The photograph I posted earlier in the week is actually a postcard and on the address side states that the ground is Cheriton Road Folkestone. I made my one and only trip to the ground in August 1986 and I suspect that I bought the card as a souvenir of my visit. When, a couple of weeks ago, the card dropped out of a book I set about trying to identify the teams and the result of the match.
At first I was put off the scent by the banners advertising John Player Special cigarettes, the then sponsors of the 40 over competition played on Sunday afternoons for I assumed that such a match was the one taking place and I spent sometime trying to find an innings where the score had been 129 for 3, last man 16, although I did not rule out that 16 might be the number of overs bowled. This idea did not tie in with the time shown on the clock and the short shadows cast by the players persuaded me that it was close to noon and the that the clock was telling the correct time.
The John Player League became 'Special' in 1983 and only four matches under this banner were played at Cheriton Road, 1983, 84, 85 and 86 and at no point in any of these games did the score match that shown in the picture. Thus assisted by my friend John Gawthrope I concentrated on championship matches played there during those four years of which there were seven. The second of these fitted the bill, 24th to 26th August 1983, with Leicestershire the visitors. It was the second championship match at Folkestone that week for Warwickshire had played there earlier with a three day game wrapped round Sunday's 40 over entertainment. Quite a week for Folkestonians.
The 1983 match was won by Kent by ten wickets. The action shown on the postcard is during Kent's first innings in reply to Leicestershire's 206 all out, top scorer Clift with 70 not out. Kent reached 93 before Hinks was out for 16 and there followed a stand of 116 between Benson and Chris Cowdrey. Bowlers were 6 and 11, Clift and Ferris, and Kent were eventually dismissed for 337, a lead of 131. With Underwood taking seven wickets, the fourth time he had achieved that in the season, Leicestershire struggled to avoid an innings defeat. Taylor and Benson knocked off the twenty two needed for victory. The other player that can be confidently identified in the picture is the Leicestershire keeper, Roger Tolchard.
The championship that season was won by Essex, their second title in five years. Leicestershire finished fourth and Kent seventh.
Sunday 29 December 2019
Friday 27 December 2019
Final Clues
posted by John Winn
Today's clues for the picture puzzle
1. the batsmen are Mark Benson (on strike) and Christopher Cowdrey
2. George Ferris is bowling
Sorry I was late logging on today, answer will now be posted on Sunday
Today's clues for the picture puzzle
1. the batsmen are Mark Benson (on strike) and Christopher Cowdrey
2. George Ferris is bowling
Sorry I was late logging on today, answer will now be posted on Sunday
Thursday 26 December 2019
Some help with the puzzle
posted by John Winn
As promised here are some clues to help with the identification of the match details in the photo I posted on Christmas Eve.
1. Concentrate on the clock, not the cigarette advertising
2. Kent are batting
3. '16' on the board represents last man's score, not overs
More clues tomorrow, answers on Saturday
As promised here are some clues to help with the identification of the match details in the photo I posted on Christmas Eve.
1. Concentrate on the clock, not the cigarette advertising
2. Kent are batting
3. '16' on the board represents last man's score, not overs
More clues tomorrow, answers on Saturday
Tuesday 24 December 2019
A Christmas Puzzle
posted by John Winn
I am in the habit of using old photographs as bookmarks and recently the one posted above fluttered out of a book I had not read for sometime since when and with the help of some friends I have been trying to identify the ground and the match. I think this quest has been sufficiently successful that should Call The Midwife not be your cup of tea tomorrow evening, you might like to supply answers to the following:
a) the ground
b) the date and teams involved
c) the striker
d) the non striker
e) the bowler
d) the wicketkeeper
Should they be needed some clues will be provided on Boxing Day. In the meantime Happy Christmas to all our readers.
Thursday 19 December 2019
Winter reading
Posted by Tony Hutton
Christmas has come early this year and I am already the proud possessor of three splendid cricket volumes to see me through the winter months. The first one to arrive was the sports book of the year - 'The Great Romantic' by Duncan Hamilton. This is the remarkable story of Neville Cardus, thought by many to have been the greatest cricket writer ever, as well as being a classical music critic. I had already purchased another Cardus volume earlier in the year, which I can also heartily recommend. This is an anthology of his cricket writing, edited by Gideon Haigh, entitled 'A Field of Tents and Waving Colours'.
