From the early 80s, our neighbours and arch-rivals Somerset dominated the back page of the local papers, the Evening Post and Western Daily Press.
Following the dissolving of “Procter-shire”, Somerset and the “Big 3” – Beefy (Ian Botham), Viv (Richards) and Bird (Joel Garner) – ruled the roost and got all the headlines, with the Glorious Glosters being relegated to a 2-inch column inside back.
How things changed in July 1986 as Zummerzet arrived at not-so-fortress Bristol!
On what looked like an excellent wicket we won the toss and chose to bat, but in less than 80 overs were all out for 308. At tea-time, captain Graveney issued a verbal whiplash for irresponsible batting and throwing wickets away with gay abandon. Athey 55, Bainbridge 51 and Russell 49, all got in and got out. Big Joel taking 4 for 59.
Our fast and nasty, The Mercurial Walsh (Cuddy), was also not best pleased having to put on the bowling boots on a batting day! Just before the close, Somerset were all out for 147, 11 runs short of the follow on. Cuddy taking the first 9 wickets for 72, Sains tempting Joel with one of his floaters to hole out for the 10th wicket, robbing Walsh of all 10! I think more to do with Joel not wanting his countryman to get all ten.
On the second day, we enforced the follow-on, but after his endeavours on day one Courtney didn’t have the same impact and the visitors progressed nicely to 30 odd without loss.
“Come and have bowl, Stingray,” muttered the captain. (Stingray was my bowling nickname – after the words on the opening credits of the TV puppet show “Anything can happen in the next half hour!”)
Well happen it did – the visitors were all out for 154 just before tea on the second day – "Stingray" weighing with a career best 8 for 53! In 17 unbroken overs, including the “Master Blaster” – I.V.A. Richards caught by Tony Wright whom I had positioned at boot hill much to his displeasure and to Viv’s, for a duck!
However, my favourite wicket was getting out Big Bird – he strolled in and took guard – and as I had my tail-up, I posted a man out on the hook as I was going to get my own back and bounce him. I duly sent down a bouncer, and he hooked as is the West Indian way and it just cleared the man at deep square for a six. I then went for the double bluff and went for the yorker. Joel launched into it and it went over my head, and over long on, and over the football pitch behind the site screen never to be found. Joel swaggered down the wicket and looked down at me and shouted “And you can have some of that too” in a West Indian slant.
I went for the double-double bluff the next ball (the slower ball out of the back of the hand), Joel launched at it again but the bat was around his shoulders when the ball eventually arrived and took his off stump.
Tea after the game turned in to a champagne cream tea, with bottles of Moet being guzzled and the team eventually came out of the dressing room well into the night – a very sweet victory against the old enemy. And we changed the back page, which read:
“Gloucestershire rout Somerset and win by an innings and 7 runs, thanks to Walsh and Bainbridge.”
We remained on the back page for the rest of the season, with Somerset being relegated to the inside page as we pushed hard for the Championship – finishing a close runner-up to Essex that year. Somerset with their big three finished second to bottom!
Memory added on January 6, 2021
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