Accrington Cricket Club
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The Bumble is back (1984 - 1989)

At the end of the 1983 season, a rare opportunity arose. The club was alerted to the availability of a top class player with Test experience, who was known to everyone at the club as well as living in the town. He had played for the club as a junior, grown into a County cricketer, captained his county and had a son at the club on the verge of the 1st team. The player in question was of course David Lloyd also known as 'The Bumble'.

Optimism
Riding on a wave of optimism, Accrington won four out of the first five matches, including an emphatic victory in the 1st Round of the Telegraph Cup at Accrington on May 6th. Accrington batted first and scored 211-8 in their allotted 48 overs with David Lloyd scoring his first century for the club. His innings of 121 was to be his highest score for Accrington. David then took 3-31 and Alan Worsick 4-42 to bowl Rishton out for 126. The early season promises were not fulfilled however, and Accrington finished the season in 10th place with 9 wins and a total of 46 points in the league and a 2nd Round exit in the Telegraph Cup to Burnley. David Lloyd scored 673 runs and took 37 wickets in his first season as professional. He made a huge contribution both on and off the field. David spotted the potential of Mark Aspin as an opening bowler and Mark repaid him by taking 25 wickets at 24.2 each as well as scoring 366 runs. Captain Alan Worsick turned back the clock with 59 wickets at 13.5 each to win the league bowling prize for most amateur wickets. Billy Rawstron (359 runs) and Andy Stevenson (346 runs) had fine seasons and enjoyed a 131 run opening partnership at East Lancs. Two young stars of the future were emerging in 1984; Paul Barratt (111 runs at 22.2) and Graham Lloyd. The finest performance of the season was saved until the last match at home to Rawtenstall. Trevor Hatch scored a brilliant match winning 88 not out (5x4, 4x6) in a partnership of 125 with Andy Stevenson (52) that destroyed the Rawtenstall attack. Trevor hit 28 in one over off spinner Pat Rush as Accrington finished the season in style.

Ambitions
Trevor Hatch was appointed as captain for 1985, the season that six ball overs were reintroduced. The format was now 46 overs per side. Midway through the season, the team were challenging eventual champions Haslingden, in second place in the table. Accrington fell away badly after losing at Haslingden in mid July and eventually finished in 5th place with 64 points having won 12 matches and lost 10. Mark Aspin took 44 wickets to jointly win the league Under 25 bowling award and Alan Worsick (40 wickets) and Ian Birtwistle (31) were also successful. Billy Rawstron had a fine all round season, scoring 504 runs and claiming 27 victims behind the wicket. Graham Lloyd and Neil Jones both scored exactly 300 runs. David Lloyd in his last season as professional, scored 725 runs at 33.0 and took 48 wickets at 13.8 each. David had ambitions to become a First Class umpire and as such would only be available for a limited number of matches in future, so a new professional had to be found.

Carbon copy
The club signed Australian Rod Tucker from New South Wales and later Tasmania for the 1986 season. Tucker, a left handed batsman and right arm medium fast bowler had previously played for Farnworth in 1984 and 1985. Accrington's form in the league was a carbon copy of the previous season. Eleven of the first thirteen games were won to put them in 3rd place in the league, but three wins out of the final eleven matches meant that once again the club finished 5th with 64 points.

Different story
The Telegraph Cup however, was a different story as Accrington reached their first final since 1976. In the 1st Round, Accrington thrashed Rishton by 111 runs. Rod Tucker scored 88 not out as Accrington totalled 204-4 and then bowled out Rishton for 93. East Lancs were the opponents in the 2nd Round in a match also played at home. The visitors made 167-8 in their 48 overs, a total Accrington passed with 5 wickets down. Graham Lloyd was top scorer with 59 to earn a semi final tie at Rawtenstall. Accrington batted first and scored 218-8. David Lloyd scored a quick 59, Rod Tucker 44 and Andy Stevenson 30. Rod Tucker claimed the first four Rawtenstall wickets to finish with 6-31 as the home side were dismissed for 83.

The final was played at Accrington on Sunday August 10th with Todmorden the opponents.

This match was a very tense affair as matches between these two teams were around this period with Accrington winning their first trophy in 11 years. Alan Worsick was named Man of the match.

Match report

The final league game of the 1986 season was a high scoring affair, at home to Haslingden. It featured a 134 run opening partnership between Graham Lloyd (84) and Geoff Hayhurst (49) as Accrington made 225-3. In his final match for the club as an amateur, Graham Lloyd made his highest score in the Lancashire League. He would now follow in the footsteps of his father David Lloyd, Bob Ratcliffe and Graeme Fowler to Old Trafford and a successful career in First Class cricket.

Four leave
At the end of the season, four members of the Cup winning team left the club. Rod Tucker, who had scored 679 runs taken 37 wickets, declined terms for 1987, Graham Lloyd (498 runs at 24.9) joined Lancashire, Mark Aspin (260 runs and 44 wickets) joined Walshaw as professional and Andy Stevenson joined Walshaw as an amateur.

