Cricket

[birchesgreen]

He must be Chris Tavare's favourite player

 

[Typhoon]

45 year old Darren Stevens in Kent v Glamorgan hit 190, of all out 307, with 15 each of fours and sixes! He put on 166 for the 9th wicket with Miguel Cummins, of which Stevens's contribution was 160: oh, after allowing for 5 extras, Cummins contributed one run, and was scoreless for 111 minutes! That 160 out of 166 represents 96.38% of the partnership, the highest percentage ever, in first class cricket, in a partnership over 100. Cummins in his last test match for West Indies in 2017 was scoreless for 97 minutes, which I've heard is the record in tests.

As a resident (and pretty inactive supporter) of Kent, 111 scoreless minutes is fine by me. At least he stuck there and didn't do anything stupid. Stevens has also taken one of the two wickets to fall so far.

In 2019 he scored 237 off 225 balls coming in at 39 for 5 having been told his contract was not going to be renewed; the Committee changed its mind which is why he's still here. Last year 29 wickets at less than 16. I hope someone is drafting a new contract as we speak otherwise we're stuffed.

He must be Chris Tavare's favourite player

To defend Tav, when he played for Kent, at least until he became an England regular, he was quite free scoring - entertaining as far as I was concerned. He was another one the county didn't treat that well.
I do know what you mean though!

 

[SuspectUsual]

That’s remarkable

 

[Mikey C]

Stevo will be a good player when he gets a bit more experience

 

[Busaholic]

As a resident (and pretty inactive supporter) of Kent, 111 scoreless minutes is fine by me. At least he stuck there and didn't do anything stupid. Stevens has also taken one of the two wickets to fall so far.

In 2019 he scored 237 off 225 balls coming in at 39 for 5 having been told his contract was not going to be renewed; the Committee changed its mind which is why he's still here. Last year 29 wickets at less than 16. I hope someone is drafting a new contract as we speak otherwise we're stuffed.

To defend Tav, when he played for Kent, at least until he became an England regular, he was quite free scoring - entertaining as far as I was concerned. He was another one the county didn't treat that well.
I do know what you mean though!

Chris Tavare was England's most reliable no.3 player until Jonathan Trott, a player of much the same mindset. I saw his first century for Kent, and, as you say, I remember more than a dogged defender, certainly in the one day game. He was also a fine close fielder, but his introversion counted against him in an age when the boorish activities of Botham and Lamb counted for so much, undoubtedly talented though they were, especially the former. It's strange when you only get to see a couple of county matches per year how some players you see at their best, and others you never do. Bob Woolmer never did anything with bat or ball when I saw him, nor Asif Iqbal or Derek Underwood, but I often saw a lovely cameo innings from Alan Knott, and Chris Cowdrey always seemed to come off too, as had his father before him.

By the way, Stevens's wicket was Marnus Labuschagne LBW, although the latter was probably unlucky, and was a repeat of what happened in the corresponding fixture in Cardiff on Stevens's 45 th birthday, so Lab is Darren's bunny! His 190 was ended by Lab's bowling earlier, also LBW. Another coincidence was (apparently) that Lab had recently scored 190 for Queensland in the Aussie Sheffield Shield final. He also played for Kent Seconds at some stage.

 

[Typhoon]

Chris Tavare was England's most reliable no.3 player until Jonathan Trott, a player of much the same mindset. I saw his first century for Kent, and, as you say, I remember more than a dogged defender, certainly in the one day game. He was also a fine close fielder, but his introversion counted against him in an age when the boorish activities of Botham and Lamb counted for so much, undoubtedly talented though they were, especially the former. It's strange when you only get to see a couple of county matches per year how some players you see at their best, and others you never do. Bob Woolmer never did anything with bat or ball when I saw him, nor Asif Iqbal or Derek Underwood, but I often saw a lovely cameo innings from Alan Knott, and Chris Cowdrey always seemed to come off too, as had his father before him.

