Doug Mulholland (pro) 1 Special Professionals Edition Jonny Barnes (Pro) Established 1827 Test playing pros from Australia, India and Paki- For the juniors a stan Special Edition. For special “Did you a colour copy email know?” section. Plus events com- [email protected] ing up soon! The Newsletter of Darlington Cricket Club. Members of the Darlington Building Society, E.C.B. North Yorkshire and Issue 16 South Durham Premier Cricket League 2012 Season Thanks to a Sponsorship for 2012 from local automobile company, Sherwoods we have a new set of shirts for the Pre- mier League. Similar shirts and jumpers are available to non first team players through the club shop (without the Sher- woods logo) Contact Gloria Howells or DSM Cricket directly through Carl Sturgeon 286481. [email protected] DSM Produce the Feethams Flyer for Darlington CC 2 Three of the Best from the Sub Continent at Feethams Ajay Jadeja—Rajastan, Darlington and India An exuberant batsman, and an incorrigible charmer off the field, Ajay Jadeja entered international cricket with an infectious effervescence that won hearts and matches - but left behind an eerie trail of bookmaker connections and unan- swered questions. A protégé of Kapil Dev, Jadeja's natural athleticism, ener- getic running between wickets, audacious big-hitting and winning smile were made for the floodlit age. His bustling, street-smart batsman ship in the middle and closing overs swung many one-dayers India's way, none more emphatically than the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan, when he blasted 45 off 25 balls. But his obvious vulnerability against genuine pace and swing restricted his Test appearances to 15, and his career was halted in December 2000 by a five-year ban following damaging, though inconclusive, findings in a CBI inquiry on match-fixing. While Jadeja contested the ban, he found an even more glam- orous vocation meanwhile: acting. In November 2004 his plea seeking permis- sion to play international cricket was dismissed by the Delhi High Court after no one ap- peared on his behalf when the petition was taken up for hearing. However, a Division Bench subsequently permitted him to play domestic cricket and Jadeja returned to Delhi, where he was made captain. In September 2005 he took on a double role as captain and coach of Rajasthan. He also dabbles in cricket commentary. Ajay the father of the current Jadeja in the Indian squad played one season in 1994 for Darlington as overseas pro. He had the ability top bat for long periods and also bowl both seam and offspin. Ajay (right) pictured with Pakistani International Wasim Akram (left) Masood Anwar last league champion pro for Darlington “Mas” was professional for Darlington for two seasons. He also went to Stockton and Hartlepool after us. An orthodox left arm spinner and batsman, he played one Test for Pakistan He was the last Pro to help us to a league title back in 1990 Two centuries and 5 fifties for Darlington with the bat and 156 league wickets in two seasons are an amazing stat. For half the season in 1991 he was injured and ill with malaria but came back that season to take 8– wickets! Mas is still involved with cricket and is on facebook and twitter if anyone wants to keep in touch. World Class Leg Spinner—Mushtaq Ahmed at Feethams! A bubbly, chubby leg spinner with googlies aplenty, Mushtaq Ahmed is styled on his hero Abdul Qadir, whom he succeeded in the team. He is a match winner with a full house of legspin variations. At his best he is not far behind Shane Warne, but he does not get the in-drift and rip that makes Warne unique and he gets less bounce because of a lower arm. He is a compact though not especially competent batsman who fends too gingerly to hint at permanency at the crease. Mushtaq has also suffered the vagaries of the Pakistan system. But his enthusi- asm remains undimmed, despite being out of the team since a poor run of form in 2000-01. Some of his most memorable performances have been away from home, in England and Australia, and he played a key role in propelling Imran's Tigers to World Cup glory, memorably snaring Graeme Hick with one of his googlies. In 2003 he became the first bowler in five years to take 100 wickets in the English season, a return which was instrumental in guiding Sussex to the “Mushy” Mushtaq Ahmed first Championship title in their history, a feat he and they repeated in 2006 and the legendary leg spin the following season. However, he put his future with the county at risk by sign- bowler and a pro at ing with the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League. Persistent