Meeting: 27 September 2003
Guest Speaker: Dr. Dave Allen
Grace
Grace was delivered by the Rev. David Brown
“Loving Father, we ask your blessing on our gathering today, and as the present custodians of The Hambledon Club, may we be true to the memory of its founders, for whose vision and example we give grateful thanks. Amen.”
Apologies for Absence
Clive Barnett, Christopher Bazalgette; Kevin Beaumont; Terry Bell; Roy Clarke, Godfrey & Joan Dann, Jocelyn Galsworthy; Stephen Green, Stuart Lampard, Keith Mason; Alistair McClellan; Douglas Miller; the Pardoe family; Steve Tait; Peter Thompson; Roger Vernier; Owen Zupp
Fixture – 20 May 03 – v – Bradman Foundation XI
The Chairman was delighted to announce that the 209-year record of the Dining Club of never having been beaten since 1794 still stands, the match has ended in a draw.
A splendid, but a rather cold and damp day at Broadhalfpenny Down saw the eagerly awaited arrival of the Bradman Foundation XI, many of whom had never visited the hallowed home of cricket before. The game started after a light lunch in the Bat and Ball with Kevin Beaumont and Ralph Simmons Umpiring and Penny Taylor (for Bradman Foundation XI) and John Grimsley (for The Hambledon Club) scoring.
Bradman Foundation XI
J. Strong Bowled Scarborough 15
D. Coles Bowled James 40
M. Poulos Ct & Bowled I. Hunter 6
O. Zupp Ct I. Hunter 1
C. Smith Caught B. Hunter 5
D. Churchill Ct Ellis Cantrell 26
M. Mulligan Bowled James 0
R. Mulvaney St Fisher Cantrell 1
A. Williams Bowled James 13
G. Dean Not Out 3
D. Jensen Ct Plumbridge James 0
Byes 6, Leg Byes, 3, Wides 3 12
122 all out in 38.5 overs
Fall of Wickets
1-32, 2-45, 3-55, 4-64, 5-87, 6-98, 7-101, 8-106, 9-122, 10-122
O. Scarborough 9-3-26-1
I. Hunter 11-1-34-2
B. Hunter 3-1- 8-1
D. Cantrell 5-0-22-2
S. James 7.5-2.17-4
K. Ellis 3-0- 6-0
The Hambledon Club
D. Miller Bowled Poulos 0
M. Plumbridge LBW Hudson 4
S. James Ct Poulos Churchill 44
R. Vernier Bowled Hudson 0
I. Hunter LBW Churchill 23
K. Ellis Bowled Jensen 0
B. Hunter* LBW Jensen 2
A. Fisher Not Out 6
R. Broome Ct & Bowled Zupp 5
D. Cantrell Not Out 0
O. Scarborough Did Not Bat
Byes 6, Leg Byes 1, Wides 4 11 NB
95 for 8 in 41 overs
Fall of Wickets
1-0, 2-10, 3-10, 4-74, 5-74, 6-77, 7-86, 8-95
M. Poulos 11-2-23-1
A. Hudson 8-1-12-2
J. Poulos 1-0-21-0
D. Churchill 10-5-14-2
D. Jensen 9-3-19-2
O. Zupp 2-2- 0-1
Match Drawn
After the match, luncheon was served with the traditional speeches and presentations.
When sending in his apologies, Kevin Beaumont went on to say how grateful he was to be given the opportunity to umpire the match against the Bowral Foundation XI and how much he enjoyed the day. “To have been part of a match played on such hallowed ground was a great privilege and is a memory I shall treasure for the rest of my life. Thank goodness the weather was better than the forecast!”
President of the Bradman Foundation XI had written to the Secretary on 26th May:
“On behalf of the Bradman Foundation XI, I would like to formally thank you, your club, and its members for a tremendous day at Hambledon.
I can confidently speak for all of our party when I say that we were in awe of the history associated with Hambledon. From the moment the coach pulled up, to the last time we ducked under a low beam in the Bat and Ball, we were very aware of the sense of history. Thank you also for a wonderful evening and hospitality throughout the day.
I would also like to extend the invitation for a return fixture on the Bradman Oval should your side ever make the journey to Australia.
Thanks again. Yours sincerely, Owen Zupp”
The Chairman agreed to respond and suggested a fund to raise money for such a tour, which would be discussed at the next lunch.
The Speaker
The Chairman introduced our speaker for the lunch, saying, once again we have a speaker from within our own distinguished ranks. Dr. David Allen, the previous secretary of The Hambledon Club, spoke about some of his work in the Department of Creative Technologies at the University of Portsmouth.
David delivered a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining paper “This Sporting Life (1963)”, which is part of a Research Project in Cultural & Social History being developed at the University of Portsmouth. Its principal aim to connect the experiences of the generation which grew up in the 1960s to the world they are likely to inhabit as they reach their sixties (and beyond).
The full paper is displayed on this website: This Sporting Life (1963)
A brief extract from the Appendix:
The English Cricket Season, 1963
The County Championship was played on ‘uncovered’ wickets in “a summer hampered by bad weather” (Playfair Cricket Annual)
First Class Averages
141 cricketers played 25 or more First-Class matches
77 batsmen scored 1,000 or more runs
2 – J. B. Bolus and P. E. Richardson – scored more than 2,000 runs
8 bowlers bowled more than 1,000 overs
Another 15 bowled between 800 – 999 overs
19 bowlers took 100 or more wickets
D. Shackleton (1387) and D. J. Shepherd (1285), who were both past their 35th birthdays, bowled the most overs in the country
Every county, except Middlesex, had at least one bowler who exceeded 750 overs (Midddlesex: Titmus – 680 + 101 in Tests)
6 wicket-keepers exceeded 10 stumpings in the county season. R. Booth (15) and J. T. Murray and B. S. V. Timms (13) were the most
By Comparison
In 2002
10 cricketers played in 18 First-Class matches, none in more than 18
36 batsmen passed 1,000 runs – I. J. Ward 1759 most
4 bowlers exceeded 600 overs in First-Class cricket, S. Udal (627) was the highest and with limited-overs matches, he bowled 800 overs in total
Most stumpings: T. Bailey 6, J. Batty & A. Stewart 5. There were a total of 66 stumpings in all First-Class cricket.
The President thanked Dr. Dave Allen for his interesting contribution to the club members.
Further comments, recollections, and other contributions were welcomed.
Parish Notices
The Chairman announced that Neil Jenkinson, the Treasurer, has a new supply of ties.
Support for Hambledon CC’s Colts: The traditional collection was made to raise funds for the Hambledon CC Colts.