposal. On October 23^rd a letter was sent to the County Club from the above meeting to state that the above clubs were resigning from the Durham County Senior League, which was under the auspices of the County Club, and declaring the formation of this new league to be known as the North Eastern Durham Cricket League.

Durham City applied to join immediately and was accepted at the meeting of the new league on November 6^th 1902.

The league then began its life as the Durham County Senior League (Eastern Division).

A copy of the original handbooks are in the Durham County Record Office in County Hall Durham.

Rule 9 in the 1902 handbook is almost identical with Rule 5 in the 2001 year handbook……….

‘A club shall not be allowed to play more than one professional. Such professional must be engaged for not less than 3 months of the season, and must be registered with the League Secretary five clear days before the date of the first match in which he is required to play…’ A replacement professional was permitted.

Rule 14 states ‘ The penalties for infringing League Rules shall be (1) a fine not to exceed £2 2s and (2) a deduction of points from the club’s score.’

Cricket 1903 to 1909

1903 to 1925. The Points System gave 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw.

1903.May 4^th Philadelphia beat Eppleton by 5 runs… Eppleton 43; Philadelphia 48.

Eppleton Seconds v Philadelphia Seconds. Eppleton 38 all out.;Philadelphia 41 for 4.

1903.The Eppleton batsman, J.Dolphin, who was batting number three in their first game in the League, was renowned for his big hitting. He was reputed to have fitted a piece of lead in the back of his bat to make it heavier.

1903.Mr. Peter Lee was elected to the Parish Council at Wheatley Hill. This marked the beginning of a great political career in local government, from Parish Council to Rural District Council then County Council. He gave his name to the New Town of Peterlee.

1903.Darlington prepares to lay its first tram-lines.

1903.C.B.Fry was playing for Sussex. Ranjitsinhji was playing for M.C.C. and Ground. Wilfred Rhodes, Schofield Haigh, and George Hirst were playing for Yorkshire. During the 1904 season Hirst scored 2501 runs and took 132 wickets; Haigh scored 1055 runs and took 111 wickets; Rhodes scored 1537 runs and took 131 wickets. Rhodes did the double sixteen times between 1903 and 1926 (excluding the 4 war years). Hirst, in 1906 scored 2385 runs and took 208 wickets. Both Rhodes and Hirst were born in the village of Kirkheaton, just outside Huddersfield. This period was one of Yorkshire pre-eminence. Twenty times they won the championship between 1896 and the beginning of the Second World War.

1903.May 22^nd.The League Executive Committee discussed the appeal of a North Durham Umpire who had gone to Burnmoor and found that the match had been cancelled because of bad weather. He claimed 6 shillings and 6 pence for loss of work, train fare and fee, because he had not been informed. Burnmoor said that they had telegraphed to the secretary of North Durham Club in good time not to send the umpire. The committee decided that the umpire be paid train fare and fee … but not loss of earnings. Note that at this time clubs provided their own umpires.

1903.Harry Clode comes from the Surrey 1^st XI to Carley Hill, Wearmouth. Right throughout his career he gave great service to the club with some outstanding performances with both bat and ball. He served the club as professional, coach, and secretary ,as well as giving long and valuable service to the League for which he was made an Honorary Life Member.

1903.May 25^th An advertisement for teachers at Tudhoe School appeared in the Northern Echo. Salary £45 per year for a woman; £65 for a man. The Northern Echo cost one penny. (old money)

1903.May 25^th Advert in the Northern Echo…. ‘Darlington Fire Brigade. Wanted. Handyman on permanent staff of the Darlington Fire Brigade. Preference given to one who can drive a team of horses. Wage 25 shillings a week.’

1903.June 20th. Durham City 2nds 88 Burnmoor 2nds 169 for 8.

N.B. The team batting second continued its innings after passing the total of the team batting first.

1903.July 7^th ‘The Secretary of the League again complained about clubs not having sent in returns of matches according to Rule 18 and thus preventing him making up tables in time to suit the newspapers’. How little things have changed!

1903.The balance sheet for the League shows that the cost of administration was £7 16s 7d for the year.

1903.The Durham Advertiser reported the following incident… “Found in the stomach of a steer slaughtered at Chester-le-Street… one cricket ball.”

THE DURHAM SENIOR LEAGUE TABLE 1903

Club

Played

Won

Lost

Drawn

Points

Sunderland	20	12	2	6	30
Philadelphia	20	12	3	5	29
Durham	20	9	3	8	26
Hendon	20	10	5	5	25
N Durham	20	8	5	7	23
Burnmoor	20	6	5	9	21
South Shields	20	5	8	7	17
Whitburn	20	6	9	5	17
Eppleton	20	4	8	8	16
Seaham Harbour	20	4	13	3	11
Wearmouth	20	0	15	5	5

The first champions of the League, Sunderland, twice surpassed 300 runs in an innings…. 307 for 1 versus North Durham; and 305 for 2 versus Philadelphia.

1903.North Durham resign from the League at the end of the first season.

1903.The Chairman of the League, Mr. Alf Grundy, spoke thus at the first Annual General Meeting ---‘It must be a source of pleasure to all that this our First Season has passed off so happily. It is true that we were all old friends, or shall I say old opponents, but we were working under new rules – stringent rules – and we knew that the eyes of many critics were upon us. The clubs with one exception have been actuated by a perfect spirit of loyalty and though the shoe sometimes pinched when fines had to be imposed, yet that spirit of loyalty and the desire to give the League a fair trial carried us over all difficulties and kept us shoulder to shoulder in the determination to carry out Rules in their entirety.’ Mr. Grundy pointed out that relationships with the County Cricket Club were excellent despite the secession from the league run by the County.

1903.December 17^th.The first aeroplane flight was made by Wilbur and Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk and a distance of 284 yards was covered.

1904.C.Y.Adamson (Durham City) had 117 not out and 9 for 43 against South Shields in 1904. This was a splendid season for him and he headed both batting and bowling averages for the City and the batting averages for the County.

1905.Sept.20^th. Boldon Cricket Club was accepted into the League.

1905.Jack Hobbs played his first game for Surrey against the Gentlemen of England who were captained by Dr. W.G.Grace. Jack Singleton in his book entitled “The Masters of Cricket” recounts that the young Hobbs was rather nervous against the renowned doctor. Noted for his speed between the wickets, Hobbs sensed there was a run to be ‘stolen’ by playing the ball a few yards up the pitch, but just as he set off the quavering voice of the doctor came down the pitch. ‘Thank you, youngster,’ said the voice, ‘just tap it back here and save my poor old legs.’ And Hobbs, suitably in awe of the Old Man, who was a terror to the game’s newcomers, duly tapped the ball back to him.

1906.An umpiring problem arose at Wood Terrace. The umpire in the match with Boldon, a strong-willed character called Kitchen, pulled up the stumps after Shields had scored the winning run. He was protesting against the futility of batting on after victory had been achieved. Tom Coulson the batsman wanted to bat on. Kitchen apparently launched a barrage of abuse when the two captains remonstrated with him. Coulson, a mild and courteous man, protested to the League Committee. Kitchen was sternly admonished and threatened with suspension should there be a repeat of this sort of behaviour.

1906.The average wage for adult males was £1 7s. a week (135p). The average wage for unskilled men was about £1 per week. The best skilled men could clear £2 a week.

1906.The Labour Representation Committee put up 51 candidates at the 1906 parliamentary election and got 29 into the House of Commons.

1906.At the match between Sunderland and Wearmouth 4000 people were present. Entry 3d.

1907.Gateshead Fell’s application for membership was rejected at the AGM.

1907.The three-mile rule applied … players must live within three miles of the Club ground. The case of A.P.Ashley was raised. He played for Durham City but lived at Hetton. The League Executive Committee accepted his right to play for Durham as he had started playing for Durham City when at Bede College as a student teacher. Ray Pallister traced the son of A.P.Ashley in the early 1990s at the request of Durham County Cricket scorer, Mr. Brian Hunt, who was collecting information on those who had played for the county in the past, and particularly Ashley, on whom there was little information. The information gathered was that A.P.Ashley – and Adolph Hitler, apparently - had been at the first day of the battle of the Somme in 1916 and both had survived.

It was a bright and sunny morning that day of July 1^st, with a little mist over the German trenches.The entrenched soldiers awoke to the sound of the British heavy guns blasting away at the Germans on an 18 mile front. Then 120,000 individuals, each hunched under a load of 60 pounds of ammunition, kit and rations, climbed out of their trenches and walked forward to meet the Germans. The Newcastle Commercials were told, ‘You will be able to go over the top with a walking stick; you will need no rifles. When you get to Thiepval the Germans will all be dead’…... It so happened that over 60,000 British soldiers were hit on that morning of July 1^st 1916, and 20,000 of those were killed. Colin Orr’s father, who was born in 1894, was a survivor of the First Day of the Somme. He was fighting at Serre with the Ist Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry when he received a bayonet wound in the upper left arm. He was evacuated the next day, the 2^nd of July. A lucky man, indeed!

.Ashley, at a match against Whitburn, immediately after the war, was approached by the Rector and invited to leave Durham City and come and play for the village club….. and also take on the headmastership of the village school!……. Some of the old folks at Whitburn will no doubt recall Schoolmaster Ashley.

1907.October 4^th. Chester-le-Street Cricket Club was accepted into the League. At the same time South Moor was rejected because of travelling difficulties.

1907.Durham City cricketers C.Y.Adamson, F.E.Scott and R.C.Cumberledge played in a charity match at Darlington in 1907 against a side which included 63-year-old W.G.Grace, who was bowled out by Adamson for 51.

1907.The Durham City team and their supporters travelled to Carley Hill by the 11.45 a.m. train from North Road station. Stumps were pitched at 1 o’clock. Elvet Station, adjacent to the Racecourse ground, was also used by cricket teams in the League, and remained in use until the mid-fifties, but in the last years mainly for visitors to the Miners’ Gala.

1907.The last match of the season for Durham was against Eppleton at Durham. Eppleton were dismissed for 26 (Adamson 6 for 11) and City with four hours left, had a ‘bonanza’, no fewer that 327 runs being on the board when stumps were finally drawn.

1907.September 14^th. Burnmoor and Durham City had to play a deciding match for the League Championship at the Wearmouth ground. A large contingent of Dunelmians journeyed to Sunderland to witness the game, and their numbers were added to at Fencehouses station when the Burnmoor supporters boarded the train. When play commenced at 1.15. p.m. there was a large attendance at the ground. Burnmoor scored 80 all out and Durham knocked the runs off for 3 wickets. The City players were accorded a most hearty and enthusiastic reception on arriving home. There was a large number of people in the streets, and the cheering was loud and continuous. Later the City Council presented a cup to the City Club, to be named the C.R.Milam Trophy, the cost covered by public subscription. The Trophy, still in existence, was part tribute to Milam, the professional, who had seven wickets in the match. Information afterwards leaked out that Durham City had played an ineligible player against Burnmoor. The offending player lived at Page Bank which was outside the permitted 3-mile zone, and he had not held the twelve-month qualification i.e. that he had already played for Durham for at least one year. Burnmoor decided to protest, but the protest did not go to the League Committee, as the Burnmoor captain (Mr.Hugh Stobart) acted in a very sportsmanlike manner in requesting that the protest be withdrawn. The League Committee, however, advised the City Club not to play the offending player again.

1907.Women were given the right to vote in local elections and the right to be elected to local councils. There was not yet the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

1907.E.W.Elliott of Sunderland was given out leg before in the game with the City. He walked to the pavilion and then returned to the pitch to appeal against the light, but it was not allowed.

1908.The government budget provided £1.2m for the establishment of an Old Age Pension scheme. Over 70s were to receive one shilling a week (5p in present day terms) up to 5 shillings maximum depending on level of income. But there was nothing for anybody who earned more than 12 shillings a week.

