What a well fought contest round one turned out to be,  Even Big Perce himself would only have come 3rd equal, with 33-and-a-half-points, if we work on the basis that the set of answers he submitted to me (Ged) was his entry (to be fair, he sent me a couple of corrections subsequently).  Strangely, we also received an entry from a former regular, who no longer has posting privileges, who also scored 33-and-a-half points.  Spooky or what?

Suffice it to say that the judge’s decision on the scoring method and results is final; any debate people might want to have about some of the answers should be done on this topic, but without the expectation of the results being changed.

So, without further ado, here are the scores on the doors, in reverse order:

• 8th place - Barmy Kev – 19 (a very creditable 50%)

• 7th place - Diamond – 24

• 5th = place – Comebackgatt – 28

• 5th= place – Adelaide - 28

• 4th place - Mr Trellis – 30

• 3rd place – Jonathan Winsky – 33-and-a-half

• 2nd place – Jeff Coleman – 36

• 1st place – Teletext Army – 36-and-a-half

Many congratulations to Teletext Army who really only got one question wrong.  You have the yellow jersey of the Tour de Wath Main – for now!!

In order to maintain interest in the remaining three parts of the quiz (and in recognition of the subjective nature of some of the marking), master points towards the overall contest will be awarded as follows:

• 1st place – 4 master points

• 2nd place – 2 master points

• 3rd place – 1 master point

On that basis, you have a chance of winning the overall contest in future rounds at this stage even if you didn’t make the top three (or indeed didn’t even enter the first round).  In any case, each round has its own glory and miniscule prize, so who wouldn’t want to join in?

Many congratulations to all entrants who did so very well.  And once again many thanks to Big Perce for this excellent quiz.  All that remains is to publish the answers below and wait for all hell to break loose as people debate the various merits of the answers!

1.Nicknames. Who are/were:-

a. The Croucher  GILBERT JESSOP

b. Nugget KEITH MILLER

c. Plank MIKE BREARLEY [JUDGES NOTE: I HAVE ALSO AWARDED A POINT FOR GRAHAM NAPIER, ALTHOUGH MIDDLESEX SUPPORTERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES THINKING OF THE ESSEX SLOGGER AHEAD OF OUR FORMER GREAT LEADER]

d. Binga BRETT LEE

e. Mad Jack DON WILSON [JUDGES NOTE: I HAVE ALSO ACCEPTED JACK FLAVELL – INDEED MORE PEOPLE THOUGHT OF FLAVELL THAN THOUGHT OF WILSON]

f. Ramble MARK ILLOT

g. Wal PAUL ALLOTT

h. What was Lord Harris' nickname? THE AUSTERE LORD HARRIS DIDN'T HAVE A NICKNAME [JUDGES NOTE: POINT AWARDED FOR EITHER “HE DIDN’T HAVE A NICKNAME” OR “LORD HARRIS”.  NO PRIZES FOR GUESSING WHO SAID “ROLF”, WHICH DIDN’T DESERVE A POINT BUT DID MAKE ME LAUGH]

i. How did Shaggy acquire his nickname? HIS RESEMBLANCE, AS A YOUNGSTER TO THE CARTOON CHARACTER “SHAGGY” FROM SCOOBY-DOO [JUDGES NOTE: HALF A POINT ONLY WAS AWARDED TO THOSE WHO ALLUDED TO ONLY ONE CHARACTERISTIC, SUCH AS MODE OF DRESS OR BEARD.  A BONUS POINT WAS AWARDED TO THE PERSON WHO CORRECTLY POINTED OUT THAT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE THEORY THAT OUR LEADER ACQUIRED HIS YOUTHFUL NICKNAME THROUGH A HOBBY OTHER THAN CRICKET.]

j. ......and, of course, The Boil. TREVOR BAILEY

2. Schools

a. With which schools are the following associated?

