A Game Sustained

65 took place, while the West Riding Volunteers assembled for drill on the Armitage Bridge cricket ground. At the end of May 1916, a large crowd gathered on Whitby cricket ground to watch the local volunteers going through manoeuvres and inspections. News of the deaths of local cricketers also continued to appear in the press. In late 1915, for example, a Lieut. Arthur Ford, well-known in North Yorkshire and South Durham cricket circles as a member of the West Hartlepool club, was killed in France. A few months later, a Captain Searginson, a regular for Normanby Hall Cricket Club, was killed; just two more examples of the casualties from the among the many local sportsman who had joined up. More famous players also continued to be in the news. Roy Kilner was promoted to the non-commissioned rank of Corporal, while his brother, Norman, who would feature briefly in the Yorkshire side after the war, was injured for a second time. The county club paid 10s a week winter pay – conditional on doing Government work or being enlisted – to Hirst, Rhodes, Denton, Wilson, Booth, Drake, Roy Kilner and Dolphin, although over the winter the last two wrote seeking further consideration of their allowance. The secretary was asked to ascertain the exact income received by the two players’ wives and report back. In the New Year, winter pay to Booth, Dolphin and Kilner was increased to £1 a week for 16 weeks. It was also agreed that any player wanting to withdraw the interest on winter pay would be permitted to do so, although after the club made one payment to W.E.Bates (Yorkshire 1907-1913 and Glamorgan in the 1920s) it advised him that no further advances would be made until after the war. 50 Club cricket under pressure After the unprecedented experience of the 1915 season clubs around the county again met to consider whether, and if so how, they could continue. Some were gloomy at the prospects, noting how they only kept going by selecting both very young and very old men, and sometimes were unable to field a full eleven. The Star Green’un in Sheffield commented Shocks to the system: 1916