By Peter Stafford (March 1987) Back
THE 1986 season was, in the main, one which proved memorable to three clubs
above all others. Kearsley will savour it as having been one of almost
uninterrupted success, Farnworth Social Circle will view with mixed feelings
their runners-up spots in both the League Championship and the prestigious
Greenall-Whitley Trophy, and Westhoughton will recall with something approaching
despair the times without number that they came to within a run, a wicket, or
sometimes even a ball, of claiming some sort of success.
The season's opening day provided clues aplenty for those who knew where to
look. Kearsley's Simmons-inspired victory over a strong Tonge side with nine
overs to spare was not without significance, whilst each of the other two teams
destined to finish in the top three ended the day with maximum points. Astley
Bridge's 23-run win over Greenmount was thanks largely to a seven-wicket haul by
professional Keith Eccleshare, which, in itself, provided a glimpse of things to
come! Keith's main rival for bowling honours, Rod Estwick, took 6 for 18 as
Farnworth Social Circle overcame archrivals Farnworth in an amazing affair at
Bridgeman Park. At one point in the game 16 wickets had fallen for a mere 59
runs, before Paul Craig and Phil Eccleshare came together in a match-winning
stand. Hopes at Lower Pools must have been raised by Heaton's 10 run win over
Walkden, but this proved flattery to deceive with a vengeance, for, when the
final League table was published, this victory remained Heaton's only success of
the season!
Bradshaw started the season with a particularly impressive win over Little
Lover. This was followed by four more victories, and the Rigbys side had become
pace-setters, leading the table after ton matches. But then the bubble burst,
and the following week Kearsley took over a leadership that they were never to
relinquish, winning the fifth outright title in the club's history by virtue of
a fine run-chase against Egerton on the season's penultimate day. Once again
Phil Simmons had a major hand in the win, and there is little doubt that the
all-round cricket played by the Trinidadian had much to do with Kearsley's
triumph. Equally,the cultured batsmanship of South African Brian Lones left
little to be desired. His run-aggregate of 1,085 provided the League with a new
overall amateur record, and, of the several big innings he played, none was more
important than that played in the Hamer Cup Final at Egerton, of which more
later. Another 1200 runs came from the bats of Craig Lavelle, who also won the
League Catching Prize, and Wayne Harper who, in addition, took 40 fairly cheap
wickets, and was justifiably voted Viscom Player of the Year by his fellow
players. If the side's bowling lacked variety initially, this was put right in
early June when left-arm spinner Mark Price rejoined the club after a spell on
Glamorgan's groundstaff.
The club pushing Kearsley hardest towards the end was Farnworth Social Circle,
buttheylostoutona couple of opportunities of closing the gap when Kearsley lost
twice during the run in, and at the end, there was a seven-pointed difference
between the two clubs. No-one would deny the influence exerted by Circle's two
West Indians. Professional of the Season Rod Estwick extended his own 'league
only' record to 115 wickets, and, in all, he and Terry Hunte accumulated between
them over 1300 runs and 165 wickets. Astley Bridge also topped the 100 points,
having been unlucky to have had leading batsman Roy Marland on the injury list
during the vital month of August. The Sharples Park professional, Keith
Eccleshare, bowled magnificently. His final total of 126 wickets was the third
highest in the League's history, and only two short of Fred Hartley's 45
year-old record. What must surely be unique in the whole of club cricket is the
fact that Keith's first 100-wicket haul in 1976 was accomplished as a fast
bowler, whilst his 236 taken during the past two years have, largely, been
collected bowling genuine leg-breaks and googlies at a pace at which most
bowlers bowl cutters!
Little Lever and Tonge finished in third and fourth place and so qualified as
well for the 1987 Greenall Whitley Trophy. For Tonge, Savage, Bennison, Rogers
and skipper Wallwork batted well, and if their West Indian professional Hillaire
proved something of a disapointment, he still took 65 wickets, followed by Doug
Savage on 57. Little Lever's Indian professional, Raman, enjoyed a good season,
and has been reengaged. He took 85 wickets and hit over 600 runs, whilst his
amateur Australian colleague, Grant Gardiner, hit 703 runs to take the League
Batting Prize. Anderton scored over 500, but the side's weakness lay in the
amateur bowling, all of which cost in excess of 20 runs per wicket. Famworth's
Phil Hall won the League Bowling Prize for the second time in three years, and
Karl Krikken celebrated joining the Derbyshire county club by winning the
wicket-keeping award, again for the second time. Terry Hunte hit the season's
highest score, whilst Wayne Harper' ' s8 for 46 against Westhoughton was another
award-winning performance. Neville Neville took only 21 balls to register the
fastest fifty, and Neil Senior continued his monopoly in the six-hitting award
department.
