This image is of a Stockton cricket club scorecard when Sir Learie Constantine played for Stockton against a select eleven. Sir Learie signed the card for C.T.Boyes in about 1935/36. The card was then passed on to Don Taylor.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I remember an occasion in 1952 or there abouts, when Learie Costantine Played for Stockton at the Grangefield Ground in the Cricket week that was usually held every year by Stockton CC. Arthur Austin was a well connected business man and cricketer who had invited Learie to play for Stockton. Arthur asked me and I think Rex Hazelton to go across to the car park at the other side of the field to help a player with his bags. I was surprised when I saw the gentleman in question, it was Sir Learie Constantine, he was not knighted at that time but still very famous. I am not sure if Rex and I were in the team that day but I think we were.
I think Rex was as surprised as I was, I had never met a coloured person before as I can only remember one Family living in my area in Stockton at that time. that was the Henry family from Eastbourne, a lovely man who I met later in life. Sir Learie was very pleasant and appreciated our help with his bags. At that time I did not realise how great a cricketer Sir Learie was, but did appreciate his skills after the match. bowling, fielding, batting, all came naturally to him. I believe he died at a very young age, Maybe Anon can give us some more details on Sir Learie Constantine, I am wondering about the date on the photograph as I played with all these Stockton players in the early fifties for Stockton CC both in the first team and second teams. There again over to you Anon. I remember reading an article by Don Bradman in Australia where he had been asked the question about the greatest wicket Keepers in his experience, and Arthur Austin must have been known to the Don, as he listed him in his top three. I do not think Arthur played in the County Championships only the Minor Championships due to his business commitments…. .
The profile of Arthur Austin can be found here… http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/258222.html
Benny, when Learie Constantine came to Stockton in 1952 he was about 51 years old, he was Trinadad’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, he died aged 69 in Brondesbury, Hampstead, London.
With DCH Townsend as captain of the District team it is hardly surprising that this team included 2 of his Norton colleagues namely Freddie Harker and Edgar Manners. Both as a player and administrator Edgar Manners had a life long affiliation with the Norton club but how many people know that in the 1939 season he was professional for Darlington RA ?.
As luck would have it the teams were drawn against each other in the Kerridge cup and Edgar surpassed himself with bowling figures of 10 for 22. Despite this Norton still won the game.
My late father, Tom Birtle, always considered Edgar Manners to be an exceptional cricketer both as an excellent opening batsman and bowler and also a wonderful cover point fielder.
The Stockton team includes Jimmy Branson who was the father of Michael and David who both played for Norton in the 1960s.
My grounds for describing this card as ‘a typical Stockton Cricket Club scorecard’ is that as a youngster I frequently was a card seller. One was stationed at the Oxbridge Avenue gate & another at the Grangefield Road entrance. Usually there was a third boy who walked around the ground aiming for customers who had missed getting one at the gate. Boys selling cards got a small payment but I cannot remember how much. It could be spent at a little shop in the hut at the Oxbridge Ave/Grangefield Road corner. It was stocked by Tom Iredale who had a tobacconist’s & confectionary shop in the High Street. He also captained and organised a Thursday XI which played afternoon/evening matches. Most of the players were staff from shops that of course closed on Thursday afternoons. Quite a full fixture list many matches being against countryside/village teams or teams organised by the local squire or equivalent!
Phil Simmons reprented the West Indies and also played in the NY&SD League for Guisborough. He is now the Coach for the Ireland team.
Two West Indies test players who played in the North Yorkshire & South Durham League were Desmond Haynes & Clayton Lambert who both played for Blackhall.
I have noted reference to Alfie Holligan in cricketing circles. Alfie was in Tommy Sowlers form at Holy Trinity with me untill the war came. If you are still with us Alf I would love to hear your comments on life today. I suspect it would be censored though!
The committee member’s name was J D Jackson and I think he was Stockton Borough Treasurer. Lived in Oulston Road.
My brother has also given the name of another West Indian – E Achong.
My dad, Richard (Dick) Jackson played for Stockton as a young adult from about 1932 when he would have been 17. I was told that, despite a raging toothache, he scored a century on his debut for the Club at Blackhall but have never seen any official record. I am also not sure whether or not this would have been a first team match. I don’t think he stayed with Stockton very long as he played for most of his career for Thornaby.
On a personal note I played for Thornaby CC Second XI at the Grangefield Ground, Stockton against a team that included Herbert Trenholme in about 1960 when I was 16. He seemed very, very old at the time (and probably he was) but the old fox resisted all my efforts to remove him and I think we lost.
A typical Stockton Cricket Club scorecard of the Thirties and certainly post WWII. The receipts from “the gate” at this match, and there would be quite a full house, went to the groundsman. Always attracted a big crowd as there was at least one big name cricketer in one of the teams, in this case the wonderful West Indian Learie Constantine.
At that time the clubs of the Lancashire League could afford to hire prominent players from the West Indies or India. I can recall Martindale (WI), Amar Singh and Amar Nath playing in some of the years.
I have to check on my sources but I do know that a member of the club committee had moved from Burnley where he was also an official of the local club. So he made the arrangements to have a well known Test cricketer from one of the clubs.
Constantine excelled as a batsman and bowler. As young boys we were thrilled at the sight of him driving sixes out of the ground at the Grangefield Road end.
The District XI on this occasion was mainly a Durham County side.
David Townsend the captain had toured the West Indies with the MCC in the 1932-33 season. Jim Smirthwaite (of Guisborough) played a few matches for Yorkshire.
The groundsman’s name was Jordan. The heavy roller, which did a lot of work pre-season to help produce the very good wickets on the ‘square’, was horse drawn, the horse being stabled I think under the pavilion.
Fred Harker on this scorecard was the owner of Harkers Engineering on Church Road & Ray Irvin was a school teacher at Newham Grange School.