The Twelfth Man 2014

! 7 This%is%my%first%report%for%the%Wombwell%Cricket%Lovers’%Society%since%I%took%over%the%finances%last%year.% Firstly%I%must%thank%the%late%Roy%Foster%for%all%his%work%on%behalf%of%the%Society,%sorting%out%the%poor% financial%position%it%founds%itself%in%back%in%early%2007.%Thanks%also%to%Ron%Firth%for%taking%over%Roy’s%duties% during%his%illness.%Without%Ron%the%Society%could%not%have%kept%going.% The%financial%situation%of%the%Society%is%reasonable%and%made%a%profit%of%£1,150%last%year.%Looking%at%past% reports%it%is%the%same%this%year.%If%it%was%not%for%donations%from%some%of%our%members%the%Society%would% have%struggled%and%so%I%would%like%to%take%the%opportunity%to%personally%thank%these%people.% As%in%previous%years%the%attendances%for%our%speaker%evenings%were%disappointing%at%times%and%I%would% urge%nonHattending%members%to%come%and%support%the%Society.%The%Society%continues%to%attract%excellent% speakers%who%deserve%a%better%attendance.% The%Christmas%dinner%is%very%important%date%in%the%Society’s%calendar%in%terms%of%funding%and%I%would%like%to% request%all%members%come%along%to%this%year’s%planned%event.% I%look%forward%to%the%winter%talks%and%hope%new%members%will%come%along%to%join%the%friendly%Wombwell% Cricket%Lovers%atmosphere.% Brian(Sanderson ! TREASURER’S REPORT LOOKING'BACK' Umpire and WCLS committee man Norman Hazell reminisces after being called out of retirement Called%out%of%retirement%to%officiate%at%quite%an%important%League%match%between%two%well%known%Clubs,% Wakefield%St%Michael's%and%Wrenthorpe,%my%thoughts%went%back%to%the%last%time%I%was%at%the%St%Michael's% ground.% It%was%August%2009,%a%charity%match%for%The%Adam%Watene%Benefit%Fund% between%St%Michael's,%a%top%Council%team%and%a%Rugby%League%team%composed% of%professionals%from%Bradford%Northern,%Leeds%and%Wakefield%Trinity.%My% partner%was%Geoff%Hodson.%St%Michael's%batted%first%in%front%of%a%packed% ground,%scoring%201%in%their%30%overs.%After%a%lengthy%break%for%autographs%and% other%fundraising%the%Rugby%boys%showed%they%were%very%useful,%all%round% athletes.%The%moment%I%will%always%remember%came%after%a%young%fast%bowler% had%sent%a%ball%bouncing%over%the%head%of%Wakefield%Trinity's%diminutive,%scrum% half,%Sam%Obst.%The%bowler%raised%the%ball%over%his%head,%exactly%as%Greg% Thomas%had%done%to%Viv%Richards.%"Oh,%I%wish%you%hadn't%done%that%Geoff"%I% said,%then%sure%enough%his%next%ball%was%driven%way%over%the%advertising%boards% behind%the%boundary,%bouncing%in%Dewsbury%Road,%before%disappearing%away% along%Clement%Street.%Quietly,%I%told%the%bowler,%just%as%Viv%had%done,%"You% know%what%it%looks%like,%now%go%and%find%it."% One%other%event%in%the%league%match,%worthy%of%remark%came%when%a%batsman% hit%the%ball,%high%over%my%head%and%as%it%dropped,%I%heard%the%captain%shout%"One%of%you".%Of%course%long%on% and%long%off,%their%eyes%on%the%ball,%crashed%into%each%other%and%the%ball%trickled%to%the%ground.%At%the%end% of%the%over,%I%quietly%told%the%captain,%"When%that%happens,%you%gotta%put%a%name%on%it."%