Cheshire County Cricket League

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DECEMBER, 2016 NEWSLETTER WISHES … A HAPPY CHRISTMAS & NEW VEAR TO ALL CHESHIRE CRICKET LOVERS

When England’s ‘Baby Boycott’ played for Nantwich

A SMART piece of research has revealed that Haseeb Hameed, England’s new opening batsman on the Indian tour, played six games in the ECB Premier League for Nantwich in 2014 while a 17 year-old at the Lancashire Academy. Hameed’s record with the Dabbers was as follows:

Home to Bowdon on June 28: lbw Ashling 0. Nantwich won Home to Toft July 5: st Bajha b Lomas 44. Nantwich lost. Away to Alderley Edge on July 12: c Worrall b Foreman 32. Match abandoned Home to Urmston on July 26: lbw Sydall 1. Match drawn Home to Grappenhall on September 6: b Guest 7. Nantwich won Away to Bowdon on September 13: b Ashling 11. Nantwich won. That’s 94 runs from six innings, average 15.66 and twice dismissed by Bowdon’s former Glamorgan paceman Chris Ashling!

Nantwich committeeman Neil Forster told Newsletter: “It was obvious from the moment Haseeb took guard in the first game that he was destined for bigger things. While he didn’t get any big scores for us, he showed against Toft and Alderley Edge that he was a class act. He always had a smile on his face and was very good to have around. We are not surprised he has done so well and expect him to come right to the fore next summer for England”. O Newsletter thanks League secretary Geoff Wellsteed for the stats. GW is currently in India watching the 4th and 5th Tests at Mumbai and Chennai - along with several other Cheshire colleagues - but won’t see the young Boltonian in action as he flew home to have a smashed finger operated on after his brilliant unbeaten 59 in the Test defeat at Mohali. Haseeb has now returned to India to watch the remaining Tests – there’s team spirit for you! DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: p2

Proposed changes to rules & regs THE November meeting of the League Management Committee at Timperley voted to allow a set of proposals to go forward for ratification or rejection at the Management and Annual general meetings at Bowdon on Tuesday, January 17 The full list of proposals - outlined in the November Newsletter - has been circulated to all clubs by League secretary Geoff Wellsteed. They can also be located on the league’s Pitchero website. O FINES incurred by teams in 1st and 2nd XI cricket last season totalled £1,230. A total of 41 fines at £15 were imposed on clubs in both 1st and 2nd XI cricket, principally for late reporting of results on the website.

Joseph Holt T20 plans CLUBS at the League’s November management meeting indicated that they did not support any great change in the Joseph Holt T20 tournament in 2017. A suggestion by Nantwich to stage an early round involving 12 groups of three clubs on May Bank Holiday did not gain support and the mid-week format will be largely unchanged, although clubs will be reminded that they can switch to Sundays by mutual agreement, Finals Day is expected to be on Sunday, July 9 which steers clear of Cheshire county dates. All 36 clubs will be taking part including newcomers Bredbury St. Mark’s and Romiley. Rob Arnold is drawing up detailed proposals to put before the January management, meanwhile Secretary Geoff Wellsteed invites clubs to offer their ground to stage the event, which Toft did so successfully last season.

FORTIES FIXTURES OUT FIRST 2017 League fixtures have been produced by 1st XI Competition secretary Ian Sharrock for the Over Forties section and are available on the websites. Forties cricket will again comprise four divisions of eight clubs, playing 14 fixtures each between Wednesday, May 3 and Wednesday, August 2. This will be followed by the quarter-finals featuring the top two teams in each division, the champion team having home advantage on Wednesday, August 9 or by Sunday, August 20 at the latest. The draw is: West winners v Central runners-up Central winners v West runners-up North East winners v South East runners up South East winners v North East runners-up. New club Whalley Rangers have been placed in the North-East division, with Bramhall reverting to the South East Division. Finals Day will be on a Sunday, probably in September. Offers for use of a ground are invited by the Competition secretary on [email protected] Next League president CHAIRMAN David Humpage told the November management meeting at Timperley that Mike Talbot-Butler was to be proposed as League President at the AGM at Bowdon on Tuesday, January 21, when John Bygate stands down after his two years in office. MTB replied that – like Donald Trump – he would be delighted to serve as president-elect for the next two months. DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: p3

