On June 11th, 1978, I faced a couple of dilemmas.
A first-year English Literature student at Lancaster University, I’d effectively ‘dropped out” at the start of the summer term, hadn’t attended a single lecture or seminar and spent every weekend back at home in Cherry Tree.
I had a steady girlfriend getting rapidly cheesed off with my drifting lifestyle back home, no interest in my studies and frankly no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
One thing I was certain about that Saturday morning though was that I wanted to be at Bent Gate cricket ground, Haslingden by 2pm, watching East Lancs and my new sporting hero, Allan Robert Border. (Unbelievably matches of 34 eight-ball overs began at that time and finished by 7.35pm).
In a slightly unfortunate twist, however, the Uni authorities had scheduled an English Lit exam for 11am on Saturday morning, a piece of planning I still cannot explain or comprehend 48 years later.
Now you may think that should have been no problem to an undergraduate who had spent most afternoons since April getting drunk in Glasson Dock and avoiding correspondence from tutors, but there was a catch.
To avoid having to pay your hefty student grant cheque from those halcyon days back, you had to at least complete your exams.
I went in, signed the papers, wrote some rubbish for the stipulated minimum half an hour then walked out feigning illness, ran to the bus stop on the main road and hopped on a bus to Preston where my dad, oblivious to my dissolute ways, picked me up for the drive over Grane Road after picking my Grandad Matt up.
Border made 92, his highest score to date in the league, East Lancs won and Hassy pro John Dyson gave his wicket away to avoid an embarrassing collection on 49 after a slow innings derided by both sets of spectators only topped in forgettableness by his century in the legendary ‘Botham’s Ashes” 1981 Headingly Test.
Dyson top scored in the second innings of that too but the only thing anyone remembers about his involvement is the video clip of him getting caught behind by Bob Taylor off a rampaging Willis from a mistimed hook which big barmy Bob was far too quick and zoned-out to allow at that stage.
Border made 8 and 0 in that Test which I, my dad and a host of my then new pals from Church (it was my first season there) attended, a double failure which I was personally crushed about but the curmudgeonly little left-hander was already writing his own legend by then and his eventual standing as an all-time great still allows me and my Dad to congratulate ourselves on making our minds up early in April 1978 that we were in the presence of something special.
It was almost as if we had discovered him and nurtured his career. We hadn’t of course, but we knew he was a good ‘un.
The girlfriend - whose 19th birthday it was on 11/6/1978 - understandably dumped me soon after I’d opted to watch cricket rather than spend it with her.
But the rest of the summer of 1978 was spent watching Australia’s Captain Grumpy-to-be break the East Lancs batting record with three or four tons to top the score at Bent Gate that afternoon.
The reason I’m relating this tale is that I felt a few of the same emotions when I first watched Accrington pro Jurie Snyman.
Jurie made 92 not out against Rawtenstall on one of the first occasions I was asked to score for the firsts. I told my dad he excited me like AB did the way he played.
Watching cricket these days isn’t keeping me from important studies or causing relationships to go awry and I happily have, I think, my priorities rather better sorted than had the teenage idiot of 1978.
But I get all the sort of feelings watching Accrington’s current pro that I did watching Border when he and I were both young men.
As the young folks say, when he hits his stride, it’s a case of: “inject it into my veins.”
I’ve seen a lot of outstanding bats for the teams I’ve watched and scored for - Border at East Lancs, Graham Smith, Matthew Mott, Mark Higgs and Greg Mail at Church, Peter Gardener at Immanuel as well as talented and explosive local lads such as Russ Whalley and Roger Watson.
All of them were players I loved to watch and felt a sinking feeling when they were out.
But it’s a long time since my weeks have been spent counting the days down to the next match. It’s a bit like watching Rovers was when Alan Shearer was in his pomp.
All cricketers have and must live with their failures and Jurie went into Sunday’s derby against Rishton - a vital and important game - knowing that many would perhaps be wondering if Accy’s bubble had burst after two defeats in which he’d made low scores (Three if you count T20).
And a Rishton target of 211 was a challenging chase on an afternoon which had seen early cloud cover disperse and the inserted visitors’ top-order perform well.