1908.In the South Shields fixture C.Y.Adamson of Durham City retired on reaching a century, one of four he had scored in that season. It was reported that he had taken ‘special delight in punishing the underhand deliveries of Charles R.Toomer, the crowd being amused by this mode of bowling.’ His father John Adamson was President of the County Cricket Club in 1887 and served the County as treasurer and secretary for many years. Charles Young Adamson followed in his father’s footsteps at the City and the County, and then was followed by his own two sons, Charles Lodge Adamson and John Alfred Adamson. Charles Young Adamson played First Class Cricket for Queensland and toured with the British Lions Rugby team. Only six weeks before the armistice of 1918 Charles Young Adamson of the 29^th Northumberland Fusiliers, was killed and later buried in a military cemetery in Greece.

1908.A high score against Durham City Seconds was made by Hendon – 366 all out.

1908.The imprisonment of children was abolished by the Children’s Act.

Cricket 1910 to 1919

1910.Gate receipts at South .Shields rose from about £30 in 1900 to near £100 in 1910. The £100 in 1910 would be equivalent to perhaps £30,000 now.

1910.The breakthrough in omnibus travel came in 1910 when the London General Omnibus Company licensed its first B-type bus,.capable of carrying 34 passengers.

1910.Chester-le-Street versus Sunderland. Chester-le-Street again suffered a reverse for the second match at home in succession. The tail did excellent service and averted a debacle, but when J.Tate was given out LBW to Morris, the crowd expressed some dissatisfaction. At the conclusion of the game an angry crowd followed the umpire to the pavilion where a scene ensued, though the official remained unharmed.

1910.July 9^th. Hendon versus Durham City. Hendon, batting first, scored 66 all out. Durham got 314 all out. ( C.Y. Adamson 102; A.P.Ashley 99).

1910.July 17^th Hendon, batting first, scored 94 all out; Seaham Harbour followed with 257 for 6.

1910.A big hit at Chester-le-Street… John Bewick is said to have made the biggest hit ever made at the Chester-le-Street ground. He hit a ball from the north end over the wall at the south end and through a bedroom window in Lumley Terrace. The occupant of the house was so delighted that Chester had such a hard-hitting batsman that he would not allow anyone but himself to pay for the new pane.

1910.Boldon gained a point against Durham after batting three hours and twenty minutes and declaring on 231 for five. In order to illustrate how farcical the position was the opening City pair, Adamson and Hendren, refused to change ends , the total finishing on 31 for none.

1911.Sept.9^th. Thomas Bradford –later Sir Thomas - playing for Chester-le-Street versus Philadelphia at Bunker Hill scored 207 not out… The highest individual score in the league. His score included 17 sixes.

1912.Sunderland win the League Championship for the seventh time in the first ten seasons.

1912.South Shields versus Philadelphia. Philadelphia had been shot out by Shields at Shields earlier in the season for a total of 11, three of which were extras, this in front of a crowd of over 3000. In the return match at Philadelphia the mood of the home players and spectators became increasingly rancorous as Philadelphia went down to 72 for nine. The Shields professional managed to get a ball between the bat and pad of the last man in, and the bail fell. Umpire Linnet said he thought the player was out, but there were those who thought wicketkeeper Ellis had intentionally dislodged the bail. Within seconds there was uproar as the crowd, shouting and swearing, swarmed onto the field to harangue the startled Shieldsmen. Philadelphia players joined in. The Shields Captain said ‘It was more like a scene in a lunatic asylum.’ Then, amid the bedlam, Linnet, the umpire, changed his mind. The match re-started and the last man was soon out. Once back in the pavilion, Coulson, the captain, decided that his team would not bat… then the matter would have to be dealt with by the League Management Committee. It was a bold decision as, inevitably, it rekindled the Philadelphian fury, and this time they could hurl the accusation of ‘cowards’ as well as ‘cheats’ in the Shieldsmen’s faces. The departing cricketers nervously closed ranks and headed with unceremonious haste to Penshaw railway station. Kellett Kirtley, presumably the ring-leader of this fracas, was banned from playing in the League and banished forever from the Philadelphia ground. Philadelphia were fined a guinea. At that time a miner’s weekly wage would be somewhere between £1 and £2 a week. The ban on Kirtley was dropped in 1914.

The following season Phili scored 312 runs against Shields and shot them out in the other game for 38.

1913.August 4^th. Wearmouth score 362 for 3 against Eppletonn.

1913.Alf Morris, the outstanding League bowler in the early years, leaves Sunderland. He was professional for Sunderland from 1907 to 1913.. Native of West Hartlepool, he joined Sunderland from Burnmoor. A matter of an additional 5 shillings a week persuaded him to throw in his lot with Hendon where he got £4 a week. An average wage of that time would be less than half that, and the average wage in 2002 is around £400 per week. He took 731 league wickets in the seven seasons he was with Sunderland…at an average of 7.15 runs. In 1912 he played against the Australians in an England XI while still playing league cricket, and took 4 for 50 in the first innings and 3 for 25 in the second (off 15 overs). He was favourably compared with the great Sydney Barnes when the two met in the Durham County v Staffordshire matches. In 1908 he was, next to Barnes, the most successful bowler in the Minor Counties Competition. In 1913 and 1915 he took more wickets than anyone else in the Minor Counties Competition. For Durham County he took 651 wickets at an average of 12.99 runs.

1914.Eppleton engaged as professional a coloured gentleman, A. Holsinger, from Ceylon. He had previously played for Burnley St. Andrews, Liverpool Nomads, Lincoln Lindrum, Llanelly and Hopton Mills.

1914.The first traffic lights, road signs, roundabouts and ‘Belisha beacons’ appeared just before the First World War. The older readers will know why these beacons were so named. ‘I can remember the first ones being fitted in Silksworth,’ says Colin Orr one-time League Secretary. ‘That was at the junction of Blind Lane and Silksworth Lane.’

1914.August 29^th. In the league match against Hendon Mr. W. Wood for Eppleton scored a magnificent 135. This was his last innings for Eppleton, as shortly afterwards he went off to war and paid the supreme sacrifice. In the same game T.Race scored 77 in the Eppleton score of 266 for 4 then shortly afterwards lost his life in a mining accident.

1914.Average Wages ..A shipyard riveter--37s 9d. A fireman--26s.

1914.The fox-trot was introduced into London; the Charleston in 1925; ballroom dancing became a major form of entertainment.

1914.South Moor hosts a County match between Durham and Cheshire. South Moor was a prominent club in the early days of the century, and indeed it did apply unsuccessfully for membership of the Senior League. It was the Club that produced Jackie Keeler, a celebrated professional in the Senior League, but perhaps greater renown was acquired for the club in the name of Robert Percival who, in 1884, according to Wisden, threw a cricket ball 140 yards and 2 feet on the Durham Racecourse – and still holds the world record. Mr Barrass, historian of South Moor Cricket Club, recalls ‘I once had a photograph, now gone missing, of a South Moor team standing in front of the original old wood shuttered cricket pavilion in South Moor ground and Robert Percival, long armed and long legged, a huge man, is standing in on the back row dressed in ordinary clothing, not cricket clothing.’

1914.£42 million was spent on tobacco in this country. By 1939 this figure had reached £204 million and in 1945 £564 million. During wartime about eighty percent of men smoked and 41 per cent of women ... on average about 12 or 13 cigarettes a day.

1917.It was estimated that 50 percent of the population went to the cinema once a week in 1917… to the silent movies, of course. A new bicycle could be bought for about £5 at this time.

1918.Women get the right to vote at parliamentary elections, but only those over 30.

1918.The following pensions were paid to men injured in the First World War….

Fod the loss of the whole of the right arm….16s a week

For the loss of the right arm below the shoulder, but above the

elbow….14s.

For the loss of the right arm below the elbow….11s 6d.

(for the loss of the left arm the payments were 1 shilling less

than those above).

1918.The school-leaving age was raised to 14.

1918 to 1939 This, say some, was The Golden Age of Cricket.The average wage was between £2 and £3 per week. The skilled worker could possibly reach £4. Miners had an average wage of about £2 per week, but in 1929 agricultural workers had an average wage of 31shillings and eight pence (£1.58); by 1938 this had risen to 34 shillings and seven pence (£1.73).Women shop-workers had below £1 per week, and the younger ones – the girls – received about half as much. An afternoon at the cricket field offered cheap and long entertainment for a few pence. Cricket personalities and Test Matches were national news to an extent which eclipsed even football, a process which was aided by the press and the advent of radio broadcasting of Test Matches. Names like Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Hammond, Hutton, Woolley, Larwood and Bradman were more widely known than the footballers of the day.

1919.A result that caused quite a sensation in local cricketing circles was in the last match of the season, one of the most extraordinary contests in which Durham City has ever been involved. Hendon could muster only six players on this third Saturday in September 1919, but they sportingly made the journey from Sunderland with little hope of success against a strong City side. BUT… The visitors’ six players totalled 183, their opening batsman, N.Dixon, scoring 116 not out. The visitors bowled and fielded so keenly that they dismissed City for 150, and went home thoroughly elated.

Cricket 1920 to 1929

1920.There were more motor-bikes than cars on the road; the number of motor-bikes peaked in the 1930s.

1920s.Members of the Smith family have made frequent appearances in Whitburn’s senior teams since the early 1920s. Jack Smith started it all off, and other family members followed, including Billy, Jim, Joe and Tom (known as Tosser). Billy and Jack played top-class football for Portsmouth and appeared in the 1934 F.A. Cup Final when Manchester City , with Frank Swift and Matt Busby on show, beat Portsmouth 2-1. Was this the first time two brothers appeared in a Wembley Final? In the semi-final the two brothers had faced another brother, Sep who played for Leicester. Has such a record ever been beaten? Jack was perhaps the best of the family sportsmen as he played for England at football and played for Durham County against the Australians at cricket. Sep also played football for England but as far as we know never graced the cricket square at Whitburn. Nevertheless one can still be sure that Granny Smith’s washing line showed a lot of white in the summer months. Tosser Smith was also a footballer and regularly played for Manchester United. Descendants Eric and son Michael, who are with the Club in 2002, have both made significant and long-term contributions to the Whitburn Cricket Club, on the field and off. Additionally Eric has contributed much to the Senior League as a member of the Appeal Committee.

1920.Saturday May 8^th. This was the debut game of Maurice Nichol in the Eppleton First Eleven; he scored 22 and then played for the First Team until 1926 when he left his home town to take up a contract for Worcester. He had a fine first class record. He scored 262 not out against Hampshire in 1930; he scored 2154 runs in 1933 and in the same season had three consecutive hundreds …116 v.Hampshire, 165 not out against Glamorgan and 154 not out against Yorkshire. He died suddenly, aged 28, at Chelmsford when Worcester were playing Essex on May 21^st 1934.

1920.The normal working week around 1920 was 54 hours, with Saturday working. In 1938 it was still 47 hours a week.

1920.Foundry owner, John Saunders provided a trophy for the Durham Senior Knockout Competition. Hendon won it in this inaugural year. Wicket-keeper Bob Emmerson, of Hendon, conceded no byes throughout the campaign -- father of Ronnie; grandfather of Barry. Here was a dynasty of Whitburn wicket-keepers who served the League for almost the whole of the century. Barry is one of our best-known “all-rounders”.

1921.A majority of workers were then covered by the National Insurance scheme that had been set up by Lloyd George in 1911. In 1921 an unemployed man over 18 could receive 15 shillings for himself, 5 shillings for his wife, and 1 shilling for each child. Some, such as agricultural workers, domestic servants and the self-employed, received nothing, and had to rely on Poor Relief or the workhouse.

