Our paths may change ... as life goes along.
But the bond between friends remains ever strong.
There
is something about childhood friends that is irreplaceable.
Hi everyone!
The Annual Trip to the Wild West - to Taunton in Somerset - is always one of the highlights of the Cricket Season.
Covid issues had meant that it was three years since The Lads & I had last met to watch some cricket & reminisce about the Good Old Days.
The Lads - #ForeverYoung
We are all from the Classes of ’63 & ’64 at Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells on the Kent / Sussex border.
Our friendships and cricket playing days started almost six decades ago.
County allegiances are split broadly evenly between the two Old Rivals.
So,
when the Fixtures for 2022 were first published, we planned to see Somerset v Sussex
in the RL50 game on Friday 19th August.
But when the timings of the game came out, it wasn’t possible - for those of us who live in London - to watch an evening game and get back home by rail.
No problem; we soon settled on the day game v Durham on Wednesday 10th August.
Train timetables were reviewed, tickets bought & picnics packed.
We all met up - as tradition demands - in Block 5 of the Somerset Stand.
---
Durham started strongly with 86 from Graham Clark and 88 from Scott Borthwick.
By 30 overs they had scored over 180 for the loss of only one wicket.
Ol’ Ric was predicting - with that sublime & completely unwarranted confidence that the Lads had known only too well for over half a century- a Durham score after 50 overs of 350 to 400.
But 19 year old Sonny Baker was in tremendous form, taking 6 wickets for 46 runs in his 10 overs.
Despite scoring 80 runs in the final overs, Durham were all out in the final over for 342.
---
There were plenty of Top Tales throughout the day from The Lads… the ones where no one worries that the Facts don’t get in the way of What Really Happened.
Several were about EW ‘Jim’ Swanton.
Peter Richardson, the Worcestershire, Kent & England
batter was renowned for his practical jokes, often targeting EW ‘Jim’ Swanton, the
cricket correspondent of The Daily Telegraph and eminence grise of cricket
writers.
Jim Swanton, Brian Johnston & Peter May
During a match at Canterbury, Richardson was forced to
retire after being hit on the head, but later resumed
Batting against West Indies, with Swanton and Brian
Johnston commentating, Richardson complained of a booming noise and said he
could not continue.
Umpire Bill
Copson was in on the joke and walked
towards the commentary box.
Ah, said Jim, obviously some small boys are playing
about below us here and putting the batsmen off - or perhaps it’s the sun
shining on the windscreen of a car . . .
Copson stopped 20 yards short of our box, cupped his
hands and shouted so that the millions of viewers could hear, Will you stop
that booming noise up there? It’s putting the batsmen off.
Swanton later wrote that Richardson would be better off
concentrating on his cricket.
The
Somerset DJ had an amazing, eclectic range of ‘only played once’ tunes between the
overs.
Nothing wrong with Sweet Caroline, but it is good to hear other songs too.
Shortly
before noon. he played Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks.
It seemed an unusual choice. We were 160 miles West of Waterloo;
and Sunset was over 8 hours away.
I
texted Somerset with an alternative…
The Lads & I spent the rest of the day listening out for it to be played.
To no avail !!
---
Somerset’s reply started slowly. Needing to score almost 6 ½ runs an over, after 13 overs they were 62 for 3, with their Top Batter James Hildreth out for just 12.
After
31 overs Somerset were 166 for 6. Just 19 overs left and still requiring 168
runs to win with only 4 wickets left.
Duckworth-Lewis # had Somerset over 80 runs behind the target
# The Lads aren’t stupid.
No one even attempted to explain how Duckworth-Lewis actually works.
They’re not that stupid !!
166 for 6 after 31 overs became 195 for 8 after 36 overs.
For
all the world it looked like Game Over for Somerset.
We were contemplating getting to the Gurkha Restaurant well-before our 6 o’clock reservation.
But
cricket is a wonderful game …
In the next 14 overs a 3,000 strong crowd was to be treated to some fantastic batting.
The
9th wicket pair of Ben Green and Alfie Ogborne put on 97 in 8 overs.
Of which 19 year old Alfie scored but … 3 runs !
When he was out - bowled by Chris Rushworth – Alfie left to a standing ovation.
As for Somerset Captain Ben Green, in 60+ Seasons of watching cricket I can say his innings was one of the most amazing I have ever seen !!!
Having reached a 45-ball fifty, his
maiden List A hundred occupied only 14 more deliveries as he blasted four sixes
in an over off Scott Borthwick - to go to his century - and four more off successive balls from Oliver
Gibson.
The Innings of his Life !!
Somerset needed 11 off the final over, bowled by Gibson.
The No. 11 Sonny Baker scrambled a
single from the first ball.
Off the second ball, Green hit hard & high out to the long on boundary.
Down below us in Block 5, a couple of feet inside the boundary rope Liam Trevaskis dived forward to take a brilliant catch, inches above the ground.
Durham had won by 9 runs.
---
There was just time for one course
at The Gurkha.
And Yes; I did have what I always
go for: Onion Bhaji, Lamb Korma & Peshawari Naan !
It had been a really, really enjoyable day’s cricket !!
Do get out your diary & have a look at the fixtures for the remaining weeks of Season 2022.
I really hope that you’ll come along and watch cricket with me.
After all ….
Why read a Lord Ric Cricket Blog, when you can star in your own.
See you soon!!
Lord
Ric of Beckley Furnace
PS
The Somerset DJ never did play my choice …
The tax man's taken
all my dough
And left me in my
stately home
Lazin' on a Sunny Afternoon
And I can't sail my
yacht
He's taken
everything I got
All I've got's this Sunny
Afternoon
Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks
Cricket with The Lads on a
Sunny Afternoon … #JustCan’tBeatIt !!
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