April 2020

Issue 146

The Cricketers Lucky Enough To Have Played Some in 2020. The Academy in

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Contents

Editorial page 3

Dates for Your Diary page 4

Yorkshire CCC AGM page 6

News from Headingley page 7

My First Cricket Book page 10

So What Do We Do in the Meantime? Page 16

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Editorial

I have commented before that one of the problems of writing these editorials is that their content can become out of date by the time the issue lands on members’ doormats. Never, however, has that seemed more likely than now. So please accept that any comments which follow were set down on March 31st. If they turn out to be incorrect, I desperately hope they will have erred on the side of pessimism.

At the time of writing it would be optimistic to look forward to the 2020 season at all. It is becoming clear that if there is cricket, the priorities will be those forms of the game which generate most cash income, which are not, by and large, those which attract the support of SG members. We may all feel differently later. Is it possible to have cricket withdrawal symptoms so severe that you are drawn inexorably to try The Hundred? At present I’m afraid that my fears for the future of the game are such that anything that keeps it alive into 2021 is welcome.

So far, I am not aware that any YCCC employee has contracted the virus, but its impact is clearly massive, with pre-season training curtailed, staff sent home, and the usual pre-season tour cancelled. Andrew Gale and his wife have offered their services as NHS volunteers, for which they should receive great credit. It is not straightforward to volunteer, particularly when you are parents of a young family. The Club website is doing its best to make supporters feel involved and valued, with reports on anything happening, players’ contributions, quiz questions, and memories of past matches.

As far as SG affairs are concerned, we have decided to publish details of possible events. This is done in hope, clearly all depends on factors outside our control. As June Hirst says below, if it turns out that the match can take place, so too can our Event. Among those things which cannot happen however is the AGM. I had anticipated that this would be my last editorial as Chairman, but it seems that the election of my successor must await events, so for the moment I continue, like one of those post-war European monarchs in exile, awaiting better times. I hope I don’t have to wait as long or hopelessly as they did.

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It is always nice to finish on a positive note, so I will conclude with expressing our pleasure at the election at the YCCC AGM of Janet Bairstow as a Vice-President, and of Geoff Cope to another term as Club President. Warm congratulations to both. And above all, the very best wishes to all members. Take care of yourselves.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2020 June Hirst

The ECB announcement last month, cancelling all first class cricket until 28 May, coupled with the on-going Coronavirus pandemic, means that this year’s cricket season is at best curtailed, and at worst cancelled. Our early match events at Chelmsford on 19 April and Northampton on 23 May will obviously not now take place.

We are trying to remain positive about the rest of the season and therefore give details below of events already booked at Scarborough, Cheltenham and Leicester in case there is play. Please follow the news regarding the fixtures and what is happening after 28 May. All we can say at the time of going to press (end March) is that if the game is on we will be holding the events, if not obviously we won’t.

Application forms are enclosed for these three events, but please do not send them or your cheque to June Hirst until the ECB gives details about the programme after the end of May.

MONDAY, 15 JUNE – SCARBOROUGH

This is the second day of the county championship against and we have booked a table for lunch in the Pavilion dining room. A two course lunch will be £31.00 per person; no tickets will be issued, but applications will be acknowledged by email. Ground admission, if applicable, is payable separately, either beforehand or on the gate. If you would like to join us, please return the enclosed application form with your cheque to June as soon as we hear that the match is going ahead.

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SUNDAY, 5 JULY – CHELTENHAM Please note that this event is now taking place on SUNDAY, 5 JULY not Monday 6 July as previously indicated.

This county championship match against Gloucestershire gives us an opportunity to support the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, being held at the Cheltenham College Sports Ground, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham GL53 7AB. We have been able to book a maximum of 20 places for the Southern Group in the Charlton King’s Club marquee at a “Yorkshire Package” day hospitality price of £45.00 per person, including VAT, ground admission, a two course lunch with half a bottle of wine and seating. We are expecting this to be a popular event if it takes place, so applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. As for Scarborough above, please do not return the enclosed application form and your cheque until we know that the match is going ahead.

