THIS LIST COVERS PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED FIRST CLASS EITHER BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER THEIR APPEARANCES FOR THE RAMBLERS
AYLING (Jon)
Ramblers (1986) 26 runs @ 26.00, 3 wkts @ 17.33 First class (1988-93)- Hampshire 2082 runs @ 26.69 (1 x 100), 134 wkts @ 25.41, 17 ca
BARRINGTON K F (Ken)
Ramblers (1950) 125 runs @ 41.67, 13 wkts @ 17.69
Ken Barrington played 5 games for the club in 1950. He was then aged 20 and in his 3rd year on the Surrey ground staff and regarded as a leg-spin bowler who could bat. Records show that he had one game in Surrey’s 2nd XI that summer and also played for Surrey Colts with whom another Rambler of the period, George Porter, was involved as manager.
The first of his matches was at the County Ground, Northlands Road, Southampton against a Hampshire Club and Ground side that included Derek Shackelton, Vic Cannings, Malcolm Heath, Arthur Holt and led by Desmond Eagar. Hampshire batted first and Barrington came on to bowl first change. He conceded only 9 runs in his first 6 overs and returned figures of 16-3-54-2. Sadly he was run out for 0 batting no 8.
Barrington played his next game at the Courage Sports Ground Alton on June 18th against the town club. Alton batted first and coming on again as first change, he secured 5-60 in 20 overs (3 spells) including a double wicket maiden. Batting at 4, Barrington carried his bat for 43 runs as the Ramblers won by 5 wickets following a (then) new record first wicket stand of 119 set by Charlie Izzard and Mike Gauntlett.
His third game was on August 13th at the Recreation Ground Haslemere. Denis Mackley, the Haslemere right-arm fast bowler returned figures of 18.4-1-45-9, easily a record against the club as Ramblers were put out for 150. Barrington’s contribution, batting at 4 was 0. However he was invited to open the bowling in Haslemere’s innings, together with Johnny King in all spin attack, the pair bowled 40 overs unchanged to dismiss Haslemere for 95 – Barrington took 4-39, King 6-48
His fourth match was at West Horsley’s ground by the railway and not far from Bookham, where Barrington lived in later life. Fred Waller (83*) was in commanding form with the bat for the home club who declared at 164-2, Barrington securing 1 wicket in 15 overs for 50 runs. He opened the batting with George Porter but was bowled by Waller’s brother for 20 after they had put on 36. Ramblers held on at 118-9 for a draw.
Ken Barrington’s final match was on September 14th at Steyning. He bowled 7 overs and took 1-27 as Steyning crawled to 138 all out in 50 overs. He batted no 4 and those privileged to watch were impressed with his 62 in 76 minutes as Ramblers won by 2 wickets.
First Class (1953-68) ALL 31714 runs @ 45.63 (76 x 100), 273 wickets @ 32.62, 515 catches ENGLAND (82 matches) 6806 runs @ 58.67 (20 x 100), 29 wickets @ 44.82, 58 catches
BLACKMORE G P M
Ramblers (1947-49) 415 runs @ 14.31, 124 wkts @ 8.64 First class (1944-5 and 1948) – ‘Europeans'(India) and Kent
12 runs @ 4.00, 2 wkts @ 63.50, 1 catch
Ramblers (1985) 175 runs @ 175.00, 1 wkt @ 16.00. 1 ca First class (1984-89) – Surrey, Sussex (26 matches) 1042 runs @ 26.71 (2 x 100), 1 wicket @ 9.00, 14 catches
GOVER A R (Alf)
Ramblers (1951)
Alf Gover who died in October 2002 aged 93, was a firm friend of the Ramblers in the early days. The Surrey and England fast bowler had taken over the indoor cricket school at Wandsworth, South London after the war – founded in 1928 by Herbert Strudwick, Andy Sangham and S Bale. He, Sandham and Arthur Wellard developed the gas-lit 4 net facility into something of an attraction to local cricketers who enjoyed the evening practice sessions – and the bar afterwards. Mike Gauntlett, Lionel and Tony Wood, Ronnie Gethen, Charlie Izzard and other Ramblers of the early 1950s made a regular trip up the A3 during the winter months. ‘Mike’ Gauntlett’s two sons, Michael and Hugh were also allowed to take the train to Clapham junction and the bus to East Hill in the school holidays to be coached by the great man. Alf and one of his two sons, David, came on the very first Ramblers tour. Alf played only the one game – against Havant and shared the new ball with David. He took 6-34 in 16 overs which included a second spell of 5.5 overs in which he took wickets 3 wickets in 4 balls. Unfortunately the match had already been lost by the time he took his first wicket.