By the way, Stevens's wicket was Marnus Labuschagne LBW, although the latter was probably unlucky, and was a repeat of what happened in the corresponding fixture in Cardiff on Stevens's 45 th birthday, so Lab is Darren's bunny! His 190 was ended by Lab's bowling earlier, also LBW. Another coincidence was (apparently) that Lab had recently scored 190 for Queensland in the Aussie Sheffield Shield final. He also played for Kent Seconds at some stage.

According to a scorecard I have, I saw Woolmer score a century against a Sylvester Clarke enhanced Surrey (it has made no impression). When he started out he was batting 8 or 9 so often did not bat in the best conditions (Kent had declared by then) and was very much the fifth bowler. Even when he moved up the order, he was scoring a 50 at one end while the likes of Luckhurst and Benson were amassing tons at the other.

I remember Asif more in one day cricket, quick runs and good outfielding. As a young kid I went to the last day of a Kent match some distance away, confident of a full day's cricket (promising to leave at tea to be back for our evening meal) as the opposition (?Somerset) were still in their first innings; match over by lunch, Underwood and, I think, Graham had torn through the batting for an innings victory. Early on, he was particularly effective on worn, uneven or weather affected pitches and, at the time, some counties, like Kent would play at 6 or 7 grounds each year, so facilities were not always the best. Later on it appeared to be his nagging accuracy that did for batsmen (I didn't see him that much as I had moved away). He was also helped throughout his career by first class catching.

We had to like Knotty, he was from our neck-of-the-woods, but also he had a similar background. That's why the likes of Bob Wilson (worked in a factory in winter), Alan Dixon (fairly local) and Stuart Leary (played football for Charlton) were popular but the 'Gentlemen' less so.

I think you will find that Darren Stevens was caught, going for another big hit, I believe. He was Player of the Match, tough decision to make I would have thought. Where is the new contract?

 

[Mikey C]

According to a scorecard I have, I saw Woolmer score a century against a Sylvester Clarke enhanced Surrey (it has made no impression). When he started out he was batting 8 or 9 so often did not bat in the best conditions (Kent had declared by then) and was very much the fifth bowler. Even when he moved up the order, he was scoring a 50 at one end while the likes of Luckhurst and Benson were amassing tons at the other.

I remember Asif more in one day cricket, quick runs and good outfielding. As a young kid I went to the last day of a Kent match some distance away, confident of a full day's cricket (promising to leave at tea to be back for our evening meal) as the opposition (?Somerset) were still in their first innings; match over by lunch, Underwood and, I think, Graham had torn through the batting for an innings victory. Early on, he was particularly effective on worn, uneven or weather affected pitches and, at the time, some counties, like Kent would play at 6 or 7 grounds each year, so facilities were not always the best. Later on it appeared to be his nagging accuracy that did for batsmen (I didn't see him that much as I had moved away). He was also helped throughout his career by first class catching.

We had to like Knotty, he was from our neck-of-the-woods, but also he had a similar background. That's why the likes of Bob Wilson (worked in a factory in winter), Alan Dixon (fairly local) and Stuart Leary (played football for Charlton) were popular but the 'Gentlemen' less so.

I think you will find that Darren Stevens was caught, going for another big hit, I believe. He was Player of the Match, tough decision to make I would have thought. Where is the new contract?

I think Kent fans will still be begging the club to give Stevo "one more year" when he's 60

 

[Typhoon]

I think Kent fans will still be begging the club to give Stevo "one more year" when he's 60

For as long as he outscores the rest of the team put together in an innings once a season will do it for me (or takes half the wickets in a match). 150s win matches, 30s and 40s don't!

I also get the impression that he wants to play. Why else ask to go on loan when told that he wouldn't get a place in the white ball squad? He could have turned up and sat on the sidelines.

 

[Busaholic]

According to a scorecard I have, I saw Woolmer score a century against a Sylvester Clarke enhanced Surrey (it has made no impression). When he started out he was batting 8 or 9 so often did not bat in the best conditions (Kent had declared by then) and was very much the fifth bowler. Even when he moved up the order, he was scoring a 50 at one end while the likes of Luckhurst and Benson were amassing tons at the other.

