The Veteran Cricketers

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STANDING, left to right: Rev. George Stock, Quarton Adamson, John Fountain, George Foster, Thomas Wadsworth, James Johnson, James Barker

SEATED: James Newby, George Tindall, Job Johnson (captain), Christopher Anderson, William Slater, John Ware

With no member less than 70 years of age and including a reserve and an umpire, the total age of the prospective Bishop Wilton team was 995 years. In anticipation of the challenge being accepted, the full team, nicknamed the "Bishops", posed for the photograph displayed above.

With ensuing favourable publicity, a number of other photos were taken showing various members of the team posing at the wicket and preparing the cricket pitch on the Old Show Ground:

Basking in the fame arising from the challenge, if the "Bishops" weren't really expecting any response they must have been surprised when a team from the West Riding village of Sheepridge, near Huddersfield, rose to the challenge and agreed to a match on July 27th 1927, at Bishop Wilton, with the proviso that there was "to be no speed limit between the wickets"!

Sadly, a week before the match was played the Rev. George Stock died and on the fateful day the team wore black crepe arm bands on their jackets in remembrance:

The Sheepridge team arrived in Bishop Wilton in pouring rain and there was some debate as to whether the match should go ahead. Although the rain continued, a start was made at 3.45pm.

The press coverage reveals that running between the wickets proved too much for the veterans and it was mutually agreed that a series of boundaries be set up to avoid over exertion. Another revelation was that “Dodds, a bowler at the barn-end, made an innovation for the match by bowling over-hand”!

When the agreed time limit for the match approached the possibility of a draw seemed likely, but Bishop Wilton valiantly agreed to play on.

The result? We lost 106 to 75! But it must have been an exciting day for the village. Spectators numbered 700, with £10 17s being taken on the gate.

It is interesting to note that despite the precise nature of the challenge, the aggregate ages of the Bishop Wilton team was 837 on the day with Sheepridge only managing to reach 801.

The Sheepridge team were entertained afterwards “to tea” (!) at the Fleece Inn by R. Sandiland, the publican and the Hon. Secretary of the cricket team.

A return match was agreed for August, to be played on the Fartown County Cricket Ground at Huddersfield. This duly took place and we lost again, 95 to 75.

Photographs survive of the Huddersfield match showing both teams:

Legend has it that Pathe News attended one or other of the matches - so there might be some movie footage out there .......