Memory Lane

Tour presentations, Ramblers v Reigate Pilgrims, Richard Jefferson, Mike White, Bill Lander, Gerry Cogger, Ramblers hockey

TOUR PRESENTATIONS

Below are photos of pennants, plaques and trophies received on  tours over the years

 

GIBRALTAR 1992, 1995, 2007

CANADA 1996
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2002

 

SR - BLOEMENDAAL PLAQUE
 
SR - NETHERLANDS SGS PLAQUENETHERLANDS 2013 AND 2019 – BLOEMENDAAL AND SGS

 

SR - CORFU PENNANT 2

    SR - CORFU PENNANT
CORFU 2015

 

  ITALY 2017 – SPILAMBERTO AND PIANORO

 

SR - SARK PLAQUE

SARK 2018
HAMPSHIRE WAYFARERS

RAMBLERS v REIGATE PILGRIMS

   This fixture is one of the Ramblers oldest, the first match being in 1948, and has continued – albeit with one long interruption ever since. 
1948  WON 3 wkts      73-7    72(-8)
1949  WON 110 runs   191-5d   81
1950  LOST 10 runs    74      84      Parker 5-21
1951  WON 2 wkts      70-8    69      Gethen 5-15
1952  WON 175 runs   263-6d   88(-11) L Wood 100*,Porter 8-37
1953  WON 6 wkts      85-4    82      Porter 6-36
1954  DRAW           135-7   172-7d
1955  LOST 129 runs   74     203
1956  LOST 27 runs   185     212-8d
1957  LOST 100 runs  123     223-6d
1958  LOST 44 runs    79     123      Lander 6-41 
1959  LOST 5 wkts    232-9d  233-5
1960  WON 3 wkts     237-7   233-8d
1961  LOST 79 runs   100     179-9d   Perrin 6-36
1962  CANCELLED (?)
1963  WON 102 runs   132      30      Terry 7-3
1964  DRAW (ab)       83-2   140-8d   Cogger 6-53
1965  DRAW           228-7   153-6
1966  WON 79 runs    161      82
1967  –
1968  WON 38 runs    204-6d  166      Barnes 7-58
1969  WON 38 runs    151     113      Barnes 7-57
1970  WON 8 wkts     139-2   138
1971  –
1972  DRAW           160      81-5
1973  WON 16 runs    156     140      Hart 6-40
1974  WON 8 wkts     120-2   118      Terry 6-51
1975-2005 No matches (34 year gap)
2006  DRAW           182-7   218-6d
2007  DRAW           179-7   201-9d
2008  DRAW           163-9d  103-9
2009  CANCELLED
2010  DRAW           255-6d  220-8
2011  CANCELLED
2012  CANCELLED
2013  LOST 6 wkts    151-9d  152-4
2014  WON 110 runs   176-6d   66
2015  WON 52 runs    156(-9) 104
2016  CANCELLED
2017  DRAW           225-7d  121-5
2018  LOST 5 wkts    136     137-5
2019  LOST 2 wkts    114(-9) 115-8
2020  CANCELLED (coronavirus)
2021           ”
2022  CANCELLED
2023  CANCELLED
2024  CANCELLED 
P 33  W 15  D 9  L 9  C 8 

RICHARD JEFFERSON – THE RAMBLINGS OF AN IRREGULAR SYDENHURST RAMBLER

   Nearly twenty years (1955-73) playing for the Ramblers is an impressive record, but one brought down to earth when I own up to representing the club in fewer than thirty matches.
   In my summer school holidays in the 1950s Brook and the Ramblers were synonymous to me; many players turned out for Brook on Saturdays and the Ramblers on Sundays. I owe so much to the experience of playing matches for the two clubs during August and September, and helping my cricket development enormously. A number of us owe a great deal to Mike Gauntlett for his encouragement and help, and for giving us the opportunity.
   I certainly played in one Ramblers side at the County Ground, Southampton against Hampshire Club and Ground – too young to really appreciate such a fixture, but amazing now to think that the Ramblers were there for many years…on merit.
   Well remembered are the Saturday night winter evenings in the early to middle to middle 1960s when Sydenhurst Ramblers cricketers would meet up at the current late night hostelry and knock back Remy Martin cognac into the small hours
   Finally, to the 11th August 1972 on Mitcham Green, my penultimate match for the Ramblers. The Club batting record was broken (315-5)….in an afternoon game ! The hugely delayed declaration ruined a game of cricket, and was a most un-Ramblers like episode.
November 2001

MIKE WHITE – HOW I JOINED SYDENHURST RAMBLERS

   After we had moved in 1969 to Haslemere, I went out early in 1970 to watch some cricket – I had been told that Brook was by far the best venue in the area.
   Anne told me not to ‘bang on’ about my own cricket. So I was watching the play, leaning against the hedge behind the trees at the bottom of the ground, when a big six was hit over the trees. Without thanking, I put up my hand and the ball plopped in, without my moving at all.
   A loud shout from the middle – ‘Christ, the old bugger’s caught it ! (I learned later it was that great character Mike Bacon)
   Soon the impressive figure of ‘Big Mike’ Gauntlett appeared and introduced himself.. He then said ‘the old bugger must be a cricketer – would you like o join our Club ?’
   So I had eight years of most enjoyable cricket before we moved to Guernsey in 1978
October 2001

