KIRKBURTON SEE OFF SECOND PLACE HONLEY

KIRKBURTON 276 FOR 9 HONLEY 241 ALL OUT
HUDDERFSFIELD CRICKET LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP AT RILEY PARK
14 JULY 2018 --- 1PM

KIRKBURTON ON THEIR WAY TO VICTORY

In an enthralling game Kirkburton secured an exciting victory over second placed Honley at just shy of 8pm on a beautifully hot summers day thanks in large to Luke Williamson [93], Alexander Scholefield [72] and William Reeves who took 7 for 84 when Honley fell just 35 runs short.  As ever visits to local sports grounds always present characters non more so today than Dennis Kaye, 82, more of which a little later.
On another warm summers day that required no weather forecast checking the departure at Shepley station, around 2 miles from todays destination, made it all worth while.  The picturesque Penistone rail line had dropped me at a station used last season for a visit to its own village team and the sight of the rolling hills towards Shepley with the towering Emley TV transmitter and its new sidekick offered up all that this part of Yorkshire is about.

YORKSHIRE ON A SUMMERS DAY

Having followed the footpath down by the old station masters house and onto Station Lane the end of this brought us to the Cask and Spindle and the bus stop for the Yorkshire Tiger 83 which I had discovered would take the strain into Kirkburton.  The village itself would be about a 45 minute walk according to the map people and involve a steep climb to the top of Shelley before dropping down to Kirkburton so I was greatful for some good timetable planning and hopped on the tangerine special.
Departure at the library thanks to some magnificent driving manoeuvres around these tight and narrow streets saw the discovery of a village typical of many around the immediate area.

CENTRE OF KIRKBURTON AND THE FORMER ROYAL HOTEL NOW COOP

Lots of stone houses with nooks and crannies and steep rising steps to footpaths and properties alike with buildings of interest all around holding the treasures of the past mill and coal glories of the village.  The wide variety of shops also thankfully contained what all good Yorkshire villages do a Coop, situated in the former Royal Hotel it would be the staple diet visit before the start and during the tea interval being just a five minute walk from the ground.
Climbing back out the tight Riley Lane the ground was reached at just after 1230 and the obligatory pre match circuit discovered to the right a stone walled boundary with a row of bench type seats, which are now planks on their former concrete legs with a large tree cover being offered mid wicket falling away down the slope to the high sited but somewhat basic scoreboard the rolling hills back towards Shelley created a sedate backdrop.

PREMIUM SEATS IN TODAYS SCORCHIO

The opposite side also saw a collection of bench sets and as the crisp outfield got us back to the business end the pavilion was soon upon us, opened in 1962 its very much like an extended bungalow of brick build and a little out of setting but inside is smart and offers a functional operation to todays proceedings.  The ground offers a contrast of views with fields and cattle to the Emley transmitter and All Hallows Church tower added to this the rising stone terraces of Hallas Rd offering a view behind the bowlers arm.  Strangely for a top level ground the club only have one sight screen at the pavilion end I'm not sure how this works for the batsmen but everybody seemed ok and got on with the game.

SO MANY VIEWS EMLEY MOOR AND ALL HALLOWS OH YES AND SOME CRICKET

So with the scene set in my mind there was time to reacquaint with Honley's overseas player Brett Randell from New Zealand, previous readers will remember catching up with him first at Denby and then more by surprise last season at his current club.

BRETT RANDELL STEAMING IN WITH THE HALLAS ROAD TERRACE IN THE BACKGROUND

Back for a second season in the Huddersfield League Brett had experienced an interesting season with his N.Z. side Northern Districts wining the Burger King Super Smash, which sounds somewhat like a 4 burger challenge but I'm assured is a cricket T20 competition.  As ever it was great to catch up with Brett before, during and after and thanks for your time mate much appreciated.
Waxing lyrical about Huddersfield League grounds is something I would like to do but hopefully consistent attempts to sing their praises will do once again this is a must visit, especially on a day like today, but this league must surely offer some of the prettiest grounds in the country.
With Honley winning the toss they asked the home side to bat and at 23 for 2 it looked a good call however they had gone without Williamson and Schofield who added 169 for the third wicket before Schofield fell on his 67th ball.  His partner went onto make 93 falling just short of three figures caught by Matthew Sykes of the bowling of Brett Randell.

