Winning the South Thames League 0973):
Andy Quick s three hat tricks in a season
(1973): The Siveyer brothers' success: The spin bowling of Burton and Lines: Building the Squash Courts: Joining the Kent League (1978)

League cricket had been flourishing in the North and Midlands for many years, but until the 1960s most senior clubs in the South of England regarded the idea with some abhorrence. In the 1960s, however, the feeling began to grow that the standard of cricket in the South would benefit from the sharper competitive edge of league cricket. At Bexley, as in most neighbouring clubs, there were members who wanted to keep to the existing arrangements, but when it was seen that virtually all their traditional opponents were planning to enter one or other of the proposed leagues it was clear that Bexley also had to join. After careful consideration, the Club became one of the founder members of the South Thames League, which played its first matches in 1973.
At the start of the first season the Bexley players were not at all sure how they would fare when playing limited over cricket, even though they had played against virtually all of the South Thames League teams in earlier years. In fact the first season proved a triumph, the 1st and 2nd Xls both winning their Divisons. As indicated in the previous chapter, Bexley had an excellent pair of opening bowlers in Quick and Hutton and they proved an ideal attack for league conditions. Quick, in particular, revelled in the new challenge and had a magnificent season. Astonishingly he did the 'hat-trick' three times in the season, all in league matches. This record, like John Shuter's score of 304 not out, could well stand for all time.
Overall the 1973 season was the most successful since the War. The captain of the 1st XI was Tommy Toombs, whose grasp of the tactics required in limited over cricket, and ability to get the best out of his team, played a big part in the success. He himself was a good forcing bat and an excellent close-to-the-wicket fielder, who took 20 or more catches in a season on six occasions. He also occasionally bowled, slow lobs which seemed to invite the batsman to hit them for six. Tommy encouraged the idea that his bowling should not be taken seriously and on at least one occasion when he went on to bowl he not only handed the umpire his cap, but also his hairpiece. Quite a few batsmen were lured to their doom by these light-hearted ways. The most successful batsmen between 1970 and 1985 were the brothers Alan and Graeme Siveyer. One or other topped the batting averages ten times in that period.

Winners of The South Thames Cricket League 1st & 2nd XI Championships, 1973
A. Knott (Kent & England) presents the trophies to 1st XI Captain T. Toombs (centre) and to 2nd Xl Captain B. Kelsey

Bexley C.C., 1st Xl 1974.
Standing - C. Hazelgrove (umpire), G. Houghton, G. Burton, I. Burrows, A. Quick, D. Holland, D. Medhurst, G. Medhurst (scorer) Seated - ]. Sear, A. Siveyer, G. Hutton (Capt.), P. Ladbrook, G. Siveyer.

Their career records are as follows:

Inns Hs R Avge Centuries
A Siveycr 435 126 no 12492 28.7 11
G Siveycr 571 133 no 18296 32.0 10

Alan scored 1000 runs in a season seven times. Graeme's career aggregate of 18296 • the highest by a Bexley player. He scored 1000 runs in a _season in eleven successive seasons, which is also a record.. In addition he took 461 w1ckets at an average of 17_9 with his leg breaks and top spinners. He scored two centuries for the Club Cricket Conference in 1982 and was awarded a Conference cap that year..
Although comparisons between different sporting eras are notoriously difficult, readers may wonder how Graeme Siveyer's record compared with that of Jim Jeffery, the outstanding player for the twenty years immediately after the War. Jeffery had a career aggregate of 15,389 runs, scored at an average of 41.3. He scored 1000 runs in a season seven times and made at least(• The uncertainty concerns seasons 1947-49, when the Annual Reports did not specify the number of centuries scored. Six centuries by Jeffery in this period have been found, but it is possible there were others.) 18 centuries. The best seasonal totals of the two players are remarkably similar, Jeffery making 1504 runs in 1951 and Siveyer 1516 in 1982.A marked difference between the two eras, which affects the players' aggregates, is that before 1965 there were usually only about 10 Sunday A team matches in a season whereas in later years there have been about 23.
In 1974, the second year of league cricket, Bexley again did very well, the 1st XI being runners up for the championship and the 2nd XI again winning their Division, a feat they were to repeat in 1977. The most successful bowler was a newcomer, Geoff Burton, who took 95 wickets at 12 apiece for the 1st XI with his left-arm spin. At the same time another left-arm spinner, Graham Lines, was emerging from the juniors as a major bowler and the attack of Hutton, Quick, Burton and Lines was possibly the best the Club has ever had. Between them they took over 250 wickets, at an average
of 14, in the 1974 season.
Burton and Lines were to become the Club's leading bowlers in the 1970s and early 80s as Hutton and Quick passed their best. Their figures show the extent of their success: '

Burton
Lines

0 M R W Avge
5885 1494 17955 1051 17.1
5655 1464 17147 928 18.5

In 1976 Lines took all ten wickets in an innings. His season's haul of 117 wickets in _1980 is the most ever taken by a Bexley bowler in 1st XI cricket·.
It is remarkable that in this period the Club had two outstanding left arm slow bowlers,
for there had not been a left arm spinner of any note in the Club since before the War. Lines, the quicker of the two, unfortunately left the district at the end of the 1984 season, but Burton has continued to bowl throughout the 1980s. His aggregate of 1051 wickets is the highest ever by a Bexley bowler - although Cyril Hoare from an earlier generation took almost as many, 930, at an average of 14.6 - and he is the only player to have taken 100 wickets in a season three times. Burton is also the only player to have taken 100 wickets and scored 500 runs in the same season (1979).

