Formed in 1931, cricket has been played at our Slades Lane ground every year apart from a period from September 1939 until the Summer of 1948 when cricket returned to Galleywood some three years after the end of World War Two. The first Clubhouse was constructed after fund raising activities in the Winter of 1931/32. In the 1950s the Club really began to flourish and in 1957, purchase of the ground for the use of Galleywood Cricket Club and Galleywood Football Club was concluded. Through the 1960s and 1970s the number of sides expanded and Youth Coaching commenced c 1972 and has continued ever since. The 1980s through until the early 2000s was a golden era for the Club with numerous TRippon Mid Essex League and Divisional titles won and an expansion of the number of teams run. The past few years have seen a re-focus on Youth development which is the life blood of a community club such as Galleywood and it is pleasing to see how many Senior players have graduated from our Youth ranks. Since 2019, the launch of our Women & Girls Team and All Stars programmes for 5-8yos has been a further welcome development toward our provision of Cricket For All.
As we enter our 90th Year in 2021, we have been speaking to members past and present to get their fondest memories of Galleywood Cricket Club. We've been amazed at the responses and you can read those below! Some of these definitely wouldn't happen at the club in 2021, but we look back with sentiment to these:
“Where do I start? There were the legendary tours and the famous Watchit ‘Bucket!!’ incident, my tackling a bar thanks to a nifty side step from the Judge (G Whitworth): me and Blowers deciding to try (and succeeding) to drink every individual bottle of anything alcoholic in a local Galleywood Wine Bar and the club; numerous drunken nights at the club and trying to solve the mystery of the anonymous vomiter (D Eley, regardless of what he still says!)
But my favourite, not least because it led to my joining GCC and meeting a great bunch of mates whose friendship lasts despite geography and time, is when I was playing for Great Baddow. It was a Sunday friendly and we had batted first, set a decent score and GCC were eight down with very few overs to survive for a battling draw. We got the ninth and in strides JB to join the sadly missed Locko. If memory serves we were in the last over when Locko defends one that barely gets off the square and sees the frightening figure of JB storming down the wicket at full pelt completely ignoring Locko’s more and more desperate screams of ‘NOooo!!’ It was one of, if not the, funniest thing I’ve seen and heard on a cricket pitch, so much so that we nearly mucked up the easiest of run outs. Over a few beers afterwards I decided I had to join this club – and never regretted it”
Nick (Gilly) Gill
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Late August 1993 or 1994, the memory now fades.
A visit to the old enemy at Lawford Lane.
The premier league trophy at stake.
Just a win is required.
One hundred and sixty to chase after tea.
Fifteen needed and cruising with six wickets in hand and overs to spare.
On cue, a Galleywood batting collapse.
Numbers nine and ten at the wicket.
Half a dozen runs still required.
Batsmen surrounded, not a run available.
Scrambles home at the bowlers end.
A single taken to the wicketkeeper to see us home.
Wild celebrations, no social distancing in sight.
Dave Garrett
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I played for this great club for 4 years in what was arguably the best team the league had ever seen and had a wonderful time with great players and made great friends.
Dave Curtis
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With my Dad & my brother Ted & Dave Loxley being members I often had to spend my weekend afternoons at the club in the late 60's, even though I was not much of a cricket fan. But I did always enjoy running around the grounds and climbing on the pitch roller. And when Mum helped with the teas I often got some treats after. Great to see the longevity of the Galleywood Cricket Club!
Mrs Loxley
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I joined Galleywood CC in 1988 aged 16 having arrived in Essex from a cricket free zone called Scotland. I was immediately made to feel welcome and enjoyed many memorable days on the field and evenings in the bar.
Starting off in the Colts Team with the likes of Paul Blowers, Simon Cato, Jon Culley and Daniel Eley amongst others, I soon found myself in the Mens Sunday 2nd Stiffs with Roy Van Tromp and Keith Simons in particular giving me some brilliant guidance. The following years were amongst the most successful in Galleywoods playing history with the First Team taking the Premier League by storm and my team, the Thirds, led by John Wickham and Gary Whitworth playing really good cricket and getting as high as Division 5.
