GOOGLIES & CHINAMEN
An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 107
November 2011
Len Stubbs
Last month I had the sad task of passing on to readers the news of Len Stubbs’ death. I invited recollections and anecdotes and am delighted to have received the following
First from Bob Peach
An unexpectedly auspicious day in the Spring of early 1959 brought together Corporal Stubbs and Private Peach as part of the National Service system to defend our country against all comers. Training completed we both spent the next six months on the cricket fields of England to be repeated the next year in various army teams. Following our demobilisation in 1961 and my becoming captain at South Hampstead Len joined the club together with several other talented players.
Through the 60’s and early 70’s he was one of two outstanding batsmen in a strong successful side. Terry Cordaroy provided the anchor stability and Len a complimentary flair and excitement with aggressive and adventurous shots all round the wicket. Not only did he score at a fantastic rate he often turned difficult wickets and situations into a totally different game. His club career record of almost 15000 runs at an average of nearly 40 contained many, several single handed, match winning innings for South Hampstead which he also carried through to Club Cricket Conference teams and Hertfordshire. His positive approach to batting was accompanied by top class fielding at cover and slip, and the confident enthusiasm to keep wicket and bowl seam and off-spin as required.
This all round prowess was not restricted to cricket. Len regularly played rugby and badminton to a high standard; and in more casual tennis, squash and even as outside left in the South Hampstead soccer team regular players were invariably surprised. It was perhaps predictable that following cricket he played golf to scratch.
A genuine top class sporting all-rounder Len has left many vivid memories for both colleagues and opponents in several sports. For me in cricket alone there are many to cherish and my own cricketing career is that much richer by being a part of Lens’. Deservedly identified as the ‘Legendary Len Stubbs’ he is one legend that I shall remember long into the future.
Next Allen Bruton
I think the scorecard below from a Middlesex League match played in July 1972 illustrates Len’s incredible talent. The fall of wickets show that of 113 runs scored while he was at the wicket Len was responsible for all but 6 of them. Some will assume that this is simply explained by my presence although I would point out that just over half of the runs were scored prior to my arrival. My role was to count to six, lower head and charge to the opposite end, further testimony to Len’s ability ensuring that this was inevitably the danger end. After nearly forty years I can still recall the succession of proper cricket strokes sending the ball to the boundary. Len was a genuine number three or four batsman not a slogger having a once in a lifetime innings. I doubt there has been a more destructive batsman to grace the London club cricket scene.
TEDDINGTON v SOUTH HAMPSTEAD
SOUTH HAMPSTEAD INNINGS:-
T.Cordaroy c Richardson b Clark 30
G.Brebner c Richardson b Clark 45
L.Stubbs c Carmichael b Hurst 107
A.Bruton not out 18
M. D’Silva b Hurst 1
H. Tucker b Carmichael 2
I.Jerman b Carmichael 0
R. Peach b Hurst 1
G.Howe not out 4
W.Hart dnb
A.Cox dnd
EXTRAS 21
(7 WKTS. 42.5 OVERS) 229
FALL OF WICKETS:-
1-85, 2-144, 3-198, 4-201, 5-206, 6-206, 7-213
From Bob Fisher
I was desperately sorry to learn that Len Stubbs had passed away. He was a very fine player and one of the most feared batsmen of his day. For me he ranked alongside David Hayes as being one of those guys who once they got in had the ability to take any bowling attack apart. I also have fond memories of happy hours spent with him in the bar after the game.
From Robin Ager
It was soon after I joined South Hampstead in 1963 that Len played an innings against Slough (148* in, I recall, about 90 minutes) that marked him out as an exceptional batsman. I can't be sure how good the opposition attack was, but no other SH player distinguished himself. He was not always as punishing as that, of course: if he had been, he would no doubt have played regularly at a higher level. But his potential to destroy any attack when he was in the mood probably accounted for some of the mean declarations against us.
A friend from university, who was at school with Len, told me that he was an excellent all-round sportsman: he played rugby to a high standard, and also proved to be the best of our group when we were persuaded to play tennis at the club. I think he became a more than useful golfer, but others may have followed his fortunes more closely than me.
Although he often gave me a lift, and I found his company agreeable, I didn't get to know him well. I had the impression that, for all his cricketing brilliance, he was not a very confident man.
Next Bill Hart
Even though the sad news about Len Stubbs was half-expected, it still came as a nasty blow to all those who played with him. Anyone who has done that will know that it is very difficult to choose a place to start a reminiscence.
Yes, he was the most exciting batsmen that most of us have ever played with. Yes, he could be so infuriating, when he got himself out to some very ordinary bowler, usually with a "lavatory push" into the gully. This latter problem always seemed to me because, once set, he had 2 or 3 wonderful shots that he could play to any ball.
Oddly enough, I knew quite a lot about him before I met him. When I was in my early 20's, and playing for an Old Boys side in South London, my closest friend, John Warren (later a fine player at Nat West Bank) told me about Len. They had played together in the Southern Railway team, with Harry Stubbs. John would go on and on about this amazing young man, who was extremely scruffy in appearance and yet apparently was able to murder good bowling, in a most elegant style.
By the time I met him in April 1962, National Service had (a) smartened him up somewhat, and (b) introduced him to Bob Peach, who subsequently brought him to South Hampstead.
His legendary status as a destroyer of decent bowling, was still with him, "in spades". In addition to this devastating batting, he was a fine mover and thrower at cover point. However, as we had Alvin Nienow to field at cover, Len converted himself into a very reliable first slip. At a pinch he could also bowl, leg spin & googly, off spin, and very accurate "seam-up". Quite a talent! But of course it was his batting that everyone remembers.
It has been well-documented in this publication, that I am obsessed with statistics (ask Steve Wright), and Len's are exceptional. In the period 1961-75 he reached the 1000 run landmark 9 times. However, it is not how many he scored, but how he made them that lives in the memory.
I find it impossible to pick the best of his innings that I saw, but two really stand out. At Dulwich in 1962, on a really poor, rain-affected wicket, the home side struggled, taking over 45 overs to reach 137 for 7, declaring at what they felt was a winning score. Len asked to open, and then scored 94 not out off 26 overs. It did not seem possible. Then, at Tunbridge Wells, in 1969, on a terrible wicket, he scored 120 out of 167 for 8. The next highest score was extras at 16. Again, you had to be there to believe it.
Although Len lost his way in later years, it was a pleasure to play with him. His batting on many occasions was truly unforgettable.
And finally some observations of my own
I first met Len Stubbs in 1963 when I joined South Hampstead. He was vice captain to Bob Peach of the first eleven. He was involved in the Friday Colts nets and so he was one of the first members that I came into contact with. In due course I saw some first team games and witnessed some of his extraordinary talent. However, it was only when I found myself in the same side that a full appreciation of his skill became possible.
Len did just about everything the opposite of what we had been taught by Jack Robertson and others on winter evenings at the Finchley indoor school. He generally batted four, five or six although I can remember some sides who were unlucky enough to have him open the batting against them. We were always told to sit outside the dressing room in the open air, get used to the light and see, as best we could, what the oppositions bowlers were doing. Len would invariably prepare for his innings in the dressing room. He didn’t want to see how the rest of us were performing or whether the bowlers were imposing themselves.
