WEARSIDE ECHOES
THE MAN WHO LIFTED A HUMBLE VILLAGE CRICKET CLUB TO COMPETE WITH THE FINEST IN THE AREA
There are such fond memories of Houghton-le-Spring Cricket Club and one of its finest – Mike Hoban.
Today we continue the story of the club with a great history before it folded earlier this year.
Thanks go to Mike’s family and former club officials.
First XIs are the flagship of every club.
But successes were also achieved at both second and third team levels.
The second XI, led by Billy Bilton, won the Bob Nicholson Cup and the third team led by David Grant the 1992 title.
Meanwhile, Mike and his relations were making a big difference.
In 1991, Mike’s brotherin-law Norman, alongside club stalwart Billy Reddell, set up the club’s junior section.
Mike’s wife Jean and her sister Maureen – also the club’s social secretary – served up excellent fare at teatimes.
And it was Mike who was forced to rebuild the club when eight players from the 1992 first XI severed their connections.
Only Graham Flaxen, Fred Napier and Des Pratt remained, and there was a further setback when the newly appointed professional, Nick Harpin, sustained an injury. But the emergence of Mike’s sons, Graham and Neil, were plus factors.
Graham would become one of the most consistent opening batsman and successful captains for the best part of two decades, initially with Houghton, then Philadelphia, Hetton Lyons and Eppleton.
A club spokesman said: “Neil’s career was flamboyant but all too brief. Nevertheless, the club managed a creditable fourth position in the league.”
In 1994, all rounder, Ian Hauxwell returned. The first XI were runners-up in the league and beaten finalists in the Drill Turn Trophy, while the third team regained the Championship.
Graeme Anderson replaced Graham Flaxen in 1995 and he led the first XI to the Andrew Dixon Cup and a third in the league.
Meanwhile the second XI won the Ralph Walton Cup with the heroics of pace bowler and the club’s highest ever wicket taker, Alan Byrne.
Mike ended his long association with the club at the end of the 1995 season. The club
official said: “What cannot be understated
was the service Mike, his wife Jean, sister-inlaw Maureen and brotherin-law Norman had given to the club.”
After Mike’s departure, there were successes including the first and second XIs reaching their League Cup finals in 1996, and the third team winning the Third Division Championship for the third time in five seasons.
In the past few seasons, the under-15 and under-18 sides had successes.
The first team won the Frank Lees Trophy in 1997 and 1998, and there were notable victories against Tynedale, Benwell Hill and Mikes’s new club, Philadelphia, in 1999.
But as the Millennium arrived, the club’s fortunes plummeted, although the junior section continued to have success.
A spokesman said that, in 2006, the club resigned from the Durham Coast League and Des Pratt, treasurer Ray Bassett and one or two ex-players and officials enabled cricket to continue at Leyburn Grove, in the North East Durham League.
The club won three trophies in the inaugural season but was unable to build on those successes.
The spokesman added: “They were denied the opportunity to win the club’s first ever North East Durham Division One Championship in 2014 due to inclement weather. At that point a decision was made to join the newly formed Durham Cricket League, once again due to lack of players, administrators and interest the club has now folded.”
But that takes nothing away from the role Mike played and the spokesman added: “Undoubtedly, Mike’s greatest achievement was lifting the profile of humble village cricket team Houghton to the heights they achieved in the early 1990s.
“To the players, officials and supporters during this period these were the times of our lives.
“The local cricket scene has lost one of its finest ambassadors and we at Houghton CW were privileged to have someone of this stature and talent at our club.
“Whilst the curtain has finally come down on Houghton Cricket Club and memories will undoubtedly fade, they will never be erased.”
“The cricket scene has lost one of its finest ambassadors” CLUB OFFICIAL