2017 CLUB NEWS

New Davenham sponsors GO ahead DAVENHAM chairman Bob Floyd has taken time off from supporting Huddersfield Town this winter to seal a sponsorship deal with builders Stewart Milne Homes which has made funds available to help the club’s growing junior section. A bowling machine, new kit and extra professional coaching has been made available, says junior co ordinator Karen Gallagher

DIDSBURY HAPPY PROMOTED to the ECB Premier League as champions of Division One, DIDSBURY have expressed satisfaction with their officers by re-electing them all, as follows: Chairman and treasurer Duncan Anderson; secretary Tim Hughes; 1st XI captain Nick Anderson; 2nd XI captain Shahaz Qasim; 3rd XI Sunday captain Mark Dowse; 4th XI Sunday captain Tony De Weever.

Macc chairman’s award CHAIRMAN of MACCLESFIELD Simon Griffiths has been named Cheshire East Council Volunteer of the Year and presented with a handsome trophy. Organised by Everybody, a charity organisation attached to Cheshire East Council, the award recognises outstanding unpaid work in the community and Simon’s achievements heading up new ventures on the Macclesfield ground have been justly recognised. Beating four other candidates, Simon is quoted in the October issue of the Club Newsletter: “I am really taken aback by winning this award which I dedicate to all the other outstanding volunteers at the club.” Dave Frame has stood down as Macclesfield Forties captain.

MARPLE ENJOY GOOCH FORMER Essex and England captain Graham Gooch was guest speaker at MARPLE’S Sportsman’s Dinner in mid-November. The club’s efficient PR man Mark Brook reports: “Goochie was excellent and I can highly recommend him. His knowledge of the game and good humour thrilled us all”. Marple are planning a 30th anniversary celebration of their sole First Division title success, during the 2017 season.

Sale’s Brooke Guest joins Lancs OUTSTANDING SALE wicket-keeper/batsman Brooke Guest has signed a professional contract with Lancashire for 2017, but expects to be regularly available for the Dane Road club’s County League matches. A former Australia Under 19s player, Guest scored 1,097 runs in all cricket for Sale last season and also appeared regularly for Lancashire 2nd, figuring in their team which beat Somerset in the 2nd XI knock out final at Old Trafford.

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: p4 Club news contd …

Timperley recruits TIMPERLEY have signed all-rounder Tyrone Lawrence and wicket-keeper Chris Canning, both from Sale, also former Natal and Gloucestershire batsman Grant Hodnett, who played in the Moorside League last season. Kiwi all-rounder Dan Cooper who played for Timpers in 2015 and 2016 has settled in the UK and will becomne an ordinarily resident player next season. Paceman Jack White, who took 36 Premier League wickets in his debut season is staying at Stockport Road

ALL CHANGE AT URMIES RELEGATED URMSTON have lost the talented Parkinson brothers: Callum has signed a contract with Leicestershire and is to play in the Leicestershire County League, while Matthew, currently in Dubai with England Lions, has been steered towards Egerton in the Greater Manchester League by Old Trafford. Other 2016 stalwarts Bradley Yates and Sam Oldham have both left. Lancashire 2nd opener Calum Turner becomes the club’s youngest 1st XI captain. He is currently playing Grade cricket in Australia following his recovery from a ruptured spleen. Returning to the club are Lewis Jackson from Leigh and Samit Panda, who has been playing for Edgworth. Wicket-keeper Steve Espley is to lead the 2nd XI. Two girls named in the Lancashire Under 11 squad are Maggie Buckley and chairman Rob Arnold’s daughter, Jenny.

