[Cricket] The bad old days of Sussex cricket

[Seagull58]

Fantastic thread, this! So many memories being prompted by these posts! I've followed Sussex since 1967 just shy of my 11th birthday, and Tony Greig was my first sporting hero! Mine was the first name in the Book of Remembrance at Hove when he died. Wonderful cricketer who introduced a rather weedy 10 year old to a lifetime of Sussex cricket. Forever grateful!

One of my best mates at school, and still a very good friend now, was on the Sussex ground staff and a regular for Sussex seconds. He knew Mendis well, having been at the same school and only 3 years younger. He said Gehan was a lovely guy and was very helpful to him at Sussex. He only managed to get on the field once for the first team, as 12th man when Grieg was captain. Unfortunately he made a misfield and Greigy tore him a new one. So near and yet so far! He has some good stories about Miandad who loved a drink and had an eye for the women.

 

[jakarta]

If ever Mendis was to have gained selection for England it should
have been during the 1985 season, his last with Sussex. He was at
his prolific best accumulating 1756 runs (avg. 47.45) inclusive
of six centuries, four of them scored in six innings. Therein
lies an unhappy story. Mendis came close to joining the small
number of batsmen who have scored five first-class centuries in
six innings. He was on 96 against Hampshire at Portsmouth when
John Barclay, the Sussex captain declared. Mendis had faced only
four balls in the preceding five overs.

`Wisden' said: "The Sussex captain explained that he was scheming
to beat Hampshire and that a declaration was due, but Mendis was
upset at missing such a rare opportunity''.

https://wisden.com/stories/county-c...t-best-player-fast-bowling-international-call

Trout was always a bit eccentric, personally I would have had a few short sharp words with him for that (not that I have come close to a fifty, let alone a century in my time at the crease)

 

[Guinness Boy]

AR Clarke

Fergal's brother

The rest of that team doesn't really look like an innings defeat side. With Imran in and Parker's batting and fielding that's.......what's the word..........underachieving.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

One of my best mates at school, and still a very good friend now, was on the Sussex ground staff and a regular for Sussex seconds. He knew Mendis well, having been at the same school and only 3 years younger. He said Gehan was a lovely guy and was very helpful to him at Sussex. He only managed to get on the field once for the first team, as 12th man when Grieg was captain. Unfortunately he made a misfield and Greigy tore him a new one. So near and yet so far! He has some good stories about Miandad who loved a drink and had an eye for the women.

Mike Donald?

 

[jakarta]

He has some good stories about Miandad who loved a drink and had an eye for the women.

According to Mrs Jakarta, who was a Young Filly doing her first Teaching post in Brighton at the time, Imran Khan was very similar, blondes being a favourite.

Don't think he drank, obviously keeping his mind on the Job...

 

[Martlet]

Finishing bottom of the County Championship after the mass exodus of winter 1996/7 was the lowest point I’ve seen - bringing in journeymen and youngsters to fill the void.

BUT..... it was that mess that led to the Pigott/Marler revolution, recruitment of Chris Adams, Mark Robinson, Richard Montgomerie and the backing of local youngsters like Kirtley, Lewry, Martin-Jenkins, Prior, and we know where that ended.

On the whole, I’m happy with where we are this season - it’s definitely a transitional one, but we’re seeing some good individual performances from the youngsters. We need to get rid of relying on 35 year olds and temporary recruits, and rebuild our identity in Sussex. I’m with Sals and Kirtley this year.

 

[Eeyore]

Finishing bottom of the County Championship after the mass exodus of winter 1996/7 was the lowest point I’ve seen - bringing in journeymen and youngsters to fill the void.

BUT..... it was that mess that led to the Pigott/Marler revolution, recruitment of Chris Adams, Mark Robinson, Richard Montgomerie and the backing of local youngsters like Kirtley, Lewry, Martin-Jenkins, Prior, and we know where that ended.

On the whole, I’m happy with where we are this season - it’s definitely a transitional one, but we’re seeing some good individual performances from the youngsters. We need to get rid of relying on 35 year olds and temporary recruits, and rebuild our identity in Sussex. I’m with Sals and Kirtley this year.

Agreed. Need to focus on development. It'll mean a couple of bland seasons but there is no quick fix.

It's cricket. So we can enjoy it regardless. I do find cricket folk are more reasonable and patient.

 

[Seagull58]

Mike Donald?

Yes

 

[Seagull58]

According to Mrs Jakarta, who was a Young Filly doing her first Teaching post in Brighton at the time, Imran Khan was very similar, blondes being a favourite.

Don't think he drank, obviously keeping his mind on the Job...

Imran had a succession of hot blonde girlfriends. He always seemed to have one sitting by the pavilion at Sunday League matches.

 

[Eeyore]

If ever Mendis was to have gained selection for England it should
have been during the 1985 season, his last with Sussex. He was at
his prolific best accumulating 1756 runs (avg. 47.45) inclusive
of six centuries, four of them scored in six innings. Therein
lies an unhappy story. Mendis came close to joining the small
number of batsmen who have scored five first-class centuries in
six innings. He was on 96 against Hampshire at Portsmouth when
John Barclay, the Sussex captain declared. Mendis had faced only
four balls in the preceding five overs.