He wore white cotton gloves under his batting gloves and would put these on in the dressing room. While he waited for the next wicket to fall he would chain smoke untipped Senior Service cigarettes and the ends of his cotton gloves would have nicotine smudges. When he went out to bat there was always an air of expectancy from our side as we always knew that potentially we could witness something exceptional. From the opposition there was a sort of dread that they were in for a mauling. If he got out quick there was enormous relief from them.
When I started to play in the first eleven Len was one of two of the best batsmen on the circuit who batted in our top order. They had enormously contrasting styles and were both feared by oppositions for differing reasons. Len was a hitter; the other was Terry Cordaroy who batted with phenomenal concentration and technique. It was intimidating to bat with either as us ordinary mortals would always be overshadowed however well we played. I had to develop a technique for batting with each. With Terry it was one of watching and learning. He was always very supportive and generous with tips and help. For example, I learnt to play with soft hands on damp wickets from Terry.
With Len it was completely different. I was mainly out there to run when the ball didn’t reach the boundary. If things went wrong and I found myself facing a ball I knew I had to get off strike as quickly as possible. Normally this meant that I would dab down onto the offside and go flat out for the other end. Any hesitation and Len would be alongside me telling me to go. As soon as Gray Nicholls introduced the Supershort bat Len got one and used them for the rest of his career. They suited his low profile at the crease.
I have given considerable thought to what made his style so devastating. Essentially it was based on a great eye. Although he could play all round the wicket when he was “in the mood” he would hit any length at any pace into the legside. This was extraordinary to witness on a good wicket but on a soft or bad wicket it was unbelievable. The timing was exquisite and the ball would race to the boundary.
By the mid seventies he had fallen under golf’s spell and played cricket Saturday’s and golf on Sundays. His powers started to wane on the cricket field but he still featured in Ian Jerman’s double winning side of 1974. I persuaded Len to take part in one of the South Hampstead shows in the seventies. He was infuriating to direct as he would turn up to rehearsals pissed after eighteen holes but on the night he was magnificent and had a great voice.
I hadn’t seen Len for twenty five years and didn’t recognise him at first when he came to the 2004 reunion at South Hampstead but he gave me a great bear hug when he spotted me. It was a privilege to have known so gifted a person who always did things his own way.
Out and About with the Professor
I received the Professor’s copy too late for inclusion in last month’s edition and so we can enjoy two essays this month
I wonder how many Googlies readers have visited Corfu. This September was my first visit and, having strolled though the older part of Corfu Town my wife was not entirely amazed to find that somehow we had stumbled across the famous cricket pitch. It fills the larger part of a square between the Old Castle and the Liston – a French-inspired colonnade. The pitch is Astroturf (or some such) laid on concrete although someone seems to have hacked a large piece out of the middle which must make batting quite interesting. The two other hazardous activities are fielding and watching. The outfield scarcely really justifies the name. There are great tufts of Mediterranean grass of some sort and then bare patches and weeds of all descriptions. There is also, as befits a square in the middle of town, a great deal of litter. In short, the only practicable approach to fielding would be the Monty Panesar boot and even then your ankles, knees and nether regions would be under severe threat.
An even greater threat awaits spectators, since the street side of the ground has a line of attractive open air cafes. The idea of sitting in a café, eating your mezze and watching cricket seems almost idyllic were it not for the fact that the pitch cannot be more than 35 or 40 yards away. Any half competent player served up a long hop must be forever belting it into the diners. Only if they have had enough Greek wine to be insensible (a precondition for drinking Greek wine anyway) would they not be discomforted.
Many games are played on this pitch, although the island has several others, and I was told that nowadays it is mainly used for youth cricket. I’m not sure that helps very much. Most of the young people I see playing cricket these days are more than able to hook the ball 40 yards and some would gleefully plonk the ball among the wine glasses and the crockery.
I was thinking that this was the ropiest ground I had ever seen but then I remembered another celebrated pitch in Singapore. The Singapore Cricket Club has one of the finest pavilions on the planet with two restaurants, several bars and a magnificent snooker room in the basement, but the ground, at least when we were there, was, in effect, a rubbish dump. I couldn’t see how cricket could be played there. Both venues host teams from the UK and the MCC visit regularly. Perhaps some Googlies readers have been amongst those parties and have a happier tale to tell?
The other sad tale this season has been that of my adopted county – Yorkshire. Peter Webster both a Googlies reader and a Yorkshireman asked me for my views as to what went wrong and I sent him the following:
I don't think there is any mystery as to why Yorkshire went down - I wrote in Googlies, at the start of the season, that it was going to be impossible to replace Rudolph's 2,500 runs in all cricket in 2010...and so it proved. Lyth had a predictably worse year than 2010 (don't they always, young players who have a great first full season struggle in the next? Plus he didn't have Rudolph at the other end) It is all very well for the Chairman to spit and swear because his money has "saved" the Club but the Club spent all the transfer budget on Sidebottom (he asked for £200k per season but was "knocked down a bit"). He has had a predictably good season but he is not going to get 2,500 runs and the boys (they are little more) coming into the team: Root, Balance, Bairstow could hardly be expected to mature that fast. Sayers has had two years off with a mystery illness and, in any event, is a very limited performer. At the last AGM there was a lot about letting young players "step up to the plate" and it sounded like wishful thinking then. You can't replace a world class batsman with some up-and-coming youngsters. Even so, Yorkshire probably would have held on if Gale had not got injured - his was a big loss.
As for the rest: Rashid has been going backwards for a couple of years now. He is a very good all round cricketer but he leaks runs and I was amazed last year, that he got so many wickets with bad balls. That can work for a time, but not for ever. Oliver Hannon-Dalby lost the radar a bit and spent most of the year in the Seconds. Patterson was preferred but he is not too frightening and really after Sidebottom there was not too much in the Yorkshire attack to worry about. They need to do a "Finn" with OH-D and build him up to bowl at pace. McGrath has not got back to his pre-captaincy form and is now not worth a place in the side - he has had a poor year with the bat, virtually doesn't bowl anymore and, except in the slips, is a liability in the field. (Losing Rudolph also meant losing an excellent slipper). I've never been much of a fan of Wainwright - I think left arm spinners should be tall and trouble you for length - he just lobs it up and hopes that the batsmen will make mistakes. So, all in all, pretty dire. Let's hope that Gale is fit next year, Bresnan gets dropped by England and Chairman Graves gets some more of his grocer’s money out to buy someone who can bat. Or...do we want an all-Yorkshire team permanently stationed in Div 2? This years’ AGM will be interesting.
And then
Almost all Googlies readers will be aware of the significance of the date 20th October 1861. It was of course the date on which the first ever England cricket team to Australia set sail on Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain. The side was captained by the Surrey player HH Stephenson and the tour was sponsored by a Melbourne catering firm who, apparently, had sought an alternative to their unsuccessful attempt to get Charles Dickens to visit Australia on a reading tour. The tour seemed to have been a great success with 15,000 people watching the “England” team’s first match against 18 Melbourne players. While Stephenson’s side was considered well short of the best that could have been fielded (apparently, although this is hard to believe, a number of players from the north of England refused to go because the fees were not thought to be great enough) all the games were played “against odds” and the side lost only two from the 12 matches played.
