Climbing trees at Grimston Cricket Club

When they ask you to be chair of your cricket club for next year, don’t forget to ask about the tree climbing.

It wasn’t in Tim Tilbrook’s job description or person specification of: “Wanted, dead or alive, cricketer needed to chair meetings and climb 80 foot trees carrying chainsaw. Clinically insane preferred. Must have at least 20 psychiatric references.”

A few years ago, Grimston Cricket Club, like so many other village teams, folded completely.

Then it was resuscitated with a less demanding programme.

The Saturday side was terminated and only one team played on Sunday.

This one is top of the division, hoping for promotion, but it is too early to think of a second team. Turn out a first team first.

What does Tim Tilbrook do?

Not much really. He is chairman of the club. His son Mark is captain.

Tim picks the side and makes sure he has 11 players, does the ground, prepares the wicket and looks after the pavilion.

He also does the books and his wife Vivien prepares the teas... Oh, and they both chop down unwanted trees.

Around the pavilion, 30 or more fir trees were undermining the building, swamping the land, threatening the pitch and preventing any development.

Tim gained permission from the landlord, Ian Mason, and the council to chop them down.

That was the easy part. He and Vivien brought the car to the ground and tied a cable to it.

He climbed the first tree carrying the other end of the cable (not the car, he left that on the ground).

At 50 or 60 feet he tied the cable (no, he didn’t go right to the tree-top) and then Vivien drove off in the car.

Oh, Tim climbed down first and then she drove off.

When the tree was low enough for easy access he got out the chainsaw before repeating the process 30 times. Perhaps this is normal in Grimston.

The club has two main needs now: more money and more players.

Equipment is expensive and applications for grants were unsuccessful.

Landlord Ian Mason, whom many batsmen will remember with a shudder (he was quick), generously lets them have the ground free but there are many running costs.

A club like Grimston needs help from above to keep going.

Facilities, resources and equipment need subsidising, not to mention events, competitions and training; and the club needs qualified coaches.

Then there are the players. To run a team, Tim reckons he needs 11 spare players because of call-offs.

He despairs of all the youngsters who don’t play cricket or indeed anything else.

Why aren’t they playing at school? Why aren’t they learning the basics, enjoying themselves so much that they want to play at home too?

By the way, Tim could do with some assistance. How do you contact him?

Just go down to the ground, he’ll be there.

If by some chance he’s not (plague, earthquake, hurricane), his number is on the notice.

Oh, and Sunday’s match between Grimston and North Runcton A was rained off. Due to start at 1pm, it was coated in drizzle for most of the morning and up to 1.30pm.

They called it off and the players went home.

Then the rain stopped and it was fine for the rest of the day.

And then Tim and Vivien had to eat the sandwiches, but at least that task was easier than pulling down the trees.