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Junior League Secrestary's Report Season 2001
The 2001 season was one of the best for the youth cricket in the Northern League for many a year.
The domestic competition was unfortunately once again hit and miss with only ten of the league's twelve clubs taking part.
Even the clubs who entered the competition in some cases did not complete their fixtures but this situation has now been addressed and we look forward to a more meaningful competition in the form of a new knock-out cup in the coming season.
A place in the league final was competed for between Blackpool, Netherfield, Darwen and St Annes, with Darwen and Blackpool coming out on top.
On a cool damp day, two weeks after the League season officially closed, an excelllent game at Bich Hall saw the home team win through by some 40 runs with Blackpool runners up for the second successive year.
A high point of this match was the maiden century scored by Darwen's Mark Hadfield in his final year as a youth player.
It was also interesting to note that this result was the reverse of that when the two clubs met in the final on the same ground approximately ten years ago.
I started this report by saying that 2001 was an outstanding season for the Northern League,
When I report that the Inter-League season started at Preston Cricket Club with a demoralising defeat inround one of the Manchester Evening News Knock Out to the Bolton Association, you will probably wonder what I was talking about.
The fact that we were the holders of the trophy was even more of a suprise but there were reasons for our below par performance.
Our team was very much depleted due to examinations,club calls and also the selection of our leading bowler and top batsmanto play in the Senior Representative team.
Surely there are sufficient players of a mature age and of the quality required in the Northern League to allow the younger players to play alongside their peers.
Let's face it, they are only young once.
However, after inviting some 38 players to play, we eventually turned out a weakened side and came out on the losing side by the sizeable margin of 6 wickets.
Notable performances by Blackpool's Aaron Wall 56 and Jon Cordingley (Darwen) with 43 and 2-30 gave us hope, but our total of 157 for 5 was just not good enough to squeeze out a favourable result.
Ah well, maybe next year.
In game one in the North West Colts Competition we fared even worse.Again on Preston's West Cliff ground we were overcome by a very average Cheshire Cricket League team.
During our opponents innings,two wickets each for Stephen Cartwright (Leyland Motors), James French (Fleetwood)and 2 for 10 in 10 overs by the ever dependable Zac Taylor saw the Cheshire team out for 174.
The bonus point for taking all 10 wickets proved extremely important later on in the season, but a lack lustre batting performance saw us heavily beaten by 79 runs with only Martin Baines (Leyland Motors) troubling the scores to any extent.
From thereon, however the season got better and better,Due to the lack of pitches available on Sundays for Inter-League cricket, the Lancashire County League offered us a Monday fixture and we were happy to accept their invitation, this being the first occaision that a match in the North West Colts has been played mid-week.
The creditable total of 221 for 0, with 69 from James Anyon (Preston) 48 from Jon Cordingley (Darwen) and 24 by St Annes's 15 years old wicketkeeper James Ellis, gave us something to bowl at, and tight bowling by all the Northern League bowlers saw us home by 105 runs.
Our next opponents were the other Lancashire Premiership League, the Liverpool Competition on Northern Cricket Clubs superb ground.
on winning the toss, the Merseysiders took first knock and a disappointing score of 159 all out did not illustrate how good the wicket appeared to be for batting.Byron Hughes (Lancaster) with 2-24 and another useful performance with the ball by Jon Cordingley (Darwen) 4-31 restricted what was a strong batting line up to just 3 runs an over.
Lancaster's Tom Battarbee 26 and skipper Daniel Hagen 65 got us off to a fine start with 74 runs for the first wicket but we needed a gritty, determined knock of 28 from Darwen's Mark Hadfield to steer us to a 3 wicket win with 7 overs to spare.
This win saw us into the semi-final at Warrington Cricket Club but unfortunately the weather was the winner on this occaision.
The rearranged game took place at Leyland & Farington's Fox Lane ground a week later and our score of 152 all out did not have a winning look about it.32 from James Anyon, 30 from Jon Cordingley and an invaluable 45 from Martin Baines gaves us hope, but at tea interval the Cheshire County League looked to be favourites to progrss to the final.
But we shouldn't have worried as excellent bowling performances by James Anyon 2-26, Rhys Williams (Preston) with2-23 and of course 3-20 at the "death" by Zac Taylor saw us home by a solitary run.
It needed a run out from the penultimate ball to put us into the prestigious final at Boughton Hall Cricket Club,Chester against the Chashire County League "A" on the 9 th September, but it was a wonderful gutsy team performance that saw us through in the end.
The Final was a bit one sided affair with our score of 205 for 9 proving far too much for the Cheshir County team.
Man of the Match Tom Battarbee's 83 with support from the other 4 early order batsmen gave their opponents a stiff hill to climb and 3 for 11 for Rhys Williams, 3 for 33 from Zav Taylor and 3 for 14 from Jon Cordingley saw the Cheshire team into runners up spot.
We should be very proud of this team as they are streets ahead of any other team when able to field something like our srongest side.It augers well for 2002 when you consider that of the eleven that played in the final, seven of them are young enough to be eligible next summer.
Blackpool's Stephen Croft, England's Under 15 Captain, Jack Kelliher (St Annes) and Chorley's winner of the top young County player - The Cedric Rhodes Trophy - 15 year old Tom Smith will hopefully be available for selection during the 2002 campaigns. So the future looks bright.
Being Champions last summer, we have been invited to host the North West Trophy final. The Competition committee suggested Blackpool Cricket Club as a more suitable venue but I'm afraid the ground will not be available on the date for the final the 9th September so an alternative is to be found.
I must mention that the annual fixture for the league's under 17, was due to be played on Chorley's ground in July but unfortunately the weather was the winner on the arranged date.However, Jim Kenyon has already spoken to me regarding this years fixture so I will be glad to hear from a club willing to host this important prestigious fixture.
Worthy of mention are the trio James Anyon, Daniel Hagen and Blackpool's Chris Barrow who were chosen to represent Lancashire (LCB) in the Under 19 Federation team during the 2002 season.
Finally thanks are due to all those who work hard each year for the benefit of junior cricketers throughout the league.
Special mention must go to our Chairman Ken Wilton, Roger Harrison, Dave Reddy, plus, of course the clubs who kindly hosted the Inter- League matches.
We couldn't manage without you.
However, I end on a sad note as Ken Wilton has decided to call it a day as Chairman. What a loss this will be to the league and especially to me, as his support of Junior Cricket in the Northern League has been immense.It is going to be very hard to find someone to relpace hin, but I'm sure I can persuade him to carry on until we find another Chairman.
Clive Henderson
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