Tuesday 14 March 2023

Remember the Groundsman - The Pitch Doctor

 


All images have now been archived in a memory saving exercise on the blog in readiness for the coming season. You can request on of the images via the address in the header at the top of this page,






22/ Grantham Journal 28 July 1967





21/ Nottingham Journal 19 February 1947











28 May 1960 05:00 Start


20.5/ Nottingham Evening News 28 May 1960






20.4/ Leicester Daily Mercury



20.3/ Halifax Evening Courier




20.2/ Coventry Evening Telegraph






20.1/ One incident reported in varying ways, dependent on newspaper but first the Post had to continue its on-going feature .








19/ Nottingham Evening Post December 18, 1999




18/ Nottingham Evening Post 23 February 1993




17.4  Nottingham Evening Post 20 July 1998



17.3 Newark Advertiser 2 May 1997



17.2/ Nottingham and Long Eaton Topper 30 April 1997




17.1/  Nottingham Evening Post 19 April 1997



17.0/ Obviously this Steve Birks phase starts below on 3.4 with Frank Dalling junior, junior's resignation at the end of 1996.

1989

16.5 Nottingham Evening Post 15 September 1989






16.4 Reading Evening Post 22 August 1989







16.3 Nottingham Evening Post 22 August 1989






16.2 Nottingham Evening Post 2 August 1989




16.1 Nottingham Evening Post 31 July1989






15/ Nottingham Evening Post 4 May 1991







14/ Nottingham Evening Post 28 August 1993





13.3 Nottingham Evening Post 23 July 1977





13.2 Nottingham Evening Post 2 August 1977




13.1/ Reading Evening Post 20 December 1977





12/ Nottingham Evening Post 19 April 1951






11/ Leicester Mercury 26 August 1950




BILLY WALKER


10.3/ His legend lived on

Mansfield Reporter 29 August 1919




10.1/ A piece written by Harry Butler Daft's father, the Nottinghamshire legend Richard Daft, for a weekly publication called "Cricket".

31 August 1893


It's all in the special Nottinghamshire marl...


10.2/ Globe 09 February 1911





9/ Dundee Courier 9 June 1938





8/ Nottingham Evening Post 20 February 1995






7/ Huddersfield Daily Examiner 9 August 1995




THE WEATHER

6/ Illustrated Sport and Dramatic News 19 June 1926






MANSFIELD - THE HOLY GRAIL

5/ Mansfield Reporter 27 JUne 1924






4/ Nottingham Evening Post 25 August 1997






FRANK DALLING 

3.4 Mansfield and Sutton Recorder 5 December 1996





3.3 Nottingham Evening Post 17 September 1996







3.2

Nottingham Evening Post 17 July 1996




On Ron Allsop's retirement as Trent Bridge head groundsman after the 1995 season, his second in command took up the reins - Frank Dalling (the third), son of Frank Dalling and grandson of Frank Dalling.


Frank Dalling 1890 - 1949

Frank Dalling 1924 - 1981 (Harry William Dalling 1921 - 1998)

Frank Dalling 1956 - 

Owing to a number of contributing factors: a lack of forward planning with regards wicket relaying since perhaps his father's time and media criticism (to name but two), Frank III stood down after just one season.

3.1/ Nottingham Evening Post 1 July 1996




2/ Frank and Harry's dad also had a long connection with Trent Bridge

Nottingham Evening Post 31 March 1949




1/ Nottingham Guardian 29 June 1966 (this was Frank junior the groundsman from 1949, note who was sitting on the roller)




53 comments:

  1. Such a great groundsman !
    Got to know Harry Dalling well, such a wonderful man.

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  2. 75,NOT OUT
    Yes , sitting on the roller was Ron Allsop- who of course went on to the top groundsmans job at TB . Prepared many a good , lively match for Rice and Hadlee to cause havoc before lunch on a first day of a County match .
    Ron was almost NOTTS ccc twelfth man .

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  3. Great character Ron.i could and did listen to many of his fascinating stories. Not seen him around for a long time.Foxy.

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  4. Ron Allsop may have famously ‘doctored’ the wickets for Rice and Hadlee, but let’s not forget this also helps the oppo seamers(its 50/50 whether you win the toss and insert the oppo on the first morning) and we also had to play the other games at away grounds, on their home-advantage pitches.
    I think this point sometimes gets lost a bit ?
    Some of Newell’s ‘result’ pitches when he was just cricket coach, when he was desperate for a win, were plainly awful and the gamble backfired on us sometimes on these ‘lottery’ 180-200 run pitches, where let’s hope Samit or Wessells can crash an over par 70odd on it and we somehow post around 250 and assume control after the first innings.
    Only way to ensure proper pitches is for all the groundsmen to be centrally contracted to the ECB and not employed by the 18 Counties who all have their own agenda with needing results constantly.

