Life
is a conveyor belt and I’m coming towards the end of it.
You can’t scramble back along 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.
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 175th 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
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!!