1921.July 2^nd. Len Weight of South Shields scored 109 runs and took nine wickets for 29 against Seaham Harbour. He came to the league from South Wales in 1910 and played for Hendon, Burnmoor, Sunderland and South Shields. In his retirement he was honorary coach at Durham City.

1921.The Medical Officer of Health reports. ‘In one colliery I visited, liquid excreta ran from the doors of ash-closets into the backstreet. Outside one house is a miniature cesspool around which young people play. In one house there are 18 people.’ This was not uncommon, the author of this calendar says. He remembers living happily as a child in the thirties in a two bedroomed house, with one room and a back-kitchen downstairs: One cold tap, gas-light in the downstairs rooms only, and an earth-closet half-way across the street!. And next door lived a family which consisted of husband and wife, then the children……in descending order of age- Dickie, Bobby, Billy----- Herbie, Nancy, Milly----- Johnny, Ronnie, Violet. Quite poetic, if you read it rhythmically! And they were considered to be rather ‘well-off’ when the eldest three or four started work down the pit.

1921.Mechanisation comes to Ashbrooke when John Dixon presents the Club with its first motor-mower, but the heavy roller drawn by a

horse shod in cumbersome leather boots still continued to function, until the horse was replaced by a team of officials, players and anybody else who was kind enough to help. The estimated weekly running cost of the new motor-mower at Ashbrooke in 1928 was seven shillings and one penny. The annual cost of ‘equine boots’ was at least £1 per pair, and occasionally the provision of a second pair provoked anxious debate in the governing board.

1922.In the Chester team that won the league in that year were three fathers and their three sons, namely… J.K. and G.S.Bewick; A.W. and G.F.Gowland; J. and T.S.Swinhoe

1922.In the report on the match between Wearmouth 2nds v Durham City 2nds, it was written that the Wearmouth Captain, A..J. Ingram had “changed from a right to a left-handed batsman, consequent upon defective eyesight.”

1922.Insulin discovered.

1922.The first broadcast of a cricket match took place in Australia. Five years later Sir Pelham Warner gave a commentary on radio of the the Essex versus New Zealand match, reputedly the first such commentary in England.

1924.Philadelphia opened its new pavilion at a cost of about £500. The funding of this was helped by the Annual Gala, which was the highlight of the summer says Fred Gill. ‘A military band was engaged, and the professional foot handicap attracted runners – and bookies- from all parts of the North. There were also sports for the children, bowling-at-the-wicket, etc. – in fact, something for everybody. The show-field was packed with hobby-horses and all the usual side-shows, starting on the Friday night and continuing until the Monday night, with dancing-on-the-green in the cricket field.’ The profit from the Gala ranged from £50 to £75, and this was saved towards the cost of the new pavilion.

1924.At a committee meeting at Durham City it was resolved that the club secretary be ‘authorised to purchase a horse for use on the ground at a cost not exceeding £10.’ At a later meeting that year the secretary reported that he had been unable to obtain a suitable place for the horse to be stabled during the winter months and had been obliged to sell it for £5.5s.

1925.The Miners’ Gala Day gate at Durham City was £117. The following year there was no Miners’ Gala game because of the General Strike. In the inter-war years attendances at the Racecourse were generally over 2000.

1925.By December of that year 91 pits were closed in the Durham coalfield and 34,000 miners were unemployed. At Trimdon Grange almost the only men in employment were the few schoolmasters, the two policemen, the two scavengers, one road-man and the odd railway employee.

1926.During the General Strike, Hunters the Bakers of Gateshead supplied 1000 loaves weekly, free of charge, to the districts of South Shields, Sunderland and Durham. J.S.Fry and Sons of Bristol agreed to distribute 7,500 quarter- pound tins of cocoa to mining families in the Durham Coalfield.

1926.July 10th. South Shields v Chester-le-Street.… a dazzling highlight of the season! South Shields scored 167, then the first four wickets

of Chester fell for 10 runs. To the wicket comes Jack Carr and an hour later the game was over with Carr on 129 not out and Major J.Turnbull not out 28 at the other end. Jack Carr was the most renowned of all Durham Senior League hitters at that time. A local historian wrote: ‘Then Carr, tall and willowy with wrists of steel and a bat much too heavy for most men, flayed the bowling to all parts of the ground.’

1926.Saturday July 16^th Durham County played the Australians at Ashbrooke and 20678 paid for admission. If one adds members, officials, guests, the total must have been near to 22,000. The gates were closed, but long-time Senior League supporter, Fred Seadon, 91 years of age as this is written, says he climbed the wall to get in. On the wet Monday following only 2826 paid for admission.

1926.Change to the Points System brought 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw or a tie. Matches were to consist of five hours play exclusive of the tea interval, and umpires were requested to draw stumps immediately the winning hit was made. In the event of a tie for the league championship a deciding game should be played.

1927.Feb. 5^th The first pit-head baths were opened at a Durham pit (Boldon). They were financed by the District Welfare Committee.

1928.The first coloured man to play for South Shields was Harry Woodley, a quiet and courteous man of West Indian extraction, who was born and bred a few miles along the banks of the Tyne at Hebburn. He kept wicket for the first team for four years from 1928.

1928.Penicillin discovered.

1928.Tich Freeman of Kent, a five foot two inch leg-spinner and googly bowler took 304 wickets in the season, and during his career averaged 188 wickets a season.

1929.West Indian George Francis, the new professional for Seaham Harbour made his debut at Durham on the first day of the 1929 season. Francis, heavy of shoulder and broad of beam, had combined with George John to form the first of many world-class Caribbean fast bowling partnerships, and although perhaps a year or two past his peak, was still an automatic choice for the West Indian team which had just attained Test status. Sir Learie Constantine, in his book “Cricket Crackers”, writes.of the 1930/31 Test ‘Francis and I began bowling against Woodfull and Ponsford, and I have never seen a finer or sterner cricket duel between rivals than the one that Francis and Ponsford fought out that day. It was a bowler’s wicket , but the Australian opener was not going to be moved. On the other hand he dared not hit the ball, which Francis kept dropping with such accuracy that it presently marked out a bruised patch about the size of my two hands.’

1929.During the season Durham City Seconds’ bowlers took 211 wickets out of a possible 220 (in 22 matches).

Cricket 1930 to 1939

1930.The speed limit was 20 mph. At this time a new Austin Seven , or a Ford Eight could be bought for not much more than £100.

1930s. Bert Parsons, Assistant Editor of the Durham Advertiser---(and father of David, now secretary of the Durham City Cricket Club)-- gave this account of the Miners’ Gala.

‘My first experience of the Miners’ Gala match was in the mid-30s. As a newcomer to Durham from the South I had never seen anything like it. My first reaction was “How on earth can anyone play cricket amid all that noise?” Cheers and jeers, intermingled with fairground organs and whistles, motor and traction engines, loud-speakers, bells, sirens, boos and bellows from the boxing booth only a few yards away, and strains of colliery bands in mid-afternoon moving off with a bewildering medley of music.’

The ground was surrounded by a high canvas screen which prevented outsiders having a free view of the match, and the game was always insured against a big loss if the match was ruined by rain.

1930.A typical semi-detached house would cost about £450, about twice the annual salary of the average professional man. By 1939 about two-thirds of houses were wired up for electricity. Two-thirds of families had to heat water on open fires. In County Durham 20 per cent of the population lived in overcrowded housing i.e. with more than two persons per room.

1931.Billy Barron, born on October 26^th 1917, left Herrington School at 14 and soon was enjoying his cricket with Philadelphia. Contemporary of Tom and Ralph Greenwell, he was selected for the county as a teenager, and represented the county from 1937 to 1945, although during the war he had some games for Lancashire.. He averaged 33.17 for Durham County with a highest score of 161. Barron played football with Bob Paisley for Hetton Juniors and Bishop Auckland, and later became a professional with Wolves, Charlton and Northampton. He married a Northampton girl and after the war played cricket for Northamptonshire in 118 games between1946 and 1951. As a First Class batsman he ---scored 4772 runs at an average of 25.51.

1931.A Means Test was introduced, so that social benefits could be related to the income of the household. Many older sons who were earning, and those retired who were receiving pensions, left home to live elsewhere, usually with nearby relatives, so that the income of their former household could be reduced to the point that it enabled that household to receive benefits under the Means Test. This enabled families to avoid the worst aspects of the despised Means Test.

1931.‘Jack Carr is the most popular cricketer in Durham County today,’ wrote County Secretary William Bell. He seems to be one of the outstanding players of the first fifty years. He was born in Leadgate on the 29^th of May 1894, and grew to be a tall, lean and very modest man, who was a fine hitter of the cricket ball, and a medium fast bowler who turned to off-breaks later in his career. He played for Durham County on 183 occasions and scored 4472 runs including 4 centuries. He captured 524 wickets and held 129 catches. He was professional for Chester-le-Street, Blackhall, Darlington R.A. and Stockton. Jack Carr played for the county for 23 years… from 1924 to 1946. He played against the Australians on six occasions. It is said that he scored around 40,000 runs and took almost 5000 wickets in his long career. He died in 1967. (See W.R.Bell “50 Years of Durham County Cricket Club 1882-1931”).

1931.August. The famous S.F.Barnes played at Ashbrooke. He was then in his 58^th year – his analyses for the innings being 16 overs, 6 maidens, 34 runs, 9 wickets and 8 overs 3maidens, 22 runs and 4 wickets.

1932.About 50 per cent of the workers in the mining, shipbuilding and iron and steel industries were unemployed. In 1934 Jarrow had general unemployment at 67.8 per cent, while Luton had only 7.7 per cent and Oxford even less with 5.1 per cent. Many of the unemployed left the northeast and found work in the thriving car industry in the latter two places. Some cycled; some walked!

1932.June 25^th City played at Seaham Harbour in front of a crowd of no less than 7000. At this point Seaham were top of the league and Durham were second. Seaham’s professional was George Francis, the West Indies bowler. In this game Francis scored 32, opening the innings… and he took 5 for 56. Seaham won easily. H.Cecil Ferens was top scorer for the City with 39. Wesley Weightman scored 60 for Seaham. Both of these men were very important figures in the playing of cricket and in the administration of the game. Both captained the County Team and took leading roles in the administration of Durham County Cricket Club.

1932.David Glen, an outstanding in-swing bowler, plays his first season for Durham City having come from Eppleton. He took 50 wickets at an average of 11.8 runs. In season 1936 he had 90 wickets for the City at an average of 9.22. In 1937 he sat atop of the League averages. David served as President of the League between 1965 and 1973.

1933.Workmen at Lambton Colliery organised a scheme of ‘employment by rotation’, believed to be the first such in the country. The men agreed to work three out of every four weeks so that others could share the work.

1933.Richard Heron (President of the League from 1973 to 1987, and previously treasurer from 1952 to 1973) had his debut for Shields Firsts at Eppleton and he heard the following conversation between the captains – on the one hand Forster Coulson of South Shields who Richard says was the bluntest of the blunt, and the Reverend W.L.M. Law, who captained Eppleton, usually batting at number 11 and not bowling.. Having prodded both ends and noted that one was bone-hard, the other soft and damp, Coulson (Captain Crusty as Clive Crickmer in his history of South Shields Cricket Club calls him) pointed to the two ends.

‘What’s the meaning of this, Rev?’ Coulson asked.

‘Well, Coulson,’ came the reply, ‘we’ve had several local showers today.’

‘Aye, Rev, and they’ve been a bit bloody local, haven’t they? Did Stan Ellis get wet?’

