West Indians in local leagues

I well remember watching Lance Gibbs playing for Whitburn. He had a canny testimonial too (1965 I think) when the West Indies were touring. Sobers Kanhai Hall & Griifiths et al in his line up
 


Lance Cairns also played for Bishop Auckland.

Bowled one of the quickest, most unexpected bouncers I have ever faced, followed by five balls which went round corners.

Can't remember actually hitting one of them.

Not West Indian though. :lol:
 
Lance Cairns also played for Bishop Auckland.

Bowled one of the quickest, most unexpected bouncers I have ever faced, followed by five balls which went round corners.

Can't remember actually hitting one of them.

Not West Indian though. :lol:
Biggest swinging deliveries I ever saw.
 
Wasn't Des Haynes at Blackhall? Can remember Lance Cairns playing as a local pro too.

Yes Burnopfield too who also had Wasim Akram

At Whickham we had Chris Matthews an Australian fast bowler who played a few tests. In Gilchrists book he said he was the quickest bowler in Australia at the time but nerves got the better of him in his few tests. On his debut for Whickham he took ten wickets and I recall after his first delivery everyone in the field took an impromptu step back - no-one had seem anything as quick. He later played for other clubs such as Whitburn but he had more control and less pace then.
 
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Belmont played v Hetton Lyons who had Brian Murphy. He murdered them. I remember Desmond Collymore up at the Lyons when I was a mini trundler. A lovely bloke and excellent cricketer.
 
Anybody remember Horden’s original West Indian the legendary Clairmonte Depeiza? Barbadian and WIndies wicketkeeper-batsman but opened the bowling for Horden.

Scored 122 against Australia in a fourth Test at Bridgetown. Think that partnership with Denis Atkinson was a record for a 10th Test Match wicket until fairly recently. He settled eventually in Manchester and died in 1996. Once met never forgotten.
 
Anybody remember Horden’s original West Indian the legendary Clairmonte Depeiza? Barbadian and WIndies wicketkeeper-batsman but opened the bowling for Horden.

Scored 122 against Australia in a fourth Test at Bridgetown. Think that partnership with Denis Atkinson was a record for a 10th Test Match wicket until fairly recently. He settled eventually in Manchester and died in 1996. Once met never forgotten.

Remember my dad and uncle talking about him, apparently he was quite a character!!
 
People outside of the North East just didn’t appreciate how strong local cricket was. Overseas pros really got a shock at the standard.

I once played in a side whose tactic was to under no circumstances get Jimmy Adams out in a twenty over game against Eppleton at our place. The reason was that he only ever used to get 50 odd not out in 20 overs. I remember one of the lads dropping him and he couldnt believe it as the chance was so simple. Anyway they ended getting 120 ish and we knocked them off with a couple of overs to spare. In fact I am sure he was in the West Indies side and one of the best batsman in the world at the time!
 
Remember my dad and uncle talking about him, apparently he was quite a character!!

First time I came across CD was at Horden when I was playing Junior Cricket there. Horden IST XI had been playing away and were rained off so returned to the ground. We were off for rain when the dressing room door flew open and a black bloke burst in and bellowed “Ello my name is Clairmonte Depeiza I am da professional for Harden” and went straight back out again. Our game was rained off so we went into the bar where CD was holding court, where he appeared to be engaging everybody in the bar in different conversations simultaneously.

A Horden scorer told us that if the team batting first in a DSL game went on past 5pm then CD would get annoyed and walk back to the sight screen, but his right foot on the sight screen and start his run up from there. After he had bowled a couple of balls off this huge run up he would bellow “Ya can bat for as long as ya like, but you won’t be facing no bowling”.
 
Anybody remember Horden’s original West Indian the legendary Clairmonte Depeiza? Barbadian and WIndies wicketkeeper-batsman but opened the bowling for Horden.

Scored 122 against Australia in a fourth Test at Bridgetown. Think that partnership with Denis Atkinson was a record for a 10th Test Match wicket until fairly recently. He settled eventually in Manchester and died in 1996. Once met never forgotten.

7th wicket partnership of 347. The pair came together with the score at 147 for 6 in reply to Australia's first innings of 668. Their partnership record still stands.
 
Wasn't Des Haynes at Blackhall? Can remember Lance Cairns playing as a local pro too.

I know I have heard a story that they played a cup game at Langley Park and there were about a thousand people in the ground (figure will undoubtedly be double what was really there). Anyway, Haynes chips out in the first over and within 10 minutes there are about 20 people left in the ground.
 
In a cup game at the lyons, he was bowling the last over and the opposition needed 7 of the last ball, the last ball he bowled a wide and said to the captain...don't worry he's not going to hit me for a six...next ball out of the ground
His Mrs ran off with Merv Dillon
 
In a cup game at the lyons, he was bowling the last over and the opposition needed 7 of the last ball, the last ball he bowled a wide and said to the captain...don't worry he's not going to hit me for a six...next ball out of the ground

Yep that was against Horden,Paul Watson was the batsman.

Lyons captain was going absolutely nuts with Murphy.
 
Remember my dad and uncle talking about him, apparently he was quite a character!!

Yep that was against Horden,Paul Watson was the batsman.

Lyons captain was going absolutely nuts with Murphy.


I was playing for Horden that day Paul walker went absolutely mad . I think that was the one incident why he never got another contract.

In a cup game at the lyons, he was bowling the last over and the opposition needed 7 of the last ball, the last ball he bowled a wide and said to the captain...don't worry he's not going to hit me for a six...next ball out of the ground

Was playing for Horden that day. All our supporters had picked up their deckchairs and were walking off the ground.

7th wicket partnership of 347. The pair came together with the score at 147 for 6 in reply to Australia's first innings of 668. Their partnership record still stands.

He only played about four more tests
 
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Clayton Lambert smashed it for a good few years in the NYSD

He was tremendous. Used to bat with his Sony Walkman on. I played against him for Whickham in a midweek cup tie and he stopped the bowler while he changed his cassette over. Used to commentate as well while he was batting in his broad WI accent:

"Great white hope approaches the crease bowls to Lambert - four runnnnnnsss"
 

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