The Twelfth Man 2015

26 ~ 2015 ~ January 15th – Derbyshire evening Our Chairman introduced our Derbyshire guests, Chris Middleton and Billy Godleman, with Chris representing the management and Billy representing the players. Jim then outlined the close relationship between our counties with lots of connections, especially through our youth coaching. Chris, a solicitor by profession, has been a Derbyshire CCC member since 1972, serving general committee from 1984 to 1993 and secondly from 2007 to 2013. He has been a Derbyshire Vice-President for 20 years after completing an eight-year stint as Chairman. He is a member of MCC, and was Chairman of the TCCB working party, which made history on the admission of Durham as a first-class county. He was also President of Rotherham Town Cricket Club from 1992 to 2005. Billy played five seasons with Middlesex and three with Essex before joining Derbyshire in 2013. Not many could boast a county contract at the age of 17, but Billy did. The left-hand batsman and right - arm leg-spin bowler, with Steven Finn in 2005, beat the 16-year-old Fred Titmus’s record for being the youngest first-class debutants for Middlesex. A game Billy will never forget was his third first-class match for Middlesex, a batting marathon in 2007 against Somerset at Taunton, when at number five he made 113 not out, sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 80 with Owais Shah, who made 193, and then an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 193 with wicket-keeper, David Nash, who made 100 not out. They declared on 600 for four, but Somerset responded with 850 for seven declared, including a triple century for Justin Langer, and the match was drawn. Billy has played in five U19 Test Matches for England, with a top score of 115, and 19 U19 One-Day Internationals with a top score of 149 not out. Chris then went on to inform us of the present management set up at Derbyshire with the latest development plans. This included the continued feasibility of Chesterfield as a venue, especially for Yorkshire matches. Billy then gave us a background on his very interesting playing career so far, starting out at the inner city London schools and at his father’s cricket club. He then progressed to the Middlesex Academy playing with a young Steven Finn and other now well-known players, and finished with the story behind his move to Essex and then to Derbyshire. The Q&A session covered all the current subjects in the game, prospects of Derbyshire this coming season, new signings, and further discussions on Queens Park and Chesterfield, to conclude an excellent evening. January 29th – Bryan Stott Our Chairman introduced the ever-popular ex. Yorkshire CCC player and stalwart and gave the following background: Yorkshire Vice- President Bryan, who with Doug Padgett, launched Yorkshire’s last Golden Age in 1959 at Hove when Yorkshire’s thrilling Championship clinching triumph against Sussex ended seven years of Surrey supremacy. Both celebrated their 80th birthdays last year within two days of each other. It was 55 years ago on 1 September that Sussex set Yorkshire to make 215 in 105 minutes for victory and, at 40 for two, hope was fading, despite Bryan thrashing 13 out of 15 in the first over. Bryan was joined by Doug, and they ran riot with their 141 for the third wicket coming up so quickly that Yorkshire reached their target with seven minutes to spare. Bryan cracking up 96 in 86 minutes, and Doug 70 in just over an hour. It was Yorkshire’s first title success for 13 years, and it ended their longest barren sequence since the formation of the official Championship in 1890. It was to be followed by six more title wins over the next nine years and Gillette Cup triumph in 1965 and 1969. When Bryan retired after the 1963 season, he had played in 187 first-class matches for Yorkshire, scoring 9,168 runs with 17 centuries and a top score of 186. He had also played for Derbyshire guests, Chris Middleton (left) and Billy Godleman (right) receive WCLS glasses from Norman Hazell.