Mike played for the club from the mid 1980s until 2016. He died after a short illness on 29 September 2017. This is the tribute given by Tim Halstead at the celebration of Mike’s life held at Heart in Headingley on Tuesday 11 October 2017.
Mike the Cricketer
I met Mike in the early 1980s when we both played for the Cambridge Methodist Cricket Club. In case you’re wondering, the club had nothing to do with Cambridge, and very little to do with Methodism for that matter. We played on the fields up Stonegate Road in Meanwood.
When I joined the club I didn’t expect to start a 30+ year friendship with a left-leaning polytechnic economics lecturer – a bearded one at that. My sheltered upbringing hadn’t brought me into contact with anyone like that before. But I didn’t realise at the time that there wasn’t really anyone else like Mike, anywhere.
I was the wicketkeeper. Mike was usually at first slip – and that may surprise those who would have expected such a natural athlete to patrol the outfield at cover point. For over thirty years, most of our conversations were conducted over my right shoulder (and in his case, rather unfortunately, towards my rear).
In cricketing terms, Mike was an all-rounder – an elegant and effective batsman, with a highest score of 85, against Ledsham (a little while ago).
He was also a slow bowler. He might have said that he was a spin bowler. In his dreams at least he would turn the ball prodigiously. All I can say is that, as a wicketkeeper, you get a very good view of the ball and can see it turn – or not. After more than 30 years of close observation, I’ll stick with the description of “slow bowler”.
After a few years he and I went on to join the Romany Cricket Club, for whom Mike played his final game in the summer of last year, in the beautiful setting of Singleton, on the South Downs, on our biennial tour of West Sussex. We made a bit of a fuss of him that day and presented him with a photo of the occasion at our AGM last year. I have to say that, enthusiastic though we both were, neither of us would have laid claim to being great cricketers. It was fitting therefore that I managed to miss a stumping off the very last ball he bowled – which was a wide.
Mike never lost his enthusiasm for cricket, which seemed to me like that of a giddy 12-year-old boy let out of school for the summer. His passion wasn’t just for the game itself. It was for everything that surrounded it – the delightful village ground of Crakehall, the historic setting of Swinton Park or the rural charm of Yapham.
But it was the camaraderie that mattered too to Mike. The Romany Cricket Club has a diverse membership – it’s probably fair to say that many of its members lean politically in a different direction to Mike. He was never judgemental – he would listen patiently and accept that there was another point of view. He was always interesting and interested.
He and I had a little road trip in the mid 1980s, watching cricket. (It’s an acquired taste.) We took in Worcester, Taunton, Maidstone and Trent Bridge. We didn’t run out of things to talk about over four or five full days and evenings – or for the next 30 years, for that matter.
I would sometimes enjoy a little game with new players – look around the dressing room and tell me which member of our team you think is a professor who was awarded the OBE for his services to economic development. It was often a little difficult to convince others that it was the one who had spent the afternoon making juvenile jokes at first slip.
I suppose that’s just one way of saying that Mike wore his erudition lightly, humbly and modestly – and always with good humour.
On a couple of occasions in the last three years, Mike and Janie also kindly hosted out-of-season parties for club members at their home in Headingley. As you might imagine, they were warm and generous hosts.
Perhaps Mike’s favourite ground was the quintessentially rustic home of Lofthouse & Middlesmoor Cricket Club, up the valley, past the reservoirs, beyond Pateley Bridge, an area that Mike knew well. It’s a small ground, on the side of the hill. It was there that we would often get the biggest crowds of the season, though they were almost all sheep.
As a friendly, nomadic cricket team, we would sometimes struggle to get a full side of eleven players. To bring our own scorer would have been an unusual luxury. More often it was left to the batting team to score for both sides.
That would lead to the request that accompanied any change of bowling, “Bowler’s name?” shouted out from beyond the boundary. It was on one afternoon at Lofthouse & Middlesmoor a few years ago that Mike came on to bowl at the top end. There came the inevitable call from the scorers, “Bowler’s name?”.
“Campbell” came the reply from the fielders.
The wind was blowing up the valley, however, so we could hear the question on the field, but the scorers couldn’t hear the reply.
The question came again – “Bowler’s name?”
