by This is the second snowfall of the winter, and Lowerhouse Cricket Club and the surrounding Lancashire hills are covered in white frost. An unfriendly wind sweeps across the ground, where Stan Heaton – cricket chairman, child welfare officer, bar supervisor, groundsman and more – has opened the clubhouse, as he does almost every other day of the year. He’s just taken a booking from a woman who wants to run a pilates class and he’s reluctantly coming to the conclusion that the weather means he can’t get his chainsaw out for a spot of maintenance.
CC Lowerhouse was founded in 1862 and became a founding member of the Lancashire league. It is a former mill village, just two and a half miles west of the center of Burnley, and is situated in an area of high deprivation. Local MP Anthony Higginbotham, part of the Tory “red wall” in 2019, is the first Conservative MP to be elected in the constituency in 109 years.
Related: Ollie Pope: ‘If the pitches in India turn from one ball we won’t complain’
Looking out over the snowy pitch, it’s strange to think that not so long ago the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings of the world were at Lowerhouse, and clubs like them in the Lancashire league – where top professionals made their mark abroad very quick to get rich. experience as well as earning a big pay check. The list of professionals to grace the league rolls off the tongue like precious jewels: Michael Holding’s plink, Sir Learie Constantine’s plunk, Steve Waugh’s plunk.
Lowerhouse himself had a remarkable 25 Test cricket exploits, and Heaton, who essentially runs the club, played and watched many of them. The best _____? “Oh, that’s hard, there’s a difference between best and effective. Our most effective is Francois Haasbroek (2011-13), who was no more than a state cricketer in South Africa, who came here as a pro, married a Burnley girl and now plays as an amateur. With him, we won the league, the cup, the double, you name it.
“Manoj Prabhakar (1991) was the highest standard, and he was in the top five in the world. Another Indian pro was Kirti Azaz (1983-85), he won the World Cup for India on Saturday and traveled up after the celebrations to play us against Burnley the next day, and if I’m not mistaken got six tons. Nobody would do that these days, but he was so proud of it. He hit 76 sixes in the season, I went into Lowerhouse junior school across the Liverpool road, to get the balls back on Monday morning. He was a great player. And Ryan Harris went on to play for Australia after playing for us. He was in his mid-twenties, most people thought he had passed away, but we seemed to be rejuvenated and he went on to become one of the greatest bowlers in the world for Australia in about three year.”
Another surprising name in the hall of fame is Matthew Mott (1998), who is now the slightly under pressure coach of the England white ball team. “A great Irishman,” says Heaton, “I would probably say then that I wouldn’t have imagined him becoming a serious coach because he was a light-hearted boy, eager, determined on the field, but he didn’t hit. you as the coach/content manager. We are very proud of it. We really liked him.”
In fact, the club had a keen eye for pros with a little something extra, bringing in Tony Dodemaide (1986), who went on to become head of cricket at the MCC, chief executive of the Waca and an Australian selector. ; Andrew McDonald (2005), who is now the head coach of the Australian men’s teams, and Harris, who are also coaches. In addition, Lowerhouse has finally achieved international recognition, when Liberty Heap, whose shirt is framed on the clubhouse wall, played in the Women’s Under-19 World Cup.
Gone are the days of the Lancashire League attracting huge names with the nature of modern cricket all year round, with the money flowing – the best players have neither the time nor the financial need to play in north-west England for six months. . When Mitchell Starc can get £2.35m from Kolkata Knight Riders and Harry Brook £380,000 from Delhi Capitals, the £12,000-£15,000 with a club like Lowerhouse can pay for insignificance.
But while the crowds are down from day to day in the League, Lower House will still attract 800-1,000 spectators for a first XI game on a hot Friday night, thanks to the thriving junior section that Heaton and others have put in place during the 2000s to revive the club. . “That’s something to respect,” he says. “Burnley is the greatest village in the world. We get so many viewers because they can relate to the people they are watching in the first XI, they are watching their next door neighbour, the man they work with in the factory or their son or nephew . They can relate to the people they are watching, they are not coming and watching a team full of pot hunters who don’t care about the club, don’t know the audience and don’t talk to it the audience.”
And although the person like the West Indian might not turn out well in his own life, there is no diminishing their importance. Heaton again: “What motivates a professional, this is a man who is better than you, this is a man who could go on to play Test cricket, who could be the player best in the world. They bring intensity, they bring know-how, they bring aura, they elevate the place – it can go wrong, but initially that’s all you get. Especially when they are getting fifties, hundreds and taking five wickets, that doesn’t help half the time, and what we all want is a professional batsman, so that the amateurs can take their time. accept.” It could also work for the youngsters, South Africa recently named last year’s football player Ruan de Swardt from their Test squad (albeit in the second tier) to tour on New Zealand.
IPL 2024 launches on March 23, Lowerhouse’s first XI kick off against Rochdale away on April 14. Something, perhaps, for everyone.
The numbers add up in Go Green Game
The Spin has previously mentioned Edgbaston’s “Go Green Game”, on IT20 last September between England and New Zealand where the organizers tried to reduce the game’s carbon footprint.
The numbers are now in, audited by Net Zero Now, and the game emitted a significant 33.7% less carbon than a comparable match day in 2022 – reduced from a projected 494 tonnes of CO2 (before any mitigation activity) to 327.79 tonnes – more than the club expected.
The numbers include everything from spectator travel, food, drink and merchandise purchased, energy use immediately before, during and after the game and ground maintenance. Fans were encouraged to travel from Birmingham New Street on a free bus, the ground staff used electric mowers and rollers, power was sourced solely from wind, hydro and solar, and no red meat was served.
“The program has achieved emissions reductions over the 25% target and is a significant step forward in climate impact management at sports venues,” said Simon Heppner, founder of Net Zero Now. “By transparently reporting on the process, it is hoped that the Go Green Game can stimulate discussion on developing a consistent sector methodology and encourage greater sector participation and accelerated action.” They all show what can be done with a little vision.
Meanwhile the ICC is still unable to confirm or deny whether it has re-signed a sponsorship deal with Aramco, the world’s largest oil giant, which was rated as the worst of the 25 largest oil and gas companies, in terms of carbon targets, according to Carbon. Tracker last September. The ICC had a global partnership with Aramco to sponsor all major ICC events until the end of 2023.
Quote of the week
“I am delighted to embark on this new chapter of my cricket journey” – South Africa Test captain Dean Elgar signs a three-year deal with Essex, a useful replacement at the top of the order for Alastair Cook, who retires at the end of the 2023 season.
Memory lane
Just your classic Australian-quick-mute-to-full-boyband-before-the-ashes pic. Before the 1998-99 series in Australia, it was Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie (formerly the coolest person in the lot) and Damien Fleming who crossed their arms and looked serious. Oddly enough, leg-spinner Stuart MacGill was the leading player in the series with 27 wickets at 17.7.
Still want more?
Ollie Pope talks to Ali Martin about what he has learned from his previous struggles in India ahead of England’s Test series against Rohit Sharma’s men.
England assistant coach Jeetan Patel explains the challenge that awaits his team’s young spinners in India.
The game has changed and Colin Graves must change with it, writes Taha Hashim.
And there is more logic than conspiracy in Cameron Bancroft’s omission from Australia’s Test squad, as Geoff Lemon explains.
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