LCS Meeting Thursday 22nd March.

The final LCS meeting of this winter brought Derek Underwood to speak to us.

Thursday night saw the LCS decamp to the Saffron Lane Working Men’s Club, after having to alter the date and venue of our March meeting. I’m sure that all of the 190 plus members and visitors, thought this was a very successful reserve venue, and worthy of being a natural place to hold any future meeting that may require us to find a temporary home for the night.

I’d like to start this short report by thanking our events secretary Roger Stead, for giving us all such a splendid winter, with such a diverse selection of speakers. I think you’d all say, Well done Roger.

On behalf of all LCS members. I’d also like to thank the rest of the LCS committee. I’m sure you would all agree with me, that the LCS is very well run, by a dedicated group of people, who all work very hard behind the scenes, to make the society run so smoothly. Most of all, I want to thank the LCS members and visitors, for such staunch support over the past winter, without you all turning up each month in such large numbers it wouldn’t have gone so well. The membership numbers have increased dramatically over the last two years. So we must be getting something right.

The front row boys shipped to the sidelines for the night. They wanted to take the tables back to Grace Road!

This has been the best winter so far in terms of how much money the raffle has taken, with the monthly breakdown as follows. September £94, October £120, November £154, December £131, January £151, February £192, March £129 and the raffle on our away day to Headingley took £79, making the total a fantastic £1050; I cannot begin to thank you all enough for the generosity you show. Also I want to thank everyone who brought along items for the raffle.

Now on to Mr. Underwood, Derek started the evening off by saying he was sorry that this meeting had to be rearranged, to allow him to attend another society on the following evening, then he was on his way back to Kent, as on Saturday he was flying out to Sri Lanka, I did volunteer, to go along and fill out his Test scorecard, however, he left, without giving me any details about the trip! Derek said, he held two records in , one of which he was not so proud. Holding the record number of consecutive ducks for England, 16 in a row, this record standing for 15 years and then beaten by (and this did surprise most people) Mike Atherton. He never did get around to telling us what the other record was.

Just three of our long distance visitors, Karl, on the left, comes from Birmingham, Peter, in the middle, comes from Wolverhampton and Tony, on the right, who comes from Tamworth.

Derek went on to talk about his time as President of the MCC in 2009. The outgoing president has to nominate his successor, and in Derek’s case this was . He told us that 2009, was an Ashes year, so that meant the Queen would be at Lords. Derek said, that as he was escorting the Queen through the Long Room and down the Pavilion steps onto the outfield to meet the teams, there was a crescendo of noise, he said, he turned to the Queen, and said, Ma’am, I now know what it must be like, to score a double hundred at Lords. Apparently, the Queen looked at him, and said, your dreaming aren’t you!

As you can see it was a very nice room. This was only our second time away from Grace rd. since starting the Society.

And you can see how quickly the room filled

. Our chairman greeting the speaker before starting the meeting

Howard going through Derek Underwood’s outstanding figures in test and first class cricket

Derek spoke about his selection for test match cricket; it was in 1966 for a debut test against the West Indies. He said, he was brought into the side to deal with the menace of Sobers, Derek’s comment, not very good. 35 over’s in the match for no , hit in the teeth off Charlie Griffiths, but he said, he did do something good. Derek Underwood and Basil D’Oliveira, put on a record last wicket stand of 50 against the Windies, Underwood 6 D’Oliveira 44.

Derek talking about his start in test cricket.

This winner of this year’s LCS Tankard is Paul Nixon. Overwhelmingly, voted as recipient, by the membership, for his outstanding catch in the 2011 T20 Final at Edgbaston. Taking a full length catch to his right, to dismiss Somerset’s Kieron Pollard, and turn the match for Leicestershire.

Paul thanking the members for the trophy.

Howard with two Kent old boys.

Derek answering my question, how did you get the nickname, Deadly?

The answer, whilst playing a test match in Australia, there was an article in the newspaper.

Underwood, Deadly on wet wicket, the , John Hampshire read it, and as they say the rest is history.

Almost the end of another winter. It’s been a very good one, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Before I wind up for the coming cricket season, I’m sure we all wish the County every success and hope for some more Silverware at the end of the season. GOOD LUCK LADS!

I hope you have enjoyed these ramblings, and they haven’t bored you too much.

Phil Veasey on behalf of the LCS committee.