By Peter Stafford (March 1988) Back
THROUGHOUT the history of league cricket, it has long been the opinion of
those who claim to know, that success comes most readily to those clubs wise
enough, fortunate enough, or just plain wealthy enough to be able to employ the
"name" bowling professional. And if ever they needed to be proved right, then
surely the Bolton League's 1987 season provided the final vindication. Five
clubs dorninated the League Championship. Greenmount, Astley Bridge, Tonge (who
also won the Hamer Cup), Kearsley, and, ofcourse, champions Farnworth Social
Circle, who, incredibly, managed to better their 1986 performand was runners-up
in both League Championship and Greenall-Whitley Trophy. These clubs' five
professionals were the League's five leading wicket-takers, averaging 85 wickets
apiece whilst, at the same time, totalling between them over 4,000 runs. Hardly
surprising, then, that most of the league tables published during the season
showed the eventual champions and Greenmount battling it out for top spot with
Tonge and Astley Bridge never very far behind. A poor start for Kearsley meant
that they spent most of the first halfof the season, uncharacteristically, in
the lower halfof the table. But thena superb bout ofform from Phi] Simmons which
included four centuries in six innings assured them of their customary place in
next year's Lancashire Knock-Out along with their four rivals. Each of the main
contenders was capable of taking the title, but in the end, during the most
important weekend in the Piggott Park club's history, it was Farnworth Social
Circle who clinched the championship after an enthralling contest with
Greenmount, who had gone into the game with a one-point lead.
Op the opening day of the season in an amazing match against Tonge, it had been
Rod Estwick who had won the day almost single-handedly and now, in his final
league appearance for the club, it was the Circle professional who,
appropriately, steered his team to success. Greenmount batted first, and an
opening stand of 82 between Martin Kelly and the hugely-promising Andy Wiliams
must have given the visitors a lot of hope. But then Ian Nuttall was introduced
into the attack, and he it was who took the first all-important wicket.
Stephenson was tragically run out. Estwick began to fire on all cylinders and,
with Nuttall still bowling a beautiful line and length, Greenmount started to
falter. Eventually their45-overinnings ended on 1,43 for 8, and much depended on
an early breakthrough from Stephenson. The fact that it never came was due in
the main to a determined start to the Circle innings by Ian Edwards and Chris
Lord. Sandiford continued the good work, but when he, Hayes and Bradshaw all
went quickly, victims of Dave Mason, Greenmount began to see the glimmer of a
chance. Had Estwick gone at that stage, things could have ended very
differently. But as Franklyn sat tight, the professional began to take control,
and, with twenty three balls ofthe season remaining, a boundary from the bowling
of his Barbadian counterpart signalled the end of Greenmount's challenge. Yet
again the Brandlesholme Road club had to settle for second best, and a peculiar
brand of irony was provided as League Secretary and Greenmount batsman Neville
Neville handed over the Warburton Cup to his opponents ofthe day. He paid
wellearned tribute to the two professionals involved in the game. Franklyn
Stephenson's 93 wickets and 884 runs had lifted his side from thirteenth
position to runners-up, and were ultimately to be rewarded with the
Professional's Prize, whilst Rod Estwick's 684 and 94 brought his runs and
wickets total during a three-year stay at Social Circle to 1,419 and a
staggering 325 wickets. One must feel a certain amount of sympathy for his
successor! Vic Sandiford broke the League's amateur batting record with 1,094
runs, and if his bowling was not quite so productive, as in his previous year at
the club, then it was hardly noticed as Ian Nuttall bowled so consistently over
the season to claim 55 cheap wickets. Lord, Eckersley, Edwards and Hayes each
played important innings in support of the two West Indians, Eckersley
never-more so than on the day following the championship success. But that's
another story . . .
