DALE WIN DENBY DERBY

DENBY DALE 263 FOR 7 V DENBY 81 ALL OUT
DRAKES HUDDERSFIELD CRICKET LEAGUE CEDAR CRT CONF @ WAKEFIELD RD
24 JUNE 2017 --- 1PM

DENBY DALE CC

This Kirklees derby saw the team from the 'Dale' victorious over their neighbours from Upper Denby by a big margin of 182 runs.  Much of that was thanks to a dominant 101 not out from Hayden Rose and a very stable 49 from Paul Hale that set up the total of 263 and when Denby Dale came into the field Fred Stower returned 5 for 29 to skittle Denby out for 81.
Following last weeks visit to Honley the plan was to visit Wakefield Rd all week that was until the weather on Friday and Saturday morning was showing rain coming over 'the tops'.  So with base departure showing a ticket to Sheffield with the intention of diverting to Sheffield Colleigate it was of immense joy that a final check of the weather forecast for Denby Dale at Sheffield station showed an improvement in prospects.  So I purchased an addition for the journey along the Penistone line, again, you know the story by now Barnsley, Penistone, Emley Moor TV mast etc.

A PORTION OF THE VIADUCT

Having viewed this village nestling below the viaduct that brings us north into the station I had never set foot on the streets of Denby Dale and at last today would do so for this cricket encounter between the two neighbours.  Departing the station at the return end of the platform you walk under the line and down a long steep incline and back under the viaduct not before getting a superb close up view of this work of art.  The current format sees 21 arches support the structure spanning the River Dearne built in 1884 and after a walk through the dale part of the village that takes you past Springfield Mill, famous for its production of silk for the Queen Mothers wedding dress, we climb out to Barnsley Rd to take a picture while observing the train departing to Sheffield rattling over the viaduct.  Back by the outward route and past the monuments to the famous Denby Dale pie two concrete slices of with additional crust of the delicacy.  The village is famous for an irregular production of massive pies for even more irregular reasons it all started in 1788 in celebration of the recovery from ill health of King George lll and went on to celebrate the repel of the corn laws and the last one was in 2000, the millennium pie.  The pie to celebrate the new century came in at 40ft long by 9ft wide by 3ft deep and weighed in a 12 tonnes I think even I would have needed a little help with that one.  As we approach the ground leaving the viaduct in our reverse view we pass The Pie Hall purchased by The Pie Committee with proceeds from sales for the good of the community and acting as a small community centre.

THE ENTRANCE TO DENBY DALE CC

A very short amble past the building brings us to Denby Dale Cricket Club and the ground itself is in a wonderfully situated bowl where to the left is the new style clubhouse pavilion which is a little opposite to many recent developments the changing rooms are upstairs alongside a function room and kitchen area with below the scorers room and entrance to the grounds man's store area.  Continuing around to the left is Denby Dale Bowls Club and we are now down behind the bowlers arm with the wickets set very much in the flat of this bowl.  We start to rise again towards the stone walled area which is wooded behind and rises sharply to houses atop the embankment.  This side features a small remotely controlled scoreboard and then we drop down towards the viaduct end, sadly not visible from the ground it would have made the ultimate photo.  The covers were of note if only for one of the sponsors 'Carfoam Warehouse' very clever.  Behind the bowlers arm at this end the River Dearne ripples away, in summer conditions anyway, under the ground and out by the side of the bowls club.  As we rise this time steeply the neighbouring houses offer a commanding view of proceedings and so does the double tiered viewing section which offers more wooden bench seating for spectators who are well catered for in this capacity.  An early look at the ground then and a very pleasant viewing arena it is the experience only disturbed by a neighbour nearby with a chainsaw which was in operation for an hour on this beautiful afternoon.

PAUL GOODMAN TAKES ONE OF HIS 3 WICKETS FOR DENBY CC

So cricket wise and these two sides last week were at the opposite end of the scoring spectrum Denby totted up 425 for 4 with Birkby Rose Hill bowled out for 326 a remarkable accumulation of runs.  Meanwhile Denby Dale knocked of Upperthong's score finishing on 63 for 5 to win in a low scoring game.
Denby Dale won the toss and batted with Hywel Senior hitting a quick fire 25 the home side were scoring at 10 an over after 3.  They were though to see 3 wickets fall quickly and at 44 for 3 Denby bowler Paul Goodman was the man responsible.

PAUL HALE CALMLY BUILDS DENBY DALE'S TOTAL WITH HIS 49

Wicketkeeper Paul Hale came to the crease and he built a stable backbone for later proceedings before falling one short of his half century.  Jack Firth contributed 28 and number 8 Jordan Geldart 26 but the second half of the innings was all about Rose who bludgeoned some big boundaries totalling 12 x 4's and 5 x 6's in his 101 not out.

HAYDEN ROSE LIFTS ANOTHER ONE AWAY ON HIS WAY TO HIS CENTURY

It was good to meet Hayden's granddad just after the tea interval he had arrived just in time to watch his grandsons knock, we had an entertaining chat all things sporting of course, thank you.

HATS OFF TO HAYDEN

With 263 for 7 posted it was time for tea and the option was taken to have a little walk out to the nearby 'Londis' with the option of some hoppers food was sampled, sadly the chip shop does not open for Saturday tea time or evening otherwise it would have been a definite call, did they not know I was coming?
The ground also features two original sight screens which are set of the floor within their own railed transportation system which was a really great way of getting them moving unlike some of the big cumbersome varieties at other grounds also interesting to note that 3/4 of the slats were taken out at the end of the game.

UNIQUE SIGHT SCREENS

Denby must have known this was to be a challenge but once again I fancied a close affair at 0-1 then 4 for 2 and 9 for 3 it convinced me otherwise the 1st and 3rd wicket it has to be said featured fantastic catches from Senior and Stower that stuck like glue to the Denby Dale players hands.  The reply staggered on and at 39 for 7 in the 25th it was just a case of which train I would make back on the hourly departure back down south, well south of Sheffield.

ITS ALL GOING WRONG EARLY ON FOR DENBY

The visitors reached 44 for 8 before a minor recovery, that always seems to happen, saw them reach 81 all out with George Potter reaching 25 not out.  It had been a good day for Stower with his 'five for' and also for Rose not only a century maker but 3 catches at the end of the Denby innings to complete a very satisfying day for the Dale.
Having finished at around about train time I decided to sample a further bottle of the orange fizzy stuff sit at the ground overviewing our four legged friends chasing cricket balls around and take in the last drop of what had been an enjoyable visit to Denby Dale and its cricket club.

FRED STOWER RETURN 5 FOR 29 AND HERE IS ONE OF THEM

A slow meander back towards the station allowed a further look at the pie monument, back across the road to look in the book shop window and staggering like a drunk, I wasn't, to look at the information board on the other side.  I opted to climb back up to the station by the road and took in a few views around the station with about half an hour still to wait.  Denby Dale station is on a single line and by clear definition is of a single platform in the stopping and departing stakes even more baffling then to here the announcer call the 1941 with 'the next train at platform 1 is....'. somebody tell them there is only 1 platform! 
Our lovely pacer train rattled and jolted its way into Sheffield and with a quick change we were soon at base station just before 9pm from what had been another enjoyable journey into the delights of the Drakes Huddersfield Cricket League.