PhotoJournalism ProJect - Dusting off the aPril Blues

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CLUB WATCH / CHARLIE BAKER

DUSTING OFFTHE

APRILBLUES

Sometimes it’s not all about the cricket, a lot of work goes in behind to scenes to ensure a cricket club can have s successful season.

Charlie Baker follows HEADINGLEY CRICKET CLUB as they move through the winter, into the cricket season.Words and photos by Charlie Baker

Above: Two Headingley batsmen prepare for the summer in pre-season nets.Below: It’s all smiles when when the season dawns near

Mark Stelfox said, who does the organising for Headingley Cricket Club. “As soon as the season finishes we’re on the lookout for new players.” Headingley are a club blessed with one of the most famous names in cricket as well as being based in the famous cricketing suburb. Not to mention they’re in Yorkshire. The club fields three Saturday teams, a Sunday friendly team, a Twenty20 team on a Thursday and cup competitions on a Tuesday. Considering this club only played 12 friendlies a year in 2008, it’s a remarkable progression, a progression that certainly wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the committed Stelfox. “Every now and then

I’ll have a bit of a spat on Facebook,” Stelfox explained. “The dummy will fly out the pram and all that, but I try and keep them to a minimum. I’m lucky because they’re lots of guys in the club that are keen to get involved with the admin side of the club, but sometimes I do feel like it’s only me doing things.” The club have come from relative obscurity, starting in Division 6 of the Wetherby League in 2010, to become one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the leagues with teams in Division 2, Division 3 and Division 5. “Our first team captain is part of the senior cricket committee now, it’s good us having representation on there. I guess we are a club doing

“There are lots of guys keen to get involved in

the club”

“Organising a cricket club? It never stops”

Above: Training at the Headingley indoor schoolBelow: Stelfox (far right) and the committee members discuss club matters

well, when a lot in the villages are struggling, that’s why the league wants us involved.” When it comes to

preparation for the season, it’s a never ending cycle for Stelfox. The club are based just outside a city thriving with students, so the player turnover tends to be higher than most teams. “In late September, the season in finishing and we’re having our awards and end-of-season do,” he said. “But we’re still fielding e-mails from students that have seen our Twitter, or know someone that already plays for us and wants to get involved for next season.” The club currently have just over 15 students that make themselves available for half or a full season. “It’s annoying in a way ‘cus I’d love to take a few weeks off after the season and stop thinking about it, but it never happens that way.” Player recruitment is a

tough thing for lots of clubs, especially those out in the rural areas, but the city clubs have the problem of increased competition from other teams close by. “There are maybe six other clubs in our area,” Stelfox explained.” The problem we have is that we probably play the lowest standard of them all. So we have to make contact very quickly with anyone that may be interested in playing. We manage to pull in some really good players and more often than not they don’t leave because the cricket is poor, if they feel

THE GAMECLUB

“You get net bolwers and batters, even at

club level”

fulfilled by their cricket the social side of the club is good enough to keep them around, especially for the heavy drinking students.” By October, some more

serious club players start netting, while the more social players are still icing knees and receiving physio on ankles. A group of Headingley lads are keen to get in the nets, while some are just keen to get on the beers with their team. “We have some lads that are cricket badgers,” Stelfox stated. “They get down to the indoor school and have a net in early October, then they head to the pub and meet a few more. More often than not they’ll head into town and meet a few more. Being one of the older members of the team, I don’t know how they do it.” Stelfox understands that although they play cricket for fun, some players do want to play first team cricket and attendance at these nets can work in players favour. “We’ve had a couple of lads that have worked really hard in the off season, netting loads and messaging some of the captains saying they were aiming to move up the teams this year. It’s great to see.” It is also this period that

Headingley layout their teams for the season, which can be tough so early on. “If we wanted to drop a team or leave the league then we’d have to make them aware of it at the start of the previous season,” Stelfox explained.

