Cricket with my Father
AER Gilligan’s XI v 1961 Australians
(in memoriam Albert Little 1921-2019)
Sitting on the grass at Hastings Rec
September Nineteen Sixty One
The weather perfect - me and my dad
The Ashes already lost Two-One
Fred Trueman had been fearsome at Headingley
Six for Thirty with perfect speed
Before that, Bill Lawrie’s hundred at Lords
One-all when the gates closed at Leeds
And so across the moors to Old Trafford
Lawrie and Davidson in splendid form
Ted Dexter and Subba Row brought us close
To One hundred and fifty for one
Then Richie Benaud came round the wicket
Spearing balls in the bowler’s scuff-marks
Skittled ‘em all for Two hundred and one
And Australian Ashes left that park
After a meaningless draw at the Oval
The winners came down to the Sea
To play by invitation at Hastings
To play in front of my dad and me
I watched in a trance from behind the white rope
As the legends piled on the runs
Benaud’s leg spinners fizzed past the bat
Bill Alley smacked sixes for fun
Harvey and Simpson and Slasher MacKay
Wally Grout’s ‘Owzat!’ scream
And my father bought me a miniature bat
Signed by the whole Aussie team
The bat was a Gradidge Imperial Driver
Sponsored by Rothmans, Pall Mall
It’s still in my life over sixty years later
The Rec, alas, is a shopping mall
At ninety-seven my father was out
Three short of his maiden ton
Seems Rothmans got their man after all
Their scorebook writ in his lungs
A fast left arm bowler in his pomp
He once claimed a ten wicket haul
And he swore he was sat on the grass at the Oval
When Hollies bowled Bradman second ball
From him I was gifted my most treasured possession
More valued to me than money or bricks
The Lillywhite ball for doing the hat trick
Kirkuk v Baghdad, May ‘56