A day of nostalgia and excitement

Brian Sanderson had an eventful Wednesday

The next ACS auction opens on Saturday, September 7, closing at 10.00pm BST on Monday, September 16, and will be of particular relevance to those of you with an interest in cricket in Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Dorset and South Africa, and in women’s cricket. Register here.

Yesterday morning, as sunlight kissed the rolling moors of Ilkley, I made my way to a nearby auction house, where a piece of cricketing history awaited its new custodian. The object of my desire was a silver-cased travelling fob watch, once the cherished possession of the legendary Hedley Verity. This exquisite timepiece, a gift from Bill Ferguson during the 1933 tour of Australia, is a silent witness to a golden era of cricket. It fetched the princely sum of £1,450, with an additional commission of 24 per cent. Although I was not the wealthy buyer, the mere sight of it stirred my soul, and I returned home in good spirits.

After a modest repast, I made my way to Headingley to see the Northern Diamonds and the Southern Vipers in the fifty-over women’s competition. The Vipers, in a determined display, had already posted a total of 240 for eight. As I arrived, furthermore, the Diamonds’ captain, Lauren Winfield-Hill, was dismissed for a solitary run—a disheartening start for her team. But Emma Marlow and Rebecca Duckworth, with a partnership of 91 runs over 22 overs, breathed life into the innings, the latter, with her elegant strokes, compiling a well-crafted 51, and showcasing her potential as a batter.

The stage was then set for Sterre Kalis, the Diamonds’ highest run-scorer this season, and a Dutch international of repute. Fortune did not favor her, however, and she was dismissed for a mere six runs. With 136 needed off 23 overs, the task seemed manageable, yet the specter of rain loomed ever bigger, and wickets fell with alarming regularity. The umpires, commendable in their judgment, allowed play to continue despite the drizzle, in stark contrast to the abandonment of the Second team match at Scarborough, whose opening day I covered here yesterday.

As the match reached its climax, the Diamonds needed 25 runs with only three overs remaining and a solitary wicket in hand. The responsibility fell upon the shoulders of Katie Levick and Rachel Slater, who in a thrilling denouement, secured victory by scoring two runs off the final delivery, thus clinching the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. The match, a testament to the spirit of women’s cricket, was a spectacle worth every step I took to the ground. You can relive the action here:

Upon my return home, I was greeted by a delightful surprise from the postman—a scorecard chronicling a women’s match between Mollie Hide’s XI and Haslemere in 1949. This relic served as a poignant reminder of how far women’s cricket has evolved, from its humble beginnings to the vibrant, competitive and professional sport it is today.

Brian Sanderson is an ACS member. He serves on the Yorkshire Cricket Archives Committee. If you would like to contribute to this newsletter, please either respond to the email in which you received it, or leave a comment below.