Neil Cross joins Upton UPTON have made quality addition to their playing strength for next season’s First Division games in Neil Cross, the former Wallasey, New Brighton, Oxton, Bowdon and Cheshire all- rounder. Former 1st XI captain Andy Roberts becomes Cricket chairman at Old Greasby Road, while 4th XI captain for the past 20 plus years Ian Bruce has been made an Honorary Life Member.

Cheshire Leagues merger news A MEETING of the UKFast Cheshire League management committee at Holmes Chapel on Tuesday, December 8 was due to hear up-dated news on the proposed merger with the Cheshire Alliance. The officers of both leagues have met several times and approved detailed plans, but these have yet to be approved by the respective managements

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: p5

Cheshire v Staffs T20 Challenge to be launched in 2017 AN interesting new fixture on the Cheshire County Cricket Club 2017 itinerary is to be an inaugural annual T20 friendly against neighbours Staffordshire. The first game will be played at Whitehouse Lane on May Bank Holiday Monday, May 29, alternating to a Staffordshire ground in 2018. Cheshire have selected Oxton for one of their home matches in the Unicorns One-day Knock out, with Shropshire listed to visit the highly-ranked Townfield Lane ground on Sunday, April 30. The other home venue is Alderley Edge for the visit of Herefordshire. Should they progress through the group stage as champions Cheshire will play their quarter- final at Chester Boughton Hall In the three-day Unicorns county championship, Cheshire’s three home fixtures are against Cornwall at Nantwich, Wales at Alderley Edge and Oxfordshire at Chester. The full programme is as follows: T20 Challenge (11 a.m.) Versus Staffordshire at Nantwich on Bank Holiday Monday, May 29 Unicorns Knock out group (all Sundays, 11 a.m.) Shropshire at Oxton on April 30 Wales at Newport on May 7 Herefordshire at Alderley Edge on May 14 Staffordshire at Knypersley on May 21. Unicorns’ county championship (all Sundays, to Tuesdays, 11. a.m. daily) June 4 – 6: Herefordshire at Brockhampton June 18 – 20: Cornwall at Nantwich July 2 – 4: Devon at Sidmouih July 16 – 18: Wales at Alderley Edge July 30 - August 1: Wiltshire at Devizes August 13 – 15: Oxfordshire at Chester Boughton Hall.

David Sharp is County Club president LONG-standing Cheshire Board secretary David Sharp was elected President of the County Club at the AGM at the Windmill Inn, Tabley on November 21. He succeeds former chairman and secretary John Pickup, who has retired after more than 40 years in various of the county’s senior offices. he presentation of a whisky decanter and glasses was made by chairman David Bailey to the retiring president, who was appointed an MBE in 2015. David Sharp is a former England Schools, Alderley Edge and Cheshire player and is currently the Board’s principal administrator. Others elected were: Patron David Briggs MBE; chairman David Bailey; vice chairman Jim Law; secretary Derrick Hastings; treasurer Keith McGuffie; committee: John Petch, Elise Scrimgeour, Rob Sproston, F McLeod, Peter Babbage, Andy Newton. Peter Babbage becomes Cricket committee chairman, with Andy Newton vice chairman. Lee Dixon has been re-elected captain. Presenting the accounts for the year ending November 30, 2015, treasurer McGuffie reported a loss of £3,925 compared with a profit of £14,098 in 2014. This was down to the loss of the Chess sponsorship and lower MCCA receipts. Current net assets totalled a healthy £97,539 Reporting on a largely unsuccessful playing season in 2016, the chairman said availability for three- day games had become “a team manager’s nightmare”, a problem shared by all other counties. He congratulated those who had played for Cheshire and gone on to win first-class contracts

