Cricketing Memories Part 6 - Andy Wood

Experts believe that the first traces of The Immortal Andy Wood playing for CACC date back to around 400 years ago. Since Play Cricket began however he has 364 wickets to his name at an average of 16.36. He also holds the record for most time spent in the field without ever using his hands, currently standing at 2469 overs. Woody is also a long serving member of the committee as club chairman, which made the first attendee at meetings according to the minutes - A Wood Chair.

So for what I hope will be the last blog in a long while, here are some memories from Woody.

Earliest Cricket Memory – I was taken to watch Yorkshire play at Bramall Lane by mum and dad in either the late 1960’s or early 1970’s. The only memory I have was a batsman getting a massive top edge which came towards where we were sitting under one of the floodlights and the fielder dropping the catch right in front of us much to the derision of the crowd. I remember feeling really sorry for the fielder and have personally been able to relate to what he must have felt at that moment several times over the intervening 50 years!! In terms of Coal Aston CC, my first memory was being approached by Julian Bradwell in the playground at Gladys Buxton School in 1975 and asked if I wanted to go down to a training session at Stonelow as his dad Gerry was setting up a new junior team. The rest as they say is history.

Favourite Ground – sadly I have never played on Queens Park in Chesterfield but started watching cricket there in the early 1970’s and still support the Chesterfield festival every summer and hopefully the festival will survive next summer post Covid. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the touring sides played several games against county sides between playing test matches, as one day cricket was only just beginning to take off. I can remember seeing both Australia and the great West Indies side, including Clive Lloyd playing on the ground. Magical memories. In terms of grounds I have played on, I always liked playing at Youlgrave for the fantastic views and general setting of the ground, with two decent pubs just up the road.

Best Team Mate – I have to give this accolade to two long serving members of the Club, Gerry Bradwell and Tony Cookson for the way they captained sides that I played in. Both have a depth of knowledge and understanding of the game that I have never been able to match.

Best opponent – I give this to a club rather than an individual and they are Sheffield Centralians and for no other reason, than I always seem to take wickets against them. Its strange how most players have lucky opponents or grounds and also unlucky grounds and opponents. Whenever I turned up for a game against Sheffield Centralians, I always felt confident that I would have a good day.

Best moment – this goes back to the 1990’s when I was a regular in the second team and you will be surprised to learn that it was with the bat and not the ball. We were playing Maltby Main at Stonelow and I was last man in and we needed 5 to win. There opening bowler, who was referred to as “Scud”, had just sent the previous batsman’s stump cart wheeling out of the ground with the first ball of the over. I can’t remember who was at the other end but Scud came blazing in and sent a perfect Yorker at my toes, which somehow I managed to get a bat on and the ball went straight back down the wicket about 6 feet. I then realised that I had been called for a quick single and the other batsman passed me as I was just leaving my crease !! Scud in his haste to finish the match off picked the ball up and flung it at the stumps missing by about 2 inches and as nobody had chance to back up, the ball flew to the boundary and I had finished 5 not out off one ball and secured an unlikely 1 wicket victory. The lads went mad and I ran off the pitch punching the air, which riled Maltby and before they left the ground the word got back to me that Scud was going to “do me” in the return game. As it happens I did play in the return game and made 11 from memory but their captain kept Scud away from the bowling whilst I was in and as Maltby won the game, I managed to leave Maltby in one piece that day !!

Worst moment – a few years ago the third eleven had a last day of the season relegation game against Millhouse’s in Millhouse’s Park, where the winner stayed up and the loser got relegated. The opposition batted first and got around 140 and initially things looked good for us as we got to around 108 for 3 with plenty of overs left. However Dill (Paul Steele) was out for 40ish at that point and the rest of us panicked (including me) and threw our wickets away and we lost by 8 runs. It grates with me now and the game was probably over 10 years ago !!