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  5. Snippet 3.2 that’s a forgotten name Lyndsay Walker ?
    From memory(and without looking it up) I think he was an Aussie keeper/batsman but I didn’t watch the stiffs at that time,
    Was the so-called first choice keeper Wayne “High” Noon then so presumably he was injured or Walker was playing as a batsman only(or was in line to play as per the bottom paragraph of the snippet)

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  6. He was around for a while but didn’t play much( Lyndsay). Think he played in that derek Randall testimonial match that was largely an old England v old Australia game one Sunday, I think I 1993 .
    Wayne noon would definitely be a shoo in for franchise cricket around the world these days. ( er ,well ,perhaps not)but the journey man somehow made a life long career out of cricket . Foxy

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  7. HighNoon Gie Tolley Oram Bowen and Bates of that era should never have been anywhere near a set up like Trent Bridge.
    There’s only one journey these men were on…..out of first class cricket(for differing reasons)
    Thankfully we had very talented young players in Afzaal and Franks coming through and still had the brilliant Paul Johnson in the squad. We also signed Jason Gallian from Lancashire who was a top quality County opening batsman.

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  8. Darren bicknell came in and gave brilliant service around that time . Noon was a match referee last time I spotted him,he somehow managed to stay in cricket and never to do a proper days work in his life . Foxy

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  9. Timothy Lumsden.
    Some forgot(almost) names in snippet 4/25 August refers
    David Stapleton Bain Hogg Trophy Mark Arthur” Are you series about promotion? We are” - a legendary quote for the Forest fans reading this and Cornhill Insurance Test Series
    I recall making the trip to Worksop for County Championship games and obviously much latterly Welbeck but I can’t recall us ever playing a first classer in Mansfield as muted in the above article?
    Anybody know whether the stiffs played games at this proposed venue years ago ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The stiffs played the game against Lancashire (as mentioned in the above article) on 4th May 1997 winning the 50-over contest by 4 runs. Sadly they never returned to Chesterfield Road South

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  10. David Stapleton is still around. I’ve seen him at cricket lovers(granted I’ve not been since the pandemic) forest supporting Notts county reporter on the football post.
    I heard Ron talking about the possibility of championship cricket at Mansfield on radio Nottingham at the time but it never came off.
    Ron was great , spoke to everyone, including me towards the end of his long career at Trent Bridge. You only had to say Geoff boycott,dickie bird,derek Randall or his big favourite Clive rice to him and you would be happily still listening to stories from him half an hour later. Whatever he got paid ( I doubt that it was all that much) was not enough for the years and hours he put in . Foxy

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  11. Timothy Lumsden
    Thanks mag’s. Have looked at that scorecard from that match at Forest Town, Mansfield.
    Eddie Hemmings’ son James played in that game
    Don’t recognise many from Lanky’s seconds but the name Steve Titchard brings back a few memories along with leg/wrist spinner Chris Schofield. From what I’ve heard Schofield represented England as we all know, but sadly lost his way in the game and became a painter/decorator(not that there’s anything wrong with a good honest trade). Also in that match Jimmy Hindson opened the batting with a young Usman Afzaal. He also lost his way in the game after a very promising start with us. I remember speaking to his dad, Bob, about it last year down at Lady Bay and I think Jimmy just decided to explore other business interests in the media instead of cricket.

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    Replies
    1. The game is incorrectly labelled as Forest town on the Internet, it took place at Chesterfield Road South. The ground at Forest Town is incidentally now home to AFC Mansfield

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    2. Thanks for that correction info Mike, I was curious when looking it up earlier. Very interesting reg. Mansfield Town also,

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    3. Correction. Not Town, AFC Mansfield

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  12. 75 NOT OUT
    The mascot that Captain Carr is holding looks far less friendly than NUTS THE SQUIREL

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    Replies
    1. Timothy Lumsden
      It doesn’t look much fun in the pavilion seating-or benching- outside areas
      No other sport is at the mercy of wet and inclement weather to the extent of cricket.
      A massive Notts fan, previously mentioned on the superb articles relating to 1971-1976, always famously said “If the Americans had invented cricket, they would guarantee play”, certainly at the major Test venues with covered stadia/retractable roof coverings etc. but I am not sure how financially viable this project would be to implement. Probably just far too cost-prohibitive.