There is parking in the car park at the College Lawn entrance to the ground if a parking pass has already been purchased – available on-line at www.gloscricket.co.uk - or in the nearby Reeves Field for £8 for the day. There may also be nearby unrestricted street parking on a Sunday. Cheltenham Spa railway station is about one mile from the ground.

SUNDAY, 2 AUGUST – LEICESTER (one day cup)

At the time of writing, there is some doubt as to whether this competition will go ahead this year. We wait to hear at the end of May. We have booked a two course lunch at £18.00 per person in the Charles Palmer Restaurant at this Royal London 50 match against Leicestershire, being held at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester LE2 8EB. The innings break is expected to be around 2.15pm, when the caterers give priority to lunch for the players and match officials. Our booking will therefore be before this time and members will be notified when they book. Ground admission is payable separately; this is £12.00 in advance bookable on-line at leicestershireccc.co.uk or £15.00 on the gate.

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There is car parking on the ground, and spaces can be booked on-line in advance via their Ticket Office; or on nearby roads around the ground with a single yellow line as it’s a Sunday match.

As before, please wait until you know whether the match is going ahead before you send in your application form and cheque.

SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST – TAUNTON and MONDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER – HEADINGLEY

Information about these two events will be in the July newsletter.

June’s address is 5 Stanhope House, 38-40 Shepherds Hill, London N6 5RR. If you have any queries about any of these events please email her at her (new) email address - [email protected]

TUESDAY, 5 MAY – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Because of the Coronavirus restrictions, this has been postponed until later in the year, the date to be advised.

SATURDAY, 10 OCTOBER – ANNUAL LUNCH

We are hopeful that this can go ahead as planned. and his wife will be our guests on this occasion.

At the time of writing, everything is very uncertain and no-one knows what will happen in the next two or three months. We hope to be able to some of our events this year, but in the meantime, please keep your eye on the news and any further ECB announcements.

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Yorkshire County Cricket Club AGM March 2020 Mike Brown

I attended the AGM using the online link available to members and have to say it worked well.

The meeting was delayed by the 30 minutes allowed for in the rules waiting for a 20th member who was en-route to join the meeting to make it quorate so we started just in time at about 10.30 am.

In the interim, Mark Arthur (CEO) explained that the club were now in a strong financial position which would help them ride out the current crises. Martyn Moxon gave us an update on how the players were training at home to keep themselves as fit as they possibly could. It was difficult in this fast moving situation to predict what would happen to the County Championship but one outcome is that we only play the white ball versions of the game.

Once the meeting started, it was very brief and no reports were given. All the information was in the AGM pack. The salient points were:

 Janet Bairstow was made the club’s first female Vice President.  Geoff Cope was re-elected as President.  The Board members put forward, which included Mark Arthur, were all elected.  There were new auditors.  Robin Smith retired as Chairman.

That was about it – very short and to the point. Members has been advised previously that the AGM would deal with the business it needed to according to the rules and would be very short. In the circumstances there were no questions from the floor.

The only other thing to note was that those in attendance sat the required distance apart!

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News from Headingley:

Those of you who are YCCC members should have received, via email, a message from the Club’s Chief Executive Mark Arthur. It is one we should all have access to, and is therefore, with permission, reproduced below:

Following the and Cricket Board’s (ECB) announcement on Friday, I wanted to give our Members, supporters and customers an update on how we have reacted at Emerald Headingley.

The Club have been following the government’s advice on a daily basis and moved swiftly to ensure that we are protecting our staff and the wider cricket family. Since Friday, administrative staff have been working from home and will continue to do so until at least April 14. The groundstaff will continue to work from Emerald Headingley, but will do so by respecting social distancing. The playing squad have been training at their homes since arriving back from on March 14. They have been asked to continue doing so until at least April 19.

There is obviously great uncertainty around what the coming months will bring, however, it is important that we offer strength and support to each other in such unpredictable times. I want to assure you that although we as playing and non-playing staff aren’t at Emerald Headingley, we are here for you.

