A CASE of highly unsportsmanlike behaviour in August, 1848, in the early days of the Keighley Cricket Club – not content with felling a batsman by a ball to the head, the bowler is thumbing his nose at his downfall!

This is the work of a talented doodler who enlivened the scorebook with comical sketches.

Presumably this page relates to a practice night, as the club played its first serious match against Skipton that September.

The public was charged threepence a head to watch, while the Caminando Band was “stationed on the ground and much enhanced the pleasure of the day by its performances”.

Keighley won a “very spirited and well-contested game” by 36 runs, their youngest player being by far the highest scorer with 20 runs.

A cold collation was served on the field, with 40 members and friends later enjoying a dinner and “most agreeable evening” at the Devonshire Arms Inn.