Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight ?
Hero and Leander by Christopher Marlowe
Hi everyone!
As I so often do…
Just after I’d taken Lady Dianne her morning cup of tea, at 08.10 hours I tuned to Today on BBC Radio 4 for the main political interview.
Dame Angela Eagle, Minister of State
for Border Security and Asylum in the Home Office, was being asked questions on
Small Boats.
Defined by UK Government as “vessels used by individuals who cross the English Channel, with the aim of gaining entry to the UK without a visa or permission to enter.”
An MP since 1992, Dame Angela is far too experienced to actually answer any of Nick’s questions on Small Boats !!
FWIW …
She might like to come Out Rambling with The Lads & me.
We often discuss the Small Boats.
Who knows … we might even have a policy proposal or two.
Of course, Dame Angela already
well-knows one of them.
After all; 18 years ago, she voted
in favour of:
The Identity Cards Act 2006 !
The Government’s current approach – led by Dame Angela’s Boss Home Secretary Yvette Cooper - is to rule out introducing digital ID Cards.
But former PM Tony Blair remains an
influential voice …
In the Sunday Times on 7 July 2024, he wrote:
"We need a plan to control
immigration. If we don't have rules, we get prejudices.
In office, I believed the best
solution was a system of identity so that we know precisely who has a right to
be here.
With, again, technology, we should
move as the world is moving to digital ID. If not, new border controls will
have to be highly effective."
We’ll see … …
---
After the interview, at 08.25 Today went to Garry Richardson with The Sport.
Garry’s guest was another former Prime Minister, Sir John Major.
A quarter of a century since he stepped down as PM, Sir John is someone who is a good example of whom the years of retirement have enhanced his reputation.
Do you remember the scene in Easy Rider?
As Wyatt & Billy saw on the mantelpiece in Madame Tinkertoy’s House of Blue Lights:
“Death only closes a man’s reputation and determines it as good or bad.”
Garry reminded Sir John that on the day he lost the 1997 General election to Tony Blair, Sir John had spent the day watching cricket at the Oval.
Garry asked: When did you first watch at The Oval ?
As with so many of us, Sir John instantly remembered that first game !
That would be Surrey v Sussex in 1952.
Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight ?
Not far off three-quarters of a
century later, Sir John told of going to the game with his sister, Pat.
Taking a picnic.
OK… he did say they had walked to
the ground from Brixton where they lived.
But … the Majors didn’t actually move there until 1955, 3 years
after the game !
Editor: Never let the Facts get in the way of what Really Happened !!
After the interview, I went on to Cricinfo to look up the match.
Surrey had a very strong XI.
In the team on Saturday 17th May 1952 were Test players Alec Bedser (and his twin, Eric), Laurie Fishlock, Tony Lock & Arthur McIntyre.
In 1952 Surrey would go on to win the County Championship, their first of 7 successive first place.
As for Sussex…
Plenty of well-loved Sussex Legends.
Including:
The Langridge brothers, James (the first Professional to captain Sussex) and John (just the 34,152 runs for Sussex !! A record never to be beaten.), George Cox (after whom the Memorial Garden near the Players Pavilion is named) and Alan Oakman ( who played in the Test v the Aussies at Old Trafford in 1956 in which Jim Laker 19 wickets)
Looking at the scorecard, Sussex
batted first, scoring 365.
John Langridge scored 135, one of 76 centuries for Sussex; the most ever for a batter not to play Test cricket.
When the third Sussex fell at 93 and the Sussex No.5 walked out to the wicket, I wonder if future Prime Minister Sir John had ever heard of the 20 year old ?
He certainly would know by close of play for the No.5 top scored 138.
He would go on to be a Sussex
Legend.
29,138 runs (3rd on the all-time list) and 42 centuries for Sussex. Not to mention 46 Tests for England. He would become Sussex Captain and Club President ( twice!!).
He was – of course – Young Jim Parks !!!
Lord Ted
---
By Amazing Co-Incidence - the type you
so often find in a Lord Ric Cricket Blog …
Like Sir John, my first game was also a Sussex away match.