Funniest moment – I had a spell as vice-captain of the Sunday second team about 15 years ago with the captain being Brian Hemstalk. At the time Brian’s sons Lewis and Clarke played in the team. The start time was 2 pm and it got to 1.50pm on one particular Sunday afternoon and the opposition who had been warming up for half an hour and were getting agitated that we were showing no signs of tossing up asked what was delaying matters. I said (as none of the Hemstalks were present), that I was waiting for the captain and two players. At that point Lewis turned up and I said to him in front of the opponents captain, “Where’s Brian he needs to toss-up” to which Lewis said “ Mum says he can’t come until he’s washed the pots” !! At that point, I had to decide if to ask the opposition if we could just hang on a bit or whether I tossed up and one look at the opposition captain told me that he wasn’t going to wait for Brian to finish his domestic chores !! As you can imagine this got mentioned several times by the opposition during the afternoon!!

Thanks to Woody for finishing the blog on a high. Good luck to all starting to play in the league again this weekend, get making some good stories for the next lockdown! 

Cricketing Memories Part 5 - Andy Lockwood

Following on from the popular Butcher Cup 1995 argument, Locky has provided us with some of his past memories to enjoy. Former first team captain and opening batsman Andy is the only honorary member of the club that I am aware of, mostly down to his part in the rebuilding of the main pavilion back in the early noughties.

Earliest cricket memory

Debut for Coal Aston juniors aged 11, Hallam away. So will have been summer 1978.

Favourite Ground

Queens Park, Chesterfield.

Was a regular supporter when Derbyshire used to play at least twenty days of first class cricket a season at Queens Park in late 70s and early 80s when the best cricketers in the world regularly played county cricket seven days a week (John Player League on a Sunday). The touring West Indians in 1976, Australia in 1977, Somerset (Botham, Richards and Garner) spring to mind. Derbyshire themselves were a different proposition in those days with three England regulars in Miller, Taylor and Hendrick and two quality oversees players Wright and Kirsten. A fantastic cricketing education and a great way to spend school holidays.

Best Team Mate(s)

Gerry Bradwell and Tony Cookson. Always competitive no matter what type of league (or friendly) game, always respectful to opponents and umpires, strong powers of observation.

Closely followed by Julian Bradwell.

Best Opponents.

In the Daggers one  Saturday night, someone was reading an article in the Green Un where an ex Pakistan Test bowler had signed on for a Huddersfield League team. After bowling against the West Indies, Brian Lara had described him as the fastest bowler he had ever faced. At the end of the article it stated that he had also signed on to play for Sheffield Works Department in the Sheffield Midweek League, who we just happened to be playing the following Wednesday.

With two equally fast Pakistan bowlers opening the bowling at Olive Grove and many supporters turning up to watch their hero, I was still batting at the halfway stage when these bowlers had used up their overs. At the fall of a wicket I asked the wicketkeeper which one was the ‘Brian Lara’ bowler, only to be told ‘neither, he’s coming on next’.

I managed to survive and there was still one over left when I ran out of partners on 49 not out. We only had 9 men (surprised we had that many), Gerry and Beeky wisely declining the offer to make up the numbers. And so I was denied the chance of scoring a half century against the fastest bowler in the world, and all with no helmet.

Talking of fast bowlers, opening the batting was a different proposition pre 2000 with no bowling restrictions, no covered wickets and no helmets. The pure fear of getting caught on a drying wicket has now gone from the game. Also the bowlers never seemed to tire – one bowler worthy of a mention was Russell Ward of Maltby who would bowl 23 overs of fast bowling straight through although he was gentlemanly enough to pause in his run-up when a double decker bus passed behind the bowlers arm at Maltby. Or maybe he was just having a rest!

Best/Proudest Cricket Memory

115 not out v Warmsworth, my first game back after breaking my arm whilst batting against Mexborough.

Worst/Lowest Cricket Memory

Getting bowled out at home by Norton Woodseats for less than 50. You feel the pain more when you are captain.

