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HAVE HERITAGE BOOTS WILL TRAVEL

ALL ROUND STAR HEADS FOR PLYMOUTH

A slightly belated farewell then for CCC all rounder Mark Smith, who has moved on after geting a new job in Plymouth.

Mark will be best known to his teammates as a Sunday player whose bowling variations often mesmerised batsmen and fielders alike.

On his way down to the West Country Mark took a brief detour to Beamish Museum to donate his legendary cricket boots to their spiritual home. There they will be worn by an android blacksmith in a Westworld-style recreation of a village cricket match circa 1920.

All the very best to Mark in his new job!

RATTI RETURNS

Former CCC batting star Ratti Khan was in attendance at Gateshead Fell last night and is likely to be available for several games this season. Ratti, who has been at Birmingham Uni in recent years, last played for CCC in the glorious YEAR ZERO of 2004. Along with Ratti was an all-rounder, Usman, who will also be considered for selection as CCC's season reaches a crucial phase.

WEEK 7: FIRE SERVICE BEAT CCC

After a number of postponements CCC finally returned to action at Gateshead Fell last night.

Promotion-chasing Fire Service won the toss and chose to bat first in a 12-overs a side slog. Rian and David Graham bowled well, and reduced them to 9-2 from 3 overs. Indeed after 6 overs the home side were only just past 40 for 3 wickets. However, Andy Lineham then burst to life and clubbed an unbeaten 81 from the remaining overs to leave a target of 138 - par in a 14 over innings at this ground, but a very stiff challenge in 12 overs.

Rian blitzed 44 in 5 overs as CCC started their challenge bravely, but Fire Service's slow-paced bowling was difficult for the rest of the batsmen to get away on a slow-paced pitch and a large ground. Nick carried his bat for 38, but by the end of the 12 overs CCC had amassed only 113-3.

CCC 3 Fire Service 7

Team: Nick, Rian, Matt, Simon E, Simon W, David Graham, Andy, John, Guy, Cliff, David Floyd

View from the (sodden) boundary

And still it rains - Summer of 2007 breaks all records.

It started at the end of May and got slowly worse. By midsummer the Glastonbury Festival hippies were once again swimming in the Pilton mud - but happy.

Cricketers are not so happy. We are used to Rain up north, but not the relentless monsoon floods which have separated Lancashire from Yorkshire for much of June.

Ex Cochrane Park groundsman Rod - well known for calling games off to protect players from sunstroke, was rubbing his hands from the comfort of his golf caddy in the Algarve: "Aye, we put in 10 quids worth of new drainage and it's made no difference - cricket in Northumberland is finished."

Twin skippers Simon and Simon have fought bravely to keep moral from plumetting within the CCC team: "it's not easy containing a highly charged bunch of dedicated pros from defecting to synchronised swimming" said one Simon recently.

Ace stats man Prof G.Tomlinson has scoured the books and surprised no one when he declared: "since records began in 1876 we have never had so many e-mails with the heading - Match Off".

A very bad omen - Ducks have been spotted on Treasurer Roger French's lawn. But nowt like the deluge I witnessed at Upper Poppleton back in '76, when we played underwater and secured a winning draw. The light was pretty bad too.

League Secretary Catley has got into the spirit of the weather by allowing opposing sides to claim victory just by turning up to flooded grounds. CCC tried this by sending Rian to claim victory at Backworth; sadly the unfortunate all rounder went via Carlisle and never actually arrived until nightfall - and just missed the Backworth curfew. He is now taking lessons from crack pros Kirkwood.

Thankfully June has passed and July brings the promise of, well, more rain. This weekend's cancelled game against flat-landers Bretton, is the second touring side to visit the TOON this summer. Both only had one word to say... Bugger!

cs '07

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Touring Game OFF

CCC V Bretton touring Sat 7th July @ Cochrane Park. Game called of - yes - Rain!