GOOGLIES & CHINAMEN
An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 65
May 2008
Couture Corner
It’s too important to relegate the abolition of the cable knit sweater to “Irritating Trends”. The England management have announced that it has been replaced by the figure hugging Clima-Cool, a man made fibre said to push sweat away from the player’s skin. It’s hard to imagine that anyone welcomes this development but unbelievably Peg Leg said: “The cricket sweater has been my bugbear for many a year,” he said. “This new fabric will give us a lighter feel. Even if it’s a little cold, I am delighted to see the end of the last woolly sweater.” However, I thought that readers would rather see the new England Ladies kit as modeled by fast bowler Isa Gupta:
I asked some of our usual suspects for their comments:
1. William Windsor: Would you like a ride in my ‘copter?
2. Bob Willis: You mean you bowl fast in that?
3. Dolly Parton: You won’t squeeze me into that.
Pamela Anderson: Nor me.
4. Wazim Akram: Don’t you find that it restricts reverse swing?
5. Ken James: Can you play next Wednesday?
6. Jamie Redknapp: Don’t you find that it gives you nipple rash?
7. Enoch Powell: This is just what I said would happen.
Out and About with the Professor-Part 1
I was interested to read your piece on the South Hampstead cricket dinner. These types of events are, I think, worthy of some sociological study. How a club goes about celebrating is, obviously, an important illustration of its collective character. The SH approach sounds slightly secretive, even furtive, but perhaps they would prefer to characterise it as: "selective". But then again, they let you in.
At Welwyn we squeeze about a hundred or so folk into the pavilion, have a very informal and jolly evening with lots of prizes (best batsman, bowler, etc) and reflections and musings from the Club Captain. We always have a table of young cricketers and a fair number of family and friends...indeed the whole event has an extended family feel. The only "formal" speech we have is a tradition of getting our overseas player (or one of them) to speak. Even here the formality is, it would be fair to say, somewhat limited. Last year a significant part of the speech was delivered from a supine position and a memorable speech a few years' back was delivered in Polish. It is not like that at Harrogate Cricket Club.
Last week I toddled along to their annual dinner at the enormous Victorian pile known as the Majestic Hotel. As might be inferred from the name, the Majestic's ballroom was more than big enough to seat the 150 "gentlemen" who all arrived in evening dress and settled down to a six course meal which read rather better than it tasted. Two people were employed to entertain us. The first was a comedian, who was very good, (indeed there were several of his jokes that I had not heard before), and the other was someone called David Graveney.
The former Chairman of Selectors spoke for about half an hour at the end of which he concluded by thanking us all for listening to what he described as: "a pretty average after dinner speech"...which indeed it was. He began by saying that he wasn't upset about being sacked; indeed he referred to this several times so that we could be reassured just how un-upset he was. In fact, he said, he was used to it. It was a family trait. All the cricketing Graveneys had been sacked at one time or another and so it was important to put that behind him and...guess what..."Learn the lessons, be positive and move forward". He reviewed his own cricketing career in a nice self-deprecating way saying that on debut he took 0 - 100 which he also did in his last First-Class game. In between he noted his seminal contribution to Brian Lara's 501 (by getting injured). I haven't the time or inclination to look these things up but if you go in for self-deprecation you presumably get your facts right. I have to say I find this style rather attractive. I mentioned this to my dinner companion who agreed but pointed out, rather uncharitably, that Graveney has much to be self-deprecating about. The best exponent of this approach I ever heard was Kerry O'Keeffe who took the piss out of himself for about an hour and was very funny. Mr. Graveney wasn't quite so amusing; in fact he wasn't very amusing at all but perhaps, in a way, sincere. There were one or two stories of the great and famous and the inevitable Botham tale of his turning up in evening dress on the morning of a test and bowling out Pakistan. I have heard versions of this type of thing so many times that I wonder if can ever have been true. I have heard Parfitt, for example, on three different occasions say that Compton did this and scored a hundred off Hampshire. Can any Googlies reader give first hand conformation of what appears to be a cricketing urban myth?
What the Chairman didn't tell us is, of course, what we all wanted to hear: "How can you be so bloody awful at your job and not resign?” He did say that the preparation for the Ashes tour was poor and the performance: "disappointing". Now I have a suspicion that all the members of his audience knew that. We were however all too polite (this is Harrogate after all) to attempt to forge a link between the performance of the players and the judgment of the man who selected them - and so he sat down to polite applause, and handed out the raffle prizes. I'm not too sure what his new job entails but perhaps handing out the raffle prizes might stand him in good stead.
Three different clubs, three different styles...there must be more...
Out and About with the Professor-Part 2
The first fixture of the county season is always going to excite the passions of the true cricketing anorak and so it was with hope in my heart and faith in the forecast that I set off for the first day at Headingley of Yorkshire v Hampshire.
It turned out to be a lovely spring day and one for Yorkshire to bat through without too many worries. The England captain played a few exquisite shots and then departed (apparently he has been looking very good in the nets); Joe Sayers played no shots at all but managed to bat for an hour or so (or so it seemed); and Andrew Gale got to 99 not out. Since I hold the view that Yorkshire have enough bowling for three 1st XIs and very little batting, it was all most satisfactory. The only really class bat that Yorkshire have is that doughty tyke, Jacques Rudolph, so the others will need to play around and support him.
I popped into the slightly pretentiously-named "Long Room" for lunch and managed to eavesdrop a conversation on the next table. The principal contributor was someone called Harold Bird, and the principal topic was, amazingly, cricketers' clothing. Yorkshire have, this season, given up wearing woolly jumpers and Dicky thinks this is: "a disgrace". They are, apparently: "part of the game", "part of the tradition", "luvely and warm" (think Yorkshire accent) and so on. Dicky still has his first Yorkshire jumper which "proves how well made they were", etc, etc, etc. It might also prove that Dicky is a somewhat reticent shopper - but his companions were too polite to mention that.