Funniest Cricket Memory

A junior game at Queens Park against Chesterfield. Our respected leader and mentor Gerry Bradwell gave us a strict talk before the game about how we were playing at the best ground in the area and that we were to be on our best behaviour, keenly observed by his ever-present assistant and scorer Alan Beecroft. In those days Coal Aston junior sides were made up almost exclusively of pupils of  Gladys Buxton school, anyone from ‘the other side of Dronfield’ played for either Dronfield Woodhouse or Dronfield Contact. As a result of this smaller pool of players to pick from, numbers tended to be made up by cricketers of dubious ability and character. Our mottly crew that day included amongst others myself, Darren Howson,Wiggy and Fearn, so whilst umpiring Gerry had justified cause for concern. Things were going fine until, at the fall of the 5^th wicket, a certain Andrew Messer strode purposefully onto the hallowed turf. As he got halfway to the wicket he suddenly did an about turn and ran back towards the pavilion. ‘What’s up Messer?’ asked an astonished team mate. ‘Forgotten my box’ came the reply, so the previous batsmen then gave him his box (shared equipment in those days). ‘I’m not wearing that it’s got a pubic hair in it’ said Messer and walked back to the wicket to raucous cheering from his team mates. Two balls later Messer was hit where his box should have been and was carried back to the pavilion to a standing ovation not seen or heard at Queens Park since Geoffrey Boycott scored a century for Yorkshire.  At the interval we were quite rightly on the receiving end of a severe reprimand from an embarrassed and fuming Gerry (much to Beeky’s amusement).   

Little was seen of Andrew Messer’s cricketing talents in future years as he moved from Coal Aston to make a living as a priest. However, after an acrimonious departure from the church, he did make a few appearances for Coal Aston’s midweek 11  in his early forties. But the magic had gone, so he reluctantly decided to call it a day. Can now be seen walking his border terrier around the streets of Coal Aston.

Another former team mate of mine was Howard Cresswell. Brought up on Shireoaks Road, a stone’s throw from the Coal Aston cricket pitch, Howard was an angel as a youngster. After a family move to Chesterfield he unfortunately fell in with the wrong crowd and found it impossible to stay out of trouble. Fortunately for Howard he had a knack of remaining elusive to the local constabulary. Until one day the police, knowing he was a keen cricketer, decided to out-fox Howard by catching him on the hop at a cricket match at Old Whittington. Whilst batting, I remember seeing the police turn up and chase an unsuspecting Howard across the outfield, rugby tackle him and cart him off to a waiting police car while still in his whites. The game carried on and Howard was never seen again.

Better later than never?

Evening all, I wasn't going to bother today but Locky has been giving me stick so here are some past Sunday games to look back on. As we will be playing next weekend I'll be calling it a day on the blogs for now, can always revisit at another time, and we do have some player interviews lined up for the next couple of weeks.

1st July 2001 

Going way back to Mansfield 2001 for a Sunday 1sts game where a young Rich Mintoft took 5/41 opening the bowling as we bowled Mansfield out for 162. Impressive figures for Roey being used as 3rd change in the attack. This was too much for CACC who batted out their 40 overs for 126/9 for some losing draw points, the days in which Rich was an opening bowler and number 11 batsman did not last long!

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/529485

5th July 2009 

The Sunday 1sts hosted Clowne at Stonelow and were asked to bat first having lost the toss. I managed to get us off to a decent start before some classic late order Sunday hitting from Brett, Dan, Rich and Locky took us up to a first innings score of 215/7. In reply the veteran seamer knocked the top 3 over, paving the way for Gramps to take 5/35 and Locky to take 2 late wickets as we bowled Clowne out for 117. Take note of 3 stumpings from Rich to complete a classic Sunday performance.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1113363

Meanwhile at Chesterfield Road South Barry Eke and Lewis Hemstock were making light work of Mansfield's batting line up, taking 3 wickets each as they were bowled out for just 95. Unfortunately for CACC this match was taking place in a parallel universe in which Rexy is an opening batsmen, and therefore we were bowled out for just 59 in reply. Good red inker for Shads though.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1132786

4th July 2010 

What a game this is for the Sunday 2nds in the Bear Pit against Cuckney. Batting first Cuckney made 253/4 in their 40 overs, scored almost exclusively by their number 1 and 3 batsmen. Some experimental 1-over spells in their for CACC but all wickets taken involved El and/or Alex Barrett. A daunting total but a strong opening partnership between El and Steve Cross set us on course for an unlikely victory. Grant and Bateso finished the job as CACC knocked the runs off in the final over just 3 wickets down. A great chase, any memories of the game would be gratefully received.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1417388

1st July 2012 

A trip to Primrose Hill for the Sunday 1sts to face Blackwell. CACC won the toss and only Liam made it to double figures as we were bowled out for just 65. The stats show that our number 11 Steve Thompson faced 24 balls for his duck, in what must have been an electrifying last wicket partnership with Chips 4 (34). Despite the low total some CACC members were confident that they may have enough on a tricky wicket, and this turned out to be justified as Freddie and Liam shared the wickets to bowl Blackwell out for just 41.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1784965


An honourable mention to Jack Haslam who 7 years ago bowled 1 over 0/29 away at Grassmoor, remarkable effort.

