[Cricket] RIP Don Smith

Gwylan said:

He was that rare of beasts: a Sussex-born test cricketer who played for Sussex.

Post-war, there have only been a handful: Langridge, Parks, Smith, Oakman, Wells and Kirtley (although there have been four who have won caps playing for other counties). It's not a great record

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Gwylan said:

Some sadness in Sussex; England's oldest test cricketer has died. He scored more than 17,000 runs for Sussex and took some useful wickets too.

He was before my time but my dad eulogised him, saying what a fine player he was.

Interestingly, the oldest test cricketer now is also a Sussex player - Ian Thomson. Now, there's someone I do remember.

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Garry Nelson's teacher said:

I don't remember Don Smith, but like you I remember watching Ian Thomson. He took 10 wickets in an innings at Worthing (I missed it). He also turned up as a supply teacher at my son's school once.

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Lenny Rider said:

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

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Lenny Rider said:

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

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GT49er said:

1964. No idea why, but if Thomson was getting 10 wicket hauls on it, the pitch might not have been up to county standard? Not that Thomson wasn't good, but getting ten wickets suggests the pitch might have favoured the bowler just a bit.
Same as The Saffrons in Eastbourne - I think that was stopped because of the state of the pitch too. IIRC.

Back to Don Smith - I remember how thrilled I was when a Sussex player got picked for England. I remember Sussex playing Polegate on a Sunday afternoon in 1957 or 58. It was pretty much the full first team, so I'm sure I must have seen him play. Got a free tea for working the scoreboard! Anyway, RIP D.V. Smith - another piece of my childhood gone.

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Garry Nelson's teacher said:

I don't remember Don Smith, but like you I remember watching Ian Thomson. He took 10 wickets in an innings at Worthing (I missed it). He also turned up as a supply teacher at my son's school once.

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Brighton Lines said:

June 1964.

Thomson took 15 wickets in the match. The charge that the wicket was sub standard would be harsh in normal circumstances given that Jon Snow went wicketless in the same innings that Thomson took them all.

Sussex were bowled out for 23 in the last innings. The highest team total being the first innings of Warwicks- 196 .

It was the days of uncovered wickets. So a rain affected third day pitch would be interesting to say the least. Especially against spinners.

Here is the scorecard:

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/A...LOCAL/CC/SUSSEX_WARWICKS_CC_06-09JUN1964.html

1964 was the final year in which the Manor Ground was used. It had hosted festival matches for decades prior. I could find out why, but I think GT may be pretty close.

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Lincolnshire Seagull said:

I remember the excitement at Thomson taking all 10, but didn't realise/remember that we were comprehensively thrashed, or that we scored one of our lowest ever totals.

Interesting to see on the scorecard that one of his victims was stumped. I know he was only medium paced, but my hazy memory tells me keepers would normally have stood back to him.

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Brighton Lines said:

That does make me wonder if the wicket was sweating, slow and low. I've seen keepers standing up to quick bowlers in those circumstances. Terry Gunn was keeping that day rather than Parks.

There is a link here to a Getty image from the match itself. (Can't download from the site for copyright reasons)

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...-by-sussex-county-cricket-news-photo/82062045

Do you remember what the weather was like ?

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Brighton Lines said:

June 1964.

Thomson took 15 wickets in the match. The charge that the wicket was sub standard would be harsh in normal circumstances given that Jon Snow went wicketless in the same innings that Thomson took them all.

Sussex were bowled out for 23 in the last innings. The highest team total being the first innings of Warwicks- 196 .

It was the days of uncovered wickets. So a rain affected third day pitch would be interesting to say the least. Especially against spinners.

Here is the scorecard:

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/A...LOCAL/CC/SUSSEX_WARWICKS_CC_06-09JUN1964.html

1964 was the final year in which the Manor Ground was used. It had hosted festival matches for decades prior. I could find out why, but I think GT may be pretty close.

Edit: The previous match in 1963 against Worcs produced two first innings totals of over 300. So perhaps the wicket wasn't an issue. I've sent a message to a fellow Sussex cricket guru for further wisdom.

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Lenny Rider said:

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

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GT49er said:

Cheers! Enjoyed reading that scorecard. Strangely all 10 wickets in that dreadful Sussex innings were taken by seamers - the only spin in the match was 16 overs from Oakman and Bell in the first innings!

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