A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LANGBAURGH LEAGUE
(Thanks must go to Chris Francis of Maltby CC whose History of Maltby CC has provided some of the following information)
The League was formed in 1920 and ran until the war in 1939 though records of this period are scarce. After the Second World War ceased the league resumed in 1947 containing Ingleby Cross, Crathorne, Ingleby Greenhow, Thimbleby, East Harlsey, Swainby and Chop Gate. Until 2006 it was a single division that could accommodate up to 14 teams. In reality the number varied and it wasn’t until 1965 that it became full, and this only lasted one season. It took until 1972 to reach 14 again. In the period 1976 until 1986 saw only 13 members and that was the case in four of the further nineteen seasons up until the split into two divisions. The foot and mouth crisis in 2001 meant that no league games were played though the main cup competition, The Gjers, took place using grounds that were unaffected by the restrictions. In 2006 it was decided to pursue an expansion of the league and two divisions of 8 were formed, each team playing the others three times. In 2007 the second division expanded to 11 teams playing each other twice and in 2008 it became 12 teams. In 2009 a new format was tried with two divisions of 10, all teams playing each other home and away, giving 18 matches in the season. To ensure a full seasons cricket the Clemmitt Cup and Ideson Trophy were based on a mini league format playing 40 over matches on Saturday afternoons. This involved 16 of the teams in four groups of four playing each other once. The three second XI’s were joined by new team Hartlepool Power Station and played in a separate 4 team mini league for the Alfred Reader Trophy. In 2010 the second division only contained 9 teams as Maltby had taken their first team out of the league. In 2011 they left the league altogether, removing their second team as well, but the league is back up to two divisions of 10 thanks to the addition of Hartlepool Power Station B and New Marske. The Alfred Reader trophy is made up by the three second XI’s (Hutton Rudby, Hartlepool PS and East Harlsey plus the lowest placed 1st XI from the previous season).
Originally matches were played as time games, lasting four hours from 3pm until 7.30pm with 30 minutes for tea. Traditionally the team batting first declared after 2 hours and it was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. In 1950 the hours were changed to 2.30pm until 7pm. In 1958 the matches were extended with a 7.30pm finish. From 1963 there was a growing movement towards playing a limited overs format. By 1970 it was only the casting vote of the Chairman at the league AGM which maintained the time game, by the 1972 season it was agreed that a trial of 40 over cricket would take place that year. It proved successful and has been the format since then. The points system changed in 1968 to award 3 for a win and one for a draw. The current 4 for a win, 3 for a tie and 2 for a drawn (abandoned/cancelled) game dates from 1980.
A few interesting facts:
- Until 1963, when it was abolished, the league had a rule saying all players had to live within 4 miles of the ground of the club they played for.
- Until 1979 some league fixtures were fulfilled as midweek evening matches
- It took until 1973 before the rules insisted all clubs use their own ball.
- The current system where clubs on the same points share the title, as Crathorne and East Harlsey did in 2007, has not always been in effect. In 1955 Kildale and Maltby finished joint top and played a one off match for the title, Kildale triumphed.
The league entered a representative team in the Wilkinson Cup until 2011. This is a knock out competition involving leagues from around the North East. The Langbaurgh League has won the cup on three occasions - 1976, 1983 and 2000 - where it was shared after the final was rained off.
TEAMS INVOLVED IN THE LEAGUE 1921-2013
MEMBERS EVERY SEASON SINCE 1921(Current Members in Bold)
Crathorne
OTHER MEMBERS
East Harlsey (known as Harlsey before 1939) 1921-1933, 1947-1950, 1971-2013
Swainby 1921-1998, 2000-2013
Thimbleby 1921-1935, 1938-1949, 1972-2013
Rounton 1921-1939
Ingleby Cross 1921-1965
Welbury 1921, 1926
Carlton & Faceby 1921-1939, 1957-1992 (known as Carlton, Faceby & Busby until 1927)
Hutton Rudby 2ndXI 1922-1925, 1939, 2007-2013
Great Smeaton 1924-1930, 1933-1936, 1986-2000 (Known as Smeaton before 1928)
Yarm 2ndXI 1924-1930
Appleton Wiske 1927-1930
