Northern Club, Crosby Merseyside near Liverpool, for cricket hockey bowls squash

With the Cricket and Bowls seasons reaching the closing weeks, the Hockey and Squash teams prepare for the start of their new seasons.

The Cricket section are now fielding 6 teams over the weekend, which provides Cricket for all standards and all ages. The Cricket 1st XI, under the new captaincy of Jack Woosey, are challenging for probably 3rd place in the Liverpool Competition ECB Premier Division. The 2nd XI are a predominantly young side and are top half of table, whilst in contrast the ageing 3rd team are fourth. Billy Parrott's 4th team are contesting promotion and possibly the title, while the Vicar's 5th.XI have acquitted themselves well in their first season.

This year's Vice President is Mike Bishop, a stalwart of the Cricket section and a qualified coach. Mike, who recorded his first century for 10 years at Sefton Park recently, is enjoying a good season, despite breaking his bat in the first game. "I managed to find an even older one to use, which at the time of writing is still going well. Dropping down the teams has proved that every player has his level, as I seem to be enjoying an Indian Summer."

"I am delighted to see a 5th team playing on Saturdays as it is a good outlet for the Junior players to go and learn how to play the longer game, with some senior players there to guide them along. Friday night Junior Cricket coaching has finished for the current year, but James Marshall's coaching sessions have proved popular with both children and the coaches!"

But Mike is also involved not only in organising inter-club Junior Cricket, but in forging links with Lancashire Cricket Board and the local community. "We have undertaken a programme of coaching in 8 local primary schools with the twin aims of taking Cricket into schools where it is not played, and establishing links between the Club and the Schools. Thanks are due to LCB Cricket Development Officer Paul Bryson and to Penni Allen, Sports Co-ordinator at Chesterfield High School Sports College for their assistance in setting the programme up."

In addition to running the usual Northern under 11, 13 and 15 teams, this year competitive Kwik-Cricket is being played by the club's under 9s. who recently represented Sefton in an inter-Borough tournament, organised through the LCB and hosted by Northern. Mike reports "The Northern side finished 3rd in the 6 team round robin tournament which was won by Wallasey CC representing the Wirral, where under 9 Cricket is played every week."

Mike takes over in March from this year's president Wendy McDowall. It has been a busy time for Wendy, overseeing Marquee Week and organising her President's Day, when her Ladies team augmented by James Marshall, Carl Hey and Mike Jones narrowly succumbed to the Vice President's team after an entertaining encounter and a lengthy lunch!

Marquee week was an unquestioned success despite the efforts of both the weather and the England Football team to cause havoc! "Wednesday saw a Ladies night disrupted by storms, with the entire audience moved into the main pavilion for the cabaret, provided by Pauline Daniels and Steve Charles, which literally went down a storm!" Thursday's Sports dinner, with former footballer speakers Joey Jones and Steve Kindon, clashed with England's Euro 2004 quarter final with Portugal. "A big screen was set up in the marquee so diners didn't miss any of the action, although as organisers we could have done without extra time and penalties, as the speakers went on considerably later than advertised. In the end all agreed it was another tremendous evening." Friday night saw a sell-out Summer Ball, and on Saturday the marquee was the venue for the St Mary's Ball. A hectic week ended with a family fun day held on Sunday in conjunction with the local residents.

On the Bowling Greens, this year's prestigious Northern Classic, one of the premier open tournaments in the national calendar, was won by Mr M Gilpin from Kendal, defeating Mr D Barwise from Liverpool in the final. Northern's 10 league Bowls teams have been in regular action. Also a number of club tournaments have been resolved, with Fred McGee proving too strong for Mike Llewellyn in the final of the men's President's Main, and Ella Fitzgerald and Moira Jones winning a nailbiter against Audrey Sarath and Ann Maxwell in the Ladies Doubles Final. Mike Craggs defeated brother Dave in the final of the Brooke Northern Trophy, while Denis Jones and Tony Dennett were this year's winning pair in the Ball Cup, and Brian Billington took the honours in the Captain's Main. Brendan Roberts and Mike Craggs won the Carlsberg Pairs, while Ann Laycock took the Ladies President's Trophy. In the Cliff Gillies Memorial Trophy, Brendan Roberts beat Les Plank, while in the Spooner Shield final it was the turn of Alan White to beat Brendan.

August 2004.