I remember Asif more in one day cricket, quick runs and good outfielding. As a young kid I went to the last day of a Kent match some distance away, confident of a full day's cricket (promising to leave at tea to be back for our evening meal) as the opposition (?Somerset) were still in their first innings; match over by lunch, Underwood and, I think, Graham had torn through the batting for an innings victory. Early on, he was particularly effective on worn, uneven or weather affected pitches and, at the time, some counties, like Kent would play at 6 or 7 grounds each year, so facilities were not always the best. Later on it appeared to be his nagging accuracy that did for batsmen (I didn't see him that much as I had moved away). He was also helped throughout his career by first class catching.

We had to like Knotty, he was from our neck-of-the-woods, but also he had a similar background. That's why the likes of Bob Wilson (worked in a factory in winter), Alan Dixon (fairly local) and Stuart Leary (played football for Charlton) were popular but the 'Gentlemen' less so.

I think you will find that Darren Stevens was caught, going for another big hit, I believe. He was Player of the Match, tough decision to make I would have thought. Where is the new contract?

Some interesting observations there - sorry, got Darren's mode of dismissal wrong, he was going for his 16th six! The first Kent match I saw on my own was versus Surrey at Blackheath, close to where I lived, and I watched Arthur Phebey and Bob Wilson bat all day: a first wicket stand that remained a record for decades! When I bought my first house in 1971 in Sittingbourne Bob Wilson was a building society (?) manager in town. Stuart Leary was a favourite of mine, and I saw him at the Valley too: I've never been to another football ground, but I was there when Charlton came back to win that game against Huddersfield 7-6. Trouble was, being young I was waiting for every game to involve that level of excitement, so my interest waned! Later on, Alan Ealham and John Shepherd were my personal favourites. I've never seen a ball hit so far in the air by a batsman other than Shepherd, the only trouble being they didn't always have distance! Saw him make his highest score, though, and he was immensely popular with teammates, opposition and supporters. The very best of a county overseas player.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Mention of a hard-hitting batsman in County Cricket, I am at an age where I can remember Peter Marner from the Oldham area who played for Lancashire in the early 1960s before moving to (I think) Leicestershire. He was a very good slip fielder and a useful bowler.

 

[Busaholic]

Mention of a hard-hitting batsman in County Cricket, I am at an age where I can remember Peter Marner from the Oldham area who played for Lancashire in the early 1960s before moving to (I think) Leicestershire. He was a very good slip fielder and a useful bowler.

Never saw him, but I recognise the name and think you're right that he moved to Leics. Ken Higgs also made that move, and I seem to recollect he played the junior partner in an outrageous last wicket partnership of over 200. PLEASE someone confirm it's not all a figment of my imagination - the number 227 comes to mind?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Never saw him, but I recognise the name and think you're right that he moved to Leics. Ken Higgs also made that move, and I seem to recollect he played the junior partner in an outrageous last wicket partnership of over 200. PLEASE someone confirm it's not all a figment of my imagination - the number 227 comes to mind?

That record 10th wicket stand (was it not 228?) was with Ray Illingworth against Northamptonshire in 1977 when he had been playing county cricket for many years.

Of course, in Test Matches, Higgs and Snow put on 128 for the 10th wicket against the West Indies much earlier (in 1966), Ken Higgs was a fine pace bowler at both Test Match and at County Cricket level.

Another Lancastrian who was a fine all round cricketer was Ronnie Irani, who left Lancashire for Essex, where he became something of an asset, not just as a captain and as a player, but also at Committee level.

 

[Busaholic]

That record 10th wicket stand (was it not 228?) was with Ray Illingworth against Northamptonshire in 1977 when he had been playing county cricket for many years.

Of course, in Test Matches, Higgs and Snow put on 128 for the 10th wicket against the West Indies much earlier (in 1966), Ken Higgs was a fine pace bowler at both Test Match and at County Cricket level.

Another Lancastrian who was a fine all round cricketer was Ronnie Irani, who left Lancashire for Essex, where he became something of an asset, not just as a captain and as a player, but also at Committee level.

