SHIRESHEAD & FORTON CRICKET CLUB

SOME STATISTICS FROM THE PAST
1909-1975 in the Lancaster & District League

CLICK HERE FOR SOME PHOTOS PRIOR TO 1976

Our records relating to the awards of trophies to individual players are complete since we joined the present league in 1976. Before that there were some outstanding contributions when we were members of the Lancaster & District League. Here are a few we have gleaned, mainly from old handbooks and some remaining scorecards. The club joined Division 2 of the Lancaster & District League in 1909 under the name Bay Horse and was renamed Shireshead in 1923 even though the ground remained at Bay Horse for some years. Bay Horse were champions of Division 2 in 1910, and Shireshead topped Divsion 3 in 1929 & 1930.

The outstanding player in the early years was W B (Billy) Wildman, who for many years held the batting and bowling records. In 1930 he scored 76 v Heysham 2nds and in the same year took 9 wickets for 4 runs against Greaves Wesley. Later in his career in 1951 he took 7 for 2 v Halton. 9 for 4 was the best bowling performance for the club until young Ben Collins took 9 for 2 for the 3rd XI in 2004. In 1924 T Alcock had taken 8 wickets for 0 runs v PSA. Wildman's record score of 76 stood for 40 years, and his bowling record for 74 years!

The earliest scorebook we have is that for 1924, which was beautifully kept and it is possible to calculate that season's averages. They demonstrate the dominance of Wildman and Alcock at that time. According to Billy Wildman's daughter Joan (now Mrs Livesey of Garstang) he would have been 21 in 1924. We know little about T Alcock apart from his achievements in the scorebook — he didn't play for Shireshead for much longer.

1924 Batting averages

1924 Bowling averages

These figures make strange reading for today's players, for whom a bowling average of 10.00 would be regarded as very good. However, Alcock's batting average was 4.2 times his bowling average and it is interesting to make a comparison with the top all-rounder in the Westmorland League in 2006: Nick Lewthwaite had an exceptional season, his batting average being 51.33 and his bowling average 9.74, a ratio of 5.3. So perhaps Alcock would have been a high class all-rounder if he'd had the benefit of today's wickets and outfields.
Shireshead's highest team score in 1924 was 89 and the lowest was 16, the average being 54. This was a good season, and there were worse to come, for the team was twice dismissed for just 2 in the 1930s. The pattern of low scores persisted for another 40 years until pitches and outfields markedly improved. There was, however, one match in 1926 which stood apart, when Shireshead managed to score 182 v Williamsons 2nds on their home ground at Bay Horse. We have had the good fortune to locate the scorecard:

Perhaps the most remarkable feature, apart from the splendid score, is the very small number of boundaries: two sixes and four fours. Most of the runs came from singles and twos, presumably the ball usually failing to reach the boundary because of the unmown outfield.
 

Another huge contributor was Johnny Barrett who could bat, bowl and keep wicket, all with distinction. He played from around 1930 to the 1980s. In 1958 he came closest to beating Wildman's batting record when he made 70 no v Westgate, and in 1959 he took 7 wickets for 2 runs v Hornby

The old scorebooks show how the young Terry Oliver played alongside the long-serving Billy Wildman for several years, the two sometimes bowling in tandem. In an evening match on 20th July 1961, Pilling were dismissed for 36 in 10.6 8-ball overs, 58-year-old Billy taking 6/15 and 18-year-old Terry 4/11. In 1967 when Shireshead headed the 2nd Division to gain promotion, Terry Oliver took 65 wickets in league matches, conceding only 164 runs from 167.4 overs — an incredible bowling average of 2.52 and a strike rate [balls per wicket] under 16. He took 7 for 9 and 6 for 12 v Civil Service, 7 for 13 and 6 for 7 v Storeys 2nd, 7 for 21 v St Luke's, and 6 for 8 v Hornby. He was well supported by Jack Pegg who took 45 wickets at an average of 4.76. Terry was also second behind Johnny Barrett in the batting averages! Click here for the 1967 averages.

In 1968 Shireshead formed a 2nd XI for the first time, for whom Ron Carradus took 72 wickets at 2.39 apiece.

It was more difficult next season [1969] in the 1st Division, but notwithstanding Terry Oliver took 30 wickets at 8.07 and was well placed in the league averages — the statistics suggest that he decided to concentrate on his batting that year, for he was 5th in the league averages. Click here for the 1969 averages. Terry scored 73 v Garstang, 52 v Westgate and 36 no v Caton. The best bowling in the entire league that year was by Ron Carradus — 8 for 14 v Westgate. Although we were in mid-table in the league, Shireshead didn't pass unnoticed. Then in 1970 we were champions, a feat repeated in 1973 and 1974. In 1973 Keith Hawkhard was the outstanding bowler in the league with 47 wickets at 3.91, taking 8 for 6 v Hornby and 8 for 22 v Lansil. In that year the batting averages were headed by Colin Richmond, now one of our regular spectators at Clifton Park. Click here for the 1973 averages.
Keith Thornton was the prominent all-rounder in 1974 and Keith Hawkhard had a big wicket haul again. Click here for the1974 averages. In 1975 the top four batsmen were Keith Thornton, Michael Richmond, Brian Danson and Colin Richmond, and the top bowler was Tom Rickerby, all of whom were to play significant parts when we joined the new league in 1976. 1975: the final season in the Lancaster & District League

As playing conditions improved, batting records began to fall. Brian Walmsley came close with 72 at Bolton-le-Sands in 1961, then in 1970, 40 years after Billy Wildman had scored the record 76, Alan Twiname made 76 for Shireshead 2nds against Middleton. One year later John Bowker broke the record with 91 for the first team v Ingleton. Also in1971 Mike Thornber made 77no v Storeys, and John Bowker had other scores of 71 and 59. In that season in league and cup, there were seven individual scores over 50. In 1974 Colin Richmond scored 90 in a cup match v Middleton. It was, however, a junior player who made the first century. In 1978, two years after the formation of the junior section, we were invited to travel to Dumfries to play their Under-16s, and John Carr made 101 n.o. out of 146/8 when no other batsman reached double figures.

 Averages for the 1967 season before promotion to Division 1

 Averages for the 1969 season after promotion to Division 1

 Averages for the 1973 season when we were Division 1 champions

Averages for the 1974 season when we retained the Division 1 title

In the knock-out games in 1974 Tony Hindle scored 162 runs at an average
of 54.0 with a highest score of 68* and Colin Richmond scored 158 runs at
an average of 31.6 including a score of 90 v Middleton, thought to be the highest in cups by a
Shireshead player at that time. Terry Oliver is missing from these averages because he played for Garstang for two seasons.

THE 1975 SEASON: OUR LAST IN THE
LANCASTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE
These were the averages for league matches in that season

 T Rickerby was the only bowler to take more than 20 wickets — ave 8.60