What they didn't get around to (or perhaps know about) is that not only have the white rose boys gone over to wearing fleeces (with some magical ingredient that keeps you cool when it is hot and hot when - most of the time in Yorkshire - it's bloody freezing) but they also have new trousers. These were modeled on local TV (it was a "slow news day") by another local - Deon Kruis. The trousers (I think we can dispense with the word "flannels") have two new handy attributes. First they have a built-in piece of felt at the top of the thigh for ball polishing - passed and approved, one assumes, by Mr. Hair; and secondly, they have another magical ingredient ("Slip-U-Fast" - or somesuch) which facilitates sliding along the turf. This has been "scientifically" developed (by ICI or MIT or someone) to aid the modern style of fielding which involves, as you know, sliding along on one knee to intercept even the most gentle prod to short-extra. One hopes that the boys have been practicing...in the nets. Indeed a new and more exciting use of the nets would be to arrest Kruis and his chums in their progress as they skid along happily towards the sightscreens. If they haven't practiced sufficiently I suppose there is a very real chance that one of the younger members of the team might, in an effort to impress, run up alongside the ball, drop to one knee, and career past into the advertising boards while the ball makes a more stately progress, in his wake, to the boundary. Personally, I'm waiting to see the Matthew Hoggard slide; it could be worth the admission fee alone. Who says county cricket is not exciting?
The Langer & Banger Show on Tour
I met up with the Professor at Old Trafford for the second day of the Lancashire v Somerset match. The start had been delayed but when I arrived John Holder and Nigel Cowley were already on their way to the wicket despite the fact that the main cover was still in place and it was raining quite hard. They gave up and came back and since the only cover afforded to spectators is in the main pavilion I found myself scurrying inside. It is a miserable place which has the feeling of the fifties in both décor and poverty. The Long Room belies its name and the windows are heavily curtained which must severely restrict sightlines if you are tempted to watch from its confines. Behind the Long Room is the Members Room whose only concession to the century in which we find ourselves is an enormous TV screen which continuously shows every sport but cricket. However, the principal sense assaulted in here is olfactory. This venue may be the centre of genuine Lancashire cuisine with chips, mushy peas and pies being offered in a bewildering array of combinations. However, it is the devices that are employed to keep these calorie free offerings warm all day which ensure that each visit is welcomed with powerful odours.
Langer & Banger regretting the lack of sunbathing at Old Trafford
The members sit around at round tables bemoaning the fact that Cardiff is to host the first Ashes test next summer and that they don’t have a test. They completely fail to get the point that their stadium (sic) is pre war at best and unacceptable in this century. The blame for the decline in the club’s status must be firmly placed with former Chairman Jack Simmonds and his fellow committee cronies who have dithered in the Brown mode for years and failed to take action to modernise their headquarters.
Paul Horton was far and away the best batsman on display and he will no doubt get stacks of runs. He seems to be English enough to not be one of the various forms of overseas players despite being born in Australia. He will soon be a candidate to carry the drinks for KP and co. Omari Banks was twelfth man which seems an expensive way of getting someone to run on and off with the helmets. He must be wondering how his spinners are rated as well after watching Michael Munday serve up an extraordinary array of long hops and full tosses which unbelievably none of the Lancashire batsmen could bring themselves to despatch to the boundary. The Professor wondered when a leg spinner had last bowled in April at Old Trafford. He was in fact the second this year since Simon Marshall had bowled on the first day. Lardarse also had a bowl but fired it in very flat. Somerset didn’t drop any catches but they look a very poor fielding side with Langeveld in the old tradition of fast bowlers who don’t bother to bend down for the ball on the boundary. I suppose they take the view that, at Taunton at least, they will score enough runs to cover the lapses.
The loud speaker system employed at the ground is fully functional in the toilets but mysteriously absent in the Members Room and so if you want to watch any cricket you have to keep dashing outside to see if it has stopped raining. This is irritating since the number of chairs available is strictly limited and to make this excursion risks losing a hard earned seat.
There were several rain interruptions during the day. At six o’clock it stopped raining and the umpires announced that play would begin at six fifteen. Why wait fifteen minutes? The watery evening sun was certainly not going to dry the outfield during this delay. The umpires then announced that despite the loss of thirty overs during the day only four more would be bowled. I then drove home during the next ninety minutes in brilliant sunshine. When will the members and paying spectators start to get value for money?
Middlesex Matters
The Great Jack Morgan updates us on the overseas player crisis at Lords and miscellaneous xenophobic matters
Disaster has struck Middlesex regarding their recent foreign imports. When I reported the fine form that Ashley had hit for Queensland, it struck me that he might get called up for Australia; but I thought he would get in the ODI squad (for whom he has played previously). He has been omitted from the ODIs, however, but selected for the Test squad. He went on a Test tour to the West Indies once before, but failed to play in a Test, partly because of injury. There is no guarantee that he will get a Test this time either with three established seamers and Hilfenhaus also challenging for a place. However there is little doubt that his quality should be rewarded by Test recognition. Ashley’s replacement is 22-year-old South African all rounder Vernon Philander about whom I can tell you little, except that he has played in five ODIs for South Africa and didn’t do badly, but I suppose he might have been playing against the Zims or the Bangles? If Ashley’s pulling out was expected, it came as a complete shock to hear that Friedel was also forced to pull out because his work permit had been rescinded for unknown reasons. Friedel’s replacement is 31-year-old Australian left arm paceman Dirk Nannes who holds a Dutch passport, but I know even less about Dirk than I do about Vernon. Apparently Rodney Hogg thinks he should be in the Test team instead of Johnson. Philander is an official overseas player and as Nannes has an EU passport, we will not have to employ a Kolpak. The Guardian didn’t bother reporting any of this. The Middlesex website tells us nothing whatsoever about Philander and Nannes, but I did learn that Richo injured his ankle in the friendly at Chelmsford and had to pull out of the MCC side to play Sussex.
When I heard that Ben Hilfenhaus had pulled out of the Oz Test squad, my immediate thought was “Oh no, they’ve called up Dirk”, but it is funnier than that... they have called up Doug Bollinger, whose 16 wickets for Worcester last season cost 44.56 each and impressed nobody, but apparently he has had a “great season” for NSW.
I was totally gripped by the calamity of Grace Road unfolding on teletext. The weak looking Leicester batting line-up walloped the Middlesex attack for 400 and then the Middlesex batting again fell apart with Strauss, Joyce and Compton being particularly culpable. Of course, the Middlesex bowling was weakened by the absence of Richo and the failure to get Ashley, Friedel, Vernon or Dirk into the action. This resulted in a team which was 100% qualified for England (another victory for the xenophobes), but also totally useless. In fact all eleven had actually represented England: Strauss, Shah, Smith, Udal and Silverwood in Tests; Joyce in ODIs; Nash and Compton in the A team; and Godleman, Murtagh and Finn in the U-19s. They lost to a Leicester team that included five foreigners and no England Test players, though Nixon has played ODIs and New and Malik have played at U-19 level. Last season Middlesex did not lose in the Championship until July, but that one defeat (coupled with a meagre collection of batting points) was enough to miss out on promotion (the other defeat came after the promotion places had been decided). This season they have lost at the first time of asking against one of the weakest teams in the division... it looks grim.