Cheshire Umpires’ Newsletter THE autumn issue of the ECB ACO Cheshire Cricket Members Newsletter has been published by editor Alistair Davies. The illustrated edition includes a message from chairman Ian Greensmith, an umpiring profile of Tony Morris, Geoff Young’s Training update, a contribution from Geoff Wellsteed about his impending new book “Pavilions in Splendour’ and an ECB ACO update. A copy can be obtained direct from [email protected]

FANCY A REFRESHER? ALTERNATIVE Refresher Courses are planned this winter by the Cheshire Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association for ECB ACO members who have attained Levels 1A, 2C and 2. The courses are at Toft on Saturdays, February 4 and 11 and at Oakmere on Sundays, February 12 and 19, both from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., costing £15. For further information or to book a place contact Geoff Young, tel. 01352 755 881 or by e-mail at [email protected] O A light-hearted look at cricket umpiring by a man with many seasons’ experience of the game at club level comes highly recommended. A paperback costing £8,99 written by Matthew Stevenson, it is entitled “The Diary of a Recreational Cricket Umpire”. For further information contact [email protected]

Cheshire Seniors’ brochure MORE than 70 members attending the Cheshire Seniors’ annual dinner at Chester Boughton Hall on November 24 were presented with a splendid illustrated brochure designed and written by Fifties secretary Paul Freedman. The publication listed the records of all those playing for the three seniors teams from 1990 to 2016, plus last season’s highlights. Chairman Garry Hambleton praised the Over 60s for reaching the final of the National championship before losing to Kent at Lutterworth. Paul Mitchell scored most runs with 498 at an average of 49.80 including five scores of over 50. Bob Yardley (25) took most wickets and topped the averages. Over 60s 2nd XI, winners in 2015, lost in the semi-final of their National championship by six wickets to Sussex. Ted Williams topped the season’s batting averages with 257 runs at 85.67, although Chris Leech (444) scored most runs. David Cain took most wickets (23) and topped the bowling averages. The Fifties finished a disappointing fifth in their group in the National championship and failed to qualify for the play-offs Gary Cash topped the batting averages with 170 runs at 42.50 although most runs were scored by England batsman Phil Catterall, with 180. Most wickets were taken by B Shukla (nine), with Mel Dobson (seven wickets for 138) leading the averages, Chairman Hambleton introduced the various speakers and thanked Boughton Hall for providing an excellent meal. The Seniors are currently canvassing support for a team to play in the Barbados Fifties Festival in October, 2017. Details have been circulated by team manager Tim Jackson ([email protected]) for the event which will cost £1,595 per person and last 10 days.