Been great to see the club re-opened this weekend, thanks to Kev who has put in measures to ensure that we can adhere to the social distancing requirements whilst using the bar, and hopefully get playing again next weekend.

Our lowest ever score (?) and friendly fire

There were some great games to look back on from this weekend, I've even had to leave a few good ones out just so it didn't go on too long. Those that didn't quite make it were a 1 wicket win for the 1sts away at Darfield with Dan and Johnno just about seeing us home, the 2nds defending a low score at Conisbrough with young leggy Junaid opening the bowling and doing the damage for us, and finally Vanders 83 from just 37 balls from last season.

A lot to choose from, and here are the matches that made the cut:

4th July 1999

This game from way back is down as being played on a Sunday but as a 3rd team fixture I'm including it today. The first innings went very well for CACC as they bowled Grindleford out for 117, Steve Rhodes the pick of the bowlers with 5/28. Unfortunately this was back in the dark days of no bowling restrictions, and on their way to bowling 23 overs each, Grindleford's two bowlers took 5 wickets a-piece as we were bowled out for just 81 in reply.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/3925326

3rd July 2004 

A big win (actually a winning draw) for the 2nds away at Baslow, and a fine all-round performance from Ritchie Marples whose name has been spelled incorrectly on scorecards and honours board for all time. Batting first Ritchie made 108 in a total of 204/4 from from 46 overs. He then also took 5 wickets trying to complete the job but Baslow managed to hold on for a losing draw, batting their overs out just 68/9.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/356889

2nd July 2005 

A great run chase for the 1sts who were faced with a difficult first innings score of 239/7 having asked Whitley Hall to bat first. The fall of wickets isn't available unfortunately but 25* from Whitley's number 10 will have been frustrating at the end of the innings. But an opening partnership of 218 between Locky and Rich led the way to CACC winning just 2 wickets down and 3 overs to spare. Locky finished on 114 and Rich carried his bat 104* to see us through to victory.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/620148

7th July 2007 

With all other games cancelled it must have been a rainy day at Mexborough for the 1sts. Luckily we won the toss and bowled them out for 93, Nick with figures of 5/12. Si got us into trouble early in the second innings though by running Locky out and it was a nervy looking chase until we were saved by Johnno and Jimbo down the order, who saw us home in the 39th over with just 2 wickets to spare, Freddie will have been sat nervously waiting to go in!

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1047817


4th July 2009 

A few people have mentioned a 35 all out to me this year but everyone has kept this first team score quiet. Winning the toss against Warmsworth things were going well as Johnno took 6/24. Maybe Cookie thought that the job was done and gave a few others a bowl as Warmsworth's numbers 9 and 11 both made it into the 20s to boost the score up to 100 and get some momentum going. The reply was a disaster and looks like a premium rate telephone number as CACC were then bowled out for just 30.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1122217

Meanwhile at Carr Lane an interesting story unfolded for the 3rds. After sticking Sheffield Medics in Rexy took 5/29 as we restricted them to 182/9 from their 46 overs. A good partnership between Sweety and Jamie Drake broke the back of the run chase and Paul was leading the way to victory before being adjudged LBW on 99. Now some of you will realise at this stage that the 3rd team do not get allocated any league umpires, so what adds to this tragic story for Paul, is that it was his opening batting partner Barry who gave him out LBW! CACC went on to knock the runs off 3 wickets down.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1134754

