FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - A strange feat at cricket has just come to hand, viz, a batsman taking the willow at the commencement of an innings in a good match, and bringing his bat out without scoring. The case occurred with the York Wanderers v Selby, when the former scored 63 and the latter 62 runs, the batsman being Mr Geo Sumner, of Catton, who was playing with the York team. Although playing throughout the innings steady, defensive cricket, he brought his bat out at the fall of the tenth wicket without having succeeded in recording a single run.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - Miss Joan Sayer, third daughter of Mr and Mrs J R Sayer, 186, Clifton Road, Darlington, sailed yesterday on the ss Ranchi for Australia to take up a teaching post in the Perth district. Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School and Ripon Training College, Miss Sayer taught at Salford and Kirkby Stephen, before coming to the Gurney Pease School, Darlington. For the past two years she has been teaching crippled children at Northallerton Orthopaedic Hospital. Her father has been secretary-manager of Darlington Farmers' Auction Mart Co for the past five and a half years and previously was secretary of Hawes Mart for ten years. He was a member of Aysgarth Rural Council for 20 years.

From this newspaper 25 years ago. - News of Bing Crosby's gift of £1,000 to the Kirkby Malzeard Playing Field fund reported in the D&S Times last year has apparently spread across the Atlantic. A Mrs S M Patterson, of West Park Lane, Leeds, recently received a Press cutting from a friend in Florida. It shows the "old crooner", dressed in shorts, during his grouse shooting visit to the Dallowgill Moors. The short caption explains that Bing had such a good time that he contributed 2,000 dollars to the village playing field fund. "He's not only a fine singer, he's a fine gentleman," a local is recorded as saying.