The same answer, “Campbell”, but only the sheep could hear it.
“What was that – Bramble?”
It took a little clarification from one of the fielders before the scorers got it right. And in so doing they neatly summed up Mike the Cricketer, with a passing nod to Mike the man.
“No, Campbell – as in Alastair, but without the spin”.
Romany CC vs Burnt Yates CC – Match Report
/0 Comments/in General, Match Reports 2018 /by Rob SmithMatch Summary:
Romany WIN (by 8 wickets)
Burnt Yates CC 155ao
Canham 40*
Hawkins 5-24
Smith S 3-13
Graham 2-43
Romany CC 156-2
Smith S 71
Read D 61*
Match Report:
This was a famous Romany victory! Burnt Yates bowled out for 155, Romany 156-2 (with one also retired). After the disappointment of the defeat to Druids at Goldsborough, Romany, (England-like…) bounced back.
When Burnt Yates batted, our opening bowlers, Sam Smith and George Holden bowled very well, against good BY batsmen, who never “got away”. Andrew Moore held a good head-high catch off Sam. who took 3 for 13 in a full 8 overs, the miserly runs off him accurately reflecting how well (Jimmy-Anderson-like) he bowled.
George had no luck – a catch went down off him. After George’s 5 overs, new and very valuable Romany player Matt Graham came on – like Sam, he bowled a full 8 overs, very well, took his first two Romany wickets, (hopefully the first of many) and finished with 2-43.
At the top end, Andrew Moore was off form (no doubt due to a 27-mile charity walk the previous day…) but Rob Smith came on, bowled well and quickly without luck. After Matt Graham, Nick Hawkins came on – and it turned out to be “his day”, for the second successive year against these opponents. A hit-wicket, two clean bowled, a spectacular diving catch at mid-wicket by the brilliant Freddie Read, and a skyer nonchalantly caught in the deep by Freddie’s father Duncan, meant that your scribe ended up with 5-24, the match ball, and BY were gone.
When Romany batted, skipper Matt Knight opened with Sam Smith. Matt very unluckily played on against the opposition captain Martin Yeoman’s bowling, very early on, but that only let in Duncan Read. Duncan and Sam were untroubled. Duncan hit 3 very big sixes, one straight six being one of the biggest your scribe has seen from any Romany player, out of the ground into a neighbouring field. He retired, on 61, to let son Freddie have a bat.
Sam Smith went on to a splendid 71, was only out towards the very end, and Freddie Read was there on 21 not out with George Holden (who lasted about two overs without facing a single ball…) to finish off the win.
A good time had by all, and afterwards, most of us went back to Burnt Yates’ own ground with them for burgers and beer and raffle…
NH
Romany CC vs Druids CC – Match Report
/0 Comments/in General, Match Reports 2018 /by Rob SmithMatch Summary:
Romany LOSS
Druids CC 214ao
Irvine 44
Williams 3-7
Smith R 3-37
Holden 2-39
Romany CC 146ao
Smith S 57
Holden 21
Ffolkes 4-27
Atkinson 3-3
Match Report:
The first game of the Romany season was against Druids played at Goldsborough. We were asked to bowl, and we accepted….. as our prime batting lineup needed a good run around in the field to loosen up after the long cold winter.
George opened the bowling and thoroughly “Loosened up” , bowling 8 overs straight through, taking 2for 39. (His message the next day simply read “I can’t move today”, which may well be a normal Monday.) Rob Smith opened from the other end with a varied selection of deliveries, showing great unpredictability and total control to take 3for 37. A memorable spell.
Druids kept the scoreboard moving and from 94 for 6 the middle order scored well to give them a total of 214. Of the other bowlers Harwood bowled well taking 3 for 7 in 3 overs.
Knight and debutante Sam Smith opened the Romany batting and at 36 for 1 we had a fair start. We kept on the run rate up to drinks at 20 overs, and we were117 for 4, with Sam and George both batting well. Rob Smith also contributed with the bat scoring 15 at No6, which was a good effort after his energetic and hostile bowling performance.
Even though Sam batted superbly for 57 we were bowled out for 146 in 31 overs, but it was an enjoyable game played in the right spirit in the May sunshine , at a very pleasant ground. MK
Romany CC 2018 Fixtures Now Live!
