Netley Sports Cricket Club

Netley Sports Cricket Club, originally uploaded by Wurzel.

My Dad brought in this old press cutting the other day. It was from, (we think) 1970 when Netley Sports CC had just won the Southampton Parks Cricket League for the 4th consecutive time. I remember all the faces in the photo although sadly three, to my knowledge, have since passed on.

It was around that time that I was allowed to start making up the numbers when they were short, even though was only 8. When I say making up the numbers, I was allowed to field at third man every over - anyone au fait with fielding positions will know what a pain that must have been.

It was only a few years later that I was allowed to bowl the odd over, and one game took 5 for 5 !!! (figures I've never bettered since). As we came off the umpire told me that I could have got a couple of l.b.w. decisions as well - I didn't tell him I had been too shy to appeal.

I enjoyed some great times playing in that league, the best, for those that know Southampton, were played in Hoglands Park where there was never any shortage of spectators.

The Southampton Evening Cricket League is one of the oldest cricket leagues in the country. In it's heyday it had over 70 teams playing every week. Sadly now the numbers are reduced to just 26, a reflection on a combination of lack of youngsters coming through schools cricket and the state of local pitches due to lack of council funding to maintain them.