Chapter 10 -Yorkshire and other Leagues 1962-1980
It had become clear in the 1950s that a sad change was taking place in the traditional Council opponents of Collegiate. The back-bone of the Council teams in South Yorkshire had always been the colliery sides, who, in general, were not only hard opponents but great fun to play against. Whether or not nationalisation had anything to do with it, the colliery sides gradually declined in both quality of players and upkeep of grounds. Also the Yorkshire League had been re-formed as an internal league of the Council and this had removed several of Collegiate's best opponents. Collegiate came back to their age-old problem: which is the best league to play in? The answer was obvious and Collegiate were accepted into the Yorkshire League for 1962. It is a not unreasonable proposition that the Yorkshire League, with such teams and grounds as Leeds (Headingley), Scarborough, Hull, York, Bradford, Barnsley, Harrogate and Sheffield United, as well as Collegiate, is the strongest league in the country. Certainly Scarborough's success in the John Haig Trophy seems to support this idea.
The old colliery opponents had not disappeared for ever from the Fixture Card, because, for 1968, the club's 'A' side was accepted into the Council as a 'free-lance' team and several traditional fixtures were renewed. This, however, did not last for long, as for the season of 1972 the Yorkshire League split away from the Council and became an independent league. Collegiate at first had doubts about this move, because part of it would be the creation of a new league for the 2nd XIs of the Yorkshire League teams and this would mean the 'A' side abandoning the Council and also great difficulty in reorganising fixtures generally within the club. Collegiate did in the end support the split and the 'A' side did join the Ridings League, as it is now called, and so changed name to the 2nd XI.
The rules of the Yorkshire League deserve to be known widely, for they seem to be more sensible than most limited-over rules. Matches are of 100 6-ball overs and the side batting first may not bat for more than 50 overs. However, and this is the crucial point, the side batting second can occupy the balance of the 100 overs not occupied by the side batting first. There is therefore a lure for the side bowling first to try and bowl out the opposition, because it can then claim the balance of the first batting side's overs as an addition to its own 50 overs. This does to a certain extent lessen negative bowling. In addition draws count, the side with most runs taking the majority of the points. Since 1979 bonus points have been awarded.
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In the Yorkshire League Collegiate were, for better or worse, no longer 'freaks', but accepted on equal competitive terms with all other sides. They enjoyed their cricket, but for ten years they were not very successful. David Woodhead had obvious talent as both batsman and leg-spinner, but he did not mature until a few years later at Cambridge, where he nearly got a blue, though still, like all his type nowadays, more or less ignored as a bowler. John Smith, with previous experience for Sheffield United and Derbyshire 2nd XI, joined in 1965 and for twelve years was a most effective opening batsman, giving, at last, support to the consistent David Hanson. John Pashley had days of looking like a 'class' batsman and the arrival of Brian Wilks from Rotherham gave greater depth to the batting. Verbal play-backs, particularly of his favourite 'cut-upper', made sure that none missed the best of his innings. Bob Wall came from Sheffield United and the appearance of younger batsmen of class in Andy Tasker and Willie Ward, who was 2nd in the league Junior averages in 1971, helped to produce a good batting side, apart from the occasional inexplicable collapse.
The bowling for the most of the 1960s depended greatly on Peter Grayson and Tim Reed, with varying supporters. David Carrington's quickish pace was followed by Peter Clarkson, who really was fast and hostile. An interesting interlude in the normal seam bowling attack came in 1966, when Peter Grayson's off-spin was supported by the slow left-hand of Colin Drybrough, who had bowled effectively for Oxford and Middlesex. Drybrough seemed to bring out the best of Peter Grayson and between them they took 77 wickets (Grayson 43, Drybrough 34) and showed that slow bowling could win Yorkshire League matches. Sadly this combination only operated for one year.
In these rather difficult years in the league great credit is due to the captains, particularly David Allen, now a highly successful doctor in the States, and Johnny Weston, for gradually evolving a successful team.
Peter Grayson has played continuously for Collegiate for 33 seasons, longer than anyone except H. B. Willey, who did so from 1881 to 1916, though others might have got near this figure but for war interruptions. He has also certainly taken more wickets for the club than any other bowler except Frank Atkin and C. R. Wilson, who in their early years probably had a lot of 'easy' victims. He took a longish time to develop his full powers, but at an age when others are thinking of retiring he was second in the Yorkshire League averages in 1966 and was the leading 3rd XI bowler in 1980 at the age of 53, which gives hope that he may rival Ike Parker's performance at 70. Though essentially a slow-medium off-spinner his quicker ball was fast enough to provide an umpiring problem in a Sheffield Challenge Cup match against Steel, Peech & Tozer at Parkhead, which has a very short straight boundary at one end. A quick one from Peter was diverted upwards by the wicket-keeper, Bernard Dawson, and hit the sight-screen full pitch. There was much argument as to whether the correct score was 4 byes or 6, as awarded by the umpire, a crucial decision in a match lost by one run. More than useful batting added further to the outstanding contribution to the club by its most successful modern player, whose father also gave invaluable help as a money-box collector and supporter, with his wife, at almost every match, wherever played, including the coldest ever, at Wombwell, where his thermos of hot drinks restored several outfielders.
