A Game Sustained

94 Running out of steam: 1917 Committee would try to do a little more for us.’ Also that month, David Denton continued in fine form, hitting 153 not out for Holbeck against Hunslet, ‘in a style reminiscent of his county days’. The largest crowd of the season at Holbeck saw George Hirst play, although he was not well prepared as he had had no opportunity to practise outside the games themselves. During the summer, Hobbs and Barnes faced each other again in a cup tie, when the former in a rare appearance in Yorkshire scored 132, hitting 20 boundaries, many into the crowd. The Priestley Cup semi- finals attracted 16,000 spectators at games, including 10,000 at Saltaire, where receipts of £110 were easily a record for a semi-final tie. The cup final at Park Avenue, which was again won by Undercliffe by nine wickets, was disappointing. The majority of spectators did not stay to see the finish, although the crowd of 7,256 and receipts of £190 12s 6d were again records. There was further controversy in Bradford – rather dramatically referred to as ‘Red Revolution’ – as rumours circulated of a plan to ‘stiffen’ the League by combining the strongest teams. There had been unrest for some time as those clubs with well-appointed grounds and facilities looked disdainfully on others which could only cater for a small crowd. Although some reports suggested that a meeting held on 18 August had led to nothing but talk, Booth nevertheless called it a ‘diabolical attempt’ to wreck the League and a resolution was passed that the two suspected instigators be expelled from the League, and their clubs be asked to explain their actions. Later, a motion of confidence was passed in the President, J.J.Booth. There were many challenges to the game elsewhere and for the first time in 60 years there was no cricket at the Yeadon Feast. A meeting of the Heavy Woollen District Challenge Cup committee was held to consider how to deal with it not being possible to play the semi-final between Heckmondwick and Liversedge. Practically all the members of the Liversedge side were on munitions work and since some worked nights and others during the day, it was impossible to play their