Chairman's Report - 1990

Ray Taylor (March 1991)

Whilst last season was a disappointing one for the Under 18 inter-league team, suffering a first round defeat against the Northern League, despite good performances from Farnworth SC's Dean Eckersley and Bradshaw's Glen Crompton, the Under 15 team won the Michael Roche trophy. This was the first time the Under 15s had won the Lancashire Youth Inter League Trophy since a hat-trick of wins in the mid 80s. All three rounds were won with some ease, the final by seven wickets, at Old Trafford.

The Under 18s championship was taken by Bradshaw, who only once all season looked in danger of losing a match. Eagley finished runners-up. The Jake Tatlock K.O. trophy was also won by Bradshaw, following a comfortable victory against Tonge, for whom David Barlow took six wickets and scored a half century. Bradshaw's Mike Ward was made Man of the Match. It was perhaps not surprising that Bradshaw did so well at this level, as eight of them had played in the club's first team, Glen Crompton, Craig and Nigel Duxbury, Steven Foster, Ian Kelly, Wayne Luntley, Scott Walters and Michael Ward. With one exception all had represented the county. Other clubs too had players in regular senior cricket: Martin Seddon and Stuart Leigh at Eagley, John Bayliss at Farnworth, Dean Eckersley and Michael Ashworth, who had an outstanding junior season, at Farnworth SC, Scott Woods at Horwich, Steven Davies and Chris Pellow at Kearsley, Jason Bangbala and Jason Kerr at Tonge, Gary Neville at Greenmount, and Andrew Forshaw at Westhoughton.

Heaton particularly deserved the Under 15 championship as they very sportingly agreed to re-arrange their last match of the season against close rivals Egerton, as the latter had a large proportion of their team involved in the under 13 national finals. For the champions, Mark Walker and Gary Prescott both had outstanding seasons. Runners-up Kearsley had two of the inter-league team, captain David Morris and Sean Singleton. Heaton were firm favourites to win the Mervyn Porter K.O. Trophy, however batting first, Walkden hammered almost 250 runs from their 25 overs with .Philip Wareing, inevitably Man of the Match, hitting 147 of these.

Heaton's reply was well in excess of one hundred, and would normally have been sufficient for victory.

Egerton, skippered by Paul Jackson, finished the season undefeated, winning the Ken Barrington Trophy in the National K.O. In such a good summer as 1990 it was a pity that the climax to the League title chase was ruined by the weather. On the last day of the season, Heaton, who were one point ahead of Egerton, by virtue of having one less abandoned match, were due to play them in what was virtually a play-off for the title. In the event the whole programme was washed out. It was a different story in the Harrison Cup K.O. where Egerton demonstrated their all round team quality by easily disposing of Astley Bridge in the final. If this sounds harsh it should be remembered that Egerton experienced overwhelming victories against all local teams, and against many of the other County winners in the National finals. It is impossible to compare Under 13 eighta-side cricket with "normal" cricket of say 50 overs per innings, but to give an indication of Egerton's local dominance, you would have to imagine a team winning every game by 100 to 250 runs. Egerton provided more than half the team that defeated the Bolton Association in the Ted Gerrard Trophy match.

During 1990 the following players represented the County or Lancashire Schools:

Under 18: Wayne Luntley, Michael Ward (Bradshaw); Dean Eckersley (Farnworth SC); Darren Foy, Andrew Wilhams (Greenmount); John Rattledge (Kearsley); Andrew Forshaw (Westhoughton).

Under 16: Wayne Luntley, John Ratledge and Jason Kerr (Tongs).

Under 15: Craig Duxbury, fan Kelly (Bradshaw); Gary and Philip Neville (Greenmount).

Under 14: Philip Neville and Greg Clough. (Westhoughton).

Under 13: Philip Neville and Anthony Clegg (Egerton).

Finally, thanks once again to all team managers and coaches, who have not only produced some very good players, but have also played their part in ensuring a junior disciplinary committee was unnecessary. Thanks also to the club's groundsmen who have to prepare up to four wickets each week.

Clubs entering the L.C.A. Competitions should be aware of the following final dates:

Area winners: Under 13 June 17, Under 15 July 1.

Quarter Finals: Under 13 June 30, Under 15 July 14.

Semi Finals and Final: Under 13 July 6, Under 15 July 20.

EGERTON C.C U-13 N.C.A. CHAMPIONS 1990

In 1990, Egerton's U-13 team was undefeated in the local league and cup competitions but in winning the N.C.A. Ken Barrington Trophy the boys brought great distinction on themselves, the club and the Bolton League. They had emerged as clear champions from an initial field of over 900 clubs from England, Wales and Scotland and had done so through fifteen rounds of cricket.

A bye in round one and then victories over Astley Bridge and Bradshaw saw them defeat a St. Anne's side comprehensively, with excellent fielding and bowling in depth.

In the county semi-final at Old Trafford, Egerton again had a comfortable victory by 100 runs against Golbourne to bring them to a final against St. Helens's Recs. and a most extraordinary not to say controversial victory.

St. Helens, batting second, were largely in control of the game until their last pair committed hara-kiri. Ten runs ahead and only the last over to play out one player inexplicably charged Paul Stafford's bowling and was clean bowled. Four dot balls and it still looked all over with St. Helens 2 ahead. On the last ball, the player pushed it to the covers, momentarily waited and then ran to his partner, presumably for a victory hug. Andrew Wiggans, however, gathered the ball, ran in and then ran him out. The umpire's finger was raised and about 100 Egerton spectators went wild.

Ironically the next round, for the regional title, was at St. Helen's Recs. ground where Egerton comfortably beat the Staffordshire champions, Bridgnorth, before playing their finest game of the whole competition against Spondon of Derbyshire. Here Egerton had to chase a stiff total of 290 against a team which had recently been N.C.A. champions themselves. They had overhauled the total without losing a wicket by the penultimate over and then Paul Jackson relieved the pressure with a couple of sixes.

So Egerton went to the finals at Sherborne School, Dorset, as North West Champions.

Now the competition became a "round-robin" affair with seven games over four days. Despite not playing at their best, Egerton defeated Beverley and Notts Casuals before yet another thriller against Cheltenham, another team which had previously won this N.C.A. trophy. Egerton's newest and youngest player, nine-year-old Nazir Rajah, produced an all-bowled hat-trick to give Egerton another last ball victory.

Benwell Hill were defeated and then the crunch game against the only other team undefeated at that stage, Ardleigh Green of Essex, who had spent the week revelling in their ridicule of Boltonian accents. They were silenced by another excellent Egerton victory by over 100 runs in which Andrew Wiggans 4 for 8 and Paul Jackson 33 runs inc. 3 sixes were leading performers.

The last match was, appropriately, a mini 'Yor of the Roses" versus BarnBley. Their 6ft 4in strike howler (who played for England U-14's) was very fast and was quite prepared to dig them in short. Nevertheless, Egerton saw him off and ran out as undeated champions, receiving their trophy from the widow of Ken Barrington.

Ten boys were used in all rounds, each one playing his part. The Egerton player of the tournament was, however, Stuart Hornby who bowled with admirable control and effect throughout the rounds. Nigel Barlow topped Egerton's batting list.

Credit should he given to team manager Roy Stafford and especially to Egerton's junior coach, Paul Tebay, for whom this represented a wonderful reward for four years' coaching commitment.

Team:

Paul Jackson, capt; Philip Hall, keeper; Paul Stafford; Anthony Clegg; Andrew Wiggans; STuart Hornby; Nasir Rejab; Nigel Barlow; Richard Sharples; Michael Banton.