      Delete
  13. Timothy Lumsden.
    Another brilliant snippet from today no.7
    But who do you think you are kidding Mr.Strauss ?
    Richard Illingworth and Mike Watkinson the 2 spinners who played in that TM when, presumably, we would have played county cricket all through the summer ?
    Ironically, they both did ok in this TB game as I’ve just looked at the scorecard from the match, but I would suggest we just don’t produce many top quality spinners in this country no matter what our domestic structure is, so no ridiculous, radical reforms please Sir. Andrew.
    Used to attend the TB TM in those days and can recall a certain Brian Charles Lara batting in that game.
    I think 1995 was a pretty decent summer and Ron must have produced a bit of a turner for those two to take wickets, albeit the once so powerful Windies batting line up was well into decline in the mid 90s.
    Remember a few years ago when we tried to resemble sub-cont. conditions for Ravi Ashwin and still couldn’t win a game !!!!

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  14. 75,NOTOUT
    SORRY!
    Some technical stuff there from Mr Lumsden . Went slightly over my head !

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  15. Just looked at the scorecard from Ron Allsop’s benefit game. Was deffo there but had forgotten it was Ron’s game
    50 over AXA Equity & Law League game. Johnno 75 from 47 balls 9x4 3x6 s/r of 159.57. Who else was batting in one day cricket like that back in 1993 ?
    Ali Brown for Surrey possibly and the England selectors then thought he was a complete joke for the way he played with his unorthodox technique.
    Anyone confirm this was the first year of coloured clothing to be worn ? I’m pretty certain it was.

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    Replies
    1. Yes 1993 was the first year of coloured clothing in English domestic cricket

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    2. Jonno we know is a Trent Bridge legend, he would of been tailor made for t20, but Ali Brown did a great job for us too. Foxy

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  16. 75NOT OUT
    REF LATEST ITEM 9( 1938)
    Amazing that Amateurs and Professionals in the England set up were allocated separate hotels!
    Why not separate dressings rooms and showers. ?
    I think that on the scorecards the
    Amateurs were listed as " Mr" or "Lord" in the cases of nobility playing the game . So even in 1939 it wasn't considered entirely respectable to be playing the game for a living and thus earning a wage .

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    Replies
    1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_status_in_first-class_cricket

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  17. Timothy Lumsden.
    I’m sure we all can remember the stories of W G Grace being given out by the umpire but then refusing to walk !
    And quite rightly, as he would point out, “These people have turned up to watch me bat, not him bowl”
    This may have been what Joe Clarke needed last season ? An extra 2 ‘lives’ every time he went out to bat for Notts

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  18. 75 NOT OUT
    Yes by all accounts it was a brave Umpire who gave WGGrace out LBW or caught behind! It's not what the crowd wanted and everyone understood this . His presence in a game would easily double or treble the gate receipts
    MONEY TALKS!

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  19. Just looked at the scorecard, snippet 13.3 refers of that Notts v Australia tourists game - that’s phrase you never hear these days, unfortunately.
    Jeff Thomson returned match figures of 10ov 36 runs 1 wckt & 13 ov 77 runs 2 wckts
    Of the Aussies big score, Craig Serjeant made 159 and Gary Cosier 100
    Always liked the annual County v Touring side games.
    Can recall seeing Aussie legend Steve Waugh batting on a cold, grey, day against Notts. Think this would have been his first proper tour playing matches in this country.

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  20. 75NOT OUT
    The touring side playing against a County side was traditionally one of the seasons highlights . Its all too frenetic now and the tourists cannot have 4 days playing with very little at stake - apart from " valuable " match practice

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  21. 75NOT OUT
    READING 13.2 article reveals low admission charges . 90,000 admissions over the five days of the Test brought in record Gate receipts of £160,000. Seat prices therefore averaged below £2,and this is a prime Ashes match . Allowing for rampant inflation it makes 2023 Test admission prices much higher than you would expect . Cricket at the highest level was so cheap to watch back then . Little did we know what was to come! But of course we TB spectators now enjoy spectacular views and great facilities - someone has to pay for it!

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  22. Todays’ snippet no.14 reg Ron Allsopp’s benefit game.
    Just re-visited the match scorecard and some well known Derbyshire players played in that match, namely.
    Peter bowler, Chris adams, Kim Barnett, Corky, Karl krikken and ‘Stan’ Mortensen
    Amongst the better known Notts players were also.
    Mark saxelby, Greg Mike, mark crawley, Richard bates and Dave Pennett,

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  23. 75NOT OUT
    POOR ORACS IPAD !
    It's taking a real hammering these days .

