Death of Bradbury announced as cricket MAY resume

It was a shame to hear from a blog regular the other day that Les Bradbury had passed away. 

It wasn't at that time confirmed, and it would hardly have been fair for me to mention something without that. Yet the news came through official channels later that one of Derbyshire league cricket's finest-ever bowlers was no more.

He played much of it for Matlock, but also did well for Undercliffe in the Bradford League, where he helped them to win the title in 1971, taking 35 wickets while Ashley Harvey-Walker boomed hundreds of runs at the other end with his bat, the weight of a standard table leg.

He once took all ten in an innings for Matlock, not unique but indicative of a bowler of more than average ability. The call to Derbyshire colours came in 1971, when he was 33 years old. He let no one down, least of all himself and took a wicket and a catch in the match.

Yet it was indicative of the club at that time. Too many good players had gone, bowlers were in short supply and the likely rationale was that both Les Jackson and his namesake Brian had been late developers plucked from the leagues - why shouldn't it work again?

Fifteen overs, one for 53 suggested that he could bowl and surely if it was worth doing once, the bowler was worth another chance? It didn't come though and realistically he needed to be five years younger to be worth a contract. He went back to the leagues and back to taking plenty of wickets for many years afterwards.

Rest in peace, Les.

Elsewhere, there appears to be a plan to play three regional groups of four-day county cricket in August if the current relaxation of regulations works, with T20 then scheduled for September and the season possibly extending into October.

It is welcome news, the likelihood being that matches will be streamed and crowds either not allowed or minimal. To be honest I am unsure how crowds can socially distance, when there will always be people wanting past to go to the toilet and bar. Maybe on international grounds it may be realistic with capacities reduced from thirty thousand to perhaps five thousand, but even then, safe social distancing will not be without dangers.

I suspect we may have to wait until next year to see our heroes in person and, with three vulnerable people in our house, the likelihood of me being sufficiently reassured to attend this year is remote.

More on this in the coming weeks.