At second team level, Tonge were all-conquering, and the only real, surprise in
this section was that they omitted to add the Birtwistle Cup to their fifth
League Championship. For the reasons behind their success, we only needs to
glance at the club's bowling averages, which show half a dozen bowlers sharing
over 180 wickets, all obtained at averages varying! between 8 and 13! The most
successful, Dave Sutcliffe and Mark Heath, each took over 50 wickets for less
than 500 runs, and Heath's figures, together with his 19 catches, ensured him of
two of the major League Prizes. 139 points from a possible 156 is a record that
could last for a very, very long time!
The Birtwistle Cup was won by Ian Booth's Egerton side, a success which typified
the overall improvement at second team level at Longworth Road. The final,
against Horwich, was a closely-contested affair, played in the best possible
spirit, and won and lost eventually by 29 runs. Jonathan Bradshaw was named
Man-of-the-Match for his 5 for 52, and, after 56 barren years, Egerton 2nd Team
had won its first trophy!
On the individual front, David Kay, of Greenmount, took the League Batting
Prize, whilst Astley Bridge's Mick Gwilt emulated Krikken by taking the
Wicket-keeping Award with 42 victims. Carl Janson of Farnworth hit the season's
highest score, 136,and Little Lever's David Settle's 8 for 10against Astley
Bridge earlyon in the year was never bettered as the Best Bowling Performance.
The first round of the Hamer Cup produced a couple of huge wins, a protest, a
narrow result for the eventual winners, and an even narrower one at the
Tyldesleys which produced a thrilling tie with Little Lever. King, Hill a nd
Harrison had combined to put the visitors out for a mere 98, but then
Westhoughton's first eight wickets went down for 28 runs, and it took two
innings of great character from Keith Houghton and Abdul Adat to revive things
to the extent of forcing a replay at Little Lever.
Over at Piggott Park half-centuries from Lavelle and Lones, the first of three
in the competition by the South African, put Kearsley on the right path against
their neighbours, who eventually fell just seven runs short of their target.
Astley Bridge and Walkden crushed Farnworth and Bradshaw, with Eccleshare (8 for
27) the main destroyer at Bridgeman Park. Heaton and Horwich contested a
hard-fought game which hinged on a Hayes/Long partnership after Mark Hutchinson
had given Heaton a decent start. The previously mentioned protest came following
the match at Dunscar in which Greenmount had unwittingly used an ineligible
player in beating Eagley. The tie was ordered to be replayed the following week,
and Eagley eventually came out on top thanks to a fine all-round performance
from Richard Powell. On the same day Westhoughton travelled to Little Lever and
came through at the second attempt after skipper Fairhurst and the hard-hitting
Harrison had rescued them from a position of some danger. In spite of a spirited
reply from Anderton and Hallows, Iain Hill's bowling was decisive, and the first
round, after an unprecedented eight matches, was finally over.
A coincidence of the second round was that each of the four sides batting first
was restricted to something between 105 and 135. In a couple of cases it proved
enough, in the other two, quite rightly, it didn't Kearsley, who travelled to
Astley Bridge on Bank Holiday Monday, subjected the home side to a horrendous
start after which a revival of sorts took the score to 122 for 9. A few jittery
moments after tea, and then Kearsley were home and dry as Simmons contributed a
hard-hit and unbeaten 69, the only half-century of the round. Horwich, at home
to Egerton, were shot out by Rowlands and Eckersley for 109, but then Hayes and
Long bowled unchanged to earn their side a semi-final ticket by ten runs.
Westhoughton, too, managed a place in the last four as King and Hill went
through Walkden, whilst in the remaining game, Eagley's Eric Woods, Graham Firth
and Stephen Walsh were the stars of their team's victory at Tonge.
Kearsley had to travel for a third time for their semi-final, this time to
Horwich, where Harper, Lones and Simmons led the way to a score of 224 for 5.
Although White and Hayes played well in reply, Horwich were never really in with
a chance, and in the end 65 runs was the margin between the teams. Over at
Eagley, Westhoughton were looking for a record 17th Final appearance. Eventually
they managed it, but rather more narrowly than had Kearsley. King's 73 ensured
that Eagley would have their work cut out, and after a solid start of 60 from
Firth and Coulton, a brief flurry in the middle order by Richards, and a brave
late effort from Freedman, the Dunscar side took their leave by nine runs.
The Final looked an attractive proposition, and so it proved, as the huge crowd
at Egerton were treated to a superb game of cricket which was only really let
down by the weather. Westhoughton batted first, and their innings was largely
sustained by a gritty 44 from Graham Hill and a memorable 92 from Collis King.