What makes cricket such a special game are the people and the camaraderie between spectators and players, no matter who you support. Although we will be seeing each other in the Long Room later than planned, I urge you to pick up the phone and talk to your fellow cricket supporters. A five minute phonecall or a simple message might provide an invaluable boost to somebody who is feeling vulnerable whilst we are asked to self-isolate.

I will provide any updates on the commencement of cricket when I receive further information from the ECB.

Mark Arthur

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We are grateful to Richard Damms for the following report on the Academy tour to South Africa.

Another memorable trip for the Yorkshire Academy, one which provided numerous learning opportunities and will hopefully prove invaluable for the development of all our players moving forward.

We were blessed with excellent weather throughout the trip and our accommodation was clean and suitable for our requirements. Everyone made us feel welcome, from the hotel staff to the tea ladies at the games. We played three T20 games, a 45 over day/night match and a two day fixture, providing the perfect match play balance.

The cricket was always going to be a challenge, switching from indoor winter nets to playing on grass against decent opponents who were in full swing. Fortunately this year, we were able to hold a practice session prior to the games. This had been impossible on our previous visit due to a severe drought in the area. This training proved beneficial and we were in much better shape going into our fixtures.

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There were several fine individual performances and a sign of real team cohesion. I am confident that the tour games have provided excellent learning opportunities for all, highlighting areas for improvement such as basics, to a plan and perhaps the key for this group of batters, taking responsibility to get big scores.

Of course, an academy tour can never be just about the cricket played. It has many life lessons for the players, not least understanding that new levels of resilience, maturity and determination are required. Add in a generous helping of self-sufficiency and humility and we begin to see its real value. The group were fortunate to visit Table Mountain and participate on a game drive where the excitement was clearly visible. South Africa is an amazing place to visit and most of the lads said they hoped to be back one day either with family or as part of future Yorkshire or England tours.

The tour threw up many tales and anecdotes which no doubt will resurface over time. The trip was the perfect interjection for our winter preparation, one which would not have been possible without the fantastic support from our generous sponsors. We are most grateful to the following • The Yorkshire Pride Lottery/Yorkshire Cricket Foundation • The Kevin Armitage Fund • The parents of the players selected to make the trip • Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Matthew Revis who made his 1st Class debut vs Kent in 2019, captained the squad on the trip. His reflections on his experience were:

• Provided good match play experience in a different country - which I have never experienced before.

• Helped identify areas of weakness before the coming season - which gives time before the season to iron them out.

• The situations we found ourselves in provided us with new learning experiences and we know how to react next time.

• Overall, I think the squad avoided illness well considering pro coach and the college had the majority of their squad out of action.

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Credit to Pete Miller, our physio who informed the squad and myself really well, and catered for the three of us who fell ill.

FEEL LIKE A CHAT?

In accord with Mark Arthur’s encouragement that as cricket supporters we should try to ensure that none of our number feel too isolated in these difficult times, we offer the following contact details.

Ned Holt: [email protected], phone 07833360319 Mike Brown: [email protected], phone 07425223198 Andrew Bosi; [email protected]

If any member feels very cut off, and/or would appreciate a cricket or non- cricket related chat at any point, please feel free to make use of those contact details.

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MY FIRST CRICKET BOOK JUNE HIRST

Reading Martin Howe’s article about his first book on Yorkshire cricket in the February issue of the Newsletter, prompted me to look on my bookshelf to rediscover my first book on cricket and perhaps the reason why I became interested in the sport. I still had it, unopened for nearly 60 years. The front cover is torn off at the top and shows a black and white photograph of the author, the then England , against a coloured background of Lord’s. The back cover is also torn and patched up with ageing sellotape.

Peter May’s “Book of Cricket” was first published in 1956 and cost 12/6d (62.5p today). It was published by Cassell & Co Ltd and was part of their Books on Sport series which included Stirling Moss’s Book of Motor Sport, three books on horses and show jumping by Pat Smyth, and more obscurely Ferenc Puskas’s “Captain of Hungary” (football) and Brigadier Sir John Smyth’s “The Game’s the Same” (lawn tennis).

