Over more than a century the history of the Huddersfield Central League has been dominated by top-class batters and bowlers, but also by other folk.

Away from the field of play, the league and its member clubs have been indebted to a range of club workers.

These have included a wide variety of people.

Most obviously, we are talking about cricket club volunteers, people who have given up their life to serve their local club.

These people have taken up a variety of roles.

They have been committee administrators – presidents, chairmen, secretaries and treasurers.

Then there are the other jobs: the tea ladies, drinks monitors, and other workers too.

Deborah Garlick was a typical tea lady at Birkby Rose Hill CC (YMCA CC as was).

She was nominated for a Yorkshire Tea special award on account of her work in the kitchen.

The commendation read as follows:

“She’s Superwoman you know.

“Deborah – she likes ‘Deb’ or ‘Debs’ but isn’t too keen on ‘Debbie’ – is the ultimate cricket club tea lady.

“But she’s not just a tea-brewer and sandwich-maker: she’s also club chairperson, part-time treasurer, part-time secretary and full-time lift-giver.

“By profession, Debs is a nurse – and every summer she takes care of a cricket club that, without her, would surely die. ‘Why do I do it? I must be mad!’, she is heard to mutter under her breath extremely regularly during the long YMCA season.

“Two years ago, to much amazement, she scrapped the tea rota (which spelt out which cricketers would be responsible for making 30-odd teas on which weekend) and issued a serious decree: ‘I will make all the first-team teas from April to September’.

“I tell you what I’d like: a transfer market for cricket club tea ladies – we’d get millions for her.

“Deborah Garlick: She’s a Star – She’s Superwoman.”