ORIGINS Cricket Matches in the Region of Bay Horse Can Be Traced
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ORIGINS Cricket matches in the region of Bay Horse can be traced back to 1851, when a team called Hay Carr played on a ground on the southern side of the country house of that name. We know they had several matches against Lancaster, and the report in the local press on July 27th 1852 concluded "Mr Lamb, of Hay Carr, provided an excellent lunch on the ground to which the players did ample justice. After the match, the players adjourned to the Bay Horse, where a substantial dinner, was also provided by Mr Lamb. The health of Mr Lamb was drunk three times three cheers, after which the Lancastrians departed for home being highly pleased with their day's enjoyment." There was a return game in Lancaster in August, and the report described a heavy defeat rather more kindly than we would expect today "...seven of the Hay Carr gentlemen were compelled to quit the wicket without adding a single run to the score." Galgate Cricket Club began playing in 1860, and became one of eight founder members of the Lancaster & District Cricket League in 1892. They were league champions many times, including five consecutive years from 1907-1911. Galgate's supremacy was much celebrated in the press and would have created an enthusiasm for the game in the local area. We have no records concerning the decision to form a new club at Bay Horse — all we know is that they became members of the league in 1909. The railway station was only a short distance from the first ground, which must have been a great convenience for visiting teams at a time when rural transport was poorly developed. Bay Horse Station The first results in 1909 were far from encouraging, and there must have THE EARLY YEARS been great joy and relief when they won for the first time — not least BAY HORSE CRICKET CLUB 1909-14 because it was an away match against Galgate 2nds and the visitors were The first match was on May 8th 1909, and the entry of a new club in the faced with what, at that time, was a massive total. Galgate were the second division of the Lancaster & District League achieved only this brief foremost club in the league and this was one of only two defeats statement in the Lancaster Guardian: experienced by their 2nd team in 1909. St Thomas's were victorious at Bay Horse, a new club in the league, by Galgate 2nds v Bay Horse played at Galgate on 5th June 1909 30 — 68 to 38, Walmsley taking eight wickets for 18. We are, however, fortunate that at that time many of the scorecards, even Galgate Bay Horse those from the lower division, were printed, and so we have: H Teltham c Hornby b Hornby 16 L Hornby c Price b Jolley 20 R Mashiter b Preston 5 W Townley b Illingworth 4 Bay Horse v St Thomas's played at Bay Horse R Illingworth c Hall b Preston 0 J Illingworth c Price b Myerscough 52 T Jolleys c Holmes b Preston 7 Holmes not out 25 St Thomas's Bay Horse T Cornthwaite not out 68 D Spooner c Cornthwaite T H Gregson b Bland* 0 T Bland b Walmsley 2 W H Price b Hornby 0 b Illingworth 15 W Brockbank b Bland* 7 Rev P J Delany* b Walmsley 2 J Myerscough c Whittingham R Spooner b Price 0 W Walmsley c Holmes b Clarkson 17 J Hall b Walmsley 0 b Illingworth 12 J Whittingham not out 0 J Gregson b Rev Delany 0 H Holmes run out 12 J Nightingale b Illingworth 5 Extras 7 W Hogg b Bland 16 S Hornby c W Hogg b Walmsley 2 F P Hodgson b Illingworth 1 Total (for 5 wkts) 124 J Ford c J Hornby b Bland 0 J Hornby c J Winskill b W Hogg 1 G Clarkson b Illingworth 1 J Hall, J Hornby, R Clarkson & Preston W Poulton b J Hornby 11 S Whittingham b Walmsley 2 J Jackson b Illingworth 1 did not bat J Winskill b Clarkson 3 R Clarkson c J Gregson b Walmsley 3 Extras 8 A Till b Clarkson 2 R Spooner b Walmsley 0 Total 123 J Hogg b J Hornby 0 C Stewart not out 5 R Wadsworth not out 3 L Spooner c & b Walmsley 6 Extras 9 Extras 3 FATHER PATRICK DELANY (1870-1932) Total 68 Total 38 Father Delany played for Bay Horse from 1909-1914. He was born in Father Patrick Delany, born in Ireland, was the resident priest at the Roman Kenmare, Ireland and after ordination became a Catholic chapel of St. Barbara and St. Catherine attached to the big house curate in Lancaster. Because of ill-health he was at Clifton Hill. He was also chairman of the Managers of Forton School. He transferred to Clifton Hill where he remained for played an important part in the early years of the Bay Horse club. A few 14 years. He moved to be a Parish Priest in memories remain of his huge enthusiasm for the game of cricket. Wilf Ulverston, and later became Dean of Furness. When he died unexpectedly in 1932, many Gornall says his grandfather recalled going with him to watch matches at columns and letters expressing great appreciation Old Trafford — they used to travel all the way to and from Manchester on were published in the local press. The North- their bicycles! Rupert (17) and Lionel Spooner (16) were sons of the Vicar Western Daily Mail wrote: One of the largest of Shireshead. Charles Stewart (16) was the son of the railway signalman funerals ever witnessed in Barrow took place at Bay Horse. today, when the body of the late Dean Delany was laid to rest in the * These are examples where the Borough Cemetery........The tragic suddenness of his passing caused a newspaper's compositors had Tommy Brockbank did not play in the gloom over the whole town and district and even further afield. He had problems with the handwritten first match, but he appeared regularly scores sent for publication. Where not only endeared himself to his own people, but to the citizens of we are sure that there were errors in before and after World War I, and later Barrow generally, by his public services, his geniality, and his infectious the printing, here and elsewhere we umpired for the team. He was a farrier friendliness. have made the necessary corrections living at Bankrigg cottages, Bay Horse. in preparing scorecards for inclusion We thank the Talbot Library, St Walburge's Gardens, Preston in this booklet. for the above photo and for information about Father Delany The next few matches included a fine double over St John's (Bay Horse 85, In the penultimate match on August 20th in 1910, Bay Horse achieved a St John's 23; Bay Horse 73, St John's 25 — 4 wickets fell to Father Delany huge victory, scoring 176 and beating the PSA Institute by 130 runs, but in the first encounter, 7 in the second), a defeat by Storey's by just 1 wicket, unfortunately the Lancaster Guardian did not publish a full scorecard from before Galgate made amends on July 17th (Galgate 87, Bay Horse 48). On that match. At a time when 50-60 was often a winning total, this was an July 31st, they had only 8 players and lost heavily to St Thomas's. extraordinary feat and it would have been good to know the individual Nevertheless, it was a satisfactory first season and Bay Horse finished in contributions. On 3rd September the report read: mid-table. J Illingworth (42 n.o.) and S Hornby (42) had a fine stand on 14 August as Bay Horse made 137, their highest score of the season. Bay Horse beat the "runners-up", Williamson's 2nd —87 to 30 — and therefore won the championship with four points to spare. Their record of nine wins in ten matches Although there had been some encouraging results in 1909, the great is exceedingly encouraging. As in the senior competition, all matches have been success in 1910 could hardly have been predicted. Bay Horse lost to brought to a satisfactory conclusion, there being no draws. Storey's by 19 runs in the first match, but then proceeded to win every Second Division of the Lancaster & District League: FINAL TABLE 1910 game. Here s a typical report from the Lancaster Guardian: P W L D Pts For Against Bay Horse notched another victory in the Lancaster & District League, 2nd Bay Horse 10 9 1 0 8 856 497 Division, beating Marsh Wesleyans by 67 runs. J Illinworth not out 40, and A Williamson's 2nd 10 7 3 0 4 610 429 Bland 32, were in form with the willow for the Trotters, whose total was 142. St Thomas's 2nd 10 5 5 0 0 521 566 Notwithstanding a brave attempt by T Watkinson (37), the Marshites were Marsh W. 10 4 6 0 -2 614 664 disposed of for 75. Father Delany secured four wickets for 23, and Illingworth Galgate 2nd 10 3 7 0 -4 522 665 three for 16. PSA Institute 10 2 8 0 -6 407 719 So Bay Horse were the "Trotters", at least in the parlance of the local press! 1 point for a win, 0 for a draw, 1 deducted for a defeat. Bay Horse scored 242 runs more than any other team in the whole league in 1910. ENTRY INTO THE FIRST DIVISION IN 1911 SIX GROUNDS IN 100 YEARS The club didn't have a settled home until the 1960s, and some of the Bay Horse achieved their deserved promotion, into an expanded first enforced changes created a feeling of great insecurity.