Back home after a lovely anniversary weekend away it was inevitable a sense of melancholia would descend around me after recent happenings and ongoing family trials.
And the mood wasn’t completely lightened by both my teams going down to defeat on my return to scoring duties.
Cherry Tree’s defeat at Baxenden on Saturday was by my reckoning their sixth in succession in league and cup and their second at Back Lane this season so perhaps not quite a shock.
But Accrington lost at home to fellow promotion-chasers Crompton to surrender top spot in Lancashire League Division Two for now although a tremendously neighbourly victory by Great Harwood over third-placed Nelson enabled Jacob Clarke’s team to hang onto that vital second spot.
With six weekends of the season remaining and no double-headers, it’s half-a-dozen-cup-finals time for teams who have it all to play for and I noted with interest that when Accrington end their campaign at Rochdale on 13 September, Nelson play host to Crompton at Seedhill.
You can read Jacob’s thoughts on the club’s progress and Sunday’s defeat elsewhere in the issue but for me it was a risky business on a sun-kissed day inserting a team who bat as deep as Crompton do on winning the toss.
Accy have had some joy chasing this season but an uncharacteristically error-strewn afternoon in the field left them a mountain to climb and five minutes of madness towards the start of the reply left them still at base camp with three trusty sherpas departed.
For once, the man who regularly scales the heights effortlessly was unable to do so and when Jurie Snyman feathered Saif Ur-Rehman to the keeper it looked as if the ascent would be unlikely and so it proved.
Crompton’s attack is certainly built on experience - their five bowlers Rehman, Simon Wright, Shabnan Ali, Asif Fazal and Jaime King are 39, 45, 38, 35 and 34 respectively - but their round total of 250 at five an over was built on 77 from astonishingly mature 14-year-old opener Will Jackson who got them away in an opening stand of 66 with QEGS alumnus Saif Bhojani.
Simon Hanson, whose catch off Asad Khan finally removed Jackson, ought to have had visiting pro Mo Jamal snapped up at point for 14 but when he finally got him for 74 Jamal and Harry Dean had given the innings real impetus with a partnership of 68 in less than 10 overs.
A five for Dean with four overthrows typified some ragged work in the field as Crompton piled the runs up.
But as brain farts go that was nothing compared to chucking three wickets away in four balls after the Accrington reply had got to 30 without loss.
Sneds is always aggressive and was palpably leg before sweeping injudiciously but for the skipper (first ball) and Johnny Dack to hole out within seconds was fatal.
On the day I thought it was a case of immediately trying to reassert authority too bullishly and too soon after a blow without any real need to, although Jurie tried the opposite approach and played himself circumspectly in before wafting for the first time at one which did enough to find the edge.
Such was Crompton’s discipline and calm assurance that they weren't losing this one that even a chase for bonus points was futile although Emile and Simon shared a 71 stand for the seventh wicket and both enhanced their all-rounder status with splendid half-centuries.
The Accrington batting line -up is formidable these days but even a solitary point for the 200 mark proved elusive,
It looked a sombre dressing room as I chucked the book in and after the week I’d had I made my solemn way home without any attempt at an uplifting message.
Baxenden on Saturday was a difficult day. The brother and sister-in-law of my departed pal Eddie came up to Back Lane to see me and a couple of the other Church regulars were along as we consoled one another.
It’s been a strange week. I still half expected a text or two from my old mate on Sunday after Church won well at Rishton despite Kieran Grimshaw getting back in the runs.
It was actually a fabulous afternoon’s cricket at Baxenden. with Cherry Tree, who’ve struggled for runs of late, making 251 all out and the last pair adding 21 for Bash to chase them down with two balls to spare.
Four of Cherry Tree’s ex-Oswy Immanuel quintet, Min Bhada (23), Jon Baldwin (26), Kurt Smithson (32) and Seb Radler (47) helped swell the visitors’ total after being at various junctures 53 for four and 158 for seven but star man was Louis Strand, just back from an extended Australian trip, with a sparkling 72.
Former Accy man Ben Gorton looked like getting Bash home with some comfort despite the loss of of both ex-Cherry Elwood twins for single figures but when he departed for a brutal 90, Siraj Akhtar, overseas Barent Laurens, Hamza Arshad and at the death Matt Austin all chipped in. Even Joe Ince, whose departure was celebrated as raucously as that of his two fellow filial former Preston Old Road colleagues, hit a huge single blow over the ropes which was to prove decisive.
Austin nudged the winning single: “He always owes us a few for all the wides he bowls,” said one Bash regular, and perhaps the fifth ex-Immanuel man Cherry Tree skipper Andreas Sudnik, was left to rue unusually not bowling relatively economical Ross Bretherton’s full contingent - or indeed giving himself a chuck.
It’s always easy skippering from the scorebox particularly after the game.
I’ll be with Cherry Tree again on Saturday as they entertain Brinscall It’s getting to that stage of the nine-team NWCL ‘Championship’ (even more ridiculous a moniker than its footy equivalent - it’s Division Two) season where you are playing sides for the third time to make a full fixture list up
It’s nonsense really and the league are altering the numbers next season by promoting two and relegating three from the top section. I’m not sure whoever finishes third bottom to claim the extra relegation place will be too chuffed.
Another winter Cherry Tree departee Joe Littler made his maiden 50 for Enfield at weekend after tribulations with injury and form I couldn’t be more chuffed for him and his family.
I enjoyed the Farington experience at Lancs’ first two major games there last week. Plenty of room for more spectators if they want to let them in and two good wins v Kent and Notts in relatively low-scoring games on pitches still settling down. It looked enjoyable for spinners to operate on.
Stewarding and ticketing need improving but what’s new at Lancs? Quite what the point of sitting a grumpy intransigent ticket office worker at a desk in a tent all day if he isn’t prepared to provide assistance is, I don’t know.
Still there were some familiar faces, not only from the East Lancashire cricketing milieu who will find it handy - perhaps not quite as handy as me when we move house to Farington soon, another current source of stress - but also Old Trafford perennials like the bloke with the Red Rose hat and the army of OAP autograph seekers.
Talking of the County scene, good luck to Accrington’s Alice Clarke who has joined Yorkshire on a permanent basis. The other woman player who played for Accy First XI with distinction last season Darcey Carter has been doing well for Scotland and Lancs too.
And good luck to Alice’s brother Jacob too as Bacup visit Thorneyhome Road, Mark Taylor will be back on scoring duties as the Lancs League Div 2 moves to Saturday on Worsley Cup weekend.
Day off Sunday - unless anyone’s short. I have actually still got a set of whites but I did mean for scoring unless you’re particularly desperate.
Quiz: Last week’s answer - the former Accy players in the Church v Haslingden game were the late Bob Collins and Nick Westwell.
This week: In 1996 Accrington were bowled out for 60 by Sunday’s visitors Bacup with Roger Harper taking 9 wickets. You’ll know who the Ex Accrington player who took the other wicket was but who was the batsman? And which maestro of the wheels of steel was not out?