Thus it was that on the self-same day 150 years later I found myself in the first class quarters (naturally) on Brunel’s ship attending a dinner organised by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club to celebrate the great event. The above information was vouchsafed by a nautical looking gentleman who was part of the SS Great Britain Experience (or somesuch) staff but I have checked it out in Alan Gibson’s excellent book on English cricket captains and it seems to be true – or as true as it needs to be.
After the drinks and chat we all went “below decks” (you can see I’m getting the hang of this) for a splendid meal which rather heavily stressed the link, with starters such as “Kangaroo terrine”… and so on.
Heathfield Harman Stephenson, to give him his full name, was, according to Gibson, a fine after-dinner speaker: “An accomplishment”, noted Gibson, “which many other captains had to learn, often painfully”. Our post-prandial squad of David Allen, David Frith and Gus Fraser had avoided the captaincy of their country and thus (sadly for us) the painful but fruitful learning process.
David Allen made some general remarks about the excellent year Gloucester had had and introduced the two guest speakers, forgetting, in the process, the name of one of them (Fraser). David Frith is a celebrated cricket author and statistician and his name will be known to many Googlies readers. As a public speaker he is a celebrated author and statistician. He took, as his brief, the need to give us some detail about this first voyage. Actually, it was more than “some” detail. David thought we would like to know everything about each of the players – I think there were twelve, but there may have been fifty – what they ate, what they drunk, how the slept, what they talked about, what they thought they might talk about (I may have just made that one up) and so on. Gus was a relief after all that but he is also not one of nature’s public speakers and although a few Daren Gough stories went down well I couldn’t help but thinking that at, apparently, £2,000 for the night, it was easy money – more particularly since the prompt cards that I saw him use were fairly well thumbed. Gus was, so I learned, himself a replacement for John Major who, like Dickens before him, had pulled out of the “gig”.
Fortunately the table at which I was seated contained a jolly crowd (number of whom are Googlies readers) and the venue was majestic. I also won the table sweepstake for predicting the length of time of Gus’ speech (about 35 minutes I think). Should any readers be invited to a dinner where Mr Frith is speaking (and accept the invitation) I suggest you don’t bet on anything under an hour.
Ealing Matters
I asked Bob Fisher the respective merits of the sixties side against the current one
My response to your question regarding the respective merits of the current Ealing Ist XI and the side that I was privileged to captain in the early 1970’s, I do believe that the current side is the best side that the club has had in my time at the club. Comparisons are difficult to make as so much in the game has changed with covered wickets, quality of bats, range of shot etc but the current side’s record of seven league wins in succession is likely to be a record that is likely to remain for many years to come. My bowling attack of a combination of Bill Hatchett, John Lindley, Alan Coxon, Alan Price, Rod Woolley and Peter Mitchell bears comparison with the attack of the present side but only Brian Stevens, who would be an automatic selection in any Ealing side of my time, and possibly John Poore could claim batting spots in the current eleven. In my day, most sides had a batting tail that began at eight or nine.
On more than one occasion this season, Ealing’s current side fielded a team in which all eleven had made first team centuries. As evidence of this Oliver Wilkin for much of the season was batting at number ten. He was moved up to open the innings two thirds of the way through the season and responded with several hundreds. In line with cricket in general, the quality of the fielding is much improved. Ealing’s current domination of Middlesex League cricket is directly attributable to the wonderful colts section at the club with the current side often fielding eight former colts and this season the league was won without an overseas player. The colts section which was set up by the late Mervyn Mansell way back in 1955 now has around 430 colts and fields colts teams from Under 6’s to Under 18’s.
For the last six seasons, former colts Luke Stoughton and David Holt have captained the club and this is likely to be the format for years to come with both Chris Peploe and Mylo Wilkin candidates to pick up the captain’s mantle in years to come. Ealing’s Second team also won their division which augers well for another successful season for the club next year. The First team will have to do without Ned Eckersley who has signed a contract with Leicestershire whilst Oli Wilkin’s appearances might be limited as his excellent season has been rewarded with a two year summer contract by Middlesex.
No doubt we shall be hearing from Bill Hart on this matter
Middlesex and Surrey Matters
The Great Jack Morgan gives us his views on developments
I probably agree with Paddy Carlin's suggestion that Surrey might do better than Middx next season. However, it all depends on who can make the most significant signing(s), with each of them really needing a spinner and Middx perhaps needing two. The latest news is that Jamie Dalrymple is leaving Lord's, apparently because he wants some sort of leadership or management role, while Ollie Rayner has now joined on a three year contract. Many of us think that Ollie is a fine cricketer, but that his bowling is not quite as penetrative as we would want, so further strengthening of the spin department would be welcome. Paddy looks like getting his man as Kartik is now certain to be leaving Somerset and this could be a crucial development (though Murali's record this season was only 26 wickets at 34 apiece). Paddy thinks Surrey also need an opener (though I think Tom Lancefield should be given a decent crack at the role), but it was Middx who actually signed one in Joe Denly, though not many had another opener down as a priority. Further news is that Adam London has signed on for one more year and that quick(ish) left arm over merchant Gurjit Sandhu (ex-academy) has signed a two year contract. Middx have signed 19 year old allrounder Ollie Wilkin from Ealing CC and Loughborough MCCU on a 2 year contract. Paul Stirling has signed on for 3 more years.
Blimey! Snapping up Joe Denly was a bit of a shock. He is a good player, but has not yet quite fulfilled his potential. This gives us a whole clutch of openers: Strauss, Robson, Rogers, Newman, Stirling and now Denly, while Malan, Dexter, Simpson, Scollay and London have also done the job. I was also impressed with Joe's leg-spinning at the Oval this year (6 wickets in the match), though his overall record is nothing to get excited about. Have Middx become rich? Are MCC subsidising us? It must be a blow to Kent to lose both Joe and MVJ, no wonder they pulled out the stops to keep Northeast.
Wisden Cricketer Matters
This publication which was an amalgam of the old cricket monthly magazines now calls itself something else but has looser editorial control even than Googlies. The Great Jack Morgan was compelled to write to the editor:
“Several points need to be made about the November issue:
i) page 16: MJ Bywater is right about the intimidating notices at first class grounds, but in fact, spectators are regularly invited to perambulate and yes, even to "have knock about on the hallowed turf" at many of the grounds that I visit, especially at the Oval and Lord's;
ii) page 20: "after 105 years of first class cricket at Garon Park" is total nonsense!
iii) page 54: Gordon Greenidge playing for Sussex? Surely this should be Geoff Greenidge!
iv) page 62: not sure who that is in the photograph, but Ross Whiteley is a left-hander;
v) page 62: best bowling of the season? M Hoggard 0-95 v A Strauss 241*, what absolute rubbish!
vi) page 70: Player of the Season: Tom Linley! Shame you could not even get his name right!
vii) page 71: Chris Wright has played for Middlesex, Essex and Warwickshire, but not Gloucestershire.
viii) page 78: my memory is that the late season cup final (Gillette, Nat West etc) was traditionally held on the first Saturday in September, not in August.
This was a poor effort.”
