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Nickname/s
Phizza (when I'm around) - the rest I don't want to know about
Date of Birth
18th November 1960
Bats
Right-handed
Bowls
Right-arm medium
Specialist Fielding Position
Out of the way
Best Batting
33 (don't laugh) for the 3rd XI somewhere in the Southend area in the late 1970's. Please note, this was in the era where you didn't need to be a superstar to be selected for the 3rd XI. Brentwood had just three teams. The third team then consisted of a few 'old boys' (as a teenager I considered anyone over 35 to be an 'old boy') and Colts.
Best Bowling
7 for 19 vs Midland Bank at their ground in Kent for the Sunday 1st XI. It was in the early 1990's some time under Mouse's captaincy.
Best Fielding
Fielding in the covers, I once ran to the boundary without stopping for breath. What's more, my return to the keeper only bounced three times.
Previous Clubs
None
Brentwood CC Member since
My membership has been far from continuous but I first played as a Colt in, I guess, 1974 or 1975.
Off-field Club duties
Web Site Administrator
Little known personal fact
I was once coached by Graham Gooch. Honest. It was in the winter of 1975 or 1976 (my memory isn't good enough to remember exactly) at the Ilford Cricket School in Beehive Lane. The star attraction was Essex batsman Brian Edmeades but he quit and was replaced by the then unknown Gooch who I believe was in the Essex 2nd XI at the time.
It was bitterly disappointing to see Gooch at the OCG in later years and for him not to recognise me. Or perhaps he is just shy?
Sporting hero(es)
So many to choose from. Batsmen with the surname Richards figure quite near the top of the list. Watching Barry on TV when I was a school kid and then later watching the great Vivian gave me a lot of pleasure. Hurst, Peters and Moore also hold a special place.
Hobbies or Interests
Travel, photography.
Worst Moment
Playing for the Sunday 2nd XI ten or so years ago down in Kent but I can't remember where exactly or who against. Malcolm had been taking drugs or something and had elevated me to number 7 in the batting order. Our early order had collapsed with one bowler doing most of the damage. He was getting arrogant and as I strode to the crease I thought I'd put him in his place. I attempted to hit him over mid-wicket somewhere on the first ball and he clean bowled me. Malcolm was watching from the long-on boundary. He never actually mentioned my dismissal but he didn't have to. The expression on his face said everything. I subsequently resumed my normal position in the batting line up at number 11.
Most Memorable Wicket
Yes, just one. Again I can't remember the exact details of matches as some players at the Club can. It was a Sunday game at the OCG and we were playing on the strip closest to the Shenfield Road. They had a left-handed batsman who just blocked everything and he was really frustrating to bowl at. I had been bowling for a while from the end away from the pavilion and he was grinding me down. I couldn't see a way past him but then bowled probably the best ball I've ever bowled.
It started quite a long way outside his off stump but swung in, pitching on middle and leg. It then cut back off the seam and took his off stump. He played all around it but there wasn't much he could do. Jon Coote, who was fielding in the slips, rushed up and made a comment to the effect that that ball would have got a lot of batsmen far better than him out. It was the perfect ball. One of those moments that happens very occasionally when you play sport. It had never happened before and never happened again.
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