I received the book as a Christmas present. I remember there were three of us at Lawefield Lane Junior School in Wakefield who had a schoolgirl crush on . It certainly wasn’t because of his cricketing abilities, as none of us had ever seen a cricket match, but rather because he was handsome and was doing well as an England batsman. His photograph therefore appeared in the newspapers on a regular basis. I seem to remember that our parents took different daily newspapers - we would cut out May’s photographs and compare them in the playground at dinner time.

The book is neither an autobiography per se nor an instruction manual, but a rather worthy and serious book aimed at the young, aspiring cricketer. There are chapters on how May became a first class cricketer, how he plays an innings and what it’s like out in the middle. He discusses the strengths and weaknesses of and devotes two pages to the importance of good fielding. He also has forthright views on a number of cricketing topics. There are plenty of photographs, all black and white of course, and he does not include any statistical tables, just a pie chart showing his double against at Fenners in 1950. In an innings of 227 , he scored 21 fours and no sixes. He calls it “an exciting day” – but it was also a tiring one I suspect.

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Today, the book is a reminder of how Test and county cricket was played in the mid 1950’s, when players wore long sleeved white shirts with cuffs, the sleeves usually rolled up to the elbow, and V-necked cable knit sweaters. One day and T20 matches, coloured clothing, squad numbers, sponsorship, helmets, televised matches, restricted run-ups, Hawk Eye and other aids, tattoos and facial stubble were all in the future.

In the opening chapter May states that “there are two broad avenues through which you have to pass to arrive at the portals of first class cricket”. One is his way, through Prep School, Public School (Charterhouse), National Service (Navy) and University (Cambridge). The other is the professional route – through ground staff, colts’ XI, club, ground and minor counties. He considers himself fortunate to be in the first category! “But, for the lad without such a school and university career and who is intent upon playing cricket professionally, the game is paramount” he declares. “That is why he must be sure he is resolute and talented enough to throw up the chance of a safer but less glamorous life to serve the bumpy apprenticeship leading to professional cricket”. Quite a number of players obviously fitted the bill.

May then played minor counties cricket for Berkshire and made his debut for Surrey in 1950 aged 20. A year later he was making his test debut at Headingley against South Africa, batting at No 3, joining in the middle. There’s a long explanation about his first ball in – no sight screen, intense light, a long wait in the pavilion as there had been a century stand for the first , and how he completely lost sight of his first ball from off-spinner Athol Rowan. Nevertheless, he managed to hit it for four and go on to make a century. Because of this, he says the ground will always hold a special place in his affections, despite the lack of sight screens and the fact that “the pavilion is situated at third man and not directly behind the bowler’s arm”. He also complains that “the background at either end is not happy for the incoming batsman. Sight screens are dispensed with in order that more spectators may be seated at both ends of the ground. This concern for the welfare of the paying public is commendable and, indeed, to be encouraged, but I wish backgrounds for the batsman in this country, with the constantly changing shades of light, could be given stricter attention”. He goes on to say that “the main problem is at the open end of the ground, where the movement of spectators between

13 overs often holds up play and breaks concentration”. His view of the Scarborough Cricket Festival is more complimentary and after the rigours of county cricket is “delightful, and the relaxation of cricket by the North Sea is, to me, an integral part of the season”.

He airs another complaint, which is still relevant today. This is when the fielder, in trying to the batsman, hits the stumps after the batsman has made his ground and the ball veers off at a tangent for overthrows. The fielding side is being penalised for a piece of good cricket. He thinks that the ball should be declared “dead” once it has broken the wicket. Many players and spectators today agree with this, but sixty plus years on the rule has not changed.

May led the England team as captain for the first time in 1955 at against South Africa, after Hutton had to pull out with fibrositis. In discussing captaincy he compares the two most successful county captains of his then modern times – Yorkshire’s and of Surrey. He credits both with being a “dominant personality with boundless enthusiasm and a rare capacity for hard work – “hard graft” they would call it in Yorkshire” he says! He recalls that neither Sellers nor Surridge were particularly gifted cricketers, but that they became successful because they had confidence in their teams and in themselves, had a knack of leading a team, and were dynamic in the field.