/0 Comments/in General /by Rob SmithYou can find the full fixture list for 2018 here: http://www.romanycricketclub.com/fixtures/
If you are interested in playing in any of this year’s matches, please notify the match manager using the email link
Romany Cricket Club AGM – 2018
/0 Comments/in General /by Rob SmithThe Romany CC AGM will take place at Headingley 6.30pm Tues 13th March 2018- please save the date.
A Tribute to Mike Campbell
/0 Comments/in General /by Rob SmithMike played for the club from the mid 1980s until 2016. He died after a short illness on 29 September 2017. This is the tribute given by Tim Halstead at the celebration of Mike’s life held at Heart in Headingley on Tuesday 11 October 2017.
Mike the Cricketer
I met Mike in the early 1980s when we both played for the Cambridge Methodist Cricket Club. In case you’re wondering, the club had nothing to do with Cambridge, and very little to do with Methodism for that matter. We played on the fields up Stonegate Road in Meanwood.
When I joined the club I didn’t expect to start a 30+ year friendship with a left-leaning polytechnic economics lecturer – a bearded one at that. My sheltered upbringing hadn’t brought me into contact with anyone like that before. But I didn’t realise at the time that there wasn’t really anyone else like Mike, anywhere.
I was the wicketkeeper. Mike was usually at first slip – and that may surprise those who would have expected such a natural athlete to patrol the outfield at cover point. For over thirty years, most of our conversations were conducted over my right shoulder (and in his case, rather unfortunately, towards my rear).
In cricketing terms, Mike was an all-rounder – an elegant and effective batsman, with a highest score of 85, against Ledsham (a little while ago).
He was also a slow bowler. He might have said that he was a spin bowler. In his dreams at least he would turn the ball prodigiously. All I can say is that, as a wicketkeeper, you get a very good view of the ball and can see it turn – or not. After more than 30 years of close observation, I’ll stick with the description of “slow bowler”.
After a few years he and I went on to join the Romany Cricket Club, for whom Mike played his final game in the summer of last year, in the beautiful setting of Singleton, on the South Downs, on our biennial tour of West Sussex. We made a bit of a fuss of him that day and presented him with a photo of the occasion at our AGM last year. I have to say that, enthusiastic though we both were, neither of us would have laid claim to being great cricketers. It was fitting therefore that I managed to miss a stumping off the very last ball he bowled – which was a wide.
Mike never lost his enthusiasm for cricket, which seemed to me like that of a giddy 12-year-old boy let out of school for the summer. His passion wasn’t just for the game itself. It was for everything that surrounded it – the delightful village ground of Crakehall, the historic setting of Swinton Park or the rural charm of Yapham.
But it was the camaraderie that mattered too to Mike. The Romany Cricket Club has a diverse membership – it’s probably fair to say that many of its members lean politically in a different direction to Mike. He was never judgemental – he would listen patiently and accept that there was another point of view. He was always interesting and interested.
He and I had a little road trip in the mid 1980s, watching cricket. (It’s an acquired taste.) We took in Worcester, Taunton, Maidstone and Trent Bridge. We didn’t run out of things to talk about over four or five full days and evenings – or for the next 30 years, for that matter.
I would sometimes enjoy a little game with new players – look around the dressing room and tell me which member of our team you think is a professor who was awarded the OBE for his services to economic development. It was often a little difficult to convince others that it was the one who had spent the afternoon making juvenile jokes at first slip.
I suppose that’s just one way of saying that Mike wore his erudition lightly, humbly and modestly – and always with good humour.
On a couple of occasions in the last three years, Mike and Janie also kindly hosted out-of-season parties for club members at their home in Headingley. As you might imagine, they were warm and generous hosts.
Perhaps Mike’s favourite ground was the quintessentially rustic home of Lofthouse & Middlesmoor Cricket Club, up the valley, past the reservoirs, beyond Pateley Bridge, an area that Mike knew well. It’s a small ground, on the side of the hill. It was there that we would often get the biggest crowds of the season, though they were almost all sheep.
As a friendly, nomadic cricket team, we would sometimes struggle to get a full side of eleven players. To bring our own scorer would have been an unusual luxury. More often it was left to the batting team to score for both sides.
