It is 35 years since Broad Oak achieved something never done before by a Huddersfield League club – and something extremely unlikely to be matched in the future.
I am indebted to my former Examiner colleague Mike Shaw – a regular at the Oak – for reminding me that in 1981, the Colne Valley club not only won the Byrom Shield (Drakes title) but also played at Lord’s on Sunday, August 30, that year.
That was in the final of the Samuel Whitbread Village Cricket Championship, when skipper Richard Horner’s side – without professional Dennis Schofield (because it was an amateur competition) – went down by 22 runs to St Fagans, from Glamorgan.
Many of the Broad Oak team are still familiar faces around the league, and that special occasion at the home of cricket wasn’t the only highlight of that summer.
Supporter Shaw recalls: “The Oak entered the Village Championship purely for some match practice according to Richard Horner at the time. But after a bye in the first round and victories over Oulton and Hall Bower in the second and third, they began to take it seriously and went to beat Oxenhope and Barkisland.
Barkisland were in the Halifax League cup the same day and sent their seconds, who included the 15-year-old Fraine twins, Andrew and Michael, the latter going on to play for Broad Oak.
“A nine-wicket victory over Thornham was followed by a three-wicket win against Tudhoe from County Durham, and suddenly the Oak had a quarter-final place at home to the Northumberland side, Bomarsund.”
That match will forever live in the memories of those who were there, as the Oak looked down and out trying to defend a total of 176.
Shaw explained: “All looked lost when the visitors needed only 21 runs with seven wickets remaining.
“At that stage, Nigel Wood was pulled for a huge six into the church graveyard and the ball was lost.
“Alan Sanderson (using a replacement ball) immediately found that his inswingers were curling like a banana.
“Wood claimed a wicket and also Alan Roberts, before Sanderson clean bowled the last four at a personal cost of just four runs to produce an extraordinary victory by three runs.”
An estimated crowd of 1,500 packed into Gillroyd Lane for the semi-final clash with Marchwiel, who were defending champions.
The Welshmen were held to 129-9 and, after losing an early wicket, the Oak romped home with an unbeaten partnership between Horner (61 no) and Allan Greaves (56 no).
Shaw continued: “Finals day at Lord’s was an experience to savour for 1,000 fans who travelled in a fleet of coaches to see their team come up against St Fagans.
“Set a target of 150 to win, the Oak made a disastrous start by losing three early wickets.
“Greaves and Wood repaired some of the damage, but then four wickets fell for only 17 runs.
“Greaves went for 26 and Roberts put up strong resistance for his 29 not out, but the last wicket fell with the score on 127.”
MCC president Peter May presented the £250 runners-up cheque to Horner, while the Oak players each received a medal and tankard.
“For the supporters, it was an unforgettable visit to the home of cricket,” explained Shaw.
“We lost, but substantial compensation was to come when, on the final day of the season, the Oak clinched the league championship with a comfortable win over Huddersfield CC. What a team!”
See All Rounder Sykes Cup presentation:
