posted by John Winn
In a posting last summer I remarked on a peculiarity of making contributions to the blog was that one could not be sure if they were read by anybody and even if they were, who that person or persons might be. I did mention that some readers had been kind enough to say at the end of the season that they enjoyed the postings which was encouraging but yesterday however I discovered that with a little delving there is very detailed information available about the popularity of the site and the composition its readership.
Since its inception in May 2009 the blog has had almost 15000 'page views'*, 62% from the UK, 15% from USA, 3% from The Netherlands and almost as many from Russia! The peak month for 'hits' was July 2011 when there were over 1500 page views,devotees seeking a refuge from T20?, and perhaps most remarkably there have been over 400 pageviews already in 2012, including 75 in the last week. We may well have a Republican in our midst for there is one hit recorded at 3:00 pm on December 25th.
Postings are also listed by their popularity with number one being by Tony Hutton in 2009 describing cricket under the heading 'A wet bank holiday weekend', which had 264 page views. Perhaps not surprisingly four of the top ten have been for the monthly fixture lists provided by Tony.
Encouraged by all this I attach a few bits of information which might be considered the real business of the blog.
Most counties have published their second eleven fixtures although Durham appear to be keeping theirs a secret and in some cases venues are still to be confirmed. Yorkshire were quick off the mark and it is good to see Harrogate with four days cricket in April when Leicestershire will be the visitors.
With first class cricket beginning on 31st March and the championship a few days later, there a number of friendlies scheduled including Essex against Surrey on 21st March. For those who prefer their cricket in warmer climes and had better luck than I had at Wetherby Races last week, then YCCC start their pre-season tour of Barbados with a practice match on March 15th, full details of packages are available on the club website. Nearer to home and almost certainly colder, The Riverside hosts a two day friendly between Durham and Yorkshire starting on April 1st.
League cricket fixtures are also available with most competitions beginning on April 21st although I note that the NYSD Sunday league begins the previous week, i.e. April 15th.
If you can add any additions, clarifications or corrections to this fixture information then please use the comments section.
* apparently a 'pageview' is not the same as a 'hit' but you probably get the idea.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
'Hallowed Homes of Cricket'
posted by John Winn
Happy New Year and I hope this mild January finds you well and looking forward to the 2012 season which begins in just 81 days. Father Christmas was kind to me, in particular because he delivered Chris Arnot's lovely nostalgic book 'Britain's Lost Cricket Grounds'. The front cover of the book shows the Central Ground at Hastings where I was fortunate enough to play on a number of occasions and to be present when the last first class fixture was played between Sussex and Middlesex in 1989. Although the ground sustained club cricket until 1994 it is now a shopping centre.The book was previewed via this blog in October by Tony Hutton and Tony described how he was approached by the author when he was researching the loss of the Fartown ground in Huddersfield.Tony's contribution to the text appears on page 161.
The idea behind Arnot's book is a simple one: find forty cricket grounds where the game is no longer played, visit the site of each one,talk to people who recall when cricket was played there and illustrate with photographs showing how it was and how it is now, the sort of idea that might have produced a mundane book with a few very familiar photographs. Fortunately Arnot's book is not like that. It is the work of a craftsman who has thoroughly researched the project, cares deeply that such grounds have been lost and he has used many lovely photographs which I suspect in many cases will be new to readers, especially those from the Edwardian era. Photographs, not readers!
Back to Hastings, which occupies the first chapter and in which two photographs commemorate the remarkable achievements of Denis Compton in 1947 when he eclipsed both Hayward's aggregate of 3518 runs and Jack Hobbs' record of sixteen centuries in a first class season. Compton achieved both these landmarks at the Hastings Festival that year. First he beat Hobbs' record when scoring 101 against the touring South Africans for the South of England and a few days later and again representing the South, this time against Pelham Warner's XI, Compton scored the 35 runs necessary to beat Hayward.How those large post war crowds must have enjoyed that week's cricket.
