KING FOR A DAY

Steve King (extreme right, back row, with the shades) has given great service, over many years, to Haxey Cricket Club - on and off the field. And, being Steve, when the call came to make a Frank Sinatra-like return from retirement for the opening North Lindsey League home game he was only too happy to oblige - despite it being on one of the most perishing days anyone could remember for cricket.
He made a few runs and we observed him giving some tips to the young keeper, from his position in the slip cordon. It was agreed afterwards, in the warmth of the fine clubhouse/pavilion, that if we each had a fiver for the number of times we played against each other, it would be lucrative, indeed.
Some great times on the field and afterwards in the local pub, which is what cricket is all about. As we lamented, though, not so many away teams/players stop behind for a beer or two anymore as used to be the case, when it was pretty much universal.
We can't blame the ECB for this trend. So why has it happened in recent years? If more youngsters don't keep the tradition going it could die out altogether.
The benefit of an after-match beer has always been that a flashpoint on the field, or possible controversial incident, can be talked over by the players involved, in the bar, and put to rights. If an away team just gets changed, says "See you, lads" and drives back to base, the opportunity is lost.
Let's hear your views. Could be I'm from a bygone era, and the club game has moved on. You younger players may well think for the better.
You can come a cropper, though. Asked to step in and captain Brigg Town 2nds, maybe 10 years ago, for a Lincs League match at Rustons, on the far side of Lincoln, I thought it best to set a good example for the youngsters in my charge. The game comprised two rather slow completed innings of 45 overs, after which I insisted our lads must stay to have a beer with the home team. The clubhouse was pretty full - there seemed to be a function on of some kind - and we duly queued for our drinks and found a table.
Some time passed before I twigged that none of the home team seemed to be about. There was a steam engine rally coming up at the Lincolnshire Showground, which meant traffic queues which held us up further on the way home from Lincoln. And by the time we got back to Brigg, and dropped the lads off, I was beginning to worry whether the off-licence might have closed.
Still, we finishing the day with a clear conscience, having tried to keep the old after-match beer tradition alive.

STOP PRESS: Names of the Haxey team, courtesy of Danny "Statto" Bullock.
Back row, Left to right: Elliot Groom, Danny Bullock, Oliver Tonks (c), Joe Scott, Mark Atkins, Steve King.
Front row: Haydn Payne (wk), Ethan Tonks, Sean Byrne, Chris Jones, Isuru Gunasena.