THE photograph of the St Andrew's cricket team from 1980, published in the sporting nostalgia section on June 27, certainly evoked memories for readers.

Former player Cliff Bray recalled his time at the club and its history in an email to The Bolton News.

He said: "I played for St Andrew's CC from 1968 through to 1982 until retiring after damaging cruciate ligaments in my knee – in of all places the indoor cricket nets at Old Trafford.

The line-up in the photograph is back, from left, me, David Tatton, Neil Seddon (pro), Geoff Worthington, Paul Craig, Keith Townley; front, “Kipper” (scorer), Keith Mann, Mike Edwards, Paul Tatton, Danny Toze (wicketkeeper) and Harold Killey.

"Geoff Worthington and I opened the innings for the club that season.

"Paul Tatton was skipper having replaced his brother Peter in this role as Peter, who usually opened the innings, unfortunately sustained a badly broken finger while playing against Clifton in the second match of that season.

"St Andrew's played at Chapel Fields, the cricket ground being situated about halfway between Walkden town centre and Hilton Lane, just off the A6 Manchester Road East down Ellesmere Avenue and adjacent to the disused Bolton Great Moor Street to Manchester railway line.

"As its name suggests, the ground was owned by the local Methodist church.

"The club began as Walkden Wesleyans CC in 1888 playing on a ground on Walkden Moor, now covered by the Mount Skip housing estate.

"It moved in 1918 from the moor to Chapel Fields where a cricket field, bowling green, two red shale tennis courts and a croquet green were developed.

"In 1980 at the time of the photograph all but the croquet green were still in use.

"The eastern part of the outfield had been dug up and relaid during the late 1940s as two large water mains were driven in a trench across it before bridging the adjacent railway where they can still be seen 'outcropping'.

"As a result, this part of the outfield was distinguished from the undulating remainder by being perfectly level and the best part to field out on – at least before tea.

"The only drawback was that the cricket pitch itself was laid out east to west and on sunny evening sessions the setting sun made tracking any ball skied into the air extremely difficult for the fielder on this eastern boundary, much to the amusement of the watching spectators.

"Play was sometimes stopped for 15 minutes or so in the evening session by the umpires on appeal by the batsman, who couldn't see the bowler coming out of the setting sun.

"The club entered the Bolton and District Cricket Association in 1921 and in 1932 changed its name to Walkden Moor Methodists, winning the Cross Cup in 1937 and league championships in 1940, 1942 and 1951 (joint winners with Adlington).

"In 1965 the club was renamed again, this time to St Andrew's Methodists CC.

"The cricket club built a new clubhouse in 1977 to replace the rapidly decaying old wooden structure but was not allowed to have a bar as the land was church owned.

"Consequently, after-match discussions and altercations between home and away players and supporters were undertaken in the surroundings of the public house called The Albion (known affectionately to club members as 'Thalbion' or more usually the 'TH') at the top of Hilton Lane, some 400 metres from the ground.

"The landlord of the 'TH' at one time in the 1970s played for the team and would open his establishment early on Saturday evenings in case of an early finish or washout.

"The club had to move out of its Chapel Fields ground in the 1990s when the church sold the land and the cricket club subsequently merged with Bolton Cricket Club to become Bolton St Andrew's, playing at Green Lane.

"Chapel Fields is now a collection of detached houses with only the name of one of its roads, 'Cricketfield Lane', giving any hint of its history.

"Roy Cavanagh in his book Cotton Town Cricket, where some of the above information can be found, also presents yet more of the history of St Andrew's and those other Bolton Association Cricket Clubs who were playing in the Association at the time of its centenary year – 1988."

Cliff also submitted an old photograph of the Chapel Fields ground after its final game.

He added: "This was taken the week after the final cricket match had been played there and before the builders arrived.

"It is taken from the side of the ground adjacent to the old railway line and shows the pavilion situated on the west side of the ground at the end of Ellesmere Avenue."