LCS Meeting Thursday 30th October 2014 Graham Thorpe MBE

I think that everyone was heading towards Leicester on Thursday night, as the traffic was horrendous. It took an hour and thirty five minutes to travel from Nuneaton, I understand that the traffic was a problem all around the city, then Mr. Thorpe rang to say, he was stuck in traffic on the M1. In the end we started our second meeting this month only ten minutes late. I can only say that around 200 of those people were without doubt heading towards Grace Road, for what turned out to be a fantastic evening in the company of a very pleasant gentleman. Namely ex England and Surrey batsman and now part of the England Team coaching staff, Graham Thorpe.

Howard telling the audience of Graham Thorpe’s outstanding average Graham made his debut in first class cricket in 1988 against Leicestershire. He went on to appear in 100 test matches scoring 6744 runs at 44.66, he hit 16 test ’s, and 39 test 50’s, with 28 ’s. Graham also played football for England under 18’s In his first class cricket career Graham played in 341 matches scoring a total of 21,937 runs with a top score of 223 not out, so he has the right statistics to be the England batting coach. Graham told us that this coming winter he will be with the England Lions in South Africa.

The new style LCS Trophy that will be presented to the winner of our members vote, Angus Robson for his batting in the 2014 season. In line with him playing football, Graham started his talk by saying that England no longer allows the team to play football in pre-match warm up, because of the risk of injuries, when are the counties going to realise this and also stop. Graham told us he got to play in that match against Leicestershire, because, Monty Lynch, had broken his ankle, ironically, playing football, and Graham had come into the team has 4th bowler and batting number 8, at the age of 18. He said he liked talking about his as third ball he got out, then 4 balls later, he got Peter Willey.

The lads in cow corner were a bit spread out this week

So had to get Peter and the others on a second photo

Then had to get a change of angle to get them all in. Bleddyn Jones (in the blue sweater) has written a Society reflection for the new 2013 – 2014 LCS booklet, Roger Stead the committee member who writes these excellent reminders of last winter was able to hand the new edition out to LCS members at this meeting Peter proudly holding his copy

The committee wish to thank Margaret Richardson for her generosity in sponsoring the new lapel mic, in memory of her late husband Michael. You may have noticed that at the last meeting, I attached the mike to MJK’s blazer only for Mike to keep opening his coat, so at the interval I moved it onto Mike’s tie. And that worked well. So gaining from this insider knowledge, at this meeting I put the mike straight onto Graham Thorpe’s TIE! Only for Graham to keep pulling his coat together, so at the interval, I moved it from Graham’s tie to his lapel. And that worked well. In future I’m going to request the speaker wears a T shirt.

Before on Graham’s tie after on his lapel

Before on MJK’s Lapel After the break on MJK tie. PLEASE, if you have problem hearing the speaker, tell me and I’ll move the mike to a different place or whatever I can to try to improve the sound quality

Angie and Jean had another fantastic night with the book stall selling over £35 worth of books with all the money raised going to the LCS funds

This month the raffle generated £144 thanks to the outstanding generosity of all the members and guests I did manage to acquire a quite special prize this month, a Warwickshire CCC shirt given to me by Rikki Clarke, and signed by 16 of the Warwickshire players. I know some of the lads who came over from Edgbaston, had their eye on it.

One of the many good things about Graham’s talk was his ability to mimic the voices of the people he was talking about, I liked GOOCHIE and thought Richie Benaud was well up to the mark then Boycott was spot on. Did anyone else think the same?

We needed to put out more chairs on Thursday night to accommodate the large number of people who came along.

Listening intently to Graham’s talk Graham told us a story about the first test he played in, at against Australia. He said the strip was a bit of a GREEN ONE! and that England had left some grass on it. Shane Warne had just come into the side and Alan Border was the Aussie , Graham told us his debut was in 1993 and he was 23 years of age. was the England Captain. Goochie told Thorpe that he would be playing; Alan Border and Graham Gooch go out for the toss. All the England team are in the dressing room, huddled around a small tele, saying win the toss have a bowl, win the toss have a bowl. Graham Gooch does indeed win the toss and says we’ll have bat, he went on we were 40 for 4, then walking out to the middle, comes over the tannoy, now coming into bat, G.P Thorpe. He said, at this point the old ticker is really going, and its back to controlling the mind, thinking, don’t get nought, don’t get a first baller. Just do the basics, Merv Hughes was the bowler. Graham said he looked around for fielders; there weren’t many in front, however there were five slips two gulleys and a man around the corner. Graham then said the first four balls of the over, went whistling past his nose, he left the fifth ball, so Merv Hughes, is standing in front of Graham, Merv then says, MATE, if you turn that thing your holding over there some instructions on the back. Graham went on, that Merv bounced him out for 6 and the team went on to get 180 all out.

Listening to the England story Graham said, I often get asked, what my favourite sledge was, he said Courtney Walsh once asked him, have you got life insurance. Man?

LCS treasurer Robin Whait, checking to make sure he still has the cheque book. After the break, Graham was asked by Karl, one of the Edgbaston lads, about the famous Test against Pakistan in 2000, when England won in the dark. In which Graham scored the winning run. Graham said, before this match, there were no laws of the game that gave the fielding team, a chance to appeal about the light. He said he thought this was the match that changed that. He told us that, Jamaican umpire, Steve Bucknor, was getting very irritated with the Pakistan side wasting time. Graham said, that two of his Surrey team mates, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq, managed to bowl eight over’s in an hour. Graham said that after every ball Waqar was tying and retying his bootlaces and that Saqlain moved the fielders between each ball of an over Graham said Steve Bucknor was constantly telling the bowlers to hurry up and to get a move on Graham told us that he kept asking Bucknor about the situation, and he said so long as the batsmen could see the ball they would stay on the field. Graham said Grahame Hick got out and came to the , at this point, Graham said they needed, about 20 runs off 5 overs.

Another question asked by one of our members about taking guard, gave Graham, the opportunity to give the audience a master class in coaching. I think this answer so in depth and so well described that everyone was listening so intently, that the room was totally silent.

Everyone listening to a coaching class of the highest degree. During the Q&A, answering a question, Graham said I think someone said that Mike Smith spoke here not long ago; he stopped, and said I’ve got a great story about MJK.

Telling us about Mike Smith Mike Smith was the manager of the England 1993 / 1994 tour to the West Indies; Graham said the team were flying from Barbados to Antigua, for the fifth and last Test Match of the series. Arriving in Antigua, Graham said that the team were waiting for the baggage. MJK was looking a bit worried, so Graham asks, Are you all right manager? Everything OK? MJK asks where are we, to which Graham replies, Antigua! MJK then says BUGGER, Graham says what’s the problem? Mike, MJK says damn! I’ve sent all the kit to Trinidad. Very funny when Graham told us not so good in print.

Colin Crosby gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the members. This was yet another great evening, with a truly outstanding speaker. Our next meeting is on Thursday 20th November, when David Fulton ex Kent CCC Captain and now with the SKY cricket broadcasting team. We hope that some of the non-members who came along on the night will be at our next meeting For anyone reading these jottings for the first time, they are not meant to be a word for word report, but merely to give a flavour of the evening Before I finish this short report. I would like to find out what you think of the LCS web site. I am the LCS delegate to the Council of Cricket Societies. Yesterday, 1st November, I attended the twice yearly meeting, of the Council, and one of the big questions was the use of web sites to promote cricket societies. Please let me know what you think, what could be better and what else would you like to see. You can contact the LCS, by sending an email via the Contact Us button, on the first page of the web site.

Phil Veasey on behalf of the LCS committee