Stan Ellis was the Eppleton professional, a medium pace off-spinner who had played First Class cricket for Lancashire and in addition played for Durham County in 66 matches, his best analysis for the County being 7 wickets for 19 against Yorkshire Seconds in 1930. He played as professional for Eppleton, Durham City and Horden. He was born at Ramsbottom on February 12^th 1896 and died on February 14^th 1987 at the age of 91.

1934.In Durham and Tyneside there was an average of 27.2 percent unemployment. Bishop Auckland had 50.4 percent.

1934.Many miners were on little more than subsistence wages – horsekeepers, onsetters, rolleymen, sinkers, stonemen, shifters and wastemen, estimated to be one in three miners in County Durham, earned less than £2 a week for a six-day working week.

1935.Alfred Grundy retired. He was the League President from the time of its inception in 1902. He had been a member of the County Committee from its start in 1882, sitting as a representative of the Whitburn Club, but with the coming of league cricket he devoted himself more to that side of the game. His career as an administrator of cricket in club, league and county cannot be over-estimated. He, more than any other, was the founding father of the Durham Senior League. E. Lewis Todd was equally long-serving as an official of the League having been treasurer from 1910 to 1935, secretary from 1910 to 1931, and president from 1935 to 1943. Other great servants and long-term officials of the League were Tom Darling and Richard Heron.

1936.Sam Watson, the Durham Miners Association Unemployment Officer denounced the Means Test and called upon the miners to seek its abolition.

1937.Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp at Skegness.

1937.Durham City win the League Championship for the fifth year in twelve seasons.

1938.A new points system was introduced…. 5 for a win (instead of 3) one for a draw, and 3 for a tie

1938.Only 2 percent of 19 year olds were receiving full-time education.

1938.Three brothers played in the Chester-le-Street First Team … J.Ward, D.Ward and A.Ward. In later years three Atkinson brothers were to play for the Club. P.Atkinson, D.Atkinson, and S.R.Atkinson. The boys’ father, Jim, was umpire in the League for many, many years, and a great supporter of Chester-le-Street long after the boys had passed through to other fields.

1938.The Biro, the first ball pen, was invented.

1938.The year of the first televised transmission of a Test Match..

1939.A large proportion of the work-force received no payment when on holiday. A week’s holiday per year (plus the Bank Holidays) was the norm, but most manual workers would have to ‘put a bit by’ to survive these unpaid holidays. Only three million people were entitled to holiday with pay in 1938; but the Holiday With Pay Act of that year extended paid holidays to 11 million workers.

1939.England Test Match Batting Averages for the seaason.

Hutton 96; Compton 63; Hardstaff 58; Hammond 55.8.

1939.By the end of 1939, 154 recreation schemes had been developed throughout the coalfield including 33 combined institutes and halls, 85 recreation grounds and one enclosed swimming bath.

Cricket 1940 to 1949.

1941.Until League cricket was officially resumed in 1946 the responsibility for keeping the square in trim at the Durham City ground was undertaken by Tom Darling (League Treasurer) and Jack Harrison. Lack of players in 1942 and the fact that the debit balance had increased by £42 to £90 necessitated the club’s withdrawal from the League. Occasional friendly matches were played in seasons 1943,1944 and 1945 but the following year the League restarted. In 1939.rationing was introduced, and coupons were needed for almost every sort of product… and this lasted in some cases until the 1950s. Petrol rationing often immobilised the heavy cutter and roller, during which times the old, rusting horse-drawn roller was brought back into service, at least three men to each shaft. The entire field was often trimmed by domestic grass cutters by hand, which was a formidable task. Sheep were even brought back to graze for a period to ease the workload.

1946.Horden join the League to replace Hendon who had disbanded in 1940.

1946.June. The five-day week was officially sanctioned by the Government for the coal industry.

1946.Top of the bowling averages for the season was Jack Hayes of Seaham Harbour. His return of 103 wickets is still the best by an amateur in the history of the League. His figures were 351.5 overs, 76 maidens, 806 runs and 103 wickets for an average of 7.8.

1947.January1^st The coal industry passed into public ownership. The nationalisation of the mining industry was celebrated by nearly every Lodge, often with dances and socials.

1947.The school-leaving age was raised to 15.

1947.In the last game of the season Wearmouth had to beat Shields to become champions. Enter Tommy Moffat, aged 17, to score 5 not out which helped to increase the Wearmouth score by 25 to 76, and which proved too many for Shields. Tommy became one of the best known, and best remembered of Senior League cricketers. He retired after thirty years of First Team Cricket, and continued playing indoor cricket into his sixties. He played for his county, and is now a director of the Durham County Cricket Club.

1947.December. The need for a full-time secretary at Sunderland, enjoying adequate office accommodation, became of paramount importance. Fred Westcott was a popular choice for the appointment; he became Cricket Captain in the 1950s. A renewed move to secure a permanent licensed buffet was defeated by 99 votes to 68. Settlement of the claim for war damage to the bowling pavilion facilitated the extension to the changing accommodation.. A most welcome contribution of £340 was received during the winter from the County Cricket Club towards the provision of 250 new seats around the ground.

1948.The National Health Service was introduced.

1949.There was excellent weather during the season. W.S.Shield of Durham City had most runs (742). Fifty years on, in 1999, there were nine batsmen with more than this number. Only two others had over 600 runs in 1949 – Jackie Matthews of Horden with 685, and Stan Robertson of Philadelphia with 617.

‘The batting is much better now - perhaps because of sounder wickets and more intelligent umpiring.’ writes Colin Orr, ‘but there has been a marked falling away in the standard of bowling.’

Cricket 1950 to 1959

1950.Whitburn became league champions, the previous year having been wooden-spoonists. This was in some way due to the inclusion in their side of three South Africans – Sid O’Linn, Stuart Leary and Ken Kirsten. They had come to play football for First Division Charlton Athletic whose Whitburn-born manager Jimmy Seed persuaded them to spend the summer playing cricket for the village side. Leary and O’Linn were both to play first-class cricket for Kent, the latter being selected by the Springboks for seven Test Matches late in his career. Stuart Leary was found dead on Table Mountain, on August 24^th 1988, four days after his car had been found abandoned. He was aged 55.

1950.The Annual Report of the Durham County Mining Federation Board, said ‘There was sufficient evidence to show that production was likely to go down and men would leave the industry rather than the contrary.’ A shrewd forecast, but rather an under-estimation of the impact of economic and social change.

1951.Cricket gates for the season at Sunderland exceeded £1000 for the first time on record, largely as a result of the successes attained by the Club’s professional, Alexander (Alec) Coxon, and the unusually fine summer. In each season, 1953,1954 and 1955 Alec took over 100 League wickets, and in consequence attendances on all League grounds were boosted by his appearance. He came to Sunderland not long after playing against the great Australian side of 1948 at Lord’s, and he stayed with the club for seven seasons, before moving on to South Shields, Boldon and Wearmouth.

1951.The Fire Brigade had to be called out at Ashbrooke in early May to water the ground.

1951.Aug.26^th Coxon scores a century and takes 8 wickets for 44 (in 25 overs) against South Shields. He was on the field, and in action, for the whole of the match.

1951.Adult underground miners earned an average of £7. 0s.6d a week. Adult surface workers earned £6 1s 6d.

1951.May 29^th. At 4.35 a.m. an explosion killed 81 men in the Five Quarter seam in the “Duckbill District” of Easington Colliery . Two rescue workers also died.

1950s.As the 50s wore on fewer and fewer Lodge banners adorned the City’s old racecourse and by the early sixties the Gala began to emerge as a timely reflection of the pace of pit closures and as a constant reminder of the degree to which the Durham coalfield was being forced to bear the brunt of industrial change.

1951.Welsh international footballer, Trevor Ford, almost signed as professional for Horden Cricket Club, but then at the last minute he decided not to play cricket at all. However, some famous footballers have graced Senior League grounds over the years… Charlie Buchan, Raich Carter, Willie Watson, Len Shackleton, for example.

1951.May 9^th. With the provision of another 50 seats in the Wearmouth ground the seating accommodation was increased to 1000 spectators.

1951.Ron Aspinall (Yorkshire) was signed by Durham City.. The first ball he bowled for the City caused gasps of astonishment, as it flew high over the head of Jack Iley, the wicket-keeper , and hit the sight-screen first bounce. When he was re-engaged in 1953, it was said that he was the highest paid professional in the area on £15 a week, and £1 for 50 runs or for 5 wickets in any match. His best season at the City yielded 114 wickets and 445 runs.

1950s.A large crowd gathered at Whitburn to support Len Shackleton who was the professional for Wearmouth, the visiting team. He was loudly applauded to the wicket, particularly by the crowd of youngsters there to see their football hero. Cries of ‘Shack! Shack! Good old Shack’, filled the air. Richard Heron (later President of the League) was fielding in the slips and heard Shack being greeted by wicket-keeper Ron Emmerson after his tumultuous welcome by the large crowd.

‘By the way, what’s your name young man?’ asks the wicket-keeper. ‘Mine’s Emmerson.’

1952.Seaham Harbour cleaned out the City for 17. Dick Fuller, Seaham’s West Indian professional, took 8 for 2 in eight overs. Top score was extras with 7. Apparently there was a sea-mist which appeared to get worse with each recounting of the story by City cricketers. The City did better the following season when Fuller shot them out for 34. Mr. Bill Tomlin, Chairman of Seaham Harbour, had been instrumental in engaging Fuller, as he had been in recruiting George Francis twenty years before. Fuller had played for the West Indies in 1934, at the time that Norman Mitchell-Innes was on tour with the England team, although Norman never played a Test on the tour. He did play his one Test Match the following year against South Africa. In the fifties he played for the Sunderland Cricket Club when he came to work at Vaux Breweries. The compiler of this calendar was a bit perturbed to see two England sweaters coming down the pavilion steps at Ashbrooke while he stood at the wicket holding the new ball--- and having just come into the ‘big-time’ from Mainsforth. ‘Wrong place and the wrong time!’ he said to himself, as he prepared to bowl at Coxon and Mitchell-Innes. Mitchell-Innes, having been born on September 7^th 1914, is the oldest English Test Cricketer still alive.

1952.At Carley Hill (Wearmouth) a League XI beat a touring Bradford League side by 59 runs. Opening the League’s attack were Alec Coxon and Ron Aspinall, who were supported by another Yorkshireman, Len Shackleton. In the visitors’ line-up was Shackleton’s former soccer team-mate at Bradford Park Avenue, Les Horsman, as well as future Yorkshire County Cricket Captain, Ronnie Burnett.

1953.Television comes to the North East.

1953.Frank Tyson, captain of cricket at Durham University, and express bowler, was invited to play for the City. Perhaps it was just as well he refused! In the following year he toured Australasia with the M.C.C. and his devastating pace was the major factor in England retaining the Ashes.

1954.Alec Coxon beats Durham City on his own…He had 8 for 39 (City all out for 143) then scored 102 out of 145 for one.

1954.South Shields won the League Championship … and also in 1956, 1958 and 1961.

1954.August. The Sunderland Echo recalled some of the outstanding performances of the first fifty years…..…

September 9^th 1911.T.A. Bradford (Chester-le-Street) scored 207 not out against Philadelphia out of 309 for two.

July 4^th 1903. T.Coulson (South Shields) scored 200 against Wearmouth.

August 1^st 1903. E.W.Elliott of Sunderland scored 113 not out in 35 minutes against Wearmouth, and then retired.

June 20^th 1903. A.Burn (187 not out) and E.W.Elliott (102 not out) shared a partnership of 296 runs for Sunderland v.North Durham.

The following bowlers took all 10 wickets……

.. …July 4^th 1908. G.Milne (Eppleton) against Durham City.

July 29^th 1911. H.P.Clode (Wearmouth) against Phildaelphia.

