Again, like last week, it’s cricket and it’s also a memorable game I played in about 60 years ago so the exact scores might not be spot on – but close enough.
The picture is the Cockermouth Grammar School first team for that particular season and as near as matters to the side which entertained Workington Grammar School on a Saturday morning at Sandair.
We batted first – now whether that was through choice I rather doubt – because Workington had in their ranks a bowler of phenomenal pace.
We’d heard of Howard Jeffrey more through his athletic prowess than on the cricket field as he had been a successful hurdler for Cumberland at the All England National Schools Championship.
That particular morning we were all wishing he had stuck to hurdling. I think we were about 15-5 with all the wickets down to a very rapid Jeffrey.
I was at the non-striker’s end (probably through choice) when Howard came bounding in again and just after his delivery there was a loud shout of “No ball” from the square leg umpire – our physics master Brian Broadbent.
What followed was a deep conversation between Brian and the Workington umpire and the upshot was that Howard didn’t finish his over and didn’t, in fact, bowl another ball. He had been no-bowled for throwing!
The early 60s, in fact, was a peak for questionable bowling actions after Geoff Griffin had been no-balled for throwing playing for South Africa in England. He actually reverted to under-arm in that Test and was promptly no-balled for not telling the umpire what he was going to do.
Sad to report he was continually no-balled for throwing in his native South Africa and he quit the sport at the age of 23.
We recovered against a Jeffrey-less Workington to make 70-odd but they knocked them off quite comfortably for the loss of three or four wickets.
But there is a sequel! Howard went on to sign for Leicestershire and played in two Championship matches and also took wickets in a tour game against the Australians.
Then, appearing for Leicestershire seconds in 1964 he was no-balled for throwing. You can imagine the reaction back in Cockermouth when a few of us met up – “Broadbent was right!”
Howard, though, who sadly died in 2008 was a very fine all-round sportsman. As well as his hurdling prowess and cricketing skills he was also a fine rugby union winger, very fast as you can imagine, who went on to play for the top club of the time Coventry.
