The match in question

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.