Voices at the door : Bank Holiday weekend cricket

Hi everyone!

I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never know

But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before
I listen for returning feet 
And voices at the door

      JRR Tolkein

A very enjoyable Bank Holiday weekend of cricket started on Friday evening with Sussex v Hampshire in the T20 Blast at Hove.

I was delighted to be joined by Neil Ayton who had made his annual trip from Southampton along the tortuous A27; when are They going to get round to building the bypasses around Arundel & Worthing?  

Sussex had won their first two T20 matches, but that run came to an end as Hampshire claimed their first victory in this year's competition.

James Vince hit a 30-ball fifty  and with support from Sean Ervine 38 and Adam Wheater 34 Hampshire piled up 177-5.

Despite the absence of Chris Jordan, Matt Prior and Chris Nash, Sussex made a decent fist of chasing 178. At halfway they were slight favourites with Ed Joyce and Rory Hamilton-Brown both scoring well.

But Hamilton-Brown, having got the measure of a slow pitch with 34 off 22 balls, was bowled making room and then Ben Brown had a horrible mow across the line having just hit two boundaries through midwicket.

Why was it that Brown’s shot reminded me of so many of mine?? Please email the Young Man in New Zealand who’ll tell you why!!

Hampshire bowled very tightly in the last five overs and Sussex fell almost 20 runs short on 159 for 5.

After their blip against Glamorgan last week Hampshire were back to their formidable best at Hove. Finalists for the last four years and winners in 2010 and 2012 they again look the side to beat.

I’m already looking forward to seeing the return fixture at the (Ageas) Rose Bowl on Friday 18 July.

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On Sunday it was off to the Nevill Ground for Kent v Worcestershire in the Championship.

This year, rather than that so-familiar journey down on the A21 from Bickley to Tunbridge Wells, I drove up from Hove; through Lewes and Uckfield and on to Crowborough and Eridge, before turning off the A26 into Bunny Lane, Forest Road and finally left into Farmcombe Road, slowing past 102 where I grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s (not that the 1960’s ever actually reached Royal Tunbridge Wells!!).

I met up with Sally, David & John and a few minutes later I was sitting - as Tradition requires - at the Railway End between the sight screen and the iconic marquees.

What can I tell you about the Nevill?

Well, EW “Jim” Swanton, the eminence grise of cricket writers, described the ground as "no mean contender for the most delectable English Cricket Ground.”

The first County game was played in 1901; & NO - I wasn’t watching!

Nor was I there when the Suffragettes burnt down the pavilion in 1913!!

I don’t remember the first Kent game I ever watched at the Nevill.

I imagine it is very likely to have been in 1958 or 1959 that aged 6 or 7 I walked with Dad from Farmcombe Road, exactly the route I did today.

Looking at the scores on Cricinfo, I’d love to believe that my very first visit was on Saturday 7 June 1958 for Kent v Sussex.

Already my Favourite Player just as he is today, JM “Young Jim” Parks scored 127 in Sussex’s 302!!

In the next 20 years Dad & I would watch many games at the Nevill, both Kent & Tunbridge Wells CC.

Not easy years for Sussex supporters, as Kent led by Colin Cowdrey and then Mike Denness were in their Glory Years and Sussex, notwithstanding their Gillette Cup successes under Lord Ted, were middling performers.

There was a decent-sized crowd for Kent v Worcestershire on Day 1 of the LVCC Championship.

Most would have been concerned that the Council had decided not to maintain - and indeed had sold off -  the scoreboard at the Railway End nor to fund the stand by the old tennis courts.

The latter decision caused Kent not to have the T20 game at the Nevill  on the Friday evening.

Much - as a Bromley resident – I want Kent to play more games at Beckenham, it would be awful if they were to abandon playing at the Nevill.

It was a very enjoyable day’s county cricket with Kent recovering from 24 for 2 to be all out on the last ball for 258. 

Joe Leach took 5 for 36, as several Kent batsmen got in without any of them making a big score: Sam Northeast – once seen as a future England batsman - 53, Ben Harmison 47 and Brendon Nash 41.

Of course, visits to the Nevill are only partly about the Cricket.

There was Mrs Lambourne’s first Picnic of the Summer;I’ve never had a better meat pie!

And the chance to meet friends from Skinners & the Borderers.

The Grahams (with various spellings): Bishopp, Clayton, Hall, Pring & Wicker.

And Chris Vickery, Greville Billyard and Paul Hardwick.

