Brigg Matters Issue 62 Autumn 2021

Howzat for a fundraising
effort in Brigg
Nigel Fisher
An impressive £837.46 was raised for the Stroke
Association charity through a special cricket match
played at Brigg Recreation Ground (the Rec.) on the last
Saturday in June. It involved current members of the
Town club and former regulars who retired long ago but
were determined to support this worthy cause.
Match fees from those who took to the field, and a raffle
with a fine range of donated prizes, got things off to a
good start by totalling £650 on the day. More donations
followed over several weeks from other Brigg residents
and people living far and wide who could not make it to
the Rec.
The key factor behind the very successful fundraiser
was the name of the game - The Gary ‘Bottler’ Smith
Testimonial. Gary, better known by his childhood
nickname, is one of the most popular cricketers ever to
have represented the Town club, which he did for many
seasons from 1980 until illness intervened.
A very reliable opening batsman, he shared in a couple
of league record partnerships and played for Brigg Town
on three home grounds in different decades, The Rec.,
Sir John Nelthorpe School and Brigg Sugar Factory, off
Scawby Road.
Gary and his wife Tracy, who live in Brigg, watched the
game throughout and were delighted to see so much
raised for the Stroke Association. Played in ideal sunny
conditions, the match was co-ordinated by long-serving
club all-rounder Jack Richards who tweaked some of the
usual Twenty-20 format rules to ensure players ‘got a
game’ with an opportunity to bat and perhaps bowl a few
overs, something a number of the long-retired ex-Town
participants had not attempted for many seasons.
The team with the much higher average age took to the
field first, in the heat, and did well to limit their younger
opponents to 121. The more senior side’s reply then
made steady progress until the scores were level, at
which point the stumps were drawn. Match tied, honours
even!
Guy Haxby, Steve Marshall, Adam and Mark Dunderdale,
Lee Fielden and Ross Richards were among those to
score freely with the bat.
Notable former Brigg Town allrounder
Garry ‘Gig’ Smith (now
aged 80) was the most senior
of the seniors to take part in
the match, followed by David
Willey (67); quite a contrast
with some of the current Town
players on duty who are still in
their teens or early 20s!
Once everyone had left the field
the raffle was drawn on the
boundary near the car park and
then some of the players and
spectators made the short walk
to Brigg Town Football Club’s
Hawthorns venue for traditional
after-match refreshments in
the bar.
Clockwise from left: Simon Fisher; Lee Fielden with Gary ‘Bottler’ Smith;
Nigel Fisher (left).
28 Brigg Matters
Brigg Matters 29