These two bowlers had many days of success, but Geoff Burton also figures in a record
of a different sort54. In 1975 a 20 year old Australian playing for Dulwich hit him for six sixes in an over (See Appendix 1 for details) The batsman was David Hookes, who went on to become a Test
player. Soon after his innings at Dulwich he scored the fastest century ever by an Australian in 1st class cricket; it took him 43 minutes and in terms of balls _ 34 _ is regarded as the quickest ever anywhere.
Hookes incidentally was not the only budding Test cricketer playing in local cricket at the time. In 1976 t e teenagers David Gower (19) and Graham Dilley (17) also played against Bexley. Keith Fletcher also played against Bexley, a few years earlier.
In the early 1970s careful thought was given to ways of improving the Club's amenities. The game of squash was booming at this t me and the idea was conceived of building squash courts to produce income to fund improvements to the other facilities. There was much debate as to whether the squash courts should be built on to the existing pavilion but eventually it was decided to build a separate squash complex with its own changing rooms and lounge facilities, and at virtually the same time carry out a major refurbishment of the existing pavilion, with additional changing rooms and a new viewing lounge. (The spectators' gallery on the pavilion roof, the staircase to it, and the surrounding balustrade had by this time become rotten and unsafe, and were removed, together with the scorers' box on the roof.) These ambitious projects required a great deal of work by way of design, securing planning approval and in raising grants and loans to meet the costs of approximately £50,000. The lead was taken by a Planning Committee consisting of Chris Couldrey, Paul Ladbrook and Tony Leach. After a number of crises had been successfully dealt with, the new facilities were ready for use in 1977. They were officially opened by the Rt Hon Edward Heath, MP for Bexley. Within a matter of days the full complement of members (250) had been enrolled and the squash courts quickly began to provide a major addition to the Club's income. Although in recent years there has been a falling off in squash membership, with a reduction in income, overall the project has been a great success and has given the Club a financial base from which to plan substantial improvements to the facilities.
The reference to Edward Heath, the former Prime Minister, is a reminder that he has been a non-playing member of the Club for forty years. His duties have not allowed him to spend much time at the Club but he has visited it from time-to-time and has
spoken at Annual Dinners.
The Club continued to play in the South Thames League for five seasons from its inception in 1973, but by then it was clear that the Kent Cricket League, with its wider geographical base, was the strongest league in the county. The Club decided to apply for membership of this League, and, in accordance with the rules, resigned from the South Thames League. There was an anxious period of waiting before the Club’s application to join the Kent League was accepted but in the end all was well and in 1978 Bexley played its first season in that League.
In the first season the 1st XI finished in 13th place. The following year, a little wiser, they finished 5th. The Club has yet to win the Championship, generally finishing in the middle of the league table, but the high standard of cricket experienced 1in both 1st and 2nd Divisions has confirmed the wisdom of joining the Kent League. Virtually all the Kent County players have made their way up through the Kent League and the clubs in the League are tending to act as magnets for the best players. The League committee has made several changes to the format of the competition, matches are played on the basis of 50 overs a side recent years. Commercially, the League has had the benefit of sponsors too, most recently by the Woolwich Building Society.
In recent seasons a number of young overseas players have spent time with League clubs to gain experience, and Bexley has been one of the clubs to benefit from this influence. Similarly, several Bexley players have spent their Winters playing cricket in Australia.
The 3rd XI joined the 3rd Division of the South Thames League in 1980. The matches provide a good challenge for aspiring young players and for older players who have dropped down from the 1st and 2nd Xls. The 4th XI, which first played in 1974, is not in a league. It has traditionally been a very sociable side and has made many friends for the Club, often in out-of-the-way places. Its playing strength suffers when players are required for the higher elevens, but on a good day great things are possible. However, bizarre incidents are never far away and the captaincy of the 4th XI must be one of the most character-building jobs in the Club.
It is interesting to consider whether the standards of play now are higher than they were among the leading clubs in, say, the 1960s. The discussion is not likely to be resolved, but the best players of the earlier years would probably again be outstanding in present-day conditions and at Bexley, for example, there can be little doubt that Jim Jeffery would have revelled in the competitive atmosphere of league cricket. Certainly the standard of fielding today is much higher than in earlier years, and older players are finding themselves quickly relegated to the lower elevens as they lose their mobility in the field. The best players of today are probably no better than their counterparts of thirty years ago, but the teams in the senior leagues have a greate11 depth of playing ability than before and are therefore stronger than previously.
The League fixtures, played on Saturdays, tend to overshadow the Sunday 'friendlies' to some extent. Nevertheless, although the latter lack some of the competitiveness of the league games they provide an opportunity to play teams from other leagues and from outside Kent. The construction of the Dartford tunnels has made it possible to play a number of clubs in Essex. The Club has been turning out three teams on Sundays most years since 1976.
It might be thought that Cricket Week matches would lose their popularity in today's more competitive climate, but this has proved not to be the case. Cricketers continue to take their holidays to play in the Week and many old members return for the occasion. The Week has been very well served by the organisers of the opposition, who have brought strong and sociable teams each year to Manor Way: Peter Riley, who first brought a team to Cricket Week m 1961; John Aitchison and friends on behalf of the late Charles Genese (1958); Old Dartfordians(Now Crayford Dartfordians) (1957) and Peter Wellard (1982). The county cricket programme is so full these days that there are few opportunities for first-class cricketers to appear in the Week, as they did years ago, but the former Test cricketers Brian Close and Brian Luckhurst have played in recent years. Close scored a fine 70, but Luckhurst made a 'duck'. As he had made a very big score in a Test match a few days earlier, Brian Luckhurst's failure to score produced some amusement, as well as disappointment for the spectators.