At the same time as Compton was entertaining seaside crowds in Sussex the Scarborough Festival was in progress at North Marine Road. When the original fixture list was published it had featured a match between Leveson Gower's XI and the South Africans but 'shipping conditions' compelled the men from the veld to return home early and the fixtures were rearranged with a North v South match taking the place of the tourists' match. The final match of that year's festival was between The Players, captained by Hutton, who comfortably beat The Gentlemen. One little peculiarity is that the 'Indisposition of Brennan left The Gentlemen without a wicketkeeper and (J.L.) Cheetham of Bridlington took his place'. This was to be Cheetham's only first class match and almost 10% of The Players' runs came in byes but he could perhaps have gained consolation from the fact that his only victim was England opener Cyril Washbrook, caught behind for 7.
In closing I should point out that Arnot's book is not just about the demise of county grounds like Hastings and Fartown, for these are in the minority, although they do include The Circle at Hull where Yoekshire played until the 1990s. Many of the lost grounds described were works' and village grounds. Arnot's description of such grounds will equally bring a tear to the eye of those who played and watched cricket there and perhaps to those who just love the game.
Happy New Year and I hope this mild January finds you well and looking forward to the 2012 season which begins in just 81 days. Father Christmas was kind to me, in particular because he delivered Chris Arnot's lovely nostalgic book 'Britain's Lost Cricket Grounds'. The front cover of the book shows the Central Ground at Hastings where I was fortunate enough to play on a number of occasions and to be present when the last first class fixture was played between Sussex and Middlesex in 1989. Although the ground sustained club cricket until 1994 it is now a shopping centre.The book was previewed via this blog in October by Tony Hutton and Tony described how he was approached by the author when he was researching the loss of the Fartown ground in Huddersfield.Tony's contribution to the text appears on page 161.
The idea behind Arnot's book is a simple one: find forty cricket grounds where the game is no longer played, visit the site of each one,talk to people who recall when cricket was played there and illustrate with photographs showing how it was and how it is now, the sort of idea that might have produced a mundane book with a few very familiar photographs. Fortunately Arnot's book is not like that. It is the work of a craftsman who has thoroughly researched the project, cares deeply that such grounds have been lost and he has used many lovely photographs which I suspect in many cases will be new to readers, especially those from the Edwardian era. Photographs, not readers!
Back to Hastings, which occupies the first chapter and in which two photographs commemorate the remarkable achievements of Denis Compton in 1947 when he eclipsed both Hayward's aggregate of 3518 runs and Jack Hobbs' record of sixteen centuries in a first class season. Compton achieved both these landmarks at the Hastings Festival that year. First he beat Hobbs' record when scoring 101 against the touring South Africans for the South of England and a few days later and again representing the South, this time against Pelham Warner's XI, Compton scored the 35 runs necessary to beat Hayward.How those large post war crowds must have enjoyed that week's cricket.
At the same time as Compton was entertaining seaside crowds in Sussex the Scarborough Festival was in progress at North Marine Road. When the original fixture list was published it had featured a match between Leveson Gower's XI and the South Africans but 'shipping conditions' compelled the men from the veld to return home early and the fixtures were rearranged with a North v South match taking the place of the tourists' match. The final match of that year's festival was between The Players, captained by Hutton, who comfortably beat The Gentlemen. One little peculiarity is that the 'Indisposition of Brennan left The Gentlemen without a wicketkeeper and (J.L.) Cheetham of Bridlington took his place'. This was to be Cheetham's only first class match and almost 10% of The Players' runs came in byes but he could perhaps have gained consolation from the fact that his only victim was England opener Cyril Washbrook, caught behind for 7.
In closing I should point out that Arnot's book is not just about the demise of county grounds like Hastings and Fartown, for these are in the minority, although they do include The Circle at Hull where Yoekshire played until the 1990s. Many of the lost grounds described were works' and village grounds. Arnot's description of such grounds will equally bring a tear to the eye of those who played and watched cricket there and perhaps to those who just love the game.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Cricket season's greetings
posted by John Winn
Tomorrow (December 22nd) marks the winter solstice, the day will be one second shorter than today and Friday will be six seconds longer than tomorrow, so by the weekend it will be OK to talk about the days drawing out. More importantly next year's first class English cricket season is now nearer than last, just over fourteen weeks to go. On 31st March 2012 at venues as far apart as Durham and Taunton five university sides will take on county opposition.My aim is to be at Durham where the students' opponents will be Middlesex.If you prefer to travel south then Cambridge MCCU host Essex at Fenner's.To further whet your appetite Durham take on Yorkshire in a two day friendly at Chester le Street beginning on Sunday April 1st.
I appreciate that for our readers there are probably more pressing matters four days before Christmas than the prospect of potentially chilly days spent watching cricket at a latitude of almost 55 degrees north before Easter but it might be worth making the journey north by way of acclimatisation less than a week before the county championship has its earliest ever start. After a couple of hours at The Racecourse or The Riverside Headingley might seem tropical.
The preceding paragraph may have put you in mind of a Michael Palin character in 'Ripping Yarns' for whom rainfall figures were even more interesting than shovels and if the finer points of the solstice are not your bag and you prefer to see out 2011 before worrying about how you might spend Palm Sunday,then I apologise and close by wishing all our readers a Happy Christmas.
Tomorrow (December 22nd) marks the winter solstice, the day will be one second shorter than today and Friday will be six seconds longer than tomorrow, so by the weekend it will be OK to talk about the days drawing out. More importantly next year's first class English cricket season is now nearer than last, just over fourteen weeks to go. On 31st March 2012 at venues as far apart as Durham and Taunton five university sides will take on county opposition.My aim is to be at Durham where the students' opponents will be Middlesex.If you prefer to travel south then Cambridge MCCU host Essex at Fenner's.To further whet your appetite Durham take on Yorkshire in a two day friendly at Chester le Street beginning on Sunday April 1st.
I appreciate that for our readers there are probably more pressing matters four days before Christmas than the prospect of potentially chilly days spent watching cricket at a latitude of almost 55 degrees north before Easter but it might be worth making the journey north by way of acclimatisation less than a week before the county championship has its earliest ever start. After a couple of hours at The Racecourse or The Riverside Headingley might seem tropical.
The preceding paragraph may have put you in mind of a Michael Palin character in 'Ripping Yarns' for whom rainfall figures were even more interesting than shovels and if the finer points of the solstice are not your bag and you prefer to see out 2011 before worrying about how you might spend Palm Sunday,then I apologise and close by wishing all our readers a Happy Christmas.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
THREE YORKSHIRE PLAYERS FOR SOUTH AFRICA
By Brian Sanderson,
Waking up early this morning I decided to watch two Test matches on Sky.
This first one was Bangladash against Pakistan in Dhaka.There had been a delay in the match due mist,Bangadash had lost early wickets to the only two fast bowlers.As soon as the fast bowlers finihed they had to bowl their spinners which enabled the batsman to come on top.It must years since Pakistan went into a match with only two fast bowlers.
Moving on to South Africa against Sri Lanka at Centurion.There were a few interesting incidents.There was a run out and the batsman have now have to run a stright line and not in the way of the ball.A new law says that a batsman can be given out for obstuction if he tries to stop the ball hitting the stumps.
Mathews was injured and he is not now allowed a runner .A intresting new law.During the innings a ball was exchanged however a wrong type of ball was used.Boucher noticed the fact and the ball was changed for a correct one.Imran Tahir spun a ball over the head of the batsman and the umpire called one for the over.It must be a first for a leg-spinner to be called.Tahir got a wicket and he celebrated over the top.It would have nice if he could have got a wicket for Yorkshire.
One downside of the programme was music during replays.
Of course the three players were Rudolph,Morkel and Tahir.
The match was finished by 1.00P.M.While watch the Rugby Union the commenentator mention that Clermont Auvergne had a budget of twenty million pounds.Yorkshire would be pleased with that turnover.