 i.     Andrew Strauss RADLEY

 ii.    Nick Compton HARROW

 iii.   Ed Smith TONBRIDGE

 iv.   Ben Hutton RADLEY

 v.    Ben Hutton's dad REPTON ( RICHARD HUTTON )

 vi.   Mike Brearley CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL

 vii.  Mike Gatting JOHN KELLY BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

 viii. Fred Titmus  THE WILLIAM ELLIS SCHOOL

 ix.   Denis Compton BELL LANE SCHOOL

 x.    Vyell Walker HARROW

b. For which English Schools Cricket Association county did Toby Radford play? BERKSHIRE

c. In which year did the Eton v Harrow match become an annual fixture? 1822

d. What is Victor Fuller-Eberle's claim to 'infamy'? HE DROPED AN EASY CATCH OFFERED BY AEJ COLLINS ( SEE NEXT QUESTION) [JUDGES NOTE: SHOULD HAVE DOPPED BARMY KEV A POINT FOR THE OBVIOUS “THEY’VE ALL GOT IT IN FOR ME” JOKE, BUT DIDN’T]

e. He played where there was a 'Close' and his name is recorded on the Menin Gate, his remains never having been recovered following his death at Ypres on the 11th November, 1914. Perhaps the most famous schoolboy cricketer, who is he? AEJ COLLINS, WHO SCORED 628, THE HIGHEST RECORDED SCORE IN CRICKET, PLAYING FOR CLARKE'S HOUSE JUNIOR IN A JUNIOR HOUSE MATCH AT CLIFTON COLLEGE

3.  Grounds.

a. In which city was the first international cricket match played? NEW YORK

b. Which English county was the first to host a test match? Surrey (THE OVAL)

c. At which ground would you find the Vance Stand end? THE BASIN RESERVE, WELLINGTON

d. This Middlesex ground, with a military connection, has never hosted a Middlesex county championship match, has been in use in the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries and in a match in September, 2009, James Foster made the highest score of the match. What is the ground's name? THE HONOURABLE ARTILERY COMPANY GROUND, FINSBURY

e. Two English grounds share this name. One is better known for another sport, while the other stages second eleven cricket matches. The name is more famous for a battle. What is the name? STAMFORD BRIDGE

f. The first match played on this ground was in 1787 and the first First Class match on the ground was in 1801. The lowest recorded score on the ground was six. What, apart from the obvious, was unusual about the team that scored the six runs? ALL THEIR NAMES BEGAN WITH THE LETTER 'B' [JUDGES NOTE: NO KEV, SHAGGY DID NOT CAPTAIN THE TEAM THAT WAS ALL OUT FOR 6.  NOR DID HE SAY THAT THEY WERE SIMPLY TRYING TO PLAY POSITIVE CRICKET]. 

g. In Q2f above, what is the full title of the ground? LORD'S OLD GROUND, MARYLEBONE

4. Lord's

a. Which team traditionally plays matches at Lord's in September and October? CROSS ARROWS

b. Who was the architect who designed the Lord's pavilion?  F.THOMAS VERITY

c. Who laid the pavilion foundation stone in 1889? SIR SPENCER PONSONBY-FANE

d. What match was staged at Lord's in 1916? A BASEBALL MATCH BETWEEN A CANADIAN AND AN AMERICAN TEAM [JUDGES NOTE: NO, KEV, IT WAS NOT AN EARLY TRIAL FOR TWENTY20 CRICKET, BUT WELL DONE FOR KNOWING IT WAS A BASEBALL GAME]

e. 1935 was the 'season of the leather jackets'. Who or what were the 'leather jackets' and what became of the Lord's 'leather jackets'?  (One point for each of the two answers) THEY WERE GRUBS OF THE CRANEFLY THAT PLAGUED THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND THAT YEAR AND WERE COLLECTED IN VAST QUANTITIES BY LORD'S GROUNDSTAFF, SUPPLEMENTED BY UNEMPLOYED LABOURERS AND BURNT, UPTO 1,500 A DAY. YUK.  [JUDGES NOTE: NO KEV, IT WAS NOT MOTORHEAD IN CONCERT, FOLLOWED BY THE NOLANS]

f. what caused the fall of Father Time?
THE TRAILING WIRE OF A BARRAGE BALLOON DURING WORLD WAR II

g.Who or what did Sir Pelham Warner once describe as  the height of , " a tall man in a top hat"? THE SLOPE AT LORD’S

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