Kearsley's Phil Simmons, soon to become a Test opening batsman, and Collis King
over at Westhoughton, each broke his club's professional batting record with a
four-figure haul, whilst Tonge's Manoj Prabbaker would almost certainly have
joined them had he not opted to make the now habitual early return to India
after having hit 938 runs to add to his 83 wickets. His compatriot, Raman of
Little Lever, joined him in premature departure after a moderate season, and
these actions by the Indian professionals, following on so soon after those of
Sharma, Vengsarkar and Amarnath in 1985, left a sour taste, not to mention
unnecessary and painful problems for clubs and League alike. Tucker and Powell
produced good all-round cricket for Farnworth and Eagley, but the figures of
Shastri, Patel, Hayes and Blackburn were never going to be good enough to
elevate their respective sides to the honours list. The signing of Hartley
Alleyne by Heaton was much-acclaimed, but, in the event, 56 wickets at 23's must
be accounted as a failure. His progress for his new club, Kent, will be watched
with interest, to put it mildly!
On the other hand, Keith Eccleshare proved yet again thatthe local signingcan be
both wise and productive. His 86 cheap wickets took his aggregate since
rejoining Astley Bridge to 322 in three years at an average ofjust over twelve.
Egerton's Paul Tebay was righly adjudged "Amateur Player of the Year" by his
fellow cricketers.983 runs in any season constitutes, in League cricket, a
remarkable feat. To have produced such figures against such a high standard of
professional bowling, and in such a rain-bedevilled season, was little short of
amazing. He hit four centuries, one more than any amateur before him, and he was
desperately unlucky to be denied an innings on the last day of the season, when
a paltry 17stood between him and his becoming the first-ever locally-born
batsmen to top the 1,000 run mark in a season. His team-mate at Egerton, lan
Taylor, took the League Bowling Prize with 61 wickets, and never before have the
two major awards been won by players from a club finishing the season in last
place. Other than Taylor and Nuttall, the only other amateur bowlers to top 50
wickets were Tonge's hardworking Australian Chris Owen, the scorers' nightmare
from Horwich and South Africa, Trzebiatowsky, and Eric Woods of Eagley. Little
Lever's batsmen Nigel Hallows, who played so well for the Inter-League side, and
Peter Barclay, whose unbeaten 150 against Heaton was the season's highest, each
went over the 700 mark, as did Nigel Heaton of Westhoughton, whose batting has
been attracting a lot of attention above the level of League cricket. Walkden's
place in the top half of the table owed a lot to their two young batsmen Paul
Berry and the fast-rising David Smith, who added 34 wickets to his near-600
runs.
Greenmount's David Mason, a fine fielder anywhere, won the League's catching
prize, whilst yet again Gordon Gregson and Karl Krikken showed that both
experience and the agility of youth are necessary ingredients in the art of
keeping wicket. Gregson topped the list but Krikken, by dint offewerCup victims,
took the League Prize for the third consecutive year, the first such outright
hat-trick since the days ofJohn Gradwell at Farnworth in the mid-fifties.
Cricket at second team level was dominated by Bradshaw, Greenmount and Tonge.
The first two played off for the League Championship, a match which resulted in
Bradshaw's fifth Howarth Cup success in the past twelve years. A real
nail-biter, this, with Bradshaw's last pair at the wicket at the moment of
victory, leaving Greenmount to pick up yet another runners-up award, and to
reflect ruefully on a couple of vital chances that went begging as the game
reached its climax. Tonge won the Birtwistle Cup rather more easily at the
expense of Eagley, bowling out the home side for 115, twenty six runs short of
the target. Heath, Clarke and Blinkhorn were Tonge's successful bowlers, whilst
Steve Powers produced a fine all-round effort for the Dunscar side.
Greenmount's Philip Heaton won the second team Batting Prize, whilst two players
with a lot of Bolton League experience took those for bowling and wicketkeeping.
Horwich's Kevin Hart was the year's outstanding bowler, with Kearsley's
wicket-keeper, Geoff Aldersley repeating his success of 1975.
