Rainy days leave John heartbroken

WASHED OUT: Friarmere scorer John Morris tends to the West View ground.

SATURDAY, July 26, is etched on the memory of Friarmere scorer John Morris.

They defeated Glodwick by 63 runs. Overseas amateur Zafar Iqbal scored 125 and Paul Jewitt claimed five wickets . . . happy days for the Friarmere faithful.

They haven’t completed a game since. All seven matches have ended in draws all because of rain, with four wiped out entirely.

Friarmere’s latest game to fall foul of the elements was at home to Greenfield and, with more rain this week, Sunday’s final fixture of the season at Droylsden is already in doubt.

John has scored for Friarmere for more than five decades and lovingly tends to the West View wicket and outfield virtually every day of the week.

He said: “I’ve lived overlooking the ground all of my life — 64 years — and it’s heartbreaking.

“I can’t remember a summer like it. You always get the odd weekend when games are called off, but nothing as bad as this.

“Zafar Iqbal has bowled four overs in six weeks, while Liam Sebastien, our professional, spent his last game before going home watching it rain at Bamford.

“He’s gone back to the West Indies and they’re experiencing hurricanes.”

The seemingly continuous wet weather has had a huge impact on all cricket.

The Tanner Cup final has been called off three times.

It has been rescheduled for Saturday (see opposite page), but there are concerns it won’t go ahead at all.

It was never played in 1951 — Saddleworth and Moorside were set to contest the final — because of bad weather.

The Moorside professional was one Edward John Morris, the uncle of Friarmere’s John Morris.

It seems as though rain follows the Morris family everywhere they go!