The sights and sounds of India AN England tour to India had always been high on the TBs’ ‘to do’ list, but when the opportunity arose it was with as heavy heart that I set off - alone - in late November, 2001 My Dearly Beloved didn’t fancy it with war looming over the disputed northern region of Kashmir. However, she didn’t me going on my own! Andy Caddick and Rob Jones also opted out of the England squad for the three Test tour owing to security worries and the Gulliver’s party which gathered at Heathrow was also minus many regulars and numbered just 12. First port of call in the sub-continent was the superb Imperial Palace Hotel in the capital city, New Delhi, where I was shared a room with long-time Gulliver Nick Thornton, a cheerful cockney with whom I had toured before. We became known as The Odd Couple because Nick smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish, wheras I dabble in neither. Anything to save the extortionate £600 single room premium After tours of the jostling capital including the Parliament buildings and the Rajput, the ramrod straight mile drive between the old Viceroy’s Palace and the Great War Memorial we visited Gandhi’s tomb and were given a ‘balanced’ account of the British colonial influence, which was evident everywhere in the country. Next morning we were up at dawn for a railway journey to Agra abroad the Taj Express. Agra is a city of abject poverty and gross overcrowding and the last place you would expect to see a magnificent edifice such as the 16th century Taj Mahal, renowned throughout the world. It was just stunning and I have photographs to remind me. It was back to Delhi, then up early again for another fascinating rail journey aboard the crack Shaptabi Express to Chandigargh, the capital of the Punjab 150 miles north. Gulliver’s superb arrangements took us to our hotel, the MountView where the players of both sides were staying, the foyer being thronged 24 hours a day by idolising fans. The Man of the Moment in 2001 was The Turbanator, Harbajan Singh, the local Sikh hero. City of squares Chandigargh is a strange city built in squares by Belgian architecht Le Corbusier in the 1930s but has deteriorated since the Brits left, in common with other most urban areas. We had six nights there, breakfasting daily alongside the players, which was clearly not to the liking of England captain Nasser Hussain. Happier to fraternise was Freddie Flintoff who greatly appreciated our support, in times of stress. The Press Corps was also in the hotel and one of us Gullivers, Derbyshire scorer John Brown, was recruited as the BBC’s TMS scorer after Bill Frindall chickened out. John used to amuse is in the evenings with anecdotes, such as the high number of clangers Henry Blofeld committed daily on air. The actual ground was at Mohali, a township 10 miles south and the HQ of the Punjab Cricket Association. We had paid £80 for our five-day tickets which admitted us to the best covered seats. However, these were high up behind glass so we opted to sit in the Outer in 70 degrees sunshine which our turbaned neighbours considered chilly. Admission for the locals was 100 rupees as day, about £1.80. In a relaxed atmosphere at meal breaks, it was possible get a daily update on the Kashmir Situation from BBC reporter Kevin Gearey, who said he had been sent out to cover a “Punch up in the Punjab”. I shook hands with umpire Venkat whom I had met in Nairobi earlier in the year and after informing him that he was my wife’s favourite umpire, he asked me who was mine. Completely stumped, I could hardly admit it was his colleague Steve Bucknor. India wrapped the game up in less than four days. Reference to the website reminds me that England scored 238 (Nasser Hussain 65) and 235 (Graham Thorpe 53, Anil Kumble 6-81) and India totalled 469 and 15-0 to win by 10 wickets. DECEMBER NEWSLETTER p8 Indian tour contd …

Most vivid memory of the game was to see the average-sized crowd swell to bursting point when the “Little Master” Tendulkar came out to bat. The grapevine warned that the Great Sachin was about to take strike and thousands suddenly arrived by car, motor bike, tuk tuk and on foot. He didn’t disappoint them with a wonderful innings of 88. With the match ending early, one of our party, Stand president Glenda Hegg - who never saw her son Warren play in four weeks in the country - arranged a 250-miles round trip into the Himalayas to the legendary town of Shimla. Our coach wended its way up 7,000 feet through deep, winding valleys to the hill station, once the summer HQ of the Raj. We visited the old Viceroy Lodge - now a university building - with the snow-peaked Himalayas looming behind, then lunched at the famous Hotel Cecil once visited by Rudyard Kipling. We were back in Chandigargh by midnight, then up early for a rail trip back to Delhi. Everyone in India appears to travel by rail and there are queues all night outside the main stations for the few unreserved seats to far off places like Bombay, Madras and Calcutta (sorry: Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata). Travel is cheap and the single fare for an adult to Mumbai (800 miles) is only about £4 third class Our party took an afternoon plane to Rajasthan’s Pink City of Jaipur - so named because the main buildings are of pink stone. We had two nights at the sumptuous Rambagh Palace Hotel which accommodated Diane and Charles on their 1992 visit to the cit and visited the sixth century Jaipur Fort on the backs of a fleet of elephants. A Bolton League pal David Kaye and I got detached from the main party after being waylaid by a snake charmer were obliged to get back to the hotel under our own steam. Our tuk tuk driver asked for 30 rupees and we paid him 100, which equalled his take for the day. That evening was my last with the main party, who were going on to Tests at Ahmedabad and Bangalore where England played better to achieve two draws, but lose the series 1-0. I branched off with a couple of friends on a pre-planned plane journey to Udaipur, a city with a history of battle and intrigue. For dinner we visited the shimmering Lake Palace Hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola, which dries up in the heat of summer. Suffocating Mumbai It was farewell to my companions next morning for a flight to Mumbai which has 17 million (official) inhabitants and reportedly 100,000 taxis, every one of which seemed to be on the streets, belching low grade petrol fumes. The whole city appeared to shimmer under a suffocating cloud of smog, the like of which I hadn’t seen since wartime London. The sights and sounds from my seat in the front of my taxi will never leave me: the putrid smells, dreadful poverty and roadside shacks and hovels, beggars clawing at the windows at every traffic light; stupendous road congestion, starving cattle wandering untended (they’re holy!) around the busiest thoroughfares with wild dogs roaming in packs. What a contrast was my next port of call, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, my base for the day. The hotel overlooks the Indian Ocean seafront dominated by the giant Gateway where King George V and Queen Mary started their historic Durbar in 1911. The Taj is among the best anywhere in India and possibly the most expensive with a suite starting at £1,000 per night. Dinner can be enjoyed at any one of six restaurants, four of which have their own orchestras. I was given a full day one-to-one tour of the city and wandered round interest points like Gandhi’s House, the Hanging Gardens, the busy Royal Indian Navy base (India’s Portsmouth) with huge warships at anchor; and lastly a peep at Wankhede Stadium, which was then in a state of disrepair and nothing like the splendid rebuilt arena for the recent Test. After that and nearing midnight it was goodbye to my first visit to the remarkable country which is India. Ten hours later, it was a treat to be greeted at Manchester Airport by a taxi driver wielding a sign which invited ‘Mr. Mike Tablot’ to make himself known. It was HER Christmas present to me - what a woman! We both decided: the next tour would be a twosome. DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: p9

