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Lifetime Achiever Award – Howard Smith Kent Seniors Cricket

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Howard started open-age cricket in the 1950’s when he was 14 for Dulwich Wanderers C C. He joined Cuaco C C in 1959 (now ODCuaco C C0 where he can still be found on a weekendkeeping wicket at the ripe old age of 82!

Howard’s skills as a cricket administrator soon landed him in a role with the Kent Cricket League Committee, with him becoming Chair of the League for 7 years. A notable achievement of his time with the KCL was that he obtained £10K sponsorship from Shepherd Neame in his second year of office.

His involvement with the Kent Seniors started in 2004 as a player and in 2009 he took on the reigns as the administrator, this being his 15th consecutive year at the helm! During his time Kent have gone from one 60+ Team to four 60+ Teams and three 70+ Teams which is a wonderful achievement for the County. With over 55 home fixtures a season to arrange including all the game logistics this is quite an achievement.
He is referred to as The Administrator which is probably true.

Howard’s experience and the time he has dedicated to cricket at club, league and county level is un-matched. If you haven’t played with him, you have probably played in a league he has run or a Kent team he has managed.. And if not, you have almost certainly heard him speak, as a resident MC of the KCL end of season dinner, or as an after-dinner speaker at clubs across the County.

Kent Cricket would like to thank Howard for everything he has given to the cricket community in Kent. It is unlikely that you will meet a more deserving winner of the Lifetime Achiever Award or for that matter a nicer man

January 2025 Update

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You maybe aware that our plan to cease walking and fund raising in September 2024 failed.

See below the walks arranged so far 2025.

As long as people are prepared to walk, raise awareness and funds for our fight against Prostate Cancer, Pat and I will keep walking.

2025 has Counties arranging 2nd and 3rd walks and we are indebted to them.

We really hope that the 5 Counties who have not arranged a walk will be able to in 2025.

It does not matter how few or many walk and how much money you raise, it is making people aware which is the most important thing to us.

We are humbled and honoured to have been asked to play a match against The Vatican Cricket Team in Rome on 1st November 2025 as they help to promote awareness of Prostate Cancer. (we are indebted to Father Eamonn O’Higgins and Paul Bradley for making this possible)

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss arranging a walk.

Ron’s March with The Bob Willis Fund and Prostate Cancer UK

Wednesday 9th April 2025   Surrey Seniors Walk                                                Horsley and Send CC

Friday 9th May 2025              Essex Walk (v Yorkshire)                                          County Ground, Chelmsford

Friday 16th May 2025            Middlesex Walk (v Leicestershire)                      Lords Cricket Ground

Monday 23rd June 2025       Edgbaston- Warwickshire Walk (v Somerset)  Edgbaston Cricket Ground

Monday 30th June 2025       Sussex Walk (v Warwickshire)                               Hove Cricket Ground

8TH or 9th September 2025   Worcestershire Walk (v Nottinghamshire)        New Road, Worcester

The walks in Surrey, Essex, Middlesex and Edgbaston have been confirmed, further details to follow on all walks.

Buckinghamshire CCC are looking to walk in Malta, during the Over 60s Tournament there, at the end of March, early April. Counties taking part in the Tournament will be invited to join us.

We are hoping to arrange another walk at The Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden, Hertfordshire late in September.

On the 1st November we shall be in Rome to play The Vatican Cricket Team, at their invitation, to support our Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign.

We hope to be playing two other matches while in Rome.

(An honour and a privilege)

We are hoping that Counties who have not arranged a walk, so far, will be able to in 2025, so by the end of the year all Counties will have supported this amazing campaign.

The total raised now stands at £55000 plus £7000 Gift Aid. We estimate nearly 1000 people have joined a walk.

Hugh Symes RIP

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It is with great sadness that we report that our much admired member, Hugh Symes, passed away on Christmas Eve following a short battle with cancer.

Hugh played much of his club cricket for Leatherhead Cricket Club excelling with both bat and ball.

Hugh was, until last season our Surrey Seniors chairman and for many years a regular player in our 60+ and 70+ teams.  Hugh was also an SSCA main committee member and auditor.  We have lost a great supporter and a very fine man.

