My cousins, friends and me spent almost our entire childhoods up there playing cricket, football, rounders, cow boys and Indians or whatever we could think of. It became second nature. This was around 1956. I was 5.

As we got older we used to watch the weekend and mid-week cricket matches and by the time I was 10 I was hooked.

It was at this age that I was offered the chance of being the First Team Assistant Scorer which I accepted without a minutes thought. Assistant Scorer is where you stand outside the Score Box and change the number plates at the instruction of the Scorer to reflect scores, wickets, overs, etc. A critically important role.

In my first season doing this, Adwalton won the Waddilove Cup Final with my all-time cricket hero, Peter Gamble, hitting a ton.

A year later I was officially promoted to First Team scorer and used to love scoring on Saturday afternoons specifically when we played away as after the games quite a few of the team, and me, used to call into the County Chinese Restaurant in Bradford City Centre for a County Special and Chips all for about 5 shillings.

We used to play at grounds and against teams that no longer exist. Two on Rooley Lane spring to mind, Dudley Hill and the North Eastern Gas Board and in those days Girlington was Girlington Methodists!

Whilst being the Scorer I used to officiate in the weekend pub matches played on the old ground. One game springs to mind, The Black Bull versus The Victoria Hotel. Serious stuff, high stakes, a shilling a man (price of a pint).

My dad played for the Bull and was 46 not out. He hit a 4 and in time honoured fashion I waved the white hanky out of the score box to signify the 50. A small ripple of applause and a cap collection of £1.50 followed. He was out without further score.

At the end of the innings me and the Vic scorer tallied everything up, oh my, dad was actually on 45 when he hit the 4. He was out for 49. A bye was quickly transferred to dad’s score to make 50. I don’t recall him giving the money back.

Whilst still 11 I made my first team debut. We played at Jer Lane Congs and were 2 players short. Jimmy Gamble, Peter’s Dad, batted at 10 and me at 11. We managed to see 5 overs out and I ended with 3, all off the edge.

I remember several players from those days Trevor and David Ramsden, Jack Horrocks, Roy Makinson, Dougie Goor an opening batter.

I seem to recall that in those days you had to actually sign on to play and I joined the junior team. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I was actually picked for the team, obviously as a fielder.

Our fixtures were Wednesday nights and I recall travelling to away matches riding pillion on Trevor Ramsden’s moped with the team cricket bag sandwiched between us stuck out like aeroplane wings.

In one game we played our local rivals, Drighlington at Adwalton. We batted first and were all out for 31. Drighlington were cooing until Mick Pitts and Graham Rhodes got into action and Drigh were dismissed for 21. Happy days.

Somewhat later we played Laisterdyke at home. They had a particularly quick bowler called Hepke. I remember it well. He bowled one, it hit my glove, the keeper caught it, I dropped the bat and was holding my hand in agony. The umpire, Donald Gamble, said Not Out he missed it. Good old Donald. VAR would have overturned his decision.

I progressed through the Junior ranks until I was 18 when I captained the side.
As Stuart mentioned in an earlier recount, we lost to Laisterdyke, David Bairstow and all, in the cup final. I remember we got Bairstow out but they got over the line with about 5 down.
I still have the silver runners-up medallion somewhere in the loft.

At the age of 15 I became established in the second team and opened the batting with George Johnson. He was about 68, had cricket history on his side and was a top batter.
Unfortunately, every week George would run me out. He would hit a classy cover drive, easy 2, so as a sprightly 15-year-old I would charge to George’s end. George would be leaning on his bat. “Get back” he’d say. “I only hit 4s”.

Also at the age of 15, I opened the batting at Northowram and scored a thrilling 44 not out in 40 overs. The crowd would have been bored rigid had there been one. Fortunately, they were all in the pavilion watching the World Cup Final, England Versus Germany. The Bradford Central League opted not to postpone any fixtures.

For a period of time, I left Adwalton and went to play for Hartshead Moor (Bradford League) and Drighlington (Yorkshire Council). The connection with Hartshead Moor came when I played for Batley Grammar School at Heckmondwike Grammar School and the Heckmondwike Team Manager was the Secretary at Brook Sports where I played football.

Whilst playing for Hartshead (2nds) we played Spen Victoria away. Stuart was batting for Spen. He got going and was cracking them everywhere. Fortunately, the heavens opened and the game was abandoned. I am pretty sure he would have got a ton.

After this period I began watching Adwalton again specifically when Chris started playing Second and First Team cricket.

There was a period where I actually started getting picked for the Second Team due to various player shortages and it was whilst playing in the team that I became part of Adwalton’s history.

The framed score sheet in the upstairs changing area records Steven Healey’s 10 wicket haul, I think against British Telecom. I was wicket keeper that day and took two catches. I also ended up on something like 14 not out sharing a substantial stand with J Sian. Can’t remember which one!

There was a bit of a fracas at the end of that game as J Sian went for a second run and BT thought they had run him out whilst he was still a few yards down the wicket.

The Square Leg umpire, one G. Johnson, standing in, said “Not Out”. This upset BT a little (actually no, It was a lot really). Graham’s argument was that there were 3 BT players standing in his view and he could not see if they had broken the stumps legally. It wouldn’t have mattered; we were only a few runs short with 5 wickets left.

Steven Healey crops up again in another game I played, this time for the First XI against Westbrook away. The team was a man short and I always kept my spare kit in the car boot.
Adwalton batted first and ended up with a decent score with 8 down. I was batting 11 so didn’t get in.

For the second innings the skipper said “Where would you like to field, I don’t want you running about too much at your age and having a heart attack”. “I used to be a wicket keeper I replied, can I keep wicket?” “Yes” So I kept wicket.

First ball of the innings, Steve Healey bowls an absolute jaffa. It pitches on middle and swings towards second slip. The batter never saw it. I reached my right hand out to catch it, it hit the fingers of the glove and ran down to third man. Third man threw it in, I caught it and as I tossed it to first slip I thought something is not quite right here.

I took off the glove and inner to find the third finger from my thumb on the right hand hanging limply backwards at 90 degrees to the rest of the fingers. A stand in keeper was found whilst I spent the rest of the afternoon in St Luke’s hospital having it repositioned.

So no batting and 1 ball faced. Chris collected the “Pointless Appearance Trophy” on my behalf at Awards Night.

I know a lot of fathers have had two off springs playing in the various Adwalton Teams, Neil and Steve Layccock and Scott and Gareth Murrell spring to mind (I am sure there are others) but is there anyone who has had both son and daughter playing for the teams in competitive games.

Chris has played at all levels but my daughter Joanne once played for the Under 15s at Undercliffe one Sunday morning.

Joanne was a regular with Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Teams at under 13, 15 and 17 levels and one particular weekend Adwalton U15s were a man, or should I say person, short. She stood in.

The male Adwalton junior players were aware that Undercliffe had a particular young fast opening bowler and being a chivalrous lot, they sent Joanne into open. She lasted about 4 overs before playing on. She also opened the bowling.

It is always interesting having connections to Adwalton Cricket Club and as a club they should be really proud of a 150 years history.

I hope some of these little snippets jog a few memories from the past.

Hopefully COVID permitting celebrations can be held to mark the event and hopefully I will get there to catch up with a few old pals.