Meeting date: 26 March 2022
Guest Speaker: Richard Clarke
The President
The President (outgoing), Brian Ford, asked members and guests for a minute’s silence for those members who had passed away since our last luncheon.
Joanna Coulson, Martin Davey, John Gallimore, Peter Jenkins, Terry Johnson, Keith Mayson, Ashley Mote, Alan Rayment, Michael Woof
The Grace
Our Reverend, David Brown said Grace.
Apologies
Geoff Willis, Derek & Frances Sherratt, Andrew Callender, Terry Johnson, Peter & Jane Parsons, Barrington Lawes, Joe Stansbury, Nick Bailey, Keith Ebdon, David Buckland, Brian Phillips, Robert Brooke,, Nick Coletta, Roger Treherne, Mike Gordon, Richard Griffiths, Guy Curry, Nick & Gillie Twine, Brian Scrimshaw, Tony & Marilyn Roberts, Stephen & Dudley Green, Mike Coeshott, Ian Duke, Mike Beardall, Keith & Anthony Mayson, Charles Wilkinson, Keith Howell, Mike Woof, Hugh Cocke, Roger Gibbons, Steve Toogood, John Fingleton, Margaret & Peter Jenkins, Elizabeth Lloyd, Alan Rayment.
The Steward
Our members were reminded to put their place names in the jugs provided for the prize draw collection.
(Our outgoing president, Brian Ford, announced in the autumn of 2019 that he would be stepping down at the next lunch on 21st March 2020. During this period Terry Crump was nominated to stand as our new President and consequently, invited for approval from the membership the following Spring. Unfortunately, the Covid outbreak resulted in the Hambledon luncheons being postponed, with no future date in sight, until this present time, when Brian was able to hand over the presidency to Terry. Due to Covid regulations, Terry’s presidency will run from March 20222 to March 25.)
The President
The President welcomed all members and their guests after a long-awaited return to this historic setting. Members were informed of Ray Cooke’s ill health, and all wished him well.
- Lockdown: The President thanked Dave Allen for posting his (free) pamphlet, “Simply the Best” about Kyle Abbott’s bowling figures, to entertain all our members during the Covid lockdown.
- Stephen Saunders’ new publication: ‘Hampshire County Cricket pre-1863’ lists and describes Hampshire’s players, home grounds, and matches, prior to the formation of the County Cricket Club in September 1863. Its publication is especially timely, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the match Hampshire v England at Broadhalfpenny Down in the summer, now recognised as the inaugural first-class cricket match anywhere in the world. Copies are on sale in the dining room.
- 250th Anniversary celebrations: Cmdr. Mike Beardall, Chairman of the Broadhalfpenny Down Preservation Trust, was invited to provide news about the up-and-coming 250th Anniversary celebrations of the Hampshire v England match (see above). More news…
- Website update: the Secretary informed members that the new website was in the process of being updated, anticipating it would be up and running in October, and will inform members by email once it is online
The Steward
- Outstanding cash subscriptions, and a payment reminder for lunch, with cash or card, were requested.
- The prize draw (in support of Hambledon Youth Cricket) was won by Brian Ford. The raffle raised £165. Administration fees and quiz prizes are to be deducted.
The President
- Committee Elections: (March 2022-23): The President invited approval en-bloc for existing committee members: Stephen Saunders (Treasurer); Dick Orders (Steward); Lou Allen (Secretary); David Brown (Chaplain); and Terry Crump (The President). All carried.
- The President asked members to be upstanding for the traditional Toasts: The Queen’s Mother, The King, Hambledon Club, Cricket, The immortal memory of Madge, The President: (Dick Orders asked members to toast the President).