Recalled
Indian Test player Bharathi Arun was engaged as professional for 1987. 24 year-old Arun was a right handed batsman and medium pace right arm bowler who played for Tamil Nadu. Arun was recalled to India mid way through the season leaving the club to find substitutes for the rest of the campaign. Graham Beech returned from Enfield and Nick Marsh, a left handed opening batsman moved into the area and joined the club. The season started with a win over Todmorden with captain Alan Worsick taking 6-27. In the next home match Rishton, with their new professional Viv Richards, were the visitors. A huge crowd saw Richards score 98 not out in a comfortable win for his team. The two sides met again three weeks later in the Worsley Cup with the same outcome. There was some consolation however, for Alan Worsick, who became the first amateur to dismiss Viv Richards in taking 5-42. After Arun's departure, Accrington borrowed Ian Austin from Lancashire for all but one of the remaining games. Ian scored 428 runs at an average of 61.1 and took 13 wickets. The game at East Lancs saw the return of Graham Lloyd as substitute professional. The home side were dismissed for 84 with Martin Whittle taking 5-42 in a superb 22 over spell of left arm medium pace bowling. Graham Lloyd then scored 53 not out as he and Nick Marsh (28 not out) saw Accrington home to a 10 wicket victory. David Lloyd was restricted to five matches but he managed to become only the second Accrington player to win the 'Telegraph Tankard' for taking 7-28 against Ramsbottom at Accrington on August 29th.

Alan's finale
The final match of 1987 at Nelson, was to be Alan Worsick's finale. After a career spanning three decades Alan was to retire. Nelson won the toss and batted on a perfect pitch. At 80-0, Alan came on to bowl. After conceding 17 runs in 5 overs, he took himself off. The score was 172-4 in the 39th over when Alan came back for one last spell. Two wickets in his first over proved that the magic was still there. Alan finished with 5-22 in 9 overs, his second spell brought him 5 wickets for 5 runs. Alan was applauded off the field. Accrington needed a total of 201 to win. The score was 167-6 in the 42nd over when Alan joined Billy Rawstron at the crease to a standing ovation. Off his first ball, Alan scored a single. The next ball finished up in the car park as he seemed intent on going out in blaze of glory. Sadly it was not to be. Alan's last innings ended when he was bowled for 12. The crowd rose again and applauded Alan all the way back to the pavilion. The career of one of the club's best and most popular players was over. In his career at Accrington, Alan had scored 2,714 runs and taken 873 wickets in the Lancashire League. Accrington went on to lose the match by 1 run. Once again Alan was leading amateur wicket taker with 26. Nick Marsh's first season yielded 435 runs and Graham Beech's return brought him 378 runs. The club finished the season in 8th position with 49 points. Seven games were lost to the weather, five of them in the second half of the season.

Victories
Rod Tucker returned as professional for the 1988 season and David Lloyd was appointed 1st team captain. The season began with four straight victories. Rod Tucker scored 110 not out at Todmorden and then took 5-54 against Rawtenstall and 6-28 at Rishton where David Lloyd suffered a torn achilles tendon which would keep him out of action until the end of August. The team had mixed fortunes after that and finally finished in 8th place with 49 points and 10 victories. Rod Tucker had an outstanding season, finishing top of the league batting averages with 977 runs at an average of 57.5. He also took 58 wickets. Ian Birtwistle took 44 wickets (including eight wicket hauls against Haslingden and Ramsbottom), Nick Marsh scored 379 runs and new recruit Andy Barker from Enfield scored 303 runs.

Runners Up
Jamaican all rounder Robert Haynes was Accrington's professional for the next two seasons. Haynes, 24, was a left handed attacking batsman and a leg spin bowler who could also bowl seam up. He represented the West Indies in One Day Internationals in India and Pakistan. In 1989, Accrington had an excellent season, finishing as runners up in both the league and the 4 Sports Worsley Cup. The club won 18 league games, the same as champions Haslingden, for a total of 79 points. Robert Haynes had a great season, scoring 896 runs and taking 89 wickets. Nick Marsh (583 runs) and Andy Barker (527 runs) starred with the bat, as did David Lloyd (40 wickets) and Ian Birtwistle (35 wickets) with the ball. Pride of place however, must go to Billy Rawstron. Billy had a magnificen
t all round season, scoring 554 runs at 29.2 and breaking the club wicketkeeping record with 43 victims (19 caught 24 stumped). In the second match of the season at home to Bacup, Billy claimed six stumpings, three each off Haynes and Lloyd. The record was broken in the last game of the season at home to East Lancs when Billy stumped Phil Mooney off the bowling of Robert Haynes.

Dramatic
The most dramatic moments of the season were in the Cup run. A 2 wicket win at Burnley was followed by a 9 run win at Rishton on two high scoring games. The reward was a semi final visit to Todmorden on Sunday 25th June. Accrington arrived in Yorkshire expecting to face the rather ordinary Sri Lankan Ratnayeke, only to find the fearsome West Indies giant fast bowler Ian Bishop standing in for the injury stricken Sri Lankan. David Lloyd won the toss and elected to bat. Marsh and Barker put on 63 before Marsh was caught behind. Robert Haynes was next in and wasting no time, he dispatched Bishop's first ball over long on for six. Four balls later, Haynes was out attempting to pull a short ball. Barker and Rawstron soon followed and Accrington were 77-4. Paul Barratt and Trevor Hatch pulled the situation round with a stand of 54. Barratt continued to play a superb innings and was last out having completed his maiden half century as Accrington made 195-9. In spite of a 1st wicket stand of 50, Todmorden never looked like making the runs and were all out for 144 with Haynes taking 6-44. Accrington would now play Enfield in the final at home. Enfield made 201-9 and then bowled Accrington out for 139 with Billy Rawstron making 57. David Lloyd announced his retirement at the end of the season, having made a priceless contribution to the club both on and off the field since his return in 1984.


Put to the Test (1990 - 1999)
The New Millennium (2000 - 09)
Back to Earth (2010- )
Factfile
Junior Success
Accrington and District League Days

Early Days (1846 - 1890)
In league with the best (1891 - 1910)
The road to glory (1911 - 1916)
Between the wars(1919 - 1939)
Rockin' and rollin' into the 50s (1940 - 1958)
Champions again (1959 - 1964)
Rising stars (1965 - 1973)
The Worsick Era (1974 - 1983)

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