Latest obituaries

Cliff Wilson: one of Marple’s early giants THE death occured in a Stockport nursing home on October 20 aged 78 of former outstanding Marple club captain Cliff Wilson. His funeral service was held at Macclesfield crematorium on October 31. Marple Press Officer and former colleague Mark Brook writes: “Cliff joined Marple in the early 70s having been a successful batsman at New Mills in the D&CL. He quickly showed what sort of man he was by maximising his ability. Always a stickler for physical fitness, he applied himself to become the club’s best batsman when they joined the County League in 1975, His batting became like a fine red wine – always improving with age. He was a true gent, a no nonsense and honourable man and an absolute pleasure to play alongside, a terrific gully fielder where his concentration and skill brought him many fine catches”. Cliff played several times for the League representative XI in the President’s Trophy under the captaincy of Roger Pearman, who rated him highly. Mark continues: “He captained the Marple 1st XI in 1976 when the team finished a close runner-up behind champions Bowdon and remained an integral part in the team up to the Cheshire Cup final in 1985, when they lost to Neston. This proved to be his last game due to a debilitating leg injury and he finished playing aged 47. In later life Cliff’s health was not good, but he faced his problems with the same bravery, spirit and courage that had seen him through his playing days”. In his working life, Cliff was employed by Ferodo at Chapel en le Frith. His wife predeceased him and the couple had two children Andrew and David and four grandchildren.

Cheshire lose Andrew ‘Wolfie’ Norbury THE death occurred sometime prior to November 3 of stalwart Cheshire County Cricket supporter Andrew Norbury, aged 55. A life member of the club who enjoyed watching the team home and away, ‘Wolfie’ was an equally keen fan of Warrington Rugby League club (‘the Wire’) and was also an avid follower of non-league football being one of the close-knit group of Ground Hoppers. Cheshire secretary Derrick Hastings said ‘Wolfie’, a nickname given to him by former county captain Andrew Hall, was a virtual ever- present at Cheshire games dressed in his faded Warrington RL kit. He and a posse of friends would gather by the sightscreen at one end of the ground with their scorebooks and rarely move until the last ball was bowled. He was on speaking terms with all the players and enjoyed exchanging good-natured banter. A British Rail worker until retiring in 2016, and a lover of Real Ale, ‘Wolfie’ was found dead at his home on Thursday, November 3 after no one had reported seeing him for several days. His funeral took place at Crewe Crematorium on November 24, followed by a wake at Crewe Alexandra’s Carlsberg Suite.

