Professional educator Peter Sutcliffe cleared a coaching path successors at the ECB have since smoothed and modified
Paul Edwards08-May-2021
There is more chance of Priti Patel appearing on than us seeing any cricket today. Yorkshire may be God’s own county but He has shown no favouritism towards His chosen people this morning regardless of how much brass they have in their building society accounts. (Suspicions are growing in Harrogate that the Almighty might be a bloody leftie.) The rain set in early and has displayed an adherence of which Emmott Robinson would have been proud. The umpires have announced an inspection for 11.00 and the only thing they can possibly be considering is whether the day’s play should be abandoned.If so, Messrs. Kettleborough and Hartley could spend their afternoon reading Yorkshire’s 2021 Yearbook. After all, they are both in it, as is every other cricketer who has represented the White Rose in a first-class game. The 123rd edition arrived in the Roy Kilner auditorium -why not press box? – yesterday and, as usual, it occupies a smaller area than its counterparts in other counties and is also much less glossy, but it contains far more pages. In other words it is a proper book and should Yorkshire think of changing the format the consequent uprising would make the Pilgrimage of Grace look like a philatelists’ outing.As ever, the Yearbook is a fine read, as much for its articles as its extraordinary quantity of statistics. The most sombre section is the obituaries which, this year, include my tribute to a Yorkshireman who never played a first-class game yet whose contribution to the game should be better known, particularly in a summer when “engagement” is a buzz-word and women’s cricket becomes stronger by the week. What follows is an edited and also augmented version of that obituary and another moment of quiet fame for Peter Sutcliffe:Related
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Peter Sutcliffe coaching on the outfield•Simon SutcliffeAnd that is where Peter Sutcliffe’s story ends and also where it continues. For unlike his father, Simon Sutcliffe became a professional county cricketer who represented Warwickshire for three years before moving into teaching while also coaching and playing the recreational game to a high level. In recent seasons, as Master-in-Charge of cricket at Merchant Taylors’ School, Crosby, he has played an important role in the development of Tom Hartley and George Lavelle, both of whom made their first-class debuts for Lancashire last summer.”Pass it on, boys. That’s the game I wanted you to learn,” says Hector in Alan Bennett’s play If one was not on the verge of tears by that stage of the play, one would be inclined to cheer. Hector’s words are a reminder that inheritance is about more than blood and money; it concerns choice, responsibility, guardianship. Peter Sutcliffe could never see the full results of his coaching or his initiatives, much less will he be able to follow the careers of Lavelle and Hartley. But if we value what we see, it is plainly right that we should preserve it for others to love as well. This is not the worst thing to remember on a wet May morning in Leeds as we prepare for a summer of change and, some might say, threat.
