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August promises to be an eventful time at Conisbrough Cricket Club.
On the month’s opening Saturday, I dropped by the club’s St Peter’s Drive ground to watch an absorbing third-versus-first Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League clash with Division One promotion rivals Oughtibridge War Memorial, who edged a close encounter, by three wickets, with a little over four overs to spare.
In addition to bread-and-butter league fixtures, for the First XI and the club’s numerous other teams, there are several interesting games planned throughout August.
On the 16th, a Friday evening, Conisbrough Crusaders, the club’s new team for women, play their first home match. Brodsworth Main Ladies are the visitors to St Peter’s Drive for a 16-over match starting at six o’clock.
Bacon sandwiches and ice lollies will be available. So, whether the weather is hot, or not so warm, all bases are covered!
The Crusaders, whose recent debut match – a battling defeat – was at Darfield Cricket Club, train on Friday evenings, at six o’clock. No cricket experience is required because sessions cater for all skill levels. Up to 20 have been attending.
Two days later, on the 18th, a Sunday, Conisbrough stage their annual Memorial Match (noon start). Conisbrough cricketers, past and present, will play in memory of the club’s lost friends, and celebrate their contribution to the sport.
On the 25th, a Sunday, The Indus, an Indian restaurant and bar in the town, presents the Conisbrough Cricket Community Charity Fun Day.
The day features T20 games, starting at 11am and at 1.30pm, between a Conisbrough Cricket Club XI and an Indus Restaurant XI.
The Indus, a key club sponsor, whose logo appears on the front of the Conisbrough shirts, will provide buffet food at 3pm, halfway through the second T20.
Indian drummers, coaching and pub league finale
Also laid on will be a live DJ, Indian drummers, a bouncy castle, face painting and an ice cream van. Donations, in aid of local charities, are welcome.
With an eye to next season, and bolstering their junior section, Conisbrough will offer, on the evenings of August 23 and 30 (5.30-6.30), free taster sessions, run by ECB qualified coaches, for seven to 14-year-olds.
Finally, on Sunday, August 30, Conisbrough host the final of their innovative Pub League competition, which this season has been contested, throughout July and August, by seven teams, spread across two qualifying groups.
Back to the Oughtibridge War Memorial match: a very watchable contest, on a progressively sunnier afternoon. Conisbrough won the toss and elected to bat.
In the face of penetrating bowling from Oughtibridge’s first up pair, pacer Richard Marsden (2-61 from 15) and spinner Hasaru Chaamikara (1-29 from 13), Conisbrough were reduced to 26-3. They did well to recover, posting 212 from 48.5 overs.
Marsden bowled his allocation without a break.
When he’d finished, he was despatched to a fielding position out on the south boundary (a bit, I suppose, like being the BBC correspondent for Alice Springs), joining me in welcome shade cast by a useful tree.
“Oh, it’s glorious down here,” beamed Marsden, breathing heavily, relieved his main task was done and dusted.
No. 5 Nathan Chadburn (67 off 85, including seven fours and a six) and No. 3 Josh Whittaker (33 off 88), dropped when on 18, put on a valuable 82 for the fourth Conisbrough wicket. Later, there was a useful 23 off 23 from No. 6 Danny Latif.
Dilshan Sukumar weighs in with 4-67
Oughtibridge’s third and fourth bowlers had most success. Left-arm spinner Dilshan Sukumar took 4-67 from 11 and medium pacer Tuffail Dar 3-50 from 9.5.
One of the fielders wasn’t terribly impressed with Conisbrough’s efforts. “It’s a 300-scoring ground,” he suggested, during the last over before drinks. “300 is nothing.”
Jack Newton pouched two fine catches: the first, around his ankles, the second, above his head. They removed Chadburn then Tom Humphries.
For much of their reply, Oughtibridge seemed untroubled. No 2 Naveed Arif (76 off 73, a 119-minute innings) and opener Michael Brown (16 off 37) provided a solid platform, with a first wicket stand worth 54.
Former Totley Bent run-maker Arif and No 4 Chaamikara (24 off 40) then added 50 for the fourth wicket. Number 5 Danuka Hettiarachchi (27 off 51) kept the visitors rolling before a late scare changed the game.
Two wickets in two balls
Two wickets fell in consecutive deliveries, in the 41st over, leaving Bridge (as their players abbreviate a right mouthful of a name) 183-6 then 188-7.
