Hi everyone!
Some Thoughts from Up in the
Deckchairs
on
Surrey v Sussex
Though the game (just) went into
the final session of Day 4, we don’t need to overly dwell on the Result.
Sussex suffered their first
Championship defeat of Season 2026 - losing to Surrey by 8 wickets.
I was at the Oval on Days 1 &
2.
My visit is a reminder that
in Life – unlike in the Dictionary
– Despair can be followed by Delight.
Come Time Travellin’ with Ol’ Ric
to games at Hastings in 1902 & Horsham in 1930.
Please enjoy:
Bert Wensley
was born in Brighton
My first Away trip of Season 2026
was to the Oval for Days 1 & 2 of Surrey v Sussex.
It was a game with plenty of the Usuals.
But not all. For it turns out that the Oval does not have …
Deckchairs !
It was a welcome return to
the Picnic of an Old Friend: the much-loved Pork Pie.
Dare I even mention that at the Oval … Spectators are allowed on
the Outfield at Lunch .
And it was so enjoyable to Watch with Friends, Old & New.
“The Old Friend is a guardian of memories on which we might
otherwise have a damagingly tenuous hold . . .
Remembering what it was like not to be who we are now.”
The School for Life by Julian Barnes
On Day 1 I was joined by:
Graeme, a Kent Fan with whom I played cricket at school in the 1960s.
For
many years Graeme umpired in the Kent Premier League. Sussex Captain Ollie
Robinson still remembers Graeme no balling him at Bickley Park and Aussie
Captain Steve Smith is still “discussing” being adjudged LBW at Sevenoaks Vine.
John, a Hampshire Fan whom I’ve known since our children were at
Primary school together 35 years ago
On Day 2 I was joined by the Skinners’ Lads: Dave, Bish
& Paul
Lifelong Kent Fans enjoying cricket
in Division 1
Like Graeme, we all played in the Golden Era of Skinners’
Cricket.
Future Test Cricketers: Phil
Edmonds & Bob Woolmer
Andy Maclurin – whom many rated
even more highly than Phil & Bob
As for Dave … As Tina Turner used to sing …
#SimplytheBest
After schooldays were done … we all moved on to play
for Tunbridge Wells Borderers.
As we sat watching from the Vauxhall End, those familiar
Borderers’ stories were being recounted.
You know them all … so very, very unlikely that I
wouldn't have believed any of them if I hadn’t
been there myself !!!
I am so pleased for Graeme & The Lads that at
Canterbury the Old Rivals: Kent secured
their first Championship win since May 2025.
---
On Day 2 just 4 Surrey players ( Rory Burns, Dom
Sibley, Ryan Patel & Ollie Pope) batted throughout the day. All 4 were Independently educated.
I’ll let you identify which Surrey & Sussex players
went to which Independent School.
Source: Stephen Hope
Mr Hope’s website bythesightscreen.com has a plethora of statistics on Diversity ( ethnic &
socio-economic ) in Men’s Professional Cricket.
Excluding 2 players who grew up in Australia, 16 (80%) of
the 20 players were Independently educated.
9 of the players came from only 4 schools: 3 from Whitgift
& 2 each from Cranleigh, Bede’s & Hurstpierpoint.
All 4 players who scored centuries in the game were Independently
educated… which I s’pose proves the present pathway system works !!
When will a State educated batter next come through the
pathway at Surrey & Sussex ?
As a proud Leopard (aka Old Skinner) take a look at Ben
Dawkins of Kent.
https://www.skinners-school.co.uk/84/school-news/post/16/england-selection
---
As for the game, I was in Despair as Sussex – put into
bat by Surrey – slumped to 92 for 7.
Score at Lunch on Day 1
But it is true that in Life – unlike in the Dictionary
- Despair can be followed by Delight.
A well-made 53 from Fynn Hudson-Prentice enabled the 8th
wicket to put on 75. But even so, at 167 for 8 Sussex were still in trouble.
But cometh the hour cometh … No.9 Jack Carson & No.10 Ollie Robinson.
Prior to the Surrey game they had played in 182 FC games(
Jack: 67 & Ollie: 115), achieving one century each.
What Odds would you have got from Sussex Sponsor Dafabet
that Jack & Ollie would each score a 100 ?
Xav Voight-Hill - the
self-styled “Cricket Data Gremlin” who so often very kindly runs the numbers to
answer my ridiculous questions – would have advised Dafabet that the
Sussex Nos. 9 & 10 had never both scored centuries in the same innings.
Indeed it had never been done in County Championship cricket by any County.
But
What do we know, who only cricket
know ?
Jack & Ollie would both score centuries, 105 &
100 not out respectively.
A Day of Delight
The attendance on Day 1 was a very impressive 6,000.
Including a decent number of Sussex Fans.
Though they may have been rather quiet at 92 for 7, as
Sussex made better progress in the afternoon & evening sessions, it was
straightforward to pick out the Away
supporters sitting near me at the Archbishop Tenison end of the JM Finn stand.
About 20 metres away I saw 4 lads in their mid-20s
cheering on the Mighty Sussex. I went & introduced myself.
I’m Ric. Lifelong Sussex Fan.
First came to the Oval in August
1964.
Lord Ted was England Captain &
Young Jim kept wicket.
[Editor: Lord Ric invited the Lads
to watch with him from Up in the Deckchairs so he can tell them all his
favourite stories about Young Jim … ]
The Lads were so friendly & welcoming to an ol’ boy
like me.
One told me he was Jack Carson’s brother.
How wonderful it was for him to see his brother score a
100 at the Oval !!
It was a day of siblings watching their brother score
centuries.
Just 5 miles north of the Oval, Emilio Gay was scoring
129 for Durham v Middlesex… watched by his brother & budding artist Simeon who
is painting all the grounds at which Emilio plays this Season.