Probably was 228 - I tend to remember numbers in relation to London bus routes of my childhood, and the 227 and 228 both terminated at Chislehurst, Gordon Arms.

I'd forgotten the Higgs and Snow stand, a genuine 10th wicket stand i.e. by two players only in the side for their bowling.

 

[Typhoon]

Some interesting observations there - sorry, got Darren's mode of dismissal wrong, he was going for his 16th six! The first Kent match I saw on my own was versus Surrey at Blackheath, close to where I lived, and I watched Arthur Phebey and Bob Wilson bat all day: a first wicket stand that remained a record for decades! When I bought my first house in 1971 in Sittingbourne Bob Wilson was a building society (?) manager in town. Stuart Leary was a favourite of mine, and I saw him at the Valley too: I've never been to another football ground, but I was there when Charlton came back to win that game against Huddersfield 7-6. Trouble was, being young I was waiting for every game to involve that level of excitement, so my interest waned! Later on, Alan Ealham and John Shepherd were my personal favourites. I've never seen a ball hit so far in the air by a batsman other than Shepherd, the only trouble being they didn't always have distance! Saw him make his highest score, though, and he was immensely popular with teammates, opposition and supporters. The very best of a county overseas player.

I quite agree about Shep. I believe he and Keith Boyce came over at the same time, served their two years qualification - unlike most later overseas players (I believe I first saw Shep play for the 2nd XI). A true all rounder, sometimes batted at 3 when he started, opening or first change bowler and excellent fielder. He appeared to suffer rather through being used as a stock bowler by West Indies. I believe Shepherd and Boyce did an awful lot to present overseas cricketers, and in particular West Indian overseas cricketers, in a positive light through their approach and attitude as well as their ability. I am not sure that all those that followed lived up to the precedent set by this pair.

 

[Busaholic]

I quite agree about Shep. I believe he and Keith Boyce came over at the same time, served their two years qualification - unlike most later overseas players (I believe I first saw Shep play for the 2nd XI). A true all rounder, sometimes batted at 3 when he started, opening or first change bowler and excellent fielder. He appeared to suffer rather through being used as a stock bowler by West Indies. I believe Shepherd and Boyce did an awful lot to present overseas cricketers, and in particular West Indian overseas cricketers, in a positive light through their approach and attitude as well as their ability. I am not sure that all those that followed lived up to the precedent set by this pair.

Kent seem to have been mostly successful in their choice of overseas players, at least those hired for more than the very short term. One that was, perhaps, the exception was the Trinidadian (?) Bernard Julian, who partly overlapped with Shep, and who was so laid back he'd have made David Gower or Chris Gayle appear as whirring dynamos in comparison! I remember one game in which Kent fielded three overseas players (Asif Iqbal being the other one), it was third and last day and Kent were chasing an improbable target. Julian came out to bat when victory suddenly looked possible, but his languid strolling of runs caused an eruption from his batting partner, a Kent 'grandee.' Suffice to say Kent made it, but without the proverbial kick up the backside they wouldn't have. He played rarely after that, before leaving. Kent had wanted a left arm quick to replace John Dye, but he never really came off and, as you say, probably did nothing to enhance the image of the West Indian overseas cricketer at that level.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Going back to 1962, that was a poor season for Lancashire who had Joe Blackledge as captain for that year. I have often wondered if he was appointed as captain as he was an amateur and it was near to the period when the Gentlemen v Players matches drew to a close. I think that he was an uncle of Billy Beaumont, the England and Lancashire Rugby Union player. Blackledge did not feature as captain after that season and decided to devote his time to the family textile business.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Wonderful to read the memories of the 60's players, all familiar names to me from my avid perusal of the 'Playfair Cricket Annual'...bought each year as soon as it came out, full of statistics that I eagerly devoured! mentioning the Higgs/Snow stand, I recall listening to that on the radio, and it came after England had, I think, slipped to 166/7 and then Graveney and Murray had a long partnership, both scoring centuries before the last wicket pair enabled England to reach over 500. Interestingly, this was the match that Brian Close was made captain in place of Cowdrey, had it not been for the heroics of the last few wickets it appeared that England were following a similar pattern to the earlier tests that year. Of course, Close was never a favourite with the cricketing establishment and didn't last long as captain.
Incidentally, I can recall far more information regarding F/C cricketers in the 60/70's than I can for any subsequent decade!

