In my 80th year, I have known Whitmore Cricket Club for most of my life. Shortly after the 2nd World War, my father Ron, joined Whitmore and with my older brother John, my mother Catherine and myself, we soon made the ground our favourite place. My mother spent many hours making cricket teas in both home and clubhouse – as has my lovely wife, Lesley, in later years. My father later became 2nd team and 3rd team captain besides later being Secretary and Chairman over a period of 30 years. He was the prime mover in designing and raising finance for our current clubhouse. This replaced a wooden pavilion bought from Newcastle Golf Club – I vividly remember getting splinters in my feet from the dressing room floor – so you may guess the new clubhouse was like a palace by comparison. We spent one winter digging out the current clubhouse foundations ready for the builders. The rubble was stacked along the left hand side of the ground – it is now grassed over and mainly prevents cricket balls going into the adjoining field.

In those early days there was no electricity or water ! As a five or six year old, my job was to take 2 buckets to the stream (River Meece) which runs around the ground, fill them with water and carry them to the old clubhouse. This water was then boiled in an old calor gas urn and used to make tea – sometimes flavoured by sticklebacks and red penk fish from the stream ! Teas between innings saw both teams walk up to the Mainwaring Arms where sandwiches were laid out in the back room. After matches, as a youngster, I would spend many hours in my father’s car on the Mainwaring car park with a bottle of pop and a packet of crisps whilst the players replayed the game over many pints – something I did for many years later until we had a bar at Whitmore.

From the age of eight, I used to score the 2nd team games but always made sure my cricket kit was in our car. I used to be so disappointed when all 11 players turned up to play but very occasionally, I was able to field if someone was late. We had net practice Tuesday and Thursday evenings and I would cycle to the nets with a bat strapped to the bike crossbar. At home, I used to spend hours bowling at one stump on our driveway in front of our garage doors – as I got bigger and stronger the garage doors were battered by the corky cricket ball so my father spread a sheet between two posts to stop any more ball battering of the doors.
When I was 13 (1955), I was scoring again at Rode Park for the 2nds and the magic day arrived ! We were one player short and captain, Jack Cooper, asked me to play. I got two wickets in my first ‘proper’ match that day. From that day, I played continuously for Whitmore until 2009. In 2005, after a match, I was given a surprise presentation plaque by the Club to mark 50 years playing cricket for Whitmore. I played for 22 years in our 1st team and captained for two periods. Eventually, I played for our 2nds for the rest of the time and was captain for 9 years over two periods.

You may guess I have many, many stories about our club, matches and players! For the purpose of this article I can only be brief but separately am writing a book about my Whitmore experiences – hopefully I can complete that book before my innings is over !

Whitmore were late in playing local league cricket. Initially, we played cricket every Saturday and Sunday, with many midweek knockouts around Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. We travelled fair distances in the South Cheshire Alliance, Shropshire Alliance and Staffs Alliance.

For many seasons we played 40 / 45 matches each year – mainly Saturday/Sunday/Monday evening. Twice I got 100+ wickets a season, three hat tricks, four wickets in one over without a hat trick. I had many ‘highs’ including, as number 11, hitting a winning six into the lake off the last ball of the match at Maer (having missed the first 5 balls !). I played rugby for 34 years for Newcastle RUFC and towards the end of one rugby season I got into a ‘dispute’ and had my teeth knocked out and had to have dentures – first game of the new cricket season, I ran in, bowled, hit the pads,and screamed “how’s that ?” – unfortunately, my new dentures came shooting out and I caught them right in front of the batsman – Umpire gave “not out” and all collapsed laughing. A ‘low’ was when Don Furnival hit the winning runs at Dunstall – came into our dressing room – and collapsed – he passed away then and there. That was a dreadful season for our club and Don’s family.