Advert (first
ever in a Lord Ric blog)
If you would like to speak with Simeon about a commission, please
contact me to arrange an introduction.
I mentioned that it looked likely that Jack & Ollie would break a
Sussex record: the highest 9th wicket partnership v Surrey which
stood at 160.
And the record was broken as Jack & Ollie put on 173
before the 9th Sussex wicket fell at 340.
On an afternoon of Records being broken, the Playfair Cricket
Annual was in regular use.
( Many thanks, Callum !)
I was engrossed in CricInfo Archive.
What had happened in the match which had held the previous 9th
wicket partnership v Surrey ?
It was at the Central Recreation Ground, Hastings in
1902.
Where Ranji 234 not out & Fred Tate 61 not out put
on an undefeated 9th wicket partnership of 160 as Sussex declared on
705 for 8
Barely 8 miles north of Hastings, in Beckley Furnace a
farm labourer in his early 20s called Jack was a lifelong Sussex fan – just as
his son & grandson ( & hopefully great-great-grandson) would be.
I’d like to tell you that Jack walked across the fields
from Beckley Furnace to Broad Oak where he caught the Dengate bus to Hastings.
In the 1920s & ‘30s Grandad Jack & Dad were regular
watchers of cricket at Hastings & indeed they did nearly always take the
Dengate bus.
But the truth is that there weren’t any motorised buses to Hastings in 1902.
Let’s just (simply) agree: Jack travelled to the
Central Recreation Ground.
Jack would have seen a huge number of Runs:
Day 1: 419
Day 2: 561
Day 3: 447
And plenty of tremendous Players in the Sussex XI.
2 Oxbridge Blues
3 Wisden Cricketers of the Year
7 Test Cricketers
2 were at Ardingly College – as fellow alumnus Tom
Clark was in the 2026 game
2 had Sons who would play for Sussex: George Cox &
Fred Tate
2 has other Family members who played for Sussex: Tim
Killick (Uncle) & Albert Relf( 2 Brothers)
2 played Football for England : CB Fry & George
Brann
And – I was always going to mention him, wasn’t I …
Cyril Bland; who took 10 wickets against the Old
Rivals: Kent at the Angel Ground, Tonbridge in 1900 !!
What a day Jack must have had.
For some Games are Never To Be Forgotten - even if you have just looked them on CricInfo Archive !
---
Plenty of Season 2026 still to come …
I can’t promise you that CB, Ranji & the Boys of
the Class of 1902 will be playing
(Though this Season’s Top Six could do with a few more runs !!
In the Surrey game & excluding
44 extras, the Top 6 scored 162 (27%) runs and the Bottom 5 429 (73%) runs.)
But …
I really hope you will come down to
Hove Actually … I’ve Saved a Deckchair for YOU!!!
After all ….
Why read a Lord Ric Cricket
Blog, when you can star in your own.
See you soon!!
Lord Ric of
Beckley Furnace
Dozing up in
the Deckchairs
PS
So,
who was … Bert Wensley ?
And
why – almost 66 years since he died in June 1970 - would my Blog about a game v Surrey at the
Oval in May 2026 mention Bert?
Well
– obviously – Bert Wensley was born in Brighton…on 24 May 1898.
TBH
prior to this week I hadn’t heard of Bert.
Wikipedia shows he was a good County Pro.
400 matches with
1,142 wickets at 26 & 10,875 runs at 20.
Four Seasons with
100 wickets, including the Double ( 1,000 runs & 100 wickets) in 1929.
I wonder how he came to play two Seasons for
Auckland in New Zealand ?
---
So
… why did I suddenly discover Bert ?
Well,
the All-Time highest 9th Wicket Partnership for Sussex was at Church
Field Road Ground in Horsham v Derbyshire in June 1930.
178 by Harry Parks ( brother of Jim senior &
Uncle of Young Jim ) with 71 and 120 by …
Bert Wensley !
Though Jack’s 7 Ollie’s 173 was a great
partnership… Harry & Bert keep the record !!
What a Sussex XI it was …
2 Oxbridge Blues
6 Wisden Cricketers of the Year
7 Test Cricketers
Has there EVER been a more celebrated Sussex XI ?
2 had Sons who would play for Sussex: Jim Langridge
& Jim Parks
2 had other Family members who played for Sussex: Harry
Parks (Uncle) & Arthur Gilligan (Brother)
1 had a Father who played for Sussex: Maurice Tate (
who’s Father Fred was playing in the 1902 game)
1 played Football for England : Tommy Cook who went on
to manage the Albion.
Jim Hammond scored 150 goals for
Fulham
I’d like to be able to tell you that Grandad Jack
& Dad were at the game in 1930.
But; I never heard either of them talk about
watching cricket at Horsham .
However
On Wednesday 20th
May Sussex are playing a T20 warm up game v Berkshire at Horsham.
Of course; no Grandad Jack & Dad - for sadly their
cricket watching days are long past.
But… Grandad Ric
& Joseph (at his first game) will be there to cheer on the Mighty Sussex !
Joseph
Yes, Grandad Ric.
Young Jim made his Sussex debut at Horsham v Cambridge in
1949.
Have I told you a story about Young Jim?
Yes, Grandad Ric.
Many, many times !!
---
Q. A much-loved old
friend has begun to tell the same stories he has told us before.
Should we stop him
in his tracks each time which could undermine his self-confidence. or should we
just listen again ?
-F.W. & S.C. Oundle.
Northants
A. Why not enthuse: ‘Oh
I've always loved this story. Do tell it again!’
Incidentally, the
late Quentin Crisp liked to preface his own anecdotes with:
'I may have told you
this before; but I would rather like to hear it again myself.’
Write to Dear Mary
at dearmary@spectator co.uk