Asquith Matters
Jeremy Asquith responded to last month’s profile with the following:
I find it difficult to remember incidents of cheating when playing in the Home Counties. I suspect the southern cheating was too subtle for me. Up North there is more cheating than honest play. Two incidents from my Derbyshire club experiences. Local Farmer hits a monstrous six towards his herd in their usual corner, looks back to notice the bails lying on the floor and nonchalantly bends over and replaces them whilst all around are admiring the disappearing ball. Whilst playing for Darley Dale against Langley Mill in a Compact ground surrounded by a fence I was running round the boundary to field a ball when four old guys sitting on a seat stuck out their legs and tripped me over. The ball went for 4 and on remonstrating with the aforementioned received the reply. “Tha should look where tha’s goin’ in future”.
I have only very hazy memories of becoming a Cardinal. I think Pope Franklin finally allowed me through based on my contribution to the Hemmeling lager bar funds. I remember Derek Battrum only succeeding in becoming a nun, George Hepworth becoming a Tea pot Lid, John Mountjoy suggesting that his uncle Dougie was more important than the Pope and all of us hoping that Kit Fawcett would “in his endeavours to become one” be so drunk that we could make a play for one of his exotic girlfriends.
I first met Don Wallis at Tunbridge Wells. His first endearing words to me were “So you’re the fuckin’ fast bowler who can’t fuckin’ bowl. Some fuckin’ use you are!” I had previously played a few games at Milverton road and as Jim surmised developed a recurring achilles injury. It seemed to get better when I returned to the North in 1981. Luckily I batted at number three and scored 93. “Good job you can fuckin’ bat a bit emanated through the steam in the showers.
Steve Thompson sent me this:
“I was intrigued by the team photo in this month's edition. In particular that it was the prelude to that huge opening stand between Cords and Mark Rigby. The clock says 1.55 pm. Notwithstanding that it might have been wrong ( a distinct possibility!), some questions need to be asked about why only Cords was padded up so close to the 2 pm start. Why was Rigby not padded up? There are several possible answers:
a) The captain's propensity for indecision and prevarication
b) Nobody had been told who was opening but Cords had assumed he was!
c) Everyone else had refused to open - although the presence of Kit Fawcett in the side suggests this is unlikely
d) Rigby had arrived late - in which case should the captain have allowed him to open?
e) 'Riggers' was working on his 'hard as nails' image (which was to soon stand him in good stead for Wasps) and batted without pads.
Wanderers Matters
Bill Hart continues this never ending saga:
“The final situation regarding Sydenham's dates is that Peach was completely wrong. Dave was at Chelsea from approx 1955-1958. Alvin has told me that the St Clement Danes pupil that I was trying to remember, who played at Brentham, was Colin Mattingley, a good player and, for an Old Dane, a very nice bloke. This was unlike Chick Pickering, who I always thought was an armpit. Do you remember Ron Peggs (who was Gill's boyfriend for about six months) & Dave Browning? I remember Dave Browning as a very good fielder who threw ambidextrously. Gill also remembers a Dave Beaton, probably from the same school year as the others. Ring any bells?”
Alvin Nienow sent me this:
”I look forward to more Wanderers stuff and am pleased
to see the slur on Bertie Joel corrected. I am used to having my copious publications attributed to the author.”
My apologies go to Alvin for failing to attribute his glowing report on his magnificent batting at the Oval to himself. I am pleased that he has enjoyed the stuff on the Wanderers annual shindig at the Oval. However, I have never been a Wanderer and was never invited to toddle along to the Oval to take tea with Bertie Joel and his good lady wife. So anyone who wants any more on these annual charabanc outings will have to persuade those who did attend to contribute.
Nevertheless, I am extremely reluctant to disappoint Alvin and have been rummaging around in the South Hampstead scorebooks to find Cricket Week contests against the Wanderers. The earliest I have access to took place on Wednesday 21 June 1961. This predates my days at the club and so my knowledge of some of the participants is limited. Nevertheless, here goes:
The Wanderers batted first in this all day game and their batting order was: Penfold A, Everett, Lockhart, Capps, Penfold D K, Spillard, Fox, Mizler, Bayliss, Pearce and White. I suspect that Harry Bayliss was not a Wanderer and that he was filling in to make up the numbers. The Wanderers amassed 213 all out with A Penfold top scoring with 86. South Hampstead bowled sixty overs and Don Wallis took 5 for 32 and in all used seven bowlers including Ron Hurst, Bob Peach, Bob Cleaver, Bruce Tutton, Jimmy Franklin and someone called D Burnham. Norman Cooper kept wicket and the scoreboard records that he conceded 14 byes which no doubt arose from his custom of standing up to most bowlers and some indifferent radar by the cricket week bowlers.
Bruce Tutton opened for the club with Ron Hurst and they added 52 before Ron was bowled. Jack Wilson and Ron Impey came and went quickly but Alan Clain helped take the score to 126 for 4 before he was caught by Spillard off the bowling of Penfold D. Jimmy Franklin appeared at number six, presumably to employ the long handle, but he soon gave way to Bob Cleaver. Tutton was eventually caught for 79 which brought Bob Peach in; once Cleaver fell at 165 for 7 it was left to Peach to bat with the tail to try to see the hosts home. Wallis was uncharacteristically stumped and then Norman Cooper saw that a draw was achieved.
Does anyone have any anecdotes on the Wanderers who appeared on this occasion?