The chapter in this volume which I probably enjoyed most was entitled 'Cricket at Dover' and is a description of the match between Kent and Lancashire in July 1926. The first two sentences set the tone - 'The distance from Lord's to the Dover cricket field is farther than the crow flies or even than the train travels. Here we find a different habitation than cosmopolitan Lord's, here is Kent and real England'. His account of each three days of the game make fascinating reading, with Frank Woolley's century on the final day being in vain as the Australian McDonald bowled Lancashire to a narrow victory at precisely five o'clock on the third day.
To return to Duncan Hamilton's book, which to some extent corrects the current fashion of denigrating the great man's writing. It is of course true that he exaggerated at times and put words into the mouth of cricketers suggesting what they ought to have said, rather than what they actually did. He tells Cardus's remarkable life story from humble beginnings to reaching the pinnacle of his profession in the fields of both cricket and classical music with detailed research which indeed makes this a most readable book and well worthy of the award.
Earlier this week I attended the Northern Cricket Society's Christmas lunch which provided not only first class entertainment, but an excellent lunch as well, to a full house at Sandmoor Golf Club, Leeds. We were there to listen to the wonderful double act of Fred Rumsey and Stephen Chalke. The main purpose of the exercise was to promote Fred Rumsey's recent book 'Sense of Humour, Sense of Justice'. This is yet another tales of the unexpected, published by Stephen Chalke's Fairfield Books. Rumsey has a most interesting story to tell not only of his career as a left arm quick bowler, but how he came to form the Professional Cricketers Association off his own bat so to speak.
Chalke provided the perfect foil to prompt Rumsey into endless stories of his life and times while keeping a low profile himself. His own wonderful books over the years never got a mention and neither did his impending retirement after an amazing career writing and publishing numerous volumes to delight the cricket connoisseur. This are all listed in an article in the current edition of the 'Cricketer' which is well worth a read.
My partner kindly bought not only Rumsey's book, but Stephen Chalke's final volume 'Through the Remembered Gate' as a further Christmas present. Nothing could have been more appropriate. Have only just skimmed through Rumsey's book but came across some very interesting photographs recalling his early days with Worcestershire before moving on to Somerset. A picture of the Worcestershire second eleven of the early 1960s shows three players I remember playing against. One being Rumsey himself, who I faced as a club cricketer in the Edgbaston nets one winter night. All I can remember is that he was quicker than anything I had faced before.
The other two, Ken Arch and Ted Hemsley, both played for Bridgnorth cricket club in Shropshire. Arch was yet another very quick bowler, but did not make the first class game playing Minor Counties for Shropshire. Ted Hemsley of course became a Worcestershire regular as well as a very good full back for Sheffield United. The book is full of stories including having to share a room with Geoff Boycott when playing for England. Great memories for all who remember that particular era.
I still have to get round to Stephen Chalke's final volume, but am certain it will be of the same standard as those which have gone before, including of course the stories of Bob Appleyard and Geoff Cope. Geoff, complete with wife and guide dog, was present at the lunch together with Brian Close's widow Vivienne. A very special occasion for all concerned and plenty of good reading for the winter months ahead.
Christmas has come early this year and I am already the proud possessor of three splendid cricket volumes to see me through the winter months. The first one to arrive was the sports book of the year - 'The Great Romantic' by Duncan Hamilton. This is the remarkable story of Neville Cardus, thought by many to have been the greatest cricket writer ever, as well as being a classical music critic. I had already purchased another Cardus volume earlier in the year, which I can also heartily recommend. This is an anthology of his cricket writing, edited by Gideon Haigh, entitled 'A Field of Tents and Waving Colours'.
The chapter in this volume which I probably enjoyed most was entitled 'Cricket at Dover' and is a description of the match between Kent and Lancashire in July 1926. The first two sentences set the tone - 'The distance from Lord's to the Dover cricket field is farther than the crow flies or even than the train travels. Here we find a different habitation than cosmopolitan Lord's, here is Kent and real England'. His account of each three days of the game make fascinating reading, with Frank Woolley's century on the final day being in vain as the Australian McDonald bowled Lancashire to a narrow victory at precisely five o'clock on the third day.
To return to Duncan Hamilton's book, which to some extent corrects the current fashion of denigrating the great man's writing. It is of course true that he exaggerated at times and put words into the mouth of cricketers suggesting what they ought to have said, rather than what they actually did. He tells Cardus's remarkable life story from humble beginnings to reaching the pinnacle of his profession in the fields of both cricket and classical music with detailed research which indeed makes this a most readable book and well worthy of the award.
