Baildon

The club was formed in 1850 as Baildon Green Cricket and Skating Club. As the name suggests their first home was on Green Road , which doubled in winter as a Skating Club. For the first forty-odd years they only played ‘friendly’ matches, but in 1893 they joined the Airedale and Wharfedale League and in 1910 entered the Bradford League.

In 1913 Baildon had to apply for re-election and, although they were unopposed, they were not successful. However, they were allowed to appeal and at a meeting at the County Restaurant they pleaded their case and were successful. Part of Baildon’s case at the appeal was that negotiations were taking place for an enclosed ground.

The Jenny Lane ground was acquired and Skating dropped from the name in 1914. The ground was leased for £25 per annum, which increased to £60 over the next few years. Unfortunately, with overheads, this proved almost beyond their means, so the rent was reduced to £45. In the first year they suffered the ignominy of being dismissed for 10 runs by Windhill, which is still a league record.

In 1915 the Saltaire bowler SF Barnes took all ten Baildon wickets for just 14 runs and they were victims of another all-ten feat in 1917 when, in a match against Undercliffe, Cecil Parkin took all ten for 15 runs. Baildon reached their first semi-final of the Priestley Cup in 1918, but went down to Salts by 230 runs. They were in the record books for the wrong reason again in 1927. S. Culpan of Great Horton became the third, but thankfully the last, opposition bowler to take all ten Baildon wickets, this time for 49 runs.

Two records, which still stand today, are noteworthy. J. Hill and J. M. Crossley (Brighouse) put together a third wicket partnership of 203 runs against Baildon in 1932. Three years later W. Cawthray and H. Stenion (East Bierley) had a tenth wicket partnership of 114 runs. The record books show that in 1938 in a match against Saltaire, the highest number of centuries in one match were scored. J. R. Burnet 152 not out (also highest that season) and R. E. Ednie 100 not out for Baildon and E. A. Hutton 106 not out and W. Farndale 102 not out for Saltaire. Unfortunately we lost!

In 1945 a public subscription was organised in memory of Moses Mellor, a man who had worked so zealously for the club over so many years. So much was raised that not only were we able to build the scorebox as it is today, but the ground was purchased for the princely sum of £1,200.
Undoubtedly the halcyon years were in the 1950s when, under Ronnie Burnet, they achieved their best results.

Baildon won the Second Division in 1949 and so for their centenary year were back in the first division. To celebrate they dropped Green to become just Baildon C.C. Baildon’s hat-trick of championship wins in 1950, 1951 and 1952 was not unique, but in the post war era it has only been equaled by Idle (1965 to 1967), and Pudsey Congs (2000 to 2002).

The club completed the double in 1952 by winning the Priestley Cup. Wilf Burkinshaw achieved a personal hat-trick when, in his first over, he clean bowled three batsmen with his sixth, seventh and eighth balls! Yes, in those days they had eight ball overs. Keighley never recovered. It would be 40 years before the club would have the chance to win the cup again.
They nearly won the title again in 1953 and 1954, but had to settle for second place on each occasion.

The remaining years in the 1950s and indeed 1960s and 1970s saw them win various awards but they could not shake off being a yo-yo side. The existing pavilion was opened by Len Hutton in 1955, but the club were relegated. Baildon were promoted for 1958 but relegated for 1960 and had to seek re- election in 1963.

Martin Sherred won the league bowling award in 1964, the youngest bowler to win the award,
with 42 wickets at ten runs each. His best bowling was nine for 20 against Yeadon and that beat his brother’s nine for 31 feat against Idle in 1959. Baildon had to seek re-election to the league in 1969 and 1970.

Roger Pawson, a current trustee and club treasurer, achieved the remarkable bowling figures, in 1974, of ten for 32 against Yorkshire Bank, becoming the 22nd bowler in the Bradford League to achieve this feat, and at the end of that season Baildon were promoted, only to be relegated in 1978.

In 1984 they gained promotion, but 1990 saw them back in the Second Division. They were back up again the following year, and straight down in 1992. Baildon made their second appearance in a Priestley Cup final that year. Unfortunately, it was a one-sided affair against Yorkshire Bank, which they lost. There was another promotion year in 1993, but they were relegated at the end of the next season.

The inspirational appointment of Mick Emmerson as captain in 1996 gave the Jenny Laners five successful years. By August they were Second Division champions, 29 points ahead of second place, and 44 years on they had done the double again by winning the Priestley Cup, beating Bradford & Bingley in the final at Undercliffe.

The 1998 season was an exasperating campaign. In May, Spen Victoria’s Wasim Jaffer and Andy Bethel plundered 277 runs off their attack for a first wicket record, but it looked like being Baildon’s year. By half way they had played 13, won six, lost two, drawn five and had 47 points. It was a summer affected by inclement weather. Matches on the opening day were called off and were rearranged by the League for the last Sunday in the season. No one was to know how important that game would become.

By August their luck ran out. They lost points for rain at home against Hanging Heaton and away at Pudsey Congs, when others did not have any rain (how can it rain at Jenny Lane and not Wagon Lane ?) and they were in a winning position in both matches. That bad luck cost them ten points and proved vital in the end. Baildon went into their last match of the season against Bradford & Bingley at Jenny Lane. Bingley were five points ahead of Baildon so they needed to beat them to win the title, but the match ended in a tie and so they lost the championship by five points. Baildon were runners-up again in 1999, this time by only three points. In 2000 they finished fourth and the Emmerson era came to an end.

Baildon under the leadership of James Goldthorp. clinched a third Priestly Cup triumph in 2001 when they defeated Yeadon in a twice-delayed final at Undercliffe. They were also runners up to Pudsey Congs in the league. Baildon were third in 2003 behind Pudsey Congs and Spen Victoria.

Simon Davies, the consistent opening batsman, was appointed captain in 2003 as they sought to find the formula which would bring trophies to the club. Jaffer Nazir, a prolific wicket-taker with East Bierley and Undercliffe was engaged for the 2004 season. Nazir topped the league bowling averages after taking 66 wickets, but the team could only finish eighth.

Baildon also turned to pace when they recruited their overseas player for 2005 bringing in Mohammad Siddiq who had taken 110 wickets for Bowling Old Lane the previous year. The Jenny Laners hoped that Siddiq’s pace plus the addition of former Yorkshire batsman Scott Richardson would enable them to challenge the top teams. Richardson scored 968 runs, hitting three centuries. He also made the season’s highest score of 180 not out against Bankfoot. Left arm spinner Mushtaq Ahmed was Division One’s most economical bowler but the team could only finish sixth.