Memories 6 - Brentham v Beddington
31st July 1960
I have many happy memories of many matches I played with Brentham but the one I most often bring to mind is the 1960 fixture at Beddington. As I recall, after the Saturday game, John Swann, the captain, asked that everyone should have an early night before the next day’s match. Beddington were, at that time, the outstanding side in London and certainly south of the river and we had been chosen to fulfil the fixture for their groundsman’s benefit.
Nearly everyone complied and enjoyed, I believe, a fish and chip supper before the “early night”. However, Dave Norman, Clive Denty and I disobeyed the request and got very merry at a dance held at Barnes C. C. Dave and Clive then stayed the night with Barbara and me, sleeping on the floor of our flat at Putney.
The following morning we made our way to Beddington, rather the worse for wear, only to be met by John Swann with the unwelcome news that we were fielding. Dave and I both had to take a cold shower before taking the field as we were sweating gin and tonic. However, our dissipations of the previous night did not prevent Dave and I from bowling out the opposition for what should have been an easy target for our abstemious batsmen.
I particularly recall one of my dismissals when I juggled a catch and finished flat on my back with the ball nestling between my legs. Horace Brearley in the slips collapsed with laughter.
Dave’s and my efforts were of little avail as our “early night” batsmen were all out for
the magnificent total of 56. A certain David Bloomfield top scored with the princely total of 14!
So much for “early nights”.
Beddington 137 D Norman 6-73 B Mead 4-49
Brentham 56 Dalby 6-21
by Brian Mead
Vice-President
Played 1955-68 & took 723 wickets for the 1st XI