The twin curses of being both male and an avid follower of sport almost inevitably set one on course for a life of hopeless and incurable self-delusion, divorced from any semblance of rationality.
From our first teenage pints, a cheery smile and civil word from a barmaid computed as “you’re in here,” while the instant we picked up a battered acoustic guitar we were convinced we’d be belting out Born to Run to adoring hordes within a fortnight. The keys to our first rusty Ford Escorts? Merely a brief stepping stone to the Ferrari a few months of weekends and overtime would garner.
But nothing compares to the perennial misplaced and hopelessly inflated hopes we invest in our often underachieving football and cricket teams.
Many of you will know that as a long-suffering occasionally-but-not-often-rewarded Rovers fan I am a prolific user of football-related social media, that la-la land where heights of delusion and, quite frankly, sheer insanity are commonplace while mood swings and tantrums from blokes old enough to know better which would shame the most unhinged hormonal teenager proliferate.
However many dismal disappointments, vanquished hopes and failed and crushing campaigns we endure, a win and a draw in August convinces all and sundry that promotion is assured while a defeat anywhere anytime is enough to herald perceived impending doom and cries to sack the coach. Even lying 14th in January 15 points adrift of sixth place we tell ourselves that ‘there’s always one team hits form and comes from the pack.” It’s almost touching how pitifully we cling to the faintest chance of something positive occurring.
And how swiftly we take the slightest reverse as a harbinger of the end of the world.
I like to think we cricket buffs are a little more savvy and realistic. No amount of Key/Baz hyperbole really convinced anyone that winter mornings would be anything other than a chastening ordeal, waking to cold, dark news of Ashes humiliation.
We Lancashire CC fans are a realistic bunch who abide by the maxim “expect beggar all and at least you won’t end up disappointed.”
And us league cricket followers will conjure up reasons to be pessimistic all winter. “Such and such a body are after a couple of ours and paying a hundred quid a game.” The only surprise is it’s not gone up since about 1985.
So I was shocked, touched and in a little way heartened when I received a reply to a Sunday night tweet heralding a second successive win of this fledgling campaign which mentioned “Accrington” and “promotion” in the 246 words now permitted on X - and even used the remaining 244 to identify Nelson as likely co-challengers with upcoming clashes between the two decisive!
Nothing wrong with that and far be it from me to pour cold water on anyone’s enthusiasm but I think there will be far sterner tests ahead for Jacob Clarke’s team. Rawtenstall were poor on opening day (winners on Sunday last, mind, beating derby rivals Bacup) and Great Harwood were expertly smothered before they could crank into anything like gear last Sunday as the sun at last properly came out on the 2026 season.
Jacob is certainly leading from the front with four more wickets to take his tally into double figures and his smart catch at cover to remove dangerous Harwood pro Da Silva was probably the pivotal moment of the match early on.
Catches are largely sticking where they weren’t last season and while it’s early days, the new acquisitions have given the side more of a look of being a bona fide competitive cricket team.
In fairness, a few amateurs stepped up late on last season and the club have now won four on the bounce. During that run professional Jurie Snyman has only really had to bat twice (once coming in with two needed) with 33 his biggest contribution in that quartet of wins.
It was inconceivable a year ago that we’d win games without major innings from the South African. When he was fourth out with 14 needed on Sunday there was no panic - but there might have been in seasons past. A quizzical look at the edge of his bat after Stuart Maher snapped up a fine slip catch and he walked off to leave Emile Haratbar, with a stylish cameo, and Sam Molloy to bring it home.
Last season we were losing games Jurie got tons in. You get the feeling there will be big runs from him to come but that we are not as exclusively dependent on them and not as likely to be outgunned.
He was still able to provide another of the game’s champagne moments to brilliantly run out and totally shock Harwood’s most durable batsman Matt Oddie, stepping out momentarily to turn for an improbable second, and his parsimonious spell kept their progress somewhat funereal but all of the six bowlers (with capable Ali Hasham unused) were economical.
Johnny Dack and Sneds again brooked no nonsense in getting off to a flyer. It won’t always come off but it does no harm to impose yourself from the get-go.
Jacob will want to play a bigger part with the bat than he has on these twin wins but you won’t see many more stylish 8s
I have no idea what configuration the lower order will assume yet but whoever is batting eight or nine, even ten and Jack when the time comes there are no mugs in this line-up.
Sunday’s opponents Church have lost both games so far but have scored decent runs and competed well in both so no quarter should be expected when the old firm met at the WECG.
Church wil be well backed and their partisan followers in no mood to lose to the old enemy. Their supporters though will have noted old boy Levi Wolfenden’s incredible all-round performance (141 out of a 193 total along with 4 wickets) in a losing cause against Morecambe as Whalley make their was in the Northern League set-up.
If he is to return to Church in the immediate future it would almost certainly have to be as pro and at far more than £100 a time, but I imagine his admirers are growing in numbers.
Not sure how many are on Church at 11.30am when I get there but I might get- booed to my seat in the old stand where the scorers sit.In all seriousness I can’t wait to see my many old friends there.
Hopefully we won’t have the misfortune to have the scoreboard completely pack upon us as it did during the Ribb Wanderers v Cherry Tree game on Saturday.
Just as a great game was boiling up to an exciting finish the electronic digital display board decided to fuse. The home scorer, a youn lad of about 14, was totally unflostered and kept his cool as all and sundry flapped and panicked about the place.
At one point Cherry Tree batsman and one-time chairman Dan Logan - padded up - was stood outside hoisingup old wooden numbers to update the score.
Thankfully an extension lead was located and power restored in time to record a thrilling denouement to the game- veteran Logan and equally seasoned last-wicket partner Andreas Sudnik needing 13 off the last over to winhittled it down to 3 of the final delivery - which Jordan Britcliffe speared past the stood-up keeper for 4 winning byes!
A great win and great moments for two lads playing for the club in the 1990s!
Perhaps even that wasn’t the toughest gig for a scorer last week. My ld matesthe Preston Royals, a team I occasionally umpire largely comprised of Anglo-Indian guys, won a Boddingtons League midweek match with 42 taken from one 12-ball over which comprised 5 no-balls (with tendant free-hits) and a wide. They went from 59 for 4 to 101 for 6 during that over as one bat had to retire at 25 and another was actually bowled.
Thank heavens I wasn’t scoring or umpiring that.
Quiz. Last week’s answer was Scott Greaves, ex-Rishton and Accrington and very briefly, Immanuel where I scored I think a friendly he played in.
This week Twenty years ago in 1986 Accrington won a high scoring game at WECG against Church By three runs after posting 222 for six. Which Oldham-born opener scored 72, his only league 50 in 100 games for two Lancashire League clubs.
