Lives in Cricket No 6 - Bill Copson

Chapter Eight Umpiring and Retirement Bill was now retired from the first-class game and freed from travelling and the other less appealing aspects of the county circuit. He wanted to be able to enjoy a more relaxed form of the game which no doubt brought back memories of his wartime experiences playing in the Bradford League, still flourishing, though it no longer counted in dozens its players with first-class experience. Lidget Green was a well established Bradford League club and one of the founder members in 1903: in 1949, though, it had finished at the foot of Division Two. 37 Bill played for this team as a professional from 1950 to 1956 and accomplished some excellent bowling performances. In 1950, although unable to lift the side off the bottom of the table, he took thirty eight wickets at an average of 17.05. His best performance was five for 37 versus Keighley. In 1951 he was second in the League bowling averages with five for 30 against Farsley as a highlight. The 1952 season saw Lidget Green become champions of Division Two of the League and Bill was top of the bowling averages and from 1953 onwards he helped keep the club in the top half of Division One. In 1954 he performed the hat trick when he captured six Idle wickets for twenty eight runs. Other remarkable feats this season included seven for 42 and six for 18 against Queensbury and Great Horton respectively. In the following summer he headed the League bowling averages, obtaining his best seasonal ever figures with 88 wickets at an average of 8.52 runs each. His last season in 1956 opened sensationally on 21 April when he took six wickets for three runs in helping to dismiss Brighouse for a mere 18 runs. He finished the year by heading the bowling averages again with 42 wickets at 9.89. Bill’s powers were certainly not on the wane, albeit he was no longer playing top class cricket, but at forty eight years of age he 77 37 The club withdrew from the league part way through the 2000 season.