1950. H.G.Ward (Chester-le-Street) against Wearmouth.

1951. C. Sweeting (Whitburn) against Burnmoor

1954.The government announces that meat rationing will end after 14 years.

1955.July 2^nd Tony Mayhew (League Treasurer for over 20 years) had a batting average of 96. His aggregate score was 96; he had batted 5 times and had been not out in four of the five innings. On August 13^th 1955 he was still on the top of the league averages with an average of 45.4. He had batted 11 times; 4 times not out and had scored 318 runs.

1955.July 2^nd. Horden were top of the league, but they faced the problems arising from the pit holidays. ‘Good news this year,’ was reported. ‘All the senior players have arranged their holidays for after the end of the season.’

1955.July 7^th. After dismissing Sunderland for 112 in the first leg of their Senior League game at Eppleton the previous night, the home side collapsed in sensational fashion and lost 4 wickets for 6 runs in the twenty minutes batting time remaining. Sunderland cleaned out Eppleton the following night for 69. Coxon 7 for 29; Stephenson 2 for 22; Watson 1 for 14.

1955.Aug. 6^th Len Shackleton takes 7 wickets for 34 runs against Durham City in his last game before returning to football.

1955.For the first time in the history of the League, three bowlers, all professionals, finished with a hundred League wickets or more. C.S.Nayudu (South Shields) ended the season with 106; Alec Coxon (Sunderland) had 100, as had Nevison Lorraine (Horden).

1956.A new shaft was sunk at Wearmouth. In 1962 it started ‘coaling’.

1957.At the AGM of Chester-le-Street Cricket Club, it was decided by a majority of one that a bar should be established at the club.

1957.June 8^th. The Sunderland Echo had the following headline …Case for an Age limit in Thirds League… ‘The object of the third teams competition run by the Durham Senior League,’ it states ‘is to groom youngsters for a place in senior cricket, rather than to provide match practice for adults who have never reached up to senior standard.’ They suggested imposing an upper age limit. How would the authors of the comment have felt if they could had known that in the year 1998, the aggregate age of the two opening bowlers for Durham City Thirds – S.G.C.Stoker and R.Pallister – was over 130 years!

1958.Alec Coxon, in his seven seasons at Sunderland, missed playing in only one match – except when on County duty. The history of Sunderland Cricket Club declares ‘His attendance and supervision of the net practices was exemplary, as was his coaching which later he continued in his winter school.’ Very fortunate were the young cricketers who experienced his guidance and enthusiasm.

1958.Whit Monday. Wearmouth’s batsmen left the run-scoring to their bowlers in the fixture at Ashbrooke. When the ninth Wearmouth wicket fell the score was 50, but the last wicket pair of Len Christon and Billy Taylor doubled the score, the former scoring 30. Coxon had scored 46 and taken 7 for 39.

1958.The death of League Secretary, Mr.Michael Coombs, after 24 years in office, created a vacancy which was filled by his son, Roland.

1959.The League Secretary, Mr. Roland B. Coombs, responded to a toast at a dinner at the Bay Hotel, Whitburn, to celebrate the first ever championship win by Boldon in a summer renowned for its sunshine.

1959.A record last wicket stand for Durham City Seconds was made by Henry McLaren and the groundsman, Stan Myers. They came together at 84 for nine. Some time later McLaren was out for 69, but the score had then reached 222. Myers had 91 not out. His real moment of true glory, however, he said, had been at school in Pudsey where he had played against Len Hutton.

1959.Colin Milburn joined Chester-le-Street from Burnopfield when he was 17 years old. In a match against Horden that season he scored 156 runs and followed with 7 wickets for 4 runs. He was invited to play against the Indians at Ashbrooke on September 12^th and 14^th 1959 and he scored a century as an opening bat. He joined Northampton in 1960 and began an illustrious career in First Class Cricket. In 1969 Colin sadly lost the use of an eye after a car accident. Bill Frindall, famed scorer, said the game of cricket could ill afford to lose its most entertaining character. Colin returned to the Chester-le-Street club in an attempt to make a comeback but found the visual handicap too much. He died in 1990.

Cricket 1960 to 1969

1960.At the Durham City AGM a special presentation was made to Russell Inglis for heading the First XI batting averages for the fourth successive year. It was said that he had to compile his runs under some difficulty, having had to travel considerable distances to Durham while doing his National Service in the Forces. In fact Russell topped the batting averages at Durham City in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961. Then he moved to Chester-le-Street to still greater things and for Chester scored 14946 runs at 44.65, and took 900 wickets at 12.75 runs. He was born in 1936 at Crookhall, but he played his early years at Shotley Bridge, then in his teens came to Durham City. He played for the County in 140 matches between 1956 and 1973 and scored 6626 runs, the highest aggregate by any Durham player. In addition he took 66 wickets. He had to retire from playing at the end of the 1973 season after a heart attack during the last game of the season. He died in April 1982 aged 45. What pinnacles of achievement could this cricketer have reached had fate dealt him a slightly different hand.

1960.For the first time in the Durham City Club’s long history they played a game on a Sunday. This was the final of the League Bowl against Sunderland at Seaham Harbour.

1960.Dec.7^th.At the League AGM held at Ashbrooke, it was decided to increase the number of clubs in the League by admitting Gateshead Fell and North Durham., both members of the Tyneside Senior League. Six clubs voted in favour, six against, and it needed the casting vote of President Tom Darling to settle the issue. Murton, Dawdon, Seaham Park, Crook and Consett were also interested in joining the League.

1961.Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space.

1961.With the coming of Gateshead Fell and North Durham into the League a reduced programme of matches was adopted as it was impossible to play out the full programme of fixtures on the Saturday afternoons available. Two years later, in order to ensure that each club played every other club home and away, two-night matches were introduced; there were to be four of them spread over a seven-week period in June and July, and beginning at 6.30. p.m. These were even more unpopular than the limited programme. Boldon Cricket Club proposed that if the two-night matches could not be spread over a longer period then the League should be restored to a twelve-club system, with the names of the twelve clubs to be decided by ballot. Clubs began to look at the possibility of playing Sunday cricket, but there was much opposition from the Sabbatarians.

1962.A decision to discontinue the Sunderland Echo Bowl knock-out competition and award the trophy to the League’s runners-up instead, was not popular with the Echo’s General Manager (Mr.E.S.Hoare) who asked for the Bowl to be returned ‘because it is worthy of a better end’ he said..

1962.The death occurred of Mr. Andrew Donaldson of Wearmouth, a local cricket historian. He had been a devotee of cricket all his life, and a spectator as far back as the time of the formation of the League. Along with Mr.Harry Clode –also of Wearmouth – he had been elected an Honorary Life Member of the League in 1961.

1962.The Beatles are rejected by the experts at the Decca label who believe that the group will never get into the charts.

1963.Peter Willey played for Seaham Seconds at Durham in 1963 at the age of thirteen. As a very young boy he had lived in Durham and was frequently seen at the Racecourse when his father was the ‘custodian’ of the scoreboard in the 1950s. As a youth he learnt his cricket at Seaham Harbour and then went on to become one of England’s notable cricketers and one of the elite of Test Umpires.

1963.Harry Carr, opening bowler for Chester-le-Street, takes 79 First Team wickets during the season, plus a hat-trick in the semi-final of the Horner Cup, then is demoted to the Second Eleven at the beginning of the following season. Consequently he continued his career with Durham City and Burnmoor.

1964.August. Whitburn’s picturesque ground had never seen the like. Their home match against Boldon ended when the home side walked off after they thought that Boldon’s last man, skipper Don Hardy, had been caught, giving Whitburn a narrow victory. Boldon were just three runs short of Whitburn’s 149 with their last pair at the wicket, when Mel Allen bowled to Hardy who seemed to touch the ball into the slips where the ‘catch’ was held by Nasim-ul-Ghani, the Whitburn professional whose claim to fame lay in his having played Test cricket for Pakistan at the age of 16 years and 248 days. Hardy appeared to begin to walk off when he realised that umpire J.K.Bone had given him ‘not out’. Despite the umpire’s decision the Whitburn team departed to the pavilion leaving the umpire to draw the stumps and follow. The matter was passed to the Appeal Committee. At the ensuing inquiry, lasting two and a half hours, Whitburn were alleged to be at fault in leaving the field before the completion of the match. Whitburn were fined five guineas. Mr. Tom Darling, League President, told the press that Mr. Bone’s decision did not come into the inquiry’s deliberations. ‘We were not concerned whether it was the right decision by the umpire. The important thing is that it is final. Whitburn should have remained on the field to finish the match.’

1965.Aug.12^th. In the Durham County team, Frank Forster, the leading wicket taker in the Senior League, and very much the man in form, was the automatic replacement for Stuart Young, a talented fast bowler much sought after by First Class Counties. The pleasant surprise arising out of the withdrawal of Ken Biddulph, the Sunderland professional, was that his place was taken by the Sunderland youngster, Chris Storey.

1964.Lance Gibbs returns to Whitburn as the League’s first £1000 professional, and replays the club by bowling them to the championship with 126 wickets at 8.53 runs each.

1965.Plans to institute a system of promotion and relegation by extending the League to form two divisions were scrapped. Of the 23 grounds inspected for suitability, Mr. T.Darling (President) said that only six could be recommended, four short of the number required to have two divisions of twelve.

1965.Tom Darling retires as President of the League after 22 years in office. He served Durham City Cricket Club, the Durham Senior League and the County Cricket Club over a span of 60 years. He played for the City Seconds in 1910; he played for the Firsts after the First World War, and captained the Firsts in the seasons 1926 and 1927. He performed a hat-trick for the Firsts in 1927. He was secretary of the Club for over twenty years, was treasurer in 1925 and again from 1945 to 1952. He was made an Honorary Life Member of the club in 1967, and became Deputy President in 1970. In his later years he held the position of ‘grassman’ ? He was a member of the Appeal Committee of the League for many years, and took the office of treasurer from 1935 to 1943, then the office of President from 1943 to 1965. In addition he was a member of the County Cricket Club committee for many years. There will be few who have served cricket so well, and I doubt whether we shall see his like again. In February 1966 he was presented with two fireside chairs at a meeting at Ashbrooke to recognise his long service to the League.

1966.The North-East Branch of the Association of Cricket Umpires was formed at a meeting held at the Big Jug, Durham City. The branch was formed by members of the North East Counties Umpires Associations which met at Newcastle and Durham City. To become a fully-qualified member one had to take both a written and an oral examination. Then to become an umpire in the Senior League one had to survive an interview with the Appeals Committee, and be formally accepted onto the League list.

1966.Alec Coxon, age 50, was fourth in the League averages with 71 wickets for 10.11 runs apiece. In addition he had scored 504 runs.

1966.Shields were shot out for 31 by Horden, in particular by the speed of Tom Angus, the ex-Middlesex paceman, who ended the season with 105 wickets.

1966.February. At the fixtures’ meeting the two-night matches, which had been introduced to accommodate Gateshead Fell and North Durham, were replaced by four Sunday games.

1967.Burnmoor start a Social Club. After the Second World War the financial state of the club was at a low ebb, but in 1967 a band of loyal cricket members managed to start a Social Club which proved a saviour, and the club went from strength to strength.

1968.The League Management Committee for the first time in its history did not fix any games for F.A. Cup Final Day. Not all the clubs were in agreement, City and Sunderland among them. So as ‘a gesture for cricket’ these clubs played a friendly at Durham.

1968.July 6^th. Sunderland bowl out North Durham for 42. Ken Biddulph, the Sunderland professional had the following figures…..13 overs; 10 maidens; 3 runs; 7 wickets. Chris Storey, at the other end had 3 for 34.

1968.Sunderland win the League Championship four seasons in a row….. then again in 1971.

1969.Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.