The Christmas match at North Leeds is now 27 December not 26th.
Waking up early this morning I decided to watch two Test matches on Sky.
This first one was Bangladash against Pakistan in Dhaka.There had been a delay in the match due mist,Bangadash had lost early wickets to the only two fast bowlers.As soon as the fast bowlers finihed they had to bowl their spinners which enabled the batsman to come on top.It must years since Pakistan went into a match with only two fast bowlers.
Moving on to South Africa against Sri Lanka at Centurion.There were a few interesting incidents.There was a run out and the batsman have now have to run a stright line and not in the way of the ball.A new law says that a batsman can be given out for obstuction if he tries to stop the ball hitting the stumps.
Mathews was injured and he is not now allowed a runner .A intresting new law.During the innings a ball was exchanged however a wrong type of ball was used.Boucher noticed the fact and the ball was changed for a correct one.Imran Tahir spun a ball over the head of the batsman and the umpire called one for the over.It must be a first for a leg-spinner to be called.Tahir got a wicket and he celebrated over the top.It would have nice if he could have got a wicket for Yorkshire.
One downside of the programme was music during replays.
Of course the three players were Rudolph,Morkel and Tahir.
The match was finished by 1.00P.M.While watch the Rugby Union the commenentator mention that Clermont Auvergne had a budget of twenty million pounds.Yorkshire would be pleased with that turnover.
The Christmas match at North Leeds is now 27 December not 26th.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
A barnacle stuck like (Mc)Glew
posted by John Winn
The first test series I was old enough to follow with a degree of understanding through the press and radio was that between England and South Africa in 1951. England came into the series buoyed by their first test victory over Australia since 1938 when F. R. Brown's team was successful at Melbourne in the fifth game of the 50-51 series. The series against South Africa was won by three tests to one although Nourse's men came within four wickets of levelling the series at The Oval. England were not to lose another series until the defeat of May's eleven in Australia 58-9.
This successful period for the England side was, however, played out against increasing concern about the health of the first class game. A good way to gauge this concern is via the 'Notes by The Editor' section in the 1950s' Wisdens.Hubert Preston and his son Norman were the editors at that time and as the decade went on their editorials increasingly contain references to 'listless play', 'lack of ambition',the need to 'revive first class cricket', and so on.
In the edition of 1950 Hubert is reasonably optimistic for the previous summer had brought good weather, a close fight for the championship and a better than expected performance from the visiting New Zealanders. The post war boom in attendances soon goes into decline however and the younger Preston's editorials of the mid fifties encourage a change in the points system and an improvement in over rates as remedies. Occasionally optimism breaks through as when all five tests against the South African team under Jack Cheetham are brought to a definite conclusion in the lovely weather of 1955 and when another glorious summer, 1959, brings out the best in county batsmen, typified by Yorkshire's run chase to clinch the title at Hove. Such cheerfulness is short lived for the one sided series against South Africa in 1960, marred by the controversy over Geoff Griffin's action and the beginnings of protest against the visitors' government's apartheid policy earns the epitaph 'The sad season.'
By the mid fifties two runs an over or worse has become the norm for test cricket. Last week saw the 53rd anniversary of Trevor Bailey's innings at Brisbane when he took just three minutes short of six hours to score fifty but the 'barnacle' was not without rivals for has there been a batsman better suited to his name than the South African, Jackie McGlew? Against Australia at Durban in 57/8 McGlew took 313 minutes to reach fifty and just over nine hours before he was able to raise his bat to acknowledge his century. A nice illustration of the torpid batting of this era is that of the eight lowest scores in a full day's test cricket, five were set in the fifties.At the top of the list is the 95 mustered by Australia and Pakistan in Karachi in 56-7, Australia 80 all out, Pakistan 15 for two. What would Sehawg make of that?
