from: The Rt Hon Nicholas Scott MBE MP 29 January 1991 I am so sorry it has taken such a long time to reply to your letter of 30 November about the possibility of a cricket match between the Old Xavarians and the House of Commons. I have raised this with theCommittee hut, alas, they feel that they are already over-subscribed in terms of their present Fixtures' List and they regret not being able to respond positively to your invitation. I too am very sorry: it was a splendid idea! twk, Ben Benedict Esq COXA CC 73 Valley Road Streatham SW16 1-iapriarn urn Aaverians paceman• _ben• Eenecti( ripped through the Haddon Hall batting taking seve wickets for 12 runs h 13 overs as Haddon ‘Hail cc lapsed for 45 and Clapham won by 65 runs. - r r- . r :44 tr b4 I i 1u Foster (Streatham 1,7 anciere:,,:q 0.0. 82 Stokes (Duhvich Vi:Lnderers) n.o. $3 Simon (Dulwidi , • ti.o. 63 Dnsie- (Dulwich II) • .1. •, 11 a a Cogger ta:- ) , • •,• 52 4 _il i, ' v-, .L..• 1 i, \ '',..__I te % 13()liediCt (CLIMb am 010. .,:::: iars)..; 7. for 12 s'. 9 . .iloT1 (Od I.,arabetharis) . , 5 for t.) x a (Tger (Blue Star) . 5 for 36 a Philips (Carnegie) 1,1 a .. ., , ... 5 for I Davis (Streatham.) .... • . 4 or BATTING - op t- I 07*) n.o. 140 Dargie (Griffin) n.o. 125 Miller (Clapham Old Xaverians) n.o. 117 Kaman (Ewart) 110 Berry ( Alleyn Old Boys) n.o. 104 Tunnicliffe (Blue Star) ••• n.o. 104 BOWLING Benedict (Clapham Old Xave- rians) 7-37 Lawrence (Old Grammarians) ... 7-78 Patel (Dulwich II) 6-21 Chambers (Alleyn Old Boys) 6 -28 Stevens (Lambeth Enterprise) 5-8 JOHNSON MATTHEY. - Long (J.) tr Archer 13; Hinds lbw b Archer 1: Taylor c Alle.yne b Burnett 13; Shaw c Archer b .Burnett 4: Johnson c '1 Burnett -b Archer 20; Wilkinson b Burnett 6; Biackshaw b Burnett 0; Payne c Skinner b Burnett 13; Budd lbw b Burnett 5; Hutchinson lbw b Archer 3; Long (A.) not out 2. t. Extras 0. Total 81. F _Clapham Old Xaverians C '13at Haddon Hall by- 0 65 rx ins I ,z .=Clapham pace bowler Ben . Benedict wrecked Haddon a Hall with a tremendous burst of seven wickets for 12 run p in 130 7 hough they found runs initially bard to come by on a slow Norbury track, Clap- F ham were revived by a fine fifth wicket stand of 63 by q Paul Hixson (41) and Mick. Power (34 not out) which en- abled them to declare at 110 for 7. lladdon Hall were soon in trouble and never looked like mastering Benedict. CLAPHAM.-Mansi b Thompson 8: Fry b Thompson 6; Power not out 34; * * * MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1998 S 5 CRICKET play could ease school to county switch ears retired — he gained nine GCSEs but young, the county now has a fine Services, who have supported Durham Uni- look chose not go on to A-levels — whereas ground with two squares, good grass versity's Centre of Excellence; and by the unty Smith comes from an academic tradi- nets and a quite magnificent pavilion. English Schools Cricket Association, still the tion. The son of an English master at All six county cup finals and four "serving children, serving cricket" 50 years !ver, Tonbridge who taught both Chris and league knockout cup finals will be on from its foundation just after the war. lern Graham Cowdrey, he maintains a long Christopher played there for the first time this sea- Their chairman, Alan Bennett, speaks with ring English tradition of the scholar-sports- son. The Development Association's justifiable pride of the various age-group com- ers. man. The chances are that he will have chairman, Vic Cook, remembers his petitions fostered by ESCA and echoes words loes two careers and that, as with Brearley, Martin-Jenkins feelings at the start of what became a from the ECB's Raising the Standard about the 'rom the second will not embrace the game £600,000 investment: "Shortly after dependence of youth cricket generally on a which is destined to pay his wages for Cricket Correspondent signing the lease, certain members "vast army of enthusiastic volunteers". ;t be the next decade or so. of the committee walked over the For most the enthusiasm never dies. not ;ent- There is room for both routes to pro- ground, in some places sinking up to excluding one E W Swanton, to whom county 'heir fessional cricket, but both need help. our ankles, trying to locate the one- cricketers have appeared youthful for some All would concur with Flintoff's assertion bracing period leading up to Christmas, is time cricket square. We surveyed the vanda- time. He has just made an inspired contribu- toff, in this year's Cricketers Who's Who that apparently not feasible. Would