Each of last year's finalists was drawn away from home for a Hamer Cup first
round which was favoured by the weather, something to savour in 1987. Both
survived, although Westhoughton not without a palpitation or two at Eagley. At
one stage Westhoughton appeared to be on for a record score as Graham Hill, King
and Heaton piled on the early runs. But good out-cricket from Eagley restricted
the score to 231 for 7, and a fine opening stand from Graham Firth and Ian
Wilcox put their side back into the tie. The momentum was kept up, but the loss
of wickets at crucial stages left Eagley 17 runs short at the end, in spiteofan
excellent unbeaten 40 from Mike Mitchell. Kearsley won at a canter over Horwich,
whilst Tonge enjoyed a weekend that Farnworth would not wish me to dwell on! In
the previous day's league game at Tonge the visitors had been bowled out for 55,
and when the two sides moved to Bridgeman Park for the cup-tie, Farnworth went
down by ten wickets, after Rod Tucker had been largely responsible for a total
of 160. Prabhaker led the waywith an undefeated hundred, with Mike Rogers left
one short of the half-century. Hayes and Sandiford played well for Social Circle
in the defeat of Walkden, an excellent all-round performance by Franklyn
Stephenson saw off Heaton inspite of a Ronnie Irani 50 and, at Egerton, the home
team fell to Little Lever after Murtagh and Paul Tebay had put them in control
at one point.
For Round Two, the weather reverted to itsmore normal 1987form,and onlyone tie
was decided on one of the wettest Sundays of the year. This was at Westhoughton,
where conditions lived up to their reputation as being rather different there
from elsewhere in the League. Clive Varley and skipper Simon Anderton hit
half-centuries in Little Lever's 228 for 7, a total which proved 76 too many for
the home side. John Bacon took 5 for 60, and the only real stand of the innings,
that between wicketkeeper Jones and lain Hill, came far too late. Bradshaw's
deputy professional, John Abrahams, scored 61 of their 175 against Social
Circle, and with Circle's reply standing on 69 for 2 when the rains finally
washed things out, a close finish seemed on the cards. But when the game
resumed, Bradshaw's fielding went from bad to worse, and with seven balls
remaining Sandiford (a rather fortunate 73) and Estwick (37) saw the Farnworth
side home. Kearsley, who had contained Astley Bridge to 153 the previous day,
had ten overs to spare as Simmons repeated his match-winning innings of the
previous year against the Bridge, this time with the help of Rod Sparrow, who
hit exactly 50. In the remaining tie Greenmount looked to be on for a semi-final
place when their score reached 99 for 2 in reply to Tonge's 209, but something
of a collapse, after good work from Kay and Kelly, saw them subside to 177 all
out. In this game Prabhaker had arrived at within a run of Garfield Sobers'
Hamer Cup individual score for a professional when he was bowled by Stephenson
for 14 1.
Yet again the rain wreaked havoc with the semi-final stages. The two sides
destined to meet in the Final were both drawn at home, Little Lever to Kearsley
andTonge to Farnworth Social Circle. Nigel Hallows hit the day's only 50 as
Little Lever used up 41 of their overs in scoring 139 for 2, whilst at Tonge a
little more progress was made with the home team completing its innings. 161 for
8 looked useful, certainly not impregnable, with a late 29 from Steve Vose and
27 extras comprising most of the odd 6 1. In the event, however, those odd 61
were surplus to requirements as Social Circle crashed out on the following
evening for 86. Again Prabhaker was largely responsible for his team's progress,
taking 6 for 36 with only Lord, Bradshaw and Eckersley reaching double figures
as Tonge qualified for a Final for the sixth time.
Further progress had been made, meanwhile, at Little Lever, whose innings had
ended on 176 after seven further wickets had fallen for only 36 during those
last nine overs. Kearsley had replied with 76 for 2 of which Simmons, still in,
had made 39. When the tie was resumed on the final evening, and the score had
moved along to 124 for 2, Kearsley appeared to be cruising into the Final. But
when Lavelle went for 24 and the professional followed shortly afterwards for a
fine 67, Raman ran through the remainder of the batting to finish with 7 for 52
as Kearsley were bowled out 14 runs short of their objective. So it was to be
Tonge versus Little Lever, at Kearsley, a re-run of the 1974 Final at
Westhoughton from which Tonge emerged triumphant by 67 runs.