May admits that his own experience of captaincy did not stretch far when this book was published and so he confines himself to a few general and perhaps naïve comments, such as a skipper “needs fortune to smile on him – and smile often” and that “the biggest slice of luck for a captain is the possession of a strong and happy team”. If only it was so simple today!

One of his favourite fixtures and one which “has given me boundless pleasure” is the Gentlemen v Players match, first played in 1806, but which he fears may soon drop out of the schedule. For those readers too young to remember, this was between those who could afford to play cricket without payment (the amateurs, including May) and those who could not (the professionals). May credits his hundred in his first match in 1951 helping him to win a Test place and says the game is a “welcome oasis in the midst of a fiercely competitive season”. But by

14 the mid 1950’s he concedes the fixture had lost some of its glamour, as both injuries to players and the dwindling band of amateurs presented selection problems. Later on in the book he advocates erasing the difference between professionals and amateurs, and calling all players “cricketers”, who would all be paid.

May thinks that cricket six days a week is a deterrent to a large number of players and calls for the disbandment of the county championship as such, with the counties split into four geographical zones instead, playing each other on a round-robin basis with semi-final and final play offs. The three day matches would start on a Saturday and include first class Sunday play for the first time. Test matches would be scheduled mid-week to avoid clashing, and would be a maximum of four days’ duration. He has much to say about current playing hours and match scheduling and feels that, in view of the strain of modern Test cricket, 25 days’ play each year is ample in conjunction with the county programme – after all, he says, the Australians only play once a week! I wonder what he would think of today’s Test match schedules and the frequency with which international teams play each other?

No cricket book is complete without the author choosing his best Test team and May is no exception. The obvious players are included – openers Len Hutton and ; then Everton Weeks, Dennis Compton, , , , , and . Each name is accompanied by reminiscences of playing with or against them, together with individual photographs of the players. The eleventh place is given to a lesser known cricketer – Bruce Dooland of Australia and Nottinghamshire - the finest leg break bowler May says he has seen. What happened to him I wonder? May admits that there are some notable omissions in his team – Trueman, Appleyard, Lock, Cowdrey, Tayfield, Laker, McGlew and Hanif Mohammed – but gives a justification as to why each was not included.

May also devotes a chapter to Umpires and Critics. There’s a photograph of umpires and T J Bartley, clad in long white coats and trilby hats, marching out together at Lord’s to start play in against South Africa in 1955. is cited as the most famous of all umpires who, May says, put “first class umpiring on a new plane” and helped to raise the status of the in England between the wars. One of the umpires’ technological aids today is the light

15 meter, but in the mid 1950’s May didn’t believe that its use was advisable in determining the fitness for play, although widely advocated at the time. He thought the decision of assessing the light might be difficult, but should be left to the umpires’ own judgement. “Light meters would lead to complications”, he cries, “as where are they to be employed to determine the light?” He prefers to rely on the umpires’ discretion, even when, as a batsman, he is not totally in agreement!

On critics he thinks that overall the Press has been a good friend to cricket, despite the fact that some writers were motivated more by a desire for a big headline than informing the public. He goes on to tell us how a good deal more has been done at Lord’s in recent years to meet the needs of the press, including Sunday afternoon press conferences held by G O Allen, Chairman of the Selection Committee, following the selection of the Test side. As a result of this new relationship, when the SS Orsova sailed to Australia in Autumn 1954 for the forthcoming Test series, correspondents outnumbered the official MCC party by 25 to 17.

May notes that the time factor for the critic is all important, whether writing for an evening or morning publication, at home or abroad. However, modern communication methods, such as the telephone and the radio beam for cabling, have simplified the reporting of cricket - the result of the Test in Australia during the 1954/55 tour being received in London, 12,000 miles away, within two minutes of the fall of the last wicket. Nowadays this would probably take about two seconds! 16

Cricket has changed in many ways since then, but not very much in others. My book is a snapshot of the game over half a century ago and has survived numerous house moves and bookshelf prunings. Whilst writing this article I was wondering why I had kept it over all these years, as other childhood books had been lost or given away. I don’t really know, except that it was a reminder that Peter May started my interest in cricket – if not exactly for the right reasons! It will now go back to its place on the bookshelf.

