Mike Ainscoe Q&A

Mike Ainscoe Q&A time (nice photo)

Q1. When did you start playing for Totty and how did it come to be so?

First season was 2001. Hadn’t played cricket since I’d finished uni in N.Wales and come back to the area. Embarrassed to say it must have been about ten years. Fancied another go and was pondering which local clubs to inflict myself upon when I spotted a pre-season plea from Clive in the Bury Times (ed well done Clive). E-mailed him and was about to attend nets when the weather turned nasty. Clive and the guys must have decided to take a chance and I managed to gain selection for the 2nds at ELPM for the opening fixture of that season. Got some kit together, borrowed Paul Forrest’s bat & pads and just about remembered to put my left leg well down the wicket – took it from there.

Q2. Who else have you played for over the years and why did you leave?

Going back, played 2nd XI cricket at uni with occasional forays into the 1st XI (sound familiar?) and did quite well (team wise) at Welsh uni level. Before that it was Stand GS 1st XI and also played for the all conquering ELPM under 18’s in 1979 (with Andy Goram). Won the league and cup final (at Woodbank!- sound familiar?) where I dropped a dolly (sound familiar?) standing at square leg unable to run as I’d got a bad deadleg playing footy the day before. Even further back, debuts for both junior school and grammar school were first ball ducks!! (one being an ‘Ablett style forget to leave a foot behind the crease’ stumping)

Q3. Best batting performance?

Like Smifffffy, I have had three good performances for the club (of over 50). Biggest (and therefore best) was the 78no against Little Lever (ed.Darcy Lever surley, a touch of the rowdies there) in a potentially tricky Hunter Cup tie in last year’s glorious run. Wouldn’t have minded seeing if that could have gone onto a ton. Just a pretty steady knock really, feeling I needed to redeem myself after running Skunners out (since when he has become a good mate especially after our bonding partnership in the final). Clouted a big-ish six near the end too, even though it wasn’t counted in the end of season averages (Shunter take note). Right at the start of my TSJ career, I shared a stand of 140-odd with Mick Jones at Swinton (of 93no fame) too!

Q4. Best bowling performance?

Has to be my one and only, never to be repeated five-fer a season or two ago against Westleigh or it might have been Greenfield. Bowled one with a rare spot on delivery, got two with great catches by Mozzer and Smiffffy with the final two being typical Ainscoe leg traps – full tosses on leg stump caught in the deep by Danny M and Graham (who was busy chatting with our No.1 fan at the end house at the time). Also bowled a respectable 8 overs for about 18 in a cup match (against Westleigh again I think) which was rained off before we batted. Had to come back on a Monday when Ross & Jonesy knocked the runs off against about 6 fielders.

Q5. Favourite NMCL ground and why?

Must admit to liking traveling to the local ones (nearer you see) – Elton Vale’s big and flat but not a great strip (but with a bar); Woodbank – again big and decent wicket (and with a bar); looking forward to playing at Greenmount (and the bar); and of course, Smiffffy’s choice of Greenfield has to rank highly as most picturesque.

Q6. Least favourite NMCL ground and why (nothing libelous please)?

Probably Fothergills mainly because I never seem to on a winning side there (played for the firsts once when we lost on the last ball – winning runs scored by ‘God’s dad’ -quote Mitcheson) and we always play on a strip which ends up with ‘long’ leg being about 15 yards from the bat. There’s the danger of asbestosis when you go searching for balls behind the pavilion and these must be the smallest changing rooms in the league. It has a small, but disappointing bar, although the appearance of a slip cradle for pre-match entertainment was a bit of a bonus last year. Clearly, I’m looking forward to spending the weekend there for the league/cup double header.

Q7. Funniest thing you have seen happen on a cricket field?

Most games serve up some memorable comedy moments, but probably something involving Rowdy or run outs (or both) – like when he called for a runner at Chew Brook Moor (“just call it Metal Box”) and immediately ran himself out; or the time when Jonesy ran himself out by so far that we’d hardly crossed and even Steve Hinchley couldn’t believe he’d called for a run; or the time I played for Bury lads under 15’s at Burnley (I think) - huge ground; thought the umpire had given me run out; traipsed all the way back into the pavilion to be told I wasn’t out; traipsed all the way back into the middle only to be out next ball (surprise surprise). Skunners running between the wickets at F&H a couple of years ago while trying to stop his box sliding round his totally unsupportive boxers and down his leg was a hoot, especially when he started trying to throw it into the trees and three conkers fell out (I mean horse chestnuts, not Skunner’s ‘conkers’).

Q8. What personal goals have you set yourself this season?

Wouldn’t mind a bit more consistency with the bat after me holidays to try and top last year’s run tally. I’d like to see if I could turn a big score into the magical three figures before I burn my bat – never been there. Must also try to pitch the ball up a bit more whenever I get a chance to bowl and also to be less of a bloody liability in the field as last year when I couldn’t catch a tennis ball. Just to make a contribution to the team really.Off the field, I’m working to get the newsletter in a format to Kieran so he can get the damn thing printed in colour sometime this year – actually, we could do with a printing company to do it for free for some ‘advertising’; get it in the local pubs and library, glossy cover, annual subscription, Xmas annuals……sorry, my mind’s racing.

Q9. What do you put your Cliff Richardsesque young looks down to (some magic cream)?

Not, as you suggested, celibacy (with just the two obvious lapses). Partly down to a rigorous diet of crisps, chocolate, tomatoes, meat and prawns; a rocket-like metabolism; and the unnerving ability to stay naturally quite fit and active!

Q10. Are you painting the fence again this year, if so how long will it take and do you think you can smash last years time?

No, don’t know and not bothered. Don’t forget, it’s taken a couple of seasons to get where it completely done once! and it seems to be in reasonable nick apart from the short stretch about 9 panels round from the pavilion where the combination of cheaper paint and help from Kieran (although he denies it) which doesn’t look too good. Perhaps at the start of next season when the weather is dry (ha!) I might get started on topping up (just to avoid facing Paul Meehan in the nets). The first bit is the most time consuming as it’s the part which is in the batsman’s line so that needs to be kept reasonably clean, but once you get halfway round and the fence gets lower, you get a second wind. I shall of course be painting in the ‘purist’ way - with a brush as opposed to roller or spray.