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Yorkshire League Team v Sheffield United, Bramall Lane, 1973. Back: R. M. Pilgrim, C. Prophett, C. J. H. Linfoot, W. Talbot, J. P. Pashley, W. M. Maddocks Front: R. W. Wall, W. R. Ward, D. G. Fleetwood (Capt), A. P. Tasker, R. Cornwell. Runners up by one point to Scarborough
Under the inspiring leadership of David Fleetwood the team was 2nd in the league in 1973 only one point behind Scarborough, and again 2nd in 1974. John Smith was 2nd in the league batting and F. Cornwell 2nd in the bowling in 1973, in which year Bob Wall was 6th in the batting. In 1974 Andy Tasker was 6th in the batting and Roy Pilgrim 4th in the bowling. Bob Wall was probably the player with the greatest natural ability. He had played several matches for Yorkshire 2nd XI, while he was a member of Sheffield United, but in these he was not successful and a failing in concentration meant that he never achieved the full heights of which he was technically capable. He took part in six century stands in the league, including a remarkable 120 for the 3rd wicket, with B. Hollington, in 70 minutes against the strong Scarborough attack in 1975.
From 1974 to 1979 there was not great success, but Andy Tasker was 3rd in the league batting averages in 1977 and B. Hollington 7th in 1975. Bill Croft was 6th in the bowling in 1975. 1978 saw the first 200 partnership, Willie Ward and Andy Tasker putting on 200 for the 2nd wicket against Halifax, each scoring 100 not out, a feat which was surpassed in 1979, when David Longley and Andy Tasker scored 251 for the 1st wicket against Bradford in 160 minutes. In 1979 Roy Pilgrim was 2nd in the league bowling.
In its hundredth year the Club had its most successful season, certainly since the 1890s. Of 116 matches played by all teams 49 were won, l 8 lost, 28 drawn, 1 tied and 20, sadly, cancelled because of the horrors of the weather. The Yorkshire League side, under Andy Tasker, had the sickening bad luck to find themselves deprived of the League Title by Scarborough by one point after an extraordinary last day of the season. Collegiate had been top of the league for almost all of the summer and on this fateful last day they needed 6 points to secure the title and were playing at home against Harrogate, who needed 10 points for themselves to win the League. Scarborough were playing at home against Barnsley and to win the title needed the maximum (18) points from that match, if the Collegiate v. Harrogate game was rained off, in which case each side would receive 4 points. This is precisely what did happen. Rain prevented play at Abbeydale and in a controversial match Scarborough obtained their maximum points to scrape home by one point. Though bonus points are accepted as 'a good thing', the season raised very serious doubts as to whether the basis on which they are awarded is fair.
The arrival of John Ward, who had had some experience with Derbyshire, greatly strengthened the batting. He had a most successful season as an opener, including a stand of 180 for the first wicket with Jack Bethel in a ten wicket win at Castleford, where Collegiate would have gained more, ultimately crucial, bonus points, if a bigger target had been set. He also was a great asset in the field, as was another new arrival, Michael Deakin, who proved himself a useful batsman. The bowling, mainly in the capable hands of Bill Croft, Roy Pilgrim and John Hespe, helped by the all-round talents of David Longley and Andy Tasker, was steady and effective. It was aided by much improved fielding and the ever-dependable Paddy Howe, who just failed to win the League wicket-keeping trophy again.
The club had another good run in the Haig National Knock-out Trophy before just falling to Leicester Nomads.
It is pleasant to record the success of two wicket-keepers, for wicketkeepers are too often neglected, unless they miss easy chances. Following a long line of fine 'keepers in P. G. Bedford, R. H. G. Carr, C. B. Dawson, J. Weston and D. G. Fleetwood, in 1978 Paddy Howe won the recently given 'A. D. Pearson' Award for the most dismissals by a Yorkshire League wicketkeeper. In the same year David Fleetwood shared the 'A. D. Pearson' award for Ridings League 'keepers. Howe was 2nd in 1979 and 1980 and Fleetwood 3rd in 1979 among the successful 'keepers.
The 2nd XI celebrated their entry into the Ridings League by being easily Champions in 1972, 3rd in 1974, Champions again in 1975 and 2nd in 1976, only one point behind the winners. As a bowler Peter Grayson was outstanding, being top of the league averages in 1973, 4th in 1974 and again top in 1975, while Roger Ibbotson was top in 1977 and C. Mackenzie 2nd in 1979. Peter Watson was the main batsman, being 3rd in the league averages in 1973, top in 1974, 3rd in 1975 and again top in 1976. Geoff Butler gave much support as a bowler and was 7th in the league in 1975 and 2nd in 1976. The somewhat surprising 2nd XI names of J. Bethel and A. Tasker figured in a Ridings League record 1st wicket partnership of 182 v. Rotherham Town in 136 minutes in 1979.
The 'B' side took on a dual personality in 1975, when it joined the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Club Cricket League. The great majority of its matches were in the league as the Club 3rd XI, but it did also continue to play other games. After reasonable success for three years the team, under the captaincy of Andy Jackson, were league runners-up in 1978, only one point behind the leaders.
In 1980 they had the fine record of winning 17 out of 26 matches and only losing 2. Not surprisingly they were easily League Champions by a record margin. Great credit was due to John Keogh as captain and to the performances of players of very mixed ages. The two most successful bowlers were Peter Grayson, of course, and Andrew Snook, whose age gap was far over a quarter of a century, and they were well supported by Geoff Butler. Howard Yates, after success in the Under-18 side, batted with great promise. James Watson, particularly, Richard Yardley and Andrew Jackson all managed to add performance as batsmen to their experience and altogether the team was a most effective unit in spite of inevitable team changes.