Peter Tetley decided to retire in 1995, but he couldn’t bear to be a spectator, and after missing two matches resumed his illustrious career. His record has been mentioned earlier, but it is not only as a player that Peter is such an asset to the club. He and Alan Ford look after the ground and take great pride in keeping it in tip-top condition. They spend many hours there - Alan preparing the wicket, and Peter cutting and maintaining the outfield. It is chiefly through their efforts that we were to be awarded The Donald Worsnop Trophy in 2001 for the best ground in the league, and that the Waddilove Trophy - the first team cup final - is now hosted regularly at Low Moor.
Adjoining the field is an area of rough pasture on which horses graze, and in 1997 we had problems with them straying onto the cricket field because they were not properly tethered. All over the turf were deep indentations from horses’ hoofs, and it became necessary to consider some form of boundary protection. The following year, metposts to support about 100 wooden posts were provided by our friend Jim Illingworth, a former opponent with Salem M.C., at a fraction of the normal price, and our own members set about hammering them in. Peter Farndale cut the posts to size, helped me to paint them white, and Ken Mason provided the wire from Rigbys to complete the job.
That year the 2nd XI had triumphed by winning the Central League 2nd Division. A good team ethic was well bestowed upon them at the time. The team may have gone on to better things but disbanded for several reasons at the end of this season.
E
vents in 1999 led to a chaotic situation early in the season. It had been a very wet Spring and two league matches had to be abandoned and a cup tie postponed because of the saturated outfield. Members had various ideas as to how the drainage could be improved, and a trench was dug at the bottom of the hillside and one in the bottom right hand corner of the field before rubble was shovelled in. The field eventually dried, but it was realised that a proper contractor was needed to do the job properly. In any club or organisation there are bound to be disagreements from time to time and another upset occurred shortly after the start of the 1999 season. On 15 May the first team were away to Sandy Lane, and in a disappointing batting display there were seven ducks in our total of 100. Having scored 70 out of this number, the captain stated that he felt nobody else was trying, and after the game he was of the opinion that the rest of the team were lacking dedication and ambition. As can be imagined, this outburst caused quite a stir, and the players pointed out to him that they were supposed to be playing for enjoyment, and that it had been just one of those days when things had gone wrong. It was only the second time since the season’s start that the players had batted, and the comments which had been made were felt to have been unfounded and unfair. There was also an outburst from one of those who had caused the problems in 1995 and who had been allowed to return to the club as he was undoubtedly a very good batsman, but also in the hope that he may now have grown up. He had turned on the captain in the changing room and accused him of making the wrong decision by electing to bat after winning the toss, and his foul and abusive language was heard by one and all, including the ladies. I received a complaint from Ken Noble, the chairman of Sandy Lane, about his swearing and I apologised most sincerely on behalf of L.M.H.T. A disciplinary hearing was avoided by the players resignation - again!
On the Tuesday following these unhappy events, the captain informed the club that he was leaving immediately to return to his former club Buttershaw St. Pauls, and the chairman cited some sort of problem which he refused to discuss with anyone, and wanted time to think things over. A week later he sent a letter of resignation stating that the cup tie against Shelf two weeks earlier should not have been called off and that he considered our ground to have been playable. This was strange, and no-one at the club could understand his reasoning especially when the decision about the state of the ground had been made by the umpires and was outside anyone’s control at the club. The mystery deepened when he refused to answer his telephone to anyone connected with Low Moor, and it seemed a great pity that there was no opportunity to try to resolve whatever was troubling him. He had been with us for something like 20 years and had been an excellent club man in so many ways.
It was a nightmare - all of a sudden we were without a first team captain, chairman and treasurer, not to mention the loss of the three players involved, and we were also deprived of the services of Tony Hubbert and Andy Oakes due to long term injuries. I was extremely worried for the future of L.M.H.T, but needn’t have been as it turned out. At a hastily convened Special General Meeting, the remaining members rallied superbly with volunteers for the vacant posts, and a commitment to the general running of the club. A special mention here for Alan Ford who was not only looking after the square, but also had the difficult task as Chairman of Selectors of trying to find enough players to turn out two teams every week. Credit also to the second team captain, Stuart Stokes, who lost virtually half of his team to the firsts and had to struggle through with oldies <WITH respect>and inexperienced youngsters. He needed all his strong personality and good humour to keep things going and to help and encourage a struggling side. Not surprisingly both teams finished bottom of the league, but at least the situation had stabilised and had given us time to re-group.
August 2000 saw the first female cricketer at Low Moor, my daughter Julie Ratledge, who although not troubling the scorers when batting, apparently fielded very well. She has played once or twice since and is always ready to help to make up the eleven. By then we were pleased that some of our younger players were developing well. Chris Curtis had come to us as a 14 year old from East Bierley and was becoming a useful wicketkeeper/batsman, Richard Speight joined (together with his dad, Ray) from Park Chapel as a stylish batsman, Michael Hustler from Union Croft a more than useful all rounder, Dominic and Adam Brown from Spen Victoria showing promise, and our own Mark Stokes who scored a century when he was not yet 16 and is also hoping to develop as a fast bowler. As often happens though, two of them were snapped up by Bradford League clubs, Chris went to Baildon and Michael to Undercliffe for the start of the 2002 season, and we wish them every success. Richard had a knee operation and missed most of the season, while Mark spent the summer in South Africa, so our new regime was badly dented. Peter had to keep bowling!
In 2001 we were most grateful for an anonymous donation of £10,000 specifically to be used for ground improvements. Discussions took place, and it was agreed that the main priorities were drainage, a new boundary fence, and new metal shutters for the windows and doors. The latter were fitted by a local firm at a cost of £1800, and Tony Hubbert contacted ground contractors for estimates for both the drainage and the fencing. After sorting the best options, work on the outfield was undertaken in November 2002 at a cost of £4,760, and so far looks to have been a success. The fencing work was done a few weeks later costing £3,290 and our benefactor’s money had been put to good use.
In closing, my thanks to those who have helped from time immemorial in the creation and development of the cricket club we know to-day, and my apologies for anything I may have forgotten or omitted. There have been good days and bad, good players and tryers, workers and leaders, prima donnas sometimes, hell raisers twice, but Low Moor Holy Trinity Cricket Club can be proud of it’s heritage and confident of it’s future.
January 2003
