Looking back on a day to forget for March Cricket Club
Many of us of a certain age can remember the Dirty Dozen, a well known action film of the late 1960s. Locally, from a cricketing point of view, I have always wanted to know more about the Dismal Dozen, the day the March Sunday 2nd XI were bowled out for 12!
The phrase Mills, Miles and Bennett, no it’s not a firm of solicitors, has been bandied about in the pavilion bar for years.
The game against Buckden 1st XI took place on Sunday, July 31, 1977, an Ashes summer. Three days before that incredible day at the Avenue, Ian Botham had made an impressive Test debut at Trent Bridge, grabbing five wickets.
In that era, local major league cricket in Cambridgeshire was two years away. All games were friendly matches, the majority of which started at 2.30pm with no set overs per side. Quite often on a Sunday, a leisurely start of 2.40 ish was not unusual.
The home XI were a strong bowling outfit with the four bowlers having played, the day before, for the stronger Saturday 2nd XI side in their victory against Biggleswade.
Fortunately, for the game, Buckden 1st XI batted first! They suffered two early wickets to the then, teenage tearaway left arm bowler Martyn Cross with openers Terry Ellington and Tony Cook being dismissed for 3 and 0 respectively.
The visitors recovered with a third wickets stand of 45. However, against some tight March bowling, they were dismissed for 129 in 41 overs. Ray Wilson took four wickets for March with Geoff Findlay top scoring for the visitors with 31.
“We weren’t sure 129 was enough runs” said Buckden all rounder Stan Cox. Although he recalled the wicket wasn’t an easy one to bat on.
One of many amusing stories about the game came from the March dressing room before the innings started. Looking around, skipper Martyn Wilkinson is believed to have uttered the words: “There are no openers here so I had better go out.” The skipper thought he decided to open because no one else wanted to.
It made little difference as the skipper, fellow opener John Fox and Ray Wilson all fell without scoring to leave the team 0-3.
Batting number three was 14-year-old Hereward Comprehensive schoolboy Steve Day, the youngest player in the home side, who would play a pivotal role in the March innings.
The mayhem continued with the next five wickets falling for only six runs. This passage included the famous hat-trick of Les Mills, Alan Miles and Ray Bennett. The trio were all bowled by Buckden teenager Alastair Horsley. “It must have been the worst hat trick ever,” said Day.
With Jim Day, Steve’s dad, the only official umpire on the day, players also carried out the role, and David Alterton recollected one controversial incident when he was officiating. “I turned down a run when John West was on strike and declared a dead ball. If not it could have been 13!”
Amidst the clattering of wickets, schoolboy Steve Day stood firm. Some players wondered if he received a few favours from his Dad. “It could have been worse but for some favourable umpiring,” said Wilkinson.
Steve was finally bowled for eight, we believe with no boundaries, when the score had reached nine.
Last man David Alterton joined Martyn Cross at the crease and they added three for the 10th wicket. “It was 33% of the score” said Alterton. Meanwhile, Cross finished undefeated on one not out.
“It was a leg glance and in the context of the game I was our second highest scorer,” said Cross.
Nine of the March batsman had been out for ducks. Six of them had been bowled. What was more remarkable was that the home side had batted 18.4 overs, 112 balls to score a mere dozen. Buckden’s Duncan Simpson took three wickets for six runs whilst young Horsley returned the amazing figures of seven wickets for three runs!
“Not one of the highlights of my career,” said Wilkinson. “I was totally embarrassed by the total,” said vice captain Alan Hearn.
The 2nd XI had an average season in 1977, winning 11, losing 12 and drawing 10 of
their matches.
I left the final word to Buckden’s Stan Cox: “We thought they would be a bit stronger than that. Although Buckden can beat that... the club were bowled out for three in 1947 against Ramsey 2nd’s. In that game ten players failed to score!”
Buckden 1st XI 129 all out (Cross 14-2-40-3, Alterton 14-6-29-2, Mills 7-0-27-1, Wilson 6-1-20-4).
March 2nd XI
J Fox c Horsley b Simpson...........0
M Wilkinson b Horsley.................0
S Day b Horsely............................8
R Wilson c-b Simpson..................0
J West c Cook b Horsley...............0
A Hearn c Cox b Horsley..............0
L Mills b Horsley..........................0
R Bennett (wk) b Horsley.............0
M Cross Not out...........................1
D Alterton b Simpson...................0
Extras............................................3
Total ...........................................12
Bowling: Simpson 9.4.-7-6-3 Horsley 9-8-3-7.