England Matters
The Great Jack Morgan comments on the recent humiliating debacle
Another day, another ODI defeat. England's performances in ODIs have often been described as inconsistent, but come back inconsistency, what we have now is far worse: totally consistent and totally awful. I criticised the selection of the bowlers for the trip (see above), but the batting, which ought to have been strong, was nearly as bad. Finny did quite well and Stephen Brenkley in the Indy made him the only success of the tour, said he deserved better figures and called him a "complete fast bowler". He was easily the leading bowler with 8 wickets at 31.9 (next best average was 45.5) and even averaged 27 with the bat (only out once). Even so, calling him the only success was a little harsh on Trotty (batting average 50.4), KP (42.5) and Samit (40 and it was he who was second in the bowling averages). I gather that Woakesy got injured early on, but it seems weird to call up Onions, but then prefer the experimental Surrey pair of Dernbach and Meaker, neither of whom has impressed as much as Tim Linley in the Surrey matches I have seen and who took 3 for 279 between them.
Spirit Matters
John Isterling has been exchanging emails with me regarding the Bell run out debacle. I suggested that one might contend that because he was given out both captains, far from showing the spirit of the game, actually brought it into disrepute by contesting the umpire’s decision. If there were grounds for such an overturn then surely the captains must be consistent and stop the ridiculous appealing whenever the ball hits a pad and in particular when they all know it has hit the bat first.
John disagrees with me and thinks Bell should not have been given out. He concluded with this anecdote “Many years ago I had a quiet word with a captain to get him to stop perpetual appeals from all in his side every time the ball hit the pads. He immediately announced volubly to his team that the umpire wanted his side to stop appealing altogether. I was given the lowest possible marks by this fellow on every aspect of my umpiring in the game even to the extent that I was scruffily attired! So much for the spirit of cricket as copied from the professionals in the amateur game!”
Too old Matters
I think that the selectors by picking Bairstow (22), Buttler (21), Stokes (20), Hales (22), Woakes (22), Finn (22), Meaker (22) and Borthwick (21) for the one day sides has sent an unwanted message to the older guys. It seems to me that the guys in their mid twenties may have been bypassed. So those who seemed to be being groomed for international duties through experience on Lions tours etc such as Hildreth (27), Gale (27), Malan (24), Davies (25), Mustard (29), Compton (28), Carberry (30), Denly (25) Plunkett (26) Onions (29) and Rashid (23) may find it extremely hard to get back in the frame. If there is any doubt about the pedigree of the younger set currently being preferred there is a slew more where they came from – Dawson (21), Vince (20), Kerrigan (22), Cobb (21), Taylor (21), Meschede (19), Maynard (22), Roy (21) and Root (20). Of the current incumbents Kieswetter is by no means a fixture yet and Bopara seems to be hanging on by the grace of Uncle Graham the England batting coach. The current England management give players a good run to prove themselves but the young guns are queuing up to take their places.
I ran this by The Great Jack Morgan who commented
You might be right about some of those blokes now being considered to be too old, though I do not believe that they would permanently rule out those who are only 23, 24, 25 especially as there are still question marks over some of those young lads currently in the limited over squads. Also, the Test squad has a slightly different age profile and I believe that even though Onions, for example, may be 29, he only needs continued good form (plus an injury or two perhaps) to be back in the frame. Davies is another that I expect to be close to Test selection: if Prior were to get injured or lose form, I do not believe the replacement would be Bairstow or Buttler (though I have seen little or nothing of their keeping) and probably not Kieswetter either. Rashid is having a dodgy spell at present, but at 23, I do not think he can be ruled out in the medium term as there are so few promising spinners who can also bat; at present, he appears to have been overtaken by Borthwick, but the latter's development has a way to go.
Red Mist Matters
The final week of the Champions Twenty20 League saw six scores of over 200 and some extraordinary individual feats of hitting. It started on the Monday when the Bangalore Royal Challengers made 206 for 6 against Somerset. Chris Gayle did the serious damage scoring 86 from 46 balls with eight sixes. However, this was just an hors d’ouevre for what was to follow.
When he played Twenty20 cricket for Middlesex in 2010 David Warner looked like a little fat bloke who got out a lot. On the Tuesday he scored 135 not out for New South Wales against the Chennai Super Kings with eleven fours and eight sixes from just 69 balls. This took his side to 201 for 2 which was more than enough for the Chennai Super Kings.
On Wednesday South Australia made 214 for 2 against the Bangalore Royal Challengers with Harris and Ferguson scoring the runs but Chris Gayle replied with three sixes in a fifteen ball 26 and then Dilshan and Kohli both made 70s before Shaun Tait took five wickets but Bangalore won off the last ball reaching 215 for 8.
On Friday Warner carried on where he had left off three days earlier and went to 123 not out with six fours and eleven sixes from 68 balls as New South Wales reached 203 for 2. In two innings within four days Warner scored more than he did for Middlesex in thirteen innings and was not dismissed! Gayle and Kohli made short shrift of this target with the former scoring 92 from 41 balls with eight fours and eight sixes. Kohli was still there at the end with 84 from 49 balls as Bangalore won by six wickets with nine balls to spare.
By contrast with all this the final was a low scoring affair with no-one reaching fifty and James Franklin top scoring on the day.
Minor Counties Matters
The Great Jack Morgan reports
I went to Gerrards Cross, a lovely ground in lovely weather, for the Eastern Division Championship match between Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, though some felt that bowling might have been the better option and the doubters were soon proved correct as Cambridgeshire were bowled out for 82 shortly after lunch by 45 year old seamer Simon Stanway (6 for 25) and UsmanArif (3 for 45) who has played for Gloucs and Worcestershire 2s, while Middlesex 2s bowler Tom Helm took 1 for 9. The main resistance came from David Clarke (29) and Gary Freear (20). Ex-Middlesex and Leicestershire keeper Joel Pope was playing for Bucks in this match and though he has not been able to dislodge David Cranfield-Thompson from the keeper's job, Joel actually picked up twice as many victims in this innings as DRJCT, as he collected 4 catches at short leg. Bucks did not look comfortable at the start of their innings, but they passed the Cambridgeshire’s total with only 3 wickets down and a dogged 30 from HamzahTaj, who has also played for Gloucs 2s, and more attractive efforts from Pope (27), Bobby Sher (40), Jim Benning, ex-Surrey and Leics (58) and Arif (22) saw the home side through to 235 all out.
Cambridgeshire did much better second time around with nightwatchman Joey Barrs (69) in the starring role with good support coming from opener Peter Richer (31), Freear (42) and keeper Paul Summerskill (37) in their total of 283, while the most successful bowler was left arm spinner Vikram Banerjee, still on the Gloucs staff, with 3 for 100. Bucks needed only 131 to win, but collapsed to 45 for 5 (though the 5 included twonightwatchmen) and then had to cope with some very unhelpful weather on the last day as captain Jason Harrison (ex-Middx) and Pope restored Bucks' superiority with a stand of 76 for the 6th wicket before Harrison fell for 29. Sher finished the match in a hurry with 13 off 5 balls, leaving Pope unbeaten with an excellent 50 off 38 balls as Bucks won by 4 wickets. Visiting skipper Paul McMahon (ex-Notts) was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 46.
Morgan Matters
Many of you will be desperate to know the Great Jack Morgan’s statistics for 2011. Well he sent me this: “I took my total of cricket watching days up to a record total of 61, despite only 5 days in September (compared to 14 in 2009).”
