THE GOOGLY: FACING STUART BROAD + SCHOOL, CLUB AND COUNTY ENCOUNTERS

FOLLOW HUW TURBERVILL @HUWZAT

That was the week that was… rarely has such a week gone by where I have encountered the game at so many different levels. Schools, international, county, club….

Tuesday

To one of my old stamping grounds, Ipswich School’s Ivry Street, to watch a four-team festival, which also involved St John’s of Leatherhead, Abingdon and Brentwood. Had a lovely chat with Geraint Jones, Brentwood’s new coach (which will be in the summer edition of The Cricketer). Then listened to some excellent banter between former Essex ‘pals’ Ray East and Don Topley, which will hopefully see print in a future issue. As an aside, the gathering found ourselves debating the purpose of Minor Counties cricket (Suffolk play at Ivry Street). Do you merely pick your best XI (irrespective of age)? Is it a genuine competition for the second tier of English domestic cricket? Or is it a feeder for the first-class game (so you have players from 17–25 who still have a chance of making it – perhaps with a few senior pros to guide them?). When I covered Suffolk, they had several players who had no connection with the county whatsoever…

Thursday

This is a sentence I never thought I would write. I opened my run account for the season (after two ducks!) by pushing forward to Stuart Broad, opening the face slightly to push into the covers, and running a single. Dean Wilson, cricket correspondent of the Mirror, purred: “That is straight out of the MCC coaching manual.” A thrill, as he has been critical of my obduracy/technique in the past. Actually you get three for hitting the ball into the side-net and running in the indoor game. I was playing for Steve Finn’s VII against Broad’s VII in a fun match hosted by Investec, the Test sponsors, in the indoor school at Lord’s, and, of course, Broad was coming off a short run (I also managed to drive him later in the over, which was even more thrilling). Both England fast bowlers were friendly and courteous. Cricket is lucky to have such fine ambassadors.

Friday

Promoting The Cricketer at Richmond’s Old Deer Park (next to the lovely Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens, pictured). Also home of London Welsh RFC, Middlesex were – appropriately – hosting Glamorgan in a NatWest T20 Blast game. My goodness the Welsh side were impressive. Shaun Tait provided the express pace, his Australian compatriot Michael Hogan was not far behind, and they snaffled several great slip catches (yes, they had slips in a T20 game). Glamorgan won by nine wickets. I also saw them beat Surrey at The Oval by nine wickets earlier this summer. Capital work indeed! Steve James told me he thinks they are the best T20 side in the land, and he may be right (though they lost to Gloucestershire on Sunday).

Saturday

Watched my local club, Beddington, in Surrey Premier League action. They suffered a heavy defeat to Normandy (the place in Surrey, not northern France). I was mightily impressed by a slow left-armer called Vignesh Venkateswaran (3 for 11), and he was ably assisted by Chris Jones (3 for 12), an offie who plays for Surrey 2nds. It was good cricket. The umpires had a tough job, as the pitch was turning and the bounce was low. I had an interesting chat with a man in a deckchair, who – it turns out – was scrutinising the umpiring for the Surrey board. A pretty impressive set-up. They were given the thumbs up.

Sunday

Helping to coach my son’s under-11 side at Old Walcountians. Perched on a hill in Woodmansterne, the drizzly weather ruined what would have been a spectacular view of London. Cricket has its problems, but the youth set-ups in south London/Surrey cricket I have seen this season suggest all is not doom and gloom. One final thought: I bumped into an extremely dilapidated artificial track (pictured). Do you recall when these were all the rage? Every club had one. The fact that many have been phased out suggests the art of groundsmanship is alive and well.

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