This winter has seen some excellent test cricket much of which has been televised by Sky at times to suit those who keep 'normal' hours. Australia have shared exciting series in South Africa and at home against New Zealand and there have ben few more dramatic finishes than that in the Mumbai test between India and West indies last month. Yet as far as it is possible to judge from the TV screen, and despite scoring rates approaching four an over, crowds have been very small. Earlier this week in the 'Bradman Oration' Raoul Dravid urged the cricketing authorities to seriously consider day-night test cricket as a remedy for poor attendances. It will be interesting to see what support is like for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG when India are the visitors. With Sehwag and Warner opening the batting for their respective teams it certainly has more appeal than much of the test cricket of fifty years ago. Worth staying up for?
The first test series I was old enough to follow with a degree of understanding through the press and radio was that between England and South Africa in 1951. England came into the series buoyed by their first test victory over Australia since 1938 when F. R. Brown's team was successful at Melbourne in the fifth game of the 50-51 series. The series against South Africa was won by three tests to one although Nourse's men came within four wickets of levelling the series at The Oval. England were not to lose another series until the defeat of May's eleven in Australia 58-9.
This successful period for the England side was, however, played out against increasing concern about the health of the first class game. A good way to gauge this concern is via the 'Notes by The Editor' section in the 1950s' Wisdens.Hubert Preston and his son Norman were the editors at that time and as the decade went on their editorials increasingly contain references to 'listless play', 'lack of ambition',the need to 'revive first class cricket', and so on.
In the edition of 1950 Hubert is reasonably optimistic for the previous summer had brought good weather, a close fight for the championship and a better than expected performance from the visiting New Zealanders. The post war boom in attendances soon goes into decline however and the younger Preston's editorials of the mid fifties encourage a change in the points system and an improvement in over rates as remedies. Occasionally optimism breaks through as when all five tests against the South African team under Jack Cheetham are brought to a definite conclusion in the lovely weather of 1955 and when another glorious summer, 1959, brings out the best in county batsmen, typified by Yorkshire's run chase to clinch the title at Hove. Such cheerfulness is short lived for the one sided series against South Africa in 1960, marred by the controversy over Geoff Griffin's action and the beginnings of protest against the visitors' government's apartheid policy earns the epitaph 'The sad season.'
By the mid fifties two runs an over or worse has become the norm for test cricket. Last week saw the 53rd anniversary of Trevor Bailey's innings at Brisbane when he took just three minutes short of six hours to score fifty but the 'barnacle' was not without rivals for has there been a batsman better suited to his name than the South African, Jackie McGlew? Against Australia at Durban in 57/8 McGlew took 313 minutes to reach fifty and just over nine hours before he was able to raise his bat to acknowledge his century. A nice illustration of the torpid batting of this era is that of the eight lowest scores in a full day's test cricket, five were set in the fifties.At the top of the list is the 95 mustered by Australia and Pakistan in Karachi in 56-7, Australia 80 all out, Pakistan 15 for two. What would Sehawg make of that?
This winter has seen some excellent test cricket much of which has been televised by Sky at times to suit those who keep 'normal' hours. Australia have shared exciting series in South Africa and at home against New Zealand and there have ben few more dramatic finishes than that in the Mumbai test between India and West indies last month. Yet as far as it is possible to judge from the TV screen, and despite scoring rates approaching four an over, crowds have been very small. Earlier this week in the 'Bradman Oration' Raoul Dravid urged the cricketing authorities to seriously consider day-night test cricket as a remedy for poor attendances. It will be interesting to see what support is like for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG when India are the visitors. With Sehwag and Warner opening the batting for their respective teams it certainly has more appeal than much of the test cricket of fifty years ago. Worth staying up for?
Monday, 5 December 2011
FIRST ENGLISHMAN TO SCORE AGAINST AUSSIES
By Brian Sanderson,
Like John Winn, I have just received a cricket book through the post to-day.
The story started when the Yorkshire Archives received a letter from a relative of George Pinder who was the Yorkshire wicket- keeper in the 1880,s.They wish to have a copy of picture of the 1880,s Yorkshire side.