John Bowerman
John was in the year above me at Furness Road Primary School and was one of my cricket and footballing heroes at that time. I only played with him in the brief period he played at South Hampstead between 1969 and 1971. He was an upright player who hit the ball hard and played several notable innings for the club, not least at Teddington when several of the big names had failed. We were discussing John’s career at the South Hampstead dinner and Terry Cordaroy explained to us that John didn’t bend his front leg. So now we know. If only…
Ken James sent me the following:
"John was a prominent sports player when at school at Willesden County Grammar, featuring notably at both cricket and soccer. After leaving school he began his early adult sporting life for Uffingtonians (the old scholars of WCGS) playing both soccer and cricket for the Uffs When the Uffs cricket disbanded John joined South Hampstead. He played for S.H. at 1st.X1 level during the early 1970s before moving to live in Luton where he played for Luton Town C.C. His professional career was in teaching and he worked for many years at Preston Manor School in Wembley. He became head of the P.E. Dept. and also, I believe deputy head of school. His sporting association at this time was as an Old Manorians soccer player where he also served as Club Captain, match secretary and, latterly Chairman. He took up refereeing and become well respected in both the Old Boys League and the wider Amateur Football Alliance organisations. During this time he also played some cricket for Wembley C.C. His early footballing years were blighted by some quite major injuries involving plates being inserted in his leg and this probably inhibited his soccer progress in particular and his recent premature death came after a long fight against cancer. He was well remembered by the large attendance at his funeral at Ruislip on Friday April 4th.
Allen Bruton sent me this:
“I went through Willesden Grammar with John and he was an amazingly talented cricketer, footballer, runner, jumper, thrower etc. and therefore no surprise that he went on to enjoy a career as a PE teacher. I enjoyed some good times with John and as seventeen year olds together with two other lads we went on probably our first unsupervised holiday. Four in a Mini arriving twelve hours and two petrol pumps later in Ilfracombe (it was 1963).All four of us had steady girlfriends and we lived like monks for the week only to return and find that each one of us had been ditched by our respective girlfriend. Obviously we learned from this experience and 1964 destination was Majorca, objective sex. Needless to say we endured two further weeks living like monks. Fortunately John went on to meet Pat and the rest is history.”
Self Congratulatory Matters
Bill Hart sent me this:
“In my view it is time that the readers of Googlies & Chinamen were reminded what a good team we had at Milverton Road in Peachy's early days. Consequently I would like you to put together the playing records of the "Full-day Saturday side" & the "Sunday First XI" from 1962 to 1967 inclusive. In terms of matches won, drawn and lost, that was an exceptional period, and it would do us no harm to reflect on it. Although we got the Final at Lords in 1968, in my view we were past our best, and did not revive until 1974.”
I normally keep myself fairly busy and compiling such records could be a daunting prospect to fit into my schedule. But we ignore a command from Bill Hart at our peril and fortunately I was able to lay my hands on some of the season summaries compiled by Tony Hawdon and was able to send this to Bill:
played
won
drawn
lost
aband
1964
sat
21
9
9
3
0
sun
19
12
5
1
1
1965
sat
23
11
3
2
2
sun
23
12
10
0
1
1966
sat
23
7
11
2
3
sun
20
11
6
1
2
1967
sat
25
10
13
2
0
sun
19
9
8
0
2
1968
sat
24
9
12
1
2
sun
20
10
8
1
1
217
100
85
13
14
Fortunately this seemed to satisfy Bill who replied:
“Your figures for 1964-68 inclusive bear out what I was suggesting. One must ignore the abandoned matches because nobody knows what happened there. This gives an overall picture of W 100, D 85 & L 13, which is very impressive by any standards.
It must also be remembered that (a) we were always striving to make our fixture list stronger, (b) our home games were played on a wicket where it was very difficult to dig batsman out, if their aim was just survival, & (c) many of our opponents were quite happy with a draw. These factors make the figures were even more remarkable. I am confident that the figures for 1962 & 1963 would have been at least as good. Therefore it is reasonable to state that for at least seven seasons, we played in a great team. It was well led, and despite the bad press that we seemed to receive at the time, played attacking cricket. Maybe even Peter Ray would approve, if he was to see those figures!”
Thompson Matters
David Thompson sent me the following
Eight of us met last week at Oxford for our annual 'planning meeting', followed by watching Marshall get an early season 100 against Oxford UCCE on a glorious early April afternoon. Now I am writing with snow on the ground and have just aborted tomorrow’s trip to the Parks!
Sadly I was in NZ and Oz watching cricket a few weeks back, I have a daughter who lives in Wellington. I was at the Hamilton ten wicket debacle, probably the only Brit who witnessed that and the similar drubbing the Kiwis handed out to Australia in Wellington last year; altogether more amusing! In Oz I watched two Pura (Sheffield Shield) cup matches (all 4 days!), at Hobart and Perth and saw Di Venuto and Langer, both of whom have scored around10,000 runs in the competition, play their last home matches. These are my favourite grounds in Oz, now having watched games on all the main grounds including Lilac Hill. My favourite club ground is Melville in Perth, where Mascarenas plays and his father is President. I have been a member of the Cricketers Club for many years and this usefully gives me reciprocal membership of most Oz and NZ grounds, with a little sweet talking.
David Thompson at Basin Reserve in Wellington
We plan to see some forty days of cricket this year, usually three or four of us together, mainly 2ndXI or Minor Counties; grounds we shall be at include Vine Lane, Radlett, Campbell Park, the Parks, Horsham, Stowe, Lords (Varsity and MC final), Wormsley, Ascott House (my local) and the Cheltenham festival.
Irritating Trends in Modern Cricket – Number 51
We have rehearsed many times the nonsense and inappropriateness of the warm up and of course have noted the dangers involved with the chosen exercises, viz rugby at Scarborough and Canterbury and McGrath at Edgbaston etc. Even this pales besides the new bollocks of the warm down. This might be applicable for someone who was at full stretch at the close of play but in most matches the warm down starts on the field of play about an hour before the close. Why on earth do the players have to then play football for? Besides the risk of injury (viz Anderson) what possible good can it do? And in any case the light will presumably be too bad for it? There will be a riot if the umpires take the teams off the field at Lords in May for bad light only for the Wankers to come out again in tracksuits and start punting a plazzy around.
Maybe the recent antics at Stamford Bridge can supply a clue. It appears that the unused Manchester United subs decided to go for an unnecessary warm down when they really had the ulterior motive of seeking a punch up with the Chelsea officials. Maybe the authorities will use this fracas as an excuse for banning this pointless practice..
Football matters
Andrew Baker’s Ladies Team has been having a tough time of it lately and their defence keeps leaking goals like Derby County. Andrew is a pragmatic chap and has appointed Kelvin West as his new Back Four Coach. Kelvin is experienced in these sorts of problems and immediately identified that the defence needed bulking up. His extensive scouting network rapidly threw up the solution and Norma Hunter was signed up in the transfer window.
Old Danes Gathering
If you are planning to attend the Old Danes gathering at Shepherds Bush Cricket Club on Friday 1st August 2008 I would appreciate you advising me. This will facilitate planning and help to encourage others to attend.