Our President introduced our Guest Speaker, Richard Clarke
Our guest speaker to open the season was writer and journalist – which these days also implies ‘Blogger’ and ‘Podcaster’ – Richard Clarke aka ‘The Grumbler’ who until–we hope it is a temporary demise–was a regular columnist on The Cricket Paper. His website is https://www.mrrichardclarke.com/cricketwriting/
Richard, a man with clear and firm views on the current state of English cricket, is a very committed Essex supporter, although has links within Hampshire, not too far north of Hambledon since he learned his trade at The Aldershot News & Mail where he ‘ghosted’ a regular column for Shaun Udal. When Hampshire moved from Southampton to West End in Eastleigh, he maintained his links with Shaun and also Robin Smith. He moved from regional to national newspapers (Daily Telegraph & The Times) and while he is today predominantly a cricket man, he has also worked extensively in professional football, starting in 2002 as the webmaster for Arsenal FC before moving to the USA to do similar projects in Major League ‘soccer’.
While Richard enjoyed much of that experience, he returned after two years because his family became homesick which affected his employment prospects, raising his questions about identity, happiness, and mental health. He told us that his research revealed many people meet a crisis of sorts around their 50th year before an upturn in later life, which happened to Richard in his 50th year in 2019. This time also coincided with dramatic changes in county cricket, and the impacts of Brexit, Covid, and the like, made stability as desirable as it sometimes seemed elusive. It was, he said, his ‘Fever Pitch’ year.
Many of these thoughts and ideas found expression in Richard’s recent book Last-Wicket Stand in which, against an account of the Essex season of 2019 when they won the Championship, he examines county cricket, middle age, identity, and coping with change. He went to every Essex game and linked this to his personal feelings with the Hundred looming, which felt like a threat to county cricket, frequently reflect upon with a less of a cricket friend. He also cited the difficulties that some cricketers, such as Marcus Trescothick, Ben Stokes, and Ryan Sidebottom, have met with personal difficulties in cricket or adjusting to leaving it.
By contrast, Richard spoke of watching cricket as ‘therapy’ and while describing shared experiences with friends, also valued being alone with his thoughts as the game unfolded. He reflected on the special moments in watching cricket, for him as an Essex man, for example, seeing Alastair Cooke’s century in his farewell at the Oval in 2018. He also remembered his dad’s experience at the Oval in 1948–Bradman’s last match–and the standing ovation as he walked out and the moments later the silence as he returned. Richard recalled a county game in 2019 at Trent Bridge with a lady carrying a white stick, clearly sight impaired, who he saw sitting at a game and wondered ‘what’s she getting?’ He suggested she would experience the ‘murmur’ and ‘bumble’ of the crowd adding that we ‘cannot monetise’ that feature.
In 2019 he drove on his own to a T20 Finals Day and did not drink, which was unusual for that event. In front of him was a group in fancy dress, including ‘Thor’ who was “getting hammered”. After the macho chat and all the drinking, he noted ‘Thor’ began to reveal that he and his wife were struggling for a baby, and he clearly became quite emotional. There are, he suggested, even around the shorter form of T20, many conversations to be had watching the longer forms of cricket, contrasting this to football where the game is not long enough and too focused on almost continuous action.
Richard is no fan of the Hundred and is concerned about the future of county cricket–particularly the non-franchise counties such as his own. He believes the ECB has caused huge disruption which has forced a discussion about what people want from county cricket. Richard, like his father before him, is an Essex man through and through and because of what this means to him, he will not, for example, switch to Surrey simply because they are performing better. But while he does not believe that county cricket will ‘die’, he drew a parallel with speedway which 50 years ago was made popular, not least on ITV’s World of Sport, whereas today, it is a minority interest and a shadow of its former self. As a media man, Richard is concerned that county cricket suffers from a lack of media coverage and presentation so it is low in the public consciousness. He is fearful for its future and added his book is a non-fiction account of a man who has seen the hollowness at the top of other major sports, concluding “if it is lost, it will be impossible to bring it back”.
Through appreciative applause, the President thanked Richard for joining us, and thanked the management and staff for looking after us, with a reminder to everyone to pay on their way out, if not already done so.
Any Other Business: Non
Next Meeting: TBC
