Hawksworth Cricket Club celebrate their Golden Jubilee this season and to mark the occasion they are to stage a special match and buffet for all past and present players at Guiseley Cricket Club on Sunday, June 23.

Club President Keith Dibb, one of the founder members when the club started out in Hawksworth village, has moved with the club in its nomadic life to 'home' grounds in Otley, Horsforth and currently Arthington. Keith, who now lives at Cookridge, was the club's first secretary.

Keith is only the fourth president the club has had in its 50 year history. He follows J R Singleton who owned the village pub the Old Brown Cow and was president from 1952-1956; Arthur Davey (1957-1967) and Stan Southards (1968).

The club started out at the Reva ground in Odda Lane in Hawksworth village and was made up of locals from the village. Fred Popplewell, Wharfedale's representative on the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Committee, opened the new ground during a game against Great Horton CC. Mr Popplewell bowled the first ball and the club was underway.

Jim Horner, the gardner at Hawksworth Hall, umpired the match and he also advised on the upkeep of the ground along with G Kendall, the Greenkeeper at Bradford Golf Club.

Early members included Ralph Kay, Leonard Briggs, Raymond Crabtree, Stephen Davey, A Metcalfe, K Robson, J Buxton, T Hanson, M Hardisty, P Busfield, and Keith Dibb.

The club had to leave its home ground in the village in 1970 and then became nomadic playing all away games for a number of years.

When Grove Hill departed their park ground in Otley Hawksworth took over there and indeed celebrated their 25th anniversary there.

When the Otley by-pass was built they had to move on once more and ended up on the new ground opposite Otley Mills but this never proved successful for cricket and Hawksworth moved on again to take up residence at Yarnbury RUFC in Horsforth.

They started playing Bradford Evening League games and with friendly games becoming more and more difficult to arrange Hawksworth moved into Saturday league cricket joining the Dales Council League.

They played their games at Bedquilts in Adel before being invited to share Arthington's ground and that it where they now play.

The current captain is Chris Yewdall, a former Giggleswick School pupil who was brought up in Hawksworth village. In fact he is the only remaining Hawksworth raised player in the team.

In the early days matches had to finish at 6 pm after a complaint from the Vicar, the Rev W Sage. He wanted matches to finish early so that players could go to Evensong.

Keith Dibb recalls:"It did not seem to make much difference to the size of his congregation!"

Keith added:"When we played in Hawksworth the wicket was fenced off with barbed wire and we had to remove all the cow claps before we could play. Mr Singleton's hen hut became our tea hut and we had to fill a ten gallon milk churn with water to make the tea.

Keith recalled: "The hen hut was transported through the village on a hay bogey with a lad on a cycle travelling up ahead to warn traffic of the wide load. As they approached Goose Lane a police car was flagged down and they agreed to assist in closing the road."

We later acquired a wooden office from Harry Ramsden's fish restaurant and this was used as a tea room.

"We used to pay the farmer Rowland Holmes for use of the ground but he would only take cash - no cheques

"The village people were always very supportive and we used to get an annual £15 cheque from the Gaunts at Hawksworth Hall."

Anyone connected with Hawksworth CC over the last 50 years is very welcome to attend the match and buffet at Guiseley CC on June 23. A charge of £5 will be made for the buffet. Enquiries to Keith Dibb on 0113 2678218.