Rab Dunn.
188pp, Whiteside Publications 2005
ISBN 095505060X.
Price: £9.99
More Than Sixty Summers records the highs and lows of a junior cricket club in Northern Ireland; the 'Glory Days' of the 1950s when Ards could well have made the leap forward into Senior League cricket, and the absolute low when they were relegated in 1959 and soon went into oblivion. It was to be almost 20 years before the club recovered from its setbacks.
The 188 pages of this book form an exhaustive record of the club, both on and off the field, during the period - its outstanding players and officials, as well those whose efforts kept the club ticking over by making the tea and rolling the wickets.
Many scorecards and photographs appear throughout the book, as well as a wide-ranging set of appendices.
Ards Cricket Club celebrates its 60th anniversary on Sunday 3 July with what should prove to be a fun Club Family Day.
The celebrations will begin with a Golden Oldies match against local neighbours Donaghadee. All players will be over 50 and it is hoped that some “very golden” oldies will be participating in a 15-over Test match.
After the match Rab Dunn's excellent diary of Ards cricket More than Sixty Summers will be launched. His book chronicles the history of cricket in the Ards from 1879 – 1940 and includes a detailed diary of Ards CC from 1945-1969 (including the opposition top performances and boys' cricket).
The book contains nearly 200 scorecards and the NCU tables of all leagues in which Ards teams competed. A chapter is devoted to the history of the Ardcuan Ladies CC of the 1940s. The book is complemented by a comprehensive set of Appendices of Ards from 1945 to 2005.
Ards Lacrosse and Cricket Club, Ardcuan Ladies CC, Ards CC, Donaghadee CC and The Newspaper Men CC are all featured in over 50 photographs which magnificently illustrate the book. The strong links between Ards and Regent House are also demonstrated in photographs spanning the school teams from 1936 to 1967.
Author Rab Dunn has been involved with Ards Cricket Club since 1952 as a player and administrator and during his career has captained the Firsts, Seconds and is currently captain of the Third eleven. With the exception of 1961 when the Ards Club dropped out of the Northern Cricket Union Leagues he has always played for Ards.
After the book launch Ards will play Donaghadee in a Twenty20 match before the celebrations will be completed with a bar-b-que.