HEARTENING RESPONSE TO APPEAL FOR NEW CRICKET UMPIRES

There has been a very good response to an autumn training course in Scunthorpe for cricket umpires.
Six people have shown an interest in the 10-week course, which is now under way at Brumby Hall cricket pavilion.
The course is being run by the Scunthorpe and District Cricket Umpires' Association, which has now held its annual meeting.
The main decision taken was to reduce the number of close season meetings.
Therefore the get-together planned in November has been cancelled, together with those in the New Year.
Meetings in 2014 will be held on March 20, April 17, July 17, September 18 and October 16 (AGM).
They will be at Brumby Hall pavilion, off Ashby Road, Scunthorpe (7pm).
Anyone wishing to find out more about the Scunthorpe association can email scoopfisher@aol.com

NF ADDS: Putting a good deal of effort into publicising the above course clearly paid off this time. It is to be hoped that other associations around the county can also attract newcomers to undergo training.

GEORGE IS TOPS

Scotter official umpire of year

Many congratulations to George Housam, from Scotter, who was last night revealed as umpire of the year for Sunday performances in the North Lindsey League during the 2009 season.
It's the second time he's taken the accolade in recent years.
Unfortunately, George was unable to make last night's annual meeting of the Scunthorpe and District Umpires' Association - but Steve Dixon, who lives near him, is to deliver the trophy.
Umpires are marked out of 10 by each team after games in the three divisions of the North Lindsey League, and at the end of the season Glen Sands tots up the marks and works out averages to find who's rated number one by the clubs.
Last night's umpires' AGM was held at Appleby-Frodingham CC's Brumby Hall pavilion, in Scunthorpe - and it was good to see president Rex Bell in attendance and giving us the benefit of his experience on several topics.
The chief officers were all re-elected - Mick Knapton (chairman), Peter Douce (vice-chairman and welfare officer); Jo Walker, general secretary; Mick Walker fixture secretary; Bryan Simpson (treasurer).
It was a fairly brief meeting, as Scunthorpe umpires' AGMs often are - helped by the fact no rule changes were put forward for consideration.

NORMANBY PARK BACK IN BUSINESS

Fond memories of 'Marsh' weaving his magic

A news story in the Scunthorpe Telegraph earlier this week about the official opening of a new sports pavilion at Normanby Park rekindled memories of that fine ground on the outskirts of Scunthorpe.
For the benefit of younger readers - or those who do not hail from the Scunthorpe area - we should explain Normanby Park CC was good enough to hold down a regular spot in the Lincs League premier division, and the club also had a 2nd X1 in the competition for many seasons. Among their best-known players was long-serving Lincolnshire Minor Counties slow left-arm bowler Dave Marshall.
These days there's a thriving youth cricket section, with ex-Alkborough player Paul Cowling very much involved, and Normanby Park Hockey Club is sharing the new facilities.
Many of us will remember playing, and watching, some fine games at Normanby - cricket and hockey. So it's great to see things moving forward again.
Can we hope that, one day, senior league cricket will return to this wonderful setting?
You can read more on the opening - performed by cricket club president Sir Reginald Sheffield Bt, father of Tory Party leader David Cameron's wife Samantha - through this link to the Scunthorpe Telegraph's website.
Blaze club rises from the ashes

I HAVE A DREAM...

Could Lincs one day 'do a Durham'?

By Nigel Fisher (clearly in need of a reality check)

County champions...providing regular players for England...staging international matches at their magnificent purpose-built ground. Such is life at thriving Durham County Cricket Club these days.
But turn the clock back to the 1988 season and we find Durham losing by 60 runs at home to Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Knockout Cup.
Back then, Durham had yet to gain first class status - it was a few years into the future - while Lincs were a pretty decent Minor Counties outfit under the leadership of Lincoln Lindum stalwart Harry Pougher.
Yet, in the intervening 21 years, Lincs have failed to improve their standing in the game.
Prompted in the early 1990s by press speculation (guess who?) about whether Lincs might one day "do a Durham", there were a few suggestions over perhaps establishing a top county ground/academy at, or near, the Lincolnshire Showground site (just north of Lincoln). But you can guess what's happened since.
County cricket clubs need big money to do what Durham have done - and, it's said, a major fan base/nearby population to draw on. What they also need is a massive amount of ambition.
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club - just like Durham in the 1980s - is without a central ground to call its own. Indeed, when (for reasons of sponsorship in the era of long-serving Neil Hamilton's chairmanship) Lincs played all championship home games at Grantham for a spell there was much mumbling among the membership - me included!
If you'd asked me in 1988 which of the Minor Counties might one day make the progression to first class status, I'd have told you Northumberland - based in Newcastle and with a superb Jesmond ground, home to what they call up there The County Club.
Now I had my critics within Lincolnshire CCC when covering matches - home and away - for the press. But whether the publicity was good, bad and sometimes a little ugly for the county hirearchy to digest, it was at least publicity. And it reached thousands of folk in the northern half of our huge county, week after week during the summer. For when you go looking for sponsorship, any company will demand to know how much media coverage a given brand is receiving before it even considers signing a cheque.
It could be seen as unfair to say Lincolnshire County Cricket Club has stood still in the past 20 years - it hasn't when compared to other Minor Counties.
However, if we make comparisons with the strides - or leaps - taken by Durham, clearly there is no comparison.
I'd like nothing more than to one day spend my well-earned retirement watching Lincolnshire play four-day County Championship matches at a purpose-built ground, near the Lincolnshire Showground site - and see them beat Durham once again.
1988 Minor Counties KO Cup at Sunderland: Lincs 170 (Guy Franks 67, Dave Marshall 29), Durham 110 (Ashok Patel 41, Nigel Illingworth 3-10, Jim Griffiths 3-26, Rick Burton 2-23, Dave Marshall 1-11, Neil French 1-29).

