Hi everyone!
Memory … is the diary that we all carry about with us
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
In a Season where spectating - entirely understandably - is still being heavily impacted by Covid Regulations, it was tremendous to be able to go to Lord’s, the Home of Cricket.
Middlesex v Sussex in the Vitality Blast T20
Frankly, we don’t need to overly dwell on the game itself.
Sussex won the toss and asked Middlesex to bat.
The Middlesex openers Eskinazi and Holden set off like a rocket.
And after 12 overs the score was 112 for one.
It looked that the final score would be well over 200 – for Ric’s Rule is that, given you have lost 3 or fewer wickets, you should score a many runs in the final 8 overs as the first 12.
But so much for Ric’s Rule …
In the last 8 overs Sussex managed to contain Middlesex to just 46 runs, whilst taking 6 wickets.
So, Sussex “only” required 167 to win – just over 8 an over.
But this was not to be for the
Mighty Sharks.
They collapsed to 54 for 5 and ended on 103 for 9, losing by a whopping 64 runs.
You don’t need to be a Performance Analyst to know that if only one of your top six batmen get into double figures (Travis Head: 23), you are never going to win !!
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Of course, visits to Lord’s are always about much more than the game in question …
For this is a ground of Memory !
I was at Lords on my 21st
birthday for England v New Zealand, watching with the Young Man and Peter Williams,
both friends from St Mark’s Primary School.
Nearly 50 years on they will both be reading the blog.
And I was back for my 65th birthday for Middlesex v Yorkshire, watching with Nigel Smethers, a friend from the Fitz Class of ’71.
Along the way there have been innumerable Test matches and a World Cup Final in 1999, with Australia easily beating Pakistan.
Cup Finals at Lords … did I mention Sussex winning the Gillette in 1963 and ’64 …
And again in 1978 when the Sharks beat the Cider Boys - Somerset, including Ian Botham, Joel Garner & Viv Richards
And the day I met England Captain, Sir Alastair Cook.
As I said goodbye to my hosts and walked up Wellington Road towards St John’s Wood Tube station... if there was a disappointment that Sussex had so comprehensively lost, it was mitigated by the Lord’s memories I carry around in my diary !!
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As we head into July, still plenty
of Season 2021 remaining.
I really, really hope that you’ll come along and watch with me this Season.
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
If, dear reader, you have read this far, you’ll be wondering about: The Hourglass.
For there is one Memory I have yet
to tell …
Over 60 seasons ago on Saturday 27 May 1961 MCC v playing Australia.
Australia were captained by Richie
Benaud, with future Aussie Captains Bobby Simpson and Bill Lawry also in the XI.
MCC were captained by Colin Cowdrey,
with Mike Smith and Ken Barrington also playing.
Batting No.7 and keeping wicket was … Young Jim !!
Watching with his Dad from the upper tier of the Warner Stand, an 8 year old little boy was making his first ever visit to the Home of Cricket.
As I looked out across the ground yesterday
evening, I wondered what has happened to that little boy ?
By now, he’d be an OAP.
Did he ever grow up?
Does he still love
watching cricket?
Is Young Jim still
his favourite player?
I’m going with one No & two
Yes’s !!
Has his been a well-spent life?
Father Time, who has watched over
the cricket at Lords since the mid 1920’s, may know:
Father Time is not always a hard parent and though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigour.
With such people the grey head is but
the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every
wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life.
Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
And as for the Future?
I bet the OAP is raging against
the dying of the light.
Making the most of what remains of the
sand in the Hourglass — and savouring every moment.
And
what is Life about except that?
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