The Twelfth Man 2018

12 INTRODUCING YOUR NEW VICE CHAIRMAN JACK TUNNICLIFFE M Y life interest in cricket has been rewarded by the decision of the committee to put my forward as the new Vice Chairman of this wonderful society and I hope that I can maintain the valued standards established by this nationally recognised society. I was born in Grassmoor, a mining village in Derbyshire, which had a cricket team related to the pit and played in the Derbyshire League. At an early age my cricketing and mine management father introduced me to two significant aspects of the village life, the pit and the cricket team, which, in both areas, served to influence me in my later life. My connection with the cricket team began around six years of age when I began attending the local cricket ground on practice nights and fielding the loose balls which had evaded my practicing heroes. As I grew older I arrived early at the ground on match days, stood near the pavilion and hoped that I would be asked to fill in as scorer, which, if successful, would result in the reward of a free tea which was tinned salmon sandwiches and cakes. My final involvement before the family moved to Yorkshire was to gain a place in the 2nd X1 at the age of 13, batting with only a pair of pads as protective gear. In addition to this association with the village team, I was fortunate to attend grammar schools in Chesterfield and Wakefield, both of which had great cricket involvement. At both schools I played as an opening batsman and at Wakefield I captained the 1st X1 for my last three school years and played in a Yorkshire Public Schoolboys trail at Bradford Park Avenue. On leaving school I began a long association with league cricket which was mainly with Paton and Baldwin’s (now Wakefield Thornes) playing as an opening batsman, part time wicket-keeper, Vice Captain and Captain. At the age of 37/38 unfortunately pressure from other commitments resulted in perhaps what was a mistaken decision to end this deep involvement and to play in friendly games only. Outside my playing days, my cricketing spectatorship began along with my father at the wonderful Queen’s Park, Chesterfield in the 1930’s and I was fortunate enough to be around in 1936 when Derbyshire won their only County Championship. In that connection, I have recently enrolled as a member of the support group that has been formed in an attempt to maintain Queen’s Park as a venue for County Championship Cricket. Additionally, I have been a Yorkshire member for the last 50 years. The last year has been an excellent one for the Society – long may it continue. My mining involvement is another long story.