1969.Joe Davidson died. He had scored for Durham City from 1918 to 1968. He was better known in the football world as Chairman of the English Schools Football Association.(1950) It must be rare that two members of the same cricket club have filled that role, but in 1999 John Robson, a member of the City Executive Committee and manager of the Under 18s team, took the same role as Chairman of the ESFA.

1969.Ian McKenzie, captain of the Thirds at Shields, received the championship trophy and announced that he had probably created some sort of history by not having bowled a ball or faced one throughout the season.

Cricket 1970 to 1979

The 1970s saw a renewed enthusiasm for cricket with the emergence of a significant number of cup competitions, most notably the Armbrister Cup and the Grangetown Florists Bowl… and the transformation of many club-houses into social as well as sporting venues. ‘For much of the sixties the League was in the doldrums,’ said Colin Orr, League secretary for 22 years from 1961, ‘then towards the end of the decade things suddenly revved up and there was a new buoyancy about the clubs.’ Without doubt night matches fostered interest and larger gates, and increased revenue at the bar. While attendances at league fixtures was declining, there was increasing support for evening cup-ties.

1970.Fred Scott died in his 90^th year. He was there at the initiation of the League and had played the first ball in the Durham City innings of April 25^th 1903 against Seaham Harbour. He spent his last years supporting the City teams, seated just where the players came out of the old pavilion.

1970.Successfully interviewed by the Appeal Committee, Mr.John Stobart was accepted onto the Umpires List. He now has an unbroken run of 32 years as an umpire in the League. Umpire Mr. Derek Young has also had thirty years continuous service in the League as an umpire. Both have no immediate plans to retire, we understand. Many of our umpires have served in the Minor Counties Competition and also in County Second Team games. Claude Petrie, one of the League’s long-serving umpires, had two seasons on the First Class list, whilst John O’Neill was invited to umpire in some First Class games.

1970.Sept.6^th.The final game of the season at Ashbrooke, Sunderland, a Second Team fixture with Horden, featured three centuries. George Martin (146) and Bobby Allen (100) found run-making easy before Vince Wilson replied with an unbeaten 113 for the visitors.

1971.John Darling took 8 wickets for one run in six overs for Durham

City against North Durham.

1971.Mr. Raymond Armbrister initiates the League Cup Competition that bears his father’s name. The first winners of the Armbrister Memorial Trophy were Philadelphia. The Armbrister family has been associated with the Seaham Harbour Cricket Club throughout the history of the Durham Senior League, and the yearly sponsorship of their cup competition has continued till the present time. The 2002 League Handbook records that Mr. Armbrister, now in his seventies, is secretary of the club and the contact for all junior teams.

1971.May 26^th. The Ashbrooke Juggernaut crushes South Shields in the Armbrister Competition…203 for 6 off 25 overs. Alan Burridge 98; Peter Birtwisle 81.

1971.A change was made to the Points System. Ten points were awarded for a win, four for a draw, and bonus points were awarded for batting and bowling.

1971.The League Averages record the following….….

Russell Inglis …. 1200 runs at an average of 80

Steve Greensword… 1060 runs at an average of 62.35

1972.Steve Greensword does the double for South Shields in 1972. He scored 1652 runs at an average of 67.33, and took 111 wickets at 13.03 runs apiece. His five league centuries was one more than Len Weight scored for Shields in 1920. With Philadelphia Steve scored over 1000 League runs in four consecutive seasons 1976,1977,1978 and 1979.

1972.July 1^st.Possibly a unique event in the Durham Senior League was when Norman Alder (South Shields) and his brother Alan (Whitburn) were rival captains in the game at Wood Terrace.

1973.July 10^th. Durham City were given permission to postpone their League fixture against Seaham Harbour as they had reached the last 16 of the John Hague National Club Competition, their opponents being Aberdeen.

1973.Change to the Points System. The winning team gets 20 points; the losing team gets batting and bowling points.

1973.Philadelphia win the League Championship. Then again in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1979. An outstanding team ably led by Tom Clish, who served the club for thirty years, then served the League as President/Chairman from 1995 to 2001. In addition he captained the League side in the President’s Trophy, the national inter-league competition. A fine cricketer, an outstanding captain, a diligent servant of his club and an able administrator. To the League such people are like gold.

1973.The death occurred of the League President, Mr. David Glen. Mr.Richard Heron succeeded to the Presidency.

1973.Tom Clish received the League Cricket Conference Knockout Trophy from Mr. Aidan Crawley, President of the M.C.C. at the Ropery Lane Ground, Chester-le-Street, after the League defeated the Bassetlaw and District League. The other members of the League team were N.C.Allison, R.Forster, R,Inglis (all of Chester-le-Street), P.J.Crane (South Shields).T.F.Greenshields, (Sunderland), S.Greensword, J.S.Wilkinson (both of Philadelphia), T.J.Hughes, B.R.Lander (both of Durham City), D.W.Soakell (Gateshead Fell).

1973.Sept.3^rd. Alec Johnson became the second Whitburn bowler to take 100 Durham Senior League wickets in a season, when Gateshead Fell crashed by 8 wickets at the village ground. Johnson, a rather speedy bowler who had been with Nottinghamshire, took 7 for 37 in 15.2 overs. Lance Gibbs was the other bowler to exceed 100 wickets; he took 126 .in the 1964 season, which remains a league record.

1974.A proposal from South Shields to limit the duration of the first innings to 55 overs was thrown out at the League AGM. Opponents felt that it was unwise to impose restrictions on captains in the conduct of the game.

1974.Appearing in the final of the League Cricket Conference (the national inter-league competition) the Senior League forfeited the trophy to the Liverpool and District League. Scores were Liverpool and District 195 for three, Durham Senior League 157.

1975.Adrian Pollard becomes Chairman of South Shields Cricket Club. The brothers Ronnie and Tot Pollard – and Tot’s son Adrian all served as Club Chairman at South Shields.

1975.Graham Hurst, age 14, wins a First Team place at Durham City. Two years later he amasses 787 runs for the Firsts. In three successive innings, in the 1977 season, he scored 87 against Burnmoor, 99 against Wearmouth and 68 against Eppleton. A prodigious talent at 16. A decade later, still with the City, he scored 1727 runs for the club in season 1986. In that season he scored 1279 runs in the League at an average of 63.95. This aggregate was - and still is - a record for an amateur player.

1976.The League played two matches against the Durham Coast League, one at Silksworth the other at Hetton Lyons to mark the 50^th anniversary of the formation of the Coast League.

1976.The Grangetown Florist Bowl becomes the second cup competition for the league, supported financially each year by the florists. Sponsorship was terminated in 1992 and was taken over by the Northern Rock Building Society who support the competition to the present day.

1976.July 31^st. Ken Ferguson, who has given a life-time’s service to Eppleton Cricket Club, takes his thousandth wicket for the club in the game against Whitburn. Ken, a much admired member of the Senior League, has been a highly regarded figure as player, administrator and coach. Few men have been so well respected throughout the league. Perhaps his greatest day was against Gateshead Fell at Eppleton in 1965 when he took all ten wickets, including a hat-trick. Seven for 62 suddenly became ten for 62, and the Fell were all out for 166.

1977.Thursday July 21^st. The highlight of the League’s 75^th anniversary celebrations was a one-day match against Yorkshire County Cricket Club at Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street, a game which drew a large crowd. Representing the League were Clish (captain) Atkinson, Hibbert, Raja, Birtwisle, Hartshorne, Abel (wk), Parsana, Joshi, Watson, Soppitt R. The opposition was… Boycott (captain), Hampshire, Love, Sharp, Johnson, Bairstow (wk), Stevenson, Sidebottom, Robinson, Bore and Cooper. Cope was twelfth man.

1979.The 55 overs limit on the first innings was introduced.

1979.Aug.10^th. Durham City and Sunderland played a return match to commemorate the first recorded game between the two clubs which had taken place on August 10^th 1829. The 1979 encounter was played in period dress similar to that which was worn in the original match. Many of the crowd were dressed in costume, and a brass band played throughout the event. The members of the War Games Society provided their own contemporary pageant. The batsman used the long, heavy, curved bats of the time, played without pads and gloves, and the bowlers bowled underarm. The result was a win to Sunderland, as in 1829.

1979.A dinner was held to celebrate Philadelphia’s sixth championship win in the 1970s. Trophies were presented by umpire Mr.Dickie Bird (now Sir Dickie) who, after leaving Yorkshire, had played for Leicestershire where a playing colleague had been the Philadelphia professional Stephen Greensword.

Cricket 1980 to 1989.

1980.An outstanding season for Chester-le-Street! They won the League, the Saunders Cup, the Horner Cup, the Tom Burn Cup and the Savoy Trophy for the fastest 200 runs.

1982.May 15^th. South Shields had one of their unhappiest days when they were bowled out for 36 by Whitburn. Stephen Greensword took 5 for 12, and Ray Soppitt 5 for 20. In the return match on July 24^th Shields were all out for 61, with the same two bowlers sharing the spoils.

1982.For possibly the first time, two amateurs topped the League’s batting and bowling averages. Norman Riddle’s good form at Eppleton brought him 851 runs at an average of 56.7, whilst Ray Soppitt of Whitburn registered 75 wickets at 9.8 runs.

1982.April 24^th. ‘The opening day of the season was one of bright sunshine and abnormally high temperatures,’ wrote Colin Orr. ‘There was no trace of the usual Spitzbergen chill. On two grounds, at least, drinks were taken!’

1983.The 55 overs limitation on the first innings was removed, then re-

introduced in 1986.

1983.May 2^nd.Total wash-outs for the League programme on Monday May 2^nd and Saturday May 7^th led to both sets of fixtures being re-arranged for later in the summer. Philadelphia 2nds and Gateshead Fell 2nds were only able to play one of their first seven games.

1983.A long-running dispute over the reinstatement of David Nevins (Durham City) and Tom O’Connor (Gateshead Fell) exhausted the patience of League Secretary, Colin Orr, and led to his resignation. Administrators and clubs were locked in dispute, with Durham City passing a vote of No Confidence in the Appeal Committee. Mr.Orr said that the existing rule that dealt with the reinstatement of professionals was out of date, and his sympathies lay with petitioning clubs. ‘It is sad that after waiting seven months for the cricket season to start, all we can do is to argue,’ he told the Sunderland Echo. Mr.Orr had been secretary of the League for 22 consecutive years.

1984.Suru Nayak, Shields’ Indian professional, came near to having a League double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets… with 979 runs and 99 wickets. In the season he scored a total of 1606 runs at an average of 53.53 and captured 134 wickets at an average of 14.17 runs. Definitely worth his corn!

1984.Bill Parker shares the award for the most number of fifties in the League with the 17 year old Mike Roseberry, who later went on to play County Cricket for Middlesex and Durham. His brother Andrew has played in the League for many years, and father Matt played a leading role in the establishment of Durham County Cricket Club as a First-Class County.

1984.Colin Dobson, a member of the miners’ union, and groundsman at Wearmouth C.C., was called out on strike during the national pit stoppage which lasted throughout the summer. All Wearmouth games had then to be played away from home. The cricket ground took several years to recover from the enforced neglect.

1984.Brian Lander becomes Sunday Sun player of the year with 143 wickets for the Club during the season… and a good few more on the County circuit.

1985.Article from the Sunderland Echo.

COOK’S THE STAR

Whitburn under 13 side won an exciting Durham Senior

League Cup Final yesterday, when they beat favourites

Durham City in the last over. The eight-a-side

competition, when players bat in pairs for five overs

each, had the spectators enthralled. And Whitburn

coaches, Les Hewitt, Tony Shields and Eric Smith

could hardly bear to look when the last over arrived.