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  24. T.L.
    You can’t beat a bit of nostalgia 79no ?
    Talking of which, The Randall Report in the Evening Post takes me right back.
    Went to a lot of away games in 1991 season where we paired ‘Rags’ with Chris Broad to open and ‘Robbo’ dropping down the order.
    Didn’t go to that game at Cardiff but just seen Broady scored 108 and Notts won the game by 4 wckts. This was the year we first won the Sunday League competition, culminating in thrashing our local rivals so comprehensively.
    I recall it was a lovely, sunny, Sunday afternoon and perfectly fit for the grand occasion. Modern day technology can only tell you so much…….

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  25. Don’t let the small matter of a venue not being in the County to put you off(todays snippet 16.1 refers)
    Definately can recall playing at Worksop twice once against Gloucestershire and the other against Glamorgan but sure I would have gone to more than these two games.

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  26. Timothy Lumsden.
    Todays’ snippet 16.3 refers. Can distinctly recall this fiasco watching from the Raddy Rd middle tier.
    Always thought Broady shook the hand of Michael Holding and not the catcher and had forgotten that he then refused to play on the ‘new’ strip.
    Had completely forgotten about the result and all those wickets going down to both sets of spinners. Somewhat not surprising however if it was the pitch that had been recently used for the Test Match as it must have been an extremely worn surface.
    Martin Jean-Jacques, that’s a real ‘blast from the past’

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  27. Said it before, but the only way to ensure Home Counties are not ‘doctoring’ their pitches is to have each of the 18 Head Groundsmen centrally contracted directly to the ECB instead.
    Occasionally the weather conditions will always scupper this still but the game would have to live with that. Wouldn’t have thought the cost would be too prohibitive for this to be put into place if the games’ authorities wished for it to happen in the future.

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    Replies
    1. The beauty of the county game is its variety, wouldn't you agree? Some homogenised wicket decreed by Lord's, would kill that variety!

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    2. You’ve certainly got a point Mr.Nottsviewer.
      I’ve never been a fan of a ‘result’ pitch(admittedly the same for both sides) with the game ending in 2 and a quarter days.
      But I know others who don’t mind this, as long as their County wins the game, that’s all that matters.
      But, conversely, the pitch we prepd for a ‘weak ish’ Middlesex side was destined for a bore draw right from the off.
      I guess there is an argument for home sides to have an advantage playing at their home ground at least to some degree also, provided this is not abused.
      I suspect it’s never going to happen anyway but it’s always an interesting one to me down the years.

      Delete
  28. 75 NOT OUT
    A FASCINATING THREAD!
    Thanks to those who did all the research and unearthed all the various press cuttings. It just shows what “ power” a groundsman has to influence the result of a match . But as has been shown , the method of pitch preparation can backfire in a spectacular fashion . I wonder if Ron Allsopps position was ever brought into question ?

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    Replies
    1. He copped a bit of flack for a few days , as did Steve birks for that test pitch v India in 2014, but I don’t think their position was ever in any doubt. But I may be wrong. Foxy

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  29. I may of jumped ahead of the tale in mentioning Steve birks India test pitch. But zahid , a blaze of publicity but he never came and he was never heard of again! Some familiar names who gave great service but reaching the end of their long careers there too.Foxy

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    Replies
    1. Can now just about recall this unfortunate ‘disaster’ signing, Foxy, but I had completely erased this from my memory, prior to reading this latest brilliant snippet on Nottsview.

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  30. The Century Club
    Todays’ snippet 17.1
    How many remember Mohammad Zahid ? I certainly had forgotten about him.
    And it’s not surprising as like his fellow countryman Shoaib Akhtar, he never played for us, having arrived with a stress fracture(never great for someone trying to bowl 90mph+on a consistent basis)
    There are pictures, of said Mr. Zahid, shaking the hands of cricket coach Alan Ormrod on the Pavilion balcony.
    Then, obviously somewhat limited, we replace him as overseas option with kiwi batter Nathan Astle who was playing in the Lancashire League at the time. Perfectly logical, an out and out fast bowler….for a middle order batsman who bowls a few ‘pies’ when you’re desperate. Good quality batsman though it has to be said.
    Thought dear old ‘Marthur’ did a good job for Trent Bridge as a business overall. Guess this was the start of cricket becoming more of a business as opposed to just being a sport anymore.
    Hopped it across the road to the City Ground for a load more loot when I think he became CEO of Forest. (can’t blame him for that, really) where he became a much maligned and generally disliked almost a figure of fun in some ways. Obviously not helped by the absolute classic statement of “Forest fans are you serious about promotion….we are” which became a statement to haunt the Forest board.
    Always liked the ‘stag’ emblem and much preferred it to this new ‘Maplin’s’ style design personally. Hi-de-Hi fellow Notts supporters.

