FROM the BOUNDARY CHAIRMAN's VIEW 2016/17 Subs
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Autumn 2016 - No. 13 The Newsletter of Stourbridge & District Cricket Society Founded 1972 FROM THE BOUNDARY CHAIRMAN'S VIEW disturbing and radical change to have enjoyed this summer A the game of cricket is scheduled I watching Club, County, and to come into effect in 2018. Country. The England & Wales Cricket It's late August and the cricket Board (ECB) has announced that the surgeons have their knives ready game’s structure will be overhauled. to dissect and rearrange the game The ECB’s controversial proposal we love. is to start an 8-city franchise T20 I am certainly not in favour of competition in 2018. The will result the changes that are about to hap- in counties being re-grouped into pen in our game. areas, centred on the location of the The ICC has many areas of nearest Test venue. concern and none of us want to This move could well be the thin see empty Test venues. However, end of the wedge. It is likely to lead if we concentrate on this country, to the centralisation of cricket and the Club and Academy County poses a threat to the future of small structure with its passionate sup- county clubs, grounds and ultimately port and membership, which is the cricket as we know it. feeder and life blood of cricket as What can be done? I suspect not a we know it - surely this should be lot, as far as T20 is concerned. But, maintained at all cost. I have pre- you can express your support and viously said they must not change concern for the future of the game the ingredients - has Kraft im- by signing the national petition. proved Cadbury? The address is: I witnessed recently a young www.saveourcounties.com girl with her score book at one of Don Kenyon and Martin Horton our local club games keeping an tourbridge CC will celebrate its walk out to face the Australians in 1961. immaculate record of the match. S 175th anniversary in 2017 and framed full colour photo will be presented to When I asked her how she be- our Society plans to mark the event A Stourbridge CC, in recognition of the fact came interested in cricket she re- in a very special way by compiling a that Don and Martin both played for the Club. plied "my grandfather and father book about the fifteen cricketers who They later became first and second presidents had both played". She had been have played for the club and also respectively of our cricket society. told the basics of the game and as represented their country. Smaller-sized framed copies will be given to a result begun to understand and We invite S&DCS members to Mrs Jean Kenyon and Mrs Margaret Horton. enjoy, wishing nothing more on a participate by writing a pen portrait, a Copies of the picture are available to members! magnificent sunny afternoon than personal memory or a favourite anec- to be at cricket. dote about any of the fifteen - more 2016/17 Subs Offer! Cricket must never fall out, or details on the back page. take its basic structure for granted nnual subscriptions are now due and remain un- adly, Backspin seems to have A changed for the fourth successive year! because of its failure to advertise S come to the end of its all-too- Members are again offered the chance to renew in ad- the game. BBC Sport treats vance of the new season at a reduced rate. cricket with total contempt, along brief innings. The retro-magazine’s editor, pub- INDIVIDUAL Membership fee: with many more potential avenues lisher and chief bottle washer has to £12 if received by 18 Oct. £15 if paid after that date of promotion. There is, however, be applauded for his efforts, but the JOINT fee: £15 (2 adults at same address) a glimmer of light emerging with many of Asian origin joining and title could nor survive on sentiment Cheques, payable to Stourbridge Cricket Society, to be alone, especially as it carried no ex- sent to: Ken Workman, playing club cricket. ternal advertising or sponsorship in 15, Ridge Road, Kingswinford, DY6 9RB This winter will be most inter- any of the issues. Added to which, the esting to say the least with all that Membership cards will be available for collection is happening both at home and nation’s chief newsagent demanded a at the October meeting. hefty £10k for shelf space. abroad. England's tour to Bangla- If there is any chance of a revival, If you wish to make a voluntary donation to the desh and India will be a signifi- members of cricket societies must Society, please add your chosen amount