Kearsley had reached 76 for 1 when the old enemy struck, and the size of the
crowd which reassembled on the Monday evening was a tribute to the calibre of
the cricket that had been produced by both sides the previous day. And there was
to be no letting up in standards as the two teams battled it out, literally, to
the last ball. As the overs ticked away, so the game favoured first one side,
then the other, a good stand here, a couple of run outs there, but always there
was, for Kearsley, the reassuring sight of Brian Lones, and eventually it was
his unbeaten 90 which settled the issue. From the penultimate ball the scores
were levelled, and at this point it appeared from the players's attitudes on
both sides that they believed the game to be over with Kearsley the winners
having lost fewer wickets. But there was no provision in the League Rules for
this situation, and had not a single been taken from the last ball, then the
match would have been deemed a tie, would have required a replay! On the face of
it, that last single made all of this academic, and yet it is worth reflecting
from Westhoughton's point of view that had the fielders been fully aware of the
demands of the rules,
then the outcome of that last ball might just have taken on a lot more
significance to all concerned! However, that is all now speculation and water
under the bridge. The fact was that Kearsley's ninth Hamer Cup success and
second Cup and League 'double' had guaranteed Westhoughton the first of their
series of 1986 disappoint men ts. Lones was rightly made Man-of-the-Match by
adjudicator Jeff Todd, and another fascinating chapter had been added to the
history of the competition.
Four Inter-League matches were played during 1986 of which two were won, one,
almost inevitably it seems nowadays, was lost to the Northern League, whilst the
fourth, the Taylor Trophy meeting with the Central Lancashire League, was washed
away in the rain and mist of, arguably, the worst day of the season. The
League's first outing was at Kearsley, after the draw had dictated that once
again we should meet the C.L.L. in the Lanes Inter-League Cup. The local side
batted first, and the innings was given a firm foundation by Brian Cole and Mark
Hutchinson. This, and the solidity of Raddi Patel batting at three, allowed Neil
Senior the opportunity to play one of the most devastating innings that this
competition can have known. He raced to fifty in 51 balls and 49 minutes,
hitting six 6's and two 4's in the process, and by the time he had gone for 59,
and Patel for a more leisurely 43, an above-average total was assured. John
Ashworth's hurricane 33 provided the icing on the cake, and at teatime, 209 for
5 from the 48 overs allowed provided the visitors with a daunting task in the
second innings. Smith and Stephens each made an early breakthrough, whilst Steve
Jones produced a fine 10over spell in the middle of the innings which
effectively ended any thoughts of defeat. Patel's 3 for 13, when added to a
catch and 43 runs would have made him a strong contender for the
Man-of-the-Match award under normal circumstances, but Senior's innings had been
well out of the usual run of things, and his nomination was a formality
In the second round the Bolton League had a home draw against the side which is
rapidly developing into our bogey team. The Northern League had beaten us in
both the 1983 and 1984 Finals, and in 1986 they duly completed a hat-trick at
Astley Bridge in a low-scoring game with 11 runs the margin when the last ball
had been bowled. Again Jones was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 19 and at
the tea interval the visitors' 158 looked well within each. But wickets were
lost regularly, and in spite of a last ditch effort from Gee and Hegg, the
target proved a dozen runs too many.
The Trinity Trophy was retained with some ease at Atherton in what the local
press described as an 'undistinguished game'. Undistinguished it may have been,
but that makes it no less rewarding to go into a lead in a series which had at
one point a 'score' of 7-3 against! The Association's batting was never really
allowed to get to grips with things, and none of is
the League's six bowlers conceded more than 24 runs. Estwick and Simmons took
3 for 30 from their joint 19 overs and skipper Roland Gee, incredibly, 3 for 9
from his ten! Patel and Simmons went quickly, but then a fine all-Bradshaw
partnership between Cole and Senior saw the League home with 6 wickets and 11
overs to spare. Cole's mpeturbability yet again stood his League in good stead
as Senior once more took the eye and the Man-of-the-Match award. A series of
fine shots took him to an unbeaten 66 as the League moved ahead in the series.
Valiant attempts were made in the Milnrow rain to get the Taylor Trophy match
off the ground, but in reality it sank further and further into oblivion as the
rain became more and more persistent. Eventually, with the home side having lost
one wicket in a dozen overs or so, the umpires, players and spectators bowed to
the inevitable, and left the ground!
