Mexborough and Swinton Times, December 17
Denaby Cricket Club Dinner
Pleasant and Profitable Season
The members of the Denaby Cricket, Tennis, and Bowls Club gathered at the Pavilion on Saturday evening for their annual dinner, when a very happy and enjoyable evening was spent.
Mr H.C.Harrison presided, and after dinner, congratulated everybody responsible for the arrangements, and said it did them great credit. It was very nice to know there were now housed in their own premises. Although, perhaps, it was not what they would like, it was a considerable improvement on what they had had, and he thought they would feel rather proud of the building they now had (hear, hear). He would ask one of the oldest playing members of the club, Mr Luther Robinson, to propose the health of the club.
Mr Luther Robinson said he had been connected with the club for a long time, and had watched them rise from crude cricket to today, when it held a position second to none in the district. There was not much doubt about that, both from a social and a Cricket point of view. He was sure the members, amongst other people, were making the club what it was, and in all the years back the members have helped it along considerably. It was a great pleasure to propose that toast.
The chairman, responding, said he wished to refer to what happened last season, and throw out a word of encouragement for the coming season. Although the crickets portion of the club was the one in which he was actively interested, he was also interested in every kind of sport. (Hear, hear). He had read the records of the club, and he thought they would agree that they were something of which they could be reasonably proud. They did not win the Yorkshire Council, nor the “Times” Cup, but they had won a good deal of respect from their opponents.
He thought they had won themselves a place in Yorkshire Council cricket which they had not previously obtained. In the Yorkshire Council, they had played 22 matches, won 10, drawn six and lost six. They had scored 3,156 runs for 159 wickets, an average of 19 runs per wicket. Against them 2,849 runs had been scored for 171 wickets, an average of 16.
In cup ties they played four, won 3 and lost one. They had scored 927 runs for 32 wickets, an average of 28. Against them, there had been score 715 runs for 40 wickets, an average of 17.
They won all their friendlies, and the grand total was: played 33, won 19, drawn seven, lost seven; runs scored 5,495 for 237 wickets, average 23. Against them the scores had been 4,325 runs for 274 wickets, an average of 16 (hear, hear).
In all matches they have made 1000 more runs than their opponents. They had lost 40 less wickets, and obtained seven runs per wicket more than their opponents. (Hear, hear).
With regard to individual performances, Tibbles came first with a batting average of 36.2. W. Widdison won the bowling averages with a record of 11.89.
In the second team H. Atkins won the bowling prize with an average of 9.03 and H. Foster the batting with 20.5.
The second team had played 22 matches, won 9, drawn 3 and lost 10. They had scored 2,728 runs for 195 wickets, an average of 16.21 against 2,696 runs for 186 wickets, an average of 14.45. They scored more runs than their opponents, though their averages were slightly worse.
The bowls team came nearer to winning a cup than anybody. It did not seem to be Denaby’s strong point, the winning of cups. They lost the “Times” Cup. In some miraculous manner, and they lost the Sheffield Challenge Cup.
The bowls team finished up with an average of 184 points out of a possible 210. In the coming year, the speaker continued, they ought to do even better. They were all out for the same thing, not so much the winning of medals and cups, as to promote the proper feeling of sportsmanship that should exist in a place like that. (Applause.) They had nothing to complain of in what they had done, but they would always try to do better. (Applause.)
Mr H. Hulley proposed “Future of sport in Denaby,” and said the chairman, had spoken of the past successes of the cricket club, but had omitted to mention the Football Club. He could not present them any glowing account of last season successes. During an adverse season the club had “kept their end up.” With regard to the future, they would do all they could provide good sport in Denaby Main
Mr W. Still, responding, said there was no keener sporting crowd in the country than at Denaby Main, but they could not give better games unless they had full support. It was up to them all to see that support was given. They had grounds second to none in the Midland League (applause.)
They had played 20 matches, won 10, drawn five and lost five, which was a considerable improvement on last season. If sport in Denaby improved as it had been in the past 12 months, it would be something to look forward to. (Applause.)
An enjoyable musical program was rendered.