Broughton & Kirby 1929-1939, 1954-2013
Chop Gate 1934 - 2013
Ingleby Greenhow 1935 - 2013
Spout House 1937 -1939
Seamer 1938 -1939
Maltby 1948-2009
Newby 1949-1968
Maltby 2nd XI 1950-1951, 1953-1956, 2006-2010
Hilton 1950
Kildale 1953-2013
Kirby Sigston 1959-2013
Stafford Place 1960-2013
Smiths Dock 1965-1975
Hutton Rudby 1971-2013
Scruton 1995-2013
Skelton Castle 2003-2013
Moorsholm 2006-2013
SkeltonCastle 2ndXI 2007-2008
Norton 4th XI 2007-2013
East Harlsey 2ndXI 2008-2013
Harlepool Power Station 2009-2013
Hartlepool Power Station 2ndXI 2010-2013(2010 – Alfred Reader Trophy only)
New Marske 2011-13
MOST LEAGUE TITLES
(1920, 1921 & 1939 Winners Unknown, 1931 Result of play-off between THIMBLEBY & BROUGHTON Unknown, No league in 2000)
2007 Title shared CRATHORNE & EAST HARLSEY 1ST XI
1997 Title shared between BROUGHTON, SCRUTON & STAFFORD PLACE
1988 Title shared between BROUGHTON & CRATHORNE
1986 Title shared between BROUGHTON & KILDALE
13 – BROUGHTON & KIRKBY(1933, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2006)
12 – CRATHORNE (1953, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2007, 2008)
11 – KILDALE (1955, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1986, 1994, 2012)
7 – THIMBLEBY (1923, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1976, 1978, 1979)
6 – KIRBY SIGSTON (1975, 1977, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005)
5 – INGLEBY CROSS (1922, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952)
5 – ROUNTON (1924, 1925, 1927, 1932, 1934)
5 – NEWBY (1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1967)
4 - CHOP GATE (1935, 1937, 1965, 1970)
4 – MALTBY 1ST XI (1950, 1991, 2000, 2009)
3 – EAST HARLSEY 1ST XI (1989, 2004, 2007)
2 – SWAINBY (1926, 1995)
2 – STAFFORD PLACE(1964, 1997)
2 – HARTLEPOOL POWER STATION 1ST XI (2010, 2011)
1 - GREAT SMEATON (1936)
1 - CARLTON & FACEBY (1938)
1 – INGLEBY GREENHOW (1949)
1 – HUTTON RUDBY 1ST XI(1972)
1 – SCRUTON (1997)
MOST 2ND DIVISION TITLES (BOB LOWTHER CUP) Competition began in 2006
1 – SKELTONCASTLE(2006)
1 – HUTTON RUDBY 1ST XI (2007)
1 – INGLEBY GREENHOW (2008)
1 – HARTLEPOOL POWER STATION 1ST XI (2009)
1 – MALTBY 2ND XI (2010)
1 – STAFFORD PLACE(2011)
1 – NEW MARSKE (2012)
MOST GJERS CUP WINS (Including Maurice Bell Cup in 1925)
1962 – Cup Shared between KILDALE & CRATHORNE
14 – KILDALE (1955, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1981, 1993, 1998, 2010, 2011, 2012)
12 – BROUGHTON & KIRKBY (1929, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1965, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1995, 2003)
12 – CRATHORNE (1958, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2004)
7 – INGLEBY CROSS (1925, 1935, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953)
7 – KIRBY SIGSTON (1975, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2002, 2008)
5 – THIMBLEBY (1928, 1947, 1978, 1979, 1997)
5 – CARLTON & FACEBY (1931, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1970)
3 - MALTBY 1ST XI (1956, 1996, 2009)
3 – INGLEBY GREENHOW (1949, 1954, 2007)
3 – SWAINBY (1957, 1971, 1988)
3 – STAFFORD PLACE (1999, 2005, 2006)
2 – ROUNTON (1933, 1937)
2 – CHOP GATE (1960, 1968)
2 – EAST HARLSEY 1ST XI (1985, 2001)
1 – CRATHORNE (1927)
1 – YARM 2ND XI(1926)
MOST IDESON CUP WINS (6-A-Side Format), Competition discontinued after 2002
5 – KIRBY SIGSTON (1975, 1979, 1980, 1996, 1997)
5 – BROUGHTON & KIRBY (1981, 1982, 1985, 1989, 2000)
3 – EAST HARLSEY 1ST XI (1976, 1983, 2002)
3 – MALTBY 1ST XI (1977, 1991, 1992)
2 – CRATHORNE (1987, 1990)
2 – SWAINBY (1993, 1994)
1 – STAFFORD PLACE (1978)
1 – CARLTON & FACEBY (1984)
1 – GREAT SMEATON (1986)
1 – CHOP GATE (1988)
1 – INGLEBY GREENHOW (1991)
1 – THIMBLEBY (1995)
1 – KILDALE (1998)
1 – HUTTON RUDBY 1ST XI (1999)
MOST BOB LOWTHER CUP WINS (Evening Knock-out Format)
2001 – No Competition, Competition Discontinued after 2005
3 – THIMBLEBY(1995, 1997, 1998)
3 – KILDALE (1999, 2000, 2003)
2 – STAFFORD PLACE(1994, 2004)
1 – CARLTON & FACEBY (1992)
1 – SWAINBY (1993)
1 – HUTTON RUDBY 1ST XI (1996)
1 – KIRBY SIGSTON (2002)
1 – MALTBY 1ST XI (2005)
MOST IDESON CUP WINS (40 over Format since 2009)
1 – STAFFORD PLACE(2009)
1 – SKELTONCASTLE(2010)
1 – HARTLEPOOL POWER STATION 1ST XI (2011)
1 – MOORSHOLM (2012)
MOST CLEMMITT CUP WINS (Since 2009)
2 – HARTLEPOOL POWER STATION 1ST XI (2010, 2012)
1 – MALTBY 1ST XI (2009)
1 – KILDALE (2011)
MOST ALFRED READER TROPHY WINS (Since 2009)
2 – EAST HARLSEY 2ND XI (2010, 2012)
1 – MALTBY 2ND XI (2009)
1 – NEW MARSKE (2011)