1996 was the year of my wedding and, with money tight, the only way I could persuade my wife to be was to claim the upcoming Tour of Langford in Somerset was to double up as my Stag Do. She bought it, so I was amongst around 15 of us who arrived at the Hotel with Malcolm the owner coming up with a plan where he would quite simply act as General Manager, Head of Housekeeping, Food and Beverage Director, Chief Sommelier and Bar Manager in the evening and sleep during the day when we were playing cricket. 25 years later, photo’s emerged on Facebook from Paul Marlow of Malcolm lasting approximately 3 hours before having his head in a bucket unable to keep up with pace of our drinking exploits. Actually it kind of sums up Galleywood CC’s ethos of fair play that when he eventually managed to stagger off to his bedroom, an honesty bar system was set up to ensure poor old Malcolm wasn’t out of pocket. He wasn’t seen past 10pm again for the rest of the tour!
I wish Galleywood Cricket Club a very happy 90th Birthday.
Tony Fenwick
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After being inspired, at the age of 11, by Sir Garry Sobers hitting 6 sixes off an over from Malcolm Nash, I thought this game looks a lot of fun!! For the next couple of years, I used to get my dad to throw a few balls at me in the garden, hitting into neighbours’ gardens.
I then met Paul Simmonds, a school classmate, who’s dad (Brian) played cricket for a team called Galleywood, I pitched up one evening, had a net & the rest is History.
From 13, I played for the colts against all the local rivals, Stock, Ingatestone, Springfield, Broomfield & Chelmsford. Locked horns for the first time with the likes of the Raeburn’s (Stock),Garretts (Ingatestone),Gisby, Dunn & the merciless Steve Garner (Broomfield),plus the Daniel Bros & a quite quick & slim Ian Staines!!! (Chelmsford). From then on, I knew my life would be Cricket in the summer.
No League cricket in the early days, which for a young lad developing his game, was useful. I was given my 1st team debut just before my 15th birthday, by Mel Perry, our skipper at the time & someone who influenced me a great deal. Not only brave playing someone so young, but he was our wicketkeeper & led me to practise the art & I became our keeper a few years later, going on to keep for the rest of my playing days. Without doubt these early days playing against adults from a young age, hardened me up to be the player I became.
I scored my first, 1st team 100 the following year, aged 16, on a sun drenched Slades Lane afternoon against the Nondescripts, an outfit of officers from the garrison in Shoeburyness, led by Jock, a 6 ft 5 fast bowler, played hard but very gracious when they realised it was my first. As I was to young to drink (yeah right) they bought the jugs of beer to celebrate as I did not have enough pocket money!!!!
From then on, I only ever played for the 1st team, we had some great players, one of the best all rounders ever, Gerry Andrews, amazing seamer, then spinner & wonderful batter. Alan Francis, Simmo, Ronnie gay, dear old Dave Loxley, Alan Johnson etc etc. these guys taught me the art of how to drink after games.
Competitive cricket then came in which was so needed, we manage to get in the Mid Essex League & play in various Cup Competitions. Terry Grote joined & became skipper after Mel stood down, we started to develop a great team. Terry would try & run Loxo out as much as he could!! It was now that more youngsters started playing in the 1st team, the likes of Tredge, George, Huntie, Danno, Paul Marlow & Chris Cove.
The Cambridge Tour in 77 was a feather in our cap. Playing on University grounds, incredible wickets & velvet outfields, we even looked a good fielding side! Great memories of Stevie Hart (god bless him) bowling his medium paced wobblers, picking up many wickets, while our quicks were being battered!!!
At 21, I had the honour of becoming 1st team skipper, not sure to this day whether I am still the youngest? With Gerry as my vice, we forged a great understanding & were becoming more & more successful. I was so proud when we then won the clubs first ever trophy, The Great Waltham Cup. On a gloomy night we were victorious. Still not sure how we got home that night, everyone was so drunk.
Steve Dupree was playing that night & starting to make his “quiet” personality felt in every game he played. Not sure, as a skipper, I ever had any other bowler, warm up or make gestures, that it was time he was bowling. Massive player & always led any mickey taking that needed to be dealt out!!
