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A SHORT HISTORY OF HOME
COUNTIES 60+ CHAMPIONSHIP
Back in 2003 Barry Smith
realised that a number of good club cricketers could no longer
hold a regular place in the over 50’s County Championship and,
like himself, were becoming a little disillusioned with regular
League cricket. Hugh Milner of Sussex agreed that there
was possible scope for an over 60’s competition but, after
enquiring of other Home Counties, the only potential problem
seemed to be whether there would be enough 60 year olds of
sufficient standard in each county.
Hertfordshire, Essex and
Surrey joined Kent and Sussex in the new venture for 2004 with
the rules based on those which the over 50’s used. However, it
was initially agreed that each county could play two 59 year old
players in each game. As the instigator of the idea, Barry
agreed to be the Competition Organiser and each county played
home & away against each other - 8 games in the season with the
two top teams playing in a final. The objective was that
the counties would stage the Final in turn and Surrey undertook
this in 2004. On an excellent Sunday in September at
Dorking C.C., Sussex played Essex and the latter won by 49 runs.
As Barry was presenting the cup to the Essex Captain, we were
all interrupted by the Royal Bypass of Spitfire, Mosquito and
Lancaster as they had just left Biggin Hill Airshow to return to
their base - where ever that was. A true finale to the first
season.
In 2005 the same two
teams again met in the final at Radlett, Hertfordshire and again
Essex were triumphant by 6 runs - no airshow this year!!
By 2006 the message had
spread and Suffolk and Norfolk joined to increase the
competition to 7 Counties. Essex hosted the final at
Brentwood but were not one of the competitors. Sussex again
qualified but this year with Kent and in a close game Sussex won
by 4 wickets in the final over.
By now many counties,
even if not playing in the Championship, had a regular list of
friendly games and this encouraged Worcestershire and Berkshire
to join in 2007. It was no longer practical to play games on a
home & away basis with 9 counties and so each county only played
each other once. This was gradually taking the competition
outside of the Home Counties and distance travelling was
becoming involved which some counties were happy with but others
were not so keen. It was in 2007 that Barry managed to
obtain some sponsorship for the Championship and this assisted
all counties by subsidising the cost of the balls. Having played
for 3 years and discovered that counties now seemed to have
enough 60 year olds, it was agreed to phase out the under-aged
players over the next two seasons. The competition had
basically resurrected social club cricket, although it was
competitive, for many club players who may well have hung up
their boots had it not been organised. The weather in 2007 was
horrendous and of the 36 scheduled games only 14 were played on
their original dates, a further 15 were replayed and 7 never
even happened! Sussex again played Kent in the final at
Sittingbourne and this match saw one of the highest totals ever
scored - Sussex were 333 for 4 after 45 overs on what was
described as a good batting track! Kent never managed to keep up
the pace and were dismissed for 171.
Fame was spreading even
further afield and Yorkshire was asking if they could join for
2008. Distance was the major problem and, as no other
Midlands/ Northern counties appeared interested, their
application was deferred for 12 months. However, Hampshire
had got themselves organised and joined to make 10 counties - 9
games per county. A new Sponsor, Shepherd Neame, had been
courted and they were well versed in sports sponsorship,
especially in South East England where they have a large number
of public houses - they are Britain’s oldest brewery,
currently 310 years old. Barry has long had connections with
Shepherd Neame as he used to work only 50 yards away from the
Brewery and their Head Office in Faversham. This connection was
assisted by Howard Smith who was Chairman of The Kent League and
was also in negotiation with the brewery over sponsorship for
that League. Further bad weather for 3 separate weeks during the
season caused more havoc with the fixture list but 43 of the 45
games were eventually played and the non-results of the 2 that
weren’t had no effect on the finalists who were Essex and
Hampshire, in their first season. Suffolk hosted the game at
Copdock and, for the first time in 5 years, rain struck.
Hampshire completed their innings at 189 for 7 off 45 overs and
in reply Essex got to 36 for 2 off 15 overs when drizzle
appeared. All players wanted to keep going and Essex got
to 100 for 2 in 26 overs when conditions were getting silly, if
not dangerous, and the umpires decided that everybody had had
enough. The two teams, with the Organiser’s agreement, agreed to
share the trophy for 2008.
Only in 2008 was it
realised that a number of those still playing were, in fact, 70
years of age. Another of Barry’s silly ideas was that perhaps
there could be a 70+ competition. Surrey, Sussex, Herts
and Kent all found that perhaps they each had 7 or 8 players and
so 3 games were played where the Gentlemen of Surrey and Sussex
played the Men of Kent & Hertfordshire. The results of these
games were all close, with Surrey / Sussex winning all three and
plans are afoot for at least 4 games in 2009 but currently
it looks unlikely that and one county will be able to raise a
full side of their own.
The first 5 years of the
60+ Championship have been an exciting time with gradual
development under Barry’s guidance. However, Barry has
decided to hang up his pen and computer, if not his boots, and
the Championship is about to be taken to higher and further
levels in 2009 by a new committee with Martin Pearse at its
head.
HOME COUNTIES 60+ CHAMPIONSHIP 2008
LEAGUE TABLES AND RESULTS
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