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An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 107
November 2011
Len Stubbs
Last month I had the sad task of passing on to readers the news of Len Stubbs’ death. I invited recollections and anecdotes and am delighted to have received the following
First from Bob Peach
An unexpectedly auspicious day in the Spring of early 1959 brought together Corporal Stubbs and Private Peach as part of the National Service system to defend our country against all comers. Training completed we both spent the next six months on the cricket fields of England to be repeated the next year in various army teams. Following our demobilisation in 1961 and my becoming captain at South Hampstead Len joined the club together with several other talented players.
Through the 60’s and early 70’s he was one of two outstanding batsmen in a strong successful side. Terry Cordaroy provided the anchor stability and Len a complimentary flair and excitement with aggressive and adventurous shots all round the wicket. Not only did he score at a fantastic rate he often turned difficult wickets and situations into a totally different game. His club career record of almost 15000 runs at an average of nearly 40 contained many, several single handed, match winning innings for South Hampstead which he also carried through to Club Cricket Conference teams and Hertfordshire. His positive approach to batting was accompanied by top class fielding at cover and slip, and the confident enthusiasm to keep wicket and bowl seam and off-spin as required.
This all round prowess was not restricted to cricket. Len regularly played rugby and badminton to a high standard; and in more casual tennis, squash and even as outside left in the South Hampstead soccer team regular players were invariably surprised. It was perhaps predictable that following cricket he played golf to scratch.
A genuine top class sporting all-rounder Len has left many vivid memories for both colleagues and opponents in several sports. For me in cricket alone there are many to cherish and my own cricketing career is that much richer by being a part of Lens’. Deservedly identified as the ‘Legendary Len Stubbs’ he is one legend that I shall remember long into the future.
Next Allen Bruton
I think the scorecard below from a Middlesex League match played in July 1972 illustrates Len’s incredible talent. The fall of wickets show that of 113 runs scored while he was at the wicket Len was responsible for all but 6 of them. Some will assume that this is simply explained by my presence although I would point out that just over half of the runs were scored prior to my arrival. My role was to count to six, lower head and charge to the opposite end, further testimony to Len’s ability ensuring that this was inevitably the danger end. After nearly forty years I can still recall the succession of proper cricket strokes sending the ball to the boundary. Len was a genuine number three or four batsman not a slogger having a once in a lifetime innings. I doubt there has been a more destructive batsman to grace the London club cricket scene.
TEDDINGTON v SOUTH HAMPSTEAD
SOUTH HAMPSTEAD INNINGS:-
T.Cordaroy c Richardson b Clark 30
G.Brebner c Richardson b Clark 45
L.Stubbs c Carmichael b Hurst 107
A.Bruton not out 18
M. D’Silva b Hurst 1
H. Tucker b Carmichael 2
I.Jerman b Carmichael 0
R. Peach b Hurst 1
G.Howe not out 4
W.Hart dnb
A.Cox dnd
EXTRAS 21
(7 WKTS. 42.5 OVERS) 229
FALL OF WICKETS:-
1-85, 2-144, 3-198, 4-201, 5-206, 6-206, 7-213
From Bob Fisher
I was desperately sorry to learn that Len Stubbs had passed away. He was a very fine player and one of the most feared batsmen of his day. For me he ranked alongside David Hayes as being one of those guys who once they got in had the ability to take any bowling attack apart. I also have fond memories of happy hours spent with him in the bar after the game.
From Robin Ager
It was soon after I joined South Hampstead in 1963 that Len played an innings against Slough (148* in, I recall, about 90 minutes) that marked him out as an exceptional batsman. I can't be sure how good the opposition attack was, but no other SH player distinguished himself. He was not always as punishing as that, of course: if he had been, he would no doubt have played regularly at a higher level. But his potential to destroy any attack when he was in the mood probably accounted for some of the mean declarations against us.
A friend from university, who was at school with Len, told me that he was an excellent all-round sportsman: he played rugby to a high standard, and also proved to be the best of our group when we were persuaded to play tennis at the club. I think he became a more than useful golfer, but others may have followed his fortunes more closely than me.
Although he often gave me a lift, and I found his company agreeable, I didn't get to know him well. I had the impression that, for all his cricketing brilliance, he was not a very confident man.
Next Bill Hart
Even though the sad news about Len Stubbs was half-expected, it still came as a nasty blow to all those who played with him. Anyone who has done that will know that it is very difficult to choose a place to start a reminiscence.
Yes, he was the most exciting batsmen that most of us have ever played with. Yes, he could be so infuriating, when he got himself out to some very ordinary bowler, usually with a "lavatory push" into the gully. This latter problem always seemed to me because, once set, he had 2 or 3 wonderful shots that he could play to any ball.
Oddly enough, I knew quite a lot about him before I met him. When I was in my early 20's, and playing for an Old Boys side in South London, my closest friend, John Warren (later a fine player at Nat West Bank) told me about Len. They had played together in the Southern Railway team, with Harry Stubbs. John would go on and on about this amazing young man, who was extremely scruffy in appearance and yet apparently was able to murder good bowling, in a most elegant style.
By the time I met him in April 1962, National Service had (a) smartened him up somewhat, and (b) introduced him to Bob Peach, who subsequently brought him to South Hampstead.
His legendary status as a destroyer of decent bowling, was still with him, "in spades". In addition to this devastating batting, he was a fine mover and thrower at cover point. However, as we had Alvin Nienow to field at cover, Len converted himself into a very reliable first slip. At a pinch he could also bowl, leg spin & googly, off spin, and very accurate "seam-up". Quite a talent! But of course it was his batting that everyone remembers.
It has been well-documented in this publication, that I am obsessed with statistics (ask Steve Wright), and Len's are exceptional. In the period 1961-75 he reached the 1000 run landmark 9 times. However, it is not how many he scored, but how he made them that lives in the memory.
I find it impossible to pick the best of his innings that I saw, but two really stand out. At Dulwich in 1962, on a really poor, rain-affected wicket, the home side struggled, taking over 45 overs to reach 137 for 7, declaring at what they felt was a winning score. Len asked to open, and then scored 94 not out off 26 overs. It did not seem possible. Then, at Tunbridge Wells, in 1969, on a terrible wicket, he scored 120 out of 167 for 8. The next highest score was extras at 16. Again, you had to be there to believe it.
Although Len lost his way in later years, it was a pleasure to play with him. His batting on many occasions was truly unforgettable.
And finally some observations of my own
I first met Len Stubbs in 1963 when I joined South Hampstead. He was vice captain to Bob Peach of the first eleven. He was involved in the Friday Colts nets and so he was one of the first members that I came into contact with. In due course I saw some first team games and witnessed some of his extraordinary talent. However, it was only when I found myself in the same side that a full appreciation of his skill became possible.
Len did just about everything the opposite of what we had been taught by Jack Robertson and others on winter evenings at the Finchley indoor school. He generally batted four, five or six although I can remember some sides who were unlucky enough to have him open the batting against them. We were always told to sit outside the dressing room in the open air, get used to the light and see, as best we could, what the oppositions bowlers were doing. Len would invariably prepare for his innings in the dressing room. He didn’t want to see how the rest of us were performing or whether the bowlers were imposing themselves.
