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Some background History - by Philip Hall
Having had the score books passed to me by our former Captain, some of the history makes interesting reading. Here are some high lights:
•The first game played according to these records was on 30th July 1970
•There may have been earlier matches, and I suspect that John Hickman can confirm the details as he played in that game (caught on 14)
•Other notable members of that South East Team were Robert Hacking, Tom Betts, & John Farrant
•The only active jockey who played in that game was a certain David Evatt (who carried his bat with 1 run & caught Mike Bloom) – Pete Bull had to wait a year or two for his debut!
•The East Anglian’s featured (among others) Hunter Rowe, David Turner, Rodney Mann, David Wales, and Mike Bloom. (No sign of a Simon Stearn until 1975, and Ollie Vaughan-Jones in 1977)
•1978 saw the arrival of Peter Hickman, and a Morgan Evans at the East Anglian end (where was Richard in 2008?)
•Jamie Hawksfield & Warren Marshall arrived on the scene in 1979 – Jamie cleaning up in the bowling stakes – he took 9 wickets, which must be some kind of record and then scored 98 runs the following year! Warren was obviously more mindful of modesty (not wishing to make the more senior players look foolish), he scored a respectable 3 and wasn’t allowed to bowl!
•Pete Bull arrived in 1983, and this appears to be the first year since that he has missed his annual engagement with a cricket bat – he took the opening wicket and didn’t get to bat By 1993 the Captain had obviously worked things out, as Pete was allowed to bat at 3 and made a fruity 60.
•East Anglian’s answer to Pete Bull, if there can be such a thing, Nibby Bloom had to wait until 1991 for his first cap – caught by Peter Hickman no less on 27.
•Andrew Hickman’s first year, 1985, marked a thorough drubbing of the East Anglian counterparts – that year Nigel Hacking made 110, and ran out Chris Newport who was on 79 at the time…. The next biggest contribution came from Tom Grantham for the princely sum of 4. Nigel Hacking went on to take 5 wickets (along with Warren Marshall’s 2) – so no prizes who won Man of the Match that day!
•A youthful Stuart Robinson debut’d in 1990, bowled a Wicket Maiden in his first over – his batting was unchacteristically less impressive – caught for 3. He was joined in debutant stakes by the likes of James van Prague, Adam Welsh, Tim McCarthy and a certain P Hacking who’s cricketing prowess is not quite up there with that of his brother…
•My personal first appearance came a little later, in 1997 – Cricketing’s equivalent to Morecombe & Wise opened, and my partner David Robinson managed to run me out for 18. Not the most auspicious of starts, East Anglia won by 7 wickets.
•Stuart Robinson was more impressive with the bat by 1999 – a flashing retirement on 86 to ensure a South East victory by 6 wickets, Andrew Coveney also posting an impressive 32 not out plus 2 wickets.
•David Kemp arrived on the scene in 2000, eventually caught on 37, Rowan Cope caught off the bowling of a certain Ben Hitchcott who took 2 for 11 as the teams leading strike bowler that day. Nick Gifford’s 58, and Pete Bull’s 34 ensured a comfortable victory for the South East.
•By 2001 the East Anglian team was dragging in the skeleton of this year’s squad – Alex Merriam (stumped on 16), Rupert Stearn (carried his bat on 41), and David Kemp (stumped on 13) were all key members…. On the losing side!
