50 Years of the Cheshire County Cricket League 1975-2024
Martin Chandler |Published: 2025
Pages: 144
Author: Wellsteed, Geoff
Publisher: Max Books
Rating: 3 stars
The structure within which cricket is played in England, below that of the county clubs, has changed beyond all recognition in my lifetime. One of those changes came in 1974 with the formation of the Cheshire County Cricket League which, last summer, celebrated its fiftieth birthday.
So in relative terms this is a recent history, there being many who have not only seen the entirety of those fifty summers, but were also involved in the formation of the league and in writing this book author Geoff Wellsteed has spoken to all of them. As a result he has produced something that is much more of a celebration of the success of its subject than a dry history.
Cheshire has never been a First Class county, but bordering Lancashire the county has always produced a steady stream of First Class cricketers. Over its half century the CCCL has been home to no fewer than 23 men who have played Test cricket, together with many more who have played the game at First Class level. One of their number, Lancashire and England pace bowler Paul Allott was there at the start, and he contributes a perceptive foreword.
In its first season the CCCL consisted of twelve clubs, a figure which has grown to 34 with the passing years. Many of those clubs have long histories of their own, so rather than try and tackle those diverse subjects Wellsteed, after covering the birth of the CCCL, looks at each of the fifty seasons in turn before ending, as you would expect, with a section for the record keepers and statisticians.
The summaries of the seasons are concise and, as they should, draw attention to notable individual and team performances as well as summarising the successes and failures of the clubs. There are many photographs and a selection of interesting tables.
It is inevitable that 50 Years of the Cheshire County Cricket League 1975-2024 is going to appeal primarily to those who have been involved in the League in some capacity, or who follow the fortunes of one or more of the clubs involved. That said the appearance of so many names who have graced a greater stage ensures that even those without such a connection will find something of interest in a book which has been nicely produced by Max Books and is available directly from the author, geoffwellsteed@hotmail.com, for a very reasonable £10 including UK postage.
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