In those days we always had nets every week, plus teams would be picked afterwards, in formalised selection meetings, then pinned on the noticeboard. Was always busy in the bar as players would want to know if they were playing the following weekend. No Mobile phones in them days!!
Friday nights became one of the best nights of the week. Many of us would have a net, so we were ready for Saturday’s game the next day. Then retire to the bar to talk all kinds of male subjects, sport, woman, money, sex & generally get drunk. Not the best preparation, however, what was good for Beefy Botham, was OK for us!!
Many of those nights ended with George, Huntie & me playing Fizz Buzz against our intellectuals, namely Tim Bellamy, Tim Whirledge & Dave Loxley. This was a mathematical game & the person who got it wrong, had to down drink as a penalty………………you guessed it last man standing, the winner. Bearing in mind this was before drink drive issues, we would always lose, mainly as we were so hammered, then drive home!!
Although living on Moulsham Lodge was not far, often we would head for the A12 burger bar. This proved disastrous on many occasions, 2 in particular. I was sick in Georges passenger door pocket & only found the next day when he picked me up!! The other was Huntie driving his FT Cortina, as he mounted the kerb in Linnet Drive & took out about a dozen front gardens!! The following day we drove to the game & there were about 30 people all tending their gardens, wondering what the hell had happened!!
Special moments were sharing a stand of nearly 300 with Tredge at Little Waltham, where we both got big hundreds, was my best innings. Hitting Bob Shortman, from Chelmsford, in the river at the County Ground, my biggest thrill!! Taking 6 victims behind the stumps (4 catches, 2 stumpings) at Havering-Attee-Bower & also, I missed only 1 League game in all my time as skipper, that was my wedding day!!!
I left Galleywood in 85 to challenge myself & play Club Cricket at Maldon. I left with a very heavy heart but do not regret as I had 12 years as their skipper & scored over 10,000 league runs.
Galleywood will always have a special place in my heart, I cut my teeth in Cricket & also played Football there for 15 years. I made many many great friends for life & always enjoy going back to Slades lane.
I look forward to this year’s celebrations & wish the club every success in the next 90 years.
Mick Brown
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I was at Galleywood cc from around 1990 and probably spent around 15-20 years at the club.
I had some of the best times being a member and laughing a lot, especially on some of the cricket tours, I didn’t know how good I looked in a dress, ask George! What I did to get the dress, not score 50!! Be careful what you say to Multi!!!
And the biggest game of the year, the over 30’s v under 30’s, that was the most competitive game all year!
I played with some great people, some are sadly not with us anymore and it’s one of my biggest regrets not staying in touch with many characters I met in my time at the club.
I have returned on a couple of occasions and seen some similar faces and it’s a testament to these people who have the club in what looks like a very strong, family oriented place, which, with the language and lad attitude in my day, may not have been possible!!
Slades Lane was always a great place to play and I still love coming up there, I should do it more as the memories brought back always bring a smile, from coming off the pitch to a beer bought by big Al or a food fight at the end of the presentation night to name a couple.
I still hold Galleywood CC in my heart, being brought up in the village and only leaving a few years ago. Once a Galleywood boy, always a Galleywood boy.
How does the song go?
Meet the gang.....
Gareth Eley
I think I first set eyes on Galleywood Cricket Club as a 5-year-old in the searing summer of 1976. In those days, you had to drive straight down the boundary, past the telegraph pole and the pavilion to park. If a match was on, you had to wait until the end of an over to pass.
The season before, my dad – Brian Dynevor – had been playing his cricket for Billericay, but during a match against Galleywood, he had struck up a rapport with the much-missed Steve Hart. This turned into a great friendship which endured until my dad’s death in 2015. Anyway, to cut a long story, which I don’t really know very well, short, Steve persuaded him to come and play for Galleywood. It was the beginning of a long and beautiful association with the club.
For a (no doubt annoying) kid, Galleywood was a magical place. There were a fair few other kids to play with, including the Van Tromp girls – Jenny, Philippa and Hilary, who patiently played cricket with me for hours in the old nets round the back of the pavilion, and Stewart and Jonathon, identical twin sons of Bernard Clarke. We used to sneak off to Chelmer Park whilst they were building that estate and play on what was essentially an extremely dangerous building site, until Stuart nearly lost a finger there. Bernard, whose temper was even more volcanic than my dad’s, nearly killed all of us without even attempting to get my parents’ permission first and that was that.