This set be wondering who was the wicket-keeper before him. I do not know much about this period.Looking through my books I found his name, Edwin Stephenson who was born in Sheffield on the June 5 1832. Lugubrious of expression but capable of the droll remark, he was one of two Yorkshiremen on the 1861-62 Australian venture.The other cricketer was Roger Iddison who was the first captain of Yorkshire.
The book I have just received is The Trailblazers by David Frith and purchased for £8 from Boundary Books and signed by Frith.He recently spoke at Wombwellin it,s 60th Year.
A quote from the book was that Ned felt strongly about Southerners moves to destablise the established itinerant teams by setting up the United South of England X1, and spoke of the wage-earning Northerners as having been most cruelly-treated by the Surrey men.
So sensitatively balanced was his dignity that when his partner ran him out-apparently deliberately-in a North v Surrey match in 1863,Stephenson walked out on the ramainder of the game,the entry in the scorebook in the second innings reading,absent,shamefully and disgracefully.Would have Boycott done that when Botham ran him out for scoring too slow in New Zealand.
Laughing Teddy Stephenson, who had proudly top-scored with 67 in Yorkshire first match after its 1863 foundation, and again in 1867 with 54 in the first -ever Roses match,and who had scored England,s first run off the Australian bowling, deid in obscurity and in very poor circumstances on July 5 1898. aged 66.
I look forward to read the whole book during Christmas day instead of watching The Snowman.
Just a message to John I am still very busy with mine and Yorkshire archives.Winter does not stop me been involved in cricket just a change tact.
Like John Winn, I have just received a cricket book through the post to-day.
The story started when the Yorkshire Archives received a letter from a relative of George Pinder who was the Yorkshire wicket- keeper in the 1880,s.They wish to have a copy of picture of the 1880,s Yorkshire side.
This set be wondering who was the wicket-keeper before him. I do not know much about this period.Looking through my books I found his name, Edwin Stephenson who was born in Sheffield on the June 5 1832. Lugubrious of expression but capable of the droll remark, he was one of two Yorkshiremen on the 1861-62 Australian venture.The other cricketer was Roger Iddison who was the first captain of Yorkshire.
The book I have just received is The Trailblazers by David Frith and purchased for £8 from Boundary Books and signed by Frith.He recently spoke at Wombwellin it,s 60th Year.
A quote from the book was that Ned felt strongly about Southerners moves to destablise the established itinerant teams by setting up the United South of England X1, and spoke of the wage-earning Northerners as having been most cruelly-treated by the Surrey men.
So sensitatively balanced was his dignity that when his partner ran him out-apparently deliberately-in a North v Surrey match in 1863,Stephenson walked out on the ramainder of the game,the entry in the scorebook in the second innings reading,absent,shamefully and disgracefully.Would have Boycott done that when Botham ran him out for scoring too slow in New Zealand.
Laughing Teddy Stephenson, who had proudly top-scored with 67 in Yorkshire first match after its 1863 foundation, and again in 1867 with 54 in the first -ever Roses match,and who had scored England,s first run off the Australian bowling, deid in obscurity and in very poor circumstances on July 5 1898. aged 66.
I look forward to read the whole book during Christmas day instead of watching The Snowman.
Just a message to John I am still very busy with mine and Yorkshire archives.Winter does not stop me been involved in cricket just a change tact.
A remarkable life
In a posting I made in October I mentioned that I was awaiting delivery of an autobiography of Clive van Ryneveld. This duly arrived and well does the book deserve the title of '20th Century All-rounder' for indeed CvR, as he is referred to throughout the book, has led a remarkable life. The book is not in fact an autobiography, a point he stresses in the preface, merely a selection of reminiscences and reflections, and yet herein lies an element of disappointment for such has been his life that it certainly merits a fuller account.
CvR came to England in 1948 as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University. Here he gained his blue for both cricket and rugby and his play for the rugby fifteen led to an England trial from which he was selected to represent this country in the five nations' championship of 1949, scoring three tries for a not particularly successful England side. Contrast their preparation with that of today's professionals. For the game against Scotland at Twickenham the team assembled on the Friday afternoon for a 'runabout' (bring your own shorts), jersey and socks will be supplied. In the team photograph the players look like representatives of homo sapiens, not the homo giganticus we see today.