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  31. Yes Tim, MacArthur is largely to be credited with the Radcliffe road development.
    because he played for Surrey seconds and his time at Trent Bridge I always thought he’d end up with a plump job at lords.his age and the Yorkshire debacle would debar him now.
    The stag grew and extra antler at some point and I like that one.the deer encircled with “ Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club “ from the hadlee and rice era represented a great period in the history of the club.
    The maplins yellow coat badge , well spotted lol.
    Some clever marketing man spotted an old photo of Harold Larwood with that badge on; as I ( and others ) have been extracting the Michael out of Michael Temple all week I’m going to credit him with that.
    Signed ted bovis

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  32. And remember, “the first rule of comedy spike”always take the Mick out of Mick Newell.
    Ted bovis

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  33. 75 NOT OUT
    With the sad demise of the great trooper Ted Bovis its quite obvious that sidekick SPIKE is now the person inside NUTS THE SQUIRREL!?
    The pre- match TB banter between Master of Ceremonies Colin Hazlehurst and Nuts is truly cringeworthy. About as entertaining as watching Boycott and Tavare batting together !
    ( anyone remember the slow handclap those two received at TB for tedious slow play at about one run an over!?)

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  34. Mr. Partridge.
    Todays’ superb snippet 17.2 refers. Scorecard from the Notts v Worcs game where they hit 417, one of the few occasions a certain G.A. Hick failed only making 4
    The Sunday League game mentioned, Notts a whopping 183 from 40 overs. The middle order positions of 6,7&8 occupied by incumbents Tolley, Bates and High Noon. More entertainment in watching an asthmatic ant traverse the Gobi desert.
    Of all the signings made down the years and we’ve had plenty of brilliant players to watch, with yet another championship fixture being massively affected by rain, the new “Test Quality” drainage system surely has to have been the best ever ‘addition’ made to Trent Bridge down the years ? Unfortunately, we can’t actually stop the rain from falling in the first place.

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    Replies
    1. Sqdn.Leader Clive Dempster

      Same snippet, interesting situation with ‘Jonno’s’ contract deal ?
      If anyone fully deserved a bumper contract it was him for what he had done for the club in both championship and one day cricket.
      He’d be the first to admit it was a damn sight better than ‘working’ for a living in the daily grind but, if ever two of our legendary players missed out by being born before the white ball money circus of today, it must have been Johnno and Derek Randall.
      Johnno, in particular, was playing t20 cricket long before it had even been invented in the professional game.

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  35. 75 NOTOUT
    With the way things were back in the day I shouldnt think that Johnno or Arkle made a great deal of money out of the game . Certainly not enough to retire in luxury . But in todays white ball opportunities I would imagine both would attain millionaire status within a short space of time - echoes of current one day money making machine Mr Hales!

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  36. Money is not everything ( but it helps). But I talk to cricket lovers up and down the country ( and indeed visiting aussies ) . The first name that crops up is usually Derek ( sometimes 3rd after hadlee and rice) then larwood at which point I usually interject the name of some bloke called sobers. Good luck to the likes of will smeed , you can only exist in your own era , but will he be remembered and revered? Jonno and others ( like say Basher) are still talked about decades after they packed up playing.Foxy

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  37. 75 NOTOUT
    Ref the various articles about wicket preparation . Its obviously not an exact science and really the groundsmen are in the lap of the Gods regarding air temperatures , rainfall and sunshine hours . All of which must have a bearing on how the wicket will play and last out. I notice that Cheltenham racecourse are having difficulty in providing the necessary amount of grass growth for the big meeting starting next Tues . Last summers heatwave plus recent very cold Feb temperatures and lack of rainfall have played havoc with conditions necessary for good jumping ground.

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  38. “ smash apartheid “ was painted atop the west wing facing outwards too. Clearly visible from musters road , Bridgford road and The ornamental gardens. Seem to remember it being there for quite sometime. First saw it when my mate and me were being taken to see Forest by his dad. Can’t alas remember the date or which forest match.Foxy.

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  39. The “ smash apartheid “ artwork I saw and referred to above appeared much later 1969 possibly early 1970. Foxy

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