So What Do We Do in the Meantime?? Can you still buy Owzthat? Ned Holt

You only have to sit in the East Stand Long Room during a prolonged rain break to know that cricket followers can find many ingenious ways of passing unwanted time on their hands. Coming up with a cricket team of politicians, actors or writers is moderately easy, I seem to remember, one of fish less so. Perhaps we had to make up activities like this, for in the era before on-line games at least, cricket was woefully served. The Subbuteo version never got remotely near the popularity of its footballing cousin. I remember having a board game called Test Match during my primary school years, but it can’t have been very good. I can’t remember a thing about it.

I do remember a number of individual efforts to create a cricket based time filler however. We played one on car journeys, using pub signs. Runs were scored according to the number of legs – to a maximum of six - the pub name had. So The Duke of York would score two, the Greyhounds six and so on. A wicket fell if you passed a pub called ‘The ……….Arms’. There was some vigorous debate about ‘Head’ based signs, with families adopting different conclusions. Did ‘The King’s Head’ have two legs or none? The game of course would be hopeless today, crushed between the spread of motorway travel and the decline of the pub. And no use in home based isolation obviously.

One product however did become an institution. It was called Owzthat, and it had the wonderful virtue of simplicity. No doubt many readers remember it. For those others who had a deprived childhood, the tiny box in which it was acquired contained two dice, of hexagonal cylindrical

17 shape. Five of the faces of one were labelled with the runs from 1-4 and 6, and the sixth with the word ‘owzthat’. The other, to be brought into play when the first produced ‘owzthat’, revealed four common methods of , plus ‘not out’, and ‘no ball’. Proper scorebook record keeping was required if the game was to be carried out efficiently. The lack of realism for followers of real cricket was of course, the absence of regular dot balls. Were the game to be revived today however, that would obviously not be a problem, given the ECB’s attempts to devise a form of the game which makes the dot ball obsolete. Perhaps that is what ‘Owzthat’ actually was, the prototype for the Hundred.

The popularity of the game amongst boys of a certain age can be judged from the fact that its use spread from moments of boredom to moments when other activities should have taken precedence, in other words into the classroom. The official dice were unfortunately inclined to make a noise when rolled, and a spate of confiscations followed; I remember a teacher opening his desk drawer for something and there were three sets of Owzthat. However the eternal battle between classroom misconduct and classroom control is never still. An HB pencil, which is hexagonal of course, could be shaved back to the wood at the blunt end, labelled, and used for Owzthat, and a pencil of course sits very innocently on a pupil’s desk. You could even put the critical evidence in your mouth and suck it thoughtfully in moments of real danger.

As far as teams were concerned, there were three approaches. The first, most obvious and least interesting, was simply to mirror reality and play matches between England and their summer visitors. More preferred to select their team from their own favourite players, but a few chose a surreal collection of ‘players’ drawn from all forms of life, real and fictional, dead and alive, and at my school this soon developed in our various teams. So a friend of mine’s bowling was opened, bizarrely, by the US female tennis player Peaches Bartkowicz, and the School’s Music teacher Fred Griffin. As Fred, poor chap, was close to retirement and had lost his left foot, it was a somewhat tame attack. Kojak figured somewhere as a batsman, though I have a feeling that in the team of one student doing German he transfigured pretentiously into Wozzeck, the central character in the play which was a set book that year. Both the Steptoes, Dave Clark (of the ‘Five’), the rather plump lady who always ended Morcambe and Wise shows, and Reginald Bosanquet all

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The last I saw of Owzthat came when I became a teacher myself. If the game is in your blood, you would spot it anywhere, and I was proud of the speed with which I pounced on a rolling HB pencil at the back of my O level History class, scooping up the score sheet as an added bonus. On investigating more closely I was delighted to find one team was captained by Lenin, batting number six and bowling first change. Sid Vicious was in the opposition.

The answer to the second question in the title by the way is yes, at the time of writing there is one, complete with the little blue tin box, available on ebay for £4.99. Successful purchaser to bring it to the Long Room on our return?

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