So good to see them and to chat about the much-loved stories and remember Absent Friends.

And - as always – to think of Mum & Dad.

They got engaged at the ground, on that Saturday long, long ago when Young Jim hit the last ball of the day one-bounce through midwicket into the marquees for his century.

And then spent over 25 years living very near the ground.

As I drove back across East Sussex on a gloriously sunny evening, I couldn’t help but remember what Dad had always told me about Life:

Give it Go, Richard !

I hope that he thinks I have.

As the minute hand of the Clock of Life tick-tocks past quarter to the hour, I'm working on the assumption that there's Lots More to have a go at; #JustHopeSo !!

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Next Sunday 1 June Sussex celebrate their 175^th Birthday.

Entry for Sussex v Nottinghamshire in the Championship is only £1.75.

Hope you can come along.

See you soon!

Lord Ric of Beckley Furnace 

Lunch with the Gods

In sport, and more or less only in sport, we can cast our eyes once again 

over the sepia-tinted heroscape of lost youth. 

It was 50 years ago yesterday on Saturday 7 September 1963 that Sussex beat Worcestershire to win the first ever Gillette cup.

Dad & I were at Lords for the match; but that’s a story for another day.

Today Sussex held a Celebration Lunch at the County Ground for the seven Sussex players from the winning team who are still alive.

It was tremendous to go along with John Squire.

Some famous names and some slightly less well known:

There was time for Q&A with each of the Sussex players and with Norman Gifford who played for Worcestershire in 1963 and who subsequently became a  Sussex player.

And for some well-known stories and for some that certainly I was hearing for the first time.

And after lunch, well it was out with the iPhone to take a few pictures of boyhood heroes.

Of John Snow, who took over 200 wickets for England.

And of his fast bowling colleague the one & only Mr Tony Buss, who didn’t take over 200 wickets for England !

But who was always a favourite of Pete’s & mine. (Think fielding like Monty Panesar !!)

And of Lord Ted holding the Gillette Cup, looking scarcely any different from how he did half a century ago on the field in front of the pavilion at Lords.

(Lady Dexter is in the background)

#JustSuchAGood DayOut 

Lord Ric

PS

Just as you all knew there would be, one more photo.

He was my Favourite Player on that Saturday long, long ago.

And he remains my Favourite Player. Never in doubt!

Young Jim:

Prudential Ride London

Hi everyone !

Read all about it:

     The Mayor of London’s weekend festival of cycling got off to a fantastic start when 50,000 amateur cyclists turned out to enjoy riding eight miles of car-free roads in the heart of the capital.

Nicole & I were up early. 

Just time to put on our Race Numbers on the bikes:

 And  leave Merryfield in time to catch the 09.02 Bickley to Victoria train.

We were soon in Central London; our first stop was for champagne at The Goring !

(#Just Joking !)

And then it was on to join the course at Buckingham Palace.

No invite to coffee.

   And no sign of the long hoped for Knighthood, either !

Along the course it was one London landmark after another.

The very well-known:

And the much more recent:

The course was gentle, the weather sunny, but not too hot.

Along the Embankment, Queen Victoria Street to St Paul's, then past the Bank of England  to the Tower & then back along the Embankment to the finish in the Mall.

There was time in Green Park for a well-deserved:

And of course a:

It was such a Good Day Out.

The camaraderie along the way.

And best of all: riding together with the one they call the Golden Child !

Next year’s Prudential RideLondon festival will be on the weekend of Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August.

Nicole & I hope that you will join us in 2014; promise.

Lord Ric 

A Really Good Day Out

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 1^st 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 5^th 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

Old Deer Park

My first visit to Old Deer Park in Richmond for Middlesex v Hampshire in the Twenty20.

The ground is like many in outer London, but with two ‘features’.

The Pagoda:

And the Planes:

My FlightTrack app has never been happier !!

    (Cognoscenti will recognise instantly GA3 Airbus A330-200 from Bahrain on its final approach to Heathrow)

As for the match… Middlesex scored 162 for 5 in their 20 overs.

Dawid Malan top scored with 77 off 66 balls.

Andrew Rossington, the wicketkeeper, took my eye with a good 26 off 16 balls and an energetic performance behind the stumps. His ‘stature’ reminded me of David Nicholls, who regularly deputised for Alan Knott as the Kent wicket keeper in the 1970s.

    Rossington: My tip as a future England wicket keeper; #JustSaying !!