And so they did again, and by much the same margin. Once again they owed much to
Prabhaker who, with Mike Rogers, gave them the kind of start that a side dreams
about in an important match. Between them, the pair scored 130, and, if the
remainder of the innings faded somewhat, 196 was still something of a daunting
target., Little Levees reply came as something of an anti-climax. Twenty eight
came from the first eleven overs, but the dismissals of Hallows and Barclay soon
afterwards were body blows. Raman's innings was, frankly, incomprehensible. He
spent an hour over his first eight runs and then, with the tie out of his side's
reach, went to fifty with a stream of fine shots which, had they come a little
earlier could have given Dave Wallwork and his bowlers a thing or two to worry
about. As it was, the innings fizzled out at 122, and yet nothing should be
taken away from Tonge's Chris Owen, who, with Prabhaker, bowled unchanged and
took 6 for 54. Prabhaker's contribution during Tonge's cup run was incalculable.
In the four matches he hit 335 runs and took 16 wickets. To put it mildly, a
telling factor!
The Hamer and Birtwistle Cup wins were not the end of Tonge's successes in 1987,
however. In January, six members of the first team retained the Indoor Trophy,
but, sadly, made little progress in its later stages. Now the years of the
Townson Trophy have come to an end, and next year's competition will be under
the sponsorship of Anthony Axford Ltd, the Farnworth timber merchants. The
Axford family has had strong, Bolton League ties for several years now, and our
thanks are due to them for this hew venture, just as they are equally due to
Townson's for the generous part they have played over the past ten years. The
Inter-League side enjoyed mixed fortunes in 1987. At the outset of the season
Brian Wallwork was selected to succeed Roland Gee as skipper, and his first task
was to guide his team through Round One of the Lancashire Inter-League Trophy at
Heaton. the Central Lancashire League provided the opposition, and yet again the
weather turned its back on us. The tie was rescued by the combination of a great
deal of hard work, the water-removing machine and the artificial wicket. That
the League came through was thanks largely to Nigel Hallows' fine unbeaten 6 1,
together with superb bowling and fielding under intolerable conditions. The rain
remained for the inaugural match in a new series of games against the Manchester
Association. Played at Green Lane, the event was programmed as a full day
affair. This was rendered an impossibility by the weather, though, and
eventually, a shortened version was made possible which was won comfortably by
the League by an eight wicket margin. After Iain Hill had been the pick of the
bowlers, the Association's 15 1 was overhauled by Paul Tebay (32), Nigel Heaton
(43 not out), and Man-of-the-Match Wayne Harper, who was still there at the end
unbeaten on 70.
Tonge provided the venue for the Inter-League semi-final, and once again, Nigel
Hallows played the leading role. His 89 was the backbone of the innings,
wellsupported by Heaton, Price and Horriby, and the League's total of 248 always
looked to he too many for the North Lancashire League. In the end, the
difference was 85 runs, with Mick Skinner, lain Hill and Ian Taylor having
removed the opposition's early batsmen cheaply.
So far, so good - three wins out of three. But it all went horribly wrong over
August Bank Holiday weekend when, first, the Trinity Trophy was surrendered to
the Bolton Association on the Sunday, and then the Inter-League Final was lost
to the Saddleworth League the following day. The Trinity game was lost from a
seemingly impenetrable position when the Association's last pair came together
with 43 runs still needed. That Derek Page, the Barton Hall professional, hit
the 27 runs required from Collie King's last over of the match is history by
now, but the fact of the matter was that something in excess of50ought really to
have been the difference between the sides when that final over began. Keith
Eccleshare and Franklyn Stephenson had combined to take 6 for 39 from their
joint 20 overs, and Skinnerand Mason, neither of whom had proved expensive, had,
at the end, five overs left unbowled. The odd five overs had been entrusted to
Keith Hornby, whose total season's bowling fey his club, Tonge, comprised the
seven overs sent down the previous day! Earlier in the day Stephenson had hit 70
for the League. whilst the reliable Hallows had chalked up his third
Inter-League half-century of the season. They, along with Eccleshare, must have
found defeat hard to accept.
