IT'S just a year since Horsforth Hall Park Cricket Club were enjoying the thrill of winning the Airedale and Wharfedale League's Waddilove Cup final.

They triumphed over Follifoot at Ilkley in an exciting game which marked a double for the Kempton family - father and son Neville and Peter both became cup winners for Park.

It was back in 1954 that Neville appeare in the Hall Park team which beat D P and E at Otley

Neville also played in the side which lost to Burley in 1957 and in the 1975 side that lost to Ilkley.

Neville has given a lifetime of service to the Park club and son Peter - currently keeping wicket for the first team - is following in his footsteps.

Last season's final saw Andrew Doidge emerge as possibly the youngest ever captain

in a Waddilove final and he led his men to a one wicket win over Follifoot for whom West Indian Victor Patrick proved more than a handful.

He took 7-43 off 18 overs as Park were made to struggle for the runs.

Hall Park CC is based in the picturesque setting of Hall Park where the hall was built in 1699 by the Stanhope family.

There is no sign of a cricket ground on the 1850 map pf the park but there is a record of a match being played there in 1885.

County game

Park is probably the only ground in the Airedale and Wharfedale League which has staged a three-day first-class county game.

In August 1885 a Yorkshire X1 played Mr M Hawke's X1 - Mr Hawke subsequently becoming the legendary Lord Hawke.

In the early part of this century Park played teams such as Harrogate, Churwell, Dewsbury, Hanging Heaton and Settle.

Hall Park became founder members of the Airedale and Wharfedale League in 1936 and

the last 20 years has seen enormous strides in improving facilities.

Park won the league title in 1940 for the first time and followed that with championship wins in 1960, 1968, 1980 (Division B), 1986 (Division B) and 1994.

They have won the reserve team championship in 1938, 1939, 1950 and 1981.

Park's first team currently lies eighth in Division A struggling to match the glories of last season but in Andrew Doidge they have a talented young skipper.

Robert Murphy is another youngster seeking to make his mark after joining the club from Pudsey St Lawrence - Doidge's former club.

Both are however Horsforth lads and Park has been very much a side relying on local talent.

They also have a number of players who have devoted their life to the club - men such as

Alan Atkinson , still playing second team cricket at the age of 60 and still producing the goods.

Park's cup success shows those Waddilove Cup wins in 1954 and 1997 as well as Birtwhistle Cup wins in 1958, 1959, 1981 and 1988.

Individual league prizes have been won by batsman Tony Armitage in 1980 and bowlers J Caldwell in 1951 and 1952, R

Gardner in 1958 and Gerald

Hardaker in 1964.

C Briggs won the Don Brennan wicketkeeping prize in 1964 and 1965 with Graham Fletcher emulating him in 1977, 1980 and 1981.

Neil Cowgill won the Under-20 batting prize in 1983 and 1984 while Jamie Simpson won the Under-20 bowling prize in 1994.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.