He wore white cotton gloves under his batting gloves and would put these on in the dressing room. While he waited for the next wicket to fall he would chain smoke untipped Senior Service cigarettes and the ends of his cotton gloves would have nicotine smudges. When he went out to bat there was always an air of expectancy from our side as we always knew that potentially we could witness something exceptional. From the opposition there was a sort of dread that they were in for a mauling. If he got out quick there was enormous relief from them.
When I started to play in the first eleven Len was one of two of the best batsmen on the circuit who batted in our top order. They had enormously contrasting styles and were both feared by oppositions for differing reasons. Len was a hitter; the other was Terry Cordaroy who batted with phenomenal concentration and technique. It was intimidating to bat with either as us ordinary mortals would always be overshadowed however well we played. I had to develop a technique for batting with each. With Terry it was one of watching and learning. He was always very supportive and generous with tips and help. For example, I learnt to play with soft hands on damp wickets from Terry.
With Len it was completely different. I was mainly out there to run when the ball didn’t reach the boundary. If things went wrong and I found myself facing a ball I knew I had to get off strike as quickly as possible. Normally this meant that I would dab down onto the offside and go flat out for the other end. Any hesitation and Len would be alongside me telling me to go. As soon as Gray Nicholls introduced the Supershort bat Len got one and used them for the rest of his career. They suited his low profile at the crease.
I have given considerable thought to what made his style so devastating. Essentially it was based on a great eye. Although he could play all round the wicket when he was “in the mood” he would hit any length at any pace into the legside. This was extraordinary to witness on a good wicket but on a soft or bad wicket it was unbelievable. The timing was exquisite and the ball would race to the boundary.
By the mid seventies he had fallen under golf’s spell and played cricket Saturday’s and golf on Sundays. His powers started to wane on the cricket field but he still featured in Ian Jerman’s double winning side of 1974. I persuaded Len to take part in one of the South Hampstead shows in the seventies. He was infuriating to direct as he would turn up to rehearsals pissed after eighteen holes but on the night he was magnificent and had a great voice.
I hadn’t seen Len for twenty five years and didn’t recognise him at first when he came to the 2004 reunion at South Hampstead but he gave me a great bear hug when he spotted me. It was a privilege to have known so gifted a person who always did things his own way.
Out and About with the Professor
I received the Professor’s copy too late for inclusion in last month’s edition and so we can enjoy two essays this month
I wonder how many Googlies readers have visited Corfu. This September was my first visit and, having strolled though the older part of Corfu Town my wife was not entirely amazed to find that somehow we had stumbled across the famous cricket pitch. It fills the larger part of a square between the Old Castle and the Liston – a French-inspired colonnade. The pitch is Astroturf (or some such) laid on concrete although someone seems to have hacked a large piece out of the middle which must make batting quite interesting. The two other hazardous activities are fielding and watching. The outfield scarcely really justifies the name. There are great tufts of Mediterranean grass of some sort and then bare patches and weeds of all descriptions. There is also, as befits a square in the middle of town, a great deal of litter. In short, the only practicable approach to fielding would be the Monty Panesar boot and even then your ankles, knees and nether regions would be under severe threat.
An even greater threat awaits spectators, since the street side of the ground has a line of attractive open air cafes. The idea of sitting in a café, eating your mezze and watching cricket seems almost idyllic were it not for the fact that the pitch cannot be more than 35 or 40 yards away. Any half competent player served up a long hop must be forever belting it into the diners. Only if they have had enough Greek wine to be insensible (a precondition for drinking Greek wine anyway) would they not be discomforted.
Many games are played on this pitch, although the island has several others, and I was told that nowadays it is mainly used for youth cricket. I’m not sure that helps very much. Most of the young people I see playing cricket these days are more than able to hook the ball 40 yards and some would gleefully plonk the ball among the wine glasses and the crockery.
I was thinking that this was the ropiest ground I had ever seen but then I remembered another celebrated pitch in Singapore. The Singapore Cricket Club has one of the finest pavilions on the planet with two restaurants, several bars and a magnificent snooker room in the basement, but the ground, at least when we were there, was, in effect, a rubbish dump. I couldn’t see how cricket could be played there. Both venues host teams from the UK and the MCC visit regularly. Perhaps some Googlies readers have been amongst those parties and have a happier tale to tell?
The other sad tale this season has been that of my adopted county – Yorkshire. Peter Webster both a Googlies reader and a Yorkshireman asked me for my views as to what went wrong and I sent him the following:
I don't think there is any mystery as to why Yorkshire went down - I wrote in Googlies, at the start of the season, that it was going to be impossible to replace Rudolph's 2,500 runs in all cricket in 2010...and so it proved. Lyth had a predictably worse year than 2010 (don't they always, young players who have a great first full season struggle in the next? Plus he didn't have Rudolph at the other end) It is all very well for the Chairman to spit and swear because his money has "saved" the Club but the Club spent all the transfer budget on Sidebottom (he asked for £200k per season but was "knocked down a bit"). He has had a predictably good season but he is not going to get 2,500 runs and the boys (they are little more) coming into the team: Root, Balance, Bairstow could hardly be expected to mature that fast. Sayers has had two years off with a mystery illness and, in any event, is a very limited performer. At the last AGM there was a lot about letting young players "step up to the plate" and it sounded like wishful thinking then. You can't replace a world class batsman with some up-and-coming youngsters. Even so, Yorkshire probably would have held on if Gale had not got injured - his was a big loss.
As for the rest: Rashid has been going backwards for a couple of years now. He is a very good all round cricketer but he leaks runs and I was amazed last year, that he got so many wickets with bad balls. That can work for a time, but not for ever. Oliver Hannon-Dalby lost the radar a bit and spent most of the year in the Seconds. Patterson was preferred but he is not too frightening and really after Sidebottom there was not too much in the Yorkshire attack to worry about. They need to do a "Finn" with OH-D and build him up to bowl at pace. McGrath has not got back to his pre-captaincy form and is now not worth a place in the side - he has had a poor year with the bat, virtually doesn't bowl anymore and, except in the slips, is a liability in the field. (Losing Rudolph also meant losing an excellent slipper). I've never been much of a fan of Wainwright - I think left arm spinners should be tall and trouble you for length - he just lobs it up and hopes that the batsmen will make mistakes. So, all in all, pretty dire. Let's hope that Gale is fit next year, Bresnan gets dropped by England and Chairman Graves gets some more of his grocer’s money out to buy someone who can bat. Or...do we want an all-Yorkshire team permanently stationed in Div 2? This years’ AGM will be interesting.
And then
Almost all Googlies readers will be aware of the significance of the date 20th October 1861. It was of course the date on which the first ever England cricket team to Australia set sail on Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain. The side was captained by the Surrey player HH Stephenson and the tour was sponsored by a Melbourne catering firm who, apparently, had sought an alternative to their unsuccessful attempt to get Charles Dickens to visit Australia on a reading tour. The tour seemed to have been a great success with 15,000 people watching the “England” team’s first match against 18 Melbourne players. While Stephenson’s side was considered well short of the best that could have been fielded (apparently, although this is hard to believe, a number of players from the north of England refused to go because the fees were not thought to be great enough) all the games were played “against odds” and the side lost only two from the 12 matches played.