The double came at just the right time for a deflated Conisbrough, who were starting to lose belief, despite bringing back into the attack the pace bowling of their Sri Lankan professional, Buddhika Bopitiyage (1-64 from 15).
“Come on, boys, we’re flat,” complained a fielder. “Let’s hear you, Conisbrough.”
But, when the second wicket tumbled, a cry went up: “Come on, now. Everybody!”
Graphically, a home supporter chipped in with: “Foot on throat, now, Conisbrough. Foot on throat.”
Try as they might, however, the hosts could not break through again, and Oughtibridge reached 215-7 in 45.2 overs to clinch a priceless win – and 12 match points to four – with a straight, driven boundary.
Conisbrough medium pacer Whittaker completed a decent, all-round performance with 3-62 from 13. Chadburn, a spinner, likewise, by taking 2-63 from 13.2.
Arif, who struck nine fours and a six, was run out – but only after he slipped, halfway down the wicket, in attempting to return to the crease.
In the YCSPL’s third tier, Oughtibridge remain six points clear of second-placed Darfield, who beat visitors Warmsworth by five wickets. Conisbrough, relegated from the Championship in 2023, after propping up the table, drop a place, to fourth, behind Whitley Hall Seconds, 67-run winners at Upper Haugh.
A word about Conisbrough’s Tom Humphries: according to a team-mate, he had “popped a knee”, and was in obvious pain while batting.
No twelfth man, therefore a hobbling Humphries, whose brother, Toby, was also in the home XI, had to grit his teeth once more and spend a couple of hours fielding. Beneath Humphries’ whites, the problematical left knee was strapped heavily.
Interesting to hear the Conisbrough XI included five players who had come through the club’s junior ranks. A further three graduates were unavailable.
The town of Conisbrough is renowned for its Norman castle, which has a connection with Sir Walter Scott’s celebrated 1819 novel, Ivanhoe.
Whilst staying in nearby Doncaster, Scott spotted the castle (he thought the ruins were Anglo-Saxon), and recreated it, in the pages of Ivanhoe, as Coningsburgh Castle.
The castle ruins are not visible from the cricket ground. Which is a bit of a shame.
Incidentally, Conisbrough’s other landmark, a disused, 21-arch railway viaduct, spanning the Don, is visible from the castle’s twelfth-century keep, 92ft high.
To my surprise, access to the cricket ground is via a narrow thoroughfare, St Peter’s Drive, lined with houses, yet barely a car’s width.
Not often I encroach on cricket pitches but, pre-match, it is allowed at Conisbrough, enabling drivers to park on abundant spare turf at the site’s west end.
The pitch, which slopes down, steadily more steeply, from east to west, is rectangular, with the wickets laid out north to south.
A smart clubhouse, a modern, low structure, surveys the scene from the St Peter’s Drive (east) end. Dressing rooms and groundkeeper’s store are to one side, a tiny parking area – first come, first served – to the other.
The scoreboard, in the southeast corner, is dedicated to Stewart Fowler (1949-2001). A plaque describes Fowler as a “long serving player and member” of the club.
Hard up against the north boundary are the back gardens of redbrick semis lining Park Road. Those facing the square have mesh grilles protecting their windows.
I was told the residents of these houses “buy into” the cricket club’s presence, and relations are cordial.
As if to prove this, a number watched the action from their gardens, and several ventured into the ground.
I gather one of the Conisbrough players lives on Park Road. A friendly neighbour indeed!
Opposite, equally tight to the boundary rope, a palisade fence separates the ground from other homes, positioned slightly below (above the busy A630 Doncaster to Rotherham road) and masked by trees.
I cannot recall going to a cricket ground with so many contrails in the sky above. Conisbrough must be on several flight paths!
Fixtures coming up
This Saturday (August 10), Conisbrough look to get their promotion push back on track, with a visit to Upper Haugh (noon), one of the Mick Savage Trophy’s beaten semi-finalists.
Warmsworth, Conisbrough’s neighbours, ousted Upper Haugh. On the same afternoon, Darfield host Whitley Hall Seconds (noon) in a crunch fixture.
Rounding off an eventful month for the club, Conisbrough go to Whitley Hall Seconds’ Baxter Field, on August 31 (noon), for an important game.
Enjoyed the read?
You can check out other club visits by Andrew in his column, Miles Per Gallon.
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