Those initial few years were my favourite I think, as much as I loved playing, but I guess I associate it with long, hot summers just being a kid. It was the time of (to me) giants, such as Dave Loxley, Chris Cove, Alf Cove, George Mawby, Paul Marlow, Mick Brown, Graham Hunt, Terry Grote, Brian and Paul Simmonds, Gerry Andrews, John Decker, literal giants Alan Johnson and Alan Francis, Dave Dano Garrett, Andy Harris, Maurice Taylor, Barry Clarke, Tim Bellamy and Tim Worlledge, Toby Dyson, Stan Abbott and Roy Van Tromp. I looked up to all of them, even though some of them were only 15 at the time, they all just seemed huge. My older sister Sonia looked up to Paul Marlow for a time, but that’s another story!
At the time my mum regularly did the teas too, so it was a real family affair for us.
Many’s the night in the late 70’s early 80’s that my dad and Locko would be up until 3 or 4 am in the club house, arguing about politics, even though they were pretty much on the same side, whilst me, Steve Hart and Paul Simmonds would be sitting there waiting for a lift home. Never a dull moment.
Galleywood was my happy place for many years. I was never a great player myself - I would have loved to have played for the 1st eleven of course, but I was nowhere near up to the mark - but I spent many happy years in the 3rds and Sunday 2nds, and I was a regular on a Wednesday too, when I got to play with Steve Dupree, which as you all know, is never boring. Always a joy Duppers!!
I had the pleasure of playing under some really great skippers who always encouraged and never shouted, especially Alf Cove, Brian Simmonds and RVT. They always gave me a go with bat and ball and showed genuine interest in my development, even when I had gone for glory and failed miserably.
But to have spent many years playing under my dad, in that great and characterful 3rd team, with young Cato and Blowers and older heads like Bob Gratze and Steve Hart, well there were made some of my greatest and happiest memories, if not innings. We had such a good time and not a little success. Whatever happened to Cato and Blowers anyway?
I played my last game for Galleywood in 2003. I dropped a dolly at Admirals Park and in doing so, broke my little finger in 8 places, according to the plastic surgeon at Broomfield, it was the worst crush fracture he’d ever seen and wanted to chop it off. As soon as it had happened, I ran to skipper John Wickham and showed him. It was so mangled and sticking out at odd angles. His response will live with me forever: “Ah it’s just dislocated, you’ll be fine. Can you go to backward point please?” Ha ha ha
As a footnote to that story, my girlfriend at the time and a few others had gone on a cannabis march in London and had been trying to persuade me to go, but I wanted to play cricket. I spent a week in hospital and the guy I dropped? He scored 102 not out.
George Mawby very kindly invited me to the President’s Day a few years back, for which I was very grateful, as I got to see some old faces and rekindle my love for the club, which was always there anyway. I hope you invite me back again, because GCC has always and will always, be in my heart.
Alaric Dynevor
Like a number of people my involvement with GCC, came about through my Son, Martyn, joining the Youth System c 2009/2010. I began to get involved by running the Under 11s with the help of Paul Cockrell and gradually I have become more and more involved, firstly with the Youth section and then becoming involved on the Committee and eventually found myself totally immersed with the Club, as Secretary and enthusiastic Volunteer Groundsman amongst other roles. Having not played cricket since the age of 15, the opportunity to re-establish a 3rd XI along with some other Dads and play cricket with our Sons was to good to miss so I have been trying to capture 30 plus years of not playing these last few seasons! The expansion of the Club, rescuing the ground at Margaretting as well as working with the Football Clubs to secure significant Sport England Funding for the roof renovations in 2012 are achievements I am very proud of but all the camaraderie and friendships developed over this time mean most to me along with the fun we have on and off the pitch. A happy 90th Anniversary to GCC.
