But the Lord said to Samuel ...

But the Lord said to Samuel,

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16 v 7

The Old Dog knew that Summer was close to over and Autumn was fast approaching.

No more Pork Pie Picnics for him this year!!

He looked back over a tremendous summer, one blessed by so many warm, sunny days.

Plenty of cricket: T20s, RL50s, the County Championship & Tests as well.

The much-loved annual trip to the Nevill at Tunbridge Wells, to the Ageas Bowl and four visits to Lords. 
And lots & lots of games at Hove. 
14 of the 18 Counties seen. Next year, well seeing all 18 is definitely something to aim at !!

Sussex ended the season very strongly &, having flirted with relegation from Division 1 as recently as early September, had finished in a very creditable 3rd place.

And of course there was the 175^th Anniversary lunch, celebrating the founding of Sussex, the oldest professional cricket club in the world. 

And seeing some Heroes from across the years: Lord Ted, Young Jim, Snowy, Trout & Grizzly and all the rest.

In May 2015 Lord Ted is 80.

In the All Time Sussex Dream XI chosen at the 175^th Anniversary lunch no one even thought of questioning that Ted should bat 3 & captain the team!

    Will the Club will have a celebration lunch for him? #JustHopeSo !!

It’s been great to watch games with so many of you this season: some of you I first went with to cricket 40 years & more ago, for others this season may have been the very first time.

Thank you all.

Let’s see plenty of games together in Season 2015.

The Aussies are over next year for the Ashes, the most enthralling cricket of all.

And the next time England play Australia Down Under is in 2017/18.

If the Gods spare me, I turn 65 in June 2017 & I’m planning to be in Oz for the whole Tour: From Brisbane in November to Adelaide, then on to Perth, back to Melbourne & finally Sydney in January.

Day One of the Melbourne Test is always on Boxing Day.
And on Boxing Day  - as Piper Family tradition dictates - it just HAS to be Paella.

And there’s only one Spanish restaurant for me in Melbourne:

Two Buoys, 209 Point Nepean Rd, Dromana

Good prices too, the last time I was there:

 

So if you happen to find yourself in Melbourne on Boxing Day 2017, why not come & join me for dinner?

PS : Please bring swimwear; Two Buoys is right on the beach !!

And Finally: 

The 1st of October is always a special day in my calendar, one when I remember that particular date in bygone years.

Of the day a dozen years ago or so when the Sky turned so dark, I thought the Sun would never shine again.

But Mum was right: The Sun comes up in the East every morning.

And the last day of the old world is but the first day of the new one.

Of the day that I got married (well, the first time anyway!!).

And 40 years ago to the day ... ...

Of my very first day in the world of Accountancy, joining Deloitte at 128 Queen Victoria Street.

The first day of Joy Beyond Measure; so OK, I never have been very good at counting!!

As  I was about to leave home to catch the train from Tunbridge Wells to Cannon Street on that Tuesday morning four decades ago, I remember my Dad giving me some advice.

It was the exactly the same that he had given me on my first day at secondary school & again when Mum & he dropped me at university.

It has been Huge Fun this last 40 years; generally funded by the companies who have been kind – not to say foolish  - enough to employ me!

Of course, it’s been about the people I’ve met & worked with over the years.

    I know that it’s not easy to forget me, but lots & lots of people are still really, really trying!!

As for Me: I've always tried to follow Dad’s advice.

I hope You will too …

Give It A Go !!!

See you in Season 2015.

Lord Ric of Beckley Furnace

PS

For those who have read this far & are still wondering about the Bible quote ... 

It is the story of David v Goliath.

When Samuel sent him out to fight Goliath, he told David:

Give It A Go !!!

The Tale of the Old Dog & the New Trick

Life is a conveyor belt and I’m coming towards the end of it. 
You can’t scramble back along it.

There are very few regrets. I’m happy with what I have achieved.

John Snow, Sussex & England

The Old Dog knew that Snowy was right.

But he wasn’t ready to be a Cuddly Toy just yet.

He wanted to learn a New Trick or two.

