Curious Cricket Grounds

East Halton Cricket Club, North Linclonshire, makes it on to this blog as this is the club where my cricket career started. It had to really, as my father owns the ground where it is based - or should I say was based. My father, brother and I all played in the same team. My step-son also played the odd game - his greatest achievement was hitting the local police chief inspector with a beamer.  

As you can see the pitch is now in a sorry state. It’s thought that cricket was played here as far back as 1897, and there is local evidence of an East Halton side in existence in the 1870s. The team still plays today, but due to the very wet nature of the ground, the club relocated in 2008 to Immingham, which is about 5 miles away.

It was never the most successful side. Its heyday was the 2nd division of the Lincs League, and when it had enough players to field two teams. The 2nd XI played in the Grimsby League and later as a founder-member of South Humberside Alliance. The club still runs a team today.

The pavillion was the old railway station ticket office and waiting room, which was based at the village station from around 1912 until the lined closed in the early 60s. The photographs show the remainder of the equipment and the “grandstand”, which was always sold out at every home game.

The banter at the club was as good as any team I have played in, and I suspect others would feel the same. Here are a few of the names, in no particular order, that made/make East Halton a great cricket club:

Pete Grey, Jim Stringer, Jim Harris, Steve Sampson, Steve Orr, Gig Smith, Alf Jackson, Gorden Wissen, Phil Lamming, Graham Bolton, Steve Bolton (aka the Claw), Dave Holmes, Dennis Linford, Les, Atkinson, Phil Henderson, Mike Vipond, Butcher Robinson, Paul Jackson, Darren Gamwell, Tim Blanshard, Laurie Blanshard (owner and father), Jack Spittlehouse, Ian Stacey, Martin Green, Howard Grey, Ashleigh Markham, Shed Backhouse, Andy Mapplethorpe, Brian Lewis… Dave Woodcraft

I am sure there are more, and I hope others will add to the list via this blog.

12pm