that it were: lised buildings, all of which were unusable, tion to the MCC's debate over women mem- ►ten- "Cricket should be promoted more in state dark nights are better than hot, light ones for and knowing that we then had the princely bers by suggesting that the club should wed schools", but reform is needed in the indepen- hours of study; and the common cold of sum of £8,000, vice-chairman Gareth Williams approach the problem not out of commercial after dent schools too and only a mutual agreement December is more or less cancelled out by hay asked, 'What have we done?' " interest or political correctness, but by asking has among them all can bring it about. fever in June. Shown faith, was the answer, in the game's how MCC can help women's cricket? )uch For many years the length of the summer Happily, there are plenty of initiatives not continuing attraction to new generations of Swanton proposes that talented young tory term has been dwindling as exam results only to revive cricket within state schools but cricketers. The same faith shown by Ted women cricketers should become playing assume ever greater importance: matches are to fill in the gaps beyond school hours. One Hayter, librarian at St Thomas the Apostle members of the club, taking part in games last fewer and the time for practice less. There is extraordinary example is the transformation College in Peckham, who takes youngsters against girls' schools, universities and clubs, ld is an obvious solution to this, but no one has had of a derelict seven-acre ground off East End from one of the most deprived areas of London in just the same way that young men have •ker the drive to push it through. It is to play at Road at Finchley in Middlesex. In October to a ground eight miles away for their only traditionally qualified for membership by r at least five weeks more cricket in late August 1992, the county's Cricket Development Asso- exposure to real, as opposed to playground, playing in matches as probationers. Thus are ; up and early September, when the autumn term ciation took loans to buy a 50-year lease, with cricket; by the Arundel Castle Cricket Foun- they sifted for skill, character and behaviour. with begins and when sports grounds are often too a further 50-year option, and converted it into dation, which, in vastly different surround- This would be good for the development of hard for rugby or other body-contact sports. what is now the Wilf Slack Memorial Ground. ings, coaches 100 local primary and secondary female cricket and good for the club, too: the the The even better idea of reverting to a longer Aided by a £150,000 loan from the Founda- schools and thousands of young cricketers more cricket-aware the MCC membership is, :bier summer term and moving all public exams — tion for Sport and the Arts, and by funds from further afield; by charitable sponsors the sounder will be its influence on the game. o be GCSEs, A-levels, university exams, the lot — raised by the Trust which was formed when like the Lord's Taverners, or commercial ones The committee should heed the advice of the has from the languid middle of summer to the that exemplary cricketer died so tragically like NatWest Bank or Colonial Financial Seer of Sandwich. Ciapbain OIb Navel:fano' Cricitet Club, • (Affiliated to Club Cricket Conference) Committee : W. J. MADIGAN D. KENNY J. J. WILSON J. B. O'SULLIVAN D. W. JONES 1 (Clap► am Olb Xatierians' Captain : (triad W. J. MADIGAN nth. Vice-Captain : D. KENNY Hon. Sec. Treasurer : D. W. JONES, 112, Poplar Road, Merton Park, Ground : Clapham College Sports Ground County Road, Norbury, (159 Bus from Streatham or Streatham Hill Fixtures-1936. S.R. Stations). Ctapbaln 010 Naverfang' Cvichet Club. Saturday—FIXTURES 1936. Sunday, Bank Holiday—FIXTURES 1936 DATE OPPONENTS GROUND DATE OPPONENTS GROUND May 2 Morning Post . Morden May ... 3 Gaflac . Sunbury-on-Tins. 9 16 Gaumont British Norbury (Away) June ... 7 Cormont . Norbury (Home) 23 Epsom Athletic Epsom 3o B.B.C. 2nd. Alotspur Park July ... 12 Mr. H. E. Ellis' XI . Norbury June 6 Landregis . Chiswick 19 Cormont . Norbury (Away) 13 20 Friars Oak 27 Nestanglo . Elmers End Aug. ... 2 Brighton Old Xaverians Hassocks, Bighton July • • S Customs and Excise Chiswick II 3 Brighton Old 11 18 Southern Railway Waddon Xaverians Norbury 25 Epsom Athletic . Norbury Sunbury-on-T'ms. Aug ... 1 Wandgas . Norbury 16 Gaflac 8 Midland Bank Iv Beckenham 15 Southern Railway Norbury 23 Wandgas Wandsworth 22 Gaumont British Norbury (Home) 29 Morning Post .