If the Whitburn batsmen had lost a wicket, they

would have lost eight runs, but needing two to win,

Robin Knox coolly drove the fifth delivery from Philip

Weston through the covers, to provide Whitburn with a

tingling win.

(No mention of the achievement of Cook the star, presumably Paul Cook, now playing for Whitburn Firsts. Is this what the grammar teacher means by the indefinite article?)

1985.May 16^th. Gateshead Fell’s new professional, Richie Richardson

is expected to arrive from the West Indies in time to take his place

in the Fell line-up at Seaham Harbour on Saturday.

1986.Change to the Points System… back to 5 points for a win: 1 point for a draw: 3 for a tie: 2 bonus points for the side scoring faster in a drawn game. The 55 over limitation was restored.

1987.July 25^th. Armbrister Cup. Derrick Parry, who could arguably be the best of the League’s overseas professionals - if best is measured in terms of the all-round success which he brought to his club – scored 101 off 68 deliveries for Horden against Durham out of a total of 155 for 4. Horden won the League Championship 5 times between 1988 and the year 2000, and a good part of this success was due to the influence Parry had on the cricket at Horden.

1987.Dec.10^th. Ian Linsley, resigns from his position as League Secretary, disapproving of the lack of support for League President Richard Heron and other members of the Appeal Committee who had failed to be elected at the AGM. He disapproved strongly at what he regarded as an act of disloyalty to a President who had served the League well for many years. ‘I have submitted my resignation in writing to Ray Pallister,’ he stated, ‘as there is no way I could work with him’. Ian continued to play a pivotal role at his club, Burnmoor, the club at which his father and uncle played in the first half of the century. Ian and son Alex have carried on the family connection with Burnmoor which stretches back to the time the League was founded. Ian began as second team scorer at the age of ten, then rose through the cricketing ranks to become First Team Captain and opening batsman; he has held the position of Cricket Secretary, Vice Chairman and Trustee of the whole club. As our centenary approaches, Ian, now retired, is to be found down on the Burnmoor ground rather more often than ever before, enjoying, as he says, a job he always fancied, that of groundsman. Meanwhile his successor as League Secretary is Ray Matthews who acquired his secretarial and administrative skills with Horden Cricket Club. It is he who carries most of the burdens relating to League matters.

1988.March 17^th The owners of the Whitburn ground decided they wanted their land back, despite the fact that the cricket club had been based there for 120 years. The South Tyneside Council has resolved to support the club in its attempt to keep the ground. Both the club and the council offered to buy the land.

1988.June 6^th. Burnmoor were all out for 115; Eppleton knocked the runs off for 8 wickets. Ian Conn, who in the year 2001 was to lie third in the League averages with 60 wickets at 12.01, top-scored with 30, then took 3 for 55. He was ably assisted in the Eppleton side by John Tindale who took 5 for 47, and who in 2001 would come to top the League batting averages with an average of 64.22.

However, their performances on the day were eclipsed by the efforts of Graham Johnson who took 4 for 28 and scored 35 not out. But what was extraordinary on that day was that filling batting places 4,5 and 6 on the Eppleton side were Colin Anderson, Graham Anderson and Paul Anderson, sons of Arthur Anderson who had retired from playing for the Club two years before.

1988.Vaux Breweries have taken over the sponsorship of the League to the extent of £3000 per annum for a three year period. This was increased at the end of each tri-ennial period until the long-established brewery ceased to exist. The Senior League is indebted to Vaux for such financial support and also for the encouragement and interest shown by Mr. Frank Nicholson, Managing Director, and Mr. Mike Berriman, Marketing Manager.

1988.The President puts forward a proposal for the establishment of two divisions in the League each consisting of ten clubs, this new structure requiring the addition of six clubs from other leagues. There was to be promotion and relegation with the aim of encouraging more positive cricket right through to the end of the season, and to develop the game in the higher division so that it offered a transitional stage between League and County Cricket. The playing time could have been extended, and there could have been the possibility in the higher division of playing some all-day fixtures, or even a two-day fixture. This intermediary role is now taken up by the Premier League. The Appeal Committee refused to support the President’s proposal, but he persisted in putting it to the League Management Committee. At the League Management Committee Meeting, Philadelphia led the opposition by stating that the President indeed had no right to submit proposals for change of rule. Consequently, the proposal was lost.

1989.Games had to start at 2 p.m. instead of 2.30 p.m. and the playing time to be extended from five to five and a half hours.

1989.December. At the League AGM a proposal to allow young players to play for their parent club as an amateur after signing for a First Class County was defeated 9-7. The President said that these youngsters were professionals in the true sense of the word, but it was sad that clubs who have worked hard to bring youngsters through to this level of cricket-Boldon for example- should not gain any benefit from their work.

Cricket 1990 to 2002

1990.Jimmy Adams, professional at Eppleton and later Captain of the West Indies scores 1213 runs in the season with an average of 101.8 runs. Two years later he was to score 1147 runs at an average of 114..7 runs.

1990.Durham City played Guisborough in the Cockspur Cup. In the City team were Mike Weston, renowned Rugby Union International, and his two sons, Philip and Robin, both later to play First Class Cricket. In addition Gordon Pratt, the wicket-keeper, had his eldest son, Neil, playing with him. Twelve years on, and Neil is serving Darlington Cricket Club well , while his two younger brothers, Andrew and Gary are playing First Class Cricket with Durham. Philip Weston is with Worcester and Robin with Middlesex.

1991.North Durham resign from the League before the 1991 season begins despite the Appeal Committee’s efforts to enable the club to continue.

1991.South Shields secretary Bill Law boldly wrote to cricket-loving Prime Minister John Major inviting him to be guest speaker at the club’s annual dinner. In a personally signed reply, the P.M. declined ‘with sincere regret’.

1992.Felling were admitted to the Senior League. The club originated as Heworth St. Mary’s in 1919 and was renamed Felling in 1961. Before becoming a Senior League Club it had moved up through the following leagues…The Tyne and District; The North-West Durham; The Durham Coast League, and The Tyneside Senior League. Madan Lal, a world-cup winner with India in 1983, was club professional from 1987 to 1994.

1992.Talks began among leading North-East cricket officials aimed at establishing a ‘super-league’ in the region. The revolutionary plan was the brain-child of Alan McKenna, Chairman of the Northumberland County League who had approached the Durham Senior League and the Tyneside Senior League with the view to a merger of the three leagues. Durham Senior League President, Ray Pallister, who unsuccessfully attempted to persuade his clubs to adopt a system of promotion and relegation three years previously, said ‘It is an interesting idea, and one I can support in theory, but I honestly don’t know what the clubs’ response will be. It could depend on how clubs like Sunderland, who are in the bottom half of the Senior League table at the moment, react to the possibility of being placed in the lower division of the new super-league.’

1992.Whitburn’s West Indian professional, Max Alleyne, ran into unplayable bowling form as the season drew to a close. A nine for twelve return in 5.1 overs saw Eppleton out for 18. His fifth over brought him four wickets in five deliveries, including a hat-trick. On the following day, in the final of the Grangetown Florists Bowl, he helped his side to carry off the trophy with figures of seven for 29 against Sunderland.

1992.Peter Crane, who played for Durham County over seventy times in the Minor Counties Championship, and who has become a valued member of the Appeals Committee, leads the South Shields side to the top of the League Championship which the club last won in 1961. An important contributor to the success was the West Indian fast bowler, Victor Walcott, who took 104 League wickets at an average of 12.1. Peter did another year as captain, then the role was taken over by wicket-keeper, Graeme Cook, who continued the valuable work of accommodating Victor in the Cook family home, in consequence of which Victor has become accepted as one of the family. He visits the Cooks from time to time when he can get away from Hastings where he is now playing his cricket. Victor celebrated his fortieth birthday at the Grey Horse, East Boldon, on April 12^th 2002.

1996.A bonus point to be awarded to a side winning a match batting first.

1996.Durham v Sunderland. West Indian Philo Wallace scores 189 out of 264 for 5 wickets, then Quentin Hughes scores 158 not out to steer the City to an 8 wickets victory with 8 balls to spare. Quentin was Sportspack Player of the Year with 1197 League runs, and 1470 in total for the club. This was the second time he had scored over a thousand league runs in a season. He played First Class Cricket with, and captained, the Cambridge University side.

1996.May 8^th. Sunderland had just 2 balls to spare when defeating South Shields. They needed only 69 runs in the last hour with 9 wickets intact but the dismissals of Philo Wallace for 57 and Adam Applegarth (31) gave Shields the chance of a draw.

1996.Dave Greener left the Senior League to play for Chilton Moor in the Coast League. On the way to Benwell Hill for a Sunday cup-tie, and along the Western By-pass, his car bursts into flames, much to the alarm of his four passengers. The immediate solution, after escaping the inferno, is to call his wife to transport the cricketers to the match in her car. Much later she returns to Benwell Hill, rather indignant to put it mildly, and walks out to the middle to slap car keys into Dave’s hands while ignoring the fact that Dave is at that moment being congratulated for having just taken a hat-trick in an 8 for 30 performance.

1996.May 11^th. The highest scorer of the day was Adam Applegarth with 108. Not far behind was Andrew Kelly of Durham with 102.

1996.May 25^th. West Indian Philo Wallace smashes 20 fours and 8 sixes in his score of 178 against Boldon at Ashbrooke.

1996.June 8^th.Felling scored 11 runs from the first four balls of the last over to defeat South Shields as Mark Blunt (58) and Paul Burn (41) put together 73 for the second wicket.

1997.Jan.19^th. A very distressing day for all those who were blessed to have known the talented young Philadelphia cricketer, Glenn Robinson. He died on this his father Ken’s birthday, only a few days after meningitis had been diagnosed, bringing to a brutal end what promised to be an outstanding career. At the age of fifteen Glenn was in the First Team, joining his two elder brothers Andrew and Stephen, both of whom had played for the Senior League in representative matches. Andrew held the captaincy at Philadelphia for two seasons. Glenn was a natural out-swinger and early in his career demonstrated this skill to amazing effect when playing for the County Under 14s in the national competition held in those magnificent surroundings of Stowe School. On the day preceding Glen’s astonishing performance, London Schools had scored 202 against Lancashire Schools, but when London faced Durham they were shot out for only 11 runs. Glen had taken nine wickets for four runs, a feat which won him the title of best bowler of the competition, and took him into the England squad. At this time Robinson family life revolved around the Philadelphia Club, with Glen’s father very much the odd-job man on the committee, and Brenda one of those dear ladies who sadly receive too little recognition in our cricket clubs but who nonetheless have been an indispensable part of our cricketing world ….. the tea-ladies.

1997.The Durham Academy side, run by the County Cricket Club, joins the League.

1997.Two bonus points to be awarded to a side winning a match batting first.

1997.Raman Lamba, who was professional at Felling in 1982, is killed while fielding at short leg for his state side, Delhi, in a Ranji Trophy game.

1998.April 25^th. Chris Pleasants takes 9 wickets for 33 for Felling against Horden.

1998.June 2^nd. Sunderland Thirds v Durham City Thirds. Martin Orr, son of Colin, came to the wicket at number 4 for Sunderland at 6.31.p.m. At 7.21.pm. he was on 112 not out, having hit five sixes and 13 fours.

1999.Wearmouth resign from the League before the start of the 1999 season, citing shortage of players as the reason. This was the eighth club in the North-East to go under for the same reason during the last 12 months. ‘Do your best to keep going,’ urged the League officials, but the Wearmouth fixture against South Shields on August 29^th 1998 turned out to be their last home game at Carley Hill.

