Sunseekers Cricket Club

Over the years the club has had its ups and downs; many players of all standards have graced the pages of the scorebooks but the club has survived whilst other contemporaries have folded. Here is a short history of the club.

The end of the seventies, the start of the eighties... punk had blown itself out, the music business had regained control of the crap it pushed at the charts and there was nothing for it but to turn to the playing fields of England... or something like that.
Around this time, the Smith's Tavern at Ashbourne traditionally played the Derby Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale twice a year at cricket. Through a friend of a friend, CAMRA managed a couple more games against Davis of Derby, the mining equipment firm.
And four mates, Dave, Dave, Dave and Colston, CAMRA members all, used to take a bat, ball and stumps on to Darley Park and play ridiculously competitive games of something like cricket until one day they decided to get a bit organised. They, a couple of others from CAMRA and several from Davis of Derby got together in the Vine in Ford Street and informally formed a club. Dave Adkin, last known of in Castle Donington but something of a nomad, was probably the one to blame for the name, Sunseekers, but, hell, we wouldn't change it now. Adkin bought an elasticated, adhesive bandage as an apology for a first aid kit... never used, it travels in Crawford's bag to every game he plays to this day. Dated February 1981, it's as close to a marker for the club's official birthdate as we have.
Clive Bowler and Mac Hussain from Davis's, Colston Crawford, Dave Adkin, Dave Potter and Tim Burgess from CAMRA formed the nucleus of the first side and the early days often involved dragging passers-by at Darley Fields into the side if they dared to pause.
Paul Wood, a mate of Bowler's, and perhaps the best batsman the side ever had, came and went in a memorable tantrum in the early days, and it was not long after the start that the club acquired another stalwart in Dave Evans, not one of those early, now dispersed, Daves but another CAMRA member, and another in Kevin Woodward. Woodward played for The Abbey, more than just a pub side, who became the league side Darley Abbey, who slaughtered an early Sunseekers side ...

"I was not selected often (on account of being so crap) and I heard the conversations about this useless side out for twenty something, where the players laughed when they got ducks. My kind of club I thought, not too serious. I worked with Mark Henderson, one of the Sunseekers side (one time winner of the 'Golden Box Award') and realised that the club he played for was the one I had heard about. I attended the pre season nets at the old Qualcast ground - now the new home of the Rugby Club - and made it into the side!"

There were also Matthew Williamson, 15 years old and terrified of the ball then, but now a regular league player with Rosehill Meths, Colin Tansley, now very involved with the successful Chesapeake FC, and Paul Whitaker, yet another CAMRA arrival and a fine quick bowler.
There was a spell when the club almost folded. Crawford, at one stage captain, treasurer, fixtures secretary, secretary and Sunday morning gatherer of reluctant players, had had enough. Even fielding fine leg both ends and batting 11 for Brailsford seconds seemed more attractive.
It so happened that Evans tried his hand at indoor cricket and met a bunch of lads - the J Shop Giants, after the railway employment of one of them - who fancied trying outdoor for the first time. That day saved the club.
Melvyn (Mowgie) and Michael (Wally) Walters, Mowgie's son Stuart, Chris Bull, Nigel Guest, Mike Wenn and his neighbour Fred Ashford all came from this source and gave the club selection options that had never existed before.
While Wally and Nigel dropped out, a real nucleus developed: Crawford, Woodward, Evans, his son Will, Mowgie Walters, Wenn (the natural captain now for a long, long time), Ashford and Bull have now been the driving force of the club for well over 10 years.
Many social sides like Sunseekers have died out; Sunseekers have recruited not necessarily the best players from those sides but certainly the ones everyone knew would fit in; of course, they were also the ones who wanted to carry on.
So, first of all, Dave Hiscock from Pearts, then Nigel Duffill, Robin Sibson and Jim Taylor from the excellent Boosemoor club, Jim and Paul Downs from Stumps, have all become 'proper' Sunseekers.
Friends of friends and workmates, such as Jerry Broad, Steve Nicholls, Gary Wade and Nigel Palmer have been added; people who want to play only half a dozen games a season are as welcome as those want to play every match.
This season (2003) they've been joined by Brian Bennett from Old Derbeians and latterly Howard Ashton from Codnor (who had been Darley Park and before that EMEB).
With few social sides left to play, most Sunseekers matches are away at club sides, played on good pitches with good teas available.
There's been an annual tour to Devon for 10 years; we're going to have a crack at Oxfordshire next year.
A stronger Sunseekers XI will give a sound game to a league club's proper Sunday social side and the club will win about half of its games.
That is a very far cry from the early days when any win was a near miracle.
With most players over 40, several over 50 and two over 60, Sunseekers will not go on forever, but by God we'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Colston Crawford
June 2003