Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I’m 64?
Lennon & McCartney
21 June 1952 to 21 June 2016: Still wondering if I’ll ever grow up !!
Lord Ric of Beckley Furnace
Season 2016 has made a good start ...
Relegation at the end of last season to Division 2 of the
County Championship has meant that compared to the last few years Sussex are
playing some different counties.
So far I have seen Essex, Leicestershire & Derbyshire at
Hove.
And as part of my Season 2016 Resolutions to visit some
grounds I haven’t been to before, I have made my First Ever Visit to Worcester.
John Squire accompanied me on the train from Paddington.
Once you get beyond Reading and more especially Didcot, it
is a lovely journey which wends its way through Oxford (other – much better –
Universities are available!) and on through the Cotswolds.
A 10 minutes’ walk and you cross the Severn and are in the
ground.
Worcester has a reputation as a very pretty ground.
And as long as you look in the right directions, that is
definitely the case.
The view from the Pavilion is wonderful:
John & I were lucky to be invited in to the Pavilion by a couple
of Old Boys whom we sat next to who were friends from Primary School and had seen
their first game together way back in 1947.
The following season in 1948 they saw the Invincibles: the
Aussie team over for the Ashes.
They were there when Don Bradman played at Worcester. The Don scored a
century, as he always does in all the stories that I’ve ever heard from those lucky
enough to see him play!
Funnily enough, the other great view is from the Premier
Inn:
I popped in for 15 Minutes R&R; just as Mrs (Lady Jane)
Kartupelis always asks me to!
#JustFantasising, Jane!!!
There has been time for the first T20 night game at Hove.
Sussex scored a very creditable 222 for 3, with captain Luke
Wright hitting a rapid 83 and Chris Nash a majestic 112.
But the highlight was Tymal Mills roaring down the hill from
the Cromwell Road end to bowl Chris Gayle, the West Indian superstar playing
for Somerset, for a paltry 5.
Sussex won comfortably by 48 runs.
And just last Sunday it was off to Beckenham, just a couple
of stations from Bickley, for my annual visit.
I was delighted to be joined by Lady Jane & Rocket Ron.
Kent v Surrey in the RL50. What a game it was....
Surrey scored steadily to reach 255 for 8 in their 50 overs, with Kumar Sangakarra
top scoring with 58.
Kent set off well, but when 111 for 1 became 116 for 5 and
147 for 6, Duckworth –Lewis was predicting a straightforward win for Surrey.
But cricket isn’t anywhere near so predictable …
Sam Northeast helped add 72 with Alex Blake. The
result was in the balance when James Tredwell was run out from the fourth ball
of the final over, bowled by Tom Curran.
Blake, who recently ended a Championship game with three successive sixes, kept his nerve with a Big 6 over midwicket to seal
victory off the penultimate ball.
Looking ahead, it is a demanding schedule over the next few
weeks.
There is the Test Match v Sri Lanka at Lords, games at the
Ageas Bowl and Arundel and plenty of days at Hove.
On 12 July I am watching cricket at Windsor Castle with the
Duke of Edinburgh; Honestly!
Just the one question to ask Phil the Greek. It’s the one
Ronald Reagan asked:
Love the Castle, Sir, but why did
you build it so near Heathrow Airport!
And then on Sunday 17 July it is off to the Nevill,
Tunbridge Wells for Kent v Sussex.
This year it is 65 years since a famous game.
My blog Extra Jelly, Please will be out on
Thursday 23rd June to celebrate one of the greatest days of cricket
there’s ever been ….
Why not in ink the date into your diary to come and watch with me ?
After all ….
Why read a Lord Ric Cricket Blog, when you can be in one. ©
See you soon !!
Lord Ric of Beckley Furnace
Follow me on Twitter: LordRic52
PS
The Lennon & McCartney song goes on to say:
If I’d been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Reminds me of the time - just last week - that after a T20 game I got back to Merryfield at about midnight to discover that Lady Piper had bolted the front door …
PPS
OK: There is Dianne’s side to the story … … !!!!
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