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Tel & fax: 01298 70237
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An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 65
May 2008
Couture Corner
It’s too important to relegate the abolition of the cable knit sweater to “Irritating Trends”. The England management have announced that it has been replaced by the figure hugging Clima-Cool, a man made fibre said to push sweat away from the player’s skin. It’s hard to imagine that anyone welcomes this development but unbelievably Peg Leg said: “The cricket sweater has been my bugbear for many a year,” he said. “This new fabric will give us a lighter feel. Even if it’s a little cold, I am delighted to see the end of the last woolly sweater.” However, I thought that readers would rather see the new England Ladies kit as modeled by fast bowler Isa Gupta:
I asked some of our usual suspects for their comments:
1. William Windsor: Would you like a ride in my ‘copter?
2. Bob Willis: You mean you bowl fast in that?
3. Dolly Parton: You won’t squeeze me into that.
Pamela Anderson: Nor me.
4. Wazim Akram: Don’t you find that it restricts reverse swing?
5. Ken James: Can you play next Wednesday?
6. Jamie Redknapp: Don’t you find that it gives you nipple rash?
7. Enoch Powell: This is just what I said would happen.
Out and About with the Professor-Part 1
I was interested to read your piece on the South Hampstead cricket dinner. These types of events are, I think, worthy of some sociological study. How a club goes about celebrating is, obviously, an important illustration of its collective character. The SH approach sounds slightly secretive, even furtive, but perhaps they would prefer to characterise it as: "selective". But then again, they let you in.
At Welwyn we squeeze about a hundred or so folk into the pavilion, have a very informal and jolly evening with lots of prizes (best batsman, bowler, etc) and reflections and musings from the Club Captain. We always have a table of young cricketers and a fair number of family and friends...indeed the whole event has an extended family feel. The only "formal" speech we have is a tradition of getting our overseas player (or one of them) to speak. Even here the formality is, it would be fair to say, somewhat limited. Last year a significant part of the speech was delivered from a supine position and a memorable speech a few years' back was delivered in Polish. It is not like that at Harrogate Cricket Club.
Last week I toddled along to their annual dinner at the enormous Victorian pile known as the Majestic Hotel. As might be inferred from the name, the Majestic's ballroom was more than big enough to seat the 150 "gentlemen" who all arrived in evening dress and settled down to a six course meal which read rather better than it tasted. Two people were employed to entertain us. The first was a comedian, who was very good, (indeed there were several of his jokes that I had not heard before), and the other was someone called David Graveney.
The former Chairman of Selectors spoke for about half an hour at the end of which he concluded by thanking us all for listening to what he described as: "a pretty average after dinner speech"...which indeed it was. He began by saying that he wasn't upset about being sacked; indeed he referred to this several times so that we could be reassured just how un-upset he was. In fact, he said, he was used to it. It was a family trait. All the cricketing Graveneys had been sacked at one time or another and so it was important to put that behind him and...guess what..."Learn the lessons, be positive and move forward". He reviewed his own cricketing career in a nice self-deprecating way saying that on debut he took 0 - 100 which he also did in his last First-Class game. In between he noted his seminal contribution to Brian Lara's 501 (by getting injured). I haven't the time or inclination to look these things up but if you go in for self-deprecation you presumably get your facts right. I have to say I find this style rather attractive. I mentioned this to my dinner companion who agreed but pointed out, rather uncharitably, that Graveney has much to be self-deprecating about. The best exponent of this approach I ever heard was Kerry O'Keeffe who took the piss out of himself for about an hour and was very funny. Mr. Graveney wasn't quite so amusing; in fact he wasn't very amusing at all but perhaps, in a way, sincere. There were one or two stories of the great and famous and the inevitable Botham tale of his turning up in evening dress on the morning of a test and bowling out Pakistan. I have heard versions of this type of thing so many times that I wonder if can ever have been true. I have heard Parfitt, for example, on three different occasions say that Compton did this and scored a hundred off Hampshire. Can any Googlies reader give first hand conformation of what appears to be a cricketing urban myth?
What the Chairman didn't tell us is, of course, what we all wanted to hear: "How can you be so bloody awful at your job and not resign?” He did say that the preparation for the Ashes tour was poor and the performance: "disappointing". Now I have a suspicion that all the members of his audience knew that. We were however all too polite (this is Harrogate after all) to attempt to forge a link between the performance of the players and the judgment of the man who selected them - and so he sat down to polite applause, and handed out the raffle prizes. I'm not too sure what his new job entails but perhaps handing out the raffle prizes might stand him in good stead.
Three different clubs, three different styles...there must be more...
Out and About with the Professor-Part 2
The first fixture of the county season is always going to excite the passions of the true cricketing anorak and so it was with hope in my heart and faith in the forecast that I set off for the first day at Headingley of Yorkshire v Hampshire.
It turned out to be a lovely spring day and one for Yorkshire to bat through without too many worries. The England captain played a few exquisite shots and then departed (apparently he has been looking very good in the nets); Joe Sayers played no shots at all but managed to bat for an hour or so (or so it seemed); and Andrew Gale got to 99 not out. Since I hold the view that Yorkshire have enough bowling for three 1st XIs and very little batting, it was all most satisfactory. The only really class bat that Yorkshire have is that doughty tyke, Jacques Rudolph, so the others will need to play around and support him.
I popped into the slightly pretentiously-named "Long Room" for lunch and managed to eavesdrop a conversation on the next table. The principal contributor was someone called Harold Bird, and the principal topic was, amazingly, cricketers' clothing. Yorkshire have, this season, given up wearing woolly jumpers and Dicky thinks this is: "a disgrace". They are, apparently: "part of the game", "part of the tradition", "luvely and warm" (think Yorkshire accent) and so on. Dicky still has his first Yorkshire jumper which "proves how well made they were", etc, etc, etc. It might also prove that Dicky is a somewhat reticent shopper - but his companions were too polite to mention that.
