It had to happen some time, I guess, even in this blessed summer.
A complete Sunday wash-out.
Bacup away, a ground I love to visit, is one of my longest treks, living halfway between Preston and Southport, and sat watching the bleak Lanehead vista of beer barrels weighting the covers down in torrential rain as our players hurried back from the tea room to pavilion with snacks, no prospect of play whatsoever and a 40-mile run home to negotiate, sometimes you just have to write an odd one off to experience.
At least I didn't have as long to hang around at Bacup as Nigel Stockley was telling me he had on one occasion, sat waiting for the rain to stop in a car for four hours with Keith Sowerbutts, playing eventually but not getting a bat or even touching the ball in the field.
I once got Keith out in a Third XI game, not sure he batted four hours but I bet if felt like it bowling at him.
A brief chat with my old Second XI foe Peter Mulderigg and a quick stop to take a pic of The Royal to send to my school chum Chris Manning who now lives down south but was a Rossendale pub circuit legend back in the day and home early for once.
I watched Live Aid on a rare for the time big screen in the Royal after a 2's game at Rawtenstall 40 flown-by years ago this week.
While I was at the ground I looked out on Sunday at some deserted benches where an old workmate of mine from the Gas used to sit watching Bacup.
His daughter, another colleague, was, like me, a big Elvis Costello afficianado and let down by a mate, offered me the opportunity to be her "+1" at a 1984 Harrogate gig by the bespectacled bard.
I had a steady girlfriend at the time who would have gone mad had I revealed to her who I was going with so I lied and said I was meeting my friend Andy from Leeds there. Actually same girlfriend who wasn’t impressed when I turned up hours late after Live Aid.
Nothing untoward happened and in those days you were in no danger of being caught on a "Kiss-Cam" but I never played her the illicit recording I made on the night with snippets of between-song conversation caught which would have revealed my treachery.
There were no illicit couples there on Sunday so far as I'm aware, indeed there would be practically nobody whatsoever shortly after the game was abandoned ten minutes after it was due to start. It was a similar scenario practically everywhere so with FrogBox and YouTube cameras switched off, you might be safe on a deserted Lancashire League ground if you're "doing a bit of bothering' - though do be mindful that Jimmy Hayhurst does periodically check the security CCTV at the iMEP as previously discussed.
I saw Jimmy and Jon's dad Geoff with another old pal of mine and I think one-time scorer Geoff Lund watching Baxenden at Cherry Tree on Saturday, the only cricket I managed all weekend and even that was truncated by the showers which reduced it to a 29-over apiece game.
Bash won well, bowled out for 144 but bowling the home side out for 111 on a day dominated by spin. Seventeen out of 20 wickets.
Accrington old boy Ben Gorton, currently professional at Back Lane, made 30 and claimed five for 27 while Ben Ross picked up four Cherry Tree victims as wicket-keeper.
Sunday's game of course would have seen Accrington under new captaincy. It had crossed my mind during the week that Graeme Sneddon may be getting to the end of his tether in the role and it wasn't a great surprise to learn he handed over to Jacob Clarke..
No-one who knows Graeme would wish him anything but well, even a Roverite like me sees his Burnley tattoo and still sees a heart of gold and a great guy, but with his own and the team's fortunes in a dip, it was probably time. He shook my hand and thanked me for any small help I've provided (and Baxenden will tell you just having a scorer turn up every week is a plus) and I hope he can get back in the runs soon under new stewardship.
Everyone will join me wishing Jacob well but he will need a renewed sense of unity, some taking of collective responsibility to improve and rather more firepower in the bowling department than Sneds has enjoyed.
I recall being mildly disappointed at one game early in the season when David Ormerod played but didn't bowl and with Clarke Snr Damian making up the XI as AN Other on Sunday it might be time for another veteran to be thrown the ball too, but it says a bit about our current resources if two lads born in the years Peter Swart and Bruce Francis pro'd at Thorneyholme Road offer us the greatest hope.
I watched a YouTube interview with Jurie Snyman last week. Scoring, you don't really get much chance to chat with the fellas and I felt I wanted to know a little more about a bloke who's entertained me so richly but about whom I knew very little.
Full Quota Podcasts of South Africa's lengthy sit-down with our pro is a little out of date now that Jurie has returned to Easterns from Mpumulanga but it sounds like his cricketing circumstances back in his homeland reflected his situation at Accy for a time, captaining and looking to build up a side in the Second Tier.
It was fascinating hearing him talk about his early days, education, love of rugby and starting out as a kid in tough men's cricket where he earned the right to be respected and noticed by quickly having success. He discusses his years in Scotland, looking to qualify as a British player prior to Brexit and the end of Kolpak moving the goalposts.
I've no idea whether he has family here in the season but he mentions being a Dad and even at the time of the interview muses on future plans when cricket ends. I'm in for the Coffee Shop plans.
It’s coming time when clubs make decisions about next season but whatever is decided the amateur players owe it to Jurie to find an extra few per cent for the rest of this campaign. It will take more than a one-man show to beat the likes of Sundays opponents Greenmount so it’s time for one or two to step forward with a performance.
Accrington's captaincy switch means practically every team I take an interest in - Church, East Lancs, Cherry Tree, Brinscall, Oswy Immanuel - changed skipper either during the close season or even more recently. It's a high responsibility and pressured job particularly when things aren't going well and everyone who's handed over the reins or taken them on has my admiration and sympathy in equal measure.
However bad if gets you don't have to get a 'team bag' full of sweaty smelly collectively shared equipment in the back of a mini like I had to skippering Church III's in the eighties.
My return to the umpiring ranks last midweek was mixed. I gave a leg before which was plumb then another which maybe wasn't as cut and dried. Then shortly after I turned a couple of decent ones down fearing I'd be too high with the percentages. Inevitably, plenty of murmurs of dissent ensued.
Martin Heyes reminded me a few months ago you're only ever one ball away from being the villain of the piece officiating games
My decisions didn't really influence the result and I'll be having another go this week. At least the venue was a nice change at Guys Thatched Hamlet on the Garstang Road last Wednesday and they put some grand post-match supper on which was enjoyed convivially by both teams.
This weekend Cherry Tree host Earby while while it's another long haul to Greenmount on Sunday, my favourite of the old Central Lancs/Pennine League additions to the Lancs League. Two Tough fixtures but here's hoping my teams acquit themselves well.
Last week's quiz answer - Former Claret Clark Carlisle was the teenage Leyland scorer who didn't turn up.
This week's poser - which Accrington sub pro finished as the only man above Viv Richard's in the 1987 Lancashire League averages after eight innings?
