The project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), aims to capture for posterity, recollections and memories from people involved in cricket at all levels in Derbyshire.
Over 40 videos have now been published on the CDF’s website official YouTube channel for supporters to view. Click HERE to view videos.
This first selection of recordings includes former Derbyshire and Test match stars Bob Taylor, Geoff Miller, Kim Barnett and Harold Rhodes, and features current Derbyshire players, including Captain Billy Godleman, Wayne Madsen and Tony Palladino.
The collection also includes videos from people who make such a large contribution to the game at a local level, like Neil Kellogg, Chairman at Spondon Cricket Club, and Peter Young, for so long a stalwart on and off-the-field at Shipley Hall Cricket Club.
You can also watch one of Derbyshire’s best-known women cricketers, Charlotte Horton, talking about her cricketing life at Darley Dale Cricket Club, while Chris Sheldon talks about his experiences as a volunteer at last summer’s Women’s World Cup.
The interviews have been conducted throughout the county over the course of the past year by a group of volunteer interviewers, most of whom are Derbyshire County Cricket Club members, and who have received training from the East Midlands Oral Heritage Archive as part of the project.
Project Manager, David Griffin said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to capture these memories from such a wide range of people, and their affection for and commitment to the game is so obvious from their contributions.
“We’re delighted with the response we have received so far, but we are still on the lookout for contributors, especially those who play a role in the recreational side of the game and Members of the Club to come and talk about their cricketing memories.”
CDF Chairman, Michael Futers added: “We are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund and everyone involved in the project. This has been a huge undertaking by the team and it will be great to see the first of these recollections come alive and be accessible to a wide audience.
“The game of cricket in Derbyshire has a rich heritage and over the years cricket at all levels has played a major role in community life. As well as historical value, this new collection will form the basis of education and community support programmes for years to come.”