What they didn't get around to (or perhaps know about) is that not only have the white rose boys gone over to wearing fleeces (with some magical ingredient that keeps you cool when it is hot and hot when - most of the time in Yorkshire - it's bloody freezing) but they also have new trousers. These were modeled on local TV (it was a "slow news day") by another local - Deon Kruis. The trousers (I think we can dispense with the word "flannels") have two new handy attributes. First they have a built-in piece of felt at the top of the thigh for ball polishing - passed and approved, one assumes, by Mr. Hair; and secondly, they have another magical ingredient ("Slip-U-Fast" - or somesuch) which facilitates sliding along the turf. This has been "scientifically" developed (by ICI or MIT or someone) to aid the modern style of fielding which involves, as you know, sliding along on one knee to intercept even the most gentle prod to short-extra. One hopes that the boys have been practicing...in the nets. Indeed a new and more exciting use of the nets would be to arrest Kruis and his chums in their progress as they skid along happily towards the sightscreens. If they haven't practiced sufficiently I suppose there is a very real chance that one of the younger members of the team might, in an effort to impress, run up alongside the ball, drop to one knee, and career past into the advertising boards while the ball makes a more stately progress, in his wake, to the boundary. Personally, I'm waiting to see the Matthew Hoggard slide; it could be worth the admission fee alone. Who says county cricket is not exciting?
The Langer & Banger Show on Tour
I met up with the Professor at Old Trafford for the second day of the Lancashire v Somerset match. The start had been delayed but when I arrived John Holder and Nigel Cowley were already on their way to the wicket despite the fact that the main cover was still in place and it was raining quite hard. They gave up and came back and since the only cover afforded to spectators is in the main pavilion I found myself scurrying inside. It is a miserable place which has the feeling of the fifties in both décor and poverty. The Long Room belies its name and the windows are heavily curtained which must severely restrict sightlines if you are tempted to watch from its confines. Behind the Long Room is the Members Room whose only concession to the century in which we find ourselves is an enormous TV screen which continuously shows every sport but cricket. However, the principal sense assaulted in here is olfactory. This venue may be the centre of genuine Lancashire cuisine with chips, mushy peas and pies being offered in a bewildering array of combinations. However, it is the devices that are employed to keep these calorie free offerings warm all day which ensure that each visit is welcomed with powerful odours.
Langer & Banger regretting the lack of sunbathing at Old Trafford
The members sit around at round tables bemoaning the fact that Cardiff is to host the first Ashes test next summer and that they don’t have a test. They completely fail to get the point that their stadium (sic) is pre war at best and unacceptable in this century. The blame for the decline in the club’s status must be firmly placed with former Chairman Jack Simmonds and his fellow committee cronies who have dithered in the Brown mode for years and failed to take action to modernise their headquarters.
Paul Horton was far and away the best batsman on display and he will no doubt get stacks of runs. He seems to be English enough to not be one of the various forms of overseas players despite being born in Australia. He will soon be a candidate to carry the drinks for KP and co. Omari Banks was twelfth man which seems an expensive way of getting someone to run on and off with the helmets. He must be wondering how his spinners are rated as well after watching Michael Munday serve up an extraordinary array of long hops and full tosses which unbelievably none of the Lancashire batsmen could bring themselves to despatch to the boundary. The Professor wondered when a leg spinner had last bowled in April at Old Trafford. He was in fact the second this year since Simon Marshall had bowled on the first day. Lardarse also had a bowl but fired it in very flat. Somerset didn’t drop any catches but they look a very poor fielding side with Langeveld in the old tradition of fast bowlers who don’t bother to bend down for the ball on the boundary. I suppose they take the view that, at Taunton at least, they will score enough runs to cover the lapses.
The loud speaker system employed at the ground is fully functional in the toilets but mysteriously absent in the Members Room and so if you want to watch any cricket you have to keep dashing outside to see if it has stopped raining. This is irritating since the number of chairs available is strictly limited and to make this excursion risks losing a hard earned seat.
There were several rain interruptions during the day. At six o’clock it stopped raining and the umpires announced that play would begin at six fifteen. Why wait fifteen minutes? The watery evening sun was certainly not going to dry the outfield during this delay. The umpires then announced that despite the loss of thirty overs during the day only four more would be bowled. I then drove home during the next ninety minutes in brilliant sunshine. When will the members and paying spectators start to get value for money?
Middlesex Matters
The Great Jack Morgan updates us on the overseas player crisis at Lords and miscellaneous xenophobic matters
Disaster has struck Middlesex regarding their recent foreign imports. When I reported the fine form that Ashley had hit for Queensland, it struck me that he might get called up for Australia; but I thought he would get in the ODI squad (for whom he has played previously). He has been omitted from the ODIs, however, but selected for the Test squad. He went on a Test tour to the West Indies once before, but failed to play in a Test, partly because of injury. There is no guarantee that he will get a Test this time either with three established seamers and Hilfenhaus also challenging for a place. However there is little doubt that his quality should be rewarded by Test recognition. Ashley’s replacement is 22-year-old South African all rounder Vernon Philander about whom I can tell you little, except that he has played in five ODIs for South Africa and didn’t do badly, but I suppose he might have been playing against the Zims or the Bangles? If Ashley’s pulling out was expected, it came as a complete shock to hear that Friedel was also forced to pull out because his work permit had been rescinded for unknown reasons. Friedel’s replacement is 31-year-old Australian left arm paceman Dirk Nannes who holds a Dutch passport, but I know even less about Dirk than I do about Vernon. Apparently Rodney Hogg thinks he should be in the Test team instead of Johnson. Philander is an official overseas player and as Nannes has an EU passport, we will not have to employ a Kolpak. The Guardian didn’t bother reporting any of this. The Middlesex website tells us nothing whatsoever about Philander and Nannes, but I did learn that Richo injured his ankle in the friendly at Chelmsford and had to pull out of the MCC side to play Sussex.
When I heard that Ben Hilfenhaus had pulled out of the Oz Test squad, my immediate thought was “Oh no, they’ve called up Dirk”, but it is funnier than that... they have called up Doug Bollinger, whose 16 wickets for Worcester last season cost 44.56 each and impressed nobody, but apparently he has had a “great season” for NSW.
I was totally gripped by the calamity of Grace Road unfolding on teletext. The weak looking Leicester batting line-up walloped the Middlesex attack for 400 and then the Middlesex batting again fell apart with Strauss, Joyce and Compton being particularly culpable. Of course, the Middlesex bowling was weakened by the absence of Richo and the failure to get Ashley, Friedel, Vernon or Dirk into the action. This resulted in a team which was 100% qualified for England (another victory for the xenophobes), but also totally useless. In fact all eleven had actually represented England: Strauss, Shah, Smith, Udal and Silverwood in Tests; Joyce in ODIs; Nash and Compton in the A team; and Godleman, Murtagh and Finn in the U-19s. They lost to a Leicester team that included five foreigners and no England Test players, though Nixon has played ODIs and New and Malik have played at U-19 level. Last season Middlesex did not lose in the Championship until July, but that one defeat (coupled with a meagre collection of batting points) was enough to miss out on promotion (the other defeat came after the promotion places had been decided). This season they have lost at the first time of asking against one of the weakest teams in the division... it looks grim.