`Wisden' said: "The Sussex captain explained that he was scheming
to beat Hampshire and that a declaration was due, but Mendis was
upset at missing such a rare opportunity''.

https://wisden.com/stories/county-c...t-best-player-fast-bowling-international-call

A bit untimely if that was the case. Robinson and Gooch were taking the Aussies to the sword that summer.

 

[Saladpack Seagull]

Imran had a succession of hot blonde girlfriends. He always seemed to have one sitting by the pavilion at Sunday League matches.

Yes I remember thinking that half of Roedean had turned out to see him on one occasion!

 

[amexer]

For those moaning about the quality of the team now, I've been looking back at 1974 - where we seemed to lose every game
The team against Worcs at Hastings was something to behold:
Morley
Groome
Barclay
Graves
Mendis
Wisdom
Snow
Mansell
Spencer
Waller
Phillipson

That's a tail that started at 6 with Nicky Wisdom (Norman's son) and of the five recognised batsmen, three were teenagers (absent were Greig, Mike Buss, Griffith, Greenidge and Faber).

Our current team looks like an all-star XI in comparison

Agree not a great side and I played with and against most of them. but todays is as poor as it has been for many years. You look at our attack when Robinson is away on England duty

 

[PeakGull]

What a great thread.

As far as I can remember my first game at Sussex was the tour match against Pakistan in August 1974 which the Pakistanis won by 9 wickets. Imran was playing for Pakistan in that match and Zaheer Abbas scored a brilliant 117 in their first innings. Bought my first season ticket the year after.

 

[Peter Grummit]

No, Wessels and Miandad were 1970s and Imran 80s. Garth Le Roux may have crossed over with the other three though. I seem to remember him and Imran bowling in tandem which was an incredible opening attack. Imran’s batting is what I remember most though. In particular one game where he just kept hitting sixes. We kept moving as we actually thought we were going to be hit but wherever in the ground we ended up seemed to become the next target.

Well Imran and Miandad both played in the 78 Gillette final. Wessels was also on the books then (1976-80). I recall watching Wessels play for the 2s at Horsdean (the old Brighton+Hove ground before the bypass ploughed through it). Le Roux made his debut for Sussex against New Zealand in 78. So the answer is, yes, all four were on the books at some point in 78. Only 2 could play for the County in any one competitive game though (which is why Garth played in the friendly against NZ). An embarrassment of riches!

Worth noting that Imran, Javed and Le Roux were all in the WSC World XI squad captained by Tony Greig for Kerry Packer's circus.

No doubt in my mind that Imran was the best cricketer I've seen to date for Sussex. 74 was my first season and I've been every year until last summer.

 

[Peter Grummit]

What a great thread.

As far as I can remember my first game at Sussex was the tour match against Pakistan in August 1974 which the Pakistanis won by 9 wickets. Imran was playing for Pakistan in that match and Zaheer Abbas scored a brilliant 117 in their first innings. Bought my first season ticket the year after.

That was my first game too and despite it raining half the day I was there, I was hooked and became a junior member too in 75. We promptly finished bottom of the County Championship!

 

[Gwylan]

Agree not a great side and I played with and against most of them. but todays is as poor as it has been for many years. You look at our attack when Robinson is away on England duty

That 1974 was not bad in bowling - Snow was a true great, Spencer and Waller were decent county pros but that batting line up was shocking. I think our current side is better: I hope CJ is back, Garton was on the fringes of the England team not long ago and I'd bet a shiny English pound that Carson will be an England player by the end of 2023. We have two decent batsmen in SVZ and Head, a promising one in Haines and, we hope, Salt back. I wonder if we'll see Orr instead of Clark or Rawlins.

As far as I can remember my first game at Sussex was the tour match against Pakistan in August 1974 which the Pakistanis won by 9 wickets. Imran was playing for Pakistan in that match and Zaheer Abbas scored a brilliant 117 in their first innings.

Oh, what a player Zed was - someone who seemed to have all the time in the world to play his shots. Always a treat to watch him bat.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Was there a medium pacer called John Denman who might have football at Sussex county level ?

 

[amexer]

I remember taking days of work to watch Richards, Holding and Warne at different times. Unfortunately those days are gone. Saw Holding get 5 wickets, Warne bowl all morning but never forgiven occasional bowler Greenfield getting Richards out. Unfortunately those days have gone because so much international cricket and 20/20

 

[Gwylan]

Was there a medium pacer called John Denman who might have football at Sussex county level ?

Don't know about football but there was indeed a John Denman. He played 49 FC games - quite a lot for a bloke with a bowling average of 43. Those were the days when there was little seam back-up if Snow and Greig were on test duty: Spud, Denman, an ageing Tony Buss, the military medium of Phillipson and Marshall and the dibbly dobblers of Mike Buss

I remember taking days of work to watch Richards, Holding and Warne at different times. Unfortunately those days are gone. Saw Holding get 5 wickets, Warne bowl all morning but never forgiven occasional bowler Greenfield getting Richards out. Unfortunately those days have gone because so much international cricket and 20/20

I saw Richards hit the ball over the Gilligan Stand and break a window in the flats behind the ground - an amazing hit. It may have been in a double ton, it was certainly a big score.
I remember his last game at Hove. He was playing for Glamorgan in the NatWest Cup - he was applauded all the way to the crease and all the way back - don't think I've seen an opposition player so roundly cheered.