Outside-edge Issue 97 Spring 2016 The magazine of the Gloucestershire Exiles News and views on and about Gloucestershire County Cricket Club Tom Graveney ‘Tom Graveney, who has died aged 88, was the greatest, as well as the most elegant and graceful, professional batsman to emerge in Britain in the years after the Second World War.’ [Daily Telegraph obituary, 4 November 2015.] Welcome to the Spring 2016 edition of Outside-edge Editorial It seems like only yesterday that we were all basking in the glory of Gloucestershire’s magnificent Royal London Trophy victory. Since then, we have experienced the mildest of winters and enjoyed England’s terrific Test series win in South Africa. I was in Cape Town for the Second Test where I was delighted to meet fellow Exiles and have since bumped into a number of others who were also at the match. Watching Ben Stokes’ remarkable innings and also Jonny Bairstow’s valiant, emotional effort, we can truly say, “I was there!” The month of January was one of seemingly endless obituaries to some of the nation’s favourite people, from Sir Terry Wogan to David Bowie. Similarly in Gloucestershire, since our last issue of Outside-edge, we have mourned the departure of some revered and much-loved cricketers: Ken and Tom Graveney, Barrie Meyer and Tom Pugh. In this issue, there are tributes to each of these fine cricketers provided by Exiles. Those dedicated to Tom Graveney show how he, in particular, inspired so much affection and admiration throughout the cricket world. The start of a new season is always a time for great anticipation and hope that our team can achieve the kind of success we were able to celebrate last year. While we have been freezing in football and rugby stands, many avid followers of the game may have been checking the progress of the cricket ‘Down Under’. They will have noted the spectacular success of our new signing, Andrew Tye, in the Big Bash. Cameron Bancroft also arrives from ‘Oz’ with a gathering reputation as a batsman/ wicket-keeper. Youngsters George Hankins and Brandon Gilmour have enjoyed a successful season in Australia and may well be pushing for 1st team selection during the season. We also welcome 20-year old right-arm seamer, Josh Shaw, who arrives on loan from Yorkshire. Outside-edge includes a more detailed account of these valuable recruits. At the Exiles’ Lord’s Dinner in February, it was very refreshing to listen to David Graveney give a carefully considered yet optimistic assessment of the County’s chances this season. We bring you a report from this enjoyable event as well as details of the Exiles’ Day at Cheltenham to be held on July 20th. The improvements to the County Ground have, once again, secured status as an international cricket venue. England’s Royal London ODI against Sri Lanka at Bristol on Sunday, 26th June will be a highlight of the season. This will be followed by the England Women’s NatWest IT20 match against Pakistan on 3rd July. Tickets for both matches are available from the County website. As Surrey seemed to be marching imperiously towards a comfortable win in the Royal London Trophy, those of us who had witnessed some remarkable matches in the competition retained an inner calm from the belief that one-day matches can alter course quite dramatically. Doubtless, Gloucestershire’s season in 2016 will have several highs and lows, successes and disappointments but the team appear to have developed an inner resolve which can carry them through adversity. If our supporters can offer the kind of highly vocal encouragement in evidence at Lord’s, who knows what they may achieve this season. Martin Jones Tony Hickey Photography 172 Abbotswood Road, Brockworth, Gloucester GL3 4PF T: 01452 862897 M: 07767 400414 Email: [email protected] Chair’s Message Another season is upon us and what a fascinating one it will be, too! New faces, older ones seeking to build on last season’s success, Ian Cockbain back from injury…Fortunes can change in the blink of an eye but we know that skill and hard work play their part in any individual or collective sporting success. Taking the long view, we see that the highs and lows Martin mentions in his Editorial are a feature of most cricketing careers and even the most successful of our players, be they Tom Graveney, Craig Spearman or anyone else, have their moments in the shade. But they ultimately have featured in Halls of Fame and the record books. In this issue of Outside-edge, we celebrate a quarter century of you, the Gloucestershire Exiles, voting for the Player of the Year. Looking at the list of names is a fascinating reminder of individual performances of past players, some of whom we may