EVO – THE CLUB SCORER (AND VERY MUCH MORE) AT 700 (part 8 - 2018 to 2019)
Evo over the years hasn’t been very lucky with ticking things off his bucket. However, pre-merger in 2018 he achieved seeing all three League XIs in a day. The 1st XI had a nice quick win away at Brixham CC, which meant the 2nd XI was at home but very conveniently the 3rd XI was playing at Torre Valley North – certain members post-merger has accepted Evo’s challenge of doing the quadruple and completed it!
As Sir Geoffery says, “catches win matches.” Whilst it wasn’t the winning catch there is a catch that Evo remembers recording in a match against Budleigh Salterton in 2018. The combined ages of the bowler and fielder who got Alex Richardson out for 44 was just 26. The bowler was Harry Passenger and the fielder was Noah Rider. (The Chelsea Pensioner end of the spectrum shall be mentioned later.)
We have had the music so it is now time to work in a bit of literature. As a young girl, a certain Agatha Christie scored for the 1st XI and one of her books was “Murder in the Library.” Well Evo once nearly wrote his own novel in 2019, “Murder in the Scorebox” having had a problematic afternoon at Queens Park. On completion of the match the two quotes Evo remembers are from the then grandee of Paignton, Ken Sambrook, “I am so sorry” and from Geoff Read (father of Chris), “I could see you have had a difficult afternoon.” Stopping off afterwards at the Baker’s residence, Evo even declined a glass of wine as the whole bottle would have easily disappeared.
As we all know, Evo is also famed for being the “Guardian of Match Balls” and for the match ball to disappear into a kit bag is a sin die offence. To this end Evo has three stories. One match the year and opposition is irrelevant but it sticks in his mind as a certain Ian Baker marched straight off the pitch and gave him the ball. On another occasion, the same match as Craig Overton pulling Evo a pint (see later), Craig’s twin brother, Jamie, came straight out the dressing room to give Evo the ball which he thought had actually been lost. However, there was always the time when Sidmouth CC forgot to bring their match ball (or so they thought) to The Rec. An SOS was sent home and an emergency ball appeared if by magic. If by further magic though Sidmouth’s actual match ball appeared miraculously in the skipper’s kit bag after the match – if looks could kill Josh Bess would have killed the member of the Bess dynasty who had not been organised.
Being the “Guardian of the Balls” hasn’t always done Evo any favours. Evo remembers one “flare up” with Tim Western which wasn’t his finest hour but what will be alluded to later, looking back now he probably understands the reason why for the “flare up.”
Evo certainly knew in the late 2010s which youngsters understood the value of balls and the need for decent spares – regarding the latter unlike an established 1st XI player who shall stay nameless. One evening match he walked into the ground to be greeted by Blaise Baker aged just 9, “Evo fancy going looking for some balls” – it was roadside but Evo just looked at mum Jacky whose facial expression gave Evo all the confirmation he needed. The same season so Sonny was all of 13 was asked by Evo, “are you going in the nets” the response was, “I can do” to which Evo replied, “fancy knocking this ball in for the 1st XI.” Sonny’s eyes just lite up and half an hour later he returned, “is this how much you want it knocked in?”
Briefly returning to the Bess family though, without marriages / relationships. Evo reckons including his days scoring for the 2nd XI, he has scored for matches involving 7 of them – the most of any cricketing blood related family in Devon!
On the same theme, Evo loves to play The Generation Game, whilst Evo just yawns now scoring for two generations of a family, three generations still excites Evo, sad I know. The Wards’ from Paignton CC were the first and there have been four subsequently including two in the same night – the Parkers’ and Sheltons’ from Barton CC. Whether Evo will ever get to four generations might be touch and go as the 3rd generations don’t seem keen on breading!
The only time the Mike Janes Memorial Match was played Cockington and Evo scored was 2018, and a young Sonny Baker failed to read the rule book. It is an unwritten rule that any match Mike Pugh plays in he is first to thank the scorers. On this occasion, Sonny forgot this and thanked Evo first! Knowing how much Evo thought of Sonny for his maturity and respect, Phil Sturman turned around and simply said, “I see what you mean.”
This brings me onto the story of another famous father, Terry Townsend. One day up at Heathcoat CC, Evo asked his colleague, “does Terry Townsend ever come these days” and the response was, “rarely.” (Terry being the father of the late Graeme and Gareth, the former never let his disability get in the way of his involvement behind the scenes in cricket.) Not five minutes had passed when Evo turned to his left and noticed a famously well-worn Surrey CCC t-shirt. It could be only one person – yes, you guessed it, Terry!
With what will be alluded to in the last part of Evo’s memories – little things mean so much. Whilst Evo got into “trouble” with Bakes for celebrating back in 2012, fast forward to 2019 and a night the Nations League Football was on. Evo was clearly struggling and was sitting outside alone. Bakes came along as a human being first a chairperson second and said, “Evo are you alright.” Evo fudged his response but always remembers those few seconds. Evo has also always valued the support from the power behind the throne, Jacky, as well. On one occasion though when they were discussing how Evo’s brain is wired, for once Sonny didn’t heed the famous expression of legendary rugby union referee, Tony Spreadbury, “go away.”