Bowling figures don’t always convey how well a player has performed like batting stats do and I reckon Simon Hanson’s spell of one for 39 from 13 overs was key in restricting Rishton from compiling more. He was considerably better than the numbers suggest.
Graham Sneddon collected three catches and all the amateur bowlers struck at vital times to leave old boy Kieran Grimshaw a little restrained and stranded on 45 not out as wickets fell.
With Accrington two wickets down early it was becoming a big day for the home pro. He found a superb ally in Johnny Dack -what a good acquisition he’s proving - and Jurie dug in in that patient way which, as overs go by, suggest that he’s ready to unfurl the big shots.
It wasn’t ever a sixth-gear all-out blitz but an increasingly assured and reassuring occupation of the crease chipping away at the target and stepping up the tempo as the situation required.
When Jonny became the third opener of the day to unluckily miss out on a 50 after a sparking 129 partnership, Emile Haratbar picked up the momentum so well that it seemed he may deny Jurie, motoring now, a 100 by batting so well himself.
Not so though. Sometimes it seems almost pre-destined that the numbers will tally and with three needed to win, Jurie on 94 and Grimmy bowling determinedly he pitched one marginally too far in the slot and saw it disappear into the fields behind the sightscreen at the pavilion end.
I was so delighted in the moment of victory I clean forgot to alter the scoreboard so Jurie walked off with 94 still showing but the cheers of the crowd reassured me nobody really cared or noticed.
It was century number eight in the league for Snyman, eleven in all (three in T20) equalling the overall record of C B Llewellyn (previously discussed in this column) who of course did not play T20 and remains the record holder in league matches. Oddly, neither yet has a Worsley Cup ton.
People talk about ‘statement wins’ and this was one but there is no time for self-congratulation as Sunday brings another big game away to new leaders Nelson.
Before that there’s a Friday night T20 at, would you believe, yes, Nelson, after we lost last Friday’s opener at home to Burnley.
My other games last weekend gave me an opportunity to watch another couple of Hyndburn sides a bit like I used to try to in my Observer reporting years, although a search of the archives might reveal a strangely disproportionate number of visits to games involving Church or Immanuel.
My Cherry Tree team won at Baxenden on Friday which was particularly pleasing as the Baxenden team contains three lads who left Cherry last winter. It was a young Cherry Tree side on the night with all five 40-somethings who played in the league game a fortnight ago missing this one.
It was a low-scoring thriller with a last-ball finish as Cherry Tree overseas amateur Hudson Walshaw cut the final ball for two to record his maiden 50 for the club.
The two teams meet again at Back Lane on Sunday. It was lovely to see Zac Bannan at Back Lane on a visit home. Like Bash scorer Max, one-time Second Xi skipper Zac who used to come coaching kids at the Penwortham School I work at, is a keen Roverite who now has genuine reason to avoid games as he lives and works abroad
On Saturday I found myself at Atherton again for the second time in three weeks (I’d never been previously) as Immanuel went down to a defeat.
There were some encouraging signs for the New Lane men - overseas Tyler Evans and pro Imran Abid bowled well and Abbas Ahmad, with 44, further enhanced his standing as a reliable bat following his move from Accrington.
A mention too for Church who got a first win of the season against East Lancs. Veterans Craig Fergusson and Andrew Bentley were the star men. Along with Phil Gilrane, they are the stalwarts gamely attempting to give Church’s largely new young side a prop up.
I played with all three of their dads and remember all three being born in the early 1980s. The years roll by.
After four days scoring on the run - I did a Lancs Girls game at Fleetwood Hesketh (in Southport, curiously) on Thursday, I’m up in Scotland this week but back for weekend.
I should have brought a copy of Malcolm Lowry’s ‘Under The Volcano” the novel I’d singularly failed to read before that 1978 exam and still haven’t read. I failed of course (I answered a question on “Moby Dick” instead, which I also hadn't read but had seen the film) but at least didn’t have to repay the grant money I’d spent on punk singles in Lancaster’s Ear-Ere Records and beer in Pendle College Bar.
I may not be as cultured as I should have been, but hey, I’ve seen Allan Border and Jurie Snyman bat so who cares?
Quiz - last week’s answer - Adrian Varley
This week - Graeme Sneddon’s three catches took him to within 11 of Accrington’s all-time record catcher in league games - can you name him?