Mention was made earlier of the purchase of the car park and the benefit from that decision when a site was required for squash courts. The Club has adopted a policy of buying up cent land as it becomes available; in 1980 it was able to purchase a plot of land previously used as a Council Depot (for £450) and in 1983 a strip of woodland on the eastern boundary (£1,050).
Bexley has a long tradition of providing coaching for young cricketers, going back to the days of Thomas Dann in the 1860s. In modern times, with the decline in cricketing activity in many schools, this has become even more important and has been put on a highly organised basis. Currently, eleven Club members are qualified coaches, under a training scheme run from Lords by the National Cricket Association; this is the highest number of coaches in any club in Kent. Weekly coaching is provided for about 70 boys between the ages of 10 and 16, and over 50 matches a year are played against other colts teams of the same age.
These coaching activities have been very successful, not only in providing a much needed service to the community but in developing new players for the Club. In 1977, for example, when the Under 15 team reached the national finals of the NCA competition the team included Mark Alexander, Suresh and Rajesh Sharma, and Richard Simons, who all went on to become leading members of the 1st XI. In 1986 also the U15 team reached the South of England Finals and of that team Neil Mobey and Graham Kersey have already played with success in the 1st Xl. Kersey, a wicket keeper-batsman, has also played for the England Schools XI and in 1990 became a professional with Kent County Cricket Club. Realistically, it must be accepted that many of the young cricketers coached by the Club will move away from the area, but if they have acquired a life-long interest in cricket that must be good for the game in general and ample justification for the Club's endeavours.
Rajesh Sharma quickly made his mark in the 1st XI and in six full seasons scored 5926 runs at an average of 39. In 1985 he joined the staff of Derbyshire County Cricket Club; be made a maiden championship century against Yorkshire in 1987.
His younger brother, Suresh, has so far scored over 9000 runs at an average of 30 and would seem to have a reasonable chance of exceeding Graeme Siveyer's record aggregate of 18296. Other current batsmen with substantial scoring records in the 1st XI are Elliott Lloyd (7485) and Richard Simons (5935).
Although achievements on the field make the headlines, the success of a Club obviously depends also on its officers and other helpers. One such stalwart was Charles Hazelgrove, who, after playing with distinction served as 1st XI umpire, Chairman and then President. He took a leading role in many of the important decisions made in the 1970s.
Paul Ladbrook served as Hon Secretary for 12 years, from 1974-1985, and in that capacity worked with great energy and tenacity. Inevitably much of his time was taken up in ensuring that the Club continued to function efficiently, but he had the vision also to institute a number of improvements. Reference has already been made to his success as a young bowler but he later made himself into a good enough wicket keeper to 'keep' for the 1st XI for two seasons, after which he concentrated on his batting and made in all over 7500 runs. He has continued to make a great many runs for the lower elevens and has become very involved in coaching.

Bexley C.C., 1st Xl 1990.
Standing- R. Hill (umpire), H. Mohammed, W. Faulks, M. Wozencroft, R. Sharma, M. Gill, R. Putney, R. O'Sullivan Seated - A. Clayton, D. Warwick, S. Sharma (Capt.), E. Lloyd, G. Kersey.

The Hon Treasurer, Tony Leach, has been in office for 14 years, during which time the finances have always been managed in a very business like way. Indeed, the Club is becoming similar to a small business with responsibilities for paying VAT, PAYE and Corporation Tax. This is requiring a transformation from the old system of hand written ledgers to computerised accounting. One wonders what our first Treasurer -
Thomas Dann Jnr.- would have made of it all.
The Club has been fortunate over the years in having competent umpires. Since its formation in 1953 the Association of Cricket Umpires has done very good work in organising training courses for umpires and scorers and several Bexley members have qualified through this route. A former umpire, Peter Croker, is one of a very select group, the holder of an FA Cup Winners medal for Charlton Athletic. Peter played
right back in the 1947 Wembley Cup Final.
In coming to the end of this History I am very conscious that I have scarcely mentioned many people who have played a vital part in the success of the Club: the groundsmen: the 'lower' elevens: the ladies: and countless others. I hope they will still be my friends
when they have read this book.