 

[Typhoon]

Going back to 1962, that was a poor season for Lancashire who had Joe Blackledge as captain for that year. I have often wondered if he was appointed as captain as he was an amateur and it was near to the period when the Gentlemen v Players matches drew to a close. I think that he was an uncle of Billy Beaumont, the England and Lancashire Rugby Union player. Blackledge did not feature as captain after that season and decided to devote his time to the family textile business.

I am reasonably confident that he was appointed as he was an amateur. He had been captain of the 2nds some years before and maybe they hoped he could replicate the success of Ronnie Burnett across the Pennines who wone the Championship at the first attempt having been promoted from 2nd XI captain. From what I read at the time it seemed to be a surprising and not particularly popular choice (I can't give the source, I would have got it from a copy of Playfair Cricket Monthly that I had bought for me to keep me quiet when I had a hospital appointment, a newsagent near the hospital sold old copies off really cheap. As I only had a couple of copies a year, they were read to destruction).
It was perhaps a surprise that Lancashire had gone down that route, given that, unlike some other counties, had given they had given the captaincy to a professional almost a decade earlier.

Kent seem to have been mostly successful in their choice of overseas players, at least those hired for more than the very short term. One that was, perhaps, the exception was the Trinidadian (?) Bernard Julian, who partly overlapped with Shep,

Some of Kent's better overseas signings have been those who were not established test players (like Roy Pienaar, Eldine Baptiste, Martin Van Jaarsveld and Shep, perhaps also Andrew Symonds). Julian was already being talking of as the next Sobers (partly because of his all round skills and variety of bowling methods), he wasn't, unfortunately. Our last player of quality was probably Matt Henry (although, in previous seasons Heino Kuhn has had his moments). The development of the south Asian and other limited over leagues has often meant that players who would consider a county cricket contract a real plus are being called into their country's test team because so many others are unavailable. There is less likelihood of being uncover a gem, more likely to have to resort to a discarded test player.

Mostly successful yes, a name I read about in reports but never saw - Jack Pettiford (part of the post-war Australian influx): very average!

Incidentally, I can recall far more information regarding F/C cricketers in the 60/70's than I can for any subsequent decade!

I can remember Joe Blackledge (one season, half a century ago), but would struggle to name half a dozen current Lancashire players (having England players does mean I can get to half a team - Derbyshire, no chance).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I was only just at primary school in the early 1950s but our head teacher was a keen cricketer who told those of us who were keen on cricket that a Lancastrian by birth who Lancashire had turned down was the fastest pace bowler that he had seen. He was born at Farnworth and attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Middleton. He played for Middleton in the Central Lancashire League at an early age.

It was the website user name of @Typhoon brought him to mind just now as the bowler in question was Frank "Typhoon" Tyson who played for Northamptonshire. He made quite a name for himself the England tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1954/55, where he did not do much for the nerves of the Australian batsmen, such was his pace. It was said that he was so fast that a ball from him bounced once in a match, then hit the sightscreen.

I regret being too young to see him play and when I played for Middleton 2nd XI in the early 1960s, many of the older spectators remembered how good a bowler he was.

 

[Busaholic]

Incidentally, I can recall far more information regarding F/C cricketers in the 60/70's than I can for any subsequent decade!

I can recall far more information on virtually any subject from the 60s/70s than I can for subsequent decades.

 

[Typhoon]

I was only just at primary school in the early 1950s but our head teacher was a keen cricketer who told those of us who were keen on cricket that a Lancastrian by birth who Lancashire had turned down was the fastest pace bowler that he had seen. He was born at Farnworth and attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Middleton. He played for Middleton in the Central Lancashire League at an early age.

