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Champions
again (1959 - 1964)
After
languishing in the middle of the table since the early 1950s, Accrington
decided to sign a top class professional. That man was 23 year-old Bobby
Simpson, a right handed opening batsman and leg spin bowler, and a player
who would be regarded as the best slip fielder in the world. At this time,
Simpson had played in six of his 62 Test matches. He was a player who
was capable of turning hundreds into double hundreds and later in his
career he would captain his country. In his season at Accrington, Bobby
Simpson rewrote the club record books, scoring 1444 runs at an average
of 103.0. He also created a league record by scoring eleven consecutive
half centuries in a total of sixteen in the season. The cricket was mostly
played in glorious sunshine as Simpson reaped a golden harvest of runs.
Shots were played to every corner of the field, all along the ground,
as the young Australian Master compiled a total which may never be beaten,
interspersing quick singles with classical boundaries.
Slip catch at cover
The team got off to a bad start, losing four of the first six games until
three victories over Church in the space of seven days kick started the
season. After little success in the first part of the season bowling leg
spin, Simpson started bowling some spells of seamers which increased his
output of wickets to 42 by the end of the season. After a duck against
Nelson, Simpson began his sequence of eleven half centuries which continued
until the end of the season. League leaders Nelson were the first to suffer
as Simpson scored 73 not out in the 9 wicket thrashing at Accrington.
In the last eleven matches of the season, Accrington won seven and drew
four as Simpson compiled 885 runs with seven not outs for an average of
221.3. The victories were usually acquired when chasing runs, Simpson's
second century (109 not out) at Bacup, requiring 184 to win being a prime
example. In his last game against Todmorden, Simpson took a marvellous
one handed slip catch at cover point! It is a catch still talked about
today by those who saw it. Accrington finished the season in 4th place,
having won 11, drawn 10 and lost 5 matches. Lindon Dewhurst (398 runs),
Frank Rushton (397) and Roy Dewhurst (327) enjoyed good seasons with the
bat and Jim Eland (42 wickets), Derek Rushton (34) and Eddie Robinson
(27) bowled very well. The club's 700 members had had a season to remember.
Rolls
Royce
Accrington continued with their policy of signing top class players when
they engaged 22 year-old West Indian Test 'Rolls Royce' fast bowler Wes
Hall for the 1960 season on a two year contract. Hall had played in 13
of his 48 Tests and was fresh from a home series against England in which
he had taken 22 wickets at 30.9 each. After a slow start to the season,
Wes eventually finished with exactly 100 wickets, the first time since
1934, when Dick Tyldsley was professional, that this feat had been achieved.
Three amateurs also had outstanding seasons: Jack Collier created a club
wicketkeeping record with 40 victims, Derek Rushton scored 411 runs and
young leg spinner Eddie Robinson took 41 wickets, including 6-18 against
Burnley and 5-13 against Lowerhouse as Accrington finished in 6th place
in the league.
Champions
No fewer than eleven Test players lined up as professionals for the start
of the 1961 season, including five from the West Indies. Wes Hall was
joined by Lance Gibbs (Burnley), Chester Watson (Church), Conrad Hunte
(Enfield) and Seymour Nurse (Ramsbottom). At Accrington's pre-season get
together, Wes stated that he wasn't satisfied with his performance last
season (he only took 100 wickets) and said that he would be all out to
do much better in the 1961 season. True to his word, in the first eight
matches, Wes took 48 wickets at an average of 7.7 in 92.4 overs. In a
purple patch in May, he took 30 wickets in four matches, all wins, against
Enfield, Rishton twice and Church. Accrington immediately signed him up
for 1962 with an option on his services for 1964 (the West Indies were
touring England in 1963). The win over Church was significant in that
all three Accrington teams triumphed over their West End rivals on the
same day. Accrington were now top of the Lancashire League. The games
won were generally low scoring matches featuring some fine close catches
and tight bowling by Jim Eland and Derek Rushton to support big Wes. June
was not a happy month with only one league win, but it was an important
one. After two successive defeats, Accrington were chasing their highest
total of the season, 173 to win against Colne. They were very soon 44-4
when Martin Welbourne joined Derek Rushton at the crease. Together they
turned the tide as a match saving partnership became a spring board for
victory. Both players were dismissed in quick succession to leave Accrington
at 136-6, but Brian Rutter stood firm as Accrington edged closer to victory.