That would lead to the request that accompanied any change of bowling, “Bowler’s name?” shouted out from beyond the boundary. It was on one afternoon at Lofthouse & Middlesmoor a few years ago that Mike came on to bowl at the top end. There came the inevitable call from the scorers, “Bowler’s name?”.
“Campbell” came the reply from the fielders.
The wind was blowing up the valley, however, so we could hear the question on the field, but the scorers couldn’t hear the reply.
The question came again – “Bowler’s name?”
The same answer, “Campbell”, but only the sheep could hear it.
“What was that – Bramble?”
It took a little clarification from one of the fielders before the scorers got it right. And in so doing they neatly summed up Mike the Cricketer, with a passing nod to Mike the man.
“No, Campbell – as in Alastair, but without the spin”.
Romany CC vs Crakehall CC – Match Report
/0 Comments/in General, Match Reports 2017 /by Rob SmithThe inspired and inspiring captaincy of George Holden, and the benevolent presence in the side of Club President Peter Hockin, as well as the usual welcome from Colin Poole and all at Crakehall CC, helped us all to have a very enjoyable game, as always, at Crakehall.
George won the toss and inserted the opposition, and although they immediately started hitting some boundaries, having Keith Egerton’s spinning wiles to open the bowling with George, led to the dismissal of many of Crakehall’s young, fit, and crack league batsmen. 3 clean bowled by Keith.
George took himself off, saving some overs, put on Howard Elgot, who immediately got another wicket; plumb LBW with his very first ball. George himself then got a spectacular direct hit run-out, (with a throw reminiscent of Samit Patel’s at T20 Finals Day the day before). Howard then appeared to have bowled another Crakehall batsman, but it was with an over waist-high full toss, so ruled out as a no ball. However, he was soon back among the wickets with a very good low catch by Geoff Lawler (his first Romany catch) and another LBW.
Crakehall were 95-7 (better than we’ve normally achieved against them mid-innings). However , despite some steady and not too expensive bowling by the rest of our attack, Andrew Moore, Peter Hockin, Charlie Read, and your humble scribe, several hard catching chances or half-chances weren’t quite accepted- ( great efforts by Scott Munro, and young Charlie Read among them) so Crakehall recovered.
George came back and bowled Crakehall veteran Colin Poole, but Crakehall closed on 188-8 in their 30 overs. John Surtees had done an excellent keeping job, as keeping is never easy at Crakehall, especially on the kind of dull, grey day it was throughout.
After an excellent tea, as usual Duncan Read gave us an excellent start with hard-hit boundaries, but was bowled for 14, others found it tougher but Scott Munro made 10, and George made a superb captain’s innings 38. He was then, ironically, himself a victim of Crakehall’s own direct hit run out.
We were behind the required scoring rate but John Surtees hit several boundaries in making 24, before being unluckily bowled off his pads. It was difficult to deal with Crakehall’s opening bowlers brought back, and the target was out of reach, but to salvage some pride by not being bowled out, Geoff Lawler (4 not out) and your scribe (10 not out) held out to the end at 135-7.
(Crakehall then kindly volunteered to bowl an extra over so young Charlie Read could have a hit, which he enjoyed, and he hit some good shots and wasn’t out.) – Pleasant drink, as always, in the village pub opposite, after the game.
Nick Hawkins
4th September 2017
Romany CC – Mid Season Averages
/0 Comments/in General /by Rob SmithSeason so far Batting 2017 – All matches up to 27/08/2017
*Qualification – 3 completed innings
Season so far Bowling 2017 – All matches up to 27/08/2017
*Qualification – 3 wickets taken
Romany CC vs Little Valley CC – Match Report
/0 Comments/in General, Match Reports 2017 /by Rob SmithMatch Report – Romany CC vs Little Valley CC (at Old Town CC – Hebden Bridge)
Result:
Romany Loss by 20 runs
Little Valley CC 206-4
(S.Shazheen 93*, Soden 27)
(K Egerton 3-19)
Romany CC 186-4
(C Lloyd 102, K Egerton 26, H Williams 24)
(I Hussain 2-13)
Match Manager’s Remarks:
I think we were all unsure what to expect of this fixture as it is a new one on the card for Romany this season and in the opposite direction to where we normally find ourselves heading on a Sunday afternoon. We need not have worried as what we found in Hebden Bridge was cricket played very much in the spirit we all enjoy and an extremely warm welcome from another friendly little club.
