'FOX stopped play' for the Gregson Cricket Club last week. After a long day's play the Lancaster team were close to victory. All they had to do was bowl out the last batman from the Sussex outfit, Bexhill... the only trouble was they only had four balls left in which to do it. But, just as the tension reached its climax, a fox appeared, strolled calmly through the tight ring of close catchers, and wandered around the stumps.

Player Jon Barry takes up the story: "The fox seemed totally unphased by the match situation and was undoubtedly the coolest participant on the pitch! He eventually passed silently from square leg through gully to depart out of sight beyond third man.

"It was the highlight of the tour."

But the Lancaster men's brains had been foxed by the incident and, laughing, they were unable to press home their advantage against the southerners and the match ended in a humorous draw.

But Jon wasn't too downhearted by his side's failure to win. "I've only ever caught glimpses of foxes before, never close up like this. The Bexhill players weren't half as phased as us. They told us they saw foxes all the time at their club. I just wish I'd had my camera handy, it would have made a great picture. But I must admit my mind was elsewhere at the time."

The Gregson cricket club did the city proud on their tour. They fought their way to three admirable draws and an unlucky defeat in the hotbeds of southern cricket in Kent and Sussex. They drew against Nonington, Tunbridge Wells and St John's of Hastings but were beaten by a very strong Headcorn side. Next year they hope to tour either Nottingham or Northumberland... they hope not to be foxed there!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.