The reviews are in!
"Thankfully the comments of nobodies like Jim Wilkinson can be seen as what they are, a humorous reminder that some people have no idea what they are talking about whatsoever."
Only joking, that isn't a critique of one of my columns, it was a reply to a discussion post about league restructuring on Nigel's wonderful Lancashire League website some 12 or 13 years ago. I'd dared to share my opinions and got short shrift.
The poster was a Lancashire League player who's captained a side this season. Five bonus points if you get it, I'll reveal all next week.
On the whole, reaction to WW has been favourable and I am humbled by some particularly generous and kind words from Stephen Lowe and one or two others who have said encouraging things. You certainly don't get the volume of invective writing a Rovers fan piece used to invoke.
Not sure it's that popular with players, mind. Scored four games for three different teams last weekend and ended up P4 L4. One of the reasons I was asked if I'd do it was to cast a more positive slant on matters. Believe me, I'm trying!
Accrington's weekend produced two of the best games you could hope to see over a wet weekend but also two of the most crushing denouements you could witness. In both cases all three results were possible with two balls remaining. ("Somebody actually wins a tied T20 game," writes A Pedant, helpfully). We lost both.
Selection issues and changes were a theme of the weekend and Friday saw four teenagers line up for Accrington, three of them 14 or under. Now some of you know that my cataracts are making identification an issue at times, more of which later, but picking lads who are too small to even see on a darkening early Summer evening just isn't fair.
I won't embarrass the young man by naming him but one of our young debutants has a grandma who lives a few yards from me at Walmer Bridge and we often chat while we're walking our respective dogs. I was telling her today about the kid's debut and remarked that hopefully the later teen years which can bring disillusionment, Saturday jobs, girlfriends etc won't de-prioritise cricket.
She told me he already has a girlfriend but she spends a lot of time with her horse. Sounds like the young man is winning the lottery of life playing senior cricket at 13 and moving in those circles.
None of the very young players had much to do other than field enthusiastically on a night when few wickets fell at Dill Hall Lane.
Enfield's score was probably upwards from par and it's always more difficult batting second, I feel, in the evening. We did put them in however.
Not that Jurie Snyman appeared to have any trouble seeing it in the fading light. But with 64 needed from four overs it looked impossible
Jurie's assault on the final three added five more sixes to the four he'd already hit and it looked like a mind-blowing win was on, but a couple of dot balls in the final over meant we ended five short. A third century of the season was no real consolation for the pro, two of them now having come in losing circumstances, but nobody who saw this one will forget it in a hurry.
The gathering gloom of the night was emphasised driving home. I clocked the time on the digital dashboard display at 9:24, just 13 minutes after we'd finished playing, as it went almost completely pitch black and the heavens opened passing Guide.
If that was a case of an unlikely win eluding Jurie and his side at the death, Sunday was more a case of snatching defeat from....you know the rest.
After nearly three hours of waiting around we got underway for a 28 overs a side affair. A T20 with a bit added on effectively.
Only someone monitoring the security CCTV actually spotted I'd transposed the openers on PlayCricket and ended Jurie's innings prematurely (Jon looking in particularly splendid form to anyone else watching).
You literally can't get away with anything these days. One umpire was saying that his colleagues are being encouraged to report misdemeanours on the field as YouTube clips are appearing showing instances of vituperations and officials NOT issuing reports.
Serial miscreants you have been warned. Talking of which, I'm sorry I couldn’t be more helpful to the umpire who asked me who the bad-tempered hothead at Cherry Tree was. I'm afraid that didn't eliminate enough candidates to narrow it down any.
But anyway, the Accy pro's Sunday knock was over too early eventually thanks to a remarkable caught and bowled by his opposite number, Colne's Kumara
Emile with a splendid 44 and skipper Sneds, a robust 29, steered us to a total that was always going to be respectable rather than imposing.
But a couple of early wickets from Jacob definitely made it interesting and when Colne went from a reasonably becalmed and confident 76 for three to lose three wickets in eight balls it was definitely game on.
Once again however the old cricketing malady of dropsy struck at vital moments. Two big chances to arrest another Colne recovery went west and I'm pretty sure had both or even either of those opportunities been taken it would have been the game.
Both batsmen were eventually dismissed but not before they'd re-opened the gate and five bowling bonus points was only the merest of consolation for letting a real prize slip through the hands in every sense of the word.
I was slightly disappointed that what had looked like being a historic occasion for the club and the Lancashire League - Alice Clarke and Darcey Carter both in line to play - was scuppered by injury and unavailability. Somebody reckons Heywood might have fielded Kate Cross and another female in a senior game but I'm sure no Lancashire League side have ever selected two women for the First XI before.
My Thursday night game at Salesbury was truncated, damp and pretty brief as a depleted Cherry Tree went down to a loss.
On Saturday I had the pleasure of scoring Oswaldtwistle Immanuel v Brinscall, two teams I've also been associated with over the years, and had the chance to catch up with lots of dear old friends on a day the rain possibly had more impact on Oswy's Wine and Beer Festival sales than it did on the chances of a result.
I'll see the Brinscall contingent again on Saturday when they host Cherry Tree's mixture of irascible firebrands and returning sun-kissed thrill-seekers who took advantage of a Saturday off by heading for Spain.
For Accrington it'll be Colne again on Friday at home and Enfield away on Sunday, a quick reverse-repeat of last week's fixtures.
I must mention Accrington's 50th Anniversary Dinner to celebrate the 1975 Lancashire League title win. That takes place a week on Saturday evening, 21st June, at the club and will hopefully see many of the victorious team gathered to reminisce while those sadly absent and no longer with us will be toasted and recalled fondly. Any remaining tickets are priced at £30.
I remember that team well and have enjoyed trying to identify everyone on the photos used to promote the event. I'd have probably been at both games against East Lancs that summer. Early in the season respective professionals Alan Worsick and Kerry O'Keefe, an absolute hero of mine at the time and even briefly coach and 'manager' to the Under-15's and 18's I played for, had five wickets apiece in a very low scoring thriller at Thorneyholme Road, Peter West's men edging it with eight down.
At the Meadows East Lancs won the second-last game of the season , O'Keefe, then a blonde beach god and still a commentary box legend, the match winner on a day Accrington were made to wait to clinch the title.
I was actually at Old Trafford when Alan Worsick played his only game for Lancashire first XI in the old 40-over Sunday League in 1978, a rain affected game of 20-overs per side!
He nervously bowled a couple of beamers at Essex's Brian Hardie early doors but settled down well to take the Scottish England captain Mike Denness's wicket as well as those of Keith Fletcher, Keith Pont and ex-Colne man Norbert Phillip and after Essex had just about sealed victory, I remember seeing Woz hit the final delivery of the game off another England stalwart, John Lever, for six into the old "Wilson's " stand.
It was many years later an absolute pleasure on behalf of the Accy Observer to interview Alan for an overview of his career.
He was a real joy to talk to, engaging and fascinating. I probably still have the cutting somewhere.
I never quite made it to the Test Match press box but as I tell anyone who'll listen, for many years I could never have imagined I'd one day be lucky enough to be doing anything so enjoyable for a job as writing about local league cricket and talking to players.
Getting paid to attend games at Church, East Lancs, Oswy, Accy, Cherry Tree, Brinscall...... in a way I still am and still regard it as a huge privilege and honour to remain in some way involved (whatever mystery ex-Lancs League skipper thinks).
As someone I greatly admire once said: "The older you get, the more it means."
Just keep your eyes on me not getting the names mixed up though. All us writers need a good sub-editor!
