2017 YEARBOOK Patron HRH The Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT Founder President Henry Grierson John RT Barclay Past Presidents Sir Pelham Warner, Sir John Hobbs, Sir George Allen CBE, GO Shelmerdine, H Sutcliffe, H Grierson, F Appleyard, Sir Robert Menzies KT CH QC, AER Gilligan, HEH Gabriel, SC Griffith CBE DFC, JRF Temple, His Hon WA Sime CMG MBE QC, EW Swanton CBE, Sir Leonard Hutton, BAJ Johnston CBE MC, Lt Col JR Stephenson CBE, JA Bailey, Sir Oliver Popplewell, CA Fry. Honorary Fellows RG Munn, MC Barton, PH Bown, CDE Bazalgette, JA Williams, CF Openshaw, BD Hunter, RCA Hart, JRA Widgery, TS Hale Honorary Life Members JR Reid OBE, DK Gaekwad, RB Simpson, MJK Smith OBE, R Illingworth CBE, JT Murray MBE, Sir Richard Hadlee MBE, KK Vervelde, DRW Silk CBE, R Subba Row CBE, MJ Stewart OBE, GHG Doggart OBE, DL Underwood MBE, Lord McLaurin of Knebworth DL, Sir Garfield Sobers and Group Captain GP Carson. Officers Chairman of the Club PW Fawkner-Corbett Hon Secretary Hon Treasurer Hon Fixtures Secretary Hon Membership Secretary EBC Aitken PL Rebera AK Fare Mrs PM Gaywood 07785 543901 07866 368863 07535 624869 01474 702106 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Curator of WG Grace’s Grave: HD Smith [email protected] The Officers of the Club plus PA Mason, C Neill, DP Owens, JM Roberts, RAJ Walton and D Witchell. Dinner Committee: Chairman: TR Woodcock [email protected] Key Personnel and Services Cricket Coordinator Cricket Tours Management Secretary, XL Golfing Society Vacant Hasan Jafri - 07882 635228 P Crowcroft [email protected] 020 8568 1140 Rob Nelson - 07710 602866 [email protected] [email protected] Yearbook Editor Website Manager Club Archivist B Scovell Brad Scarborough C Openshaw 0208 464 4133 07867 127443 01892 538351 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Front Cover: The Forty Club’s convincing victory over MCC at Arundel on August 9. Our President John Barclay, Director of the Arundel Castle Foundation, calls the ground “the most beautiful in Britain.” Cricket was first played here in 1895 and some say there is no better place to relax and watch cricket. 3 www.thefortyclub.co.uk and loss of media coverage. Despite the growing popularity THE YEAR IN for the game at Chance to Shine’s 8-15 years demographic, WHEN MCCULLUM school timetables are crowding it out. Older teenagers are not staying with the game. League teams are cancelling league matches at an unprecedented rate. Clubs are closing, and REVIEW generally clubs report greater challenges than ever in raising SAW THE LIGHT and fielding sides. I start my piece for the 2017 Yearbook with the stats for The fact that ECB’s market research demonstrated that The former New Zealander captain delivered one this past season. The cricketers won 47, lost 55, drew cricket did not feature very highly on youngsters’ lists of of the finest, if not the best, Cowdrey Lectures at 22, abandoned four, tied one and cancelled 66. Of that favourite sports is a major concern, because if kids are not Lord’s on June 6 which was rapturously received disappointing number 66, 40 were cancelled by weather and interested, in 10-20 years’ time there will be no audience at a by 500 people, including many of our members – 13 by the oppositions. We ourselves cancelled 13 fixtures. T20 or a Test match, so there will be no media coverage and Charles Fry, John Barclay and others. On the subject no money. If there is no one to advertise to, there will be no of fair play and honour in the game, we believe it The Golfing Society played 41 times, winning 16, drawing money from advertising. should be set out in detail. five, losing 12 and cancelling two. The golfers toured Scotland and Wales, and took part in the NW district golf Is the Forty Club affected by some of these issues? Yes, it is, This is what he said: “In the early days of my day. I will report at this juncture that we are becoming much it affects everyone in the amateur game. Has the Forty Club a international career I was proud to be called brash, closer as two bodies, one cricket and one golf, and that this To this end, ECB has proposed a new competition based part to play in resolving the issue? I believe we have. We can aggressive and perhaps even arrogant. When I strengthening relationship can only be good for the Club. around regions instead of counties. This is not just about demonstrate that forward-looking passion and commitment first made the New Zealand ODI team, I became the money. