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Test stars grace South Devon ground for Coldwell benefit game

Test stars grace South Devon ground for Coldwell benefit game

Conrad Sutcliffe6 Mar 2021 - 17:23
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https://www.southdevoncc.co.uk

Ground packed with 1,500 spectators for visit of International Crusaders | Conrad Sutcliffe looks back to a big game in South Devon's past

LOOK at the size of that crowd! It was virtually standing room only around the old Cricketfield Road ground when South Devon played the International Crusaders back in 1968.
The summer of 1968 was the last before the arrival of Sunday League cricket in the John Player-sponsored 40-over competition.
In those far off and black-and-white days if you wanted to see your cricket heroes in action the options were go to a game, watch a televised Test match on the BBC or hope ITV showed a game or two from the new-fangled Gillette Cup.
The International Crusaders were one of the sides that helped bring star names to a ground near you in the 1950s and 1960s. Sunday was a ‘rest-day’ day in the old three-day County Championship, which allowed professionals to pick up a bob or two by playing exhibition matches around the country.
Whitbread Wanderers were another side comprised of professionals in those days and were regular visitors to Devon during the 1960s and early 1970s. The growth of Sunday League cricket effectively killed off exhibition games by the mid-1970s.
Joe Oliver kept wicket for South Devon against the Crusaders and played in a number of similar games, either for his own club or as a guest at others.
Oliver said the games were challenging but memorable.
“We had a number of games against teams like the Crusaders during the 1960s and they always had stars of the day in them,” said Oliver.
“It was an experience to play against someone like Barry Richards or Basil D’Olivera that you had seen on television and also to play in front of a big crowd.”
A bumper crowd was generally assured, even if the weather was a little soggy, which it was on this particular occasion, and with good reason. The game was a benefit match for Coldwell, who was coming to the end of his fast bowling career with Worcestershire, a career that included winning eight Test caps.
A crowd of around 1,500 ringed the ground in the hope of seeing their heroes in action and they were not disappointed.
The side South Devon faced contained past or present England internationals Basil D’Olivera, Jim Parks, Harold Gimblett and Len Coldwell, who started his career with South Devon, and South African run machine Barrie Richards.
South Devon were able to ‘borrow’ four Test stars to bolster their side” Brian Bolus, the great Tom Graveney and John Snow, who was England’s opening bowler at the time, and Australian bowler Neil Hawke.
The Crusaders made 185 for seven in their 40 overs – Merv Kitchen top scoring on 40 – with three of their wickets falling to South Devon’s Dave Webber.
South Devon were 32 for two in reply after 10 overs, but before the game fizzled out Graveney took on the bowling to devastating effect.
The Mid-Devon Advertiser’s correspondent takes up the story.
‘Exactly 27 minutes later he (Graveney) returned to the pavilion having scored 56 runs, including three sixes and eight fours. The first six went out of the ground, cleared Marsh Road and splashed amid cheers in the fast-running River Lemon.
‘The second six narrowly missed a parked Ford Anglia in Marsh Road and the third and hardest hit was last seen travelling in the direction of the Rural District Council offices in Kingsteignton Road.’
Once Graveney was dismissed the South Devon chase slowed. Jeff Beer was 20 not out at the end in a total of 165 for nine.
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