Red Rose on a Shirt, Trophy Still Gleaming, 77 Years of Hurt, Never Stopped Us Dreaming

[pmcray]

Well, this was a day I never expected to see. The first Wisden I owned was the 1977 edition and Lancashire finished 16th in 1976 in the County Championship (Andrew Kennedy bizarrely Young Cricketer of the Year) compared to 4th in 1975 (there was a 1976 Wisden in the reference library at Fulwood library). That was the beginning of a miserable run in first class cricket for Lancashire and the cause of much soul-searching on my part. How my ten year old self would have loved today! Of course, Lancashire have had two good runs in one-day cricket, but it's not quite the same and they came second by one point to Nottinghamshire in 1987, but it is the championship that all true fans have been demanding all these years. To be fair, Lancashire have finished second five times since 1998, but not since 2006. And it nearly didn't happen today. If it hadn't been for a deeply improbable rearguard action by bottom of the table Hampshire following on against Warwickshire, it would all have been for nothing. But after struggling slightly to scuttle Somerset for as small a sum as we would have liked, Lancashire were set an eminently defendable 211 in quick time. Somerset must have fancied their chances, certainly of a draw. But, amazingly, they polished off runs for the loss of just two wickets to win by eight wickets and bring the county championship trophy back to where it belongs after 77 years. Luckily, I didn't actually burst into tears at work on hearing the commentary of the winning runs. This was an amazing effort by a team that blended youth and experience. Kerrigan for England surely. And now all they have to do is an establish a dynasty. There is a precedent for that in Trafford, I understand. Essex won their first county championship in 1979 and proceded to five more over the next thirteen seasons. That would be all right, but why not go better and make it eight in a row to put the legendary Surrey team of the 1960s in the shade? Come on, Lancy!  

Comments

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

There's a moratorium on talking about cricket round here. Wilfred Rhodes will be spinning in his grave.

Congratulations to Skipton's own Glen Chapple though! :) Great achievement for you lot wrong side of t'hills, but then again you did give England their top bowler by a mile at the moment! Why couldn't Jimmy have been born in Barlick or Tod?

[pmcray.livejournal.com]

In a way, it's a pity Yorkshire got relegated as there will be no Roses matches next season. Unless they manage to persuade Yorkshire to turn up for the Guild Match in Preston as they did in 1972 (in 1992, it was a World XI, although I seem to remember Neil Fairbrother turning out for Lancashire). OK, OK, I know that will only be a limited overs game (and presumably there will be other competitive one day games next year); I don't think we will be seeing first class cricket again at West Cliff. (I wonder if there have been any first class games there since 1939.)

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

Last first class match at West Cliff was Lancs v Glamorgan in 1952. A great shame few counties use out-grounds any more; wonder if Lancashire still play at Blackpool in addition to Aigburth? Jack Simmons was unplayable at Blackpool, IIRC.

[pmcray.livejournal.com]

Lancashire played at Blackpool and Southport (for the first time since 1999) this season. I am pretty sure they have always played a match at Blackpool, except for the period when they fell out with Blackpool CC and they played at Lytham (1980s? 1990s?). I do know at one time (1992?) Preston CC had a development scheme to try and get a first class match at West Cliff. That's hard to imagine now, although I suppose some kind of competitive one day match might be possible.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Nice work, and with a team mostly made up of locals and non-stars too. Interesting that it coincided with not using Old Trafford all season – I wonder if that ground is either a hoodoo or excessively prone to draws? Or perhaps the unfamiliarity of Aigburth to other teams helped score victories there.

Me following Essex coincided with the start of that run you mention, the only time in my life that I've supported a team who were actually any good :-)

[pmcray.livejournal.com]

At least Lancashire have had more success than Preston North End, so it is probably a good thing that I more or less gave up on football in 1977.