1999.Oct.4^th.A sad day for North-East cricket, the day that Peter Forster died. With a total devotion to the game of cricket, and as a servant who sought neither reward nor status for his efforts, he worked assiduously for his beloved game in many cricketing roles here in the North-East. He was Secretary of the Sunderland Cricket Club, Umpire’s Secretary for the League, then later Assistant Secretary for the League, secretary of several cup competitions, member of the Appeal Committee, scorer for the County Second Eleven – you could go on and on about the part played by this man who died so young. There was many a day that Peter was to be seen at three games of cricket, and this without ever owning a car. So numerous were his friends!

2000.Vaux Brewery, which has been one of the noted features of the City of Sunderland landscape has closed down. Sad for the people of Sunderland and for the Durham Senior League. Fortunately the Federation Brewery has generously taken over the mantle of sponsor for the League. We are extremely grateful, particularly again to Mr.Berriman, formerly of Vaux, who found re-employment as Marketing Manager for the Federation Brewery.

2000.Gateshead Fell win the George Peacock Memorial Trophy (for League Club Under 18s) for the fifth time.

2000.Chester-le-Sreet, Durham Cricket Academy, Gateshead Fell and Sunderland leave the League to join the newly-formed North-East Premier League. The three cricket clubs left their Third Teams and Junior Teams in the Senior League and remained in the League as Associate Members, but with no voting rights.

2000.Hetton Lyons join the Senior League. The club, which was founded by the workers from the Lyons colliery in 1865, won all three divisions of the Coast League in the four consecutive seasons of 1977,1978,1979 and 1980. In this period the First Eleven won 87 consecutive games without defeat, believed to be a county record. Paul Errington of the Hetton Lyons club was in the Guinness Book of Records for having taken six wickets in a six ball over during a cup-tie against Coundon in 2001.

2001.July 7^th Gary Hulme passes the 2000 mark for wickets taken in the Durham City First Team. Previously the City record was held by Brian Lander with 1979 wickets. Both were one-club men, Brian making his debut for the First Team in the late fifties as a teenage leg-spinner, then later returning as a batsman; it was not until the 1966 season that he became the leading wicket-taker for the First Eleven - then in his medium-quick mode. Gary became a regular bowler for the First Team in 1975 and then together they formed a formidable bowling partnership until Brian stepped down in 1992. Both have served cricket well, not only as players but also as senior coaches at club and county level.

2001.Change to the Points System… 20 points for a win: 7 points for a tie: 5 points for a draw or a game not completed: bonus points to be awarded to the losing side (or to both sides in a drawn or incomplete game) as follows……1 point for every two wickets taken (5 points for bowling a side out even if they do not have eleven men). 1 point for every 25 runs scored after a 100, up to a maximum of 5.points.

2001.May 5^th.Chris Pleasants takes his 3000^th First Team League and Cup wicket for Felling when he dismisses John Dunn of South Shields. His best figures were 9 for 33 against Horden in 1998.He played his first game for the First Team in 1972 and had part of the 1997 season with Northamptonshire.

2001.Philadelphia resign from the Senior League to join the Premier League. Marsden C.C. and South Hetton C.C. are admitted to the Sennior League.

2001.At the AGM the distinction between amateur and professional was removed. All players may now be paid for their services.

2002.May 25^th. Attendances at today’s First Eleven matches at about 4.30 p.m. were as follows; note that there were very few, if any, football matches being played on the day.

Boldon v Durham 35. Burnmoor v Eppleton 50.

Durham v South Hetton 15. Fellling v Marsden 35.

South Shields v Horden 25. Whitburn v Hetton Lyons 50.

2002.May 31^st.Daily Telegraph’s Andrew Collomose mentions the forthcoming week-end match between Pudsey St. Lawrence and Pudsey Congs in the Bradford League, both teams bidding hard for the league title. Chris Gott, the St.Lawrence captain, says ‘Bradford League cricket is as intense as it gets, and people in Pudsey have been talking about this game all week. We had two tremendous matches last season with a full house at both grounds, and, if the weather is good, we can expect a repeat this weekend.’ Clearly league cricket is prospering in some areas!

2002.The League has now competitions at Under 11, 13, 15, and 18.

2002.Durham City now have a ladies’ team playing in a league which includes Boldon, Durham University, Norton, Stockton and Shotley Bridge.

Bibliography.

I am particularly indebted to the following fine club histories which have given me information that would have taken a considerable length of time to research, and which may well have proved impossible. I have drawn much from Clive Crickmer’s admirable saga of South Shields Cricket Club, entitled “Grass Roots”, and also from Bert Parsons’ detailed account of Durham City Cricket Club. Abundantly evident, in both cases, is the journalist’s skill in employing words and phrases to picture for us the way we were. Oh that there were more such club histories! Clive has served the South Shields Cricket Club for many years, on two occasions as Chairman. He played for the Thirds at the age of 15 and was in the Firsts at 17 as an opening bowler. In 1957 he topped the Second Team batting averages for the Club, and two years later topped the First Team bowling averages with 41 wickets at an average of 10.65. The demands of a career in journalism were sadly incompatible with the demands of playing cricket, but his contribution to cricket continued in other significant ways. Although the history of Sunderland Cricket Club written by D.G.Greig (collated by Mr.E.Watts Moses) is less detailed than the above two, there is some excellent material to be hewn from its seams, particularly for the early years. Strongly recommended for cricket followers are all three works. I have also referred a couple of times to the History of South Moor Cricket Club by Mr. Ossie Barrass which is well worth a good read as it gives a clear picture of the history of a village club from its inception almost to its demise. Had it not been for travel problems, South Moor Cricket Club may well have become one of the earliest members of the Durham Senior League. The history of Durham County Cricket Club by Brian Hunt has enabled me to check some of the performances of those who played for the County side.

In addition I have had valuable contributions from individuals from a number of clubs. Here I would like to pay tribute to the following…

Mr. Ian Linsley of Burnmoor (a former Secretary of the League); Mr. Arthur Carver of Chester-le-Street; Mr. Alan Leadley and Mr. George Lowther of Eppleton; Mr. Alan Reed of Durham City;. Mr.Russell Muse of Whitburn; and Mr. John Leadbitter of Philadelphia. It was pleasing to receive contributions from Mr. Richard Heron, who has been a League Official for more years than any other person. For 21 years he was Treasurer, then 14 years as President. His example of personal commitment - and his striving for the well-being and success of the Durham Senior League - may never be equalled. I give special thanks to Mr. Colin Orr..for the wealth of material he has sent me, and for the assistance and guidance he has offered in the selection of material. Like Clive, he has been guide and mentor to me throughout. The two of them, with Ian McKenzie, have been my proof-readers, and they have savaged my writing with the the vigour and tenacity of Victorian schoolmasters. I completed my ‘corrections’ with due deference.

I guess Colin must have his own private cricket archive secreted up in the loft or out in the garage, from which he has quarried so much to give to this calendar. For several months he and I have reminisced about the League, and about cricket in general, just as old cricketers do. The elderly among us will recall Colin playing in the Boldon side which won the League Championship in 1959, sadly the only occasion when the club has done so, sad because the club has contributed greatly to the League, particularly in the development of young cricketers. Colin treasures the memories of playing in the same team as the likes of Don Hardy, Ken Longstaff, John Green and Mike Barden.

The Sunderland Echo, The Northern Echo, The Shields Gazette, The Durham Advertiser, The Journal, and The Sunday Sun have all yielded a wealth of information on cricket.

For background information on the early part of the century I used the following…

John Stevenson. British Society 1914-1945. Penguin. 1984.

John Stevenson. Social Conditions in Britain Between the Wars. Penguin. 1977.

William A. Moyes. Mostly Mining. Tells the story of mining in East Durham. Published by Frank Graham. 1969.

W.R.Garside. The Durham Miners 1919-1960. Published by George Allen and Unwin. 1971.

I have referred to the following books on cricket…..

Cardus in the Covers. Neville Cardus. Macdonald. `1978.

Cricket-A Way of Life. Christopher Martin-Jenkins. St.Michael 1985

Masters of Cricket. Jack Fingleton. Sportsman’s Book Club. 1959

The Surrey Story. Gordon Ross. Sportsman’s Book Club.1958.

Treasures of Lord’s. Tim Rice. St.Michael.1989.

The Golden Age of Cricket. George Plumptre. Macdonald.1990.

English Cricket. Neville Cardus. Collins.1947.

The Wisden Book of Cricket Records. Bill Frindall. 1986.

The Close of Play

It’s the last game of the season, the last wicket to be got, the last ball to be bowled, and they want three to win. You’re standing at long-on, isolated, ignored, and seemingly totally removed from the distant drama, when a final and desperate heave sends the ball soaring high into the blue in your direction, and it hangs, like forever, as you move to take up position underneath. Now you’re centre stage with all eyes on you, particularly those of old Walter, retired ‘keeker’ at the Lambton, one-time good cricketer and very knowledgeable about this his game. His two pals seated alongside him on the bench behind, await his comment.

‘Nivver catch that, young’un, in a thoosand years. Nivver get neewhere near it! Aa can feel it in me watter,’ says the oracle.

Steadily into position with eyes focussed on the flight, and hands cupped at the ready, you wait confidently. And the ball pops easily in…then easily out… to roll gently and pathetically over the line. Walter lobs it back then turns to address the bald pate of Henry Cecil, the venerable choirmaster of the Bethel, who is seated alongside.

‘Aa telt yer, didna? Why the knaas! Have yer ivver seen owt like that. He’s far too owld. Mind yer, Aa’ve said it afore, and Aa’ll say it agen...Yer remember the owld sayin’…Catches win matches… There noo! There’s yer proof! Why, man, that owld fella couldn’t catch a cowld. If he’d catched that, Aa’d a given ‘im a standin’ ovulation.’

‘Yer spot on, Walter!’ smiles Angus McLeod, the old dominie, seated on Walter’s other side. He peers at his two old mates over his rimless spectacles. ‘Why aye, catches do win matches. Definitely!’ he adds. ‘Never a truer maxim! Just like All’s well that ends well, eh Walter? A double maxim if you like?’ He grins.

‘Dead right, dominie,’comes the reply, ‘But Aa reckon you’d better mek it three Double Maxims, ‘cos it’s yoor shout, young ‘un. You’d better get ‘em in, any road. Me an’ him ‘ll have one an’ all.’

As you sneak off to the sanctuary of the pavilion, depressed and disillusioned, vowing that you’ll never set foot on a cricket field again, your ears pick up the last departing words.

‘Have yer read the President’s Calendar yet Walter?’ asks Angus.

‘Nor! Norall of it! Aa’m just on wi’ it now, like,’ says Walter. ‘Aa’ve purrit on the netty seat, so’s a can read at me leisure.’

‘Aa’ve had enough,’ says RP. ‘It must be either louse or bait-time.’

SPONSORS

The following people have helped to fund the publication of this Calendar. My sincere thanks to them.

Paul Cook. (Whitburn C.C.) Professional Photographer. 0191/4546177

Barry Emmerson. (Whitburn C.C.) Regency Windows. 0191/5141307

John Graham.(Philadelphia C.C.) Arnott Insurance. 0191/3851363

Tom Moffat.(Wearmouth et al.) Casdec Printers…… . 0191/4105556

Andrew Robinson. (Whitburn C.C.) Premier Sports. 0191/5126667

Eric Smith. (Whitburn C.C.) 0191/5292795

Harry Carr (Burnmoor C.C.) Antiques Exports………… 0191/3886442

Gordon Campbell (S Shields C.C.) Campbell’s Coaches 0191/4554295

Ian McKenzie. (S.Shields C.C.) 0191/4553883

Colin Orr. (League Secretary 1961 to 1983) 0191/5210618

Graeme Cook.(S Shields C.C.) Bage and Cook, Solicitors.0191/4567893

Stephen.Braid (League Chairman) Seaham Hall Hotel 0191/5161400