The League's four respresentatives in the Greenall Whitley Trophy were Tonge,
Westhoughton and the two Farnworth clubs. Tonge was the only club to be involved
in the Preliminary Round, at which stage they enjoyed a particularly good win
over Oldham early in theseason. Further progress was made against Mawdsley, but
then things went wrong at the hands of Leyland in Round Two, in spite of an
excellent 83 from Warren Hegg. Meanwhile, Farnworth, having disposed of Norley
Hall and Newton Heath without ever having hit their best form, were looking
forward to their local clash in Round 3 against Farnwoth Social Circle. Circle
had steam-rollered over the hapless Aigburth and Warton, and now had to travel
to their neighbour's ground to contest a place in the Quarter Final. The game
produced a lot of good cricket without magaging to produce the kind of finish
that the two clubs have become used to in their League meetings. Thanks to a
superb century from Terry Hunte and an unbeaten 55 from Chris Lord, the visitors
had overs to spare as they moved to a nine-wicket win.
Their Quarter Final opponents turned out to be Westhoughton, who had registered
early wins against Orrell and Stalybridge, followed by a King-inspired victory
at Skelmersdale. With a place in the last four the reward, this promised to be a
classic, and it was! Westhoughton batted first and totalled just over 170 after
having looked set for a 200-plus score at one stage. Hunte again proved the man
for the occasion, hitting another half-century, but in the end it was an
Eccleshare boundary from the first ball of the last over which settled the
matter. Once again Westhoughton had to accept an important defeat right on the
post, and once again they did so with an outward grace which was to be admired.
Now only Wigan stood between Social Circle and a first appearance at Old
Trafford. Once again Circle's opponents batted first, and the home side's
bowling and general out-cricket were of such a high order that, by teatime,
Wigan had only mustered 144 for 7. And yet when the Circle innings had subsided
to 41 for4 the oddsagainsta Final place must have lengthened dramatically. At
this point the two West Indians began to dig in, and when Hunte was dismissed
after yet another telling contribution to the cup run, 76 match-winning runs had
been added. Paul Eckersley and Estwick applied the coup-de-grace, and I an
Edwards' side had become the fifth Bolton League club to reach the Lancs Final.
Fleetwood were their opponents and, for the fourth consecutive occasion, the
local side, by accident or design, fielded first. After an excellent start, the
seaside club lost its way, and was suddenly floundering at 87 for 5 thanks to
Phil Eccleshare's three quick wickets. But that was the last time in the game
that hope beckoned to Circle, and from then on in, it was Fleetwood all the way.
The local team's batting let them down in the face of a score of 165, and when
the last wicket went down they were some 60 runs adrift. But it had been a
noteworthy achievement, and one in which the League as a whole could take pride.
Tonge, Little Lever, Westhoughton, and the eventual winners, Astley Bridge, mere
the four clubs who won through to the Jubilee Finals day. Westhoughton's
comfortable semi-final victoryover Tonge was notable for Steve Burnage's
97,possiblya record score in this competition. Astley Bridge had previously
ended the hopes of the host club, and went on to beat Westhoughton in the Final
in spite of a half-century from Nigel Heaton. The fact that the match was only
decided on the last ball was just about par for the course for Westhoughton! For
Ray Eccleshare's side the triumph was a repeat of their success in 1977, the
very first year of the competition. Once again everyone's thanks are due to the
Little Lever club for the willingness and efficiency with which this Finals day
is invariably handled.
Tonge won the Townson Trophy for the second time in three years, beating
Greenmount fairly comfortably in the Final. They went on to beat favourites
Lancaster and then Mottram, before going out in the North West Final to Oldham.
Our thanks are also due to the Townson Group for their continued support of this
competition, as they are, of course, to our main sponsors, the Georgian House
Hotel, who have always been considerate to a fault, and who have promised to
carry their backing of the League into 1987.
This last paragraph is always the most difficult to write. How does one
continue, year in and year out, to say thank you to all those people who work so
selflessly on the League's behalf, without making it read like an annual
platitude. The answer is, of course, that no matter how trite and repetitive it
may sound, it is, each year, heartfelt and most genuine, whether it be addressed
to ladies, umpires, groundsmen, coaches junior team-managers, club officials, or
any of the other thousand and one people whose abiding interest lies in the
furtherance of Bolton League cricket. May I personally say thank you to everyone
who has helped to make the last fourteen years so rewarding for me. There have
been countless good times, a few worries, and, here and there, a couple of
sleepless nights, but, most importantly, a lot of new friendships and,
hopefully, no lasting enemies! My success or is a natural for the job of League
Secretary. All that he needs to make a real success of it is the unstinting
support which I have always felt that I received from all fourteen clubs. For
that, my thanks to all of you.