Millennium title win for Mighty Menston

2 May 2020 by Paul Smith

In the past couple of weeks, we have looked back at our first junior title win in 1946, and also at our Centenary year celebrations in 1980. This week, we go back twenty years to the successful millennium season for our 1st XI.

The year 2000 started with three straight wins for the 1st XI in Division B against Addingham, Alwoodley and Ilkley. Winning 5 point draws (the old points system!) against Tong Park and Otley were followed by a 4 point draw away at Horsforth, then the team’s first league defeat was away at promotion rivals Collingham on 17th June. The first half of the season ended with 11 points secured in the matches against Illingworth and Calverley.

Then there was a bit of a wobble – defeats to Addingham and Ilkley came either side of a convincing win at home to Alwoodley, South African Michael Brendenkamp blitzing his way to 6-18 to bowl the opposition out for 77. An unbeaten 43 from James Dracup saw us home by 9 wickets. The team continued to pick up points – wins against Hall Park and Green Lane were supplemented with 4 points away at Tong Park and losing 2 point draws at home to both Otley and Horsforth.

Title challengers Collingham were up next on 2nd September, a crucial match in which Collingham batted first and made 176-9, Jason Scott and Richard Taylor taking 4 wickets each. In reply, both Ted Lester and James Robinson hit fifties in a 5-wicket win:

Collingham 176-9 (D Holmes 40, T Kilby 58, F Khan 22, R Taylor 4-75, J Scott 4-48)
Menston 187-5 (D Lester 53, J Robinson 54, R Taylor 21)

With only two matches to go, a win away against mid-table Illingworth would secure the title, but it was not to be as the team only picked up a point as the hosts rattled up 212-7 and in reply we were restricted to a paltry 86-8 to set up some last day nerves, with the top of the table looking like this:

Menston 78 points
Collingham 75 points
Green Lane 73 points
Ilkley 73 points

All four clubs were in with a chance of becoming Division B champions. In the event, all tension was erased by a fantastic return of 8-35 from captain Richard Taylor, sinking Calverley for just 84, and with Ted Lester (46 not out) and Gary Thompson (33) making light work of the chase in a nine-wicket win, the celebrations could begin!

Calverley 84 (J Holah 28, R Taylor 8-35)
Menston 85-1 (D Lester 46 no, G Thompson 33)

A superb end to the season and a great team effort all round, the runs mainly coming from Ted Lester (779 at 38.9), James Dracup (506 at 56.2), Michael Brendenkamp (450 at 28.1) and Richard Burton (363 at 40.3), and valuable contributions also coming from Richard Taylor (209), Nick Thornton (199), Gary Thompson (187), Ian McGargle (156), Jeremy Smith (150) and James Robinson (124). The bowling was spearheaded by captain Richard Taylor (41 wickets at 19.6) and Michael Brendenkamp (47 wickets at 18.3), with Jason Scott (37 wickets at 15.9) spinning the team to victory on many a occasion, and supported by Richard Feltbower (10 wickets at 18.4).

Watch out for more memories from the club’s archives in the coming weeks.