FOURS OFF FRED

From Neil Simpson, Broughton CC


I have enclosed the scorecards of some matches relevant to your memories of facing Fred Graves.
The first encounter came 22/05/1976 in Broughton's first season in Lincs League cricket, in which Broughton achieved a winning draw with you surviving two balls of Mick Stothard's final over.
The match you referred to in your article was, in fact, exactly a year later. Chasing 132 to win, Brigg Town were bowled over cheaply for 32 with Fred taking 5 for 10 and Dave Atkinson, 5 for 9. (According to the scorecard it seems you only managed one snick through the slips for four).
I saw Fred today whilst watching our second team who also remembered it as an edge through slips to record your team's only boundary. Even though my dad didn't distinguish himself, conceding eight byes.
Later on that season, 30/07/1977, this time chasing one more run than the last match, Brigg were bowled out for 49 and Fred couldn't even get a bowl. He did score a brisk 32, though.
The scorebook is falling apart a bit now. It's had years in George Armstrong's shed to deal with and has clearly seen better days. However, notably, there were some other key performances in it. The match following the final Brigg defeat was at home to Cromwell Drewery. This featured the record 7th wicket stand for Lincs League division 3 between Pete 'Golly' Robinson (101) and Fred Graves (43) which was broken in July 2007 by our own Olly Reid and Danny Thompson.
Broughton were also on the end of one or two low scores. Notably our 2nd team being bowled out for 29 by Burton upon Stather (R Todd took 7 for 9). Also being bowled out for 54 by Normanby Park (a match in which Bob Welton was bowled Mick Stothard for 4). Preston Wallhead featured for Crowle Sports with 42, batting at nine, and 4 for 24 when he bowled. Plus there was Simon Allcock's only hundred for Broughton (107 against St John's).
The intermediate side which was featured earlier in your blog bowled Ian Dawson's Messingham out for 20 and 29 in the 1976 season.
Finally, as you can see, Brigg Town were not the only team to be bowled out for less than 50 in Broughton's early Lincs League days. Neighbours Brigg Sugar Factory were bowled out for 46 (Stothard and Graves both took 5 for 21) in June 1976. The scorecards of the 'derby' matches reveal a number of players who played for Brigg and laterly Broughton as we made our way up the Lincs League ladder. Dave 'Bootsy' Robinson; Graham, Martin and Keith Hunt; Colin Mumby and Garry Dunderdale all played for Broughton in the years following. In particular Graham, Col and Bootsy were to become key members of the Broughton side who, against all odds, found their way into the Lincs League Premier Division for the 1988 season.
When you consider Broughton lost players of the ability of Graham Wilson and Nigel Dobbs to bigger clubs, it proved to be a fantastic achievement. I hope village clubs like Cherry Willingham (whom I rate the best team I have played against), and Scothern, can take heart from the fact that even though they have lost key players to clubs in higher leagues, as long as you recruit cleverly and maintain your spirit you will eventually reach the pinnacle of club cricket.

I will be making a two-page feature of Neil's archive pix, and reflections on past glories, with pictures, in the next issue of Nostalgia magazine, published by the Scunthorpe Telegraph on September 2, priced 75p.


Nigel Fisher adds: I recall a couple of balls from Fred while facing which disappeared to the boundary. One is confirmed by the scorebook, reproduced here, as being off the bat. It could be another snick was given as four byes - eluding the efforts of keeper Dave Simpson - or I just remember seeing the ball disappear to the boundary and have wrongly assumed it hit the edge of the bat. Either way, eight valuable runs to our meagre total.

DOUBLE-CLICK THE SCAN OF THE SCORECARD TO VIEW THE DETAILS IN CLOSE-UP.