O FORMER Cheshire cricketers whose deaths during the past year were recorded at the County Club AGM on January 21 were: David Brighouse (St. Helens), aged 75; Ron Cockbain (Bootle, 74), the father of Ian Cockbain. Also Ian Cowap (Nantwich) and Nigel Peel (Bowdon) whose passings were reported in previous issues of Newsletter.

For your information …..

The League’s Pitchero website ably administered by Richard Fennah contains recent pictures and documents, including all 2016 issues of Newsletter. It can be located on www.cheshirecountycl.org.uk

For other League news including the 2016 averages and all 2017 season fixtures currently available, tap into Darren Sutcliffe’s website ... www.cheshirecountycl.com

NEXT ISSUE OF THE NEWSLETTER WILL BE CIRCULATED IN LATE-JANUARY COVERING THE AGM Meanwhile, please direct any club news, comments, letters, corrections, complaints, obituaries etc. to ……. [email protected]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2016

Livingstone tops Lancashire batting IN Lancashire’s 2016 first-class averages, former Nantwich player Liam Livingstone topped the batting list with 815 runs at 50.09, his 23 first-class innings containing two 100s and six 50s. Toft’s Rob Jones batted seven times in four appearances, scoring 212 runs at 42.4, including his maiden first-class century against Division l champions Middlesex. Jordan Clark (Alderley Edge) scored 225 runs from 10 innings, averaging 25. Clark took 11 wickets at 41.5 and Urmston’s Matthew Parkinson 10 wickets at 36.3. Parkinson is to leave relegated Urmston next season to play for Greater Manchester Premier League champions Egerton. In the Derbyshire bowling averages, Callum Parkinson, of Urmston, took 14 wickets at 37.9. Making his first-class debut for Leicestershire, Hyde’s Harry Dearden scored 36 runs in four innings at an average of nine. He will be joined at Grace Road next season by Callum Parkinson.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19: Special meeting date for Forties & Thirds WEDNESDAY, October 19 has been fixed for special meetings to decide on the formats for Over Forties and Third XI cricket in 2017. Both meetings will be held at Warrington, the Forties at 7 p.m. and the Thirds following at 8 p.m. Attendance is mandatory. The 31-club Forties section have a vacancy following the withdrawal of Marple after the start of last season, followed by the recent decision of Kingsley not to take up an offer of admission. Inquiries have been received from Stretford and Whalley Range, whose clubs are both members of the Greater Manchester League. At their September meeting, the League Cricket Committee decided that the admission of these clubs could not be allowed as both are situated outside the Cheshire county boundary. Any club wishing to join the section – or withdraw – is asked to contact Competition Secretary Mike Talbot-Butler ([email protected]) prior to the meeting. The Third XI meeting will have a wide range of topics to consider, including the possibility of forming a Friendly section. DINNER NEWSLETTER: p12

Poor discipline worries Umpires Assn. AT their end- of- season meeting at Sale, the League Umpires & Scorers Association expressed concern about declining discipline. Chairman Ian Greensmith reports: “Since the meeting, Association officers have had good feedback and we will continue to investigate ways to achieve more consistency among our members because players’ behaviour which is acceptable for some is clearly not for others” He adds: “There is no doubt that discipline generally has deteriorated and Premier League clubs, who normally have the better umpires controlling their games, are the biggest offenders. “Not out rulings are, in too many cases, being questioned and while I would not want to go down the route of some leagues when umpires will not respond to appeals other than to say ‘not out’ (as recommended in the Tom Smith umpiring guide) we will be forced down that route if matters do not improve.” He goes on: “Poor behaviour is a reason why we have difficulty in recruitment, and to counter that this winter the Cheshire ACU&S are running two Level 1 recruitment courses, a Level 1A course and three refresher courses. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Geoff Young”. The League Umpires committee have also discussed a suggestion from the Cheshire Board to have one umpiring association covering the whole of the county. Meanwhile, the Association want the League to consider earlier starting times for the last four weeks of the season, possibly by as much as one hour, to assist with visibility.