have forgotten. But there they all are - part of the rich tapestry of Gloucestershire cricket. We are so grateful to Ron Lev who continues to sponsor the award he initially suggested. Ron has generously said he’ll carry on doing so until the 30th anniversary is reached! Potential future sponsors note: you have to be in for the long haul! Thank you to all Exiles for all your support – taking out a membership and attending our events allows us to support the club, especially the needs of emerging young players. We look forward to seeing you, home or away – or possibly at another Lord’s final? – in 2016. Sarah Blowen Background Music In our autumn 2015 edition, we featured Johnny Coppin’s song The Glorious Glosters which has been adopted by the team to be sung following a victory and which had its most notable outing at Lord’s last September. This prompted regular contributor Christopher Bell to muse upon what else might be deemed suitable background music for a cricket match. Do send us your own ideas! Over the years Henry Newbolt’s “There’s a breathless hush in the close tonight” tends unbidden to sidle into my memory. Especially at Cheltenham, where those rather austere College buildings evoke something akin to the atmosphere of Clifton in the original poem. But if on the ground Gloucestershire are contesting a 20-over match, then you can be certain there will be no “breathless hush”. The opposite in fact: instead music, proudly raucous music, in snatches and distorted in transmission. I am of course decidedly old and, as would be suspected, not addicted to Big Bashes and Blasts. However, I accept that recorded music for one-day matches is somehow here to stay and my conclusion is – thinking again of the College ground – that the County should do well to draw on the surprisingly appropriate words of certain well known hymns and oratorios. What is needed are recordings by a good, powerful choir and a much-improved public address system. Then those arriving early, peering anxiously at the sky, can be reassured with a rendering of “But westward look, the land is bright!” Even the best of matches can sadly be interrupted by rain or bad light. I suggest as the skies darken that “Abide with Me, fast falls the eventide” is played and then, inevitably as Duckworth and Lewis calculations begin, first “In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes” to be followed by “The day Thou gavest Lord is ended, the darkness falls at Thy command” and perhaps as the teams head for the pavilion: “For all the saints who from their labours rest”. But what of those splendidly sunny days when Gloucestershire achieve equally splendid victories? Not a hymn, but either that well-known celebratory chorus from Handel’s Messiah or even (from the Magnificat) “He hath put down the mighty and exalted the humble and meek!” Ideal for when we next beat Yorkshire or Surrey, perhaps? The Exiles Return to Lord’s Barely five months after the County’s Royal London Cup Final win many Exiles, and their guests, headed back to Lord’s for what has become a highly popular biennial event, a dinner held in the Committee Dining Room, and this year the cup took pride of place on the top table. The evening was a perfect demonstration of what the Exiles do best, combining a social event with fundraising activities to support the County. Guest speaker for the evening was Andrew Strauss, Director of Cricket for England, who mixed and mingled with the guests both before and after the dinner – and even when the Pavilion was briefly evacuated for a fire alarm scare! He looked back on his England playing career, especially the highs and lows of playing in Ashes series, talked about those he had played with (which inevitably included Kevin Pietersen …) and spoke openly about his hopes and expectations for his new role, talking regularly of his desire that the current England players should inspire young people to take up and remain in the sport. Key to this would be England winning the World Cup which will be staged in the United Kingdom in 2019. He also reminded those gathered that he had been awarded his international debut by fellow guest David Graveney, who was at the time the Chairman of Selectors for England. Graveney, too, was extremely open with guests, speaking more about Gloucestershire cricket and his own hopes for the season to come. Guest Speaker, Andrew Strauss At the end of the evening County Chairman Roger Cooke extended a vote of thanks to Andrew Strauss, and Exiles’ Chair Sarah Blowen thanked Jon Paine for organising such a successful event. Two years ago when a similar function was held at Lord’s heavy snow was falling by the end of the evening.