Wickets tumbled, but Rutter steered his team towards the target. 35 to
win in 27 minutes became 29 in 15 minutes as the last over approached.
One wicket to fall, 6 runs to win. The easy option was to play for a draw,
but between them, last man Jack Collier and Brian Rutter won the match
in the last over. Brian Rutter had played what would turn out to be one
of his most important innings for the club in scoring an unbeaten 38.
Typhoon
Tyson
Two more defeats meant that Accrington had won only one out of seven matches
from the beginning of June until the middle of July. Then they faced three
matches in four days during the holiday period. On Wednesday 19th July,
Todmorden were the visitors. Batting first, Todmorden were dismissed for
81 with Wes Hall taking 8-44. In reply, Accrington made a good start against
visiting professional Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson. Opening the innings, Wes
Hall was first to go bowled by his opposite number for 21 with the score
at 30. Martin Welbourne and Eric Foster followed in successive balls to
give the Typhoon a hat-trick, which became 4 wickets in 6 balls with the
dismissal of skipper Lindon Dewhurst. Frank Rushton and Brian Rutter soon
followed to leave Accrington at 38-6. Five men were out without scoring.
In came Russ Cuddihy to join steadfast opener Derek Rushton. Together
they battled away until a tired Tyson had taken his sweater, to chip out
37 priceless runs until Cuddihy fell to Whittaker. Eddie Robinson came
in to join Derek and together they guided Accrington to a fine victory.
Derek Rushton received a standing ovation from the crowd massed outside
the pavilion for his match winning 34 not out. The next day at Centre
Vale, Todmorden were again defeated. Wes Hall took 7-60 and Derek Mark
scored his maiden half century for the club in a 5 wicket victory. At
this point in the season Hall had 85 wickets in the league and 16 in the
Worsley Cup. He was being tipped to break George Nash's all time club
record of 132 wickets set in 1881. Another holiday double over Bacup saw
Accrington back on top of the league with two fine team performances,
Derek Rushton's 5-19 and Wes Hall's 52 being the highlights. There were
now six games to play. Could Accrington stand up to the pressure of being
top of the league again to bring the title back home for the first time
in 45 years? The answer was yes. Five of the last six games were won,
all of them batting second. Lowerhouse were crushed by 5 wickets (Derek
Rushton 65), rivals Nelson held to a draw and Lowerhouse were again beaten
by 3 wickets with Wes Hall claiming his 100th wicket of the season. The
championship was sealed with a 5 wicket home win over Ramsbottom. Eddie
Robinson took 7-55 to dismiss the visitors for 157. Frank Rushton (36),
Jackie Hope (46), Derek Rushton (23 not out), Martin Welbourne (12), Lindon
Dewhusrt (7) and Brian Rutter, who hit the winning runs in making 17 not
out, all chipped in to crown a typical team performance in a victory which
was repeated in the final game at Acre Bottom. Accrington had won 14,
drawn 7 and lost 5 matches to give a winning total of 63 points, 8 ahead
of Burnley and Nelson.
Champagne
Captain Lindon Dewhurst received the Lancashire League Trophy from League
President Mr Crabtree during the tea interval at Ramsbottom. After the
match, the champions toasted their triumph in champagne before returning
to Accrington on an open top bus. A huge crowd welcomed their heroes outside
the Town Hall as the players were received by the Mayor Councillor Wilf
Wallwork and Harry Hynd M.P. After the civic reception, the players and
officials and their relatives attended an informal buffet at the Commercial
Hotel where Wes Hall was presented with a club cap and tie.