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to inspire to the game whenever we play. We can encourage incredibly competitive; winning was everything and In addition, there were several cricket tours. A group participation. What we believe will happen for almost six participation and sustained involvement when we talk to I didn’t really care what it took to win. I now look travelled to South Africa last spring, the Forty Club won the weeks in the mid-summer is that the world’s superstar the youngsters at school and youth XI fixtures. We can fund back on that part of my game with regret. Four Nations Tournament in La Manga in October, and there players will play for a group of newly-created regional teams fixtures, find venues and organise cricket events for those was a short tour to UAE in November. In February 2017 in venues selected and leased by ECB. who might otherwise not have the means to do so. We can “I’ll tell you how I ran out Muttiah Muralitharan. there was a tour to Barbados, the Quadrangular Tournament develop and broaden our involvement in the Chance to Shine We were playing Sri Lanka in Christchurch in late will be hosted by Holland in Capelle, near Rotterdam in July, The possibilities for innovation are endless. Perhaps your programme. We can play a demonstrably more competitive 2006. When Kumar Sangakkara reached his 100, and we are planning a weekend of cricket in Luxembourg in region’s brand-new team, will be dressed in some glorious and active game which attracts younger players and Sri Lanka were nine down – the ball was still in late August. combination of colour and pattern. Perhaps it will go which will serve to retain our schools fixtures card. We can the air being returned to me as wicketkeeper when further than that, and we’ll see players in bespoke apparel demonstrate tangibly that we are a force for good in cricket. Murali left his ground to congratulate Kumar. When Looking at the big picture there’s no doubting that cricket for every playing position! After all, classic whites became the ball arrived I removed the bails and appealed. across the counties is facing challenges around participation novelty coloured pyjamas, so an even more colourful and The key to addressing these tasks, and achieving them, Murali was given out and we went on to win at all ages, as competition with other sports grows, and as imaginative development must be possible. lies with our members, our match managers and our the match. Not surprisingly, the incident created changing lifestyles impact on sport as a whole. However, in district chairmen. controversy and bad feelings. The Sri Lankans these challenging times it is also important to draw upon the As another step, perhaps a different brand strategy could were stunned. Their captain Mahela Jayawardene positives, and the 2017 season is going to see, in some areas, help overcome the commercial obstacles that face the ECB: There are clearly challenges. The average age of the Forty said: ‘It’s not the way to play cricket.’ Too late I a record number of teams participate in youth competition. to attract the younger spectators, let’s see more food outlets Club full members recruited in the last 12 months is 47. apologised to Murali and Kumar. I was wrong.” As I write this in Wiltshire, I can report that the Wiltshire sponsoring events and fewer financial services! This number is over seven years too high. At a time when it Youth Cricket League (WYCL) offers cricket from U9s to is harder to find people who can take time off midweek, as U15s and is also involved in administering the ECB U19 T20 Mike McKenna, who was a driving force behind Australia’s well as to find people willing to volunteer, more members competition. The WYCL fixtures for 2017 show that there Big Bash League, which has had remarkable success in re- will lighten the load on existing members. We must also Photo.: Matt Bright will be a 30% increase from 2016 in the number of matches to energizing the game, said, “To reach kids we need cricket encourage younger people to fill our positions of influence be played across the different age group competitions, and that doesn’t look like the cricket they know.” and management. 81 teams will be playing across the different competitions in 2017, as opposed to 67 entrants in 2016. Particular credit for This is very well and good but it does not address the Every playing member of the Forty Club should try and this must go to the many club volunteers who make junior questions about current young adult participation in the recruit new members, and with the match managers and cricket happen. This promising picture is being repeated in game.