I missed the poster campaign for “Come and Try – Buckfast” but the marketing people seemed to have hit it big with that particular ruse several years later. Having played cricket on the street and in the back garden and having watched every Sunday League 40 over game there was going, I thought I could come try cricket.

I was greeted by Brian Kampman, Gary Peat, Kenny Badcock and the ubiquitous John Davies and Alan Dickie. The session was at Brancumhall playing fields and the pitch they “cut” and marked for the session was used by my friends and I for the rest of the summer.

This got me started and also enough others for us to form an U13 team the next year. We played 8 aside then. It was fun.

Progression.

I remember starting my first season in the 2nd XI in April as a 15 year old and finishing it opening the bowling for the 1st XI at home against Helensburgh at the end of that season, as a 16 year old.

As usual, I got to trundle up the hill while the more senior bowler got the benefit of coming down the hill. This would normally be the order of life, but I thought I was unlucky to get the short straw on this occasion, as the other bowler was Rab Miller. Rab would have been maybe 18 at the time, so our opening attack had a combined age of 34. Remarkable on two points. Its combined age and complete lack of penetration.

Rivalry.

In 1992, at Torrance House, we got a well deserved victory over our New Town rivals in the league. We batted first and posted a reasonable score, with Irvine’s new quickie doing some damage. He was an odd character and remarkably had become a pro, despite missing a few fingers on his left hand. He seemed to fit their aggressive brand quite well.

He snarled his way through his first spell, grabbing Kenny Badcock’s grille of his helmet and asking him if his bat had a middle, as Ken skillfully glided him through gulley for another four. He continued through 50 overs with that behavior saving only some civility for Bill Wilson, who was watching from the pavilion side of the ground.

Bill with pint in hand must have somehow struck a chord with the aggressive pro and when he was boundary riding, he would chat away to Bill. This perplexed the on field team no end and we continued to debate why he should be in good form with Bill and yet hate the rest of the world.

When we fielded and drinks came about, it was suggested during the group collective that the only reason he would have struck up a friendship with Bill, is because Bill obviously reminded him of his mother.