Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 10 June 1922
Denaby Main Whitsuntide Tour
The Denaby Main Cricket team had a delightful tour last week to Oxford, by way of Mansfield, Nuneaton and Leamington, and played four matches, three of which were won.
Glorious weather favoured the expedition, and both the touring and the cricket were immensely enjoyed. Unfortunately they had to leave behind in the life and soul of previous cricketing jaunts, Arthur Robinson, who has not yet fully recovered from his recent illness.
The team left Denaby on Monday morning in three motor cars, and arrived at Mansfield soon after 11
Denaby Main open their Whitsuntide tour on Monday with a heavy defeat at Mansfield, where the tourists were rattled out for 56 by Paul and Stafford, and lost by four wickets and about a million runs.
Reinforced by Jack White (who made a century on this tour last year) and Poole, they had no difficulty in the remaining matches, and won them easily, indeed handsomely.
They pushed on after Mansell matched the Nuneaton, where they put up at the Newdigate Arms.
On the way just out of Loughborough they came across a upon a motorcar capsised by the roadside and the occupants two men and two women and a baby more or less injured, all except the Baby. As they were first aiders, almost to a man, they were of considerable service, but one of the men was so badly injured that he died the next day in hospital.
This was not a very cheerful start, but there after nothing to untoward occurred, except the buckling of a wheel and necessary incidents like that, such as no true motorists would willingly admit from his experience.
On Tuesday afternoon a match with Haunchwood Colliery (Mr Stills old place) was played, and again the batting was in the minor key, the tourist been dismissed on a rather indifferent pitch, but 87, which was the ice cores so far scored against Haunchwood there this season – an eloquent tribute to the ground.
However Pull and Worthington discovered a little ways, and they had a Haunchwood safely backed up and put away for 52. After the match the visitors were entertained very kindly at the Haunchwood Institute by the own club; for the rest of the evening they played bowls with astonishing ineptitude.
While at Nuneaton they ran out to Kenilworth and Warwick and came back with a great respect for English history and a virtuous determination to read it.
From Nuneaton they went on to Leamington, where they played a full-day match with the Town club, and a very pleasant and interesting match it was, won by 55 runs. The skipper, exhilarated by the holiday spirit, promoted himself in the batting order, and to the delight of the party, played the innings of his life, turn the tide of battle, and was left defined and unconquerable at the close. The only May 27, but each one was stamped 24 karat. 27 multiplied by 24 is 648 and the way he made them looked all that.
Leamington look very attractive in the glorious Whitsunshine, but the tourist passed on and rode their cock horses as far as Banbury Cross. They were not in time to see the fine lady get on the white horse, so they had to put up with and at the White Lion instead, and found it very cosy. They cast many a lingering look at it next morning as they set out on the final stage of their pilgrimage.
They arrived at Oxford in good time told me to afternoon match with Queens College. This was a match arranged by Tom Hayward, who came round for a chat with the party and was particularly glad to see the old Oval comrade, Billy Narroway. The College team included some very useful “Freshers” one or two possible Blues, but the Denabyites won the match comfortably enough, rubbing off 169 for the loss of six wickets.
Ted Dibble did himself proud here, and got the highest score of the tour. Billy Narroway who had 18 victims behind the wicket during the tour, got a nasty knock in the College match from Harry Atkins, then to give up the gloves to Jack White. The best bowling performance of the tour was Tom Poole’s seven for 13 at Haunchwood. Luther Robinson bowled steadily all the way through, without much luck, and the youngster gives and one good bowling spell. The cricket throughout was pleasant rather than exciting and the conduct of the tourists was irreproachable.
Saturday was a free day, and half the party motored to London, while the rest lounged about Oxford, admiring the myriad beauties of that august seat of learning, enjoying the whimsicalities of the undergraduates, who had broken out into a comic regatta for the benefit of the hospitals, charities in this case covering a multitude of absurdities.
The through return was made on Sunday, Ted Tibbles being left behind to muse among the scenes of his youth at High Wycombe.
It was a glorious outing, and before it was off over the articles of next year’s itinerary had been signed, sealed and settled.