First class (1928-47) – Surrey ALL 340 matches, 2312 runs @ 9.36, 1555 wickets @ 23.63, 171 catches ENGLAND (4 matches) 2 runs (no ave), 8 wkts @ 44.87, 1 catch
HARPER N J (Nic)
Ramblers (1954-91) 12216 runs @ 47.35 (19 x 100), 235 wkts @ 17.29 First class (1961) – Cambridge University 1 match, 1 run @ 1.00, 1 wicket @ 39.00,
Ramblers Richard certainly played, but there is no scorebook evidence available First class (1967-81) – Hampshire 3471 runs @ 19.72 (2 x 100), 1 wicket @ 104.00, 65 catches
MACMILLAN G (Greg)
Ramblers (1991) 45 runs @ 45.00, 2 wkts @ 25.50, 1 ca First class (Gloucestershire, Leicestershire & Oxford University) 2024 runs @ 26.63 (1 x 100), 23 wkts @ 52.91
MAGARIRA Rugare
Ramblers (2021) 0 runs, 12-0-46-3, 1 ca First class (2017) – 2 matches in Zimbabwe 10 runs @ 3.33, 10 wkts @ 20.60,
MINNS R E F (Robert)
Ramblers (1961) 187 runs @ 23.97, 0-54, 4 ca First class (1959-63) – Kent (2 matches), Oxford University 947 runs @ 27.05, did not bowl, 12 ca
Ramblers (1946 & 1951) 154 runs @ 77.00, 4 wkts @ 4.50 First class (1932-52) – Surrey 14272 runs @ 31.57 (20 x 100), 543 wickets @ 28.87, 330 catches
John Frederick Parker was born in Battersea on 23rd April 1913. He joined Surrey shortly after celebrating his 18th birthday in 1931 and played in 334 matches for the county between 1932 and 1952. He was selected to to go on the 1939-40 MCC tour to India, but the tour was abandoned die to the outbreak of war. Parker was an attacking middle order right hand batsman, a right arm medium pace bowler and a fine slip fielder.
The ‘Battersea Bradman’ hit 1000 runs in a season 9 times (best 1789 at 40.65 in 1949). Both his double centuries were for Surrey, the highest being 255 v New Zealand at The Oval in 1949.
Jack Parker played twice for the Ramblers – at Brook in 1946 in the club’s second match since formation and at Steyning in 1951. His game at Brook on 28th July came in the middle of the Surrey/Yorkshire county championship match at The Oval in which he obtained a ‘king pair’ – bowled Robinson on both occasions. He fared considerably better against the Brook bowling, scoring 84 before being caught off ‘Noxer’ Hardy (Alan Hardy’s uncle). He hit 9 fours and 2 sixes. With Blackmore scoring 50, Ramblers declared at 243-8 in this 12 a side match. Brook were soon 14-5 and only GA Stogden (46) stood in Ramblers’ way as Blackmore and Parker again held centre stage . The pair opened the bowling and Blackmore returned figures of 9.4-3-19-6 including 4 wickets for 5 runs in his last 3 overs. Parker took 3 wickets for 5 runs in his first 6 overs and finished with 4-18 off 11 overs. He was reported to be suffering from severe bouts of rheumatism during this summer and back problems plagued him throughout his career.