Van Ryneveld's nine week international rugby career is described in very modest language. He was invited to play in the trials, so he played, invited to play for England, so he played.
There is no indication in the book that van Ryneveld put himself through any torment in accepting the invitation to play rugby for a country other than his native South Africa yet two years later he returned as a member of The Springbok cricket team that toured England in 1951 and came within four wickets of sharing the series. CvR's contribution was relatively modest, 217 runs at just over 24 and bowling only 19 overs of his leg spin in the tests.The 1951 tour was CvR's only experience of test cricket away from the veld for he was not part of Jack Cheetham's exciting side that pushed England all the way in 1955.Opportunities to travel overseas were turned down because of his commitments as a barrister, he had read law at Oxford.He did however play three home series, captaining his country against Peter May's team in 56-57.
Van Ryneveld's first class career lasted little more than ten years for in 1958 he was elected to the South African parliament and was a founder member of the Progressive party formed a year later and who were opposed to the government's apartheid policies.The last third of this slim volume is concerned with CvR's post cricket life, a career that brought him into contact with some of the most influential figures in late 20th century history.These included Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu and Harold MacMillan.A remarkable life.
As there have been no postings on the blog since early November our small but selected band of followers may have decided that, like a village cricket pavilion we are closed for the winter and some readers may not find this posting until the doors are opened again in April.It may be, however that the publication of the 2012 first class fixtures has turned some followers' thoughts back to cricket and possibly this blog. After all there are only 117 days until the first game of the new season at Fenner's on March 31st. Take a coat. The ECB has pushed its luck with earlier and earlier starts to the season and been rewarded with fine April weather, but Headingley on April the 5th, brrrr.
CvR came to England in 1948 as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University. Here he gained his blue for both cricket and rugby and his play for the rugby fifteen led to an England trial from which he was selected to represent this country in the five nations' championship of 1949, scoring three tries for a not particularly successful England side. Contrast their preparation with that of today's professionals. For the game against Scotland at Twickenham the team assembled on the Friday afternoon for a 'runabout' (bring your own shorts), jersey and socks will be supplied. In the team photograph the players look like representatives of homo sapiens, not the homo giganticus we see today.
Van Ryneveld's nine week international rugby career is described in very modest language. He was invited to play in the trials, so he played, invited to play for England, so he played.
There is no indication in the book that van Ryneveld put himself through any torment in accepting the invitation to play rugby for a country other than his native South Africa yet two years later he returned as a member of The Springbok cricket team that toured England in 1951 and came within four wickets of sharing the series. CvR's contribution was relatively modest, 217 runs at just over 24 and bowling only 19 overs of his leg spin in the tests.The 1951 tour was CvR's only experience of test cricket away from the veld for he was not part of Jack Cheetham's exciting side that pushed England all the way in 1955.Opportunities to travel overseas were turned down because of his commitments as a barrister, he had read law at Oxford.He did however play three home series, captaining his country against Peter May's team in 56-57.
Van Ryneveld's first class career lasted little more than ten years for in 1958 he was elected to the South African parliament and was a founder member of the Progressive party formed a year later and who were opposed to the government's apartheid policies.The last third of this slim volume is concerned with CvR's post cricket life, a career that brought him into contact with some of the most influential figures in late 20th century history.These included Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu and Harold MacMillan.A remarkable life.
As there have been no postings on the blog since early November our small but selected band of followers may have decided that, like a village cricket pavilion we are closed for the winter and some readers may not find this posting until the doors are opened again in April.It may be, however that the publication of the 2012 first class fixtures has turned some followers' thoughts back to cricket and possibly this blog. After all there are only 117 days until the first game of the new season at Fenner's on March 31st. Take a coat. The ECB has pushed its luck with earlier and earlier starts to the season and been rewarded with fine April weather, but Headingley on April the 5th, brrrr.
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