PROBUS CLUB: Cricket can be a very contentious issue for many followers of the game and, none more so, than A Yorkshireman in the Lancashire League. This was the subject of our last speaker Allan Stuttard. A Yokshireman by birth, and a keen cricketer to boot, he found difficulty securing a place in his local club team in Todmorden, where he was born. His town was on the Yorkshire - Lancashire border, so his father introduced him to Lancashire League cricket. This prompted Allan to seek a trial and, subsequently, play for Littleborough in the Lancashire League. This allowed him to play alongside professionals Sir Everton Weekes, Cecil Pepper, Sir Garfield Sobers and Basil D’Oliveira. This was possible as the League rules stated that teams should consist of ten amateurs and one professional. Allan continued to progress as a player. He married in 1952, was conscripted into the army in 1953 and had the distinction of playing a cricket match against a New Zealand XI in a paddyfield in Korea. Allan’s experiences filled him with many humorous stories and interesting facts regarding the game of cricket. The morning’s presentation was excellent. The next Probus meeting will be on Tuesday when Brian Jordan will speak on Lost and Forgotten Music.
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