Hampshire set off like a rocket, scoring 83 without loss in the first 6 overs.

Michael Carberry’s 43 took just 16 balls. And James Vince’s 84 just 49 balls.

Hampshire won easily, losing just 3 wickets & with almost 5 overs to spare.

A good afternoon out !!

Lots of Cricket in the rest of July …  

•       Sussex v Middlesex on 16 July
•        The Friday of the Lords Test on 19 July
•       The Restoration Partners’ Evening for Surrey v Kent on 26 July

•       And Sussex v Australia on 27 July. A day long looked forward to; a day to remember the same match in 1948 when my Dad & Granddad were at Hove for what proved to be A Really Good Day Out; well, it did finish in The White Dog in Ewhurst !!

See you at a game soon !

Lord Ric

Memories

Kent v Netherlands - Monday 27 May 2013

Memories

Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolour memories
Of the way we were

Another warm, sunny day for the much looked forward to annual trip to the Nevill Ground at Tunbridge Wells.

It was really good to go along with Sally Lambourne, her elder son David & his girlfriend Nicky.

The standard of Mrs Lambourne’s picnic was ( as always) : *****.

#JustSaying !!!

 And there was time to say hello to a couple of Tunbridge Wells Borderers Cricket Club chums: Graham Bishopp & Paul Hardwick.

The Nevill is a quintessentially English county ground.

It was E W “Jim” Swanton, formerly the Cricket correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, who wrote that   'it is no mean  contender for the most delectable English cricket ground'. 

 There is the Pavilion, re-built after it was destroyed by an arson attack by suffragettes in April 1913:

And the iconic Marquees on the Tennis Club side of the ground:

As for today’s game, Netherlands scored an impressive 249 for 5 in their 40 overs, with three players making half centuries.

But Kent won with 4 overs to spare, with Rob Key hitting 144 not out.

It’s a long shot, but could England recall him to open against the Aussies?

Of course, for me  trips to the Nevill are always about much more than the actual game on the day.

   It was the ground where Mum & Dad got engaged on that famous day in June 1951 when Young Jim Parks hit the last ball of the day one-bounce through mid wicket into the marquees.
I grew up very near the ground in the 1950's and 60's.

  Can it be almost 55 years since I used to walk past the ground on my way to & from St Marks Primary School ?

  Dad & I often watched both Kent and Tunbridge Wells play there.

In a few weeks’ time I turn 61; the new 19 !!

As I sat looking out across the ground, I remembered what David Bowie said:

As you get older, the questions come down to two:

1. How long?
2. And what do I do with the time I've got left?

I’ll leave You pondering your own Answers  … …

Lord Ric

Sussex v Kent at Horsham – A Surprising Day !!

 Sunday 26 May 2013

Sussex play at Horsham on only one Sunday a year.
Needless to say .... Network Rail had closed the Three Bridges to Horsham  line for scheduled maintenance
     You couldn't make it up !!

My only previous visit to Horsham several years ago was on a gloomy, chilly day.

    So my memories of the ground were suitably dismal.

But on a sunny day and with a big crowd it turned out that the ground is charming.

Having reached 143 for the loss of just 2 wickets Sussex disappointed in only reaching 188 when the 9^th wicket fell. 

But an unbeaten partnership between Jordan & Liddle of 34 saw Sussex reach 222 at the end of their 40 overs.

Kent started brightly, with Stevens scoring 51.

But Sussex stuck to their task and Kent fell from 141 for 3 to 202 all out.

Sussex won by 20 runs.

As always, the cricket was only a part of what was going on.

There was time for some Kindle.

And the Young Couple I sat next to were playing Scrabble on their iPhones !

No quarter asked or given.

Do you love me?

Yes: lots! But don’t even begin to think I’d ever let you win !!!

It was a pleasant walk back to catch the railway replacement bus back to Three Bridges.

There was just time to look into the Fish & Chips shop by the station.

Harry Enfield, who grew up in Horsham, based his character Stavros on the owner of the shop in the 1970’s.

A Surprising Day !!

And so today it is on to Tunbridge Wells for Kent v Netherlands.

The Nevill ground… time for a 1,000 memories.

Did I ever tell of the day that this year’s Sussex President Young Jim Parks hit the last ball of the day for 4 one-bounce through midwicket to score a century and win his County Cap?

The day when … 

Well, come to a game with me soon & I’ll tell you the story (again !!)

Lord Ric