Junior cricket was largely played vs Plaistow and Kirdford in those days, the scorecards below show the 4 innings match vs Plaistow played in 1968.
A 12 year old Kenny opens the bowling with best mate Graham Cheeseman – they generally don’t let many others get a game!!
Etheridge, Cheeseman and Vickery hogging the top order slots
A certain T Thatcher (WG legend’s Dad) leads the Plaistow fightback in the second innings. Vickery and Cheeseman let others have a bowl (at first)
With only 51 needed they let others have a bat before Les and Graham get the bulk of the runs! A hard fought victory.
This match is also a junior game vs Kirdford – as you can see, a few familiar faces hogging the batting and bowling!
This one is the innings of Portsmouth – coming to play against the mighty WGCC – in 1938! Im afraid I dont know many of the names from back then but I am sure my dad would if he was here!
Another WGCC great we unfortunately lost this year was Peter Vallis – an absolute stalwart, someone who loved cricket and loved Wisborough Green CC. Below he embarks on a 19 over spell – conceding just 59 runs and taking 1 wicket! Note he was also playing alongside Joe Cooper – another great player for WGCC that passed recently. Joe playing well into his 50s and 60s played alongside many of my generation and was still very very good!!!
He then goes on to knock up a solid 40 after his team were 2 for 19. Joe Cooper also scoring an unbeaten 45.
Many of us remember Peter as a great bowler, up there with Jimmy Anderson for swing mastery. But below he shows he could also bat a bit – what a player!
Another former Wisborough player, and my old Geography teacher passed away earlier this year. Steve McMurrugh was an excellent cricketer, I remember him for his dogged uphill bowling but clearly also a bastmen as he partners Ian Poysden opening the batting and bowling getting 37 followed by bowling 12 over 1 for 30. This match would be a win in our day but back then just a draw!
My final picture is actually of a Horsham innings vs WG – with I believe both Pat Harrison and David Horsman going on to play for Wisborough Green following a stint at Horsham. David passed away a day after his 85th and he spent many years playing, watching and supporting cricket – he was a very good wicket keeper and a huge support of junior cricket. In fact, amongst many other things David did behind the scenes – he and Peter Garland created the Identilam Cricket League which by the time it was amalgamated to become part of the Sussex Junior cricket league, included just about every club in the north area of Sussex . It is probably fair to say that anyone who has played junior league cricket in the last 30 or so years should be grateful to David for his hard work in helping to create these playing opportunities.
I couldn’t find any scorecard where Kenny came up against Malc but I believe they would have played each other plenty of times, not least for the Eddie Spooner trophy which is actually the way the memorial match came about. The Cricket club used to play against the football club in Eddie’s memory. Spiersy, I am told, had quite an eye for the ball and would whack it to all parts despite only picking up a bat once or twice a year! My personal memory of Spiersy was him being ever present in the pav when we were playing cricket – as you were walking out to bat you would get words of encouragement from him and Giffo (the legendary Cliff Gent) such as “see you in a minute Dan” or when you return shortly after having left to bat “That was shit!”. Always said in jest and would be there creating a great atmosphere after the game!
My final thoughts go back to Kenny – never far from my mind, especially when I am out in the middle at Wisborough!! He is very much my inspiration – having done just about every role for the club over the years – he would not stop if things needed doing. He also never hung up his boots, a bit like Peter Vallis, he would be ready to play either with me or for me if I ever needed him. Its his legacy that keeps me going and I hope I can make Dad proud!
Green until the very end!
Dan Vickery