As if he could

By Sussex Seaxe
December 6 2021

Sussex Seaxe continues his reports following Middlesex away from yesteryear.   A seemingly one sided game that had an amazing collapse and an unlikely hero. 

The Man with Impressive Sideburns

I suspect that I might be the only MTWD reader who also takes an interest in the fortunes of Wingate and Finchley Football Club. This is largely because it is very close to where I (arguably) grew up and where I would often attend matches in Summers Lane to watch, what was then a decent Finchley FC, play. Having neglected them for years, in recent times I have started to once more take an interest, going to some games and even writing a regular column in the programme.

Thus it was, that in one of the aborted seasons prior to this one, Mrs Seaxe and I found ourselves travelling to Folkestone one Saturday to see what turned out to be a notable away victory. It was a good day out, decent fish and chips for lunch, a stroll along the wintry prom and a decent game at a friendly ground. What really made it for me, though, was climbing the terrace behind one goal and looking over the wall to Folkestone Cricket Club beyond. 

As usual, in winter the ground looked forlorn and uncared for. Wind swept across and not a soul was to be seen. It was a far cry from my one visit to the ground to watch cricket, which I discover was as long ago as June 11^th, 1972 (obviously, I was barely out of nappies). Folkestone was one of the many grounds at which Kent would stage games and this one was a Sunday league match that attracted a good crowd. Temporary stands were erected and a concrete terrace ran part of the way round, on which spectators with either soft cushions or robust posteriors could sit. 

I must have gone with my dad, who drove and I recall us parking on the racecourse, that I now find closed in 2012, which accounted for the sports hall and tennis courts that confused me as I looked on from the football ground. It was a bright sunny day – wasn’t it always when we were young? – and we sat and suffered as Middlesex batted first and struggled. Kent supporters were always known for their partisanship and could barely conceal their glee as Smith, Radley, Parfitt, Featherstone and Brearley were dismissed. We were 48 – 5 in the 20^th over. I know scoring rates have improved, but 2 an over in a 40 over match was diabolical even then!

JT Murray and Keith Jones gave us a bit of respectability, with 40 and 23 respectively, but even so we limped to a total of 127, dismissed in the final over. We ate our cheese and tomato sandwiches disconsolately, while Kent supporters gloated modestly around us. When David Nicholls and Graham Johnson put on an easy 51 for the first wicket, we slouched ever lower on the concrete. Some of the home supporters were already beginning to pack their bags and looking forward to strawberries and cream for tea as their team cruised to 126 for 6 in the 37^th over, needing just 2 to win. 

But hang on, what’s just happened? Nicholls was run out for a top score of 54. Still plenty of time though and Asif Iqbal who was lying down in the pavilion with a recurrence of malaria, hadn’t batted yet. Then our esteemed President induced a nick behind from Bernard Julien for one of four ducks in the innings; Woolmer, Underwood and (spoiler alert) Asif being the others. It was the Pakistan hero who now roused himself and decided that even with malaria, he was a better batsman than Norman Graham. This was a disappointment to my dad who had opened the batting against a young Graham on a tour to Cornwall, before after a few balls he realised the quality of the batting side and started to bowl spinners!

Asif didn’t detain us though, Selvey clean bowling him and Graham had to come out. Luckily it was the end of the over, so Derek Underwood could knock off the winning runs. The last over was to be bowled by CJR (Sam) Black, he of the impressive sideburns. Two balls passed and on the third, Underwood was lbw to great rejoicing, by at least two of us! Kent had lost their last four wickets for none, with only 2 required. 

My dad and I invaded the pitch – I think there may have been others there too – and I modestly patted Sam on the back. I’m not sure who was more surprised at the win, Middlesex, my dad and I or the suddenly silent Kent following, but I do know that Sam Black, an otherwise obscure figure from our past, has remained firmly in my memory for that one evening on the coast.