Whitmore gave me the chance to play against special teams. We played against the England Women’s team as they were touring to raise funds prior to their forthcoming ‘Ashes Tour’ to Australia. Their Manager came into our dressing room before the game and requested that us quickies slow down a bit and we were to use a five ounce cricket ball (am sure you know they are normally five and a half ounce). Well, I had never played against women before, and didn’t slow down when I opened the bowling with this five ounce thing – my first ball was sent straight back over my head for a six ! I have had the greatest respect for girls and womens cricket ever since. I am proud that I was captain when Danni Wyatt use to play in our 2nds, aged 13 – she now stars for England Women.

I was in our first Indoor Cricket League team played during the Winters at Clayton Sports Centre. I was re-introduced to the lighter five ounce ball in this League and loved it when we played first off at 6.30pm – the ball was new and you could swing it around corners. We were quite successful in winning the Staffs League and got to the Midlands finals twice – coming second each time !

For six years I organised a three aside (Trios) cricket competition at Whitmore and got sixteen teams – mainly from the two local leagues – which proved to be popular. Teams embraced this novel competition and their top professionals and best players formed their trio. One year, the Whitmore trio (Peter Davis, Trevor Watkins and myself) got to the final. The team we played against in that final was Bobby Taylor (England Wicket Keeper), David Steel (England batsman) and Brian Crump (Northants opening bat). We won ! In the evening, Stan Crump, local cricketing legend – father of Brian Crump and David Steel’s uncle – presented me with ‘player of the tournament’. I was really proud to win that, a cricketer from little Whitmore who only played ‘friendly non league cricket’ in front of all the local league players !

It was later that we joined the N.Staffs District League – I was 2nd team captain when we won the Senior B Junior division . When that League amalgamated with the N. Staffs & S. Cheshire League, Whitmore slowly climbed through the new divisions reaching the pinnacle Premier division.

In the early 1980’s, we introduced junior cricket to Whitmore and formed an under 18’s team on Sunday mornings in the Kidsgrove League – I loved to watch my two sons, Tom (opening bat) and Harry (quick bowler), play in that team and could not wait to play in the same team with them later as adults. Sadly, this did not happen – they both went to University and settled in Liverpool – both are happily married and Lesley and I have two grandchildren – Martha and Sienna.

From those early days Sunday mornings, the club now have a thriving Junior section. There are some 180 youngsters from ages under 6 to under 17. If only those people who used to run the club could see our juniors now – they would be so proud !

In 2022 Whitmore began using Market Drayton club as a 2nd ground. This has seen a Saturday 3rd team together with two women and additional junior teams playing at Market Drayton under the Whitmore banner.

The Market Drayton ground has always been a favourite of mine. I took a hat trick there – but my fondest memories are opening the bowling there in three Market Drayton knock out finals. These were held every year with 16 teams from mainly Shropshire and Staffordshire – early rounds were played on weekday evenings, culminating in the final on August Bank Holiday Monday – two innings a side starting at 11 am and each innings to last 1 hour. As opening bowler, I used to have to wait at the end of my run up, for a bell to be rung – which started the one hour innings. The finals were most popular and cars would park three deep around the boundary to watch the match. Below is a photo of our winning Whitmore team at a final about 1962 – I am front row extreme right.

When I finished playing, I sat the Umpires’ exams and umpired for six years ending up standing in Premier division of the N. Staffs & S. Cheshire League. I also represent the club at league meetings. I took over groundsman duties, mainly looking after the outfield.
I now spend many happy hours on our ground – not playing cricket (unfortunately) – but mowing the outfield. As I am sitting on the mower, I remember all the games I played there, all the many players who came and went, the club’s ups and downs and the matches we played – the families – the generations of youngsters growing up. Oh yes, we now have electricity, running water (no more buckets from the stream), a licensed bar, fully equipped kitchen, indoor heating, wifi, tv, showers, nets and electronic scoring . The old members would be aghast at how the clubhouse has now been transformed – a far cry from the days of wood splinters in your feet from the floor.

Whitmore Cricket Club is one big cricketing family and I suppose I am now the grandfather of that family.

Happy Days !