Thus it was that on the self-same day 150 years later I found myself in the first class quarters (naturally) on Brunel’s ship attending a dinner organised by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club to celebrate the great event. The above information was vouchsafed by a nautical looking gentleman who was part of the SS Great Britain Experience (or somesuch) staff but I have checked it out in Alan Gibson’s excellent book on English cricket captains and it seems to be true – or as true as it needs to be.
After the drinks and chat we all went “below decks” (you can see I’m getting the hang of this) for a splendid meal which rather heavily stressed the link, with starters such as “Kangaroo terrine”… and so on.
Heathfield Harman Stephenson, to give him his full name, was, according to Gibson, a fine after-dinner speaker: “An accomplishment”, noted Gibson, “which many other captains had to learn, often painfully”. Our post-prandial squad of David Allen, David Frith and Gus Fraser had avoided the captaincy of their country and thus (sadly for us) the painful but fruitful learning process.
David Allen made some general remarks about the excellent year Gloucester had had and introduced the two guest speakers, forgetting, in the process, the name of one of them (Fraser). David Frith is a celebrated cricket author and statistician and his name will be known to many Googlies readers. As a public speaker he is a celebrated author and statistician. He took, as his brief, the need to give us some detail about this first voyage. Actually, it was more than “some” detail. David thought we would like to know everything about each of the players – I think there were twelve, but there may have been fifty – what they ate, what they drunk, how the slept, what they talked about, what they thought they might talk about (I may have just made that one up) and so on. Gus was a relief after all that but he is also not one of nature’s public speakers and although a few Daren Gough stories went down well I couldn’t help but thinking that at, apparently, £2,000 for the night, it was easy money – more particularly since the prompt cards that I saw him use were fairly well thumbed. Gus was, so I learned, himself a replacement for John Major who, like Dickens before him, had pulled out of the “gig”.
Fortunately the table at which I was seated contained a jolly crowd (number of whom are Googlies readers) and the venue was majestic. I also won the table sweepstake for predicting the length of time of Gus’ speech (about 35 minutes I think). Should any readers be invited to a dinner where Mr Frith is speaking (and accept the invitation) I suggest you don’t bet on anything under an hour.
Ealing Matters
I asked Bob Fisher the respective merits of the sixties side against the current one
My response to your question regarding the respective merits of the current Ealing Ist XI and the side that I was privileged to captain in the early 1970’s, I do believe that the current side is the best side that the club has had in my time at the club. Comparisons are difficult to make as so much in the game has changed with covered wickets, quality of bats, range of shot etc but the current side’s record of seven league wins in succession is likely to be a record that is likely to remain for many years to come. My bowling attack of a combination of Bill Hatchett, John Lindley, Alan Coxon, Alan Price, Rod Woolley and Peter Mitchell bears comparison with the attack of the present side but only Brian Stevens, who would be an automatic selection in any Ealing side of my time, and possibly John Poore could claim batting spots in the current eleven. In my day, most sides had a batting tail that began at eight or nine.
On more than one occasion this season, Ealing’s current side fielded a team in which all eleven had made first team centuries. As evidence of this Oliver Wilkin for much of the season was batting at number ten. He was moved up to open the innings two thirds of the way through the season and responded with several hundreds. In line with cricket in general, the quality of the fielding is much improved. Ealing’s current domination of Middlesex League cricket is directly attributable to the wonderful colts section at the club with the current side often fielding eight former colts and this season the league was won without an overseas player. The colts section which was set up by the late Mervyn Mansell way back in 1955 now has around 430 colts and fields colts teams from Under 6’s to Under 18’s.
For the last six seasons, former colts Luke Stoughton and David Holt have captained the club and this is likely to be the format for years to come with both Chris Peploe and Mylo Wilkin candidates to pick up the captain’s mantle in years to come. Ealing’s Second team also won their division which augers well for another successful season for the club next year. The First team will have to do without Ned Eckersley who has signed a contract with Leicestershire whilst Oli Wilkin’s appearances might be limited as his excellent season has been rewarded with a two year summer contract by Middlesex.
No doubt we shall be hearing from Bill Hart on this matter
Middlesex and Surrey Matters
The Great Jack Morgan gives us his views on developments
I probably agree with Paddy Carlin's suggestion that Surrey might do better than Middx next season. However, it all depends on who can make the most significant signing(s), with each of them really needing a spinner and Middx perhaps needing two. The latest news is that Jamie Dalrymple is leaving Lord's, apparently because he wants some sort of leadership or management role, while Ollie Rayner has now joined on a three year contract. Many of us think that Ollie is a fine cricketer, but that his bowling is not quite as penetrative as we would want, so further strengthening of the spin department would be welcome. Paddy looks like getting his man as Kartik is now certain to be leaving Somerset and this could be a crucial development (though Murali's record this season was only 26 wickets at 34 apiece). Paddy thinks Surrey also need an opener (though I think Tom Lancefield should be given a decent crack at the role), but it was Middx who actually signed one in Joe Denly, though not many had another opener down as a priority. Further news is that Adam London has signed on for one more year and that quick(ish) left arm over merchant Gurjit Sandhu (ex-academy) has signed a two year contract. Middx have signed 19 year old allrounder Ollie Wilkin from Ealing CC and Loughborough MCCU on a 2 year contract. Paul Stirling has signed on for 3 more years.
Blimey! Snapping up Joe Denly was a bit of a shock. He is a good player, but has not yet quite fulfilled his potential. This gives us a whole clutch of openers: Strauss, Robson, Rogers, Newman, Stirling and now Denly, while Malan, Dexter, Simpson, Scollay and London have also done the job. I was also impressed with Joe's leg-spinning at the Oval this year (6 wickets in the match), though his overall record is nothing to get excited about. Have Middx become rich? Are MCC subsidising us? It must be a blow to Kent to lose both Joe and MVJ, no wonder they pulled out the stops to keep Northeast.
Wisden Cricketer Matters
This publication which was an amalgam of the old cricket monthly magazines now calls itself something else but has looser editorial control even than Googlies. The Great Jack Morgan was compelled to write to the editor:
“Several points need to be made about the November issue:
i) page 16: MJ Bywater is right about the intimidating notices at first class grounds, but in fact, spectators are regularly invited to perambulate and yes, even to "have knock about on the hallowed turf" at many of the grounds that I visit, especially at the Oval and Lord's;
ii) page 20: "after 105 years of first class cricket at Garon Park" is total nonsense!
iii) page 54: Gordon Greenidge playing for Sussex? Surely this should be Geoff Greenidge!
iv) page 62: not sure who that is in the photograph, but Ross Whiteley is a left-hander;
v) page 62: best bowling of the season? M Hoggard 0-95 v A Strauss 241*, what absolute rubbish!
vi) page 70: Player of the Season: Tom Linley! Shame you could not even get his name right!
vii) page 71: Chris Wright has played for Middlesex, Essex and Warwickshire, but not Gloucestershire.
viii) page 78: my memory is that the late season cup final (Gillette, Nat West etc) was traditionally held on the first Saturday in September, not in August.
This was a poor effort.”
