Seven decades not out: Mike Dunkerley celebrates cricket career

NOTHING appeared extraordinary when Mike Dunkerley recently turned out to play for Greenfield Cricket Club’s newly formed fourth team against Whalley Range.

Grasscroft-based Mike, however, was remarkably playing cricket in a seventh consecutive decade as it was back in 1962 that he made his debut for Royton.

Though he stopped playing regularly in 2004 to concentrate on umpiring, the 75-year-old has played one match each year since then to maintain his playing record which stands at 58 successive years.

And his latest outing was a dramatic yet successful one as Greenfield enjoyed a one run win, with Mike finishing with 0*.

“My two daughters find it highly amusing that I am still playing,” he mused.

“I will carry on doing it as long as I can so long as I keep enjoying it and don’t embarrass anyone.”

The new fourth team will mainly comprise juniors and the odd “elder statesman”.

Yet by Mike’s own admission he was a later starter as he did not take up cricket until he was 17 years of age which was due to being at boarding school in Bath.”

Once Mike returned to Royton after completing his studies, he joined the local CLL club back in 1962.

In those days, league cricket was huge often attracting thousands of spectators due to the lack of alternative recreational activities.

Mike admitted he had to serve an “apprenticeship” in the seconds before being promoted to the first team such was the competition for places.

He recalled a different format of cricket in yesteryear with ‘timed cricket’ as opposed to a set number of overs today while they had eight-ball overs and teams often relied on sporting declarations.

Sunday cricket was not permitted with Wood Cup games taking place in the evening.

“If the side batting first reached 150, they had to suspend their innings and allow the other side to bat. Games were known to go on for weeks,” he said.

Mike, an opening batsman, also relished the opportunity to play against some of the greatest names in cricket.

He recalled Sir Garry Sobers, arguably the greatest player of all time, appearing at Royton where Mike and his team-mates formed a guard of honour to applaud him on to the field when he went out to bat.

Mike added Royton’s New Zealand professional Mike Shrimpton, who was at the club in 1966 and 67, helped him after his promotion to the first team as did early captains Reg Langton and Denis Hasty.

He also has happy memories of being a team-mate of West Indies Test player Chester Watson and playing against Joel Garner and Clairmonte Depeiaza, two Test players from the Caribbean and the legendary Roy Gilchrist.

“In those days overseas countries sent young players here to learn how to play the conditions. Today they play in academies and it is rare for them to come to experience the conditions,” he said.

Mike moved to Greenfield in 1984 and played regularly for the Ladhill Lane club until 2004 when he became an umpire to “give something back to the game I love”.

He remembers playing against West Indies Test player Patrick Patterson who was at Austerlands and that was the first time he had ever worn a helmet for protection.

Of his own playing days, Mike said: “I was a good cricketer but never that good that clubs tried to poach me.

“I was happy playing at Royton with friends and it has been the same at Greenfield.”

Mike described himself as an average player with the second team Burton Cup his only major honour while at Royton.

He managed only one century, for Royton at Rochdale’s former Dane Street ground which is now home to a supermarket, though there were a number of knocks in the 90s.

Mike, who is still officiating, describes the new Greater Manchester Cricket League as a “revelation”.

While many traditionalists lamented the demise of the CLL and the Saddleworth League, Mike is forward looking.

He explained: “You would get fed up playing the same clubs year after year.

“It has been great to have different opponents, visit new grounds and face new challenges.

“The GMCL has improved standards as teams find a level to play at so there aren’t as many miss-matches and facilities are also better. It has been a great step forward as far as I am concerned.”

Mike, a widower and retired local government officer, remains active as he is a member at Oldham Golf Club and assists on working parties on Greenfield’s ground.

He watches Oldham Athletic, though Bath City remains his team which he adopted during his days at boarding school and he still pays a visit each season to watch them and rekindle memories from his youth.