The wheel of Heaven turns
Above us
Endlessly
Hi everyone!
I’m very
lucky to be able to watch plenty of cricket.
I look
forward to all the games.
Some
especially: the 1st game of the season at Hove, the annual trip to
the Nevill Ground at Tunbridge Wells.
And in
the last week or so: the England v Australia Test Match at Lords & the
Restoration Partners’ evening for Surrey v Kent in the t20 at the Oval.
And all season I’ve
been really, really looking forward to today’s game: the Saturday of Sussex v Australia at
Hove.
After more
than two weeks of very sunny weather – like all the Summers were when I was a
boy !! – the Met Office forecast was for heavy rain. So John, Anne (on her first ever trip
to cricket at Hove) and I were fortunate that we were able to see about
two-thirds of the day’s play before heavy rain send us back to Chatsworth
Square for an early cup of tea.
The
day started with the tourists adding 11 to their overnight score,
allowing Steve Smith to reach his century, before declaring on
366-5.
In
front of a 7,000 strong-crowd, Sussex soon slumped to 33-3 before Rory
Hamilton-Brown with a quick-fire 73 dominated a fourth-wicket stand of 106 with James Taylor (on
loan from Nottinghamshire).
Sussex
ended the day on 228 for 5, with Taylor on 64 not out (advancing to 121 not out
when Sussex declared on Sunday at 368 for 7).
I
first saw James play for Shrewsbury against Eton in 2008.
And have since seen
him play several times for Leicestershire, England A & his new county,
Nottinghamshire.
It
was good news that James & Monty Panesar were recalled into the England squad
for this Thursday’s Test Match at Old Trafford.
As I sat
watching I thought of Fred & Jack, my Dad & Granddad, who were at the
equivalent match some 65 years ago on Saturday 5th June 1948.
Dad had
called into Barnwell, Horns Cross (near Northiam) for breakfast with Jack
& Anne, his father & step-mother.
A
proper English, with eggs from Granddad’s chicken.
Just
before 9 o’clock they put the picnic in the back of the Land Rover.
Was
there a pork pie each? Definitely!!
Was
Anne’s picnic up to Mrs Lambourne’s standard? D’ya know, some questions don’t need to be answered!!
They drove
through Staplecross and Battle and then along the A27 to Lewes, over the South
Downs into Brighton and along the seafront.
There
were many fewer cars in 1948. No parking restrictions and certainly none of the
dreaded Brighton & Hove Traffic Wardens. They parked easily in Palmeira
Avenue.
By 10.45
they were settled into the deckchairs by the sightscreen at the Cromwell Road
end.
Though Fred
& Jack were lifelong Sussex supporters, on that Saturday long ago they had
come to see Australia bat.
So they
were hugely disappointed when the Sussex Captain Hugh Bartlett won the toss
& elected to bat.
But the
Gods, who watch from high above the sight screen at the sea end, had a twist or
two in store that day. For within little more than 45 overs Sussex were all out
for only 86, with Ray Lindwall taking 6 for 34.
So it
was that not too long after Lunch – when all Good Pipers are usually having a well-deserved
gentle snooze – the Aussie openers, Bill Brown & Arthur Morris, came out to
bat.
They
made a good start, with Brown being first out for 44.
As Brown
walked back to the Pavilion to polite applause, he passed the incoming batsman.
Just 5
feet 7 inches tall & almost 40 years old, to the casual observer the new
batsman could have been a City Stockbroker playing for his local club on a
Saturday afternoon.
But I
doubt if there were any casual observers in the ground that day: for the No.3
was the Australian Captain D G Bradman.
The Don.
The
greatest batsman the game has ever known.
As was
his normal way, Bradman walked slowly to the wicket, letting his eyes grow
accustomed to the sunlight.
He took
guard, looked round at the Sussex field placings and – in the version that Dad
liked to tell – proceeded to hit the first four balls he faced to the four
corners of the ground.
Whatever
the precise truth, there is no doubt that Bradman scored a century; out for 109
bowled by Jim Cornford.
I don’t
know how many times I heard Dad relate the story of The day I saw Bradman at Hove; let’s agree it was
“Lots”!
But
every time he would always say that he never saw anyone bat as well as Bradman.
At Close
of Play Fred & Jack walked back to the car.
They
resisted the temptation of calling in to The Palmeira.
It
was for Fred’s son to know of Oscar Wilde’s maxim: “In Life resist everything;
except Temptation”.
They
drove back across East Sussex, chatting companionably.
On what had
been a very warm day, it was a No-Brainer to call into The White Dog at
Ewhurst.
The
first pint of Harveys slipped down without even touching the sides.
As they
sat in the pub garden looking out across the River Rother to Bodiam Castle,
Fred & Jack agreed: It had been
A Really Good Day
Out
In
truth, the second pint was as good as the first.
There
was just time – as there always is just time – for One More Round.
“Two
Sussex halves please, Mrs D”, Fred said to the barmaid.
They
knew each other very, very well.
Fred
thought she was a real stunner; he fancied her something rotten.
She
smiled; exactly as his son would be, there never was any doubt exactly what
Fred was thinking when he fancied someone!!
Fred
& Jack finished their beers.
And
were soon back at Barnwell.
“Anne,
we’re home”, Jack called out. “Sorry we’re a bit late, my Love; heavy traffic
near Lewes.”
She didn’t believe him; obviously!
Across the generations the Mrs
Pipers have never believed the after-cricket excuses of heavy traffic near
Lewes; nor the wrong sort of snow on the line in July!
-----
A
couple of years ago I was at the ground watching Sussex v Hampshire.
At
lunchtime I was chatting to an Old Boy.
“I’m Jim”, he said.
Though
he looked a decade or more younger, he told me that in the coming October he
would turn 80.
He had seen his first few Sussex games before
World War II.
In
1948, as a 16 year old with some chums from Hove Grammar School, he too had
seen the Aussies.
Jim’s Uncle Harry was opening for
Sussex; but it wasn’t to be his day, out for 4 LBW Sam Loxton.
Over
the years, Jim had seen many wonderful batsmen at Hove.
From Compton & Hutton to
Cowdrey & May.
Those two quintessential English
Lords: Lord Ted & Lord Gower.
The two Richards: Barry &
Viv.
And in more recent times,
Pietersen & Ponting.
Like
Dad, he told me that he had never seen anyone bat as well as Bradman did on
that Saturday in 1948.
The
following season in 1949 Jim – Young Jim
– made his debut for Sussex.
He would score over 29,000 runs
for Sussex, with almost 1,100 catches and 100 stumpings.
He would play 46 times
for England.
This year he is the Sussex
President.
I
would never claim that Young Jim was
the best Batsman – Wicketkeeper the game has ever known, nor even the best I’ve
ever seen; Matt Prior, the current England & Sussex wicketkeeper, has a
much better batting average.
But
for me – just as he was for Mum - Young
Jim has always been my Favourite Player.
Never in doubt!
-----
There
are plenty of days left at Hove this year.
I
can’t promise you that The Don or Young Jim will be playing.
But
I hope that when you come to see me in Hove, you too will have:
A Really
Good Day Out
See
you soon!
Lord Ric