England Matters
The Great Jack Morgan comments on the recent humiliating debacle
Another day, another ODI defeat. England's performances in ODIs have often been described as inconsistent, but come back inconsistency, what we have now is far worse: totally consistent and totally awful. I criticised the selection of the bowlers for the trip (see above), but the batting, which ought to have been strong, was nearly as bad. Finny did quite well and Stephen Brenkley in the Indy made him the only success of the tour, said he deserved better figures and called him a "complete fast bowler". He was easily the leading bowler with 8 wickets at 31.9 (next best average was 45.5) and even averaged 27 with the bat (only out once). Even so, calling him the only success was a little harsh on Trotty (batting average 50.4), KP (42.5) and Samit (40 and it was he who was second in the bowling averages). I gather that Woakesy got injured early on, but it seems weird to call up Onions, but then prefer the experimental Surrey pair of Dernbach and Meaker, neither of whom has impressed as much as Tim Linley in the Surrey matches I have seen and who took 3 for 279 between them.
Spirit Matters
John Isterling has been exchanging emails with me regarding the Bell run out debacle. I suggested that one might contend that because he was given out both captains, far from showing the spirit of the game, actually brought it into disrepute by contesting the umpire’s decision. If there were grounds for such an overturn then surely the captains must be consistent and stop the ridiculous appealing whenever the ball hits a pad and in particular when they all know it has hit the bat first.
John disagrees with me and thinks Bell should not have been given out. He concluded with this anecdote “Many years ago I had a quiet word with a captain to get him to stop perpetual appeals from all in his side every time the ball hit the pads. He immediately announced volubly to his team that the umpire wanted his side to stop appealing altogether. I was given the lowest possible marks by this fellow on every aspect of my umpiring in the game even to the extent that I was scruffily attired! So much for the spirit of cricket as copied from the professionals in the amateur game!”
Too old Matters
I think that the selectors by picking Bairstow (22), Buttler (21), Stokes (20), Hales (22), Woakes (22), Finn (22), Meaker (22) and Borthwick (21) for the one day sides has sent an unwanted message to the older guys. It seems to me that the guys in their mid twenties may have been bypassed. So those who seemed to be being groomed for international duties through experience on Lions tours etc such as Hildreth (27), Gale (27), Malan (24), Davies (25), Mustard (29), Compton (28), Carberry (30), Denly (25) Plunkett (26) Onions (29) and Rashid (23) may find it extremely hard to get back in the frame. If there is any doubt about the pedigree of the younger set currently being preferred there is a slew more where they came from – Dawson (21), Vince (20), Kerrigan (22), Cobb (21), Taylor (21), Meschede (19), Maynard (22), Roy (21) and Root (20). Of the current incumbents Kieswetter is by no means a fixture yet and Bopara seems to be hanging on by the grace of Uncle Graham the England batting coach. The current England management give players a good run to prove themselves but the young guns are queuing up to take their places.
I ran this by The Great Jack Morgan who commented
You might be right about some of those blokes now being considered to be too old, though I do not believe that they would permanently rule out those who are only 23, 24, 25 especially as there are still question marks over some of those young lads currently in the limited over squads. Also, the Test squad has a slightly different age profile and I believe that even though Onions, for example, may be 29, he only needs continued good form (plus an injury or two perhaps) to be back in the frame. Davies is another that I expect to be close to Test selection: if Prior were to get injured or lose form, I do not believe the replacement would be Bairstow or Buttler (though I have seen little or nothing of their keeping) and probably not Kieswetter either. Rashid is having a dodgy spell at present, but at 23, I do not think he can be ruled out in the medium term as there are so few promising spinners who can also bat; at present, he appears to have been overtaken by Borthwick, but the latter's development has a way to go.
Red Mist Matters
The final week of the Champions Twenty20 League saw six scores of over 200 and some extraordinary individual feats of hitting. It started on the Monday when the Bangalore Royal Challengers made 206 for 6 against Somerset. Chris Gayle did the serious damage scoring 86 from 46 balls with eight sixes. However, this was just an hors d’ouevre for what was to follow.
When he played Twenty20 cricket for Middlesex in 2010 David Warner looked like a little fat bloke who got out a lot. On the Tuesday he scored 135 not out for New South Wales against the Chennai Super Kings with eleven fours and eight sixes from just 69 balls. This took his side to 201 for 2 which was more than enough for the Chennai Super Kings.
On Wednesday South Australia made 214 for 2 against the Bangalore Royal Challengers with Harris and Ferguson scoring the runs but Chris Gayle replied with three sixes in a fifteen ball 26 and then Dilshan and Kohli both made 70s before Shaun Tait took five wickets but Bangalore won off the last ball reaching 215 for 8.
On Friday Warner carried on where he had left off three days earlier and went to 123 not out with six fours and eleven sixes from 68 balls as New South Wales reached 203 for 2. In two innings within four days Warner scored more than he did for Middlesex in thirteen innings and was not dismissed! Gayle and Kohli made short shrift of this target with the former scoring 92 from 41 balls with eight fours and eight sixes. Kohli was still there at the end with 84 from 49 balls as Bangalore won by six wickets with nine balls to spare.
By contrast with all this the final was a low scoring affair with no-one reaching fifty and James Franklin top scoring on the day.
Minor Counties Matters
The Great Jack Morgan reports
I went to Gerrards Cross, a lovely ground in lovely weather, for the Eastern Division Championship match between Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, though some felt that bowling might have been the better option and the doubters were soon proved correct as Cambridgeshire were bowled out for 82 shortly after lunch by 45 year old seamer Simon Stanway (6 for 25) and UsmanArif (3 for 45) who has played for Gloucs and Worcestershire 2s, while Middlesex 2s bowler Tom Helm took 1 for 9. The main resistance came from David Clarke (29) and Gary Freear (20). Ex-Middlesex and Leicestershire keeper Joel Pope was playing for Bucks in this match and though he has not been able to dislodge David Cranfield-Thompson from the keeper's job, Joel actually picked up twice as many victims in this innings as DRJCT, as he collected 4 catches at short leg. Bucks did not look comfortable at the start of their innings, but they passed the Cambridgeshire’s total with only 3 wickets down and a dogged 30 from HamzahTaj, who has also played for Gloucs 2s, and more attractive efforts from Pope (27), Bobby Sher (40), Jim Benning, ex-Surrey and Leics (58) and Arif (22) saw the home side through to 235 all out.
Cambridgeshire did much better second time around with nightwatchman Joey Barrs (69) in the starring role with good support coming from opener Peter Richer (31), Freear (42) and keeper Paul Summerskill (37) in their total of 283, while the most successful bowler was left arm spinner Vikram Banerjee, still on the Gloucs staff, with 3 for 100. Bucks needed only 131 to win, but collapsed to 45 for 5 (though the 5 included twonightwatchmen) and then had to cope with some very unhelpful weather on the last day as captain Jason Harrison (ex-Middx) and Pope restored Bucks' superiority with a stand of 76 for the 6th wicket before Harrison fell for 29. Sher finished the match in a hurry with 13 off 5 balls, leaving Pope unbeaten with an excellent 50 off 38 balls as Bucks won by 4 wickets. Visiting skipper Paul McMahon (ex-Notts) was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 46.
Morgan Matters
Many of you will be desperate to know the Great Jack Morgan’s statistics for 2011. Well he sent me this: “I took my total of cricket watching days up to a record total of 61, despite only 5 days in September (compared to 14 in 2009).”
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