BILL LANDER

   Bill Lander was on the Notts staff for two years, playing for Notts II and the Club and Ground. At Trent Bridge he had learned the craft of preparing wickets for three day matches and could not have had a better training ground. I doubt if many local clubs and certainly not schools had a groundsman of his calibre
   After leaving Notts, he played as a professional for British Ropes in the Bassetlaw League in the Sheffield area of South Yorkshire, before he took up the appointment of head groundsman/cricket coach at King Edward’s School Witley. He was interviewed for the job by Bill Reynolds, then teaching at the school.
   Bill was a steely competitive player, an asset to any club side, bowling slow left arm with the occasional chinaman. His accuracy tied most competent club batsmen down, whilst he frequently ran through the lesser mortals. He normally batted at 7 or lower, but was seldom required to make runs.
   The wickets he prepared for King Edwards were superb and it was difficult for a quick bowler to get the ball above stump height. As he used to remark ‘well it’s had the same preparation as the wickets for a county game at Trent Bridge’.
   Bill left KES for Sherborne School, whose squares had deteriorated badly and he was not required to undertake any coaching. It is possible at this time that he played Minor Counties cricket for Dorset.
Edited from an original, author and date not known.

GERRY COGGER

   Gerry Cogger  came to KES Witley from Sussex CCC where he had assayed to be a quick bowler, sacrificing tight line and length for speed. He played 7 matches for the 1st XI, but could not command a regular place during the eight years he was at Hove. He was a fine batsman, making hundreds for Sussex Club and Ground.
   By the time he came to KES his bowling had moderated in pace to brisk medium but gained immeasurably in accuracy, cutting the ball and putting it on a sixpence. Good club batsmen found him difficult to score off, for he rarely bowled a loose ball – and there was never any danger if a fielder in his leg trap was told to move up a pace. His batting – the carrying through of the bat and the studied execution of a shot, was a model for boys, particularly his cover driving. In the field he was like a piece of elastic, again a model for the way he swooped on the ball and in the same movement  delivered it in to the keeper’s gloves. He was of course a nimble runner between the wickets and his footwork when batting indicated the coordination of a real ball-player – he had after all played a number of games for Sussex AFC, gaining county caps,  playing for such clubs such as Arundel FC in the Sussex League.
   Gerry went on from KES to play for APV at Crawley, where he was also groundsman, and latterly played for Sussex over 50s XI. Gerry passed away in 2019. BD
Edited from an original, author and date not known                                                        

SYDENHURST RAMBLERS HOCKEY 1962/3 – 1994/5  by Chris Terry

  It would be a very great shame if a period of Ramblers history, spanning nearly 30 years and over many matches, were to pass into oblivion without permanent record.
  Long periods of Ramblers cricketing history are well documented but not so its winter activities. At various times, Sydenhurst have played soccer, golf and hockey. Irregular soccer matches were played in the 1960s on an axis between Crawley and Gurdons (King Edward’s School Witley). Brook/Ramblers golf was regularly played at the West Surrey Golf Club. In 1962, it was decided to organise regular winter exercise at cricketing venues, in the form of Sunday men’s hockey. Hockey, like cricket, requires good timing and good footwork and seemed an ideal way of keeping the club fit and social in the winter.
  In 1962, money was tight. Most people earned around £10 per week. One could buy 16 litres of petrol for just under £1 and cigarettes were 22p for 20 (4/6d). So, things had to be done the hard way. Each Rambler surrendered a white cricket shirt, which was dyed bottle green, in a cauldron, in Gerry Cogger’s garden. Ramblers’ roses and silver tankards were cut out of curtain material and hand sewn on to the shirts
  The first match ever was arranged against Cranleigh CC at Cranleigh, courtesy of Bob Atwell, a Cranleigh pharmacist and CCC secretary. Bob was trying to do exactly the same as the Ramblers planned to do and was equally successful. The Ramblers first ever side contained two ex Welsh internationals – Bill Reynolds, Sunday captain of Brook CC and Stanley Morgan, a Guildford solicitor. The side also included two people who had never played hockey in their lives – namely, Gerry Cogger (inside left) and Roy Hardy (right wing). Hardy scored the Ramblers’ first ever goal and Sydenhurst duly won their first match.
(Here’s a flavour; results from the 1979/80 season :
14th October  v Cranleigh     LOST 1-3
28th October
  v Middleton     LOST 3-5
2nd December  v Charterhouse  WON  4-0
9th December  v Horsley       LOST 0-2
30th December v Cheam         DRAW 1-1
27th January  v Horsham       LOST 1-3
10th February v Charterhouse  DRAW 0-0
17th February v Cranleigh     LOST 2-3
9th March     v Hawks         DRAW 2-2
30th March    v Infantry      LOST 2-3
BD)
OVERALL PLAYING RECORD
Season    P    W   D   L      F    A
1962-3    6    3   1   2  )
1963-4   24   18   2   3  ) 180   94
1964-5   21   11   1   9  )
1965-6   20    7   5   8     50   37
1966-7   21   10   4   7     56   46
1967-8   15    5   3   7     25   22
1968-9    6    2   1   3     19   14
1969-0    8    4   2   2     20   17
1970-1   15    4   2   9     32   34
1971-2   23    7   2  14     28   38
1972-3   20   11   5   4     56   29
1973-4   17    7   7   3     32   25
1974-5   15    6   2   7     31   22
1975-6   29   18   5   6     71   37
1976-7   17    9   3   5     22   21
1977-8   22    7   6   9     36   36
1978-9   ?
1979-0   10    1   3   6     16   22
1980-1    1    0   1   0      1    1 (incomplete record ?)