knee trouble forced Feethams. him to retire from first-class cricket towards the end of the 2008 season and he Although now a strictly was quickly snapped up by the ECB as England's spin-bowling coach. “Mushy” religious Muslim he en- played as replacement pro for Masood Anwar in 1991 at Darlington. He was an joyed his socialising with amazing character and an amazing cricketer. He also lodged with James Dob- the Darlington team! sons grandparents and met James in 2001 when Pakistan played at Old Traf- ford. Still England bowling coach 3 Simon Davis—Another Darlington Test Playing Professional Simon Peter Davis (born 8 November 1959, Brighton, Victoria) is a former Austra- lian cricketer who played in one Test match and 39 ODIs from 1986 to 1988. Davis played Minor Counties cricket for Durham in 1982 and 1983, once taking 7-32 for them in the Nat West Trophy one day competition. Davis made his debut for Victoria in 1983–84. He impressed as an economical medium-fast in-swing bowler and, after the Australian team lost several players to theSouth African rebel tours, was called into the Australian one-day team for the 1985– 86 World Series Cup, taking 2 for 30 on debut against New Zealand. Davis had a superb series, finishing with 18 wick- ets (second only to Kapil Dev with 20) at an aver- age of 16.61, the best in the series, conceding 2.93 runs per over. He excelled in the finals against India taking 3 for 10 in the first final in Sydney when defending just 170 and 1 for 23 from 10 overs in the second final in Melbourne. Davis played his only Test at the Basin Re- serve in Wellington, New Zealand in February 1986, bowling 25 overs, taking 0 for 70 and scoring a duck in his only innings. Legends From Feethams—Simon Davis, Prahran, Darlington, Victoria, Durham CCC and Aus- Davis's economical reputation was damaged when during the Benson & Hedges Challenge in Perth in Janu- ary 1987, England all-rounder Ian Botham hit him for 26 runs in an over. Davis regained his place in the Aus- tralian One-day team midway through the 1986–87 World Series Cup and played 15 more One-day matches for Australia, ending his career in the Bicentennial One-day match in Melbourne in February 1988. He was regarded as a poor batsman and his First-class run tally of 98 is exceeded by his First-class wicket tally of 124. For Darlington he was professional in 1982 and 1983 and lodged with James Dobson’s granddad and also with Jimmy Robinson. A popular Aussie, the first antipodean to pro for us. He was quick and made the ball move. Econ_R Strike_ Season Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Ave 5wkt ate Rate 1982 325.4 82 840 76 11.05 2.581 25.89 1983 369.2 125 911 66 13.80 2.467 33.70 7 His Darlington bowling stats are shown above. An excellent signing and the first of three pro’s from his home town club of Prahran in Victoria to join us. Simon was followed by Andy Scott, even quicker paceman who has since sadly died after committing suicide in Australia and William Johnson a left arm seamer and another Aussie teacher. As of 2006, Simon teaches Mathematics at the Sunshine Coast Grammar School in Queensland 4 For Our Youngsters—Did You Know This About Your Club? 43 players have represented Durham County Cricket Club but only three of them have been since the county became first class in 1992. They were Andy Fothergill (1982-1994), Rob Lawrence(1995) and Nicky Hatch(2001) We have employed some great pros at Feethams, some have played for English counties, some first class around the world. Several have actually been Test Match players. Pakistan - Masood Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmed (now the England spin bowl- ing coach) , Tariq Aziz, India - Abey Kuruvilla, Ajay Jadeja (the father of the Jadeja currently in the Indian team) Australia - Simon Davis and Bangladesh - Rajin Saleh. We have won the 1st team’s League title a record 14 times nearly twice as many as other teams. Our 2nd team have won their league 12 times. The third team have won Sunday Division 1 three times out of the 7 years it has been running The club began in 1827 (185 years ago) Our Bi-Centenary is due in 2027 The NYSD League began in 1893, we first won it in 1896 W.G. Grace has played twice at Feethams Two spectators have been killed by cricket balls at Feethams. Football, tennis, bowls, Quoits, lacrosse, cycling, archery, hockey and athletics have all taken place at Feethams as well as cricket. Ladies were not allowed inside the clubhouse until the 1960’s. Under 18s were not allowed inside neither until the latter part of the seventies.