Earlier this week I attended the Northern Cricket Society's Christmas lunch which provided not only first class entertainment, but an excellent lunch as well, to a full house at Sandmoor Golf Club, Leeds. We were there to listen to the wonderful double act of Fred Rumsey and Stephen Chalke. The main purpose of the exercise was to promote Fred Rumsey's recent book 'Sense of Humour, Sense of Justice'. This is yet another tales of the unexpected, published by Stephen Chalke's Fairfield Books. Rumsey has a most interesting story to tell not only of his career as a left arm quick bowler, but how he came to form the Professional Cricketers Association off his own bat so to speak.
Chalke provided the perfect foil to prompt Rumsey into endless stories of his life and times while keeping a low profile himself. His own wonderful books over the years never got a mention and neither did his impending retirement after an amazing career writing and publishing numerous volumes to delight the cricket connoisseur. This are all listed in an article in the current edition of the 'Cricketer' which is well worth a read.
My partner kindly bought not only Rumsey's book, but Stephen Chalke's final volume 'Through the Remembered Gate' as a further Christmas present. Nothing could have been more appropriate. Have only just skimmed through Rumsey's book but came across some very interesting photographs recalling his early days with Worcestershire before moving on to Somerset. A picture of the Worcestershire second eleven of the early 1960s shows three players I remember playing against. One being Rumsey himself, who I faced as a club cricketer in the Edgbaston nets one winter night. All I can remember is that he was quicker than anything I had faced before.
The other two, Ken Arch and Ted Hemsley, both played for Bridgnorth cricket club in Shropshire. Arch was yet another very quick bowler, but did not make the first class game playing Minor Counties for Shropshire. Ted Hemsley of course became a Worcestershire regular as well as a very good full back for Sheffield United. The book is full of stories including having to share a room with Geoff Boycott when playing for England. Great memories for all who remember that particular era.
I still have to get round to Stephen Chalke's final volume, but am certain it will be of the same standard as those which have gone before, including of course the stories of Bob Appleyard and Geoff Cope. Geoff, complete with wife and guide dog, was present at the lunch together with Brian Close's widow Vivienne. A very special occasion for all concerned and plenty of good reading for the winter months ahead.
Friday 6 December 2019
Nostalgia continued from August 2000.
Posted by Tony Hutton
To continue my marathon trip around the Oxford colleges during the Wandering cricket teams festival of 2000 I can pick up the threads in Abingdon, where the first match of the day was The Sunday Barbarians versus the Gloucestershire Gypsies at Abingdon School which produced a fairly easy victory for the Barbarians. Just down the road however there was a further attraction with Abingdon Vale cricket club hosting the full Essex county side in a benefit match. Stuart Law, the Australian, provided the major entertainment with a quickfire century and after the home side looked like getting somewhere near the Essex total of 244, Ronnie Irani took matters in hand with 6-25 to give the county a win by 50 runs.
Abingdon School.
Abingdon Vale cricket club.
Still time to call in at nearby Radley College for two more high scoring games between more of the festival sides. The big match of the tournament however took place the following day at the Christ Church College ground with possibly the first ever meeting between two of the most distinguished of the striped blazer variety sides. Free Foresters and I Zingari had both been going for over a hundred years without a previous meeting. The Christ Church ground with it's very modern pavilion had staged first class matches regularly at one time, particularly when touring sides played Oxford University here.
The reason being that no admission charges were allowed at the University Parks, whereas Christ Church were able to charge for admission.
Free Foresters 2000
I Zingari 2000
It certainly proved to be a high scoring encounter with Free Foresters making 295-2 of which R. Jones made 200 not out. I Zingari came very close, but finished 25 runs short on 270-9. By this time I had of course left to take in three more grounds at Jesus College, Brasenose College and Queens College. After this fascinating but exhausting schedule it was off further south the next day to Northlands Road, Southampton to see Hampshire taking on Leicester in a county championship game. The main interest in this game, which Leicestershire won, was the performance of Alan Mullally who had just returned to Hampshire for a second spell after a period with Leicester. He took nine wickets in the match, which proved a match winning performance.
Brasenose College, Oxford.
Northlands Road, Southampton.
