Chapter 8 - 1940 - 1944

The start of the War in 1939 saw Collegiate with a youngish and very promising Council side, but it soon became clear that for 1940 they would be without 50% of their playing strength. They hoped to have 20 regular playing members and about 10 'occasionals'. On this basis they decided to apply for membership of the Sheffield League, in which they played without much success until 1944. George Price was captain and sadly finished with a disastrous season in 1944. At Hallam it looked as if victory might at last come, but some bizarre captaincy resulted in one change bowler flatly refusing to bowl and the match was lost easily. George's car would not start after the match, but he was surprisingly able to coast to a garage at the bottom of Ecclesall Road, where it was found that the rotor-arm was missing, removed, it was later discovered, by the police, who thought that he was using extra petrol coupons for illegal purposes. By the last match of the season there was still no win and, when this seemed at last certain against Steel, Peech & Tozer, the opposition were allowed to snatch victory with a last wicket stand of 60, on a pitch prepared by an ex-green-keeper, which was of the sort called by Tommy Mitchell 'a whist-drive wicket: third hand plays high', or, alternatively, by Cyril Turner 'a cap on-teeth out wicket'.