A Year to Remember (for the wrong reasons)

It's traditional and normal at this time of year to look back over the last twelve months, to recollect what happened at the various stages, and review the year from start to finish. But of course this year has been anything but normal... But let's try anyway.

Things got off to a shaky start with the epic floods in February as two named storms rolled in one after another. The wettest February on record apparently, and the River Aire burst its banks once again. Unlike the last such event in 2015, the water didn't quite reach the clubhouse - but it was lapping on the steps up to it. And it left the entire pitch indistinguishable from the river again - because in effect it was part of the river. Fortunately the hard work over the last two years on drainage meant that that waters receded in just a week, whereas previously the pitch would have remained a lake for over a month, but sadly the damage to square was extensive once more. Yorkshire Cricket and the ECB to the rescue with a recovery package of over £300 for new loam and seed to repair the damage - but as we informed the league, unless we had the driest March on record, we would not be ready for the start of the season!

So on to the driest March on record! Yes, the sun shone, the skies were blue, and the new grass grew handsomely. Amazingly we would be ready to play the first match of the season on time. Or so we thought... Of course, that's when things went weird. As the virus took hold, the lockdown began, and with it a complete halt to all sport. It quickly became apparent that cricket would not be taking place for at least a couple of months, and the sun blazed down. We may not have been able to play cricket or open the clubhouse, but we were allowed to work outdoors - so we leapt at the chance to carry out phase three of the drainage works during April, May and June. What a difference it makes crawling around dry ditches in the warm sun rather than wading through shin deep freezing water in driving rain. So there was a positive!

July arrived and with it the promise of cricket being allowed to start. The Craven League managed to create a regionalised competition which each club could choose to enter, but were not forced to. Most leapt at the chance to get some game time. Alas our first game was scuppered by a fixture mistake compounded by our opponents not quite being ready. Then a couple of matches later, a surge in the virus caused the league to be put on hold for two weeks. After that, and with several clubs having decided to drop out, it just became a set of friendlies for all intents and purposes, but well done to all our players for stepping up and getting the game on - in particular to Steve Bailey and Bob Morrisroe for coming out of retirement to provide DBS cover required to play, and to Gully for pulling the team together in obviously difficult and worrying times. We put out a team each week when many others could not or chose not. And of course, those three months that were missed were probably the warmest, driest start to any cricket season in living memory - typical.

The much shortened season ended in lockdown again. The continuing situation all season has been difficult to endure. We've been unable to hold any of our usual charity events. And the loss of the bonfire compounded the lack of income from the clubhouse which would usually be our main income. We made some savings (less electricity, fewer new balls, and so forth) but also had to make some cost cutting decisions (not servicing equipment, not reconditioning the square, etc.) which may cause problems next year. We've been unable to hold our AGM too, but plan to collect any questions anyone has and we'll put together the answers on the Facebook page in the New Year. I believe from Ian's comments that we have, obviously, made a loss this year but are not in critical danger as long as next season goes ok - hmmmm.

Naturally the autumn brought more storms. The one in October didn't cause much in the way of flooding to the pitch, but did take a large chunk of river banking away - the constant erosion is becoming a concern as there's not much left between the fence and the river now. I've not had chance to see what last week's has done (the pitch was a lake when I ventured down on Monday but I expect the water will be gone by now) but we need and are exploring ways of improving the stability, initially through planting trees in the hope that the roots will bind it together more strongly.

And it is with sadness that the year ended with the news that former and good friend of the club, Abid Hussain, previously Lorf Mayor of Bradford, had passed away. I know many at Riddlesden CC have very fond memories of him and I hope we'll find some suitable way to honour him next year.

So on to next year. Will the season be normal? At present the League are preparing for it to be, but who can tell? Will all the clubs still be going? I've heard one has dropped down to one team from two, and there are rumours one or two others may be following suit. There's the glimmer of hope that vaccination will eventually defeat the pandemic, but the full rollout could take a year so lockdowns and restrictions are likely in some form or other into the summer, so what impact will that have I don't know. And of course, if we can play, sod's law says it will make up for last year's beautiful March-June by raining four months solid!

But if everything works out then what a year it will be - bigger and better and more vibrant for the release from 2020. And it's our anniversary! Riddlesden CC have been playing cricket on the current ground for 125 years in 2021, so let's see if we can arrange a party. I'm sure we all need one...

Happy New Year!