After an Under 19 game between Hampshire and Middlesex on the Friday, in which a young Nick Compton scored a century, it was a day of league cricket in Hampshire on the Saturday, clocking up another half dozen grounds including Beaulieu, Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst and Pylewell Park. More club cricket on Sunday with a touring team from Bombay at Lymington, followed by Reigate Priory from Surrey at the same ground on Monday.
Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst.
Lymington cricket club, Hampshire.
Pylewell Park, Hampshire.
The rather roundabout route home then took in two days at Hastings for a second eleven game between Sussex and Kent, a day at the Saffrons Eastbourne for Sussex v Northants and finally two days at Colchester for Essex v Gloucestershire. The game at Horntye Park, Hastings was notable for three relatively unknown wicketkeepers taking part two of whom went on to play for England in Geraint Jones for Kent and Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose for Sussex. In a low scoring game at Eastbourne, Sussex were bowled out by Northants spinners for just 65, the visitors winning by 162 runs.
Horntye Park, Hastings.
The Saffrons, Eastbourne.
The final game at Colchester's Castle Park was more high scoring, but strangely enough the highest individual score of the four innings was only 58 by Stuart Law one of four fifties in the game. Gloucester won that one by 104 runs. So a long haul home but no further cricket until well inside the boundaries of Yorkshire where I managed to see the end of a couple of league games.
Castle Park, Colchester.
So a wonderful fortnight's holiday in all with some excellent cricket and a long list of beautiful grounds to add to what was already a rather substantial number over the years.
To continue my marathon trip around the Oxford colleges during the Wandering cricket teams festival of 2000 I can pick up the threads in Abingdon, where the first match of the day was The Sunday Barbarians versus the Gloucestershire Gypsies at Abingdon School which produced a fairly easy victory for the Barbarians. Just down the road however there was a further attraction with Abingdon Vale cricket club hosting the full Essex county side in a benefit match. Stuart Law, the Australian, provided the major entertainment with a quickfire century and after the home side looked like getting somewhere near the Essex total of 244, Ronnie Irani took matters in hand with 6-25 to give the county a win by 50 runs.
Still time to call in at nearby Radley College for two more high scoring games between more of the festival sides. The big match of the tournament however took place the following day at the Christ Church College ground with possibly the first ever meeting between two of the most distinguished of the striped blazer variety sides. Free Foresters and I Zingari had both been going for over a hundred years without a previous meeting. The Christ Church ground with it's very modern pavilion had staged first class matches regularly at one time, particularly when touring sides played Oxford University here.
The reason being that no admission charges were allowed at the University Parks, whereas Christ Church were able to charge for admission.
It certainly proved to be a high scoring encounter with Free Foresters making 295-2 of which R. Jones made 200 not out. I Zingari came very close, but finished 25 runs short on 270-9. By this time I had of course left to take in three more grounds at Jesus College, Brasenose College and Queens College. After this fascinating but exhausting schedule it was off further south the next day to Northlands Road, Southampton to see Hampshire taking on Leicester in a county championship game. The main interest in this game, which Leicestershire won, was the performance of Alan Mullally who had just returned to Hampshire for a second spell after a period with Leicester. He took nine wickets in the match, which proved a match winning performance.
After an Under 19 game between Hampshire and Middlesex on the Friday, in which a young Nick Compton scored a century, it was a day of league cricket in Hampshire on the Saturday, clocking up another half dozen grounds including Beaulieu, Bolton's Bench, Lyndhurst and Pylewell Park. More club cricket on Sunday with a touring team from Bombay at Lymington, followed by Reigate Priory from Surrey at the same ground on Monday.
The rather roundabout route home then took in two days at Hastings for a second eleven game between Sussex and Kent, a day at the Saffrons Eastbourne for Sussex v Northants and finally two days at Colchester for Essex v Gloucestershire. The game at Horntye Park, Hastings was notable for three relatively unknown wicketkeepers taking part two of whom went on to play for England in Geraint Jones for Kent and Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose for Sussex. In a low scoring game at Eastbourne, Sussex were bowled out by Northants spinners for just 65, the visitors winning by 162 runs.
The final game at Colchester's Castle Park was more high scoring, but strangely enough the highest individual score of the four innings was only 58 by Stuart Law one of four fifties in the game. Gloucester won that one by 104 runs. So a long haul home but no further cricket until well inside the boundaries of Yorkshire where I managed to see the end of a couple of league games.
So a wonderful fortnight's holiday in all with some excellent cricket and a long list of beautiful grounds to add to what was already a rather substantial number over the years.
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