John Gray
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Galleywood CC celebrating its 90th year. Many say to me ‘what was it like then’! Believe it not this is only my 50th season at the club. They tell me: the ground (a field) given the in-trust to the sportsman of Galleywood, a shed in the corner, teas were taken over the Running Mare and how they all got back from there in a state to play cricket is anyone’s guess. A few years before I joined as a 16year old a new clubhouse was erected (not sure if it was built),a real upgrade from the shed. We then had a bar, two shower cubicles (some hot water, get in first) outside toilets and a kitchen. We actually held our annual three course dinner in the clubhouse with over 60 people seated, the youngsters in the changing rooms, all together to contain the noise.
I remember the people with real character: Morris Taylor local fruit farmer and the nicest person I have ever met always borrowed his tractor to cut the outfield.
Brian Simmonds (Mr Galleywood) his first, second and thirds thoughts were how to improve the club and as the first real Groundsman along with Alf and Chris Cove helped transform wicket from a cabbage patch to a flat batting surface.
The two Big Al’s Francis and Johnson (Club President sadly only for one year) Both well over 6ft tall and round, fast and spin bowling combination.
Mel Perry (still lives in Galleywood today) a fantastic wicket keeper and mentor to the youngsters.
The silky-smooth opening bat Ronny Gay, John Dekker Club Captain, all-rounder and secretary, hands like buckets.
Gerry Andrews the best player and great all-round cricketer at 50 plus. I would have like to see him play in his prime they tell me he was really good.
Barry Clark (the ground is named after him) a small but unbelievably strong man that could bowl very quick. His daughter (Dawn) was the first female to play for Galleywood.
And finally, the Barker brothers (Sam, Don and Bill) each great characters in their own-right.
Not forgetting our resident Mayor and Parish Councillor and club President Roy Van Tromp.
The problem with that team was the changing room was like hospital ward with strapping, bandages, supports just to get some of them through a game Just Like Singhy, JB and Marly. Oh! and me today.
Who were the youngster to take over the reins? Chris Cove, Mick Brown, Graham Hunt, Dave Garratt, Paul Simmonds, Robert Dekker and me were all part of the youth section. Set up by Brian Simmonds to being new life into the club. Dave Loxley the university graduate who would turn up at the end May, opening bat and 50 wickets a year left arm spinner, club secretary and bar manager. Tim Bellamy son of a local chemist and owner of the house bottom in the bottom corner of the ground, the biggest beard and character of them all. Slightly later along came Paul Marlow and Sanders brothers Colin and Paul all great contributors to the club.
First game I ever played for the senior team, drafted in the 2nd XI to play Gt Baddow because Paul Simmonds had Chicken Pox. Gt Baddow elected to bat and were all-out for 26, Galleywood won by 7 wickets in just over two hours. Picked up my kit and just about to leave when skipper Peter Schofield said ‘where are you going’? You can put that down we are having a beer match. This sounds good. So out we trot for another game, twos wins in a single day for Galleywood 2nd XI. Mawby 25 not out on debut. Still waiting for the beer but never been home early yet from a game of cricket.
In the 80s the fixture secretary arranged for Sunday game a game against a team from the East End of London called Bow Rovers. The team turned up full of West Indians and we elected to bat. After being in trouble early on, we struggled to a respectable score. Our captain said as they came off for tea “at least that score will give you a challenge” to which his reply was (without seeing our bowling),“my brother will get them on his own” Which he did, finishing the game off very quickly and hitting a six which landed beyond the half way line of the football pitch. We retired to the bar, they left very late and the fixture continued for many years following that.
One of my greatest memories was our annual Bank Holiday Monday trip to Eight Ash Green, which introduced a new bowler who had the longest run up ever seen, but the slowest delivery. He ripped through the Eight Ash Green batting line up, taking four wickets in four balls. As he often recalls it “including a hat trick”. Yes, the great and memorable, JB still alive, kicking and playing.
Great progression at the club involved building a new club house, the one we have today. Purchasing a strip of land at the side of the ground as an access route for cars preventing the outfield from the troughs and ruts during the bad weather.
However, the club has moved on significantly in the last 10 years, in no small part to all the volunteers we now have; particularly, John Gray, Graham Storey, Steve and Alison Adams, Steve Dickson with the youth section and his wife Helen who has started a new chapter with the women’s team. Well done to all, keep up the good work.
