It was the summer of 1964 and with three pals who had all been at school together we embarked on a mini cricketing tour.
The itinerary created some planning because we wanted to fit in games involving our favourite counties.
Stuart was Warwickshire, Keith was Worcestershire, Frank was Leicestershire and I have always followed Middlesex.
The first week was to be spent in Birmingham and the second in London, and we stayed at a YMCA each time.
We could not have asked for a better start to the tour as our first port of call was Edgbaston for Warwickshire against the touring Australians.
A crowd of 20,000 on the first morning saw Bob Barber treating the Tourists’ attack, with complete disdain as he hammered a century before lunch.
In the fifth Test England the following week at the Oval England picked Barber, for only the second time in a home Test, to try and up the tempo but more of that later.
Our next port of call was the picturesque New Road ground, Worcester for the game against Leicestershire, a convenient fixture given our travelling party.
Again we were treated to a century, this time not a smash, bang, wallop affair but an elegant affair from one of England’s finest Tom Graveney.
That was the only chance we had to see Graveney in action because Worcestershire went on to win by an innings. On a statistical note former Workington spinner Tommy Thompson was in the Leicestershire line-up.
From the Midlands it was down to London and a visit to Lords for the derby clash between Middlesex v Surrey where the hosts were hanging on for a draw in the end.
No centuries but Surrey’s Ken Barrington reached 23,500 runs during his first innings knock of 37 and Don Bennett of Middlesex took his 600th Championship wicket.
A wonderful fortnight ended at the Oval for the second day of the Fifth and final Test with Australia.
We remember hoping for fireworks again from Bob Barber after his exploits at Edgbaston a week earlier but although he got a start in both innings he was then dismissed.
Rain curtailed the game, and the Ashes stayed with Australia but we were already back home in west Cumberland by that time.
We have all gone our separate ways since then, and Stuart is no longer with us, but when Keith and I met up at a Cockermouth match prior to the pandemic that memorable week of cricket was recalled in great detail.
There was also an honourable mention for Frank who bowled a maiden over at a Birmingham cinema when Summer Holiday was showing.