“Which is really tough because you can’t be absolutely sure where the club will be by the start of the next season.” Midweek teams tends to be the hardest to get guaranteed availability for, and October is when leagues need to know whether the clubs will be entering teams. “We had a tough time last year midweek,” Stelfox stated. “The weather didn’t help, the traffic doesn’t help and people working late doesn’t help. It’s tough to get people here for half 6, especially when they finish at 6 and it takes half an hour to get out of Leeds. When the weather was bad last year, people didn’t want to give up an evening to sit in a pavilion and wait for the rain the stop. Luckily most of the lads love the shorter form stuff so I think we’ll be fine if the weather holds up this year.” In the last few

months, the ECB have received figures that the participation of recreational cricket is on a serious decline. This has led to suggested changes being offered to leagues. Some which weren’t taken too well by players. “The third team’s league was supposed to be only 35 overs and start later,” Stelfox explained. “With the idea that people can work in the morning and be in the pub or with their girlfriend by half seven. Our lads weren’t happy with that, and we made that clear to the league, so that plan was rescinded.”

THE GAMECLUB

Stelfox can understand why some players would prefer that form of cricket. “I can see where they are coming from,” he stated. “Playing the first game of the season can be long. The pitch isn’t quite ready, the game can feel like it’s going on forever. Even putting boots on rather than trainers, it takes it out of you.” Headingley CC have the

luxury of having their grounds looked after for them due to having one ground at a school and the other in a public park. This takes a lot of work off the committee who otherwise would have to employ two

groundsmen to sort the wicket for them, something other clubs sometimes struggle to afford. This leaves Stelfox and the other members of the committee able to focus on player recruitment and checking the talent at nets. Nets is a big part of

selection for the side, however Stelfox is careful of making big changes purely based on the pre-season. “Sometimes you get a guy who’ll turn up two weeks before the season and look really good in nets. We can’t put him straight in the first team as the lads that were promoted last

year wouldn’t be happy. Everyone strives to play the highest standard of cricket they can.” Sometimes there are exceptions to this rule, but Headingley like to see players prove themselves outside before taking someone’s spot. “Pre-season matches are of vital importance, there are such things are good net bowlers/batters, even in club cricket. Playing a game outside in early April helps you pick these out.” It also gives current

members of the squad who played lower down the teams the previous season a chance to prove themselves around the first team players. “A couple of lads were given a shot with some the first team in the pre-season games and they did really well,” he explained. “They didn’t end up in the firsts come the season but they showed that we’ll never be short of bowling.” Its strength in depth and the committed group of players that Stelfox attributed to the clubs rise up the divisions. He was humble not to attribute it to the real reason, which is his hard work at team cohesion and player recruitment. “We are lucky that the majority of lads that choose to play here are good guys. They all get involved socially and have different strengths on the pitch, even if for some it’s just good banter and not much else! It’s a great balance.” Come the first game,

however much time people put into preparing the club

for the season things are bound to be forgotten. “This year we only had one umpire’s coat,” Stelfox explained. “We had to buy a scorebook the morning of the first Saturday. You’re always going to forget things. Even with three captains and a few more senior players looking out for things. It’s the little things you miss.” Overall, Stelfox is

extremely proud to see 33 players take the field on a Saturday, under the Headingley name. “It’s nice to see all the work is appreciated. I mentioned the first game is tiring, but we still get a big group of lads in the pub after the game having a laugh and a joke. You don’t get away with things here, you get fined just as much for scoring a ton as you would for getting a duck, or ‘Fros’ as we side call it, after one members impressive feat of seven ducks in one season!” Headingley are two weeks in currently and doing well with early wins for all teams. “Having a good start to the season is brilliant, everyone’s on a high and it makes all the work worth it. Seeing everyone having a laugh after the game is the best part.”

THE GAMECLUB

“We are lucky that the majority of lads that choose to play here are good guys. They get involved socially and bring different stregths on the pitch, even if for some it’s just good banter”