In the Lancashire Inter-League Final the following day, Hallows top-scored yet
again, his 36 being the best ofit team effort which produced a total of 165,
bolstered by a late flourish from the two Wallworks, wicket-keeper Tim and
skipper Brian. Skinner made considerable inroads into the Saddleworth order
which, together with a couple of wickets for Hill and another for Mason, left
thchome Leaguein dire straits at 53 for 5. Yet again, however, the League's
opponents managed to wriggle off the hook as Tornkinson, Gleave and Tyagi hit
off the necessary runs to win with six overs to spare, and to leave the Bolton
League's inter-league season somewhat in disarray after such a brightly
optimistic start.
For success outside the League's domestic competitions, then, we had to turn to
the Greenall-Whitley Trophy competition. Thanks to Farnworth Social Circle's.
appearance at Old Trafford the previous year, we had five representatives on
show in 1987. Two of them, Kearsley and Little Lever, sadly and surprisingly
went out at the first exit. Kearsley lost at Vickers SC by 27 runs, whilst
Little Lever managed to equal Vernons total of 196 for 6, but lost due to
havingconceded more wickets when Gordon Gregson was run out going for the
winning run from the tie's final delivery. Not, with nine wickets already down,
that he had any option.
Tonge enjoyed acomfortable win over Edenfield, then a rathermore narrow one at
Norley Hall, when a brilliant boundary catch by David Wallwork turned the game
his side's way. Runs from Rogers, Prabliaker, Bennison and Partington proved
enough to put aside the challenge of Widnes in Round Three, but in the
Quarter-Final they were comprehensively beaten, not by theiropponents, Dalton,
but rather by the weather, which dictated that Dalton, with nine wickets left,
should be asked to score 39 runs from eleven overs to claim a "run-rate"
victory.
Astley Bridge faced Barnoldswick in Round One. They contained the Ribblesdale.
League side to 100 for 6 from the 40 overs, after which an opening stand of 98
between Roy Marland and Keith Eccleshare made light of the task. The bowling
figures of the opposing professionals in this game made interesting reading.
David Halliwell, not unknown to Bolton League followers, took 2 for 5 from his
eight overs, whilst Eceleshare, for once wicketless, matched his opposite number
in all other details! Bridge's second outing saw them avenge Kearsley's defeat
as a result of their journey to Vickers, but sadly, so early in the competition,
this brought them face to face with Farnworth Social Circle for a meeting which
must surely have been one oft he finest in the whole competition.
Circle had arrived at Astley Bridge via Oddfellows CC, against whom a century
for Sandiford and fifties each for Lord and Estwick took them to 336 for 6, and
a sterner test at Fleetwood, where half-centuries from Sandiford and Ian Edwards
went a long way towards ensuring the 7-wicket win and revenge for last season's
events at Old Trafford.
The tie at Astley Bridge, not really one for bowlers to remember, provided a
large Bolton Holiday crowd with regal entertainment as 470 runs were scored for
the loss of nine wickets. Marland, John Bull, Ray Eccleshare and Karl Krikken
hit the bulk ofthe home team's 234 for 6, with Eccleshare racing to 46from
fourovers. Lord and Edwards began the reply with a superb century stand,
Sandiford and Estwick kept up the momentum, and Circle were there with twenty
balls still to be bowled. A memorable match, one which showed league cricket at
its best, and which would require the whole length of this article to do it full
justice!
After that, Circle deserved a game during which they could catch their breath a
little, and they got one against Little Lever's conquerors, Vernons, who were
overrun by 128 runs. Again Chris Lord starred, hitting 102 out ofa total of 196
for 9 and then, in an unaccustomed role as a bowler, finishing the game off with
3 for 11. Blackpool were Piggott Park's guests for the semi-final, and in this
tie Circle provided the first of two brilliant fielding performances which had
much to do with the eventual triumph. Blackpool were restricted to 165 for 8,
with Estwick and Nuttall sharing six of the wickets, after which scores in the
forties from the professional, Lord yet again and Paul Eckersley assured
Circle's passage into the Final for the second year in succession, with three
overs and five wickets remaining.
In the Final it was to be Dalton, winners over Littleborough in their
semi-final. Sadly, however, the weather destroyed yet another major match, and
Old Trafford had to be abandoned to the rain which had never stopped during the
fifteen overs from which Dalton had hit 60 for 1, only thirteen runs short ofthe
all-out score that awaited them in the replay seven days later. fan Edwards
thankfully won thetoss for choice of ground, and so the season reached its
climax at Piggott Park on Sunday, September 13, the day following that upon
which Social Circle had clinched their second League championship.
