Mexborough and Swinton Times July 8, 1898
Conisbrough 14 Hickleton Main 41 for 2
It was Conisbrough Feast last week, consequently there was some cricket matches knocking about.
At least there was one on Saturday, which resulted in another spell of mountaineering. Hickleton Main went to Conisbrough and it being the Feast we did not look to Conisbrough to give us something for our money. But oh! What a farce!
Let’s get it over. Here goes:: Conisbrough won the toss and when the parson and FW Keyes marched down the wicket the spectators began to have visions of the bowling been clouted all over the show, and Conisbrough winning a match at last. And those visions were further supplemented when the parson and Keyes stylishly blocked Truman and Broadhead’s best intentions for a few overs. But with only two on the board, the Reverend WA Strawbridge played a ball from Broadhead on to the skittles, and this was the signal for as vile a rot as ever anyone saw.
Harold Sharp then stepped into the vacancy, and the score was carried to half a dozen, when he was given out leg before. Hepton joined FW keys, but without any addition to the total, keyes hopes of obtaining a century were dashed to the ground. Mr W Norwood vainly tried to stem the rot. He stopped one straight ball, and at the next he struck when the ball wasn’t and he had to come off. The next ball was to go for Hebden, who gracefully retire without hurting his bat. “Jud” Hardy and Day became associated, but with only one run added the former was foolishly run out. The spectators had been very quiet under the circumstances up to this point, but one or two began to get a bit lively, and a few of the “boys” commenced singing the “dead March in Saul,” to the accompaniment of a regimental march by their own players from the pavilion to the wicket and vice versa. E. Keyes and “Tommy” Nesbitt each tried to stem the rot, and each retired in the usual manner with a “quack”. But why prolong this miserable tale of woe! Trueman and Broadhead, the latter particularly had tumbled the team from the town that boasts of a castle and several mountains for 14 runs. Oh what fun! Didn’t them Hickleton fellows revel in it, and while they might. Sither here are the bowling analysis:
Broadhead 6 for 6; Trueman 3 for 8.
It was all over bar the shouting. G Pinder and F Smith 20 went in to knock spots and other sundry things of the Conisbrough bowling. 12 of the runs were knocked off for the loss of two wickets. To give the spectators something for their money, it was decided to play half an hour longer during which period Hickleton obtained 41 for the loss of two wickets.