Parker’s second match was in 1951 – his benefit year. The game was against Steyning on Sunday September 13th. The home side won the toss and inserted Ramblers who lost Norman Lock in the 3rd over – caught at slip for 0 at 7-1. Parker joined George Porter and the pair put on 79 in the next hour before Porter was out. Parker lasted another 10 minutes and was out caught for 70 (3 fours and 1 six – the only one of the day).
The following year Jack Parker had the satisfaction of seeing his county win the County Championship for the first time since 1915. He died on 26th January 1983
PATEL A J
Ramblers (2010)
33, 8-1-19-0 First class (Auckland, Central Districts and New Zealand (to date)
609 runs @ 12.42, 195 wkts @ 30.28, 28 ca
TESTS (2), November 2018; 21 runs @10.50, 8 wkts @ 30.37 AJAZ entered cricket history by taking all 10 wickets in an innings for New Zealand v India on 4th December 2021 in Mumbai.
ROBINS W V H (William)
Ramblers (1948) 0, 4 wkts @ 0.25 First class (1931-39) – Army, Madras 207 runs @ 17.25, 15 wickets @ 37.53, 3 catches
SEKONYELA K B (Bennett)
Ramblers (2007) 61 runs @ 30.50, 3 wkts @ 26.00, 1 ca First class (2004-07) – Border, Border B, Free State, Griqualand West 24 runs @ 15.12, 47 wickets @ 28.12, 4 catches
THORNE D C (David)
Ramblers (1952-54) 34 runs @ 34.00, 0-30 First class (1964) Combined Services 98 runs @ 32.66, 2 wkts @ 66.50
An Army officer in the Royal Anglian Regiment, Sir David rose to the rank of Major General. His twin brother Michael, also a soldier played for the Ramblers
TIMMS B S V (Bryan)
Ramblers (1959) DNB First class (1959-71 – Hampshire & Warwickshire 3657 runs @ 15.76, 1 x 100, 456 catches & 70 stumpings
TOWNSEND C J (Chris)
Ramblers (1997 & 2005)~ 178 runs @ 29.67, 3 wkts @ 50.67, 7 ca First class (1992-2000) – Oxford University (23 matches), MCC 159 runs @ 12.23, did not bowl, 35 ca & 5 st
van WYK E P (Esmund)
Ramblers (2005 & 2008) 273 runs @ 54.60, 1 wkt @ 81.00 First class (2007-09)- Western Province 697 runs @ 41.00, 36 wickets @ 26.78, 6 catches
WHITE W M E (Mike)
Ramblers (1970-77) 273 runs @ 13.65, 20 wkts @ 24.55, 5 ca First class (1937-49) – Northants (5 matches), Cambridge University 398 runs @ 13.72, 42 wickets @ 36.28, 15 catches
WILSON P H L (Hew)
Ramblers (1975) 0 runs @ 0.00, 4 wkts @ 10.00, 1 ca First class (1978-84) Surrey, Somerset, Northern Transvaal 261 runs @ 10.44, 110 wickets @ 30.85, 11 catches
WOOD J R (James)
Ramblers (2001-03) 251 runs @ 50.20 (1 x 100), 5 ca & 2st First class (2005-07) – Durham MCCU (6 matches) 170 runs @ 15.45, did not bowl, 2 ca & 1 st
NOTES :
1. Steve Dove-Dixon, Len Sanderson, and Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle (all Army) played for Combined Services, but matches played by them did not have first class status – that ceased at the end of the 1964 season
2. Anecdotally the following played for the Ramblers, but there is no evidence to support this from match records held :
Bob Cottam (Hampshire, Northamptonshire & England 1963-76)
Nico Pretorius (Free State, Orange Free State 1986-97)
Basil Woods (Cambridge University 1951)