It was the website user name of @Typhoon brought him to mind just now as the bowler in question was Frank "Typhoon" Tyson who played for Northamptonshire. He made quite a name for himself the England tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1954/55, where he did not do much for the nerves of the Australian batsmen, such was his pace. It was said that he was so fast that a ball from him bounced once in a match, then hit the sightscreen.

I regret being too young to see him play and when I played for Middleton 2nd XI in the early 1960s, many of the older spectators remembered how good a bowler he was.

No similarity I am afraid. My bowling bounced a couple of times before it got to the wicket!

I had a bubble gum card of him, stats looked pretty unimpressive (1961 so 1960 stats, which must have been his last year) so it wasn't until I was able to borrow books from the adult section of the library that I found out how effective he had been. There must have been a book on just about every test series involving England in the 50's! Worn out by 30.

 

[Busaholic]

Some of Kent's better overseas signings have been those who were not established test players (like Roy Pienaar, Eldine Baptiste, Martin Van Jaarsveld and Shep, perhaps also Andrew Symonds). Julian was already being talking of as the next Sobers (partly because of his all round skills and variety of bowling methods), he wasn't, unfortunately. Our last player of quality was probably Matt Henry (although, in previous seasons Heino Kuhn has had his moments). The development of the south Asian and other limited over leagues has often meant that players who would consider a county cricket contract a real plus are being called into their country's test team because so many others are unavailable. There is less likelihood of being uncover a gem, more likely to have to resort to a discarded test player.

Mostly successful yes, a name I read about in reports but never saw - Jack Pettiford (part of the post-war Australian influx): very average!

When I moved to West Cornwall thirty odd years ago I was pleasantly surprised to read that Eldine Baptiste was pro for St Just, near Land's End and had made quite a name for himself in the local league, with rumblings about it being unfair that batsmen had to counter bowlers of his class, which had undertones of racism imo. However, a lot of the column inches I remember concerned his batting, specifically the hitting. I gathered he was very popular locally and considered a model professional. Dave Halfyard. an ever-present for Kent in my early days, hailed from Cornwall and formed one half of the Ridgway/Halfyard fast medium bowling partnership for many years. right

Pettiford's name I remember and I might (just) have seen him play in 1959, but have no memory of him. Not to be confused with John Pretlove, not an overseas player of course. Wikipedia has him as a right hand bat, which he wasn't! And then there was Roger Prideaux, who moved to Northants in days when that was highly unusual and controversial too. John Dye later made the same move.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

so it wasn't until I was able to borrow books from the adult section of the library that I found out how effective he had been. There must have been a book on just about every test series involving England in the 50's! Worn out by 30.

I remember approaching the stern Librarian to ask if there were any other books on cricket, the meagre offering in the Junior section had little appeal, and what a treasure trove !I think the first book I read was 'England - or MCC - in the West Indies 1959-60' (featuring another Lancashire and England batsman (sorry - batter) Geoff Pullar quite prominently). This was probably 1964, as I then moved onto the 62/63 tour of Australia. can't recall books about the two tours to India in the first half of the 1960's, perhaps the cricketing journalists didn't go there at that time.
....and the books were all about Cricket, not what they got up to in their spare time!

I can recall far more information on virtually any subject from the 60s/70s than I can for subsequent decades.

Oh yes, I can relate to that!

 

[Busaholic]

I remember approaching the stern Librarian to ask if there were any other books on cricket, the meagre offering in the Junior section had little appeal, and what a treasure trove !I think the first book I read was 'England - or MCC - in the West Indies 1959-60' (featuring another Lancashire and England batsman (sorry - batter) Geoff Pullar quite prominently). This was probably 1964, as I then moved onto the 62/63 tour of Australia. can't recall books about the two tours to India in the first half of the 1960's, perhaps the cricketing journalists didn't go there at that time.
....and the books were all about Cricket, not what they got up to in their spare time!

Test players of the 50s/60s/70s weren't well remunerated, so many lent their names to accounts of tours mainly 'ghosted' by professional writers and journalists. My choice of books as English prize at Primary School were cricket books by Tom Graveney and Brian Statham.

