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Junior Secretary's Report for Season 2005
The 2005 season was, as far as I was concerned, a quiet season. No Under 18 inter-league competitive cricket and as it turned out just one match for the Under 15's in the Michael Roche Competition.
Our friends, the Palace Shield, entertained us at Fylde Cricket Club in Round 1, the match being put on at very short notice due to the exceptional wet weather during the week leading up to the game. We batted first on winning the toss but didn't take advantage of first use of the pitch. We struggled to123 all out in our 40 overs and the Palace Shield appeared to be coasting to an easy win at 67 for 3. But some steady bowling by the Northern League saw them collapse to 109 for 8 before they managed to scramble home off the first ball of the 40th over. The Palace Shield coaches admitted that they were a little fortunate to pull off a win in this match but neither side seemed to be on their game with each team not really up to inter league standard. I report that the Palace Shield went on to lose to the Bolton League at Little Lever in the Final by 5 runs.
As there is no more inter league action to report upon, I will take this opportunity to blow the Northern League's trumpet a little. A comment you often hear around the grounds from the older members and supporters is that the standard of cricket in the league isn't as good as it used to be. Well, I'm not sure whether I agree with this or not. One thing I do know is that the young players these days are far stronger than they used to be in my youth. Due to the fact that school cricket virtually didn't exist in the 80's and 90's, all cricket clubs are extremely short of mature players in their 30's and their places in the senior club sides have been taken by teenagers who normally would have had to wait longer for their turn.
Because of this and of course because much better coaching is available these days at club level, the Northern League has produced several county players over recent years. An England player (and Captain, if only in the absence ofVaughan and Trescothick) Andrew Flmtoff'(St. Amies and Lancashire), Stephen Croft (Blackpool and Lancashire), Tom Smith (Chorley and Lancashire), and James Anyon (Preston and Warwickshire). AtuI Sachdeva (Preston and Leicester) Duncan Catterall and Chris Liptrot (Leyland Motors and Worcester) have also had short spells at County level, cut short due to injury, have all been produced by the league. The number of amateur players who have moved on to pro in the local leagues are too numerous to mention and it is difficult to record how many have played minor counties cricket for Cumbria over the years.
This record is one to be very proud of and I'm sure there are many more young players in the pipeline who will follow these top performers, I hope the lack if inter-league cricket at Under 18 level doesn't have a negative effect on the production line. However, I'm sure senior cricket and county representative cricket at youth level will provide cricket of a high enough level to maintain this proud record.
Clive Henderson
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