A Game Sustained

75 Shocks to the system: 1916 The Yorkshire Post was also intrigued by the impact the change might have, commenting that players who worked in shell factories: say that the strain and monotony of the labour are extremely hard to bear, and a change to the fresh air and the exercise of the cricket field is simply essential to their physical equipment. The extra hour of daylight in the evenings ought, therefore, to be specially welcome; even if the fatigue of the workshop may incline the cricketer to take his practice easy. Looking ahead to the resumption of county cricket after the war, the paper added that when peace came, starting at 1pm and ending at 7.30pm would give the public practically a whole day’s play for what was really a half-holiday, increasing gates and being very welcome to club treasurers. 56 A third, and less positive, announcement was the postponement of the Bank Holidays for Whit Monday and Tuesday 1916 because of the state of the war. After some grumbling and confusion, most industries fell into line. Initially, the Bradford League was irritated at the lack of notice but considered it would be wrong to do anything but support the government. Similarly, the executive committees of the Huddersfield and District Cricket League and the Halifax and District Council Cricket League called games off unless clubs could raise teams easily. Later, the August Bank Holiday was also abandoned, again requiring a revision to the cricket programme. The match between the Leeds and Huddersfield Districts at Headingley, already postponed once, was put off until September, but not lost altogether given that the objective was to raise funds for the West Riding War Fund. The 1916 season – Part One The 1916 season got under way in the middle of April. With Frank Woolley playing for them, Keighley attracted a big attendance to watch them beat Undercliffe – with Parkin and Llewellyn – by nine wickets. George Leach, making his debut