Cricket clubs not out despite challenges

Chris Wilson is relaxed as he takes time out from his sheep and suckler cows at Hollins Farm to continue his 30-plus years career for High Farndale Cricket Club at Duncombe Park in Helmsley. He’s batting down the order and hasn’t bowled but doesn’t mind at all on account of his bad back.

Today he and Peter Dowsland, a mole catcher and farm hand, are the only born-and-bred Farndale lads in the team that is one of just five remaining clubs in the Feversham League, surely one of Yorkshire’s most remote competitions.

There is another local, known as Stormin’ Norman, but he’s absent through injury along with the lad who is the club’s youth policy, Craig Sunley (he’s in his mid-20s) whose work commitments mean that he can only play occasionally.

“I’ve never been what you call a batsman,” says Chris. “In fact I’ve never been much of a bowler either. I’ve done alright more by good luck than good judgment.”

Chris is your typical laid-back, understated farmer/cricketer who enjoys the craic as much as the game but don’t let him fool you. I’ve seen him rattle the stumps with his legendary “banana ball” more times than any other bowler, especially 
when he sends down his deliveries at High Farndale’s home ground in the sleepy hamlet of Church Houses at the top of the dale. He knows every inch of the rough track – and where every mole has ever tunnelled.

Jimmy Blacklock is a builder by trade and the club captain having taken over from Farndale sheep farmer David Mead three years ago. He’s from Fadmoor.

“I’m a Fad lad. When I was a young lad I played for Gillamoor. It was the same distance from Fadmoor to either Gillamoor or Farndale, but I’ve now played for High Farndale for over 20 years.

“Years ago this league had about eight or nine teams. Rievaulx, Great Edstone, Harome and Wombleton 
were all involved but it has become a struggle for us to get a team and for some of the others too. There was even a time when the dale had two teams – High and Low Farndale.

“It’s getting harder and harder all the time now though because there just aren’t the people in Farndale. We have to recruit from anywhere we can.

“There are quite a few that relate to the dale in some way through parents or grandparents. ‘The Fridge’ Kev Wilson has family contacts and some lads have been coming here to play since they were kids like ‘Hardcore’ Rob Atkinson.

“There are only five clubs left in the league and that’s us, Duncombe Park, Spout House, Slingsby and Gillamoor.”

While Duncombe Park CC is presently able to field two teams every Saturday, plus 
an evening league team and four junior sides, that is because it is based in Helmsley and draws from the surrounding villages as well as the small market town itself.

Village or Dale teams such as High Farndale, Spout House and Gillamoor have long 
since gone beyond the point where there were always plenty of farmhands looking for a game and a pint or three afterwards.

Farms are now largely one-man bands or father-and-son operations.

The price of property to live in the area is another main factor.

The imports come from far and wide, especially on Monday night this week when Farndale travelled to Duncombe Park. I made my customary 100-mile round trip that I first made when my “Have Bat Will Travel” feature made its debut five years ago. But my journey was dwarfed somewhat by that of Dan Meredith from Tasmania!

Dan plays First Grade back home, that’s one step below the Sheffield Shield state games. But don’t get any fancy ideas that High Farndale CC has any kind of coffers to afford to pay anyone. He’d be lucky to get a free bag of pork scratchings. Dan is spending five months over here and usually turns out for Kirkbymoorside CC.

This could have been his first and last game for the lads from the dale.

His contribution on the night included skittling out ex-High Farndale opener ‘Dangerous’ Brian Leckenby for less than a half-century, which is somewhat of an achievement in these parts as his current average is rumoured to be well over 100 for the season.

Brian, who is the mildest-mannered man I know but with a phenomenal eye, will be able to tell you the exact decimal point his average stands at, while at the crease, after every ball.

Alan Kent looks after the square at Duncombe Park and had prepared a new strip for the game. He was born in nearby Nawton but played for the Park for 43 years batting in the middle order and bowling off three paces.

“We have a good set-up here, although we’ve suffered as well in recent times. We used to run three teams on a Saturday but now we’re down to two.

“The junior side of the club is doing very well though and we’ve had two farming lads come through who are playing in the team tonight – John and Adam Leckenby. They farm with their father just out of Helmsley.”

Village and country cricket still has a smile on its face in this little league up in North Yorkshire. Long may it 
remain so.

Feversham league facts

Helmsley’s population is just 1,500. While it is regarded as a market town this is still far smaller than many villages.

Farndale is made up of many outlying farms plus two hamlets – Low Mill and Church Houses.