Accy’s bowling hand holds a few aces!
Commitments made a couple of years before Accrington asked me about scoring meant I covered two Cherry Tree games this weekend and missed the fourth straight Lancashire League win for Jacob Clarke’s team – six on the bounce if you add the final two matches of the summer of 2025.
With my dad in Chorley Hospital now, two North West Cricket League games in the Bolton area meant I wasn’t too far away and, unhappily for Cherry Tree but opportune for me personally, a very early finish on Sunday enabled me to make evening visiting time.
Not that Accrington hung around too long in defeating Colne, opponents who took them to two last-over finishes last season.
While last season there was sometimes a feeling that a few overs had to be ‘found’ from somewhere, a little bits-and-pieces at times, this time around captain Jacob is able to rotate his bowlers in confidence.
When I started watching unless you signed an out-and-out bat, it was generally accepted that your pro would earn his corn by bowling from one end practically unchanged; even pacemen were expected to do so even if it involved shortening the run-up for a time.
Lack of liberties for batsmen as the paid man chugged away often metronomically meant that risks were often taken against the local bloke at the other end, who as often as not, could also bowl the bulk of them.
Able practitioners like Jack Houldsworth, Barrie Hill, Pat Calderbank and Accy’s own Ian Birtwistle or Eddie Robinson would wheel away snapping up victims both through their own prowess but sometimes partly attributable to the difficulty in scoring from the pro’s bowling.
Limiting the allowance has brought the amateur far more of a role in the attack and with this season’s additions the Accy skipper is able to deploy a stronger hand.
Knowing that you are expected to hit your straps pretty immediately or be replaced can be a motivation, just as having able replacements means if you don’t, there may be a bit of relief as another able bowler takes over.
Jurie and Jacob were replaced by Oliver and Kian after eight overs which brought the breakthrough after a decent opening stand, Jurie was back on after another seven or eight to spark a run out and another wicket in his first over back while Asad weighed in at the other end to reduce Colne to 65 for five.
Visiting pro Kumara wasn’t able to break the shackles at any time and with fourth change Simon Hanson delivering a deadly spell to devastate the lower order, in tandem with Jacob who ended Kumara’s vigil and the innings. Wickets and responsibility shared-out, chances taken, sharp fielding – many of the facets which we sometimes lacked in past years.
Thirty seven for three isn’t the start you want even in reply to a modest 120 total but Jurie, in the groove again and Emile, whose standing seems to grow with every game, saw it home without further ado.
Sunday’s fixture at Compton (three wins and a surprise defeat to Middleton so far) will test Accrington in all disciplines but there is every sign that we will be competitive in most games. I’m afraid I’m missing this one too although scoring there last season wasn’t the greatest experience so I don’t envy Mark Taylor who will be. I’m back in the ranks the week after and very much looking forward to watching this side develop.
My weekend of traversing Bolton, a venture I often find hazardous and fraught with mishaps, passed off without incident despite the fact that there must be more roundabouts and dual carriageways in Bolton unknown to Sat Nav instructions than in any other European conurbation
It was my first visit to Atherton, where Cherry won brilliantly on what was described as a ‘spicy’ track despite being spun out for 119 after reaching a relatively becalmed 84 for three. Pro Min Bhada was the top scorer of the day hitting 41. He then wrapped the last two home wickets up for 91 all out after a brilliant spell of six for 29 from Ross Bretherton who has returned to the club he once pro’d at.
Decent ground though, Atherton and a decent bunch of people even though most of their lads understandably eschewed the traditional post-match peasantries, apologetically hot-footing it to the unfortunately -named Toughsheet Stadium to watch Wanderers’ play-off game.
All very reminiscent of an Oswaldtwistle Immanuel Devon tour game at Paignton on the day England played Germany in Euro 96. Their lot offered us drinks and pasties after the game but we were immediately on our way somewhat rudely as we had (correctly) identified a pub near our digs as a more likely spot to watch the match. Deep in the night Torquay’s only German Sausage Shop suffered some wanton vandalism but happily not from any of our well-refreshed by then convivial confreres.
Eagley too is a very pleasant Boltonian setting but an even more spectacular collapse to skilful spin saw Cherry slump from 50 for 1 to 78 all out (again only Minaj Bhada showing any sign of coping with 22) before the home side obligingly facilitated my sick-visiting obligations by knocking them off in short order. Still, very pleasant company with Alison, Eagley’s scorer, who is a delight to sit with but even more of a fan of my dog Rollo who sat in her lap while she piloted the Laptop and scoreboard! Add ‘dog-sitter’ to the ‘One Job’ list for scorers.
A double-header of fixtures in Bolton is quite one thing but many of you will have been as puzzled as I was to see Baxenden host Brinscall on both Saturday and Sunday – both in league fixtures (the Ellwood derby we now call it at Cherry Tree). I know the NWCL Div two Championship is a bit of a mish-mash with three Bolton teams and six old Ribb League sides but that takes some explaining, even though you play a few sides three times over the course of the season to pad out the fixture numbers.
The geographical quirks of that and the Lancashire League, augmented itself by former Ribblesdale, Northern and Central Lancs League sides always fascinates me and makes me ponder the future.
It’s suggested in some circles that the Lancs League might have been better served years ago to take the old Rib League on as a ‘Third Division.’
The Ribb League had to merge with someone as sides were – and continue – to be defecting or coming to an end. Blackburn Northern, Edenfield, Clitheroe, Great Harwood, Euxton, Brooksbottom, Settle, Whalley and Feniscowles had all played at senior level in recent years. Only nine old Ribblesdale League sides remain in the NWCL structure.
Whether the mix is right with the Bolton clubs is something I can’t put my finger on.
There are some who say the Lancs League may revisit the three-tier set-up with, say, six additional clubs. That could tempt a few clubs.
THE NWCL has said it will accept new clubs, possibly straight into the top division. That begs the question how a set up of 12/9 Premiership/Championship will be balanced out if newcomers are immediately welcomed to the top tier?)
The Bolton-heavy weighting of the top division (and some of the rumoured spending on players) already sometimes makes you wonder how more modestly-funded clubs further towards the East of the county can compete.
Who knows, the days of Accy v Oswaldtwistle Immanuel or East Lancs v Cherry Tree as genuine league contests might not be that far away.
Quiz – Slight error last week I said two current players played in the 2011 Rawtenstall game. Only one did, Simon Hanson, James and not Jon Hayhurst was the one I mistook. Asher Zaidi, and Graham Lloyd the century makers in that record 386 for six.
This week – my first visit to Crompton CC was in 1999 to watch Accrington in the old Inter-League Challenge. An all rounder who played 100 games for both Accrington and Enfield took 4 wickets as Accrington lost on a rainy day. His highest score was 70 for Accy v Rishton in 2005 – can you name him?
