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The
Early Years
If you’re playing cricket and want to win
Just play with the scouts and Dr Gwynne.
They never get out when they once get in
And they win every match at Belstone
from The Belstone Topical Song (1916)
Dr
Gwynne lived at Tawcroft between 1905 and 1916. He did
run a scout troupe – in August 1911 they marched to and through
Okehampton for a church parade – but any cricket prowess they
had is lost in time.
We
have to turn to 1938 for the first records of cricket in the
village. Some of the young men who took part then learnt their
cricket as pupils at Sticklepath School, helped by Ormston Pease
would come down from Skaigh House on Fridays to give
coaching lessons. Before the war he and Major Carnegy (Cleave
House) had been vice presidents of South Tawton Cricket
Club, which flourished between 1908 and the mid 1920s. Several
school matches were played in the 1920s including a win against
South Zeal (Sticklepath 62, South Zeal 42) on September 2nd
1921; among those at the school at that time who became part of
the 1938 team was Bill Crocker, who remained a keen supporter of
Belstone Cricket Club in its three distinct periods until his
death in 2000.
The
club’s first general meeting was held on May 21st
1938; “the club has made an excellent start thanks to the
kind and active interest of Mr Townsend hon. treas., and to Mr
Rutley for collecting subscriptions. Mrs Carnegy was chosen as
President. Major Sinclair is captain with Mr William Ellis as
vice-captain. We all wish the Club the best of good luck; may it
win its way, and be a bond of good comradeship among all the
members, as well as a great interest to parishioners generally”.
Margery Carnegy, now a widow following the Major’s death in
1915 at Gallipoli, lent a field (named Church Park on the
tithe map), which is the first on the left as you enter the
drive to Old Rectory Farm; “The Sports Field was really
presented to Belstone inhabitants, and also for the
entertainment of those visitors who come to enjoy the beauties
of Belstone. The rent is merely nominal, only 10s yearly,
provided it is conducted in the interest of sport generally, it
is therefore worthy of the continued support of all who live in
Belstone, without such support it will fail.” Bill Crocker
remembered the ground well; “one time Oliver Reddaway put
Gladys Brown (Northcott) in a grass sack – I never heard such
shouting! There were two pitches, all in good condition because
Mrs Carnegy had two gardeners – one of them was John Osborn who
was in the team – and her mother Mrs Kingham (Old Rectory Farm)
had another gardener; they all worked on the ground. Nets and
equipment came from Mrs Carnegy, and we had tea in one of the
farm outbuildings.” Ray Kelly, an all-rounder in the team,
agrees, “yes, the wickets were well prepared, but the
outfield had stones on it.”
Also
in the team were Bill Bennett, Les Bowden, Colin Buck (landlord
of The Tors and probably the best player, until he was
called up on the first day of war), Bill Osborne, Jack and
Oliver Reddaway and Bill Westlake. Jack was the
wicketkeeper; “I had a good pair of hands, used to stand up
to all the bowling, so I got lots of stumpings. The captain
wanted me to continue playing elsewhere, but I was a farmer…”
Bill Crocker had a slightly different version, “Jack had
to move back a bit for me – I was medium paced, left arm. Batted
left hand too.”
By the
end of the first season they had played six “foreign” games,
winning five, losing one. Bill Crocker again, “we played
against people like Manaton and Chagford. Posh team Chagford,
they all wore their cricket ties as belts. Over at Manaton we
all trooped into the house afterwards with our spikes on –
didn’t realise what damage we were doing to the floor.” The
only statistics to hand concern the first “foreign” match,
played at home against Sandypark on July 16th when
Belstone won by 65 runs. Colin Buck made 33, Les Bowden 28, and
“the good bowling of W Crocker and W Bennett are specially
hopeful for the future.”
That
future was short-lived. The outbreak of World War Two brought a
premature end to the club; the team went their separate ways for
the war effort, Mrs Carnegy gave the nets and equipment to the
Army, and the pitch became an ordinary field again.
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