 

[Typhoon]

When I moved to West Cornwall thirty odd years ago I was pleasantly surprised to read that Eldine Baptiste was pro for St Just, near Land's End ... I gathered he was very popular locally and considered a model professional. Dave Halfyard. an ever-present for Kent in my early days, hailed from Cornwall and formed one half of the Ridgway/Halfyard fast medium bowling partnership for many years.

Pettiford's name I remember and I might (just) have seen him play in 1959, but have no memory of him. Not to be confused with John Pretlove, not an overseas player of course. Wikipedia has him as a right hand bat, which he wasn't! And then there was Roger Prideaux, who moved to Northants in days when that was highly unusual and controversial too. John Dye later made the same move.

As far as I was concerned Baptiste was a model professional at Kent as well. Not the player with the highest ability but I always sensed he was giving of his best. Similarly Halfyard, never going to make a test team but good enough to get most county batsmen out, bowled all day given the chance. Signed from Surrey (for whom I don't think he got beyond the 2nds, there was another bowler who followed the same route, whose name I can't remember). Never really looked like a cricketer but regularly took 100 wickets in a season. His Kent career ended after a car crash, a real loss for the county. Turned up later at Notts.
Pretlove features in a book, 'The Class of '59', about the players who featured in the 1959 A & BC series of cricket cards. Most of the detail is about an MCC tour of Canada he went on. He was one of those who would feature in county teams once the Varisty games were over.. He finished in '59 and went on to a managerial career. The only other Kent player to feature was Godfrey Evans, who also finished in '59!

I think the first book I read was 'England - or MCC - in the West Indies 1959-60' (featuring another Lancashire and England batsman (sorry - batter) Geoff Pullar quite prominently).

Pullar, I seem to remember, was a really unlucky player. Seemed to be a fixture at a time when we were short of openers (he may well have partnered Colin Cowdrey from time to time in that role, also Peter Richardson, until he had to spend time qualifying after moving to Kent) through merit. Disappeared from the test team (injured? ill?) and never got back.

Test players of the 50s/60s/70s weren't well remunerated, so many lent their names to accounts of tours mainly 'ghosted' by professional writers and journalists. My choice of books as English prize at Primary School were cricket books by Tom Graveney and Brian Statham.

Graveney was captain of Gloucestershire but was deposed for CTM(?) Pugh, whose only apparent 'talent' was that he was an amateur. He walked away and spent a couple of years in the wilderness qualifying for Worcs. Certainly as a broadcaster he was quite outspoken so I imagine the book was a good read.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Another Lancastrian from a later period that I liked was Frank Hayes, who played for Lancashire from 1970 to 1984, part of that time I held County Membership as a "benefit" of the consultancy I was with in that period. Frank Hayes scored 94 on his Lancashire first-team debut in 1970 and was a useful batsman who usually came in second wicket down in the innings. His Test Match and ODI career was short, but on his Test Match debut, he scored 106 not out. Unfortunately that was his only Test Match score of note. I think it was in 1977, when he hit Malcolm Nash of Glamorgan for 34 in an over (6-4-6-6-6-6) when playing for Lancashire and Malcolm Nash fared even worse in another match, when the great Garfield Sobers hit him for 6 x 6s in an over.

 

[jfollows]

Yorkshire 15/4 having chosen to bat at Old Trafford against Lancashire currently.
40/7 later on prior to lunch still ........
I know it's not the purpose of this thread to provide a commentary on matches, so I'll shut up, but it's nice to see good weather and cricket at Old Trafford, especially when (for now) Lancashire are doing well.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yorkshire 15/4 having chosen to bat at Old Trafford against Lancashire currently.
40/7 later on prior to lunch still ........
I know it's not the purpose of this thread to provide a commentary on matches, so I'll shut up, but it's nice to see good weather and cricket at Old Trafford, especially when (for now) Lancashire are doing well.

A little recovery, as they were 21-6 at one stage this morning. Whatever would "Geoffrey" have to say about that.

 

[roversfan2001]

Fantastic morning session for Lancashire. I've got tickets for day 3 so if Yorkshire can pull their finger out so the match actually gets that far that'd be great...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yorkshire now 121-9