League records tumbled in 2011. First and foremost to Attock’s Jaco Castle who scored a scarcely believable 788 runs at an average of 112.57 from 14 innings. He hit 7 half-centuries and 2 tons, the highest of which was 125 against Al-Mahdi. This smashes the old record for runs scored in a season. He also secured 21 wickets at 8.57. Some player! The highest individual record score - certainly in more than 30 years - was also achieved. Collegiate’s Michael Simpson battering TOA for 157 from 56 balls including 8 4s and 16 6s.
The leading wicket taker was Mark Downing of Wednesday with 29 wickets at 10.55 including the third best figures of the season 6-15 against Woodhouse. Remarkably these figures were bettered by two others. Will Street of Collegiate snaffling 7-12 against Sheffield Friends and Chris Colgate of Norton Woodseats having the unbelievable figure of 2 overs, 2 maidens, 6 wickets for no runs as his team dismissed University Staff for just 9 runs - an all-time record low team total.
At the other end of the scale, Collegiate, helped by Michael’s extra-ordinary innings, hit TOA for 205 3.
It should be almost unique that midweek cricket produces a tie, but amazingly where were no fewer than 5 this season, 2 occurring on the same day.
Khan’s Fayyaz Mohammed was the leading wicket-keeper with 14 dismissals - 11 caught and 3 stumped. Asim Ali of Darnall was the leading outfielder, snaffling 9 catches.
Richmond won Division C by winning every game, but mention must be made of Hollinsend Methodists young tyros, who won all but one game in Division B and this ended in a tie. At the other end of the scale, De La Salle won just once, but this was more than Transport could manage in a summer to forget.
Attock were worthy Premier Division champions and were never seriously challenged. Frecheville won Division A comfortably in the end, the aforementioned Hollinsend and Richmond won Divisions B and C with some aplomb.
Whither next year? With some teams folding and others struggling for a variety of reasons, the League, despite some marvellous cricket played in 2011, faces a difficult winter. In this the League is not alone. In the face of repeated trumpeting of the support for local cricket by the ECB, at the cutting edge, these trumpet blasts sound rather hollow and distant.