Asquith Matters
Jeremy Asquith responded to last month’s profile with the following:
I find it difficult to remember incidents of cheating when playing in the Home Counties. I suspect the southern cheating was too subtle for me. Up North there is more cheating than honest play. Two incidents from my Derbyshire club experiences. Local Farmer hits a monstrous six towards his herd in their usual corner, looks back to notice the bails lying on the floor and nonchalantly bends over and replaces them whilst all around are admiring the disappearing ball. Whilst playing for Darley Dale against Langley Mill in a Compact ground surrounded by a fence I was running round the boundary to field a ball when four old guys sitting on a seat stuck out their legs and tripped me over. The ball went for 4 and on remonstrating with the aforementioned received the reply. “Tha should look where tha’s goin’ in future”.
I have only very hazy memories of becoming a Cardinal. I think Pope Franklin finally allowed me through based on my contribution to the Hemmeling lager bar funds. I remember Derek Battrum only succeeding in becoming a nun, George Hepworth becoming a Tea pot Lid, John Mountjoy suggesting that his uncle Dougie was more important than the Pope and all of us hoping that Kit Fawcett would “in his endeavours to become one” be so drunk that we could make a play for one of his exotic girlfriends.
I first met Don Wallis at Tunbridge Wells. His first endearing words to me were “So you’re the fuckin’ fast bowler who can’t fuckin’ bowl. Some fuckin’ use you are!” I had previously played a few games at Milverton road and as Jim surmised developed a recurring achilles injury. It seemed to get better when I returned to the North in 1981. Luckily I batted at number three and scored 93. “Good job you can fuckin’ bat a bit emanated through the steam in the showers.
Steve Thompson sent me this:
“I was intrigued by the team photo in this month's edition. In particular that it was the prelude to that huge opening stand between Cords and Mark Rigby. The clock says 1.55 pm. Notwithstanding that it might have been wrong ( a distinct possibility!), some questions need to be asked about why only Cords was padded up so close to the 2 pm start. Why was Rigby not padded up? There are several possible answers:
a) The captain's propensity for indecision and prevarication
b) Nobody had been told who was opening but Cords had assumed he was!
c) Everyone else had refused to open - although the presence of Kit Fawcett in the side suggests this is unlikely
d) Rigby had arrived late - in which case should the captain have allowed him to open?
e) 'Riggers' was working on his 'hard as nails' image (which was to soon stand him in good stead for Wasps) and batted without pads.
Wanderers Matters
Bill Hart continues this never ending saga:
“The final situation regarding Sydenham's dates is that Peach was completely wrong. Dave was at Chelsea from approx 1955-1958. Alvin has told me that the St Clement Danes pupil that I was trying to remember, who played at Brentham, was Colin Mattingley, a good player and, for an Old Dane, a very nice bloke. This was unlike Chick Pickering, who I always thought was an armpit. Do you remember Ron Peggs (who was Gill's boyfriend for about six months) & Dave Browning? I remember Dave Browning as a very good fielder who threw ambidextrously. Gill also remembers a Dave Beaton, probably from the same school year as the others. Ring any bells?”
Alvin Nienow sent me this:
”I look forward to more Wanderers stuff and am pleased
to see the slur on Bertie Joel corrected. I am used to having my copious publications attributed to the author.”
My apologies go to Alvin for failing to attribute his glowing report on his magnificent batting at the Oval to himself. I am pleased that he has enjoyed the stuff on the Wanderers annual shindig at the Oval. However, I have never been a Wanderer and was never invited to toddle along to the Oval to take tea with Bertie Joel and his good lady wife. So anyone who wants any more on these annual charabanc outings will have to persuade those who did attend to contribute.
Nevertheless, I am extremely reluctant to disappoint Alvin and have been rummaging around in the South Hampstead scorebooks to find Cricket Week contests against the Wanderers. The earliest I have access to took place on Wednesday 21 June 1961. This predates my days at the club and so my knowledge of some of the participants is limited. Nevertheless, here goes:
The Wanderers batted first in this all day game and their batting order was: Penfold A, Everett, Lockhart, Capps, Penfold D K, Spillard, Fox, Mizler, Bayliss, Pearce and White. I suspect that Harry Bayliss was not a Wanderer and that he was filling in to make up the numbers. The Wanderers amassed 213 all out with A Penfold top scoring with 86. South Hampstead bowled sixty overs and Don Wallis took 5 for 32 and in all used seven bowlers including Ron Hurst, Bob Peach, Bob Cleaver, Bruce Tutton, Jimmy Franklin and someone called D Burnham. Norman Cooper kept wicket and the scoreboard records that he conceded 14 byes which no doubt arose from his custom of standing up to most bowlers and some indifferent radar by the cricket week bowlers.
Bruce Tutton opened for the club with Ron Hurst and they added 52 before Ron was bowled. Jack Wilson and Ron Impey came and went quickly but Alan Clain helped take the score to 126 for 4 before he was caught by Spillard off the bowling of Penfold D. Jimmy Franklin appeared at number six, presumably to employ the long handle, but he soon gave way to Bob Cleaver. Tutton was eventually caught for 79 which brought Bob Peach in; once Cleaver fell at 165 for 7 it was left to Peach to bat with the tail to try to see the hosts home. Wallis was uncharacteristically stumped and then Norman Cooper saw that a draw was achieved.
Does anyone have any anecdotes on the Wanderers who appeared on this occasion?
