HISTORY

THAT NOT SO FAKE NEWS - IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

by Mark Haines

THE HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL BATTING SCORE WAS ALEX BONE’S 172 IN 2015 VS ARUNDEL

IN 2006 WCC CHASED 200 TO WIN VS HENFIELD OF WHICH 54 WAS THE HIGHEST SCORE BY “EXTRAS”. THE NEXT HIGHEST SCORE BEING SIMON CRAGGS 39. DICK KERWOOD SCORED A CAREER HIGH OF 27 WINNING THE MATCH WITH HIS ONLY EVER SIX.

OF MIKE RAYNHAM’S 74 CLUB INNINGS, 37 (50%) FINISHED NOT OUT. ONLY ALASTAIR PUSENELLI COMES CLOSE WITH 46% OF HIS INNINGS BEING NOT OUTS.

BOTH SIMON CRAGG AND PHILL DICKINS LAST INNINGS FOR THE CLUB IN 2014 FINISHED WITH HALF CENTURIES. THOUGH OF PHILL’S FIRST 8 INNINGS, 7 WERE DUCKS.

TOM BUTT HAS BY FAR THE BEST BATTING AVERAGE WITH 46.30. HE ALSO HAS THE BEST CONVERSION RATE FOR HUNDREDS. SCORING 7 HUNDREDS FOR THE CLUB WITHOUT BEING OUT IN THE 90’S. MARK HAINES HAS THE WORST CONVERSION RATE GETTING TO 90 EIGHT TIMES (INCLUDING ONE IN A 20/20) AND ONLY EVER REACHING THREE FIGURES ONCE.

STEPHEN MALLEY’S FIRST INNINGS FOR THE CLUB WAS A FIRST BALL DUCK AT NUMBER 11. CLEARLY OPENING IS EASIER AND MORE PROFITABLY.

THE HIGHEST CLUB SCORE BATTING FIRST WAS 295 VS MEDSTED IN 2011. (CRAGG 82 AND HAINES 95 RESULTED IN THE CLUBS BEST WEEKEND PARTNERSHIP OF 159).

HAINES, 95 AND RICHARD DICKEN 59* PUT ON THE BEST OPENING PARTNERSHIP OF 157 IN A 20/20 VS DACD IN 2006

RICHARD DICKIN IS THE ONLY BATSMAN TO SCORE OVER A 1000 RUNS IN A SEASON IN 2009 EDIT: WARREN TURNER HAS SINCE ACHIEVED THIS FEAT IN 2021 & 2022

THE LONGEST SPELL OF BOWLING WITHOUT A BREAK WAS COMPLETED BY SIMON RICKARD IN 2001 OF 20 OVERS.

IN 2003 PHILL DICKIN BOWLED A 14 BALL OVER VS STEYNING. HIS ONLY OVER OF THE DAY. HE ALSO SCORED A DUCK IN THE SAME MATCH.

DEAN KEHAGIAS AND SAGAR DESAI ARE THE ONLY BOWLERS TO TAKE 7 FORS (BEN COWDRY HAS NOT ACHIEVED THIS)

TOM BUTT WENT 4 YEARS WITHOUT TAKING A WICKET (2005 TO 2009) TO BE BEATEN BY SCOTT BUSHBY WHO WENT 7 YEARS (2007 TO 2014)

MIKE RAYNHAM BOWLED THE WORST 6 BALL OVER IN 2004 FOR 30 RUNS, THE FIRST BALL OF THE INNINGS BEING A DOT BALL.

CHRIS MANSELL BOWLED A 7 BALL OVER IN 2015 THAT WENT FOR 32. 1NB 1 SINGLE AND 5 SIXES.

DEAN KEHAGIAS ONCE SCORED 9 RUNS OFF A SINGLE BALL. HE SKIED ONE TO COW CORNER. THE BALL PLUGGED INTO THE GROUND A METRE FROM THE BOUNDARY WHILE DEAN & BEN COWDRY RAN 4. A SHY AT THE STUMPS RESULTED IN 1 HASTILY RUN OVERTHROW WHICH THEN LEAD ANOTHER SHY AT THE STUMPS MISSING THEM COMPLETELY INCLUDING THE KEEPER AND SLIPS TO RUN ALL THE WAY TO THE BOUNDARY FOR A FURTHER 4 RUNS!

The Westbourne Cricket Club has been situated in the meadow opposite the Cricketers pub for some 130 years although, due to the two world wars, play hasn’t been continuous throughout. In the early 1900s,Charlie Goddard, landlord of the Good Intent, claimed to have made ‘the longest hit ever known – nearly a quarter of a mile’. According to an old newspaper cutting, ‘he banged the ball with a mighty hit, it bounced on to the road alongside the common (Monks Hill) and rolled down the hill, a few yards only under the 440 yards from where it was struck’.

Today there are some 30 adult players in the club. The season, from April to September, consists of 22 weekend fixtures and 16 evening fixtures, both home and away. A special annual memorial cricket match is organised by the Desais and the Patels in honour of Dr Patel’s who, besides being the local doctor, was also an international cricketer, captaining the Kenyan side in the 1960s. Dr Patel’s guest XI was recently led by Sandeep Patel and cheered on by 150 enthusiastic relatives, some arriving from as far away as Uganda.

The clubs pitch at Commonside at the top of Covington Lane is picturesque and tranquil. With horses grazing in surrounding fields, the pitch is renowned for its wild orchids (Autumn Lady’s Tresses), one or two of which have popped up inches from the stumps.