STEELMEN OF FUTURE

Pictures from the Appleby-Frodingham Cricket Club presentation evening, featuring the under-11, under-13s, under-15s and under 17s - all courtesy of Diane Grimes. That's Frank Theakston with them on the top picture (right), if you didn't know.

DON CALLS TIME

Ruddy Duck memories for Meggies' stalwart

By Don Clifton

Recently I attended a club re-union where I played as a teenager in the
1950s. The club - Newborough West End - played in the Peterborough and
District League along with other village sides in the Lincs/Northants border
area.
I spent about five happy seasons playing there, in a league which did not
have over limitation, but played time games. In those days it was always
advisable to bat first when playing out in the sticks, as the umpire would
be aware of what time the last bus left to get him back to town.
Thinking back to some of those impossible LBWs reminds me of one South Lincs player with a sense of humour. Going out to bat with the score on 3-2 after both openers had been rapped on the pads he asked the umpire for centre. "From over the top or from where he bowls?" asked the umpire in what was the fashion in those far off days. "From where you give LBW!" came the reply from the batsman.
It was great to meet up with people I had played with a half-century ago,
but sadly the club folded at the beginning of the '60s - by which time I had
started my long stint at Chichester Road (Cleethorpes).
The attached photograph was taken outside the public house where the
re-union was held - that's me on the left.
Little did I realise that the pub sign would indicate my final innings!

TEG'S ELEVEN WELCOME (OR MORE)

Buy the boy a birthday drink

This Saturday (17th) at 7.30pm will be the start of Andrew "Teggy" Tester's birthday celebrations at Barton Town. Club members at Marsh Lane are attending. The big man plays a big part in the club - on and off the field. So let's hope for a really good turn out.

GRIMSBY STUMPER LEADS WAY

READERS LINCOLNSHIRE ECB PREMIER LEAGUE

By Ann Boulton
Four players topped the 50-wicket mark in the 2009 Readers Lincolnshire ECB Premier League season, with two going over 60 and tying for the league’s trophy for most wicket.
Lindum’s Matt Rutherford and Aaron Keverne-Onyon of Bracebridge Heath both claimed 61 victims with Onyon just pipping his rival for best bowling average with 10.21 to his rival’s 10.98.
Andrew Crook, of Woodhall Spa, lifted easily achieved the most runs and the top average of the season – 1126 at 70.38 – just failing to beat Mark Fell’s record total of 1138 runs in a season.
Market Deeping’s David Gillett claimed a new record for fielding catches, taking 17 to break the old record which was jointly held by Deeping’s John McDougall and Nick Cowley and Rob Cook, of Nettleham.
And in his first season in Premier League cricket, Grimsby’s 16-year-old wicketkeeper Steve Crossley was five ahead of his nearest rival for the number of dismissals, claiming 31.
Onyon and Louth’s Sri Lankan Nuwan Shiroman share the man-of-the-match award with seven nominations each.

INDOOR FUN - BUT HURRY!

Although the Scunthorpe Indoor League is long gone (see previous postings), the one Market Rasen's Nick Chilvers oversees at the town's De Aston School is very much alive and kicking.
But hurry if you wish to enter for this year.
There will be a Super League and a Fun/Mixed League. Super League Sunday slots are 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, with the Fun/Mixed competiton playing at 2pm.
The team fee is £15 - payable by Monday, October 12 - with any cheques made payable to SLM. The match fee is £15 per team.
All matches are 12 overs a side, and each game lasts about an hour. It's four points for a win, two each for a tie, and there are bonus points for every 40 runs and every four wickets taken.
Nick says: Any new teams wishing to have a try out to see if they like this format just need to contact us on 01673 842695." Or you can email via this direct link Lincs Cricket Latest has set up for you
NICK'S INDOOR LEAGUE

NF adds: We've just had a brief chat to Nick, who is hoping to attract some more teams. We've offered him the chance to supply regular scores, results and match highlights to Lincs Cricket Latest whenever he has the time so we can keep you up to date with how things are going. This could be a very welcome addition to our site in the coming months, and thanks go to my old Brigg Town CC mate Gary Smith for taking the trouble to forward a copy of Nick's circular to clubs, which put us on the case.

DUCKS ON THE FARM-ERY

From Graham Hackney

Following up from Jon Taylor post from Hibaldstow, I’ve checked Cleethorpes stats and there were 146 ducks this season in a total of 1,011 innings - working out a duck in every 6.92 innings. The club awards a trophy at the awards evening. Last season Gary Cowlam took the Roger Gott Trophy with six ducks in 22 innings, while this season Joe Farmery was a clear winner with nine ducks in 22.
Pictured: Gary Cowlam receives the 2008 Roger Gott Trophy from 2007 winner Mark Bellamy.

NF adds: When I get time to look out the cutting I will demonstrate how Brigg Town CC can blow all Lincolnshire opposition out of the water with the duck-scoring performances of Tony Glossop in the 1980s. You will be amazed!