WATCH OUT STRAIGHT FOR THE CAMERA KIRKBURTON PUSH ON TO 276

The innings slightly fell away when top side of 300 looked on the cards however a final total of 276 looked a good challenge for Honley with an extras column of 47 adding a vital contribution.
During the first half it was a pleasure to meet Dennis Kaye, where to start, as per most trips to sports grounds its unlikely that conversations will not be struck up through the medium of watching the game and many characters have been discovered at football, rugby and cricket but Dennis really grabbed my attention with his story.

DENNIS KAYE AND HIS HISTORICAL CUTTINGS BOOK

Known by nearly everybody at the ground Dennis, now 82 years young, was brought up in Huddersfield but upon playing his last cricket match at 60 and now living in Barnsley being a keen walker he set himself the challenge of walking to all the Huddersfield Cricket League grounds, bearing in mind that Cawthorne and Hoylandswaine are to the north of him and are the most southerly of Huddersfield League grounds this was some challenge.  One of longest journeys over the moors was to Delph and Dobcross just over the border in Lancashire and around 25 miles away setting off around 4am in the morning from his home it seems with a banana or two he made the start comfortably and thankfully he nearly always secured a lift back in advance.  Now in his 83rd year he had selected todays top of the table encounter and had caught the train to Denby Dale before calling for a pie at the local butchers shop for sustenance to complete the walk too Kirkburton.
As our paths crossed later Dennis had brought out his scrapbook which showed his routes and times plus much sporting history including his dad, Norman, who had scored a double century for Almondbury and the 1940's and a potted history of Huddersfield Rugby League club with team pictures and a further exciting look at their old Fartown ground was also included.  Squirrelled away was a copy of the 1949 Championship final at Maine Rd Manchester, which he attended aged 13, which Huddersfield won 13-12 against Warrington remarkably with an attendance of over 75,000 the gate receipts were a massive £11,073!  More time was needed to talk local sport with Dennis and explore a remarkable little piece of history and it was as ever a pleasure to meet another of the many interesting people that the blog comes across on its travels.

WILL FRAINE TOP SCORES FOR HONLEY

Having enjoyed the tea time offerings at the local Coop it was time to take a look at Honley and their response was going smoothly 99 without loss, save for quite a few edges that seemed to avoid nearby fielders, until that was Simon Kelly was caught for 42 and Timmy Taylor fell in the same over for a duck the scoreboard looked more interesting.  Nottinghamshire contracted player Will Fraine [73] continued to impress but with wickets falling around him he with the score on 131 to a superb sharp caught and bowled to William Reeves who had now taken the top four in the visitors batting line up.

WILLIAM REEVES ON HIS WAY FOR A SEVEN FOR

By the time the scoreboard registered the dismissal of Sam Denton at 182 for 8 and to secure Reeves his seventh wicket it looked a matter of time before the innings would close but a rear guard action by Danny Howard [50] and Tom Craddock [29] saw the score move along to 241 and it was all getting a little bit edgy.  The ask was down to a run a ball and it looked like a very close finish then an injury to Howard saw Sykes out as a runner after a lengthy delay all was going well until Craddock was caught and bowled by Andrew Smith.  The final two wickets fell without any runs being added and at 241 all out Honley had put up a sterling effort but Kirkburton had stuck at their task when it looked to be just drifting away from them to secure an exciting win in an engrossing finale.
Dennis had mentioned the walk back to Shelley was one mile up hill all the way, how right he was[!] and I knew that a 2 mile walk would be the order of the day at just short of 7.50 could Shepley station be made for the 8.30pm train?  You bet, up hill puffing and blowing to Shelley in just over ten minutes, fast descent through Shelley for the gentle climb back to the station arriving at 8.20 and in need of a jolly good wringing out and shower by now on this red hot day!
Highly recommend visit great ground to watch at, good match, views around the area, nice historical village and of course a few characters too, bring on the next Huddersfield League game.