Stanley Cricket Club no longer exists but at one time they were leading lights in the Mid Durham Senior League.

Les Davies recalls the 1974 season when they lifted The Northern Echo and Sports Despatch Cup.

Les said: "We played Lands CC in the final at Fishburn and heard that Lands had arrived with crates of bubbly all ready to celebrate, that was a spur to us.

"We put them all out for about 90 and decided at the interval that we would play sensible cricket and get them in singles. The plan was soon thrown out of the window as very quickly we were 15 runs for five wickets.

Frankie Griffiths came in and started to belt the ball around in his usual way. He finished with 46 not out and I made 26 as we passed their total.

"We weren't the most professional of sides as myself, Frankie and Geoff had to be dragged out of Billy Row Club most Saturdays by Harold Wilsher. Harold was captain and there was a slope on the Stanley wicket. At every home game Harold would come out, look at the wicket and the weather conditions and then decide to bowl down the hill leaving little Gary Cutler to bowl uphill.

"Donny Brown was never out but the funniest thing I ever saw was when Peter Scott dived to stop a ball at Stanley. The matches and cigarettes in his pocket ignited and I've never seen him move so fast.

"Some lads though were keen and Tommy Griffiths once opened the batting, was hit on the head and went to hospital for stitches. Hecame back to complete a 50."