What do we remember, the wins? the losses? the ups? the downs? not really, they all merge into one with a few trophies in a cabinet as reminders. What we really remember are the people and the impressions they leave on you. Make your impression today and leave memories.
George Mawby
Galleywood’s teas used to be the envy of the Mid Essex leagues. Part of this success was down to the quality of the cakes purchased from Woods Bakeries in the town centre. The bakery was at the back of the railway station and it was the duty of the Saturday home captain to drive into the town centre on a busy shopping day to pick up the cakes for the weekend’s matches.
When the seconds were at home on a Saturday, I would usually arrive at the ground at around 10.30am, ensure no crises with pitch duty rotas, players dropping out etc and then head into town around noon for the one hour round trip, back in time for a quick lunch before the match. I always parked my rusty Ford Escort Mark I at the tradesmen’s entrance and met up with one of the senior bakers, usually Paul “Pilsbury” Savage, whom I have known for years and collect the cakes. Throughout the season, one of Pilsbury’s colleagues would always come up to me and ask for a game. Around that time, we rarely put out a third XI and I would always provide the same response of, “sorry not this time”. The baker always helped me carry the trays of cakes to my car and there was always a sad look on his face when I drove off.
The last home game of the season was on a cold September afternoon. I received a call during the morning from one of our players that he had the flu and would have to cry off.
I drove into the busy Chelmsford traffic and parked my car in the usual spot. The baker in question dressed in his cricketing whites was waiting with the tray of cakes and before I could say, “you’re in”, he had placed the trays in the back seat and strapped himself in the passenger seat with his kitbag.
I won the toss and signalled towards the pavilion for the openers to get padded up. I returned to the changing room to see our new player rummaging through the kit bag for a pair of pads. I explained to him that there was no need to get padded up yet and would announce the batting order shortly. I got padded up at number 3 and wrote down the batting order with our new player, John Barritt “JB” at number 9. One of our openers was out early and I strode in and held the fort for a couple of hours as wickets tumbled. We were now @ 150-7 and our new batsman strode purposefully to the crease, whirling his bat Vivian Richards style. He was chewing gum and like the master blaster, had flipped his shirt collar upwards. He took Ieg stump guard and like the great man banged his bat hard into the ground and looked around at the fielders with a dismissive arrogance. I went up to JB and told him that the ball was nibbling around a bit, we have half an hour to tea and advised him to play straight and stick around. The opposition’s opening bowler had returned for a second spell and was slightly bemused by the demeanour displayed by our number 9 batsman. JB’s first delivery received in Galleywood Colours was well pitched up on off stump and with a flourish, the ball was dispatched over square leg, one bounce into the bushes for 4 runs. JB puffed out his chest and walked down the wicket to do some gardening, again banging his bat hard into the turf. He stared at me with the look of a man who should have batted much higher up the order. He also gave the bowler the look of, “c’mon mate, is that the best you can do?”. The next ball was again well pitched up on off stump but a tad quicker. JB repeated the same shot but unfortunately missed the ball which took out his off pole. JB looked around the field, tucked his bat under his arm and strode purposefully back to the pavilion. At tea, most of the chatter amongst our team and the opposition was about the short but entertaining innings from our new recruit. My resolute blockathon was an irrelevance.
As the team headed out to field after tea, I noticed that JB was not amongst us. I was having a chat with our opening bowlers and looked up and saw JB by the sightscreen at the Slades Lane end. He appeared to be marking out his run up. Before JB could ask for his 3 slips and 2 gulleys, I explained to him that he would be first change after our league bowlers, Steve Hart and Joe Hurley had completed their spells. Unfortunately, the rains came and the match was abandoned before we could get a look at our new bowler. Little did we know that a legend was born.
Forty years later, JB’s exploits are legendary and he is now highly regarded as one of Galleywood’s most enthusiastic and popular members. In the mid 90’s, I was working behind the bar and Loxo, Johnny and John Wickham were in their usual corner enjoying a drink and a chat. JB approached the bar and I mentioned to him that a first XI fixture against Eight Ash Green was approaching, a game where JB had taken 4 wickets in 4 balls a few years earlier. JB puffed out his chest and announced to the triumvirate in the bar, “yes, I took 4 wickets in 4 balls………...including a hattrick.”