to your cant examination of how good cheque. they are. surely be the target audience! It is simply too good a publication [Persons who have not paid by 31 December 2016 Mike Tomkins to lose! will be removed from the membership list] Stop Press : So far only one entry received for the hypothetical Gents v. Players match! (See last issue) It’s not too late to submit your teams! Dave Nicklin (President) Committee Members: Mike Tomkins (Chairman); Anthony Collis (Secretary / Editor); Ken Workman (Treasurer); Terry Church (Programme Secretary) David Steele Wisden noted: ‘Three times Steele “They were all spectacular, Marshall, Northants, Derbyshire & England hooked Lillee and he also cut effec- Roberts, Holding, Daniel, Garner, they tively, but above all he played in a calm just grew taller!” isden (1976) correctly described and calculating manner’. Greig came in David recalled facing Bob Willis W David Steele as ‘a bespectacled, at 49/4 and Steele repaid his skipper’s after a night out with Bedi and Mushtaq grey-haired, 33-year-old batsman from faith by sharing a partnership of 96 and who introduced him to the delights of Northamptonshire’, almost as if each reached 50 before being bowled by a curry. He not only had the runs, but next feature was unworthy of a player on his Thompson thunderbolt. “Thommo was day got the runs, by way of a century! Test debut. deadly quick; what he lacked in consis- On the county circuit, Steele admired David Stanley Steele was our penul- tency, he made up with aggression. He Tom Graveney most of all. “Mind you, timate guest of our 2015/16, having been had me caught twice, but both were no at Worcester in 1964, Keith Andrew our guest fourteen years before. balls. He was deranged!” dropped him on 32 off my bowling. He The specs are still worn, the grey hair went on to get 132, which was his hun- has whitened and the hero of 1975 is dredth hundred.” now aged 74, but the bulldog spirit re- He had a great regard for Colin Mil- mains. Steele by name; steely by nature; burn. “Despite weighing 17-stone plus, the description befits the man who stood he was remarkably quick on his feet. He defiant and cocked a snook against the was an excellent close fielder at short- fastest and most hostile bowlers of the leg where he caught many catches in one past forty years. of his two stomachs. He batted superbly, Born into a Staffordshire mining particularly if he had had a skin-full the family, Steele’s early cricket was influ- night before. At Eastbourne, we needed enced by his uncle Stan Crump, who 199 to win; Ollie and Mister Prideaux coached and taught him the rudiments of (David stressed the Mr) opened and the game. At the age of 16, he was play- made 201 for no wicket – Milburn 141, ing for Staffordshire and three years Mr Prideaux 51.” later, Steele was pro for Hartshill CC. David admitted he had run out many “How did you get from North Staffs of his partners. “I was a good judge of a down to Northampton?” a member run – for me! I moved to Derbyshire and asked. “Down the M1” rejoined Steele. in 1981, I was batting with Geoff Miller. Brian Crump, David’s cousin, recom- I called for a run, but there was a mix-up mended him to Ken Turner, who per- in mid wicket. In the interests of self- suaded him to join Northamptonshire in preservation, I dived in, just before 1963 where he stayed 18 years. Steele and Lillee shared mutual re- Geoff, who was going to the same end. When Tony Greig took over the Eng- spect. “Dennis never let up. He was al- The wicket-keeper shook his head and land captaincy in 1975, he asked various ways on target and never gave any down said ‘you’re in, but your mate’s not umpires to name the best uncapped bats- the leg side.” In turn, Rodney Marsh told happy’. By close of play I had 54 and men on the county circuit. David Steele Steele that he was driving Lillee round returned to a dressing room in stony was the unanimous response and so he the twist because he always got into line, silence. To make matters worse, a noose came to Lord’s for his debut against didn’t flinch or show fear as others did.” was hanging from a beam. I tried to Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson who Away from that match, David re- cheer Geoff up by saying I did it for the Eric Morecambe famously referred to as called other notable cricketers of his day. team, as I would get a hundred next day, ‘the great Australian female, Lillian He admired Brian Close for his courage. which Miller would not have done.