Kentish Express Ashford & District
Ticking off and detention but we were the winners
KENT MESSENGER GROUP EDITOR BOB BOUNDS REFLECTS ON A DAY FOR HEROES AND THOSE WHO RISKED PUNISHMENT TO WATCH THEM
“Any child who played truant yesterday to watch the cricket, come to the front of the hall. Now!” bellowed Sister Jarlath, the head-teacher of St Mary’s School, Whitstable, the day after a group of us had bunked off to see Kent versus The Australians at the St Lawrence Ground.
Despite the fact my father had rung up beforehand to get permission while my mates had actually just skipped, I joined the reprobates scolded in front of the rest of the school and then given detention.
But we were the winners – the top of the class.
We had “been there” – 40 years ago on a glorious English summer day, Kent in their pomp, the ground looking spectacular and the little matter of Lillee, Walters and Chappell.
God, did I just write that correctly? Lillee, Walters and Chappell!
Actually, though, our heroes were on the other side: Cowdrey, Underwood, and Luckhurst.
So three generations of Boundses settled down with their packed lunches next to the “old scoreboard,” me, the youngest, aged 10, clasping his scorecard and gleaming new autograph book. As all ‘hunters’ know, you needed your lunchtime target.
Mine was Underwood, fielding at midwicket. Got to him first but was met with a curt “Not now, sonny” as he sloped off in his distinctive ten-to-two gait. Thanks, Deadly.
The darling of the Aussie team that year was not one of the three mentioned – and also, to our disappointment, not on the scorecard.
Ross Edwards was the dashing batsman and brilliant fielder we wanted to see.
I met up with my mates who had got in for free through a hole in the fence at Nackington Road and then clubbed together for one ticket to the Frank Woolley stand while I roughed it.
Word got out that Edwards was at the back of the pavilion and, sure enough, there he was, grinning, his shock of sun-bleached blond hair towering over a crowd of 100 lads waving little books at him.
What a star. What a day.
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