Saturday 7th June 1958
The Old Rivals: Kent
The Nevill, Tunbridge Wells
As plenty of you will know, I have spoken about the game so many, many times.
Including in:
https://lord-ric.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-lollapalooza-of-day.html
Sussex won the toss and chose to
bat.
The first Sussex wicket fell at 20:
Langridge bowled for 20 by Ridgway.
And the second at 58: Don Smith LBW
Ridgway for 30.
The Young Boy heard the announcer say the name of the incoming Sussex Batsmen.
Aged 26, the son and nephew of two former Sussex players and already a England Test player, the Sussex No. 4 was THE player whom the Young Boy had come to see.
And so it was that - with the Young
Boy looking intently on - the No. 4 took guard at the Pavilion end and looked
round the outfield.
As Fred Ridgway ran in from the Railway end it was: Time to Deliver!!
There was only the one shot to
play: the one bounce 4 through midwicket into the marquees.
And the Sussex Legend played the
shot to perfection, the ball ending up barely 25 yards from where the Young Boy
and his Dad were sitting.
John Pretlove, the Kent No. 4 and 5 times UK national singles Rugby Fives
champion, retrieved the ball.
What an innings it was.
Soon into his stride, the No.4’s score rapidly reached 30 and then 50 not too long thereafter.
Would he make a Century?
Sitting next to the Young Boy and
his Dad, a mum and her daughter were Sussex fans who had driven up from near
Chichester.
As the Tea interval and a Century both approached, the Deal was done: a Century by Tea would lead to the mum giving the Young Boy a piece of her Carrot Cake - with extra frosted cream cheese!!
With 2 balls remaining until Tea, a
wonderful cover drive brought up the Century.
Was the Carrot Cake the Best Ever?
#NeverInDoubt !!
Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight ?
---
We are well into Season 2024, just a few September weeks of Fixtures left.
But this is the Business End of the Season.
A couple of evenings ago I was at Hove to see the
Mighty Sussex Sharks beat Lancashire in the Vitality blast quarter final.
Off to Finals Day at Edgbaston on 14th September.
In the County Championship, with 3 games to go Sussex are top of Division 2
Will the Long Winter that began with relegation from Division 1 way back in 2015 finally be over ?
Do get out your diary & have a look at the fixtures for the remaining weeks of Season 2024.
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
It was another Prime Minister Benjamin
Disraeli who wrote
The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can never end.
On Saturday 7th May
1960 I was watching my first game at Hove.
Of all the players that day, he
was The One I had gone to see …
And when the 2nd Sussex wicket fell at 140 (Les Lenham caught Trueman bowled Close for 47), the No.4 came down the Pavilion steps.
What can I tell you about him?
Well, aged 28, he had been in the
team for about 10 seasons.
He would score 1,530 runs in
Season 1960.
By the end of his career he would
score 1,000 runs in a season 18 times. Only John Langridge has more - with 20.
No need to ever question this
player’s Class!
But what of his Form?
Well, he was in Good Form.
Barely a month previously he had
been re-called to the England Team – after a gap of over 50 Tests and almost 6
years - for the game against the West Indies in Port of Spain.
As at today’s date England have
played 1,076 Tests.
Only once has an England player returned to the team after a gap of 50+ Tests & scored a 100 … This player!
Even more recently, in the game a few days before the Yorkshire game he had scored a 100 against Somerset at Taunton.
When you’re a little boy aged 7
and a Hero comes to the wicket …
Well, you are only thinking about what you’ll be writing in your blog half a century and more on!!
The No.4 was off the mark with a single off bowler Brian Close, to fine leg – just near where Dad & I were sitting.
The next over he took guard to face Fred Trueman - bowling down the hill from the Cromwell Road end …
The Scorecard never lies:
JM Parks bowled Trueman: 1
I cried … Dad consoled me.
It was a hard, but necessary
Lesson to learn …
Even the Best Players don’t score
a 100 every time they bat.
As I learnt that day when my
Favourite Player was out for 1 …
Heartaches are to be Born with Fortitude.
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