Turning back the clock

It teks aw sorts to mek a world and that was most certainly the case when assorted characters from the modern day Keswick Cricket Club embarked on a rather unusual outing to imitate a journey taken by their predecessors more than 100 years ago.

While repositioning framed photographs in the Fitz Park clubhouse earlier this year, KCC chairman Keith Richardson came across an old GP Abraham’s photograph (dated 1894) of a Keswick CC group on tour to Langdale. The black and white image was hidden beneath the brown paper wrapping used on the backing for a KCC 1960s team picture on display in the cricket pavilion. It showed the group aboard a carriage being drawn by three horses.

The idea was born for a similar tour and club secretary Barry Ward made contact with Black Horses Ltd, of Cartmel, who agreed to provide the horses and carriage and personnel for the 2009 version of the 1894 KCC tour. Sadly, the roads and the amount of traffic have changed dramatically since 1894 and so it was only possible to embark on a one-way journey of about eight miles. A trip to Langdale was simply out of the question.

And so Keith and Barry reconnoitred a route to Braithwaite CC which took in The Derwentwater Hotel, Portinscale, the Swinside Inn and, lastly, The Royal Oak at Braithwaite before the group made its way to the Braithwaite CC ground for a special match against Braithwaite CC to mark the occasion.

On board the carriage were KCC President Edgar Appleby (dressed as W.G.Grace no less), Keith Richardson (in fetching black beard and plus fours) vice chairman Mike Ryder and secretary Barry Ward (similarly attired in straw boaters) committee member John Webster (in the stark robes of a man of the cloth) 3rd X1 and Under 15 scorebook operative Mrs Carol Sharp (as an Edwardian lady) and the 1st X1 captain Glen Weightman (as himself).

The large crowd that gathered outside The Queen’s Hotel at 11am on Sunday morning, as the group set off on their journey, did not know what to make of it all.

Some perhaps thought it was a funeral or, once the Rev Webster arrived, that it was a party on their way to church (as we clearly should have been) or perhaps this was the setting for a movie shoot without the obvious addition of a director, support crew and movie camera. But then there was Tony Rathbone, with camera, looking fairly directorial.

What ever, the group set off on what proved an eventful and fun-packed journey. Everyone, except the more statuesque figure of WG Grace, had to disembark for the more severe hills on the way to the Swinside and then at Little Braithwaite. And the group did partake of a fair amount of refreshment en route and, strangely enough, became ever more vocal and full of laughter as the miles unfolded. It must have been all that fresh air. 

WG Grace, a man with a solid appetite, was whisked away from The Royal Oak by his wife (not waving a rolling pin) in order to take Sunday lunch elsewhere at a family gathering but returned to the Braithwaite ground in time for the excellent tea during which he lulled everyone into a post prandial nap with a 10 minute dissertation on the life and times of the aforementioned WG.

Out on the field of play, Braithwaite, under the captaincy of one Gilbert Pyke Esq, of Gilcrux, won the day. Players from both teams braved the rain throughout both innings as the clouds and the rain swept in out of Newlands. The highlight of the match was undoubtedly an aquaplaning spectacular by the Braithwaite skipper as he attempted to make his ground only to lose his footing and skid a good 15 yards on his bum through the mud. If this had been horse racing it would have been abandoned.

As it was Braithwaite won the match by three wickets.

The Keswick CC Chairman’s X1 in their 25 over game, made exactly 100 with 1st X1 captain Glen Weightman top scoring on 52 not out. Braithwaite made 101/7 with Trevor Kitching (31), Mark Oswald (25) and Gilbert Pyke (21) all making useful contributions. Young Sam Sharp was on a hat trick for the umpteenth time this season and finished with 3/5 from two overs.

After the game the senior players of the party then went for a final burst of refreshment before making their way back to Keswick by the more conventional and far less interesting means of transport known as the taxi.

Highest ever finish

Keswick CC 1st X1 got back to winning ways and now have a highest ever finish in the Premier Division of the NLL in their sights following their five wicket win at Kirkby.

The home side was restricted to 153/5 from their 50 overs and Stuart Dowson was back to his miserly best with a return of 1/27 from 14 overs while off-spinner David Kearns was equally tight with 1/21 from 10.

On a wicket which tends to favour the bowlers – unless your name is Jason Young who scored 203 here in 2000 to set a new league record for KCC – runs are hard to come by but left-handed opener Richard Webster carried his bat for 47 and John Bryson Jnr (28) the professional Darren Hickey (23) and the captain Glen Weightman (14) also got into double figures as Keswick reached 154/5 in 39.4 overs.

Keswick are now in fifth position in the league only three points away from Millom and Haverigg who are in joint fourth place.

Read more: Saturday 29th August

Blown away

How the mighty are fallen. Keswick CC 1st X1 will be the first to admit that Furness are probably the strongest team in the North Lancashire and Cumbria Cricket League Premier Division.  They are, quite frankly, deserving of their position as league leaders and it is no coincidence that they are Higson Cup winners and County Cup finalists having destroyed Northern League Barrow (victors over Keswick) on their way to the final, still to be played.

Majid Jahangir, former professional at Keswick CC (he was always a good ‘un, even if his swimming technique from Ashness landing left a lot to be desired) produced the economical figures of 1/21 from 10 overs as Keswick struggled against a strong attack that got plenty of life and movement on a sloping Furness track. Peter Lawson was fast and deadly accurate at the other end to return figures of 3/22 from 15 overs. In short, they were a handful and a half against Keswick who were blown away for 99.

Read more: Saturday 22nd August 2009

The Rain Gods rule

I think I must have angered someone on high with my remarks last week regarding Convention weather, it’s hardly stopped raining since and I am considering building an ark. Thank goodness there’s only one Gordon Thompson. Despite the distinctly average weather it has not, as yet, interfered too badly with KCC fixtures and the weather was brilliant last Saturday for the important 1st X1 league match at the Ernest Valentine Ground, Workington.

The league champions are having a real struggle this season and that scenario didn’t alter when a resurgent Keswick came to town with captain Glen Weightman taking his team for a pre match, calorie-ridden brunch at a well known Workington eatery. The team bonding worked well and the professional, Darren Hickey – a dab hand at the barbeque if only he wouldn’t keep dropping the sausages – responded with a typically breezy 61 that included two sixes and seven fours.

Read more: Saturday 25th July 2009

Defending a total

A game against Cockermouth –considered to be our local ‘derby’ match despite the proximity of Penrith – is always to be welcomed and it has to be said that the Sandair cricketers have been getting the better of these encounters on recent occasions. However, the tables were turned at a sunny Fitz Park last Saturday when Keswick successfully defended a competitive total of 166/9 and the game was concluded with an exciting finish when all three results were possible for Keswick, win, lose and winning draw.

As it was Keswick managed to achieve the latter, but it was touch and go for a while.

Of course, Keswick could have chosen not to do this the hard way, but they insisted on making life a lot tougher by dropping Cockermouth’s West Indian professional on not one, not two but three occasions and Chaka Hodge went on to score 97 not out and almost won the game for his team.

Read more: Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July 2009