Our thoughts and condolences go to Hugh’s wife Diana, his daughter Rebecca, son Jonathan and the new baby grand-daughter.

PAUL MUSTOE RIP

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All those who have played cricket with Paul Mustoe in recent years will be deeply saddened to learn of his death, on 26th November, after a long illness which was known only to his very closest and dearest. Paul, it seems, wanted to just get on with life and the game of cricket which he loved, squeezing the most out of every season.

 Paul played with distinction for Bedfordshire Seniors, at over 50s, over 60s and over 70s levels. He was a talented allrounder, obdurate batsman, excellent fielder, with a safe pair of hands in the outfield, and he was a left arm spinner with a bit of mystery in his deliveries which often baffled the opposition batsmen, and, possibly Paul himself at times. In his enthusiasm he has been known to bowl six different balls in an over. He was regularly available to play the sport he loved and he gave his all to each and every game. Only two years ago he scored an excellent 147 against Norfolk.

Beyond this Paul was popular with his colleagues who shared his love for the game and also each opposition team, because Paul would readily engage in post-match conversations and reflections on the noble game.

Our Sympathies and condolences are extended to Elaine, Paul’s wife, and their family.

On behalf of Bedforshire Seniors

UAE Over 60s Cricket Festival

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The Sporta Tours Over 60’s cricket festival will be held in the UAE in early March 2025. Sporta Tours is an official sponsor of England Seniors Cricket and have an excellent track record of delivering events of this nature to a wide range of clients including: ECB/MCC/English Professional Counties/HMC Schools/England Seniors.

The festival represents an excellent opportunity for some warm weather matches and practice ahead of the English cricket season.

Details here:- UAE Over 60s Cricket Festival

Any English County Over 60s teams (joint teams welcome) wishing to express an interest to attend should contact Roger Myall at [email protected] for more details                  

HISTORY OF THE HOME COUNTIES 60+ COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

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(Historical playing records can be found here)

Summary of Home Counties Champions:

2004: Essex
2005: Essex
2006: Sussex
2007: Sussex
2008: Essex & Hampshire (shared)

Back in 2003 Barry Smith realised that a number of good club cricketers could no longer hold a regular place in the over 50’s County Championship and, like himself, were becoming a little disillusioned with regular League cricket. Hugh Milner of Sussex agreed that there was possible scope for an over 60’s competition but, after enquiring of other Home Counties, the only potential problem seemed to be whether there would be enough 60 year olds of sufficient standard in each county.

Hertfordshire, Essex and Surrey joined Kent and Sussex in the new venture for 2004 with the rules based on those which the over 50’s used. However, it was initially agreed that each county could play two 59 year old players in each game. As the instigator of the idea, Barry agreed to be the Competition Organiser and each county played home & away against each other – 8 games in the season with the two top teams playing in a final.
The objective was that the counties would stage the Final in turn and Surrey undertook this in 2004. On an excellent Sunday in September at Dorking C.C., Sussex played Essex and the latter won by 49 runs. As Barry was presenting the cup to the Essex Captain, we were all interrupted by the Royal Bypass of Spitfire, Mosquito and Lancaster as they had just left Biggin Hill Airshow to return to their base – where ever that was. A true finale to the first season.

In 2005 the same two teams again met in the final at Radlett, Hertfordshire and again Essex were triumphant by 6 runs – no airshow this year!!

By 2006 the message had spread and Suffolk and Norfolk joined to increase the competition to 7 Counties. Essex hosted the final at Brentwood but were not one of the competitors. Sussex again qualified but this year with Kent and in a close game Sussex won by 4 wickets in the final over.

By now many counties, even if not playing in the Championship, had a regular list of friendly games and this encouraged Worcestershire and Berkshire to join in 2007. It was no longer practical to play games on a home & away basis with 9 counties and so each county only played each other once.
This was gradually taking the competition outside of the Home Counties and distance travelling was becoming involved which some counties were happy with but others were not so keen. It was in 2007 that Barry managed to obtain some sponsorship for the Championship and this assisted all counties by subsidising the cost of the balls. Having played for 3 years and discovered that counties now seemed to have enough 60 year olds, it was agreed to phase out the under-aged players over the next two seasons.
The competition had basically resurrected social club cricket, although it was competitive, for many club players who may well have hung up their boots had it not been organised. The weather in 2007 was horrendous and of the 36 scheduled games only 14 were played on their original dates, a further 15 were replayed and 7 never even happened!.
Sussex again played Kent in the final at Sittingbourne and this match saw one of the highest totals ever scored – Sussex were 333 for 4 after 45 overs on what was described as a good batting track! Kent never managed to keep up the pace and were dismissed for 171.