John Bowerman
John was in the year above me at Furness Road Primary School and was one of my cricket and footballing heroes at that time. I only played with him in the brief period he played at South Hampstead between 1969 and 1971. He was an upright player who hit the ball hard and played several notable innings for the club, not least at Teddington when several of the big names had failed. We were discussing John’s career at the South Hampstead dinner and Terry Cordaroy explained to us that John didn’t bend his front leg. So now we know. If only…
Ken James sent me the following:
"John was a prominent sports player when at school at Willesden County Grammar, featuring notably at both cricket and soccer. After leaving school he began his early adult sporting life for Uffingtonians (the old scholars of WCGS) playing both soccer and cricket for the Uffs When the Uffs cricket disbanded John joined South Hampstead. He played for S.H. at 1st.X1 level during the early 1970s before moving to live in Luton where he played for Luton Town C.C. His professional career was in teaching and he worked for many years at Preston Manor School in Wembley. He became head of the P.E. Dept. and also, I believe deputy head of school. His sporting association at this time was as an Old Manorians soccer player where he also served as Club Captain, match secretary and, latterly Chairman. He took up refereeing and become well respected in both the Old Boys League and the wider Amateur Football Alliance organisations. During this time he also played some cricket for Wembley C.C. His early footballing years were blighted by some quite major injuries involving plates being inserted in his leg and this probably inhibited his soccer progress in particular and his recent premature death came after a long fight against cancer. He was well remembered by the large attendance at his funeral at Ruislip on Friday April 4th.
Allen Bruton sent me this:
“I went through Willesden Grammar with John and he was an amazingly talented cricketer, footballer, runner, jumper, thrower etc. and therefore no surprise that he went on to enjoy a career as a PE teacher. I enjoyed some good times with John and as seventeen year olds together with two other lads we went on probably our first unsupervised holiday. Four in a Mini arriving twelve hours and two petrol pumps later in Ilfracombe (it was 1963).All four of us had steady girlfriends and we lived like monks for the week only to return and find that each one of us had been ditched by our respective girlfriend. Obviously we learned from this experience and 1964 destination was Majorca, objective sex. Needless to say we endured two further weeks living like monks. Fortunately John went on to meet Pat and the rest is history.”
Self Congratulatory Matters
Bill Hart sent me this:
“In my view it is time that the readers of Googlies & Chinamen were reminded what a good team we had at Milverton Road in Peachy's early days. Consequently I would like you to put together the playing records of the "Full-day Saturday side" & the "Sunday First XI" from 1962 to 1967 inclusive. In terms of matches won, drawn and lost, that was an exceptional period, and it would do us no harm to reflect on it. Although we got the Final at Lords in 1968, in my view we were past our best, and did not revive until 1974.”
I normally keep myself fairly busy and compiling such records could be a daunting prospect to fit into my schedule. But we ignore a command from Bill Hart at our peril and fortunately I was able to lay my hands on some of the season summaries compiled by Tony Hawdon and was able to send this to Bill:
played
won
drawn
lost
aband
1964
sat
21
9
9
3
0
sun
19
12
5
1
1
1965
sat
23
11
3
2
2
sun
23
12
10
0
1
1966
sat
23
7
11
2
3
sun
20
11
6
1
2
1967
sat
25
10
13
2
0
sun
19
9
8
0
2
1968
sat
24
9
12
1
2
sun
20
10
8
1
1
217
100
85
13
14
Fortunately this seemed to satisfy Bill who replied:
“Your figures for 1964-68 inclusive bear out what I was suggesting. One must ignore the abandoned matches because nobody knows what happened there. This gives an overall picture of W 100, D 85 & L 13, which is very impressive by any standards.
It must also be remembered that (a) we were always striving to make our fixture list stronger, (b) our home games were played on a wicket where it was very difficult to dig batsman out, if their aim was just survival, & (c) many of our opponents were quite happy with a draw. These factors make the figures were even more remarkable. I am confident that the figures for 1962 & 1963 would have been at least as good. Therefore it is reasonable to state that for at least seven seasons, we played in a great team. It was well led, and despite the bad press that we seemed to receive at the time, played attacking cricket. Maybe even Peter Ray would approve, if he was to see those figures!”
Thompson Matters
David Thompson sent me the following
Eight of us met last week at Oxford for our annual 'planning meeting', followed by watching Marshall get an early season 100 against Oxford UCCE on a glorious early April afternoon. Now I am writing with snow on the ground and have just aborted tomorrow’s trip to the Parks!
Sadly I was in NZ and Oz watching cricket a few weeks back, I have a daughter who lives in Wellington. I was at the Hamilton ten wicket debacle, probably the only Brit who witnessed that and the similar drubbing the Kiwis handed out to Australia in Wellington last year; altogether more amusing! In Oz I watched two Pura (Sheffield Shield) cup matches (all 4 days!), at Hobart and Perth and saw Di Venuto and Langer, both of whom have scored around10,000 runs in the competition, play their last home matches. These are my favourite grounds in Oz, now having watched games on all the main grounds including Lilac Hill. My favourite club ground is Melville in Perth, where Mascarenas plays and his father is President. I have been a member of the Cricketers Club for many years and this usefully gives me reciprocal membership of most Oz and NZ grounds, with a little sweet talking.
David Thompson at Basin Reserve in Wellington
We plan to see some forty days of cricket this year, usually three or four of us together, mainly 2ndXI or Minor Counties; grounds we shall be at include Vine Lane, Radlett, Campbell Park, the Parks, Horsham, Stowe, Lords (Varsity and MC final), Wormsley, Ascott House (my local) and the Cheltenham festival.
Irritating Trends in Modern Cricket – Number 51
We have rehearsed many times the nonsense and inappropriateness of the warm up and of course have noted the dangers involved with the chosen exercises, viz rugby at Scarborough and Canterbury and McGrath at Edgbaston etc. Even this pales besides the new bollocks of the warm down. This might be applicable for someone who was at full stretch at the close of play but in most matches the warm down starts on the field of play about an hour before the close. Why on earth do the players have to then play football for? Besides the risk of injury (viz Anderson) what possible good can it do? And in any case the light will presumably be too bad for it? There will be a riot if the umpires take the teams off the field at Lords in May for bad light only for the Wankers to come out again in tracksuits and start punting a plazzy around.
Maybe the recent antics at Stamford Bridge can supply a clue. It appears that the unused Manchester United subs decided to go for an unnecessary warm down when they really had the ulterior motive of seeking a punch up with the Chelsea officials. Maybe the authorities will use this fracas as an excuse for banning this pointless practice..
Football matters
Andrew Baker’s Ladies Team has been having a tough time of it lately and their defence keeps leaking goals like Derby County. Andrew is a pragmatic chap and has appointed Kelvin West as his new Back Four Coach. Kelvin is experienced in these sorts of problems and immediately identified that the defence needed bulking up. His extensive scouting network rapidly threw up the solution and Norma Hunter was signed up in the transfer window.
Old Danes Gathering
If you are planning to attend the Old Danes gathering at Shepherds Bush Cricket Club on Friday 1st August 2008 I would appreciate you advising me. This will facilitate planning and help to encourage others to attend.
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