--LCS Meeting Thursday 19th September 2013

Claude Henderson

Claude, telling LCS members about his time as a South African Test Player

The first Leicestershire Society meeting of the 2013 /14 season, began with the return to Grace road of ever popular, slow left arm bowler and right hand bat, Claude Henderson, back to talk to the LCS membership.

Claude won the society Tankard back in 2010, he came along for the November meeting of that year to receive the trophy; Claude told the members that night, he would like to come back at some time, to talk properly at the LCS. Some of you may remember that the speaker on that night was Mark Rowe, who had written a book about the victory tests played in 1945, in a strange twist of fate, Roger Stead, used the same format on that evening also.

Q&A’s are only as good as the first few questions, at the start of the evening, and once again Roger had done his homework, getting Claude, to talk about his cricket as a young boy starting out playing in SA, his rise through the schools system, on to playing the equivalent of and then to his career as a Test player and beyond.

Roger Stead, with his folder of very good questions, that got the evening off to a great start. This first question was about his childhood in SA

Cricket society meetings would not be complete without a mention of the front row four. Alan arrived very early to make certain the others had their customary seats.

For any readers of these ramblings, doing so for the first time, they are not meant to be a word for word repeat of the evening, but just a brief flavour of some items from the night.

Norman Harrington, the LCS President, took the chair for this meeting, as our chairman Howard Pollard was away.

Claude started his talk with a background of his early years; he told us that he lived in a small town, called Worcester, which Claude reckoned to be about the size of Market Harborough. Although, he said, the town was surrounded by about sixty farms. His father played for a local team and was sport mad, so Claude grew up playing with his brothers, in what must have been a very large back garden, Rugby in the winter and Cricket in the summer. According to Claude both these sports are followed with a passion in SA. Claude said that all he ever wanted to do was bowl, so around the age of five, Claude continued, a friend of his dad, who was a spin bowler, showed young Claude how to hold a ball to bowl spin, and off he went, onto a life in cricket.

Norman starting the evening, at this point the speaker had not arrived Claude told us the family house was around a two hour drive from and that his dad took them to Newlands cricket ground many times during his childhood.

Rik Hughes, the lad on the front row, in the black Foxes top, is a friend of Claude’s. They worked together at Ratcliffe College, where Claude was the professional.

About 140 people came along to the LCS for this first night of the winter. Claude went on to talk about school cricket in SA, he told us that the two major sports, Cricket and Rugby, are dominated by the Public School system. So, going to an ordinary school meant that, you had to be twice as good, as some of the more privileged others. Having said that, he rose through the age group cricket, then working his way up to playing for Western Province.

Claude spoke about some of the outstanding cricketers he came across during the journey, just some of the names, in no special order. , , , , , , . Claude also said he met, by then at the back end of his international career, one of the two great fast bowlers of that era, .

Just a few half decent cricketers there then, Claude said the two most talented and cricket savvy, way ahead of their years were, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith. Claude thought that Kallis was about the best all round cricketer, he had ever met.

The lady in the front row is Susanne Marlow. She is on the Hampshire CCC committee, and Chairwomen of the Hampshire Cricket Society.

Susanne was at Grace Rd for the Hampshire match, she very kindly came along to our meeting as a visiting committee member from another society. I spoke with her the next morning; she was very impressed with our society and thought the of people in the audience was tremendous. Always good to hear what other societies think.

Claude demonstrating a pull shot One of the things Claude spoke about, concerned a test match played at the MCG, around 100,000 people in to watch OZ, all swearing at you, as you came from the dressing room to the middle, according to Claude, even the young kids let rip with some expletives, NOT THE WORD CLAUDE USED. Anyway, comes on to bowl. Herschelle Gibbs at the none strikers end. Claude fancies he can pull Mr. Lee. So, Claude goes down the , talks to Gibbs, Gibbs reply, DON’T pull Lee, repeated several times. Henderson thinks this ball is going, a few seconds later, Claude has blacked out momentarily, large lump on the side of Henderson’s face and neck, GIBBS says, I TOLD YOU NOT TO PULL LEE.

Claude speaking about coming to this country to play as overseas pro for, Wolverhampton Cricket Club.

Claude arrived in not able to speak much English, he gets to the club, is told that his lodgings are to be a CARAVAN but as yet it is not ready, so until it is he will stay at the home of the clubs chairman, however he must be very polite and not get into trouble, again according to Claude, A mansion. Three seasons later he is still coming to the club and still staying at the chairman’s, Claude said, THEY LOVED ME.

As always the generosity of our members is outstanding, the raffle this month took £136, a very large thank you to everyone. Thanks to Margaret, Michael and Jean for their help and many many thanks to everyone who bring along items for the raffle

The next meeting is on Thursday 3rd October, when Simon Mann from , will be the Speaker

Phil Veasey on behalf of the LCS committee

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