In 2008 bad weather for 3 separate weeks during the season caused havoc with the fixture list but 43 of the 45 games were eventually played and the non-results of the two that weren’t had no effect on the finalists who were Essex and Hampshire, in their first season. Suffolk hosted the game at Copdock and for the first time in 5 years, rain struck. Hampshire completed their innings at 189 for 7 off 45 overs and in reply Essex got to 36 for 2 off 15 overs when drizzle appeared. All players wanted to keep going and Essex got to 100 for 2 in 26 overs when conditions were getting silly, if not dangerous, and the umpires decided that everybody had had enough. The two teams, with the Organiser’s agreement, agreed to share the trophy for 2008.

Lifetime Achiever Award – Howard Smith Kent Seniors Cricket

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Howard started open-age cricket in the 1950’s when he was 14 for Dulwich Wanderers C C. He joined Cuaco C C in 1959 (now ODCuaco C C0 where he can still be found on a weekendkeeping wicket at the ripe old age of 82!

Howard’s skills as a cricket administrator soon landed him in a role with the Kent Cricket League Committee, with him becoming Chair of the League for 7 years. A notable achievement of his time with the KCL was that he obtained £10K sponsorship from Shepherd Neame in his second year of office.

His involvement with the Kent Seniors started in 2004 as a player and in 2009 he took on the reigns as the administrator, this being his 15th consecutive year at the helm! During his time Kent have gone from one 60+ Team to four 60+ Teams and three 70+ Teams which is a wonderful achievement for the County. With over 55 home fixtures a season to arrange including all the game logistics this is quite an achievement.

He is referred to as The Administrator which is probably true.

Howard’s experience and the time he has dedicated to cricket at club, league and county level is un-matched. If you haven’t played with him, you have probably played in a league he has run or a Kent team he has managed.. And if not, you have almost certainly heard him speak, as a resident MC of the KCL end of season dinner, or as an after-dinner speaker at clubs across the County.

Kent Cricket would like to thank Howard for everything he has given to the cricket community in Kent. It is unlikely that you will meet a more deserving winner of the Lifetime Achiever Award or for that matter a nicer man.

The ECB Cricket Collective Awards 2024 – Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation

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The main award of the ceremony was the  Lifetime Achiever Award. Which was awarded to Len Attard for his services to Gloucestershire Seniors cricket.

As Len explained in his interview over the last two decades he’s taken seniors cricket in Gloucestershire from one over 50s team to four over 50s, four over 60s and an over 70s side, where the county also provides the captain for the England team in each of the three age categories. The over 70s captain has just led the England team to win the World Cup.

Use the following link to view see the interview Interview with Len

And this link to see the presentation Award Presentation

Ridings first team took on the touring Western Australia team, including a handful of full internationals at the traditional county ground at Harrogate on Wednesday.

Continuing his 100 % record with the coin, Zai Ali won the toss and as is customary asked the tourists to bat first on a beautiful sunny day. It was good to have the returning Nigel Kenyon available again, but after an impressive three over spell, the opposition captain Graeme Tysoe decided to take a liking to him and he finished wicketless bowling his five overs for 39. At the other end, Rich Gibson continued his masterclass in flight and drift, and claimed two victims, a smart catch from Steve Lawrence before clean bowling skipper Tysoe for a brisk 52, to claim 2 for 35 in his 9 over spell.

