As Storm
Gareth batters the country with 60 mph winds and squally showers of torrential
rain, it seems strange to be talking about cricket, but the simple fact is that
the 2019 season is a mere 5 weeks away. The NEPL campaign begins on Easter
Saturday, April 20th and frankly, I can’t wait. Same as last year,
when Seaham Harbour’s resignation left the first division a team short, there
are 23 teams operating across the two divisions. In the top division, as well
as the disappearance of Durham Academy, the league management committee were
required to deal with the aftermath of Stockton transferring to the NYSD League
post season. Consequently, there was no relegation and two promoted clubs,
Burnopfield and Bournmoor, have been elevated to the storied ranks of the top
flight. While both clubs provide a challenging adventure for those keen on
public transport expeditions, they will also demonstrate both ends of the
evolutionary scale in terms of facilities. The reader is invited to assess whether
a carpeting of daisies in the outfield constitutes rustic charm or pitiful pit
village.
Division 1
sees 3 newcomers; Ashington, who Tynemouth have been drawn away to in the Banks
Salver on May Day Monday, Crook and Shotley Bridge. Followers of the paranoid
pit yakkas from NE63 have already flexed their capacious sense of injustice six
pack by suggesting the fact Ashington are the odd ones out without a game on
the opening day is some kind of slight on their honour and indicative of the
sort of treatment they have to look forward to. Quite… As well as the trio of
neophytes, my personal omnibus odyssey has yet to take me to Willington or
seemingly inaccessible Castle Eden. However, I will do my utmost to tick the 5
unvisited grounds off the list. It should prove a more exciting contest that
watching South North, augmented by new signing Oli McGee and Jacques Du Toit,
ambling to the Premier Division title in third gear, yet still amassing a
record points total.
Incredibly
fortuitously, Benfield’s League programme is scheduled to wrap up the week
before the cricket season gets underway, with a final day contest at Seaham Red
Star, so I hope to be able to dedicate myself to my other main sporting love,
Tynemouth CC from the very start. Indeed, I’ve already seen Tynemouth in action
at 3 different venues over the past couple of months in the various rounds of
the National Indoor 6 a side Championships, battling through successive
Northumberland qualifiers at South North against the likes of Blagdon, Backworth
and Tynedale, before reaching the North
East final at Durham against South Shields in early January. Facing a stiffish
target, the lads batted beautifully to win with ease and thus move forward to
the Northern final at Old Trafford. This was the same stage as we reached last
year, on the same weekend, with almost exactly the same team; Polly as captain,
Smudger, the two Sams and Fez, with the final spot taken by Owen Gourley,
apparently because he was already in Manchester that weekend on the gargle.
Drink had
been taken by yours truly on Saturday 9th, during and after
Benfield’s thoroughly enjoyable 4-1 away success against Penrith, when we’d
recovered from the blow of going a goal down in 7 whole seconds, to win with
ease. Despite finding my way back indoors for the start of Match of the Day, the
carousing continued in honour of Newcastle’s superb recovery against Everton
that was the first game on, almost incredibly. As a consequence, the alarm
clanging me awake before 8 on a wintery morning was a sick joke and indicative
of a tough, tough start. However, I got it together in time to be picked up by
Messrs Smith and Pollard. The journey was initially a breeze; cold outside, but
dazzlingly sunny. Yes it was a bit blowy when we breakfasted at Wetherby, but
there was nothing to hint at the weather awaiting us. Once on the M62,
conditions began to deteriorate: cloudy by Elland, pouring by Huddersfield and
eventually a blizzard as we sashayed past Saddleworth Moor. It was a temporary,
if terrifying, state of affairs; dry by Rochdale and blindingly sunny as we
departed the M60 for Salford Quays and the home of Lancashire Cricket.
Within 15
minutes, the whole team was there, as well as the support, which consisted of
me and Fanta, meaning what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in girth. Our
opponents were the Shropshire winners; Grasshoppers CC. It would have been
interesting if the county had been represented by Shrewsbury CC, as Joe Hart
may well have turned out as he seems to have already been put out to pasture at
Burnley. Grasshoppers won the toss and put us in. Despite 19 from the first
over and an encouraging 46/1 from 3, we never got going; after 5 we’d become
becalmed at 56/3. In the end, a less than stellar 90 all out from 10.1 meant
we’d have to bowl like demons and field like angels to stand a chance. Nobody
hid and nobody chucked it. Smudger bowled with accuracy and hostility and Sam
Robson held a couple of good catches, while they also contributed a comedy
run-out, but it was a fond hope. They cruised home after 10.1 as well, winning
by 3 wickets, leaving us to ruefully pick at the post-game buffet and
contemplate what might have been, following our second successive exit at this
stage. Grasshoppers are off to Lords on March 31st, as they overcame
Hallam from Sheffield in the final. Fair play and good luck to them; they
bowled very well in a large arena, twice the size of anywhere Tynemouth had
played before today. To be frank, it’s probably best we got knocked as the
Mackems are in London that weekend for the Checkatrade
Trophy final and we’d only have outnumbered, outsang, outdrank and outfought
them.
Initially,
the journey back was a glum one, but before we’d even got out of Lancashire, a
sense of proportion returned and we gassed on, all the way back, about hopes
and fears for the season to come. It’s one of the things I love about Benfield,
Tynemouth and any grass roots sport; you can talk to players in a sensible,
rational way as most of them have interesting angles to express and amusing
anecdotes to express them. However, I guess we can all agree that sharing
bestiality videos in the WhatsApp
group is a bad idea, though try telling that to Tynemouth Bad Boys.
The midweek
league starts week commencing April 22nd (Easter Monday in point of
fact) and we’re actively looking forward to life in division 2, even if 5 of
the teams (Bates Cottages, High Stables, Sparta, Whitley Bay and ourselves)
have been promoted en bloc to compete
with Cramlington, Genetics (Swalwell)
and Merz & McLellan (Ulgham). As a shift worker, I anxiously await the
arrival of my next rota, as that will dictate what holidays I need to take, if
I’m to continue appearing, as opposed to playing, for the Galatasaray of the
Midweek League. Regular updates to be found here, with references to proper
cricket as well, on the odd occasion.
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