ACROSS THE COMMON


Home
Introduction
Centenary Committee
The Early Years
Turn of the Century
1900-1920
Between the Wars 1921-1939
The Middle Years
1946-1974
League Cricket
1975 Onwards
League Players
The Next Century
1996-2010

ARTICLES:
The Grass Roots
by KEN TAYLOR
The First 100 Years
by TOM MORGAN
Our Own Ground and it's Amenities
by ARTHUR BARTON
Our Life Members
by ARTHUR BARTON
The Club Game
by CHRISTOPHER MARTIN-JENKINS
From Nairobi to Nottingham
by BASHARAT HASSAN
Salutations
West Country Tours
Youth Cricket
And Don't Forget the Groundsman

Pelsall Cricket & Sports Club

SALUTATIONS
TOM MORGAN (by RAY LAW)
Captain Extraordinaire. Tactically supreme. Initiator of man management techniques. Was able to destroy visiting captains on the way to toss up. Talked Albert Aldridge into at least 30 wickets a season. Once talked me into number eleven spot, saying everyone in the side had scored one or more fifties. He was, as usual, quite correct.
Still storytelling, I understand. I hope so!

ALBERT ALDRIDGE
What does one say? The greatest natural you will ever see at Pelsall. Took wickets at will. Once scored 130 + in 35 minutes. Dixie Rowley went to the thunderbox and missed the last 50. Caused Blakenall Cricket Club to hold tactical talks before matches, on how to play him. A modest man now batting No. 4 for Elysian Fields XI.
I shall never forget you "Bonk".

LEN HAYWARD
The umpire's umpire. A man who ate, dreamt and slept cricket. I never knew what he did in the winter apart from brush up on the laws of cricket.
I hope he is the regular umpire for the Elysian Fields XI.

HARRY WITCUTT/NORMAN CROSS
Must be put together. Two best wicket-keepers ever to play for Pelsall in the same era. Both prolific run-getters. It must be remembered the runs both scored should be doubled as neither was ever out lbw despite what the scorebook says.

ERIC TEBBETT
Fearsome fast bowler in late 1940's until bad knees reduced him to leg-break bowling. A fine sense of humour which led him into dog racing.
Last heard of among the Colonials of the Outback.

WILF "HAPPY" DAVIES
The finest sporting gentleman ever to grace Peisall Cricket Ground. Happy in victory and defeat. Caused the joke of the century when given out for obstruction in Knockout Final at Gorway in the early fifties.

DAVID "MALLET" WRIGHT
The most honest man to walk on Pelsall Cricket Ground. Had
three ambitions in life. To keep the club in the black. To thrash Rushall at least once every year. To have at least two arguments per year with Horace Pittaway, the Rushall wicket-keeper.
Last heard of opening the batting with Clarrie Hamer for an Elysian Fields eleven.

CYRIL STACKHOUSE
Played cricket for ever. Most notable achievement was his partnership with his brother Archie, pre-war Pelsall leg spinner, when in his own words: "Archie used to bowl 'em and I used to fetch 'em". I last saw him in the 1960's playing for a church side at Burton. He batted until he couldn't run anymore. The match was drawn.

GEOFF HYMAN
Classical opening bat in 1945/8 period. Kept wicket under protest. The only man known to be able to sleep in the back of Jack Barker's coal lorry while travelling to away matches.
Deserted cricket for golf.

BILL CLAYTON
Was the model for Geoff Boycott. Noted for playing a spinner for over two hours one day at Round Oak. On being asked why he had not given up his wicket, pointed out it was his fiftieth birthday and was determined to score fifty. He did. An occasional bowler who bowled in his cap.
Favourite shot: "NAFFLING IT TO LEG". Last heard of batting at No. 3 for Elysian Fields XI.

KEN "DIXIE" ROWLEY
The first "professional" to play for Pe[sail. The first man I knew to think about the game. Change bowler with a deadly ball. Bowled from 27 yards over umpire's left shoulder. Got wickets and caused two heart attacks over the years. Was the leading authority on the thunder-boxes of all grounds visited. He used every one. Was also an authority on dog racing systems.
Still in the area, it's rumoured.

LES JONES
Won more matches on his own with the bat, on the wickets of 1948/50 than any man in living memory. Proved himself over many years with Walsall in the Birmingham League.
Still about. Still pugnacious. Good on yer, Joner.

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