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“THE WEEKES FINAL”

MIDDLETON

J M Hyde lbw b Weekes …………...

43

F J Price b Coupe …………………..

17

H McDougall c Coupe b Weekes ….

92

J M Fisher b Weekes ………………

3

K Collinge b Weekes ………………

0

P Fawkes lbw b Weekes …………...

19

A Barlow lbw b Weekes …………...

4

W Lee c Potts b Weekes……………

19

A L Moss st. Alb. Connor b Weekes

0

K Crook not out…………………….

1

D Broome c Sub. B Weekes ……….

0

Extras ……………………………

22

Total ……………………………….

220

34 91 103 103 158 172 213 213 220

220

WALSDEN

A Sutcliffe b Fisher………………...

7

C Potts c Price b Collinge…………..

9

Alb. Connor st Barlow b Collinge …

20

AL Moss c Hyde b Fisher ………….

4

J T Connor b Fisher ………………..

0

K Henfrey b Price ………………….

1

J Wilkinson c Fawkes b McDougall .

17

E Weekes not out …………………..

151

Art. Connor not out ………………..

11

Extras ……………………………

4

Total (for 7) ……………………….

224

12 28 33 33 36 46 194

BOWLING Walsden
	O		M		R	W
J Coupe …...	28		7		76	1
E Weekes …	43.5		10		92	9
A L Moss …	17		3		30	0
Middleton
		O	M	R		W
E J Price …...		34	8	104		1
K Collinge …		9	2	30		2
J M Fisher …		16	2	60		3
H McDougall		11	2	26		1

Wood Cup Final – 1954

The story of this match is truly amazing and the club chairman, Allan Stuttard, includes this in his speech “A Yorkshire Man in the Lancashire Leagues”. This talk has been given to cricket societies and cricket clubs from Hampshire to Glasgow. He is available to deliver his talk to any club interested. The cost is expenses and a donation to Walsden Cricket Club. Allan can be contacted on 01422 844850.

Weekes the Walsden “Prince Charming”

The legendary Wood Cup final of 1954 between Walsden and Middleton came to an end at Coppice, Werneth on Wednesday night. To Arthur Connor fell the honour of making the winning stroke – a four through the covers – putting the name of Walsden on the Central Lancashire League’s honour list for the first time in the club’s 63 years as members of the league. At a ceremony surpassing any Wembley presentation for sincerity, Mr William Wood – brother o the founder of the competition, the late Ald. John Henry Wood – presented Walsden skipper Len Moss with the cup.

Walsden reached the final in 1947 but were comfortably beaten by the then league leaders Milnrow. The three Connor brothers of the present side were members of the 1947 final team.

Mr W W Grundy, president of the league, and Mr G Cockcroft, J.P., C.C. chairman, were among those who offered congratulations to the Walsden team as a large crowd gathered on the steps of Werneth pavilion to watch the presentation. Moss and Middleton’s captain, Harry McDougall, spoke on behalf of the teams and Mr. J Nelson (president) on behalf of the Walsden Cricket and Bowling Club. Mr Nelson said that if Walsden was the Cinderella of the league, she had her hour of happiness that night and had found in Everton Weekes an admirable Prince Charming.

The cup was later filled with champagne and passed among players and supporters before being carried to Walsden in triumph. An enthusiastic crowd had gathered in the village to welcome the team.

Walsden recovered remarkably from a 45 for five impasse last Thursday to each the suspended total of 150 for six by Monday night. Everton Weekes, who had been stranded in Ireland on the Thursday, joined Jim Wilkinson last Friday in a partnership which ended on Wednesday with Wilkinson caught at silly-mid-on by Fawkes of a McDougall delivery. This partnership put on 148 runs, of which Weekes scored 135 – thus confounding the Jeremiahs who had doubted the West Indian’s ability to bat at both ends. Wilkinson played probably the most valuable innings of his career and the disappointment he felt at not batting to the end must surely have been allayed by his reception at the pavilion.

Arthur Connor joined Weekes to see the innings through, putting paid to any ideas for a collapse of the Walsden innings – although he did cause some concern during one breathtaking over from professional Price.

It would rob Walsden’s victory of its saviour to construe from all this that Middleton were anything other than a very good side. McDougall’s innings was one of the finest seen this season and Middleton’s spin attack was accurate and well supported – it is not every day they will meet a Weekes.

The match was a personal triumph for Everton Weekes, who besides his prodigious batting performance (described by many experienced cricketers as the greatest ever seen) bowled exceptionally well, taking the last four Middleton wickets for seven runs.

So the game which was to have started at Rochdale on August 4^th, was concluded at Werneth on September 1^st. The Walsden players would be well advised to keep some official record of this match to show their grandchildren – verbal evidence will take some believing!

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