In its own way, the Final was equally as exciting and enthralling as the Astley
Bridge encounter, with the difference that here, on a rain-affected wicket, runs
were at something of a premium. All credit, then to Paul Eckersley, whose 36 was
the match-winner and should have taken the Man-of-the-Match Award. Vic Sandiford,
too, batted well, and at 70 for 2 after the first 18 overs, Circle seemed to be
well placed. But then came the collapse. Twenty-six runs later they were all
out, and the jubilant and chicken-counting Dalton supporters were celebrating a
victory which must have seemed to them even more assured when the Dalton score
had reached a fairly comfortable 41 for 1. But then Ian Nuttall was introduced
into the attack, a move which turned out to be the master-stroke. He bowled out
the two batsmen in occupation, and from then on in it was all Circle. A good
catch by Lord; fine, productive spells from Bradshaw and Craig; two more wickets
to an unplayable Estwick; two catches to David Hayes, one of them memorable;
and, finally, a moment of glory for Tony Daley, who had the last word. His
wicket left Circle winners by 23 runs with fourteen balls left for Dalton to
have scored then 24 runs necessary, a feat which was looking more and more
improbable even had they survived being bowled out, so well were Circle bowling
and fielding at this point. Their success was well-celebrated and well-earned.
If two of the ties along the way had been walkovers, then the other four more
than made up for them. The bowling rules of this competition do not allow for
professional one-man shows, and each member of the side had offered something of
great value in one or more of the ties. But the Final in particular was the kind
of win that needed cricketing character, and fan Edwards team, like those of Bob
Goslin in 1977 and Alan Lansdale in 1978, had brought a lot of honourable credit
to the Bolton League in this prestigious competition in 1987.
Two other local competitions must not pass unnoticed. In late-May six members of
Astley Bridge's first team won the Kirkby-Central Floodlit Competition at Grundy
Hill, home of Horwich FC. The Final was against Horwich themselves, and Marland
(50) and Bull (36) gave the Bridge a fine start as they moved to 120fromthe
twelve overs allowed. Greg Hayes, the Horwich professional, took up the
challenge, hitting 75 as the local team fought back. But when the last ball was
bowled with four runs needed for victory, a single leg-bye meant that Astley
Bridge had run out winners by two runs, an excellent ending to an excellent, if
sadly under-supported competition.
Ray Eccleshare's side also managed yet again to reach the Finals Day of the
Jubilee Trophy Competition, held at Little Lever on the same day as Circle's
triumph over Dalton. They beat Kearsley in one semi-final, whilst in the other,
the young Walkden side overhauled Horwich's all out score of 101. In a memorable
Final over 300runs were scored in less than forty overs. Walkden's total of
170forS constituted a new record for the competition, as did Paul Berry's
unbeaten 114. Bridge fought back gamely, but their challenge ended on 133, in
itself normally a winning score, but not on this remarkable day. As ever, the
day was beautifully stage-managed by the host club, who once again are deserving
of our thanks for, their efforts.
One of the more momentous events ofthe winter months has been a change in our
League sponsorship. We are immensely grateful to the directors of Georgian House
Hotel for their interest and support in recent seasons, and at the same time
look forward to a long, ha y and mutually-rewarding association with our new
sponsors, Fort Sterling Uld. We are particularly grateful to Peter Clinton of
Fort Sterling, and look forward to welcoming him and his colleagues to our
matches and events.
May 1 take this opportunity, on behalf of the League, to offer our
congratulations to our friends from the Bolton & District Cricket Association
upon their having reached one hundred years of existence. The spirit of
fellowship that is shared by our two Leagues is probably higher than ever
before. Their pride in being the oldest existing league in the county is
well-justified, and we hope that they enjoy a pleasant and memorable centenary
year.
Lastly, a general vote of thanks to everyone and anyone who helped to make 1987
a year to remember. Hopefully, in 1989, it might be possible to include the
weather-men in those thoughts!