LAST week, we featured The Northern Echo Cup Final between the cricketers of Esh Winning and Etherley which was played at Tudhoe on August 3, 1953. We were sure there would be no one around today who would have either watched, or played in the game.
READ MORE: THE FOURTH WIN FOR THE ETHERLEY STALWARTS AT THE 1953 FINAL
We were wrong.
Because 80-year-old Arnold Alton was there.
Arnold said: "I was only 10 but I recall a lot about the game.
“First my dad, who was 47, and had played in every round for Etherley, was left out for the final in favour of Alan Campbell, an excellent left hand all-rounder who couldn't play in midweek games, when the early rounds were played, because of work.
“My father was bitter about that for years and was never nice to his great friend Gordon Franklin again.
“Alan later played for Bishop Auckland and County Durham.
"I'm certain Ray Vickers was captain. He was an outstanding batsman and he rescued Etherley that day with a few welcome boundaries on his favoured leg side. In later years he joined us kids in the second team but was not really welcome as any runs he scored were cancelled out by his lack of mobility in the field.
Eighty year old Arnold Alton second from the right with, from the left, John Phelan, Steve Coulthard, the chairman of Bishop Auckland FC, and Alan Wanless, former Bishop player, at the football club a fortnight ago
“I vividly remember the Etherley opener Fred Thompson being caught by Gordon Thompson at short leg, but Fred was adamant that Gordon had snatched it off the ground.
"Gordon Thompson was the Esh Winning professional, and by that time, being a native of Etherley, was not very popular.
“Algie Cummins was a fearless wicket-keeper. He would stand up to any fast bowler. If he failed to take the ball he would stop it with his huge frame. He was our neighbour and spent a lot of time talking to me about cricket, football and life in general. 'Never marry a dolly bird' was his constant advice. At the time I didn't understand that, though I did later.
The scorecard for the 1953 final shows shows that Gordon Thompson, the Esh Winning professional and former Etherley player, was bowled for five runs by Fred Thompson of Etherley
“I was very involved with Etherley until 1968, apart from two very enjoyable seasons playing at North Bitchburn with Jonty Raine and Amateur Cup hero Bobby Davison, who was a real class batsman.
“I got married in 1968 and never played for Etherley again."
READ MORE: THE ROSY RAPID FROM WHEATLEY HILL WITH THE HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION
Gordon Thompson
GORDON THOMPSON was the Esh Winning professional in 1953 but had spent his formative years with Etherley, playing for them when only 16 years of age. He had also previously played for Bishop Auckland, Darlington and Durham County.
He was in the Durham side which played Australia at Ashbrooke, Sunderland, over two days in August 1948.
Durham: Dawson Harron, Gordon Thompson, Stan Robertson, Wally Buffham, Donald Hardy, Keith Jackson, Norman Owen, Bill Proud (captain), William Laidlaw, Bob Ferguson, Fred Herbert.
Australia: Don Tallon, Bill Brown, Neil Harvey, Sam Loxton, Colin McCool, Ron Hamence, Keith Miller, Lindsay Hassett (captain), Ian Johnson, Ron Saggers, Doug Ring.
These Australians were known as “the Invincibles” because they played an entire tour of England without losing a match, and they are regarded as one of the greatest sides of all time. They were captained by Don Bradman, but he was rested for the Sunderland match.
Australia batted first and made 282 all out with Colin McCool 64, Keith Miller 55, Bill Brown 49 and Ian Johnson 44 their top scorers.
For Durham, Fred Herbert took 3-80, Keith Jackson 5-76, Norman Owen 1-34 and William Laidlaw 1-90.
Gordon Thompson opened the Durham innings with Dawson Harron but Thompson was bowled by Keith Miller for four and Harron was caught by Hassett off Loxton for a duck.
At the close of play on the first day, Durham were 73-5 with Keith Jackson 23 and Wally Buffham 19 their top scorers.
For Australia Keith Miller took 1-17, Sam Loxton 1-8, Doug Ring 1-24, Colin McCool 1-17, Ian Johnson 1-2. Rain meant there was no play on the second day and so the match ended a draw.
Australian captain Lindsay Hassett on the left and Bill Proud from Bishop Auckland CC on the right go to toss the coin before the start of the Durham County versus Australia game on August 11, 1948 at Ashbrooke cricket ground in Sunderland
Keith Miller
IT was no disgrace for Gordon Thompson to be bowled by Keith Miller because Miller was a world class all-rounder taking 170 Test wickets at an average of 22.97 with his best figures 7 for 60. He also scored 2,958 Test runs at an average of 36.97 with 147 his top score.
Miller had a high arm action which meant he could move the ball sharply both ways as well as making it rise from a good length.
He was a classy strokeplayer with the bat but also capable of hitting some huge sixes.
He was a trained pilot and was stationed in Gloucestershire during the Second World War. One night he threatened to punch his commanding officer which resulted to him being sentenced for insubordination and sent on a three week disciplinary course with hard labour.
Later, when asked about the pressure in Test cricket, he replied: "Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse."
Thanks to Arnold Alton, Michael Burke and Peter Jackson. Does anyone have any details or a photo of Gordon Thompson?
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