Once
again Accrington had won the championship with a solid team effort with
everyone contributing at some point in the season. Professional Wes Hall
took 106 wickets and scored 253 runs, Derek Rushton scored 430 runs, Frank
Rushton 395 runs, Jackie Hope 331 runs, Martin Welbourne 261 runs and
Lindon Dewhurst 227 runs. Brian Rutter, Derek Mark and Russ Cuddihy also
made useful contributions with the bat. Jim Eland (34 wickets) and Eddie
Robinson (39 wickets) were the pick of the bowlers and Jack Collier claimed
28 victims behind the wicket. Eric Foster and Neville Richardson also
played their part when the opportunity arose.
All
ten
1962 was the final season at Accrington for both Wes Hall and Lindon Dewhurst.
Wes had his best season with the club in scoring 553 runs at an a average
of 27.7 and taking 123 wickets at 10.2 inspite of having missed the first
game of the season and seeing two more lost to the weather. He just failed
to pass Walter Hall's 1901 club league record of 126 wickets. Wes became
the first Accrington player to take all 10 wickets in a Lancashire League
match when he took 10-57 against Burnley on July 14th at Accrington, a
feat he repeated on August 25th against Bacup, also at Accrington when
he took 10-28. Lindon Dewhurst had stepped down as captain at the end
of the previous season and at the end of the 1962 campaign, he announced
his retirement. The team finished 4th in the league with a total of 48
points. Martin Welbourne left the area during the season and Jim Eland
was unavailable due to personal reasons. Eddie Robinson also missed several
matches due to injury. A young left arm spinner made his debut against
Rishton, taking 3-24. His name was David Lloyd.
David
Lloyd
David Sincock from South Australia was Accrington's professional for 1963.
20 year-old Sincock was a left arm spin bowler who would go on to play
3 Tests for Australia. Although a big spinner of the ball, Sincock's control
was disappointing and he only took 51 wickets at 16.3 each. He also scored
487 runs at 22.1. The club had decided on a policy of promoting promising
young players into the 1st team if they performed well in the 2nds and
several of these were coming to the fore. David Lloyd established himself
in the side as an opening batsman, scoring 276 runs, Lindon Dewhurst junior
scored 298 runs and David Taylor 192. Eddie Robinson took 45 wickets and
medium fast bowler Neville Richardson emerged with 29 wickets. Accrington
finished the season in 5th place in the league.
Exactly
1,000
South African Test star Eddie Barlow joined Accrington for the 1964 season.
Fresh from touring Australia and New Zealand, when he scored 1900 runs,
including 201 against Australia in the 4th Test, Barlow was South Africa's
opening batsman in a team that also included the Pollock brothers and
Colin Bland. A solid right handed batsman, strong off both front and back
foot, he was also a medium pace bowler and a brilliant slip fielder. Eddie
had played in 13 of his 30 Tests when the Lancashire League season commenced.
David Lloyd had joined the Lancashire staff and was only available for
one game, in which he scored his maiden league half century and Eddie
Robinson had joined Great Harwood as professional. Frank Rushton had also
left the area. Accrington had a very poor season, winning only two games
and finishing next to bottom of the league. No amateur batsman had managed
to score 300 runs, Brian Rutter with 279 being nearest and only Derek
Rushton (36) and a youngster called Alan Worsick (21 wickets) got more
than 20 wickets. Eddie Barlow however, had a great season. Going into
the final game at home to Bacup he had taken 68 wickets and scored 876
runs. Bacup batted first and scored 195-7 declared, Derek Mark taking
5-64. When Accrington batted, Barlow opened with Russ Cuddihy. After a
steady start, Barlow upped the tempo as he approached 50. With half an
hour to play he had scored 65 not out. Accrington were not going to win,
but Barlow was determined to achieve his goal. As Eddie opened up, Bacup
set the field very deep. Undeterred, Eddie reached his century out of
137 with the help of 4 overthrows. There was now time for only two more
overs. Twelve runs were needed off the last over and then six off two
balls. The ball trickled over the boundary for four and then a two off
the final ball of the season, meant that Eddie Barlow was the second player
in Lancashire League history after Learie Constantine to score exactly
1,000 runs in a season.
Rising
stars (1965 - 1973)
The
Worsick Era (1974 - 1983)
The
Bumble is back (1984 - 1989)
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)
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