2017 dates for your diary THE League’s 2017 season will begin on Saturday, April 22 and end 22 weeks later over the week-end of Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17.

NATIONAL CUP KO IN 2017 ENTRIES for next season’s Royal London National Club championship which last season attracted only seven County League clubs, need to be in ASAP. Competition secretary Aaron Campbell ([email protected]) has announced the 2017 dates as follows: Round one on Sunday, April 23; round 2: May 14; round 3: June 4; round 4: July 16; quarter- finals August 6; semi-finals August 27; final on September 17. Each round allows a seven day postponement period for rain etc. The draw will be made at Lord’s on Friday, December 2. O THE ECB have set the dates of the later rounds in the NatWest National T20 tournament, which follows each league’s domestic competition. The Area finals will be on Sunday, July 30 and the Regional finals on Sunday, August 13 with the final day’s yet to be arranged There are likely to be structural changes to the League’s own Fred Graham T20 competition although the final will again be staged in mid-July. O CHESHIRE COUNTY CLUB AGM. The annual meeting of Cheshire County Cricket Club is on Tuesday, November 22 at The Windmill Inn, Chester road, Tabley WA16 0HW (by the M6 intersection). The venue in recent years, the Golden Pheasant, Plumley, is currently undergoing reconstruction. O COUNTY League Junior section AGM is at Warrington on Sunday, October 30 at 5 p.m. O CHESHIRE Seniors (Over 50s & 60s) annual dinner is at Chester Boughton Hall on Friday, November 25. DINNER NEWSLETTER: p13

Obituaries

DAVID OTWAY KILLED IN CAR CRASH

MANY tributes have been paid, including one from former England captain Michael Vaughan, following the tragic death in a car crash in Cumbria on September 21 of leading Alderley Edge member David Otway, aged 52. He died when his Volkswagon car crashed on a remote road in Ambleside, in which no other vehicle was involved. Kendal-born, his funeral took place in the Cumbria town followed by a memorial service at Netherfield Cricket Club, where he used to play. An MCC member resident in Wilmslow, David leaves a family including three sons. He was the leading light behind the emergence of a successful youth section at Alderley Edge in which Michael Vaughan’s son currently plays. The former England skipper had rich praise for David’s expertise bringing on young players. Chairman of the club’s junior section, it had been intended that David would step up and take over from Andy Fluck as club chairman at the next AGM.

David Herd - ex-Timperley & Man U - DIES AT 82

FORMER Manchester United centre-forward David Herd, who died on October 1 aged 82, played cricket for Timperley in their Manchester Association days and was chairman when they won the Stockton Trophy title in 1977. A Scottish international, David is best remembered at United for scoring twice in their 3-1 defeat of Leicester City at Wembley in the 1963 FA Cup final. He also played for Arsenal, Stoke City and later for Waterford in Ireland. His father Alex was a famous Manchester City and Scotland international pre and post-war. At cricket, David was an old fashioned big-hitter and frequently used to stop play in the tennis courts while batting at the Stockport road end. Newsletter Editor Mike Talbot-Butler recalls being on the receiving end of regular punishment from David when Northwich played their traditional opening match of the season at Timperley. According to long-serving member Simon Thompson, David had two spells at the club either side of a period managing Lincoln City. He later moved to play cricket at Brooklands, alongside his great pal, the England rugby union international Steve Smith.

[email protected] …………….Monday, October 10, 2016

NEXT ISSUE: EARLY NOVEMBER, 2016