A Game Sustained

51 Keeping going: 1914-1915 made 120 of the first 154 runs (with sixteen 4s, including five in one over), and Wilfred Rhodes finished off the home side’s innings with four wickets in seven deliveries. This was followed by a game at Roundhay Park, Leeds for the Lady Mayoress’s Motor Ambulance Fund, where among the crowd of 3,000 people were a number of wounded soldiers. One of the most significant matches was played in August 1915 at Haslingden between Yorkshire and Lancashire sides. Lancashire made 210 for six declared but the match was drawn with Yorkshire reaching 173 for five. The success of the event (referred to as the closest thing to a county match in the North of England during the season) led the Star Green’un to ask why there had not been more such games. It noted that cricket of all sorts had been played over the summer and could have been turned to greater use for the war effort. The paper commented that there had been no risk of distracting munitions workers since the game had been played on a holiday and there were no factories in the area. The Yorkshire Post also commented that if what it described as ‘an out-of-the-way place’ could raise such money what might be possible at Old Trafford, Headingley, Trent Bridge, The Oval, or even Lord’s itself. Other fixtures were held as the season drew to a close. A George Hirst’s XI took on an Ilkley and District side, leading the Yorkshire Post to comment that leading Yorkshire cricketers were doing ‘excellent service’ in assisting in matches for the war charities. A total of £40 was raised for the Ilkley Coronation Hospital. Halifax Cricket and Football club also hosted a two hour ‘time-limit’ match between an Inspector Gledhill’s XII and a Superintendent Myers’s XII in which Hirst, Holmes, Haigh, Booth, Kilner and Dolphin all appeared. Some 6,000 people attended the game, which raised £200 and prompted Prince Ranjitsinjhi to send a telegram of support. Every player who had promised to appear did so and at the end of the season, ‘Old Ebor’ thanked the county’s professionals, noting: If unable to undertake military service themselves, they have done splendidly in assisting to raise funds that are