Fellows Hanging around for more trophies
HANGING Heaton batsman Gary Fellows hopes to have another success to share with former Yorkshire teammates Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard and Darren Lehmann when they next get together.
The 38-year-old was part of the Yorkshire side which won the 2001 County Championship, ending a wait of 33 years. It was a team littered with star names, including ex-England quartet Vaughan, Hoggard, Ryan Sidebottom and Anthony McGrath, as well as Aussie coach Lehmann.
Nowadays, Fellows keeps rather less exalted company. But he is still in the hunt for silverware at Hanging Heaton who currently top the Bradford Premier Division thanks to his 779 runs.
“It was a great experience and I loved it,” Fellows said of his five-year stint at Headingley. “I was really privileged and proud to be part of the team which won the Championship and the One-Day Trophy at Lord’s.
“I was obviously disappointed when it came to an end but, when I look back now, I’ve made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun playing cricket.
“I look at the memorabilia and realise I played with a lot of good cricketers. We hadn’t won the Championship for 33 years at the time – it’s something to be proud of.
“We don’t see each other very often but when we bump into each other we have a bit of a reunion and a catch-up.We spent a lot of time together so it’s great to see the lads. It’s good to call them mates.
“Our careers have followed different paths, but about 18 months ago we all met up in Leeds when Australia were over and Darren Lehmann was coach.
“We had some food and drinks and it was a nice catch-up – I’m sure that will happen again.”
For now, though, Fellows’ focus is on steering Heaton to glory.
His runs have propelled the side to the summit with four games to go and he is now just four shy of reaching 5,000 for the club he has spent the last four years playing for.
But the opener says he will reflect on the season’s achievements differently if Hanging Heaton don’t clinch the title at this late stage.
“If we end up being successful and finish top then it makes the runs you score so much more important and more pleasing,” he said.
“I’m at the stage of my career where I’ve got greater consistency and confidence. I’m pleased with my own performances but it will come down to where we finish as to how I rate my season.
“My form is down to consistency and having a greater understanding of my own game. That comes with experience and makes all the difference being a batsman because you can get a little bit better.”
Hanging Heaton are just five points clear of second-placed Pudsey St Lawrence who face the same teams as their title rivals in the run-in. It promises to be a dramatic tussle for top spot and one which could go to the wire.
“There’s every chance the title will go to the final day,” said Fellows.“There are still 80 points to play for.
“We said after the defeat to Pudsey Congs a couple of weeks ago there was still a lot of cricket left to play and there still is.
“I would hazard a guess that going into the final weekend two or three teams will still be able to win it.”