A couple of great days in Hove.

On Wednesday it was the final limited overs game of the season: Sussex v Glamorgan in the RL50.

Sussex scored 323 for 3 in their slightly rain affected 48 overs, with Luke Wright top scoring with 127 and young Harry Finch 92 not out.

Duckworth-Lewis kicked in: with Glamorgan set 329 to win.

During the tea interval I was speaking to a couple of Old Boys sitting in  the row behind me.

We all agreed that it would be a wonderful game for Glamorgan to win.

And so it proved.

Glamorgan getting home with 8 balls and 7 wickets to spare, with Jacques Rudolph hitting the highest ever one day score for his County of 169.

And a very warmly-applauded 50 from Murray Goodwin, for so long a Sussex stalwart of the Championship winning sides, now playing for Glamorgan & probably making  his final appearance at Hove.

Would be a good move if Murray was appointed Sussex's batting coach in 2015!

On Thursday evening it was the 175^th Anniversary Dinner of the founding of Sussex County Cricket Club, the oldest first class county.

I was accompanied by John Squire (Yes: he’s booked to do the Eulogy at my Funeral. 20 minutes;focus on my Positives!!).

Plenty of former Sussex captains: from Hubert Doggart who was captain in 1954 through to Mike Yardy who retired as captain a couple of years ago.

Lord Ted

Young Jim

Mike Griffiths

John Barclay
Paul Parker

Chris Adams

And lots of stories to be told: Some new and plenty of the well-loved familiar ones.

Each table had to pick their All-Time Sussex XI.

John & my table came up with:

We got 9 of the 11 chosen by John Barclay in his Dream XI.

He chose CB Fry (rather than Murray Goodwin) & Jim Langridge (rather than Tony Greig).

We’d considered CB; Obviously!!

John Arlott described him with the words: 

"Charles Fry could be autocratic, angry and self-willed: he was also magnanimous, extravagant, generous, elegant, brilliant – and fun ... he was probably the most variously gifted Englishman of any age."

But in these post-Saville days I’m doubtful if his later life would stand up to scrutiny.

But what of the Tale of the Old Dog & the New Trick?

The Old Dog had been watching cricket at Hove for many, many years.

Apart from a few Corporate Hospitality invites to the Boundary Rooms down by the synagogue and the occasional foray into the Pavilion (generally in search of the famous rock cakes), he had always watched from the Cromwell Road end, between the sight screen and Palmeira Avenue; 50 years and more!

A few weeks ago he’d been watching a RL50 game.

And had just finished his pork pie and a pint of Speckled Hen.

He got into conversation with a lady sitting next to him.

Oh yes, he was a regular.

Been watching for years, since Lord Ted & Young Jim were in their pomp.

Always sat at the Cromwell Road end.

Have you ever sat in the Herbalife stand at the sea end?

No, the Old Dog said, perhaps rather too gruffly, for the lady was only asking.

Always sit to the left of the sight screen, ever since I came with Dad for my first game long, long ago in May 1960.

Planning to spend my last afternoon alive just here!!

The conversation moved on, amiability quickly restored …

But the Old Dog was troubled.

How could you know you didn’t like something if you’d never even tried it?

And by the time he was at his next game …

He walked along the Cromwell Road end, past the sight screen and on behind the Pavilion …

And took his seat midway up the Herbalife stand.

 

It turned out … that it was much better viewing than looking from the Cromwell Road end.

And you didn’t have to see the bloody awful flats at the Sea end!!!

The Old Dog smiled to himself.

Don’t think of me as Old.

Plenty of New Tricks to learn!!

See you soon!

Lord Ric of Beckley Furnace

PS

Absolutely No Suggestion that the Old Dog would ever even contemplate having a Cricket Picnic without a pork pie!

#Just Saying!!

Nudged by an Angel

Hi everyone!

Wonderful weather over the last week or two.

And plenty of time for cricket.

A tremendous Friday evening with Neil Ayton & Edward Cox at the Ageas Bowl near Southampton for Hampshire v Sussex in the T20.

