A couple of photos from Porchfield cricket club in the seventies. The first is Ken Hayward and me collecting the water for making the tea. The second is me posing as a batsman – I was a slogger with little talent – that went to my 2 younger brothers. I have fantastic memories of the club during the mid-sixties when my dad started playing. The team seemed the same every week for several years (note bowling speeds relative to level played): John Hayward – tough as nails opening bat, club captain, who was usually top scorer. Jim Caws – opening bat whose scoring shot was a glance to the heavens above cow corner whilst nicking a four through third man. Harry Chivers – classy number three from a talented cricketing family (Google “Owen Chivers” and “Douglas Cup”). Bill Chetwood – handy middle order batsman and right arm spin. Bert Radford = another handy middle order batsman and right arm spin. Ron Cass – prolific six hitter. Ray Hayward (no relation to John) – wicket-keeper who later converted to medium paced bowler. Roy Prouten – stoic defensive batsman with minimal foot movement – or bat movement for that matter. Kit was flannels, yellow jersey hush puppies. Bert Jupe – unbelievably slow, slow bowler. Phil Fallick – bit hitter and medium fast opening bowler. Bowled off one pace with a slingy action copied by Geoff Thompson. Fred Smith – naggingly accurate medium fast opening bowler. Other fond memories: Friday evenings preparing wicket – the “mechanics” spent most of the time getting the antique mowers to run. Best bit was improvised net session as it was getting g dark Pavilion – old railway carriage. Tea was prepared under a tarpaulin strung across 2 poles until a luxury kitchen extension was added in around 1965. Design followed the railway carriage theme. Teas – white and brown bread buttered and cut diagonally. Slab cake. Cream and jam doughnuts from Wray’s in Newport. Lashings of hot tea from the famous urn. Best cricket tea anywhere. Outfield – must be the worst ever. All away games played during first half of the season as ground was unplayable until after haymaking. Successful Porchfield players were 6 hitters as a four along the ground was impossible. Toilet facilities – you can just see the corrugated tin sheet just to the right of centre in photo 2. God knows what the ladies did! (wife tells me Methodist Chapel) Overseas tour – always to the same exotic tropical (mainland) location of Walberton – 26 miles from the ferry terminal in Portsmouth.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 18:16:10 +0000