Lives in Cricket No 3 - George Duckworth

would stir little mirth. Cec Parkin, the Joe Grimaldi of cricket was authentically, after Arnold Bennett, ‘The Card’. George Duckworth began his own first-class existence keeping wicket to this trio and, of course, to others, such as Frank Sibbles, Len Hopwood, Len Wilkinson, Dick Pollard and Eddie Phillipson. They were all highly competent craftsmen, so that George Duckworth had the good fortune not to be chasing straying salvoes of friendly fire. At the same time, the velocity of McDonald and the cunning of Tyldesley and the multiplicity of Parkin offered a different class of test. It was one the young stumper passed with gaily flying colours. He possibly learned another valuable lesson from some of these seasoned campaigners, as Old Trafford would attract a massive host of spectators, usually 10,000 a day and often 20,000 on Saturdays. On August Bank Holiday Monday of 1926, there was a record Old Trafford attendance of 46,000, and 78,617 over the three days – and George Duckworth was playing. Sparkingly The Cricket 28 Lancashire team of 1931 Back row (l to r): George Duckworth, Len Hopwood, Jack Iddon, Frank Sibbles, Gordon Hodgson, Malcolm Taylor, Eddie Paynter Front row : Charlie Hallows, Ernest Tyldesley, Peter Eckersley (captain), Ted McDonald, Dick Tyldesley