Though Luke Wright scored 116 not out, Sussex’s 171 for 8 for  fell 6 runs short of Hampshire’s 177 (Michael Carberry 87).

Hampshire progress to the T20 Quarter Finals; Sussex don’t !!

Luke Wright is in just fantastic form. Though I didn’t see the game, Sussex pulled off a world-record run chase with nine balls to spare against T20 Blast South Group winners Essex.

Luke Wright smashed an unbeaten 153 in only 66 balls - the fourth-highest ever T20 score - which included 12 fours and 11 sixes to see Sussex to 226-3.

 

From the rock music, flames & dancing girls of the T20, it was off to Horsham for all the the tradition of a Monday Day 1 in the County championship Sussex v Warwickshire.

Another sunny day, this time in the Sussex countryside, watching with Graham Bishopp & Paul Hardwick, friends from School & the Tunbridge Wells Borderers. My cricket with Graham goes back to the never-to-be-forgotten Upper Banner Farm Cricket Club.

A good day for Sussex, who by the end of the game on Day 4 had comfortably beaten Warwickshire by 226 runs.

And so to the two games at Lords.

A Thursday evening for Middlesex v Surrey in front of a capacity crowd of over 28,000, the biggest ever for a T20 match.

Eoin Morgan hit 43 to leave the hosts handily placed at 108 for 2 who stuttered to 137 for 8.

Surrey looked well placed at 113 for 4 in reply before slumping to 133 for 8.

Then with one required off the last ball, Ansari dived to make his ground and seal a two-wicket win.

It was good  - as always  - to see Nigel Taunt for our annual evening game and to welcome Stuart Feest & his elder son, Lewis; the latter for his first ever visit to the Home of Cricket.

I hope that in the years ahead Lewis will go to Lords many, many times, always remembering his first ever game there.

And the second game at Lords? Day one of England v India.

The seeds of England’s defeat by 95 runs were sown on that first day, when England put India in and got them to 145 for 7 at tea, only to allow the final 3 wickets to put on 150 for 295 all out.

It was a real privilege to watch from the Cazenove box with Niall Kennedy in the Tavern Stand.

A Pimms, a beer & glass of white wine and lunch together “provided the opportunity” to close my eye lids during the afternoon session.

As  my eyes took a rest from the live action, I was remembering a game I saw with Dad 50 years ago on Saturday 5 September 1964 : Sussex v Warwickshire in the Gillette Cup Final.

In truth, it wasn’t much of a match. Ian Thomson reduced Warwickshire to 21 for 3, before AC Smith’s 35 not out helped them to just 127.

But as an already lifelong fan, Sussex winning by 8 wickets made for a good day out, especially as Lord Ted & Young Jim were there at the end with an unbeaten stand of 34.

In those days the Cup was presented to the winning team in front of the Pavilion, with the crowd (including a 12 year old Richard)  on the outfield, perhaps 40 yards from where a 62 year old Ric was gently dozing.

The nudge was gentle, but it was definitely a nudge. 

And I heard:

Richard, I’m your Guardian Angel Gigi.

I’ve walked by your side every day of your Life.

What a Life since you stood on the outfield: 

 Nothing like you ever expected. 
And not what I was expecting either.

But, Richard, trust me: You ain’t seen nothing yet !!

As for just what the Angel Gigi told me about what was still to come in my Life; well, that’s for another Blog on another day!!

Still time for plenty of time for Cricket watching this season.

See you at a game soon!!

Lord Ric of Beckley Furnace.

PS

One more Golden anniversary to celebrate this season: Saturday 15 August 1964 for day 3 of England v Australia the 5^th Test at the Oval.

Some legendary players:

   Australia captained by Bobby Simpson, with Bill Lawry, Norman O’Neill & Wally Grout

   England captained by Lord Ted, with Geoff Boycott, Colin Cowdrey & Young Jim

But the day was all about another England player.

What can I tell you about him? 
His second name was Sewards & his daughter Rebecca married Raquel Welch’s son Damon.

What exactly happened on that Saturday 50 Summers ago… read my next Blog !!