Mike Scothern can consider himself unlucky to concede boundaries off the edge and through fielding errors but returned to claim customary late wickets, finishing with 2 for 60 including the prized scalp of international opener Sam Davis. It was also great to welcome Mike Newhouse back after a three year break through personal circumstances, and as always his mixture of well pitched leg breaks and top spinners had the Aussie batters back in their shell, a spell of 9 overs producing 3 for 39, including the valuable wicket of John Spilsbury caught behind, and also Aussie MoM John Pearce, who had confounded all other bowlers with his ability to find the boundary with all manner of shots, rarely out of the textbook! Ali Anthony bowled as well as ever getting plenty from the wicket and finished with 1 for 43 from his 9 overs, but the remaining two bowlers Zai Ali and for the first time a solitary last over from Steve Walton suffered from the class bat of Gary Green, father of full international Cameron Green, and their combined four overs went for 50 runs. So Western Australia, who had chased down 267 on Sunday to beat Cheshire finished their innings on 273 for 8, with Green unbeaten for the second match in a row on 37 from 27 balls. The total was aided by some unusually sloppy fielding and 21 leg side wides, and one unfortunate incident when Malcolm Barraclough, having taken an impressive catch on the boundary, found that he had inadvertently stepped backwards over the rope to give the classy Spilsbury an early reprieve.

Steve Walton joined David O’Kelly to start the reply, and they were met with the unusual sight of keeper stood well back, two slips and a gully, but that didn’t put them off, and the pair constructed an excellent opening partnership of 105 in 18 overs before Walton departed to a very fine catch in the gully from the aforementioned Green for a well made 33. Mike Scothern was next to join the maestro O’Kelly, and he too played shots all around the ground, before becoming the first of Pearce’s two clean bowled victims, and he departed for 30. Ridings at this point were still well in control, but the quick wicket of Steve Lawrence out for 2 from only three balls sent a few flutters through the large crowd of partisan Yorkshire watchers. However, Ali Anthony also taking advantage of a rare outing to the middle kept the score moving well, and shepherded O’Kelly to yet another century, before Anthony fell for 31. Ridings simply needed a run a ball at this stage, but the pace had gone out of the pitch and O’Kelly was struggling with a sore back, and so just to add to the entertainment there followed a period of mayhem where first O’Kelly was run out trying to get the strike from a wicketkeeper misfield, departing for a brilliant and match winning 127. The chaos continued with overthrows but in well scripted fashion, skipper Zai Ali pierced the tight infield to score the winning runs with one ball left, finishing with 7n.o. and Alan Lees at the other end on 10n.o.

And so finished a most enjoyable cricket match played in excellent spirits, well umpired by Barry Oliver and Jane Pratt, and impeccably hosted by Harrogate ( even the cold showers seemed strangely appropriate on such a hot day!)

There followed a barbecue for teams and supporters, presentations and thanks to all involved, David O’Kelly winning a lovely plaque for his performance, and John Pearce presented with a Yorkshire Ridings cap for the Aussies. The day finally finished in the bar with the draw for the many raffle prizes in aid of Prostate Cancer, a boomerang, Jonny Lawrence book of coaching and playing memoirs, and much alcohol and chocolates among the prizes, our grateful thanks to all who donated. The final act was to present Gary Green with a strangely unclaimed 3 DVD set of the Michael Vaughn Ashes series triumph, who despite an otherwise exemplary performance had the misfortune to drop a “dolly” as the game reached its climax. Pleasingly he held on well to the box set of DVDs!!

Thanks for the massive feat of organisation throughout the day to Harrogate Cricket Club but particularly club steward Andy Hawkswell and mum Linda, who was made up when the winning raffle ticket for the box of Black Magic conveniently fell into her lap!

SPRING RUNS TO RECORD

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Hertfordshire 3rdXI batsman  David Spring hit the highest ever individual score in the competition’s 11 year history. His 167* in the match v Middlesex, surpassed the previous high of 161 posted by fellow Hertfordshire batter Bill Makin last year.

100 Club

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Congratulations also to Kevan Pratt of Essex. He has joined the 100 club,having taken his tally of 70s First XI wickets to the magical 3 figure total in the demolition of estuary opponents Kent. He is the third bowler to do joining an elite group joining Ted Elsey and Martin Woodward. 

Vice Presidents

Scyld Berry, Henry Blofeld, Roland Butcher, Paul Farbrace, Barry Hearn OBE, Sir Tim Rice

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