When we arrived it was clear that the wicket and outfield had taken a bit of a soaking over the last few days, in places it was described as swamp like…and so captain Knight made the correct decision to let the opposition bat first to see what sort of total would be competitive.
With the side we had available we knew we would be a little short of bowling, but we fielded well in difficult conditions and in particular Harwood Williams, Charlie Lloyd and Andrew Moore (who recovered well from a tricky first over) bowled with good accuracy to restrict the scoring somewhat.
The oppositions no.3 batsman, Shazheen, however did take us on and was able to score quickly often advancing far down the wicket whenever the ball was dropped short of a length. In total he hit 16 boundaries in his 93 before sportingly retiring and allowing others to take up the challenge.
Spin did seem to be the most appropriate approach and Keith Egerton bowled a very tight line of left arm getting through his full allocation of 7 overs, only conceding 19 runs and taking 3 wickets into the bargain. Nick Hawkins and Matt Knight also held down one end for 6 overs between them.
After a decent tea, we began our reply. With Knight and Williams opening the innings. It did appear that the bounce of the wicket became less consistent for our innings and Matt took a couple of blows reminiscent of Brian Close back in the 60’s (I’m sure Matt remembers watching it on the telly in his late teens)
Matt (15) and Harwood (24) fell in reasonably quick succession having got us off to a good start with a 44-run opening partnership and Tim Halstead (in his first appearance of his 37th Romany season) also fell shortly after for just 1.
This brought together the Charlie Lloyd and Keith Edgerton partnership who put on 91 for the 5th wicket before Keith was caught for 26. Charlie continued his innings supported by Scott Munroe (6*) and accelerated to finish on 102 not out, with 4 consecutive sixes in the final over of the match.
Overall a good day, with two sides well matched in both capability and approach to the game. After the game three of our number were presented with souvenir bottles of beer from Little Valley’s namesake brewery in recognition of their efforts while we all enjoyed a well-deserved pint.
Thanks to all those who made themselves available for the match, and to Martin Grayshon for scoring throughout
Man of the Match: Charlie Lloyd, for his superb 102. Just eclipsing (topical!) Keith Egerton who gave a great all-round performance
Rob Smith
21st August 2017
Romany CC vs Leeds Caribbean CC – Match Report
/0 Comments/in General, Match Reports 2017 /by Rob SmithAnother Romany Victory.
Caribbean CC 153 all out (30 overs). Romany CC 154 – 2 (29.4 overs)
After twice losing the toss I decided to ask our good friends from Caribbean to bat as we only had 10 men.
We got off to a great start when the electric pace of Haseen Bashir got an early LBW. Fortunately for us their other opener had to retire after a very quick 40 and didn’t get back in until almost the end of their allotted 30 others. The other Caribbean batsmen came and went at regular intervals kept under pressure from Shamiraiz (1-15), Zofi Akhtar (1-21) and Larry Audain (2-21). Keith Egerton (4-21) then ran through their tail, hitting the stumps at regular intervals. Two other bowlers deserve honourable mentions. Lloyd Thompson made his debut for Romany while on holiday from his teaching job in Qatar and Charlie Read would definitely have had a wicket stumped Read bowled Read if the umpire at square leg had been watching.
Tea was taken in the grand style with chicken, rice and beans prepared and served by Harwood Williams who had organised the game from the Caribbean side. Thanks so much, Harwood.
We opened our innings with Larry and Duncan Read and they both retired at 40 and 41 respectively. This was a terrific effort by both batsmen as the Caribbean bowling was tight and skilful. We reached 100 for no wickets and it was a surprise when Haseen eventually got out for a very quick 25. This brought in Freddie Read who unselfishly sacrificed his wicket in the last over to allow Zofi to regain the strike with three balls left and 4 runs to win. The next ball was straight-driven for 4 by Zofi. I was man of the match for an excellent 0 not out in the crucial last ball partnership.
Howard Elgot
13th August 2017
Romany CC vs Collingham CC – Match Report
/0 Comments/in Match Reports 2017 /by Rob Smith