Sunday saw an extravaganza of ‘golden oldies’, some perhaps now a little silver, as a Steve Rowe inspired game took place at Southgate between Jeremy Dangerfield’s XI and William Dean’s XI.
No less than eight former Club captains were on view; five of six living Presidents (with all best wishes to Martin Fletcher who is currently not well); a remarkable nineteen Vice-Presidents; five of the 1977 National Cup winning team; two young sons of former players, ‘Doc’ Howell and Jamie Wilson, actually playing in the game, totally outplaying their fathers on the day, by the way; the renowned ex-Cambridge University triumvirate of Gordon, Hawthorn and Henley, supported by their former ‘A’ team captain, Chadwick; three Australians; Chris ’Rocket’ Stevenson, from Perth, en route to a cycling expedition in the mountains of France; award winning journalist, Kevin ‘Bootsy’ Mitchell and Andy Hoskins, who proved that Australian cricketers never lose their ability to catch a cricket ball; Sexton from Hampshire; Galloway from Cornwall; Mr and Mrs Peter Brown from Burnley; a rare Southgate ex-county player, Michael Brown from Kent; Richard and Jenny Leigh from Twickenham; Ben ‘Tarters’ Hartman popped over from Amsterdam; Jenner from Guildford (bowled Rolt !); that frightening opening bowling attack of yesteryear ‘Wild’ Willie Wilkins and Sean Flook, both still playing ; worryingly, from a personal point of view, two players from the under eleven Colts team I ran, circa 1990, with their children, one aged ten !
Not to mention Ashley; Bacon; Pytches; Crabtree; RBL; ‘Chick Nadwick ‘Cradock; Davies; Durgacharan; Fone; Hill; Kennedy; ’Biffo’ Madden; Marshall; Beatty; Mir; Presnell; Waller; Wingrove ; Woffinden and Norman Lowen’s young lad, David......aged 73!
And, at the top of them all for his organizational skills, SCC President, Steve Rowe.
Well done, Rowey.
A great day, so wonderful to see so many former friends and playing colleagues.
Players, friends, family, even the occasional dog (don’t tell Stan Briggs!)
Probably in excess of 100 people with Southgate Cricket Club in common, enjoying the cricket,
The very special bonhomie and friendship.
There was a cricket match going on and Dangerfield’s team scraped home by 4 runs.
Thanks to Robert Cole and Andrew Parkin for umpiring, with just the right degree of strictness, and to Geoffrey Burton for scoring.
To quote the great Sir Michael Parkinson,’ You meet a much nicer type of person down
Memory Lane.’
Peter Jouning