SO MANY STARS

By Don Clifton

After posting of the encounter between Cleethorpes, and both Ajmal Sharhzad and Adil Rashid, in season 2006, I started to think of other class players who had featured against the Meggies in the Yorkshire League.
Without reverting to scorebooks, and depending on ageing memory cells, the list of players kept growing.
Even way back in the 1980s, when the Meggies left the safety of the Lincolnshire League and became the first side from outside the County boundary to compete in the Yorkshire League, both future internationals and current County players were appearing in the opposition.
Barnsley had both Darren Gough and Steve Oldham, Devon Malcolm was with Sheffield United, Chris Silverwood at Castleford, while Chris Old was at Hull. Scarborough, meanwhile, could include both Craig White and David Byas.
Ian Swallow, a county spin bowler, also appeared but my memory fails to recall with which club, I think it was one of the Sheffield sides.
This list of renowned players shows why Chichester Road started to attract larger attendances despite the local club struggling to compete against such quality which was often boosted by an overseas player of distinction.
However, local young players, with ambition, started to work their way through the system, push for a first XI place, and look for a chance to play at the highest standard available locally.
Results improved with the aid of imported players and in 2003 Cleethorpes clinched the league title. Now they have reverted to mostly local players with an overseas player helping to boost the strength of the side, and once again the class of opposing sides is making life difficult for the Meggies.
Over the last two or three season's class players continue to appear week in, week out. A couple of years ago Driffield arrived with not only the present Yorkshire captain Chris Gale in the side but also Richard Pyrah. In a later fixture Driffield included paceman Steve Patterson. Tim Bresnan was in the Academy side before going to higher things, while spinner David Wainwright often appears in the Castleford line-up. Left-hand batsman Adam Lyth, who this year came so close to getting 1000 county runs before the end of May, entertained the Chichester Road spectators when he hit 150 for Scarborough.
Barnsley, who have lost the services of former Hampshire batsman Alex Morris, have Yorkshire opening bowler Oliver Hannan-Dolby to spearhead their attack which also includes England under 19 captain Azeem Rafiq.
Making up for the loss of Morris the side from Shaw Lane have signed former Zimbabwe Test player Gary Ballance who is now with the Yorkshire County side after a spell with Derbyshire.
Former Yorkshire batsman Vic Craven is playing for Harrogate again, and even Appleby-Frodingham have been able to call on Derbyshire all-rounder Greg Smith. I feel sure that there are many more English county players who have appeared in Yorkshire League encounters with Cleethorpes which could be added to international names such as Rutherford (New Zealand) and Ian Bishop (West Indies).
Although my memory cannot recall more names one thing is certain, and that is that spectators, at Chichester Road, are getting the chance to see local players take on sides which include present and future top class players.