Colin Sanders
Late in the season in 1981 after the completion of the successful league campaign for the second team, a few of the league players rested and it was a chance to give some of the fringe players a game.
A lad named Derek Morgan was renting a room at the Dynevor’s residence and played in a friendly at home late in the season.
It was a miserable day after a week of rain. The square and outfield were saturated, but Simmo had decided that the wicket was just about playable. We were in the field and I brought myself onto bowl from the pavilion end to a right-handed batsman who was eyeing up the legside. Derek was positioned at midwicket on the square.
Derek did not possess a pair of spiked cricket boots but fielded in a pair of blue training shoes. This did not please the purists. The first ball was played slightly towards Derek’s right which he stopped with his boot. This brought some guffaws from the keeper and senior players in the slip cordon, including Simmo. The next ball was flicked by the batsman a bit quicker and squarer. This time, Derek executed a perfect slide tackle to stop the ball taking advantage of the wet conditions brilliantly and slid several feet whilst stopping the ball on his ankle. It hurt. However, any pleasure derived from the save was countered by the removal of several feet of the sacred turf on an adjoining wicket. I could see that Simmo was about to launch into a tick of biblical proportions. I went over to Derek and made a point of showing him to bend down and use his hands and not to use his boot. Derek nodded in agreement.
The third ball I again bowled on the leg stump and it was clipped again firmly towards Derek. This time you could see a level of confusion in the fielder. Derek initially thrust out a boot, thought about a slide and then remembered he would be in trouble, before stretching out a hand. By the time these thought processes had come and gone, the ball had gone past him and was heading towards the boundary. Derek then turned in a wide circle and hared after the ball, feet pounding and only concentrating on damage limitation. The boundary had to be prevented. Derek was sprinting at full pace with a wide gait, eyes only on the ball. Within inches of the line, Derek stretched out, still at full pace, trod on the ball, preventing the boundary. At this split second, Derek realized that immediately behind the line was a ditch full of prickly bushes and nettles, surrounded by a wire fence. Derek’s momentum after treading on the ball forced him into leaping over the fence like an Olympic high jumper and he disappeared into the bushes and nettles. We heard a distant scream from 60 yards away as Derek performed his acrobatic stop and leap.
After a few seconds and no sign of Derek, the fielders on the legside followed by myself, then the fielders on the offside, keeper and slips including Simmo, rushed towards the bush where Derek had disappeared. We were worried that he might be seriously injured. The batsmen were still running but eventually, even they stopped and with the umpires, joined the rescue party. As we all approached the spot in the bushes where Derek was last seen, a diminutive figure crawled out caked in mud, nettles and thickets, looking like a cross between Swampy and Worzel Gummidge. Before the first responders (the leg side fielders) could enquiry into his health, Derek jumped back over the fence, saw he had saved the boundary, picked up and threw the ball over the approaching melee of fielders, batsmen and umpires. It was a perfect throw and landed near the square where there was no one to receive it.
The game had to be stopped for about ten minutes, not only for Derek to be cleaned up and to make sure he was alright but for the rest of the players to regain their composure. The umpires and batsman were not sure how many runs they had completed but we shock hands on 4 runs. There was a silhouette in the bush for several weeks outlining where Derek had completed his leap. This must go down as the most courageous piece of fielding in Galleywood’s history. Thankfully for the next match, Derek had acquired a pair of spiked cricket boots.
Colin Sanders
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Memories! Hmmm , well early in the day, I remember a mad bowler picking up a stump and advancing towards the batsman ( not me )! Morbid (George) or Can of Paint (Marlow) will remember who it was .
Thereafter various things of league play but the club of course is so much more than that !
Bob Gratze and his hair bouncing up and down, either in the field or coming into bowl !
The frothing of oppositions hair in the showers !
Too many one liners against opponents, or indeed our own players !
Grand times and always a glass or two to many after (just ask Hunty) !
Midweek was just as enjoyable, the cracking men of Leigh’s games !
Batsman occasionally determine the outcome , but bowlers by and large win it !
When did I play ! Well we won the league in my first season ! 1980 something or 79 !
The characters really , but good times at a cracking club.
Steve Dupree
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