6th July 2013 

An epic battle for the 1sts away at Whitley Hall. Whitley batted first and amassed a big first innings score of 297/9 from their 50 overs, including a couple of frustrating last wicket partnerships as James Brown, who must have Got a Brand New Bat, made 42* at number 9. Unfortunately I wasn't there to witness it but I'm told that the run chase was a great watch. An opening partnership of 141 between Dave and Locky, followed by a 111-run partnership between Dave and Liam really put CACC in with a chance. Dave eventually fell for 139 including 14 fours and 8 sixes. The game went right down to the last ball where unfortunately, Dan was unable to dig out a perfect yorker from Whitley's Jaco, and was ran out with 2 runs needed for victory - a top effort.

https://coalaston.play-cricket.com/website/results/1975440

That's all for today, enjoy your beers if you are heading out, will possibly wrap these up now that it looks like things are returning to something like normal, but will definitely look back at some Sunday games tomorrow.

Cricketing Memories Part 4 - Rich Mintoft

Evening all, this week's look back comes from Rich , former first team captain who joined the club at the same time as me through Brian Hemstalk's junior teams. Rich has played 203 games for the club according to Play Cricket, although it will be a few more than that in reality with hopefully a few more to come. He has 5 centuries and 13 fifties for the club including a high score of 156 not out. Rich will also tell you that he used to be a rapid bowler in his day, and although that's up for debate, he certainly has a safe pair of hands with 117 catches to his name. So let's hear from him:

Earliest cricketing memory

Feel like I’ve always played cricket for as long as I can remember! I think the picture attached shows me aged 7-8 and Si aged 4-5! First CACC cricketing memory was a visit to Dronfield Junior School by Brian Hemstalk looking for players for a new junior side.

Favourite ground

Favourite ground will always be Stonelow. Favourite away ground has to be one of the tour venues because I’ve managed to score a few runs at most of them, I’ll go with Wellington.

Best teammate 

Locky. Probably the person I spent most time batting with and had the biggest influence on me with the mental side of batting and concentrating in the field.

Best opponent 

Wasn’t the best at the time of playing against them but 2 test match captains in Faf Du Plessis and Joe Root take some beating. Played rep cricket with Michael Simpson at Collegiate and he always scored bag fulls against us from about under 13s right through to the first team games. Hit the ball miles as well.

Best cricketing memory

A couple here. My first senior 50 batting with my Dad at Chesterfield Barbarians as a junior carrying my bat for 85* and my first ton batting with my brother Si at Whitley Hall were both special.

Captaining the CACC first team to promotion to the Premier league in 2011. We had a brilliant side around that time, loved every minute of it.

Worst cricketing moment 

Being rolled out for 35 on Stonelow was embarrassing. Highlight of the day was managing to get them 4 wickets down in response including Si catching one in the grill of his helmet at silly mid off and the umpire giving the batsman out!

Golden duck opening the batting away at Kexborough, bowled top of off stump trying to clip one to leg, and the golden duck on my ‘return’ a couple of seasons ago having watched us get 300 odd in the baking sunshine all afternoon.

Funniest moment 

I was fortunate enough to attend a large number of tours to Shropshire from the age of 16 and each one seemed to be better by the previous for funniest moment.

I have a couple non-tour related mooments that spring to mind however, the first was in our final junior match at u17s for CACC when I was batting near the end of the innings with Matt ‘chunky lover’ Johnson. One of us hit a 4 and as we passed at an extremely leisurely pace to return back to our creases, Matt managed to stumble over absolutely nothing and with a little squark ended up sprawled across the wicket.

The other was more of a random moment looking back rather than being particularly funny. Batting at a well known SY League ground I was out in the middle where we were on course to a 9 wicket victory. As I put my head down to prepare myself for the next ball the wicket keeper said words along the lines of “oh for gods sake not again” I looked up and saw an interesting, topless character wandering towards the wicket. The keeper then said rather more quietly “don’t say anything.”

For the next couple of minutes the whole ground stood in silence as the invader stumbled his way across the middle of the pitch, and headed towards the boundary before scaling a perimeter wall.

The umpire threw the ball back to the bowler and as play was just about to recommence I made a little enquiry to the keeper as to what had just happened to which he replied “he did same other week and someone called him a **** so he came back with a gun.”

We didn’t hang around for a drink after that one.

Thanks to Rich for the memories, I'll leave you with a few pics until we are back at the weekend.